The real estate blogs that are springing up daily have provided the delivery of content in real time, causing many in big media to consider launching their own blogs to keep pace. One of the first Big Media real estate specific blogs was the recent launch of The Walk-through [1] by the New York Times.
The perception by many is that small blogs are independent and a more pure source of news while Big Media is subject to influence from advertising.
Have you looked at the titles of some of real estate blogs lately?
It seems like more than half use the word “bubble” in their title. That seems akin to using “crash” that describes one side of the housing picture. Wait a sec, here is one that uses both of these words. Southern California Real Estate Bubble Crash [2]. Conversely, there are virtually no blogs with titles that say something like “There is no bubble” or “Anti-bubble.” This certainly suggests widespread questions about the real estate market.
The word “bubble” seems to strike an emotional cord with many. Its a very effective way to steer traffic to a blog since the word bubble grabs a lot of eyeballs from Google searches. With all the talent that goes into many of these blogs, I just wonder if this stratgy isn’t too short sighted.
Imagine for a minute that the real estate market does not see the effects of a bubble over the next few years. Such a title will seem strangely out of place. If the market does see the effects of a housing bubble over the next few years, it would still seem like a relatively obsolete title after the bursting of such a bubble.
I don’t mean to get hung up on this point, and it is a relevantly minor point, but since there are so many real estate blogs named “bubble” there must be more to this issue. Here are some of my favorite real estate blogs that have “bubble” in their title.
The Housing Bubble 2 [3]
The Boy In The Housing Bubble [4]
Bubble Meter [5]
bubbleinfo.com [6]
SacramentoHousingBubble [7]
Bubble Tracking [8]
Housing Panic – There Goes the Neighborhood (The Bubble Bursts) [9]
Inside The DC Bubble [10]
Northern NJ Real Estate Bubble [11]
The Bursting Bubble [12]
Seattle Bubble [13]
Well, you get the picture
Update: Added Trackback to The Stalwart who is a must read for me.