Filtering through this weeks headlines...
Top Headlines: Delivered by Advisory | Leonard Steinberg
January 08, 2025
1. From 2000-2007, the 30-year fixed mortgage interest rate averaged 6.5%, yet existing home sales AVERAGED around 6 million annually…..today there are at least 20 million more households and the sales volume is around 4 million, a third LOWER. The US is in dire shortage of more AFFORDABLY priced homes.
2."A new year. A clear mind. Forward feels good."
3. Jakarta is now estimated to have almost 42 million residents, overtaking greater Tokyo as the world’s biggest city and over 5X the population of New York City (not even in the TOP 15)….
(FT)
4. All of the Top 10 most expensive homes sold in the US in 2025 were sold for $100 million or more, a reflection of the soaring equity markets and the extreme wealth growth amongst the extremely wealthy. The S&P 500 was up 16% for the year.....and ultra-luxe properties seemed to mirror this in areas, and then some!
(WSJ)
5. Furniture companies have given recliners a much-needed makeover, responding to customer demand for chairs that are both comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.
(NY TIMES)
6. 2026 could be a new era for alliances between technology and people. If recent years were about AI answering questions and reasoning through problems, the next wave will be about true collaboration.
(Microsoft)
