— 32 Cheap And Easy Backyard Ideas That Are Borderline Genius – The sunflower playhouse looks pretty awesome.
— I’ve long been a Flickr pro user and its recent redesign is causing some real concerns; notably – we’re no longer customers.
— Who knew Greece’s property system was so broken and dysfunctional?
— As Need for New Flood Maps Rises, Congress and Obama Cut Funding – I’ve never quite gotten why the federal government subsidizes flood insurance.
— The NAR comments to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about student loans’ impact on the housing market (summary – more student loans = fewer homebuyers)
And for a bit more insight, follow Jesse Columbo on Twitter.
But massive student loans are ok, because the student loan debt is held by the federal government. Really.
For simple context in the student loans vs housing bubble debate have a look at this chart –
Regarding the flood maps, it’s not like the government is subsidizing insurance but rather the insurance companies are relying on information that is provided by FEMA. FEMA’s flood maps are used to guide land development, predict flooding areas at storms approach, etc. Flood insurance is only one other benefit.
In my mind, the proper solution would be for flood insurance companies to foot some of the costs for this “free” service. If they want new maps, they should pay the company to make them.