It's sad, but Welcome to the Dead Zone is not a deadhead memorabilia shop on Haight Street. It's the title of an article in Fortune on CNNMoney.com (which may or may not be a lesson in co-branding, but that's not really what we're here for.) On the deflate list, the three Curbed home towns, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, all headed for the Danger Zone. Las Vegas and Phoenix have already made it to the Dead Zone, a category that conjures the worst possible scenarios. Think Detroit with tumbleweed. Hints of data manipulation, most-vulnerable award to new condo owners and developers. Best quotes, among many:
"New homes sales sprang back to life like a zombie in a cheap horror flick.. like that zombie, housing really is dead. Don't let all that twitching fool you."
"...in some places, appreciation has been so sharp that a seller could see prices plunge 30 percent and still make a hefty gain."
"The real losers will be those who bought recently at inflated prices and are forced to sell, usually because they're taking a job in another city or can't make the payments when their adjustable mortgage rate jumps. And speculators who bought overpriced condos in hope of a quick killing are going to get hosed."
· Scary Chart-du-Jour [Curbed]
· Welcome to the Dead Zone [Fortune]
· New Home Sale Soar [Fortune]
· Who will be Hurt Most [Fortune]
{Danger Zone image (above) from Fortune on CNNMoney.com]