Well, no open houses for us this past weekend. I had to work on Sunday and the weather kept Debra and Aurora inside the apartment for most of the day.

No great insights from me on this springy Monday. Here are a few links I’ve collected over the weekend for your enjoyment and edification.

A Hidden Benefit of the Downturn [NY Times]
If you’ve got the scratch for a construction project, either building a new home or renovating your old one, you’ll find a lot of builders who are anxious to compete for your business.
Home Decorating With The Obamas [New York Magazine]
Our new first family has decided to forego the customary $100,000 an uncoming President gets to renovate the White House. Instead, the Obamas will be paying for redecorating the White House’s private quarters out of their own pocket
Suffolk County – Asking Price vs Sales Price [Long Island Real Estate Guru]
The gap between the median asking price and median selling price remains significant. The Guru provides us with a nice graph, although I think that he misinterprets the data somewhat.

Aaron Spelling’s Widow lists home for 150 million [Wall Street Journal]
Apparently, the recession isn’t hitting everyone exactly the same.

Since Ms. Spelling announced her planned move to Century City, she’s fielded roughly a dozen calls from qualified buyers, including some hotel investors, estimates Stephen Goldberg, her attorney. She didn’t consider lowering the price. “The ones who could afford it three years ago, can still afford it today,” he says. $150 million “is not a lot.”

As Jackie Gleason used to say, “a mere bag of shells”.

Populist Anger Made Simple [Obsidian Wings]
Some of the “masters of the universe” that helped steer our economy off a cliff are upset that they’re being scapegoated and abused. I think that a lot of them should count themselves lucky that there aren’t people camped outside their door with torches and pitchforks.