Weekly Roundup: Sales strong, rents spike, celebs move, U.S. prices rebound, rates drop again, consumers hopeful, analysts see recovery

Strong sales mark first half of year as inventory dwindles

$7.67 billion worth of homes change hands citywide in Q2

Rents jump to highest level in two years in fifth consecutive quarterly rise

Woman accuses landlord of refusing to list her wife

Weekly Roundup: Tax abatements, NYC’s worrisome Q2, U.S. recovery, gay neighborhoods, outdated decor, 30 richest cities and much more

Cuomo says he expects legislature to act in fall, so city retaining abated property tax levels

And appeals of property tax assessments near record number

Manhattan market verges on worried in second quarter

When seeking roommate on Craigslist, the details really matter

Landmark body approves one of three Riverside-West End Avenue historic districts, but others yet to face votes

Region’s foreclosure rate continues to grow

Neighbors rally to save historic Dutch Kills farmhouse

Condo boards

Consensus erupts over trend toward renting

(Flickr photo by abrin523)

Beware the stampede of opinions about potential homebuyers.  Those views are trampling conventional wisdom by asserting that the American Dream is dead or dying.

Last week, momentum swelled around the idea that many folks are choosing to rent a home rather than buy one.  Such consumers fall into two groups: Those for whom it is their only option because of finances and those who lack enough confidence in real estate to risk a decline in the value of their property.

I don’t know that the herd of economists and analysts wiser than me is wrong, but the volume and consistency of reports about the decline of American Dream was remarkable.

(Most of the links below have appeared or will do so in my Weekly Roundup on Fridays, on the Service You Can Trust Facebook page, on Twitter or some combination.)

Just look at the drumbeat of evidence over the last couple of weeks — for example, what James Bullard, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis observed on Friday: