[Interview] Kevin Gillen PHD, Economist, Econsult, Wharton
Posted by admin -Monday, May 25, 2009, 12:01 AM
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This week, I have a conversation with economist Dr. Kevin Gillen, Vice President of Econsult and is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania as a Research Fellow in its Institute for Urban Research, through which he publishes his quarterly updates on the current state of Philadelphia’s housing and condominium markets. He’s been sharing his research each quarter with the readers of my other blog, Matrix for which I am grateful.
In the podcast we cover his Philadelphia Housing Indices, as well as the three key economic hurdles facing the Philadelphia’s housing market:
1. Problems with the accuracy and proposed redistribution of tax assessments
2. The controversial 10-year tax abatement
3. Political turmoil relating to the building trades and the associated above average cost of construction.
Much of his commentary is in the context of the US housing market.
Note: I am still experiencing a lag in the audio capture via the combination of Skype and WireTap Studio so there are moments where it sounds like I am interrupting the answer. Please overlook this – I’ll figure it out eventually and it doesn’t detract from the clarity that Kevin provides to a complex housing situation.
