Matt Yglesias

15 Responses to “Phantom Renters”

1. staunch_hillbilly Says:
   January 9th, 2009 at 5:32 pm

   I’m 2 hours out from downtown in WV and the local hotels here are trying to get 400/night.

   Ain’t happening.

2. rapier Says:
   January 9th, 2009 at 5:43 pm

   When a great bull market is proclaimed on the front page of every newspaper, sell.

   I was checking motel rates starting in July and there were plenty of Holiday Inn affiliate room available at the time at no premium during the Inauguration. I considered reserving a couple of suites. anticipating a little chance to scalp a little coin. I didn’t have the heart for it. Like all good progressives I am a terrible entrepreneur. Well that and I didn’t think I could go or know if I really wanted to. Now unemployed I have a tiny tinge of regret.

   Remember Bush’s first Inauguration. Dreary and rainy. Thin crowds along the route. Many surly. A egg was thrown. CNN struggled mightily to hide the grim scene. In fact all the media ignored how grim it was.

3. DHN Says:
   January 9th, 2009 at 6:08 pm

   And the scare stories will scare people away from coming, and when only 2 million show up Fox will say Obama’s popularity is in free fall.

4. Texas Girl Says:
   January 9th, 2009 at 6:09 pm

   This happens every single time there’s a big event. It’s nothing new at all.

   I remember there being talk of Atlantans being able to make big money renting out their homes for the 1996 Olympics. In the end only a few people with amazing houses in highly desirable locations were able to rent theirs.

   Same thing happened a few years ago with the Superbowl in my neck of the woods. Lots of talk about renting out houses, making tons of money. In the end, only a few people with ideally located homes were able to rent them.

   I imagine a few people with perfectly located houses or apartments will be able to rent them for the innauguration, but for the most part it’s going to be like every other big event. Lots of wishful thinking and very few people able capitalize on it.

   The thing I don’t get it, why doesn’t anyone remember the last “big event housing bubble” when the next event comes along? It’s the same thing every time.

5. Bob Munck Says:
   January 9th, 2009 at 6:34 pm

   I just got an email from the Inn at Little Washington offering a two-nights-for-one bargain over the Inauguration. The Inn is possibly the most luxurious bed-and-breakfast in the world, and it’s just a 90-minute limo ride from the White House (less with an armed escort); 20 minutes by copter. If they have vacancies …

6. David Says:
   January 9th, 2009 at 7:14 pm

   That is so good to hear. Since I live on Capitol Hill within walking distance from the Mall I keep thinking I’m missing out on a lot of money. The opportunity cost of my going to see inauguration grew and grew, so I’m glad to hear it.

7. rapier Says:
   January 9th, 2009 at 10:40 pm

   It is quite incredible. I have been doing a Google image search for pics from the 2001 inauguration and there is almost nothing along the parade route.

   Maybe it isn’t so unusual. It was a long time ago. Still it strikes me as odd. I recall at the time the same thing. The attendance on the parade route was poor and none too friendly. The grim weather serving as an excuse for the light attendance as well as the absence of coverage. I can’t find any reference to the egg thrown at the limo.

   I also recall the bleachers for the ceremony were half filled. We can assume the crowd this year will be big. Not the nutso 4 million but big, and happy. Good luck to the protesters who might show up. I’m sure they will be polite.

8. Aatos Says:
   January 10th, 2009 at 12:25 am

   That happened here in Glendale, AZ for last year’s Super Bowl too. For 6 months before the game, people talked about renting their houses for $10,000 a week. As game day approached, prices dropped and dropped to the point where most would be renters wouldn’t find it worth the trouble.

   I think people who have that kind of money probably also have a good sense of when they’re being gouged by an opportunist, or possibly access to a concierge service that cuts through the nonsense for them.

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