In case you're wondering about real estate news ...

I really don't expect much for the next couple of weeks. There will be some closings on houses we've already discussed here when they went under contract, but between the last week of August vacations, the opening of the school year, and just a general settling down while preparing for fall, we probably won't see much in the way of new listings or contracts until at least a week after Labor Day.

Or at least, that's the usual pattern, and I'd be surprised if this year's different.

It's not even a good time to make offers on houses; visit them, sure, and see what's out there, but sellers are now waiting for the fall market to save them from their foolish original pricing — it won't — and will be unreceptive to realistic offers this early into the fall market. I'd wait until mid-October before approaching most of those people. You could be cruel and make an offer now, and when it's rejected, come back eight weeks from now with a lower one, but that just breeds ill-will; I'd hold my fire.