🏠 Buying in a seller’s market | Morning Newsletter
And being misled by marijuana
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
🌧️ We’ll have a wet day across the region, but temperatures in the high 60s should cancel out a little rain.
Today we look at the lack of homes available for buyers in the Philly area.
And are some medical marijuana companies misleading consumers dealing with opioid addiction? Spotlight PA takes a look.
— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
Bidding wars that result in paying thousands over asking. Buying homes sight unseen and forgoing inspections. Desperate homebuyers are resorting to such tactics.
“Everybody is competing for the small amount of supply that’s currently available,” said Christopher Beadling, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors.
It helps to know that realtors use the phrase “months of supply” as an industry measurement. That’s the length of time it would take for all homes currently on the market to sell, assuming no new homes were listed and homes continued to sell at the current rate. About six months of supply is considered to be a balanced market.
Here’s the rate of decline for that metric since 2014:
Our reporter Michaelle Bond breaks down the counties where there’s better supply, and the ones where buyers need to be prepared to put up a fight.
What you should know today
The sexual assault whistleblower who was fired from the Pennsylvania Air National Guard base in Horsham is fighting to get her job back.
The shocking price tag for adding more toilets to Wissahickon Valley Park.
Doug Mastriano’s “strange” financial report raises questions about his campaign for Pennsylvania governor.
Why it’s so hard to find help for men suffering from eating disorders.
There are only four Kmarts left in America and two them are in New Jersey.
Our columnist Jenice Armstrong is seeking answers from Lincoln University following the stabbing death of a student.
And yes, the city still wants to give residents $100 to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.
A review of more than 60 websites of cannabis companies across Pennsylvania found incomplete or misleading claims to promote marijuana as a treatment for opioid addiction.
We’re bringing this to your inbox through our partnership with Spotlight PA, which consulted numerous health policy experts and contacted the authors of studies those companies cited.
Experts said the most alarming statements came from two companies’ suggestions that medical marijuana was a “viable substitute” for a drug approved to treat opioid use disorder.
Spotlight PA’s Ed Mahon delivers a deep dive on the danger of these claims.
🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠
This place was a center of activism during the civil rights movement, hosting national Black Power and Black Panther gatherings in the 1960s and ‘70s. Today it showcases paintings from artists Walter Edmonds and Richards Watson. Today’s question: What historical landmark are we referring to? Take a guess and find the answer here.
a. Paul Robeson House
b. Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church
c. Church of the Advocate
What we’re…
🙌🏽 Praising: The brothers who want to share their plan for how to curb gun violence. They were wrongfully incarcerated for 28 years.
😊 Admiring: This wholesome video of Sixers all-star Joel Embiid with his son. Now that’s good content.
💑🏽 Noticing: Couples therapy is in high demand.
Photo of the day
It’s going to be a great day. Make sure you seize it. 💪