The matter of Peter's estate has been resolved satisfactorily.

I have a lot to say on the matter, but unfortunately, this is not the appropriate forum.

I am neither happy nor sad. I am satisfied and perhaps a bit relieved.

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In other news, the Census Bureau recently reported that there were 2.1 million vacant homes for sale nationally, (excluding vacation homes) resulting in a national homeowner vacancy rate of 2.7%, the highest level in the four decades that the bureau has been tracking this data and up from 2.0% a year ago. It's never been above 2.0% before 2006.

Why is any of this important? Because when a vacant home is for sale, it means that there is not a family or a person who is going to have to buy another dwelling to live in as soon as their home sells; the foregoing numbers suggest an extraordinarily high level of speculative ownership. And we all know the likely ending to that movie--the main question is whether it ends slowly and painfully (e.g., flat to negative price changes for years) or in a large implosion. Geography and local economies provide hints at some of the answers; perhaps there won't be a national answer. Meantime, certain subprime lenders are already imploding. On that happy note, back to work!