Like when a property management website uses Google maps to show where the houses are that from a comp or where the available rentals are.As Josh and company have been producing widgets for the Mac and a tool for Facebook will OpenSocial make it easier to network, easier to figure out who to partner with for a RE deal, easier to stay on top of deals and other things.There is a video on the Google site where they introduce the concept and then explain to a group of developers how things will work.Google the following terms to get to the specific page:opensocial code googleThe link to the video should be there.There is a Wired online article that speculates the Google announcement is a focused effort to break the Facebook closed model of the net.

Developers have also started buying at peak prices speculating on more appreciation.I have seen a handful of properties on the MLS change their price +$40K at once then they go pending a few days later.Also look at the area job market.Buy low and sell high it is that easy but many think they are missing out so they buy (into the bubble).

We can speculate until the cows come home (here comes one now!)

All we can do is speculate with you. 

Speculating is a tough game. 

I did a comparison to my stepson's LA triplex that he paid 1.2M for (and put like 250k down on in cash), where he nets about 1k a month, hoping it will appreciate huge in about 5 years bc of a stadium nearby (he bought at a speculative price to begin with so overpaid, but that's LA)VSour purchases, where we buy super low, rehab high and rent high (about 130k in each), and they are appreciating at about 20%/year (revitalization in the neighborhood).

Unfortunately the Portland Metro is now a speculation market like most of the west coast.

Appreciation is a big part, but I don't sacrafice too much CF on speculation.

In order to understand the data of any area, it's important to dig in to what really is going on, what is driving the market, is it speculation or true demand, etc.

But how that effects the RE market is harder to speculate.