15.10.2008 - Baghdad housing prices soar under sectarian shadow
From Mercurynews.com: An arrow in central Baghdad points down a side-street to a glass door with a sign that reads: "Ali's Office." That's where real estate broker Hadi Abbas Ali has greeted clients for 25 years. Now Ali is witnessing a boom of sorts in the Iraqi capital, where real estate prices have doubled in some areas. But a sectarian shadow hangs over the boom. Buyers don't look for a river view or simply the best deal in town. Safety-conscious Shiites seek housing in walled-in areas dominated by their sect, and Sunnis stick to their own as well. With little new construction afoot, there are far more buyers or renters than available homes in places like Karradah, a mostly Shiite area where Ali is hard-pressed to shrink his waiting list..... Full Article: Source
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