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I met some neighbors for a pre-dinner drink Friday. They were hosting someone visiting from Japan here to learn about affordable housing programs in the U.S. Pittsburgh is of course filled with affordable housing (to get an idea, visit link. So with so much housing available, why are condos, priced significantly higher, selling so well. My neighbor wondered at what point the market would be saturated with condos. With three thousand scheduled to come online in the near term, how many would remain unsold? "All those and more will sell and be occupied," I responded.

This morning's paper had some information that helps explain why. "Allegheny County has 12,000 people turning 60 this year, according to the 2000 census, with another 354,000 boomers to follow in their wake over the next 18 years."

Some might want to spend the golden years mowing lawns in distant suburbs, but countless others want a more convenient life in a place where someone else takes care of the building. And hey, you can walk outside and get a bite to eat or see a show.

At least in Pittsburgh, the condo boom is in its infancy.