Short sales in the Valley peaked in 2011, and that meant a lot of people went from being homeowners to renters. Many had to wait to be eligible for a home loan. Now, a lot of those people are once again and the wave of boomerang buyers is just starting.

Looking at the health of commercial real estate in the Valley, the picture’s a bit mixed. Depending on where you’re standing and what you’re trying to build, financing new development can be tough. But one concrete shell of a building on 32^nd Street in the Phoenix neighborhood of Arcadia shows that a more conservative finance market means  developers need to be more flexible in pursuing projects.

Arizona's poverty rate was among the highest in the country last year, according to new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau.

KJZZ reporters Devin Browne and Mark Brodie talk about their work covering Arizona’s job market, and ASU economist Lee McPheters talks about what needs to change in the job market to get Arizona on the economic upswing.

The number of jobs in the Phoenix area grew by almost 2 percent in 2010. The Valley ranked seventh nationally for large metro areas.

KJZZ's Changing America Desk is looking into the housing boom and bust, and what it will take to recover.

What's the next industry that will create jobs and boost the economy?