The aversion to buying major assets like houses (or let's face it, the inability) that's come with years of lean economic times has spawned a number of new businesses that enlist technology in create vast new rental markets. Websites such as vrbo.com, Airbnb and Love Home Swap have opened opportunities for both renters and property owners alike, but have also exposed a gap in offerings from the less-nimble industries that provide key products and services for asset owners, like insurance. The piece from Bloomberg is interesting in-and-of-itself, but also as a snapshot of how markets work (often slowly) to address the needs created by larger economic trends. [Bloomberg]
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