Real Estate Columnist Kenneth Harney Passes Away

Kenneth R. Harney, whose syndicated column “The Nation’s Housing” served as a source of news and information for consumers and real estate finance professionals alike, died May 23 from acute myeloid leukemia. He was 75.

For four decades, “The Nation’s Housing” served as a weekly guidepost for housing and real estate finance issues. Distributed by the Washington Post Writers Group, Mr. Harney’s column appeared in more than 90 newspapers across the country in virtually every major housing market.

“Ken Harney was one of the most respected, balanced, and insightful journalists MBA had the pleasure to work with,” said MBA President and CEO Robert Broeksmit, CMB. “He had a gift for writing about deeply technical housing issues in a way that the casual reader could understand. Ken will be deeply missed, and MBA will keep his family in our thoughts and prayers.”

Mr. Harney was born on March 25, 1944 in Jersey City, N.J. In 1966 he graduated from Princeton University. Following a brief stint as a reporter for a newspaper in Camden, N.J., he joined the Peace Corps, serving for more than two years in India.

Upon his return, he moved to the Washington, D.C., area, taking a job as a as a program analyst with the Office of Economic Opportunity. He then began working for the Bureau of National Affairs, serving as founding editor of Housing and Development Reporter. He also freelanced for the Washington Post and Washington Star before developing “The Nation’s Housing” column in 1979.

Mr. Harney was a frequent attendee at MBA conferences. He was active with the National Association of Real Estate Editors, serving as its President in 2008. Over the years, he won numerous awards. He also served on the Federal Reserve Board’s Community Advisory Council and appeared on TV news shows. He also wrote two books.

Mr. Harney is survived by his wife of 53 years, Andrea Leon Harney; four children, Alexandra Harney, Brenda Harney, Timothy Harney and Phurbu McAlister; two brothers, a sister and five grandchildren.

A family service will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributors donate blood, noting that during Mr. Harney’s illness he receive numerous blood transfusions to sustain him through his disease. “We feel that there is no better way to ‘pay it forward’ than to help return the kindness by donating blood in his memory,” the family said in an email.