Thank God! Looks like the lower interest rates and housing prices are finally attracting buyers....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28856057/

I see that. I was fully prepared for a mega battering after all the major corporation cuts and layoffs on the front of msnbc.com. I wonder why they do not sensationalize the good news like they do the bad

Bonfire Wrote:
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> I see that. I was fully prepared for a mega
> battering after all the major corporation cuts and
> layoffs on the front of msnbc.com. I wonder why
> they do not sensationalize the good news like they
> do the bad


This is pretty sensational news. To me it is an indication that a lot of people who have been waiting on the sidelines to buy have figured prices aren't getting much lower. That, and the fact the banks are lending, is a good sign. I just hope they aren't using the same predatory loans they were before.

I live down in the Southeast of the nation and the Credit around Charleston SC seems to be thawing a bunch. Lot of industry here though. Possibly if the trend continues it may induce a floor for the market. The loan patterns I am seeing involve alot of FHA loans

Bonfire Wrote:
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> I live down in the Southeast of the nation and the
> Credit around Charleston SC seems to be thawing a
> bunch. Lot of industry here though. Possibly if
> the trend continues it may induce a floor for the
> market. The loan patterns I am seeing involve alot
> of FHA loans

In the part of NoVA I live in, prices have dropped a ton and a lot of foreclosed inventory is moving off the market, either through rentals, purchases or investment. Prices have bottomed out, but there hasn't been enough activity to start pushing prices back up. Hopefully if things continue we might see some appreciation taking place this summer. I hope so, anyway.

Oh it will no doubt. You live in the national access of central power. DC will always come back first. What helped this place down here was the fact that the McMansion trend was not so popular, so the housing base is around 250,000 and down. And it is starting to get scarfed up. I remember living in West springfield VA and I can remember when the construction traffic was cranking 24/7.

I can only hope. You would think a lot of people would be moving out here from Illinois.

Funny you should say that LOL!!! Im seeing alot of Michigan, Connecticuit, New york, And Ohio!! Lots of Ohio. You talk about some crazy ass people, Ohioans!! But!! But, they generate need. Traffic at stores and Food Lion has almost doubled inside of four months. And the auto shops down here are busy with vehicles from those states with fairly high salt damage from the icy roads.

I can understand people leaving Ohio and Michigan. Are there jobs in South Carolina for these folks?

Yes, the Marine Corps.

I mean there are jobs at the military bases as well as Lejeune in NC but mostly steel and shipping, as well as some manufacturing. There is Booz Allen Hamilton, but really, the newspaper and job sites like Monster do NOT paint a pretty picture at all. If they are working I would like to know where

Bonfire Wrote:
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> I mean there are jobs at the military bases as
> well as Lejeune in NC but mostly steel and
> shipping, as well as some manufacturing. There is
> Booz Allen Hamilton, but really, the newspaper and
> job sites like Monster do NOT paint a pretty
> picture at all. If they are working I would like
> to know where


I guess if you are going to be homeless, might as well be in a warm state.

Thats exactly why you see piles of homeless folks in places like San Diego and Los Angeles. They open "cold weather" shelters when it hits 40.

ITRADE Wrote:
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> Thats exactly why you see piles of homeless folks
> in places like San Diego and Los Angeles. They
> open "cold weather" shelters when it hits 40.


I've always thought to myself, "If I am going to be homeless, why wouldn't I move to Florida or California?"

I guess I'm not the only one who thinks that way.

WashingTone Locian Wrote:
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> I can only hope. You would think a lot of people
> would be moving out here from Illinois.


The administration change should kick-start things in the housing market around here, that's for sure.

How many people work "in" the white house? The old EOB and new EOB are pretty big office buildings, and they have other offices all over G street and the surrounding area.

Then you have all the lobbyists. I'm sure a new crop with their own unique connections to this administration and this legislature are slowly trickling into the area, too.

My pops worked "in the white house" and was stationed initially at the OEOB (now the EEOB) and the New EOB later on. Generally people in those buildings are white house employees, but the people in the Eisenhower building are considered to have more status and generally the more important folks get those ornate offices. People who work inside the west wing are almost always ID'd as "insiders". All of the above get invited to all the White House Xmas, July 4, and Easter festivities, so perks-wise they seem to be level no matter what building they reside in to work. The security to get into the office buildings is akin to that to get inside the White House as far as I can see, although the white house has those cool radiation detectors that even medical isotopes can set off, no idea if those are universal to all white house office buildings.

Keep in mind a lot of those people spend plenty of time inside the White House. I would be just as proud to work at a satellite (Name major company here) office and only report occasionally to the HQ, as I would to be a full-time HQ staffer. Also, plenty of people with very high status and titles work in all the executive buildings. when there is important work to be done, at the end of the day, getting it done is more important than WHERE.

RESton Peace Wrote:
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> Keep in mind a lot of those people spend plenty of
> time inside the White House. I would be just as
> proud to work at a satellite (Name major company
> here) office and only report occasionally to the
> HQ, as I would to be a full-time HQ staffer.
> Also, plenty of people with very high status and
> titles work in all the executive buildings. when
> there is important work to be done, at the end of
> the day, getting it done is more important than
> WHERE.


Yeah. I didn't mean the "in" part to exclude people outside the actual white house. I meant that "the white house" is more than just the actual 1600 PA ave building. There must be at least a thousand people that change over with a new president. Who knows, 1,000 could be way underestimating the number.

Hopefully all the change over will generate a lot of home sales in the area. Though I suppose democrats, especially the jewish and the more liberal ones, like to move to Montgomery County, especially Bethesda.

WashingTone Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank God! Looks like the lower interest rates and
> housing prices are finally attracting buyers....
>
> http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28856057/

While these articles are feel-good, they are pretty much useless because they are national numbers. The West did better than the other regions. This is a market where a county of a state can be doing much better than the county next to it... things are extremely localized.

pgens Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WashingTone Locian Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thank God! Looks like the lower interest rates
> and
> > housing prices are finally attracting
> buyers....
> >
> > http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28856057/
>
> While these articles are feel-good, they are
> pretty much useless because they are national
> numbers. The West did better than the other
> regions. This is a market where a county of a
> state can be doing much better than the county
> next to it... things are extremely localized.


At this point any positive financial activity, even regionally, is a plus.

Well, Washtone, you will be glad to know the strip club industry in WV grew last quarter. Does that count under your umbrella of "any good news is great news"?

RESton Peace Wrote:
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> Well, Washtone, you will be glad to know the strip
> club industry in WV grew last quarter. Does that
> count under your umbrella of "any good news is
> great news"?


That's stupendous news! Single Mothers in WV are doing much better now!

Can't you get extra services from strippers in WV?

RESton Peace Wrote:
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> Well, Washtone, you will be glad to know the strip
> club industry in WV grew last quarter. Does that
> count under your umbrella of "any good news is
> great news"?


Yes. Yes, it does.