It sure seems that way from where I sit, though I don't think it has much to do with the current adminstration or natural disasters. Two years ago real estate was red hot, things were booming, then....

Speculators moved in, banks made some bad decisions - can you say greed? - then the cost of living started moving up dramatically, led by fuel costs. And now we have tight credit markets, construction related businesses in the dumper and a whole lot of people who wonder what will happen next. None of which is helped by the 6PM talking head telling us all how bad things are. It pains me to say that Americans are perhaps the most easily influenced people on the planet. Long as we think things are OK, they probably are. Tell us that things are bad, they most certainly will be. Doh!

Your question about storms is fascinating. Short term they devastate wherever they hit. Been there done that. In '04 Charlie, Frances and Jeanne basically met and had a party over central Florida. Had some damage to my house, lost my roof and totalled my office. It sucked. But a year later everything was rebuilt, better than before. It wasn't any fun, and I don't recommend it, but the real truth is that a major storm (or storms) create an incredibe amount of economic activity that usually results in the affected area coming back better and stronger than before. I certainly hope that will be the case in Texas.

riccun is the most recent example - what, four or so in the last week - who have decided they need to sell. As much as that pains me, I wish them all luck, and a speedy return to this decidely dysfunctional family....

 

+1
I couldn't have put it any better.

 

In my opinion, here's the problem: The US is outsourcing way too much + We are importing way too much. It is definitely the Fault of our fearless leaders. The fix is to get all the manufacturing back into the US. Same with food products. We don't need beef from overseas, that's just retarded, yet we are importing beef. It's not really expensive for housing in USA, it's everything else. It's all gone up....Water, fuel, food, electric, insurance, healthcare. My mortgage is only $500 with insurance yet my monthly nut is $3 Grand. $1000 of that is at Walmart for food & necessities. We lost it when people stopped caring where stuff was made. USA is essentially supporting several other entire nations. The only one's that can fix it is the government. Stop our companies from manufacturing outside our country. Stop importing food products. Take better care of the people here that are actually doing the work. Men with strong backs are the backbone of this country yet our salary keeps going down. Carpenters, Plumbers, Electricians, mechanics Etc...are forced to work for peanuts these days when in reality the suits need us to survive. The suits have screwed the Farmers by importing stuff we can raise right here. We have been let down by our leaders...End of story.

 

Big business executives need a salary reset. Getting paid millions a year to run companies into the ground is ridiculous. Hire new younger players that are hungry for a job and start them out just above the working class. Also Walmart needs to stop buying from China, in fact we all need to stop buying from China. They are getting our food and we are getting thier junk.

 

N A F T A started a lot of this mess. once that was approved the writing was on the wall. what'd it take 10 years? we're all F'd..........period. you all think this is bad just wait. it's gonna get worse.

 

I agree. Just remember three quarters of the earth lives in poverty, we all won the only lottery that counts, we were born in North America.

 

it has been interesting reading all your comments on the state of your economy, it seems alot of people got greedy in realestate and it backfired. About the NAFTA comment that agreement has hurt canadians just as much if not more than the US. That is why our lumber industry sucks!!

ken