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nefertari -> RE: How's the economy? (10/14/2006 1:17:36 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: UtopianRanger Probably the most tell-tale sign that gives one a true inside-look of what’s to come in the future is a recent statistic {reported in the Economist} which says : Over the past four years, consumer spending and residential construction have accounted for ninety-percent of GDP growth – That would seem to suggest that folks who are borrowing against a fictitious, appreciated book value in their homes, are in large part responsible for most of the growth in the GDP. What this means to me.... is the greatest industial revolution ever experienced on this planet has been surplanted by a bunch google-eyed bow-tie wearing, lawyers and bankers that make money by manipulating other money. We no- longer produce anything of value - And its going to come back to haunt us in the near future. - R And with the real estate market in decline and home values falling, some experts (see Forbes) predict a recession as people will no longer "feel" as wealthy and won't have as much equity in their homes to borrow against and then contribute to the economy. Borrowing against your home to take a vacation or buy a car is such a bad idea anyway. First of all, do you really want to pay for that vacation for the next 15, 20 or 30 years - with interest? Second, unless you plan on being in your house for a long time, you are going to take a hit when you sell. Especially in a declining market - you end up with a house mortgaged for more than it is worth. Third, the interest rate on a second mortgage or home equity loan is higher than your interest rate on your initial mortgage. There is more, but I'm tired. Forgive me. I'm in Ohio. Jobs are hard to come by. The real estate market has declined marketedly. We have one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country (I heard second only to Michigan, but I haven't verified that). Wages are stagnant, but property taxes are rising. Ohio is a very tax heavy state so we have a hard time enticing business. College grads tend to leave the state for jobs - have to go where the jobs are. Health insurance premiums have consistently gone up anywhere from 20 - 40% a year for the last 5 years (that I'm aware of personally) while the amount of coverage decreases. Yada, yada yada....
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