K Davies wrote:

[Comments? - KD]

big snip

Al Martin Raw.com is predicting that the end of the housing bubble is
certainly in sight. In other words, construction starts (commercial,
residential and industrial) have been falling six months in a row,
which classically signaled a downturn in the housing market. The last
time this happened was in 1932, which obviously didn't bode well for
the coming years.


Do I mind talking to myself? No, I don't mind talking to myself.
Here's the latest from Al Martin on this subject. It's about a third
of the way down at http://www.almartinraw.com/column76.html .

....Also, don't be fooled by the record increase in housing starts as
reported this month. These are becoming very volatile (three increases
and three declines in the last six months). They are swinging wildly
month after month. Since we are in a housing bubble this indicates that
a top in the housing market is being formed.

As in the automobile industry, the reason that housing starts are
remaining brisk is because there is discounting across the board by
developers. The luxury market is already soft. The housing bubble still
exists in median priced homes. It should be noted that commercial and
industrial property prices have been dropping for six months.

Builders are doing what car manufacturers are doing - reducing prices
and giving buyers easier terms. They are borrowing sales from the future
in order to keep the bubble alive.

It should be remembered that a home is the average American family's
largest asset. Increased real estate prices create a much larger wealth
increase than increases in stock prices. When the housing bubble bursts
and a negative wealth effect is generated concurrently with a negative
wealth effect from stocks, this will wreak havoc on consumer confidence.

We recommend that people not refinance their homes and take a lot of
cash out of their property. If people want to refinance at lower rates,
they should do so classically - refinance existing mortgages to reduce
to the monthly mortgage payments and not take a lot of cash out.
Otherwise you could very easily find yourself in an upside -down
position with no cash, being overextended credit-wise when the housing
market breaks. It is a time when people should be hunkering down....

"Larry Harrell" wrote in message
om...
K Davies wrote in message
arthlink.net...
[Comments? - KD]

Denial Ain't Just a River in Egypt;
It's a State of Mind with Bush Supporters
Al Martin
(Oct 7)
http://www.almartinraw.com/column74.html


Actually, that might work out very good for me. Since I don't
currently own a house

Of course you don't, you're only a forester! Your socio/economic status and
income isn't close to that of a plumber or union truck driver, certainly not
like that of a PROFESSIONAL person, like an accountant or nurse or first
grade teacher. Heck, all you FIELD foresters do is walk around the woods
with sloppy clothes covered with dirt and many colors of paint- like
hillbillies. Don't take no skill fer dat! Heck, it's so unskilled, that
students do it, and those right out of forestry school, until they get
promoted into a nice professional office job. Ayup.

and would prefer to live in a nice place in the
West, it should reduce high prices for mid-sized homes. Someday I'd
like to settle down on a Ranger District but, until then, I'll be
saving my pennies, nickles and dimes.

BTW, I may just be paying off my new '02 Subaru Forester soon. Those
500 hours of overtime this year have gone a long way and being on the
road brings me something extra on "per diem", too.

Larry

snip
Of course you don't, you're only a forester! Your socio/economic status and
income isn't close to that of a plumber or union truck driver, certainly not
like that of a PROFESSIONAL person, like an accountant or nurse or first
grade teacher. Heck, all you FIELD foresters do is walk around the woods
with sloppy clothes covered with dirt and many colors of paint- like
hillbillies. Don't take no skill fer dat! Heck, it's so unskilled, that
students do it, and those right out of forestry school, until they get
promoted into a nice professional office job. Ayup.
Hey Joe,
He probably has to live in the back of that Subaru. USFS housing
allowances are nowhere near what rent costs.

Michael Hagen wrote in message ...
snip
Of course you don't, you're only a forester! Your socio/economic status and
income isn't close to that of a plumber or union truck driver, certainly not
like that of a PROFESSIONAL person, like an accountant or nurse or first
grade teacher. Heck, all you FIELD foresters do is walk around the woods
with sloppy clothes covered with dirt and many colors of paint- like
hillbillies. Don't take no skill fer dat! Heck, it's so unskilled, that
students do it, and those right out of forestry school, until they get
promoted into a nice professional office job. Ayup.
Hey Joe,
He probably has to live in the back of that Subaru. USFS housing
allowances are nowhere near what rent costs.

What good forestry technician isn't trailer trash, too?!?!?! Like me. G

Larry

BTW The landlady just shut off the free cable 8^(