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The Tangent Thread


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2005 Nov 7, 3:26pm   25,673 views  166 comments

by SQT15   ➕follow (0)   💰tip   ignore  

Many of us have been here awhile, and while we think housing is an important topic (we wouldn't all gather her otherwise) we do digress quite a bit.

One topic that has come up time and time again is the issue of dual income families, and the rise in housing costs that have occured because so many familes now have two incomes instead of one.

We've discussed the role of the woman in the workplace and at home, so perhaps it's time to digress a little more.
-- Have dual incomes been a big factor in housing prices?
-- Do those of us who live on one income end up renters as a result?
--Are we better or worse off now that the majority of households have two incomes?
--Have the cost of other goods and services risen due to the extra income, or can that be blamed on inflation?

In other words, are we as a society in the same place economically as we would be if we stayed in a predominantly one income society?

#housing

« First        Comments 128 - 166 of 166        Search these comments

128   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:35pm  

Yes I am morose tonight. So we are both morose. It makes sense.

129   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:36pm  

"No, just a shot of Jack!"

Oh sweet bejeezus, I walked right into that one, LOL.

130   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 3:37pm  

Ha....four shots of Jack.
You don't know what you've asked for...can't wait to see what Jack comes up with.

131   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:37pm  

"Will I be a better writer if I do a few shots Jamie? Hell, it couldn’t hurt. "

Possibly, but that's a slippery slippery slope I'd stay the hell away from. :-)

132   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 3:38pm  

Say it ain’t so Jim!

I think the "big freeze" was punishment for my abandoning the thread a little before...whenever ago...just before SPHUH.

133   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:39pm  

"Well the Huh? thread officially crashed my computer. I refreshed the browser & it just…froze. Waited 5 minutes…no change. Couldn’t do anything! I had to do a hard reset to get out of it. I might have to…sniff…abandon that poor thread. "

I really think we should lay it to rest. Yes. Abandon Huh. I have a special affection for New Thread...

134   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 3:41pm  

I don’t know Jamie. I could be one of those suffering, alcoholic, supposedly brilliant artistic types who loses all talent when sober.

Okay, who can name some (I can't, except...wasn't hemingway a drunk?). Sorry I'm somewhat illiteracyate.

135   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:42pm  

"Errr, has there been posting on new thread? "

Not that I am aware of. I just meant it would make a nice future home... In case of a bubble. OR somethign.

136   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:43pm  

"I don’t know Jamie. I could be one of those suffering, alcoholic, supposedly brilliant artistic types who loses all talent when sober."

Exactly.

137   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:45pm  

Yes, Hemingway was an addict. Who else? I dunno. Was Hunter S Thompson? He sure wrote like he was an addict. Ummm, Edgar Allan Poe?

138   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 3:46pm  

Fed Prick too DANK?

[There is no good answer to this]

139   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 3:46pm  

What did he paint?

140   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:48pm  

Oh yeah, and who was that famous poet who wrote while he was on drugs all the time...errrr. Ummmm... I think about half the famous poets qualify.

141   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 3:48pm  

I think having go to "archives" to get to it could've given it a dank-ish feel.

142   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 3:49pm  

LOL. "screaming poop"...I can't stand those...I wish they'd just shut up.

143   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:50pm  

And of course Rick James' brilliant (not) Mary Jane song. Well, musicians are in a class of addicts all their own.

145   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:52pm  

"I have been baiting her all night now and she has not responded."

I'm tired of being bated, that's all. Not by you, specifically..but I'm not a fish. :-P

146   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:53pm  

"Hey now that’s morose, Jack:"

Yikes! Finally a piece of art as freaky as the Gates of Hell.

147   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:54pm  

"I can’t…….."

Oh but you can!

148   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 3:55pm  

All Londoners, not just the artists, are on drugs:
http://tinyurl.com/dlavu

149   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 3:56pm  

"All Londoners, not just the artists, are on drugs:
http://tinyurl.com/dlavu "

They must have some really wacked out aquatic life.

150   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 3:57pm  

Great quick little book:

What's the picture/pargraph ratio?

151   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 3:58pm  

Yeah, flying fish, etc....

152   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 4:01pm  

I’m crying here.
Are you thinking...paint...?
Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

153   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 4:02pm  

" Im trying my best to bring up your uh spirits…. Im sorry "

You have nothing to apologize for. I'm glad you're being yourself. I'm just devoid of energy tonight. Nothing witty (or posing as witty) to say.

154   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 4:02pm  

don't forget "screaming poops"

155   Jamie   2005 Nov 8, 4:03pm  

I'm gonna check out for the night. Ciao, my peeps (why did I just say that?).

156   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 4:07pm  

Okay, calling it a night, two. G'night my po --I mean -- peeps (thanks to Jamie for that one!).

157   SJ_jim   2005 Nov 8, 4:07pm  

G'nite Jack. Did greenie win???

159   Allah   2005 Nov 9, 1:21am  

R Patrick,

Renting is better in THIS market..........there may be landlords who increase their rent to afford their suicide loans,.......some people may stay and help them pay for it....we all have choices (at least us renters). As the housing market weakens and their investments turn to shit, they aren't going to be in a posiition to raise rents out of fear that they don't want to lose their tennent (they may not find another)..... I know a few people who have vacancies for several months now, but because these people don't really depend on the extra income (now anyway), it is not a problem for them. Rent is controlled by supply and demand...Period! We don't want to pay their price, we leave. I'm sure there are a whole lot more vacancies than rentees after this house buying orgy........... especially here on LI were many have put in an apartment just so they could afford to pay their mortgage. The cost of living here on LI is too high as it is, if people (the ones who haven't already left) are going to be forced to pay more rent, a great many of them will leave.....This is one great thing about renting...mobility..............and if you don't like your neighbor, you aren't stuck with him/her.

160   Allah   2005 Nov 9, 1:37am  

In NYC it’s even more crazy than this.

Here is a snip from a current article http://tinyurl.com/9gg3t


Anecdotally a friend who is looking to buy an apartment in the NYC area reports that sellers are calling back after three or four weeks to say that they have lowered their asking price. That's something that never would have happened three years ago, this potential homebuyer observes.

161   Allah   2005 Nov 9, 1:43am  

Life is a gamble.

only if you make it one.

162   Allah   2005 Nov 9, 1:56am  

Any idea of what to argue next?

Renting is only getting you a place to live for that month. You can’t
improve it.

Why would you want to improve it... it is temperary.

It’s not an investment..... It’s not giving you back anything..

Very true, but neither is buying at the peak.

You have a place to live.

Yes... no different than renting.


While we were living in teh apartment in Centereach, the building changed
hands. The original landlord apologized a lot for a $50 rent increase.
The new owner didn’t bat an eye and raised our rent $300 from one lease
to the next. How is that stable? We didn’t move. The building did. He
priced us out of the rental market. Landlords have started turning over
tenants when the leases are up so they can start new with someone else
who will pay the inflated price.

People can leave but they are too dumb....... It's like people who keep their money in a local bank getting 1 or 2% interest when they could be getting more through an I-Bank or other account.

It’s still always better to own.

Not when the fundamental PE on the house doesn't do it justice.

163   KurtS   2005 Nov 9, 2:27am  

"Renting is only getting you a place to live for that month. You can’t
improve it. It’s not an investment...it's always still better to own"

LOL...stunning logic, and if that's the best reasoning they have, it's a waste of time to convince them otherwise, IMO. No use doing the work for people who don't do it for themselves.

164   Allah   2005 Nov 9, 3:05am  

R Patrick,

It sounds like your friends are getting their information from RE agents. You should point them to some good links..... I know some people do not have internet access and this is what happens:

They decide they want to own a house...... they go to a realtor. The realtor does a search based on where they want to live and how much per month they can afford.

Then, the realtor gives them a pep talk (they are good at this because they do it all the time, it's kind of like a well written form letter) about how buying a house is a long term investment and "there's no place like home"....and they will personalize this just for you like they are your friend and they're looking out for what is in your best interest....but really can you blame them....it is their job to sell....they will never say "it's not a good time to buy" because if they did, they would become very poor themselves (remember most are only paid by commisions)....so if they have to ruin someones life to survive, they will!

They will then work with a mortgage broker to see just how much blood they can suck out of you..... don't forget, the more you pay for the house, the more they make........ The motgage broker will ALWAYS say you can afford more than what you REALLY can because they make more and the RE agent will egg you on by saying....."just look what you can afford to buy"..... "Why throw away all that money on renting"? ...if they see any doubts in your expression they will shovel on more bullshit until your wearing that "confident happy buying (sucker)" smile. :)

Now they are standing there in fantasyland........ "wow...this is so exciting...we are going to be homeowners"........ What you have right here is a disaster waiting to happen! They are clueless as to what is REALLY going on in the market....The butterflys in their stomach have flown away due to the RE pep talk.....there is no stopping them! The little fear that they once had which would have stopped them from making the biggest mistake in their life has been removed due to the friendly neighborhood RE agent.

These people are hard to convince that they shouldn't buy now....but that's ok... you can't save the world. Don't forget, in order for someone to get rich another has to become poor........it's just a simple rule of nature, just like "survival of the fittest".......... some will be Darwinized! ....but that is a good thing because these people will not be around to drive the prices back up when they do fall.

165   HARM   2005 Nov 9, 3:57am  

New thread: Post-Bubble Newspeak

166   Allah   2005 Nov 9, 10:42am  

I wonder how well the houses will be lit up this year on Christmas being that the energy bills will be significantly higher.

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