with Crystal, the pretty pink pony
Hey gang, it’s me again. Just wanted to update everybody on our big road trip. We’ve seen lots of places all across the country. It’s fun seeing new places. It’s like, as exciting as you can expect places outside of Seattle to be, anyway.
January 2:
Happy New Year everybody! Since I last popped in, we’ve driven through Dallas, New Orleans, Tallahassee, and stayed a few days in Fort Myers Beach on the gulf coast of Florida, where we rang in the new year, followed by a day trip to North Captiva Island.
While these places were all fun, I’m sad to report that I still haven’t found a place as special as Seattle yet. Here’s a quick rundown of what these places are missing that could make their real estate market invincible like our own.
Dallas / Ft. Worth: Where are the mountains? I didn’t see any. It’s just flat and brown as far as the eye can see. Yuck. Also, we drove right through town in the middle of the afternoon rush hour, and hardly hit any traffic at all. Those Silllyheads have built too many freeways. How can they expect downtown real estate to gain value when it’s so easy for people to get where they’re going?
New Orleans: We visited the French Quarter for lunch. It was a pretty wild experience! New Orleans totally has a lot of history, but you know what they don’t have (other than protection from hurricanes)? That’s right, Boeing and Microsoft. How can a city expect to have valuable real estate without special employers like that?
Tallahassee: Wow, there was like, nothing going on in this town. Seriously, the capital of Florida is the capital of boring. What do people do around here for fun? I mean, there’s no mountains, I didn’t see a single REI (where do they get their gore-tex?), and there definitely weren’t any Space Needles or EMPs. As our first stop in the so-called “sunshine state,” Tallahassee was a bit of a disappointment.
Fort Myers Beach: This beach town sure had a lot of people from all over the place for new years. And yeah, they had sunshine and temperatures in the 80s. But seriously, that would get so old like, fast. I guess you could say that they’re running out of land, since it is an island after all, but warm temperatures and sandy beaches are hardly a match for mountains, lakes, and Ballard.
North Captiva Island: OMG guys, I swear like, half this island is for sale! We rode on a golf cart from the marina to the house our friends were renting for the week, and like, nearly every other lot had a for sale sign out front! My guess is that people are selling their island vacation home here so they can buy a cute rambler in Kirkland. Best move they ever made, if you ask me.
Well, that’s all for now, gang. I’ll report back again in a few days. We’ve still got a long ways to go before we make it back home to the most specialest place in all the world!
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24 responses so far ↓
1
georgia
// Jan 9, 2008 at 5:23 am
I recently retired from the US Army and have my beautiful home for sale in Sarasota
I plan to buy on Queen Ann or Magnolia
Florida is flat, nothing above the tree line
2
Buceri
// Jan 9, 2008 at 7:04 am
Come back to Florida in August. You’ll break a sweat outdoors just by breathing. Now, that’s special!!
3
Ella
// Jan 9, 2008 at 7:17 am
Tim,
The local news papers of these places, during the height of the boom, will explain why each place is special. It will all be laid out for you.
Note how it is the same for each place. We are special because everyone wants to live here. We have strong job growth. They aren’t making any more real estate. The baby boomer’s are moving here. On and on it will go.
Of course nothing will be as special as here in Seattle.
4
David McManus
// Jan 9, 2008 at 7:39 am
New Orleans: Check out Uptown. They have high priced homes up there. High priced in high-200s +. But then again, these are MANSIONS! New Orleans actually got a semi-bubble immediately after the hurricane, but most of that has subsided.
The last time I was there I was talking with one of my dad’s friends whose family has actually been involved in the timber business for 100 years….yeah, he’s not hurting moneywise. He asked me how anyone is able to save while making mortgage payments of 3K+. I just shrugged and said, “Silly, that’s because we’re all rich up here. We all have millions of dollars in equity stashed away in our homes.”. Now, I’ve known this guy since I was a kid, so he just started laughing, patted me on the back, and said what I’ve always said, considering he’s the person who I’ve got the quote from…..”debt is not equal to wealth”.
5
MrRational
// Jan 9, 2008 at 8:00 am
Tim,
All I can say is that you seriously need something better to do with your life.
6
Ray Pepper
// Jan 9, 2008 at 8:21 am
I hope you didn’t skip El Paso. My brother lives there. Grab some lunch at Carlos and Mickey’s and then go see Juarez in the evening……You will NEVER leave Seattle Again!!
Ray Pepper
Broker
http://www.500Realty.net
7
AndySeattle
// Jan 9, 2008 at 8:21 am
Hi Pink Pony!
I just knew it in my heart of hearts that you would not find anything nearly as special as Seattle. We just can’t be beat!
Thanks for the report nonetheless!
8
AndySeattle
// Jan 9, 2008 at 8:23 am
Ray Pepper said: I hope you didn’t skip El Paso…. You will NEVER leave Seattle Again!!
So… Do you live in El Paso? ;o)
9
Matthew
// Jan 9, 2008 at 8:36 am
Had a guy from my office just request (and receive) a transfer back to El Paso from Seattle.
10
Ira Sacharoff
// Jan 9, 2008 at 9:57 am
I have cousins in Tallahassee who inherited my uncle’s 4 houses. The real estate market there is much worse than the market here, but prices are a lot better. 250,000 dollars will buy you a real nice house in a real nice neighborhood.
You think Tallahassee’s boring now? You shoulda seen it 15 years ago.
11
Buceri
// Jan 9, 2008 at 11:22 am
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20080109/ts_csm/arealtors
12
David McManus
// Jan 9, 2008 at 11:31 am
“These people are hustlers, hard workers. They’re used to getting on the phone,” he says. “They’ll end up in insurance, in mutual funds, in retirement planning, and commodities.”
They’re hustlers, all right.
13
Onlooker
// Jan 9, 2008 at 11:31 am
I figured out why were down YOY.
Our pink pony is on vacation!!!!
Get back here Crystal!
14
rose-colored-coolaid
// Jan 9, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Is that a threat or a guarantee?
Actually, I don’t understand that statement at all? El Paso would convince me to never visit Hawaii, Europe, Portland, or even Issaquah (for that matter)? Will I look at the desert and suddenly say, “OH! Now I understand why we need rain.”
P.S.
See Ray, it’s really easy not to spam your company when posting to this site. This post is a perfect example that spam links are not required footers for every single post.
15
NolaGuy
// Jan 9, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Tim,
I wish I knew you were stopping in my former home, The Crescent City - I would have given you a few places to go (and Bourbon Street would not be one of them….)
New Orleans real estate was getting bubble-icious before Katrina, and then had a big increase right afer (that will happen when 50% of the inventory is wiped out in 3 days.) Given the economy, i’d say New Orleans prices are still way too high. But you can get some beautiful homes in Uptown (my hood), the Garden District, the Marigny and many other pockets of the city.
The weather isn’t for everyone, but I like sunny and warm - call me crazy. July and August are tough, but that’s why people have pools and AC. And those 2 months of heat are easier for me to take than the 6 months of gray here in the PNW. Man, I miss it.
Le Bon Temps Roulet!
16
Ray Pepper
// Jan 9, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Rose Colored Cool Aid. You don’t understand my post? Maybe you should read it again. If you don’t like my posts please do NOT read them. Nor should you EVER click on our link. Is it that hard for you to understand?
I’m a Broker and I’m very proud of the company I started. Call it spam. I call it my name and title. When I’m interested in something people say I tend to want to know who they are and what they do.
So enough hostility. Be nice and try to understand what I post. Its in English. Come visit us at the Seattle Home Show and I will give you personally a free t shirt. We teamed up with Clearwire in our booth. I will be easy to find. But, then again YOU may have a hard time locating us.
Ray Pepper
Broker
http://www.500Realty.net
17
400dollabetter
// Jan 9, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Ray Pepper,
I want to thank you for the humor and levity you bring to this site. This fictitious Realtor character and company you have created is hilarious.
While some people seem annoyed by it - I love it. Keep it coming.
400d
18
Grubbie
// Jan 9, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Hey Ray,
If somebody wants to find out more about you, they click on your name which links to your site. You don’t need to duplicate the same info by putting your sig on every single post.
19
AndySeattle
// Jan 9, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Ray-
After the hostility you just dropped I feel very compelled to complain. It’s one thing to be proud of your company and another to publicly attack someone who gives you a little criticism.
Stop spamming the boards with your blather. Your posts are nothing more than thinly veiled advertisements for your company; for free nonetheless.
Pony up and buy some ad space on this site and stop posting your URL at the end of each of your ‘comments’.
Enough is enough.
20
Nolaguy
// Jan 9, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Wait.
Is this “Ray Pepper” real?!!?
Wow…
21
Alan
// Jan 9, 2008 at 9:46 pm
All I have to say is that one should be careful about clicking on links like http://www.500Realty.net because one might just get rickrolled.
22
Ray Pepper
// Jan 9, 2008 at 10:37 pm
rick rolled??? okok…due to popular demand I will only sign off every 5 or 10 posts with my company name and link since it seems to bother all of you..but, did I mention the free tshirt?
They are very form fitting! And you will make quite the impression on your significant other…
23
Grubbie
// Jan 9, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Ray,
You are still missing the point…. YOU DON’T NEED TO SIGN OFF ON A POST EVERY 5 TO 10 POSTS!!!!!!!!
Every single one of your post has your name in that nice little blue color, which is a link to your website. See my name? It is in gray, there is no link.
Do you see the point? Every single one of your posts already has a link to your site.
24
sheesh
// Jan 10, 2008 at 12:26 am
Ray,
Normally I stay out of online pissing matches, and scarcely engage in ad hominem mockery.
I’ve never met you personally, but you seem damn determined to make yourself look like possibly the biggest douchebag currently posting on this site.
Seriously man, you should consider giving it a rest. Contrary to what you might be telling yourself with the power of positive thinking, you’re doing yourself and your image no favors. It’s not that you’re making controversial, unpopular points, or stirring up the ire of those who disagree with you. It’s just that everything you write is poorly worded, vacuous, repetitive horse-sh#t.
Good luck with your chosen line of work. I think you might need it.
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