Worse, however, is trying to actively drive people away who might not subscribe to the dominant view of that site. I find that much more distasteful and harmful to the site than simply being a twit with nothing useful to say.

This is place is still one of the only honest views of current events that are related to housing and the housing bubble with respect to Seattle, compared to the mainstream media.

Free speech does not mean that your speech will not be criticized nor does it mean you will be asked to take your speech to someone who wants to listen. No one is saying, hey you can’t say that, they are just saying, they don’t care to listen to mag44.

When all you got is “If you don’t like it, leave”, you got nothing.

Diversity of opinion is the lifeblood of a site like this.

The construction job post combined with the supply of housing units to households and personal households are good topics. They should and probably would be great topics if we all hadn’t hashed them over time and time again.

When new people come to this site to offer an even slightly different opinion or have a conflicting perception they are shouted down. On the Rain City Guide Ardell does the shouting.

When commenters have no argument or rebuttal then there is the name calling which seems to be OK.

In my opinion the open forum has been good for this site. Other Real Estate sites over moderate discussion. I’m interested to see how this progresses from here.

http://seattlebubble.com/blog/2009/06/21/poll-now-is-a-better-time-to-buy-than/

“Is it just me or is this place slowly dying? There have been some weak topics, what else is their to discuss really. Everything is in shambles, we know we get it. Good while it lasted hey tim, at least you got a few atta boy’s out of the whole blogging deal and website building experience.”

RE: Softwarengineer @ 23 – So with greater population we will see lower real estate prices. That is the perfect supply and demand scenario. Please pass the bong.

I can’t believe I missed that. Greater population doesn’t completely mean a lower wages because It also means increased demands. The more limited the resources, the more they are going to cost right?????

Personally, I believe that Softy is really underpaid and hopes that everyone’s wages get to his level, that way he doesn’t feel so bad about going to work everyday.

Not surprisingly, traffic to Seattle Bubble follows somewhat of a seasonal pattern, much like the real estate market.

RE: Magnolia44 @ 1

July 1 – July 14, 2008:
16 substantive posts, average of 65 comments, 33,670 visits (per Google Analytics).

July 1 – July 14, 2009:
14 substantive posts, average of 53 comments, 36,627 visits (per Google Analytics).

Hi Tim,
Do you have monthly data about visits since 2005. Would be interesting to look at. Thanks.

I agree that this site has lost the edge since this spring selling season proved stronger than I think a lot of people expected. The economy seems to have stabilized. There are those that complain because the government seems to be working for the greater good, but they pail in comparison to a guy screaming 80% price reductions.

Yes, life goes on.

My mom has had the same cheap laptop for 5 years now, and uses it every day. She had to replace a battery a year ago.

ITS LOWER WAGES DUDE

With more overpopulation and uncontrolled growth; expect RE price and wage deterioration, today’s actuals speak for themselves. You got a better thesis or environmental plan?

Yes, computers will sell. The laptops have keyboards that fall apart in like a few months with LCD screens with no brightness controls….try using your battery power only in the sun…LOL

The computer junk from China using Intel and M/S Windows is good for about three years tops before it hits the landfills. I’m glad you feel planned obsolence is good.

PRODUCTIVITY GAINS

Don’t underestimate the underground illegal employment, its undocumented, so it makes documented American worker productivity look like its going way up I hear…..LOL

Looking at ‘09….our state could see climbing unemployment numbers into 2011 or 2012 even if the recession ends in 2010. Not a pretty picture.

Also interesting, the current recession is already twice as long as either the ‘91 or ‘01 recession. This is definitely uncharted territory.

Construction jobs still here

Microsoft stock went up $1.04 today!!

Boeing isnt going anywhere.

And the Californians are coming back!! Personally I think that by this time next year, prices will be at or near 2006 levels.

Buy now or be priced out forever!!!

Oh and to SoftwareEngineer…..Whats all this have to do with immigration? And why is Immigration bad? Immigrants support our economy and help Real Estate prices go up.

CONTRACTING JOBS CONTRACTING

Back to topic…the numbers understate large pool of illegal workers (soft costs) and contractors or subs under LLC status, no? Would like more input from those with big stake…workers. Escrow workers for instance see it all and have so very much to advise. These views are informative and firsthand! albeit humble and subdued.
Let’s hear more from the trenches and less from the bluff.

RE: jon @ 7 – I realized after posting it that YOY the seasonally-adjusted data will look the same as the non-seasonally-adjusted data. I don’t get the point you’re trying to make though about the text referring to monthly changes. All of my comments are about the YOY trends.

I’m just being fussy. Something about “15% year-over-year for three months in a row” bugs me. It doesn’t say if it has been flat for three months or simply that the rate of decline happens to match what it was 12 months ago. If you are talking about three months of data, why not just use the percentage change over three months?

MAYBE THE $12B TO COMMUNITY COLLEGES WILL HELP RETRAIN US?

Assuming the “jobs that aren’t ever coming back [per Obama]” will be replaced with magical new ones, that no one has a clear grasp what that means.

Its only 5% spent to date.

Then we can finish the bridges to nowhere and hire back the construction workers; you know, the four construction workers in orange jackets with clipboards watching the one worker dig in a hole [or the three sitting in the air conditioned van]….that close roads like 2nd Ave down to a lane or two, for a month or two….sounds wonderful.

Then we can claim the traffic conjestion is horrible and we need a tax on car milage driven too, with a 44% decrease in gas use since 2006 too…LOL

• Underemployed people seeking second (third/fourth/etc.) jobs.
• Older people staying in the job force due to no retirement savings.
• Increasing population.

So even if the number of available jobs is mostly stable, unemployment can still go up as the number of people in the job pool rises.

Except construction, if jobs only fell down by 0.75% why is it so hard to find a job?

I have a number of friends that are looking for a job for over 6 month now.. and it’s in both IT and retail, nobody even answers e-mail anymore:)

Thanks
Sasha

Tim that is awesome, but I think I need some flashy graphics to truly understand what you are trying to say. :)

July 1 – July 14, 2008:
16 substantive posts, average of 65 comments, 33,670 visits (per Google Analytics).

July 1 – July 14, 2009:
14 substantive posts, average of 53 comments, 36,627 visits (per Google Analytics).

Not trying to be funny, it appears as the doom and gloom talk is becoming tired. We have not fallen off the map and that has affeceted this site, and yes we are still in decline but what’s new?

I have the same feeling about the stock market and the various stock boards I read, there is a big sham going on but talking about it is pointless.

Anyhow good luck, if I am way off let me know but readership seems down and so do the number of interesting topics.