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Here is your open thread for the weekend beginning Friday May 4th, 2012. You may post random links and off-topic discussions here. Also, if you have an idea or a topic you’d like to see covered in an article, please make it known.
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What Happens to the Seattle Economy When the UI Runs Out for many of Our Households
And you’re no longer counted as unemployed either?
“…April Hiring Slows, Jobless Rate Falls to 8.1%
Reuters
Employers decreased hiring for the second straight month in April, but the unemployment rate still fell to 8.1% percent, giving mixed messages about the economy’s strength….”
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Flipping is alive and well in Queen Anne, the paint is still wet on this one:
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/1810-Warren-Ave-N-98109/home/134428
Edited
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RE: Rumpole @ 2 – That’s not a link to a single listing.
BTW, flipping never disappeared. The ones who knew what they were doing kept doing it. I am starting to see new parties get involved though. They make rookie mistakes, like buying a 1 or 1.5 bathroom home to flip.
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RE: softwarengineer @ 1 – If you are able to, or perhaps, disable to, you go on SSDI.
Disabled Americans Shrink Size of U.S. Labor Force
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/disabled-americans-shrink-size-u-040103492.html
The key metric is not unemployment, which Obama’s monkeys will manipulate to pump up his record of “accomplishments.” A better metric is the labor force participation rate, which is abysmally low under Obama, now 63.6%.
A decline in the labor force participation rate actually makes unemployment better, and when Obama’s jackals trumpet improving unemployment numbers, they never bring up the particpation rate metric, for obvious reasons. Imagine if there were no jobs, and 90% of the labor force returned to school, collected disability, or returned to their parents’ homes, or to live under a freeway overpass. And imagine if 95% of the remaining 10% of the labor force were employed. Why, we’d have a 5% unemployement rate. Hurray!
“Were it not for people dropping out of the labor force, the unemployment rate would be well over 11%.”
“Given the complete distortions of reality with respect to not counting people who allegedly dropped out of the work force, it is easy to misrepresent the headline numbers.
Digging under the surface, the drop in the unemployment rate over the past two years is nothing but a statistical mirage. Things are much worse than the reported numbers indicate.”
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2012/05/payroll-disaster-nonfarm-payroll-115000.html
Obama must go. Romney must go. The two party system must go. And let’s please get the money out of politics.
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RE: Rumpole @ 2 –
This is exactly what I see every week now. A property sold for a fair price, then comes back on the market for a lot more.
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By Kary L. Krismer @ 3:
Is it so difficult to install a 2nd bathroom if the floorplan allows?
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RE: Blurtman @ 4 –
Yes Blurtman
Or worse yet, early retirement on beggers pay.
Has America become a satisfied country now with about half of its citizens making enough to rent and eat too?
I see Romney (65) and NY Mayor Bloomberg (70) are licking their chops over more insourced population, lower wages and profits for the rich elite, Hades, they’ll probably be dead in 10-20 years anyway, before the manure really hits the fan.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-01/romney-meets-bloomberg-talks-gun-control-immigration.html
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Warren self destructs into a wimpering, lying idiot. Hey, it was OK to ake advantage of affirmative action programs as her grandfather had high cheekbones. Would anyone vote for this outed moron at this point? You are caught lying in a most despicable way, admit it and move on. Or keep digging, as Warren is doing. Bye-bye.
http://youtu.be/uegqTj3SHO4
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RE: Blurtman @ 8 –
Discrediting Warren is exactly what the banksters, and Wall Street want. It’s interesting to me that you are supporting, and promoting that.
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RE: David Losh @ 9 – That may be, but the truth is the truth. If you are a lower middle class non-”minority” and play by the rules, you might be a little tweaked when you are made aware of folks who did not play by the rules.
For example, to gain admission into leading schools, you have to compete with well connected dolts like George W. Bush. W. got accepted into the Harvard Business School with absoutely terrible grades and qualifications, because he was part of the 1%. He was not a Harvard legacy, as neither of his parents went to Harvard.
When afirmative action is practiced, you also have to compete with “minorities,” who are allowed admission with lower qualifications, irrespective of whether they are from a more priveleged background than you, or not. You can be poor and “white” and have to have higher qualifcations than a well to do “minority,” due to apparently well intentioned, by nonetheless harmful government policies.
And apparently, you also have to compete with fake “minorities” like Warren, too.
So if you are a poor, or lower middle class, or middle class non-”minority,” the deck is stacked against you by the US government. Exactly what are the factors contributing to a declining middle class? Hello!
You may recall a few years back, ads on the telly of prominent, successful African Americans touting affirmative action, and praising its role in their success. These ads are not running any more for obvious reasons. Could you imagine similar ads with the likes of Lindsay Graham or Jeff Sessions saying what a great thing it was to keep well qualified blacks out of college in the South, enabling them to go onto successful careers representing this great nation?
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RE: Blurtman @ 10 – If only you had any proof that Warren received any benefits for her Native American heritage. Not that she might have been entitled to some. Today you posted an old interview made to try to make her look like she has no Native American bloodlines filmed before people confirmed she does indeed have some Native American in her background. Why would anyone continue to obsess over a meaningless canard? Agenda? How come you are not obsessing over her apparent white female background as well? Hmmmmmm?
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RE: softwarengineer @ 7 –
“Or worse yet, early retirement on beggers pay.”
Many people who had planned to work until 66 to get full SS have taken the benefit early (with smaller paychecks for the rest of their lives). I think this trend will continue. If you lose your job when you’re 60 you’re done.
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RE: Pegasus @ 11 – How about just a simple belief in fairness and that mythical “level playing field” that our politicians tell us America is all about? And yes, of couse Warren could not even have had a suspicion that describing herself as a Native American would have had impact on any preferences received. Harvard touting her as a minority professor that they hired, she was oblivious to that.
It’s not just Harvard; Warren listed herself as a minority from 1986 to 1995, in the Association of American Law Schools’ annual directory. She self reported herself as an American Indian(minority) at the University of Texas, University of Pennsylvania, the University of Houston Law Center, and Harvard Law School.
Just like war criminal George W.’s preferential admission to the Harvard Business School, and into the Texas Air National Guard to evade duty in ‘Nam, the chickens usually always come home to roost. Maybe like W, she and her handlers will skillfully deflect this embarassment, but it doesn’t seem like that is happening currently.
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By Blurtman @ 4:
this is just ridiculous.
are we really going to do this every month?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/why-are-people-dropping-out-of-the-labor-force/2011/12/02/gIQAfJLuKO_blog.html
“Given the complete distortions of reality with respect to not counting people who allegedly dropped out of the work force, it is easy to misrepresent the headline numbers.”
this is just blatently dishonest. THIS IS HOW IT’S ALWAYS CALCULATED. it’s not a distortion or some conspiracy. stop acting surprised.
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By Blurtman @ 8:
did she actually do that?
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By Blurtman @ 13:
like they really are the same?
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RE: Blurtman @ 13 –
She lacks political skill. From start to finish Warren has bucked the trends of America. I personally feel that if she is elected she could do some real good for causes you claim.
As far as the claim to Native American, I think 1/32 was the cut off point for benefits to Alaskans, and possibly for inclusion in any benefits that tribes later claimed by what is called casino money. If she is entitled to benefits, or if she should ever take up a cause of the plight of tribes, her claim would make sense.
I’m sure to sit on, or consult with any tribe’s counsel you would have to have a heritage.
She seems like a do gooder to me, so her admissions may have been a distant motivation. That is just the way it was in the 1980s.
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RE: Blurtman @ 13 –
Now for the frigging level playing field for white people everywhere.
If you are white, in America, you can do anything. Being excluded because a minority took your place is another boo hoo moment. OMG, the plight, and injustice of being white in America!
I didn’t get the fire person job because I’m white! I didn’t get into the school I wanted because I’m white! What else, what other claims do white people have?
I’d like an explanation for the oppression white people have had of a thousand years in Europe, and now 200 years in the Americas.
Seriously, what else?
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RE: David Losh @ 17 – Once again, your comments tell us that you are a relic of the past. That sort of race-baiting was all the rage a decade ago, but I think it is pretty clear most of the country, minorities included, have realized that rhetoric like that helps no one.
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Remember this is from the network that the British government said Rupert Murdoch was unfit to be the CEO of.
FOX News: Public Works Projects Are Great! (When They’re In A State Governed By Chris Christie)
http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/fox-news-public-works-projects-chris-christie.php?ref=fpnewsfeed
I thought fox said the government couldn’t create jobs? now they can?
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RE: Yerbolat @ 6 –
Since in most houses in Seattle the second bath ends up in the basement and almost all homes were built with the sewer line above the basement floor, its a pain in the rear to do if not already done. It requires a sump pump system to eject out. The other two options are steal space from some other above grade room (take out a bedroom, part of kitchen etc) which may hurt value more than help or add on to the house which adds fairly significant cost and potential permit issues (in-city ownership makes this even more of a pain). I know because we own a 1 bath and we weighed all these options. We’ve settled on a basement bath with an sump pump ejector situation in unfinished space but even as we do it I hate the concept of pushing poop uphill so to speak. I’ve heard more than a few horror stories with sump pumps.
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RE: David Losh @ 17 – I can only tell you my own experience. Both my parents are first generation Americans. Their parents emigrated to this country from central Europe. My Dad was the olderst of 13 siblings (yes, Catholic.) He did not attend high school, as he had to work to support his family. His father was injured in an industrial accident for which he received no compensation, and could no longer work. My mother was a high school grad who worked as a receptionist. My Dad worked in a factory his whole life, the same one, actually for his whole working life. My brother and I were the only ones from our very large extended fanily of 30 or so cousins to attend college. No one, no aunts or uncles, had attended college. I believed in the American dream and worked my arse off in college, graduating with a 3.9 GPA, in the days when 4.0 was as high as it got. I graduated summa cum laude, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. I soon learned a hard lesson when I watched with dismay as lesser qualified classmates, with both medicore grades and board scores, and in several cases from much wealthier backgrounds, several with college educated parents, from much nicer areas than where I lived, were accepted into grad schools that had turned me down. These classmates happened to be classified as “minorities” although more advantaged than me in several cases. So, yeah, I get a little tweaked when I see people take advantage, and when there is not a level playing field. Because I know that there are folks who get screwed when that happens.
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By pfft @ 19:
I thought that whole thing was sort of absurd. What ability would politicians have to even begin to judge whether someone was a good CEO? The only ability politicians have is getting other people to vote for them. It very well could be that Murdoch is totally unqualified–I have no idea–but I wouldn’t accept the opinion of a bunch of politicians on that issue
Also, it can’t be overlooked that those same politicians were probably [insert several references to various combinations of parts of the head of politicians coming in contact with several parts of Murdoch's body] prior to the time this situation arose. Lots of political theater.
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RE: wreckingbull @ 19 –
What rhetoric?
If you have a point, best of luck.
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RE: Blurtman @ 22 –
So what happened to you? Did you fall victim of being a total failure? Did the world pass you by because you didn’t get into the school you wanted? What happened?
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By David Losh @ 25:
I was so wondering who was gonna take the bait off that hook.
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RE: Blurtman @ 22 –
Blurty, I am not sure why you have chosen Elizabeth Warren to rag on when there are so many other more worthy individuals.
I like her because she tried to bring some transparency to TARP and to consumer financial protection. For that work, she got thrown under the bus by the present administration.
Do you not like her just because she talked about and possibly, or not, benefited from being 1/32 Cherokee in the 80s?
I have refrained from commenting before in order to let the conversation develop but it seems kinda personal and not really in keeping with your overall persona. Just sayin’.
FWIW, she sure beats her opponent Scott Brown.
Best,
Rick
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RE: ricklind @ 27 –
“Do you not like her just because she talked about and possibly, or not, benefited from being 1/32 Cherokee in the 80s?”
I studied this extensively in college and I have to say, very few Americans are 1/32 or more American Indian. But if someone says they are American Indian, or anything else, why not say “OK, I believe you.” For me, I start with trust.
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Whitney Tilson’s Massive Presentation On The State Of The US Markets And Economy
http://www.businessinsider.com/whitney-tilsons-massive-presentation-on-the-state-of-the-us-economy-2012-5?op=1#ixzz1ty4CskKY
they aren’t kidding either. lots of info there.
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By Kary L. Krismer @ 23:
probably when a lot of the top people in his newspaper organization(s?) were arrested? maybe then?
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RE: pfft @ 30 – No. Mistakes and/or bad actions by others doesn’t somehow magically make politicians competent at anything. They’re still incompetent.
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RE: Blurtman @ 22 – You poor baby! Now the truth comes out. You think you were discriminated against. Maybe they just didn’t like you? You must be the only one. Whaaa whaaa. Try being Black or Native American in this country dominated by white European ancestors for the past four centuries. Get over it. Life is unfair.
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http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Wash-college-students-face-another-big-tuition-hike–150286475.html
This article headline should say: “The Wealthy Earn 16% Tax Free From the State For the Second Consecutive Year!” (Reference is to Guaranteed Education Tuition “GET” Accounts).
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RE: Natalia Orinko @ 12 –
Yes Natalia:
Many of the newly “forced retirees” and even a lion’s share of those retired a decade ago are working like McDonalds burger flipper jobs to supplement their “suddenly” dinky 401K interest payouts and Social Insecurity Checks today.
Check out a fast food joint, you see ‘em behind the counters frequently now.
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RE: ricklind @ 27 –
I’m Part Cherokee Myself
Do I look for or expect a handout because of this fact? Hades no, I’m for EEO regulations as written, may the best job performer get the golden ring, regardless of race.
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RE: Kary L. Krismer @ 33 – I am sure it has nothing to do with the salaries and perks paid to the administrators of our fine state university system. The good news is that students can obtain easy money loans to attend school at exorbitant prices and pay later. Student loans…the new bubble that funds lavish salaries for the administrators. Hopefully the students will finally figure out that they need a real skill and a job when they graduate to make payments on those loans.
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By Pegasus @ 36:
The availability of student loans is part of what causes tuition rates to go up so fast. Student loans are to tuition rates as traditional medical insurance is as to charges for medical services and drugs. Available money drives up the charges.
The difference is the loans need to be repaid, where with traditional medical insurance they insured typically doesn’t even pay the premium. But both drive up prices.
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By Kary L. Krismer @ 31:
ok.
Missing Milly Dowler’s voicemail was hacked by News of the World
• Deleted voicemails gave family false hope
• Hacking interfered with police hunt
• Family lawyer: actions ‘heinous and despicable’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world
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By Pegasus @ 36:
define lavish please alex.
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By Kary L. Krismer @ 37:
links for all of your claims please. I’ll need at least three.
“Available money drives up the charges.”
millions have los their health insurance and costs haven’t come down. try again as usual.
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By pfft @ 40:
I’m sorry, but there are not links for an entire Economics 101class, and that’s what you need if you need proof of that statement.
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By pfft @ 40:
As usual indeed! You’ve once again forgotten the explanation for that. Millions of people were not buying houses in 2007, but that didn’t keep prices from rising.
You really need to have your memory checked. Either that or I need to get a list of prior responses so that I can just post the link to where the issue was addressed the last time.
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By Kary L. Krismer @ 42:
god you are just awful at this. in the timeframe you talked about millions more homes were being sold. there was a study increase in home buyers. million more were NOT ADDED to the insurance rolls. they were DROPPED. try again! again!
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By Kary L. Krismer @ 41:
Rising College Costs Are Due Largely to Books, Room, and Board, Study Finds
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/rising-college-costs-are-due-largely-to-books-room-and-board-study-finds/38109
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RE: pfft @ 44 – First, the topic is tuition. WSU will raise tuition 16% next year after a 20% increase for this year.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Wash-college-students-face-another-big-tuition-hike–150286475.html
But in any case, what does it matter that things like books and room and board, are also going up? Do you think my claim that student loans are causing costs to rise could not be true because no one uses student loans to pay for books and room and board? /sarc
You really don’t understand, do you? That wasn’t a decent comeback at all. You just proved my point!
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By pfft @ 43:
Again, you apparently don’t remember the argument. Those not in the market (those without insurance for example or those not buying houses) don’t affect prices. The ones who set prices are those in the market (those with insurance and those actually buying houses). So it doesn’t matter what millions of people are not buying or how many people don’t have insurance. Those with insurance are driving up the price. That’s my claim.
Millions of people have never bought an iPhone. Millions of people have bought Android phones in the past couple of years. That doesn’t mean that iPhones are inexpensive. You have to look at those who are buying–those are the people who affect the prices.
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Pfft can be an annoying little man. Maybe he’s so ronrey? Ha! Natasha.
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pfft, out of curiosity, do you believe that sub-prime loans and other easy credit contributed to the real estate bubble? Assuming your answer to that is yes, then why would you not think that student loans would contribute to tuition rising 20% and then 16% at WSU?
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Welcome to the Obama administration. Threaten repeatedly to raise taxes for oil companies, because they don’t need the money, but then give them $6,000,000 to try to develop a new energy source.
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/05/11522433-us-claims-unprecedented-success-in-test-for-new-fuel-source?lite
Anyone who thinks the words coming out of President Obama’s mouth on taxes are not just pandering to certain voters is incredibly naive.
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By David Losh @ 24:
Pretty much all of it. I remember your first post you made here years ago, it was also racially inflammatory. Your posts pretty much fall into three categories. Race-baiting, unintelligible verbiage, or personal attacks. Sometimes you hit all three at once.
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RE: wreckingbull @ 50 – You really need to read the unintelligible verbiage a few times, because occasionally there’s a a very insightful comment in there. It doesn’t usually come out on the first read.
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RE: wreckingbull @ 50 –
Racial issues come up here constantly, just like in this case, and they go unanswered.
Gentrification is one of my most pet peaves.
What’s always interesting to me is comments like yours which attack me then accuse me of making attacks.
I respond in kind, that’s it. In most cases I don’t care because I am insensitive.
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RE: wreckingbull @ 50 –
I’ve been insulted ever since I started commenting here.
This is the flying monkey site, with Tim being the wicked witch of the west. People on this site have hated Real Estate agents, the Real Estate community, and think Real Estate agents charge way too much for doing nothing.
People who know me are horrified that I would waste my time here.
Then Tim went to work for Game Changer Glenn at redfin, and it really started to get thick here. Glenn is one of my targets of what is wrong with the Real Estate Industry today.
Glenn is a nobody who thought it would be quick, and easy to make an online Brokerage by putting up the weekly, and monthly sales charts. Some how, and any one can help me out with this one, if the consumer sees the same data as a rookie agent does they will be just as informed as a rookie.
A new person in the Real Estate business is happy to have a client and will do pretty much anything to get a sale. They bring nothing to the table, but hey, they’re doing deals.
If a rookie joins a program like Mike Ferry of sales, sales, sales they can make a fortune, or so it seems; they can make six figures, but it is a lot of work.
Real Estate agents work a lot if they want to make the big bucks. I respect, and admire Real Estate agents, because it is a tough way to make a buck.
Now if an agent gets to be good, they are well worth what you pay them. It takes organization, work, dedication, and a willingness to learn daily.
The money in Real Estate is buying it. The commission sales is a mill that presents daily opportunities. People used to ask me “if it’s such a good deal why don’t you buy it?” Well, I’ve always had way too much to do, and have always been way over extended.
It’s always possible to make a good deal if you know what you are doing, or you know somebody. Real Estate is all about relationships. It’s the relationships that are the value in a Real Estate transaction.
Which brings me back to my point. If you are angry at the Real Estate Industry, if you come in with the attitude you know more, or that you are a gift from God, you will always be stuck making rookie moves.
Those rookie moves are what gave us the Bubble, and what is causing people to pay these really high prices for poop.
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By David Losh @ 53:
The way to make big bucks is to do something tiny for millions of people. Doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, etc. don’t make big bucks. They may make a sizable amount of money from working for a few people, but when you add it all up it’s not that much.
If you want to make big bucks you have to make millions of people happy, by catching a touchdown pass, singing a song, acting, creating a very popular website or inventing something everyone uses that is so cheap it’s automatically included with some other product (e.g. packaging). Stuff people pay very little for, if anything.
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RE: Natalia Orinko @ 47 – Whoops! It’s Natalia, not Natasha. You forgot the name of your sock puppet!
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