Seattle Bubble

It's been fairly well established on this (and other?) blog(s) that a group of pink ponies have been engaging in price fixing schemes to prop up real estate in the Seattle area. They have been spotted frequenting the Microsoft campus, and it is suspected that they are renting Ballard Bob's basement. Here is a live picture of their leader participating in bubbly activities.



The 'rainbow' is thought to be some sort of contagion repulsing field. Be cautious when this field is visible, as it may cause you to 'not give a RA' about any information with negative implications (facts). Also note the small balls of light emanating from the suspect. It is believed that these light orbs are what the bubble is made from. Suspects pink horn is made of adamantium. This horn is the only substance which can pop the bubble.

The pony is suspected in the following crimes against humanity.

-Maintaining said rainbow force field, which prevents contagion from entering the proximity. Range is likely limited to two mile radii around Microsoft and Ballard.
-Holding up signs saying 'CONDO' and pointing them in a direction generally correlated with condos for sale.
-Co-oping articles for the local newspapers.
-Corrupting mathematics until the median thinks it's higher than it actually is.
-Providing NINJA loans to house pets and other non-traditional borrows.
-Encouraging guys with creepy mustaches to become real estate agents.

Suspect is to be considered dangerous. If you see the suspect, promptly call the authorities (the Tim).

It's worth noting the first mention of pink ponies on Seattle Bubble:

Also of note:

I'm pretty sure those are the first. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

What ever happened to Chris? He cracked me up

Oh, and by the way - apparently they are also available in blue...

Damn, I was in Loyal Heights on Saturday heading to a family function when, lo and behold, there was a pony right in the middle of the road. (this was on 26th ave NW just south of 75th).

Unfortunately, it was light brown.

It kind of makes sense doesn't it? Look, when you see Bruce Wayne in the middle of the road is he wearing his Batsuit? Likewise, expect pink ponies to be not-pink except when they are actively working to propagate housing bubbles or bubble related activities. If you saw the same pony holding a "Condos -->" sign, you can bet your favorite pair of socks he would have been wearing his pink suit.

So have no fear! The ponies are out there, and they are protecting us. Consider mike2's evidence as just more proof that we are safe with our pony protectors.

You know, I think you're right. As best I can tell it was RIGHT IN FRONT of this house, purchased in 2000 for $250K, with a Zillow "Make me move" price of $1,200,000.

http://www.zillow.com/HomeDetails.htm?zprop=49115967

Wow! That looks like an exceptionally average (median) house for 1.2 mil. Of course, the zestimate is $570,193. What are those people thinking? Who is honestly going to bring that house up, then say to themselves "Self, it looks boring but I can 'make them move' for only twice the zestimate!"

<sigh/>

I wonder if the appocalypse ponies are any relation?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m611h5dg0pM

They need a better theme song. For a while I've thought "The Four Horsement" by Metallica should be reworded as a tribute to the ponies. It's a long song, so I only did the first two verses and the chorus. Here goes.

-VERSE-
Buy the last tranche of a CDO
Please ignore your fears
The sound of hooves knock at your door
Look at your wife and children now
It's a home parade
For now you have got a company

-CHORUS-
The ponies are working here
Another street they ride
They have come to raise your price
Your 2 year ARM is right
With the four ponies ride
Or choose to rent for life

-VERSE-
You have been dying since the day
you saw HDTV
You know it has all been planned
The quartet of bailouts nigh
A HELOC once a HELOC twice
No need to pay back now
Cause now you have got the free ride of your life

--CHORUS--

\m/

Haha, you crack me up.

I realized just the other day that the Pink Ponies seem to be asleep at the wheel. I mean, 2 years ago when they were hard at work we never would have witnessed double digit YOY declines in median price (let alone CS prices). So, I decided to talk to a guy who knows a guy who has an in with the ponies. It turns out not all is going well for them during the global financial crisis/recession. This is a complicated story, but I'll do my best to explain.

-----------------------------------

See, during the good times, the ponies were doing well - too well. So well in fact that the NYSE trading prices on rainbows began to explode through the roof. As you can see here, while housing (green) went up, the price of rainbows increased even faster.



It soon became too expensive to purchase the rainbows required to keep propping up housing prices. The value added to each house couldn't make up for the rainbow cost. Locally, this hit home in the middle of 2007, when ponies simply could not afford to buy rainbows at any price. Those holding rainbows still contended that they were worth peak prices however, and the market essentially froze.

Until the 2nd quarter of 2008, when we saw such a pronounced decline in rainbow valuations as sellers were forced to confront the truth. While many ponies maintained their delusions, a few were forced to sell. Perhaps their health was ailing, they were getting a divorce (yes pink ponies get divorces too), or they simply had found a better gig in California where the weather is nicer. Regardless of why they sold, sell they did.



Unfortunately, the rainbow bubble (as it was now exposed) had sucked in all the ponies. Many had put their entire life savings into purchasing rainbows as it was clear prices would continue to rise forever. Clearly, the ponies were facing tough times. Further, they don't just use rainbows to magically boost the price of housing, ponies also eat of their flavorful goodness and shelter themselves under a rainbow's blissful glow each night.

Some ponies went hungry, but others turned evil


and violent.


As chaos reigned, ponies died by the thousands. And that's the story of why Pink Ponies are no longer working in concert to hold up housing prices.

Apparently the force field around Microsoft failed recently when several pink ponies were included in their 5.5% staff reduction.

File this in the "under reported" column, but I have insider information that pink ponies are leashed (by rainbow) to H-1B visas. It's a one-to-one link, and that's the real reason Microsoft staff reductions are finally causing their force field to falter.

Solid proof that pink ponies don't do jack for propping up house prices.