treasury rates dropping: must be great for real-estate

[sniglet]

It's funny how I don't see too many people in the real-estate industry cheering now that interest rates are actually falling big-tiime. T-bill rates are plummeting, but I have a sneaking suspicion this won't help goose real-estate much.

[kpom]

T-Bill rates are plummeting because people would rather lend money to the Feds than homeowners at the moment...

[deejayoh]

[CKT]

[rose-colored-coolaid]

[Lake Hills Renter]

[carlislematthew]

[SeattleMoose]

[deejayoh]

[rose-colored-coolaid]

[finance]

Its ironic that even though many of you dont shop at Walmart you still benefit from the companies policies. If Walmart lowers the price on an item then their competitors tend to lower their price about the same time, thus you enjoy the benefits of their efficient distribuiton system and dont even know it...

[mike2]

[rose-colored-coolaid]

[Alan]

Wal-Mart has built an amazing distribution system. I have to give them credit for that.

But the fact that the US taxpayer is paying for the health insurance for many of its employees is one of the main reasons I support universal socialized medicine. Either that or no government health care. The current system only gives companies that treat thier employees like that an economic advantage. Universal health care would level the playing field.

[finance]

Walmart has significantly improved their health insurance program in the past 2 years since the issue was raised. Currently they are up to the industry avg of benefits and pay for each set position...so that argument is now invalid. At least thats what I read in the NYT earlier this year...Im not saying its still right or OK for what they pay or do for their current pay, its just that its gradually improving...

One main reason that Walmart is in the middle of pay and benefits now is that other retail companies have lowered their pay and benefits on an adjusted basis, thus its not that Walmart raised benefits enough to catch up to the industry, its that they both drifted towards each other.

The example of the $999 or $1399 HDTV is that without Walmart the HDTV might cost $1599 and brought more competition in the marketplace (one reason inflation is staying marginally lower, saw an article in the WSJ about a year ago on it).