I’m hoping the readers of Seattle Bubble can help me out with something. First, a little background on my perspective. My parents bought their first house in 1987, when they were about 30 years old. They paid $45,000 for the modest 1,288 square foot, 3-bedroom, 1.75-bath house pictured below. They refinanced once in the ’90s…
Category: Opinion
Opinion, commentary, etc.
Treading Water Between Fear and Desperation
It’s been quite a while since we had a look at the “Cycle of Market Emotions.” The Cycle of Market Emotions Last time, in late 2007 as prices just began to decline here in the Seattle area, I pegged our location on the curve at somewhere between anxiety and denial. Today I’d guess that we’re…
Did Banks Act in Good Faith During the Bubble?
I admit that my statement yesterday that “ethics and morals should not even enter the conversation” was a bit of intentional editorial hyperbole intended to spur the discussion. Obviously it does make sense to have a conversation about the ethics of walking away, since that’s exactly what we did for 177 comments (so far). As…
On Misguided Ethics and Walking Away from a Mortgage
With the subject of “walking away” finally hitting the mainstream media in full force this weekend with a dedicated segment on Sunday’s 60 Minutes, it would appear that the idea of giving the keys back to the bank to get out of a financial death spiral continues to gain some serious traction. Of course, even…
Olympia on the Economy: Liars, Fools, or Malefactors?
[Note: This is an opinion piece on a political matter. If that sort of thing offends you, it is recommended that you skip this post.] Christine Gregoire, January 2008: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” Gregoire said, quoting former President Franklin Roosevelt and referring to national recession fears. “It is a…