I am thankful to still have a job,however,I'm about to take a paycut and lose my health benefits. I am a Phys ed teacher BTW. I am getting really depressed about the doom and gloom everywhere and want to hear anything positive such as "gas prices are getting cheaper". Help a brother out!

 

I know it will get better, but I can't say how soon. It is a cycle and even though we are at a very low bottom right now, it will turn around. It ALWAYS does. So the sooner the better is all I can say. But right now things are as bad as they seem if not worse. We've just got to make our way through it.

 

Lord Hear Our Prayer !

 

Chuck, you're in one of the areas that has been hit the hardest and the worst. (I just got back from Tampa yesterday BTW, I kept my eye open for your car ) . The real estate bubble popped in Fla right at the beginning of all this in late 2005, early 06 and things have been downhill there since w/ rising insurance and tax costs since the 05 hurricane season.
That said, I think, hope and pray that Florida is quick to recover (as well as Ohio), and I know that it will. The economy moves in cycles, with as quick as big as the boom was, this big downfall is natural and should've been somewhat expected. Some people actually blame former fed chairman Greenspan for the overheated economy... other people just blame Bush, but it'll work itself out as it always does. The gas prices will aid in the recovery as we're an oil based economy.

More good news - the Superbowl is at Raymond James in a few weeks and will inject a few million into the local economy.

 

The economy will get better.





Well, I did what you asked. Try the fish.

But the truth is it will. Then it will tank again. Then it will go great guns again. This is the way of things.

This is also where that fable regarding the ant and the grasshopper comes into play. Ants (saved, low spenders, and non-credited up to their eyeballs) will be able to weather the storm, grasshoppers (spent everything at once, and then went on credit cards and such) won't. Don't be a grasshopper. And if you were one? Sucks to be you now. Sorry 'bout that.

 

no good news here .. a friend of mine owns property in florida that she is going to lose cause she cant afford to pay for it and no one wants to buy it ..i could buy it but i dont want it either .. people have over spent for years and now some suffer the consequences ..i am somewhat comfortable .. and will survive it .. and it will get better ..

 

ok, heres some good things.
1) I was approved for a second car as a DD the 07 Stang has 36,000 miles and I was considering selling. I was offered $20,000 for the car with 36,000 miles! I am not ready to take the hit on the difference but that was a great offer!
2) I work in construction and real estate. I decided with the econmy to keep holding new and newer homes open even during the slower holiday times and several real buyers came to visit and are ready to buy.
3) I just sold a $900,000 home. There are buyers still out there. the home was at $1,200,000 but went for lower , however it is closed and sold as of last week.
4) FORD sent me a pre approval for up to $40,000 and another one up to $53,000! (Shelby perhaps-probably not but the thought was nice.
5) I was in my office answering phones and a $1,000,000 buyer walked in and I took them on a tour of my area.
all is not lost no matter how much the media (and some of the troll posters here make new threads on the negative-and pretend to be concerned for the American Auto Companies).
Rich

 

Good news Rich! You guys are makin me feel better already. The Super Bowl will help somewhat also. A stupid amendment was passed recently here to double the homestead exemption from 25,000 to 50,000. We were supposed to get a tax break but mine actually went up. There was a loophole that was used anyway's, the school system was majorly screwed from this and tax payers got no break. I get really pissed when people who don't work in the school system vote for stuff that takes money away from education,saying that we are "spoiled". I haven't had a raise in 2 years and like I said, Health insurance takin away AND a paycut of at least 2 percent is coming My wife is in the system also
I know this is a cycle but when economists say this is the worst they've seen in their lifetime, that worries me. Also,and I know this may be hype,but I've heard it could last until the end of 2010.

 

My parents are both retired teachers so I grew up listening to both sides. My observation is that there is a great spread in income and work environment through different school systems, but the general public thinks that most all teachers work in the optimal system/environment and don't realize what the majority put up with.

 

Sorry to hear that, man. But here's a wild idea: if you can find a buyer, sell a Mustang in Europe!

I recently traded in my 2005 GT Premium coupe automatic at 35k miles on board for 22500 Euro (~ $28000) in Holland. A 2007-08 GT sells (now, in the crisis!) for between $40k and $50k, while shipping (e.g. US east coast to Rotterdam) costs just $1000-1500.
I don't know how much a used 05-08 costs now in the US, but you can do the math. I'm sure there's some profit to be had, even after paying EU import taxes ($5000-15000, depending on how old the car is).

 

Ford stock has been making me quite a bit of money latly. so thats good.

 

Has fords stock risen that much since its low?