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Wayback Wednesday… Recovery?
- Image by kenjonbro via Flickr
Recovery… In it or do we need to go to it? That was my question two years ago this week… and it is STILL a valid question. And two years ago, I don’t think there were many people (including me) that were expecting the housing slump to last this long.
But here we are, not knowing if a bottom to the market has been established or if there is more blood that needs to run in the streets.
At least now, more of us in the real estate community have figured out that stimulus and incentives aren’t the answer… JOBS are the answer. There are too many potential buyers out there that are worried about the security of their jobs. Demand can’t rise until buyers don’t feel threatened.
And that means that the Supply side of Supply/Demand will be out of whack… even thought the supplies have be mostly dropping for well over a year (compared to the previous year). And even though supply has been coming down, there have been reports of a wave of foreclosures just out of sight over the horizon (those reports have been with us for well over a year, too).
On the flip side, there are some pretty good deals. Mortgage rates are ROCKING… I heard a report today that rates hadn’t been this low in 60 years. If you ARE in a position to buy, it might be the best time in a generation. If not, I understand…
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View Comments53 Cool Concept Cars… Part XIX…
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Back to the RVs… I want one, so I think about them from time to time. Now, I can’t say that I am going to run out to get one, but if the stars aligned, I could justify one in the driveway. So, let me “build” my perfect RV…
To start with, I have to say that I really like the rigs that are classified as ‘Super Cs’. These are built on Medium Duty truck chassis, such as Ford F750 or GM Kodiaks. They are generally diesel powered. They are often pretty luxurious, too. Or they are ‘Toy Haulers’ with a 10′ garage in the back where the master bedroom would be. Those are usually not as opulent.
But, I don’t think I really need a 39′ or even 34′ vehicle… nor its weight.
I kind of like a lot of the 28′ and 30′ rigs on the market, but I like the diesel power of the bigger RVs. I also want the pulling power of the bigger diesel rigs… I want to be able to tow at least a Jeep on a trailer, about 7,000lbs. It would be even better if I could set one up to tow two Jeeps at 15,000lbs.
I do like the luxurious interiors of some of the Super Cs… but I would be very willing to tone it down a bit, except for the driver’s compartment. I want leather seating, GPS Nav and all of the latest technology.
I shy away from the Class A machines… I prefer the layout of the Class Cs, with the bunk above the driver’s compartment. Another layout preference is a pair of bunks in the hallway leading back to the main bedroom. There should be a couple of slides, too… one in the master bedroom and possibly a ‘full-wall slide’ in the front room.
Storage under the floor, like the bigger Class A RVs would be cool too. Of course a generator, outside entertainment center, awning and other normal amenities should be there.
Nothing too shocking…
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View CommentsFlashback Friday… Are You Ready to Rumble?
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Competition. If you are a seller in this market… and for the last several years… you have been in competition. If you weren’t… your competitors were, and you can’t win the race if you weren’t running.
If you are a buyer in this market, you have still been in competition. Same story as above. And while there is a LOT of inventory (less than the last couple of years, but still a lot), the deals aren’t on every corner. You have to grab them when they pop up…
The bottom line is that opportunities are out there for both buyers and sellers, but they aren’t so plentiful as to be squandered.
I wrote a post last year about this very thing… Drop in and take a look.
View CommentsWayback Wednesday… Why the Hurry?
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This hasn’t changed… unless it has become MORE important.
Looking through listings is kind of like wading through a sea of REOs (bank owned properties) and short sales (properties on their way to becoming bank owned, barring a miracle). And one thing uniting these listings is that they are generally marketed VERY weakly. Scant pictures, minimal descriptions and even non-existent directions to the home.
So, when a property comes on the market that is well photographed, marketed and with a well written description, it stands out.
Two years ago I wrote about agents rushing to get listings onto the market… before things like photographs could even be sorted out. Then and now, buyers reject properties without photos. Seldom do they come back to see if the listing has photos updated on it… unless they have moved past everything else on the market.
Here is the original post…
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View Comments53 Cool Concept Cars… Part XVIII
- Image by TeeMack Productions via Flickr
I’m surprised I didn’t get to this one sooner…
I have been a fan of surf music since I was a kid… I love the guitar riff and the drums. And, as a car guy, there are a LOT of great car songs from surf bands. So, if only for the cool music, it is time to build a cool surf wagon.
There aren’t that many late model cars that could be surf wagons. The Dodge Magnum comes to mind, as does the Subaru Outback. But I have to go classic here… I’m thinking a 1961 Chrysler Newport Wagon. The ‘hardtop’ version doesn’t have a ‘B’ pillar, the post between the front and rear doors. So, with the windows down, the space is open from the vent window all of the way to the back of the back door. And a 413 could fit in there…
Remember, surf wagons usually weren’t the coolest rides (then), they were what surfers could afford without getting a job. They had to have a lot of space (boards, friends, stuff). The cool came later.
- Image by TeeMack Productions via Flickr
So, in order to make this a Cool Concept, we would need to bring it…
- the previously mentioned 413ci engine with a push button automatic transmission…
- several yards of chrome in the interior… like most of the dash (in this case, that just means stock)
- air-bag the suspension to be able to drop it to the ground…
- 60s vintage mag wheels…
- I’m kind of liking this tan and black… but teal and white might be cool, too…
- maybe the door handles should be shaved…
- gotta have a board rack on the roof, too.
And just to get you in the mood…
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- 53 Cool Concept Cars… Part XVII… (lanebailey.com)
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