Anonymous wrote:Are we really thinking interest rates can stay at next to nothing forever?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I'm not so optimistic. This area could get hit pretty hard when Congress finally agrees on gov't budget cuts. Gov't contractors will likely feel some pain, and if there are furloughs then there could be real trouble in DC.
Yep, Fed here. We've got RIF on the drawing board. That, plus a pop in interest rates, spells doom (or at least downturn) in houses. Don't buy one as a hedge, just to live in, for quite a while.
That Fed has given no indication of any such "pop." Quite the opposite, actually.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I'm not so optimistic. This area could get hit pretty hard when Congress finally agrees on gov't budget cuts. Gov't contractors will likely feel some pain, and if there are furloughs then there could be real trouble in DC.
Yep, Fed here. We've got RIF on the drawing board. That, plus a pop in interest rates, spells doom (or at least downturn) in houses. Don't buy one as a hedge, just to live in, for quite a while.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Housing and autos have driven the stock market during the past 100 years. During the past five years people decreased the number of autos and homes they have purchased. The average age of autos on the roads today is close to 10 years old. Even well built cars begin to fall apart after 10 years of wear and tear. Houses wear out as well which also usually means furnishings as well.
People are sick of just buying the latest IPhones. They want to buy bigger things and bigger things built in America drive the economy.
We are entering into a new ten year bull market.
You're nuts.
Anonymous wrote:Housing and autos have driven the stock market during the past 100 years. During the past five years people decreased the number of autos and homes they have purchased. The average age of autos on the roads today is close to 10 years old. Even well built cars begin to fall apart after 10 years of wear and tear. Houses wear out as well which also usually means furnishings as well.
People are sick of just buying the latest IPhones. They want to buy bigger things and bigger things built in America drive the economy.
We are entering into a new ten year bull market.
Anonymous wrote:^^^I see your point, but the gov't has workers all over the country. If there are RIFs, then gov't workers everywhere will feel it. I'm guessing that on one hand the markets will like to see some cuts in gov't spending, but at what level will those cuts do more harm than good? RIFs could affect the entire economy, not just the local one, as DoD workers, park rangers, border agents, etc. all across the country are suddenly without pay.
And what about entitlement programs? Are they going to cut those? What will that do to the entire economy?
Anonymous wrote:Sadly, no money set aside. Difficult to do given our current monthly expenses. For sure, we could have managed our expenses better, so I'll take some blame. Perhaps our biggest mistake, though, was relying on the (false) notion that fed gov't jobs = job security.