Are the layoffs having an impact?
24 replies (most recent on top)
@2fae - "I don't know who posted that but ...". Why don't you bother to read a thread you're posting to? Also, all browsers have a Find on Page function, in case you didn't know.
@HiBCI12-2fae, I don't know who posted that, but some of us DO have a living to earn and most politicians are more interested in YOUR votes, THEIR re-election and nothing else except for maybe their rise to fame and fortune. -Since this thread turned political, that's just my two-bits. At least the conservatives CLAIM to represent less of that (government), although they don't seem to practice what they preach. I would rather vote for a person who at least claims to support hard work and independence than one who outright says - no, we want you to work harder so others don't have to (democrats). But of course, if you are on the welfare/foodstamp/unemployment line, like many on this site, maybe your only hope is to beg(vote) for other people's money(democrat). I can understand that. You have resigned to begging. Good luck with that.
@1zie - Hilarious. Your stream of non sequiturs is pitch-perfect. "Stay away from me. I have a living to earn." Pure gold. Keep it up.
@1rnk - Thanks. I was beginning to think that no one on this site had a sense of humor, or any other sense for that matter, anymore.
I agree with you, 1wdr. I'd really like to maintain homeowners insurance on my mortgage free home. But here in south Texas, it's a racket with the mandated windstorm coverage. Premiums are either higher than average or you box yourself in with high deductibles just to get a lower premium. I will rather invest my money in added security and fire monitored equipment and service.
-lmj, cutting your homeowner's insurance is not a good idea. If your house burns down, all the money you put into paying off your mortgage goes up in smoke, unless the land value is a significant portion.
I have spoken to quite a few returning Iraqi war veterans about those so called "imaginary" WMD's which were buried alongside the corpses of hundreds of unnamed war victims. Imagine all that you want from the safety of your PC's. Unless you have been there and seen it first hand, you idiots will always never have a clue and adhere to the political narrative that your liberal masters teach you without waver.
I wish that I had the ability to be so ignorant. As they say, ignorance is bliss.
Yes, there are a few bottom feeders who will call the truth a satire to fit their personal parasitic "me me me, everything should be free" narrative, and others will recognize that parody as "sharp wit" The praise of dependence and ignorance all in one comment. Delightful.
What sort of political demographic would praise a dependency on others as being a virtue?
Stay away from me. I have a living to earn.
@1csf, you do realize all those demagogues you mentioned were DICTATORS or wannabes? This is the USA. We would not stand for one. Go back to school.
@HiBCI12-pfy you say how much damage can Trump do ?
"A demagogue is a person who gains power by arousing people's emotions and prejudices."
Let me remind you :
Adolf Hitler
Benito Mussolini
Jean-Marie Le Pen (5 attempts to become French president)
Don't worry -oyg, your sharp wit wasn't lost on everyone. Well parried!
The other branches of Government couldn't do anything when Bush wanted to go into Iraq to take out the imagined WMD. And look what a mess they have created with the spawning of ISIS and a whole new tsunami of wars and violence. They made a permanent mess of the region that the world now has to live with.
I will vote for Donald Trump (and to a lesser extent Bernie Sanders) because he represents hope. The two party system has a stranglehold on the voting public. Our choices are limited to way left or way right. There is no party that represents me: a socially responsible, economic conservative. A vote for Trump is the first step in breaking up the two-party system. Two parties to represent 300 million people? Please ... And how much damage can he really do? We still have 2 more branches of government to protect us. The risk is small––and the potential for political change is great. Do I want to make conception the beginning of life? No! Do I want another garbage pile of a bloated bill like the ACA? No! (By the way where is the affordable part of the ACA?) A vote for Trump is my vote against both parties. A Trump win is the Hope & Change that Obama promised but couldn't deliver.
tpp, I'm with you on Trump. Also love the satire about Clinton, although it's more truth than satire. About keeping Texas Windstorm coverage for only part of the year, that's not possible. The corrupt insurance system in Texas prohibits. You also cannot purchase homeowners insurance without windstorm coverage. The best you can do is to request a deductible of up to 10% to lessen your premium. Of course, if you still have a mortgage, your bank or financial institution won't allow it. As you can see, the insurance industry is no better than the establishment Republicans and Democrat parties. All of them don't look to represent you, but preserve the power to rule your lives. That's why Donald Trump is our only hope for real change this November.
@tpp - Bravo. Best piece of political satire I've seen on the site in quite a while. You captured the fact-free ramblings of Trump and his supporters perfectly. Loved the double commas!
That goes without saying, hof. But one gets the underlying message left by lmj. #LiveWithinYourMeans.
Depends on the size of the mortgage vs. amount of severance
For those who were or about to get laid off, paying off your your debts should be Priority #1. If you are able to pay off your mortgage with your severance pay, do it. A mortgage free house is yours. You have many more options at your disposal. You can afford to take a lower paying job and still live as well as you did before. You can drop your home insurance coverage for a year or more if you needed to.
Houses in Katy are definitely longer on the market than 1-2 years ago when they would usually sell in about a month or so. I have seen some houses with FOR SALE signs for over 4 months now in Cinco Ranch
The Houston housing market is taking a hit from the oil industry downturn. Many houses have reduced asking prices. Go to any real estate website and check it out for yourself. People become more motivated or desperate as time goes by and they cannot find a decent paying job. The appraised value does not always reflect the market reality. Also, the oil bust has affected many retail businesses. There are lots of going out of business signs and retail lease space available signs, especially in west Houston. This oil bust is definitely a drag on housing prices. It is a buyer's market right now. It will get worse this year.
Housing prices generally lag the economy because people hold on to their houses while they look for new jobs, sellers are reluctant to cut asking prices. Also, it takes time for cuts in the oil sector to trickle down to the other businesses that are dependent on it. In the 1980's the (inflation adjusted) oil price peaked in 1980 but Houston housing prices didn't peak until 1983. Of course the details of every downturn are different, but all things being equal, if the industry doesn't turn around I would expect prices to start dropping next year. But don't forget that the direction of interest rates and the economy in general could have a major influence as well.
Ybh, so you are saying layoffs do NOT seem to have had an impact.
So, it (doesn't) look like....
My property value in west suburban Houston went up 5% for 2016. It was up 10% last year and the year before too. So, it does look like the downturn in the energy industry as had a great impact in lowering home prices. It keeps going up and by many times over the national inflation rate.