Lee Carlson

110 Comments

    • What's Keeping the Dollar Down? [view article]
      "X" and Philly are on the right track !
      This is not and never has been a Republican / Democrat thing, it is all those jerks in Washington working side by side who created the mess and anyone who tries to blame one party more than the other, just doesn't get it ! It's not political, ...It's just plain stupidity and lack of education.
      LC       Jun 15 11:56 PM
    • What's Keeping the Dollar Down? [view article]
      The guys at the Fed. Reserve are only "practicing" to find out how the economy really works. When they do wake up, they leave, and take real jobs , like the rest of us !!
      Anyone with a 2nd grade ed. knows that you can't continue to spend more than you make, but that's what the Gov. has been doing for many years. At ALL LEVELS !
      The biggest problem of all is that we have a NAFTA agreement that allows other countries to ship goods into this country , duty free, and take worthless dollars for those products. The Fed. Gov. at all levels, does not seem to get it in their heads, that we can't continue to send jobs overeas, and import virtually everything, and pay with dollars tht are not worth the paper they are printed on.
      We , as a country are losing jobs at an alarming rate, but the guys in Washington, seem to think it's great that the things we import are so cheap ! Welll, now they are only starting to wake up. What we truly need is FAIR trade, in other words, let other countries as a whole, import anything up the total amount that we export. And that's it,...the imports stop until they buy an equal amount of American products, that we export !
      I spent many years overseas, and the central banks in most countries just plain shut off imports, until exports gave them some real money with which to trade. That's the real answer !! Any time we import anything, and pay with dollars, ...foreign countries countries just end up holding a bag of dollars that are worth less and less every day !!
      Nafta simply opened the doors wide to all imports while the foreign Governments charged duty on anything we sent to them !
      That's not "Fair" trade !!! Fair trade is when imports equal exports. !
      Period. The reason for the high price of oil for example, is not that oil is scarce, it;s just being paid for in dollars that have no value anymore. so they just charge more and more Dollars to make up for the "falling dollar".
      I can;t figure out why that's so hard to understand, but I guess
      it's because we keep electing politians who simply don't understand basic economics ! If you people don't understand this ,...go back to school and take some basic Econ. courses !!
      LC       Jun 15 11:39 PM
    • Is Crude Oil a 'Bubble' Ready to Burst? [view article]
      And,..Where does this huge oil find "The Bakken" fit into the whole
      picture ? If there really is all that much oil in N.D. And Wy, then is it a bubble in the making or what ? Lot's of analysis but also lot's of info lacking !
      LC       May 29 09:49 PM
    • Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra Bid for Ford Brands [view article]
      Both Jaguar and Land Rover have particularly poor quality and that's the primary reason for their decades long poor sales. If you buy one of these vehicles,...you better live close to the dealer ! Having them owned by another company isn't going to change quality.
      And speaking of quality, why is it that Kia and Hyundai have very high quality and are new at the business, while Ford and GM are still playing catch-up ? Same applies to Jaguar and Land Rover,...long in the business but short on quality. Why would anyone in their right mind pay big bucks for cars that look good on paper but can't stay on the road ? But that's English quality for you....England can make very fine products, like aircraft engines, Rolls Royce, but on the other hand, can't make an inexpensive car that isn't in the shop all the time. LC       Feb 28 11:34 AM
    • Harley Davidson's Partial Victory in India [view article]
      While the Indian Gov. may allow HD to have dealers,...they don't have them yet ! India has been extremely protective of it's manufacturing.
      Having worked for a large Manufacturer for over 25 years, I know that India is going to be very demamding, like the tires for the bikes will have to be made in India, the headlights, the handle bars, the brakes, the batteries,,..shall I go on ?
      Perhaps we should learn from them ! LC       Feb 28 11:19 AM
    • House-Price Momentum: The Good News [view article]
      No question that prices went up at a really fast clp in the 2001-2006 era but the real area of falling prices now is in condos which have a vast over supply. That's where the investors went nuts. The one thing that most people over look is the fact that the housing market is way over in supply some in areas, like Florida, and other places where people bought those smaller homes as "speculators"... they will just buy something and place it right back on the market. Well, surprise, surprise,...they are not going up anymore ! I just completed a study in the Clearwater, Fl area and found that at the present rate of sales, we have a 2 year supply, even though prices are coming down, taxes and the monthly maintenance went up along with those higher prices and now taxes and ins. are stuck at those higher rates,..and the politians got used to the higher income and trying to bring down taxes is like tearing down the pyramids,.they simply are not coming down. ! So get used to the fact that it will take some time for this particular market to recover. There are many areas where this phenom. is happening,..like NC, TN, KY, even Wis...but it's spotty. We are even seeing this in Austin , TX where everyone thinks it's so great, and it may be,..for some, but as compared to national averages, the place is way over priced. Bottom line, if you don't look at National ave. prices when buying a home, you may get stuck, big time ! Fl again, is now priced at 6 pct. above the national average. So that tells me that it will take 18 to 24 months, at a min. for this market to recover. Interesting point also is that in some developments, there are some condos priced way below average, because the owners bit off more than they can swallow and so there are some bargains out there, but right now, and primarily because of the state of the economy in general, (Nationally), with huge debt, huge problem with balance of trade, higher food and gas prices, people are holding their breath that they can keep their jobs ! Everything considered, , I think that a recovery is going to take longer than most people can cope with,..as proof, our FL newspapers are full of ads. for Auctions with no reserve, on some nice homes. I don't think anyone really knows how bad it's really going to get before a true recovery starts. LC Feb 24 09:30 PM
    • The Current State of the Solar Energy Sector [view article]
      Some great answers above and all on target. Why don't people embrace solar energy is a great question and the "vanity" answer is part of the reason, but more likely is that the average home owner is up to his neck in debt and can't afford to convert to solar. Second good reason is that most poeople don't live in one home all their life,..the average length of stay in the same home is about 7 years. and how many years is the "payback" time to make solar worthwhile. Same reasons apply to the question about why do we have that big hot water tank in the garage instead of the tiny foot square "instant hot water" devices. ! Those instant hot water systems mean removing that big tank, getting some plumbing done and a new 220V elect line going to the hot water box, which is also located in the attic and it's initially quite a bit more expensive than that that old fashioned tank, the payback period is quite short.
      To sum up, most people are in a rut and up to their neck in debt and won't change anything without practically having a Federal mandate to do it or else. No one wants or needs any more Fed. mandates, so it's up to us to make changes because the payback time for the changes is slowly becoming shorter and overall it becomes obvious that it's the smart thing to do. One more important factor is that if you live in certain communities, your neighbor may object to seeing a solar panel on your roof, your back yard, or even solar shingles.
      I have already read about a guy who sued his neighbor because the neighbors trees got so tall that they put the guy's solar panels in the shade for the better part of the day.
      I fully agree about the need to change, but there are some truly practical reasons that keep people from making changes. LC
      Feb 21 10:28 PM
    • Housing Market Tracker - Will Baby Boomers Save Homebuilders? [view article]
      In other words,...the baby boomers have learned a lesson, and have suddenly gotten smart ???,..As Forrest Gump would say, "Stupid is as stupid does ". These baby boomers and the idiot mtg. brokers are responsible for this housing "slump",...I doubt it . Way too many people, of all ages, thought of these past few years as if they would continue forever,..and there were simply no controls on mortgages ! No income verification, just stupidity ruling the past 5 years or so, right ? Then banks bundling the bad mortgages and selling them to your retirement fund, and the Gov. and everyone involved just went along !! There is so much inventory of homes on the market tht it will take years, unfortunately, for this mess to get fixed,..that's assuming , of course, the the Fed. Gov. doesn;t put us into even deeper debt, making the dollar totally worthless. But, even that has a bright side,...since we don't manufacture anything any more , the dollar has become worthless and soom we will be owned by the oil barrons of the mid-east, or Europe. LC Feb 14 11:47 PM
    • A Housing Bubble Within a Bubble [view article]
      Mark,..There are plenty reasons mentioned above that make it reasonable to buy a house. But, first and formost, look at housing prices, inflation adjusted, for the last 100 years and the long term trend is upward about 5 pct. a year to buy a house.. , yes,..prices have come down from it's peak about 6 months to a year ago, but there are two very good reasons why this cannot continue,..We still are receiving immigrants by the 10's of thousands a year. The Mexican border is still wide open and so is S. FL to the Cubans, people are afraid to invest in Real Estate in foreign Countries because of continuing instability of foreign Governments and the foreign Gov. taking of property. That's why people may hate our Gov. but love to buy here because it is one of the few places left in the world where buying a house is a safe investment ! Housing is bargain priced now except in places like NYC or CA, etc. but most of the US has exceptionally cheap prices. Check out prices in the Heartland, like MO and tell me that prices are too high ! Also, in the Carolinas where the average Joe Blow can buy a decent house for $150,000. Housing is cheap because our Gov. policies have allowed any country esp. China to import to this country but we don't manufacture anything anymore. So, wages are low and that will keep prices low. Prices will not go up until we start exporting manufactured goods and not just agricultural products. Foreign Governments have so many paid lobbiests in Wash. DC that it's hard to find a home there also. And, unfortunately, that's the real problem, Our politians have been bought and paid for !
      Until we start manufacturing products, and exporting, the situation will stay the same as it is right now....So, if you have the money ,..go buy that home, make the wife and yourself happy and in the long run, it will be worth more ! This piece from someone who has been a lic. Realtor and investor since the mid 70's ! My only regret is that I sold some really nice properties that I should have held on to. Listen to what the NAR and FAR Realtor Associations have been saying for months,...we are at the bottom now,...the only thing holding back sales in Fl is way too high R.E. Taxes and Ins. but just go one state North to GA, SC, NC etc. and you will find some increadable bargains and mild climates, great beaches, etc. and don't complain to us in the future about the opportunities you lost in the year 2008. ! LC       Feb 10 08:39 PM
    • Housing Market Tracker - Sell Your Yacht to Buy Subprime [view article]
      All this "sub-prime" fall out is due to one thing ,..and one thing only,.. and that's genuine stupidity by most of the lenders,...big and small who made loans to unqualified people / companies, undocumented loans. I certainly don't want the Fed. Gov. bailing out these idiot bankers because that's simply making me pay for Bankers stupidity !
      But, no doubt it will happen simply because the banks all have their lobbiests in place to spread enough money around so that I end up paying for banking mismanagement. One way to stop this,..if the banks want Fed . Gov. help, then let the federal gov. review every loan that's made ! I can hear the bankers screaming now ! LC       Feb 07 11:01 AM
    • Falling Module ASPs Could Impact Solar Companies [view article]
      I have to agree w/ Buffettz... Oil and other forms are not getting any cheaper, and wind farms don't work in many places, especially where winds are not averaging above 11-12 MPH. Florida , for example, really doesn't have much wind, except during hurricanes, so Solar is a natural for that state. All forms of energy, nuclear, Hydro, wind, Ocean currents, etc. are not consistant, but the Sun is always shining,..maybe not as much on cloudy days, but, by and large, Solar has to become a very big player in the field of energy !
      LC       Feb 01 09:08 PM
    • They Said Housing Prices Couldn't Fall. They Lied. [view article]
      Regarding Mr. Yun,...You have to remember that he is paid by NAR to say "upbeat" things,...but in fact, in FL the average Realtor has had only ONE,..repeat,...ONE sale this past year, and only one Realtor in 300 has even a pending sale !!! To say the market is bad,..is still a huge understatement ! Florida has considerably higher than average prices and considerably lower wages,..The home Builders used to say that the high prices were caused by increasing high costs for all building materials, labor, land, etc. but now,..the cost of materials is way down and yet the prices are still very high,...higher than the national average ! So,..the builders are trying to have it both ways,...trying to keep prices high and increasing the profit margins. New homes are now priced way higher than resale homes so don't pity the builders,..they were making very big bucks between 2001 -2005 and they got used to living high off the hog ! Now they are selling off land, offering Realtors really high commissions, but the real problem is the glut of unsold older homes that are affordable to the average resident of
      the states where they live. Every buyer wants a NEW home !
      If you want a real comedy show,..just watch HGTV and see these young kids 25-35 years negotiating to buy million dollar homes in CA.
      Obviously most of that programming was done a couple years ago, but now what does that young kid do when his adjustable rate mortgage really does adjust ? And,..he has lost his job to boot ! LC       Jan 25 02:03 PM
    • The Yin and Yang Of The Housing Rebound [view article]
      Statistics are always fun to read, but don't necessarily apply to other states. In Florida, for example, anything priced over $350,000. is considered a luxury home ! Also, pay is very low in Fl and to top it off, FL has very high R.E. Taxes compared to average incomes and Insurance is virtually unaffordable. ! The average teacher, fireman, policeman, etc. can't afford a home so the state has come up with a special plan that amounts to "giving" the teachers, etc. a down payment ! I guess the rest of the people just have to start living in
      caves !....Recent stats. show that Real Estate agents have one "pending sale" per 300 agents ! If this doesn't scare off anyone thinking of moving to FL, especially retirees, then nothing will. The averge price of a recently sold listing is about $265,000. ...So now, tell me how that relates to CA , NYC or Chicago,...it simply doesn't !
      The whole "Housing Sector" should be broken down into a State by State analysis because just looking at one state is pointless when looking at the Housing Sector ! Want a real BUY, start looking at Detroit or the quad cities area, Moline, E. Moline, etc. and see how those prices compare,...You can buy a large home in those places for $60,000. But,..no jobs !
      I don't look for a recovery in most states before about 2 years !
      But what do I know, I have only been selling real estate for 26 years ......! LC       Jan 25 12:55 PM
    • Housing Market Tracker - Macro Outlook [view article]
      The only thing that's going to save the housing market among other sectors, is a huge inflow of investors from Europe and the far east.
      This country imports everything and exports nothing, but "Jobs" and seems to expect that things will get better. ! How totally ridiculous !
      Wages being paid, all falling in all sectors, and we are supposed to espect a recovery,...right ? Debt and forclosures and credit cards that are maxed out are supposed to suddenly disappear ?
      Just my opinion , but I think the boys and girls in the house and senate have one goal and that is to destroy the economy completely. A complete financial collapse in the USA is our only hope because at least we would have a fresh start ! This country , at this point is like a person just trying to recover from a Bankrupcy !
      LC       Jan 14 02:17 PM
    • Greenspan Is Not Convincing This Grand Dame of Finance [view article]
      This woman looks like a great candidate to replace Bernanke !...And soon ! How greatly refreshing to see both knowledge and honesty coming out in the open !!!
      LC       Jan 14 02:01 PM
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