The Hammer

Property Values Set to Fall 43% from Current Depressed Levels

In many parts of the country it is still cheaper to rent by a nice margin. some of the areas that are taking 50%+ falls are now competitive with rents. Who the hell wants to rush in an buy when the governemtn and banks are making every attempt to withhold foreclosures by price manipulation. Do not be fooled by this. Owning a house is expensive especially the taxes and upkeep. factor all this in when deciding to buy. A house is not an great investment after you pay years of interest payments and taxes and upkeep expenses. You want to get a fair price.
In general people should not be spending more than 30% or so of their income on house expenses.
If you spend more how do you have additional funds to save for retirement. Owning a house should not be debt slavery. it is not worth it. Just ask all the homedebtors that bought into that propaganda in past 5 years. many wished they just rented now.
Do not listen to the scammers peddling real estate. These same scammers were saying just a few years ago it was a great time to buy and sell real estate. LOL!!!!
These scumb@gs have lost all credibility with me.

Property Values Set to Fall 43% from Current Depressed Levels

In the end replacement cost this or that means nothing!

What is important is the economic climate of a region. If jobs and incomes are under pressure houses will trade down to ZERO!

Just look what is happening across parts of the mid-west as jobs and incomes have evaporated.

Now I think this will spread to the east and west coasts as our standard of living falls as does real incomes.

Property Values Set to Fall 43% from Current Depressed Levels

with the government bankrupting us with all their subsidies for housing, this article does make some sense.
In the end, the economy and incomes must support the price of housing and I do not believe that is the case today.
Asset prices have been overpriced for many years due to the backstop and easy money politicies of the government. With the rise of emerging economies around the world and their falling reliance of the USA, the government will lose its flexiblility to paper over our structural economic issues.
Now the FHA has become th new piggy bank for all this corruptuion and special interests. In the end, this cannot continue without serious consequences. I am sure we can assmeble numerous scenarios but most imo are not good.

John Meriwether Is Back - Risk Must Be Too

This blowup artist can raise money from the suckers with ease. More losers rewarded with fortunes.
What a rigged system.

Why the Home Buyer Tax Credit Is a Bad Idea

Nettligent you nailed it. These real estate whores would bankrupt the country first before considering doing whats right.
These organizarions have 0 credibility. Housing is way overrated as an economic engine for growth. how does it make our country more competitive? The bloodsucking subsidies need to end now.

BARNEY FRANK IS A DANGEROUS LUNATIC WITH POWER

This guy is the most dangerous moron in America. He praised Fannie Mae Raines for doing a good job in 2004 too!!!!!!

If you live in Mass. you need to take some responsibiity for electing this country wrecker continuosly.

The U.S's Permanent Depression

Simply the US financial system is floating in debt. The consumer and banking system are levered up to the eyeballs. Now the federal govt is issuing debt like an addict.
Solving a debt issue by issuing more debt is not the solution.
Recessions serve a purpose to correct all the malinvestment of a past economic cycle. Let this one play out for once.

Semiconductor sales are another "less bad" indicator, totaling $19.1B in August, down 16.1% from the prior year. In July, sales were 18.2% below last year, and the first half was down 26% Y/Y on average.

The trend has gone from negative to negative less. Just think the govt could do a cash for complunker and print another 2-4 billion in money and produce demand out of thin air!

Citadel's high-frequency trading unit brought in about $1B in profits in 2008. The revelation, which emerged from a court case this week, gives new insight into just how lucrative the secretive practice can be.

$1 billion is big bucks. who is the loser other side of the trade?
hhmmm?

Is ConocoPhillips a Potential Multi-Bagger?

I amazes me that people write these articles then disclose they own 0 shares??
COP has made some quality acquisitions, but mulva's timing is rather poor. In addition, When oil and Nat gas were sky rocketing in price over $100 and $12 mcf I wrote an email to the Board of directors telling them that they should hedge some production something like 25-50% and let the rest float with the market.. My main reason was that the oil prices was above the inflation adjusted highs and the company just made a few large acquisitions and it would be prudent to lock in some production to pay down debt , continue the dividend and maybe even buy in a few shares of stock. i received some non-sense email back stating that investors wanted the oil price to float and that they should hedge against it if you wanted.

What a bunch of dolts on the board!

Macroeconomic Policy for a Stronger Recovery, Part 2

Another damn talking head "expert" babbling.

It is simple.
Stop writing phoney loans---uneconomic loans.
Stop the govt from its continual manipulation of markets.
Stop driving interest rates below inflation.
Stop the enormous leverage in our financial institutions.
Stop ininstitutions from levering beyond 10 times.
Stop all off balance sheet non-sense.
Stop or highly regulate the derivatives.
Vote out all incumbents--take back your country.
Lock up crooks----Lots of wall streeters bankers realtors mtg brokers appraisers and builders.

Fed Vice Chairman Donald Kohn on exit strategy: Unwinding unusual policies takes time, so it will be based on forecasts rather than current conditions. "Clearly, the present degree of accommodation ... is extraordinary." Fed has the tools, including paying interest on reserves, which will allow short-term rate hikes even with high quantity of assets - but rates to remain low for extended period. Lending programs are winding down with improving conditions, as designed.

The same dolts that did not see a credit and housing bubble of epic proportions. This guy along with his crony friends at the fed are pathetic.
It is time to replace all these MFers with some people that are independent thinkers not putzes.

A Shortage of Bullets Presents Investment Opportunities

with more guns being sold, I would expect more ammo to be used. Yes OLN commented on the last surge in ammo sales that it lasted 6 quarters. i do think this time that it may last longer since the economice upheaval is most severe since the Great depression. I expect more unrest around the country as the so called V shaped recovery does not pan out. Just take a look at food prices. There is a stealth increase going on. Just look at the smaller sizes for the same amount of money. 2-3-4 years from now when one morning we wake up and the dollar is devalued by 25% then prices spike up. Corruption is running wild in our govt.
Citizens have lost control of the govt. It is dominated by cronyism and special interests.

Michelle Leder looks through the employment contract of new Freddie Mac (FRE) CFO Ross Kari and finds perks including a (taxpayer-funded) $1.95M signing bonus - just about 20 times the one he got for signing with Fifth Third Bancorp last November.

The corruption is running wild and NOONE will stop them.

House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank - who favors a "council of regulators" over the Federal Reserve when it comes to watching systemic risk - is backing Ron Paul's "Audit the Fed" bill, which is facing no significant opposition in the House.

The misfits from Mass should foot the significant losses from fannie. You voted this derelict in.