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Economic recovery in your area

21K views 89 replies 56 participants last post by  Chrysalis 
#1 ·
I have heard on several of the News Channels that the US is starting to experience an economic recovery at, at least in the housing market. I have not seen that in our area of Southwest MO. How about your neck of the woods?
 
#4 ·
I work in a big chain super market. This past month was the worst month during the summer. Sales were really down.

Mothers and children are having car washes to raise money for school cloths and supplies.

None of the manufacturing plants in my area have rehired any of the workers that have been laid off this past year.

More people are growing their own food and preserving it.

If the economy has improved it hasn't shown it here.
 
#5 ·
The unemployment rate in my city is 10%. Everytime I drive down Main street in my town I see more businesses shuttered. I see buildings and housing communities that were under construction completely abandoned and the weeds as high as my chest. When I go grocery shopping I notice fewer shopping carts filled...more just have a few items.

That's in my city. Way (way)down the road from me is Miami with one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country.

My daughter is working two part time jobs to make it. Seems that full time positions just don't exist anymore.

I don't know where govco is getting their numbers, but I don't believe a damn thing they say.
 
#6 ·
Strangely my community does not "seem" to be hurting....yet....houses still being built, walmart lines are still long and their parking lot still full even in the middle of the day...fast food places still serving....
I don't know if people are trying to keep up appearances that everything is ok or what.... there are still lots of houses for sale and building is still going on and I cant imagine who is going to be able to buy a house.....or qualify for one
 
#7 ·
Would bet most of the houses you see being built are of a lower price range than the builders were errecting several years back, and don't discount how many homes are being rented because folks couldn't get their asking price. I really don't believe everyone knows how many homes have been foreclosed on. Have heard the banks a many in their back pockets and have not placed them on the market to avoid causing a downward spin. Also seems their are more than the usual amount of lease / rent spaces posted on the roadways out from malls etc than there use to be. Now a question. What happens when and if things do improve and all these people who have rented their homes feel they may have a chance to get a buyer because the numbers have been made to look as though things are better? Couple that with the banks feeling the same and the even harder lending standards that are coming out. What do you think will happen then?
 
#13 ·
Would bet most of the houses you see being built are of a lower price range than the builders were erecting several years back,
And I bet that you are right. The houses being built around here are smaller for a number of reasons, cost being primary. But also people have become to realize that they don't need a huge Mcmansion that they have to heat, tend to, paint, and take care of at considerable expense. Some are building smaller houses and putting the size savings into better internal fixtures.

How do I know this? I'm a guy who does Renovation/Restorations and I know the home builders. The number of homes being built around here is down but the Remodeling end of it is going pretty well. People aren't trading up, they are redoing what they have. I'm already scheduling jobs for March 2010 as I am booked solid until then.

Not saying this is true in all areas.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Well, I admit living in a dumppy little town, but there are a lot more houses sitting empty and only a few houses have sold in the last year. Like I have said in some of my other posts, we live at the edge of town. There is only one other house between us and the city limit. It is a little Ranch style with 3 bedrooms and a small yard. Yes, it needs some work, but could be given a good cleaning and moved into now. They can't give it away at $10,000. It is in a crappy location, next to a feedmill and railroad tracks, but still... Unfortuneatly I am in the same fix as everyone else around here or I would buy it myself. I would clean it up and my oldest son who is blind could live there and have at least a little bit of privacy.

Money is very tight here. I head one of the town's Volunteer Emergency Services . Our tax revenue is way down. One of the most noticable areas is in gasoline sales. I don't remeber how many thousands of dollars, but enough that our City Government is hurting. This at a time when the Feds have new guidelines for waste management that have to be met and up and running by 2010 or 2011. As a community we are hurting. People who are used to living dirt poor are having to do without even the basics.

The organizations who have historically helped those in need of medical or energy assistance are already out of money. August has felt more like September here, so we are all expecting an early fall and winter. Our local hospital is gearing up for a bad flu season. I shudder to think about what is going to happen to those who can't afford medical care, heat, or food. Since we are no longer have inflation, those on a fixed income will not get a cost of living increase and will have to pay more for their Medicare Insurance. That will start in the middle of flu season. I will admit to being "worried" to my co-workers. But, to the members of this forum I confess that deep down in my gut I am more firghtened than I ever remember being. If we have a cold winter or a flu epedemic I can see our thin veneer of civilization going to hell fast. We are already seeing an increase in assaults and attempted suicides in our ER.

I am doing what I can to prepare for my family and praying a lot for my family, my community, the people on this forum and my country. One of our docs who dabbles in the stock markets recently told us, "There's only two things I would advice you to invest ... gold, and lead." Of the two, I suspect that the only one most of us can afford is lead. If we can find it.
 
#10 ·
here in beautiful OKlahoma.. we are still riding the wave down, seems we always do stuff last or close to it.. we have lost a few businesses. and unemployment is high last year this time we had over 100 jobs on the list looking for people last I heard it was closer to 20 and they were specialist positions.. long haul drivers and such.. we have an ever growing number of homes for sale it seems and construction is at a standstill unless you work for one of those out of state companies doing the highway repairs. we will be last to enter this fire... and likly will be one of the last to recover... hang in there folks its gunna be a bumpy ride
 
#30 ·
Yep. Like you, I have seen more indications that things are gonna get worse before they get better. My hubby's job has always, I repeat ALWAYS had more overtime shifts available than they could fill. He got a memo last week that they were cutting out overtime shifts and they are working up an early retirement package for guys close to retirement. Lack of OT and early retirement options are unheard of in his field of work.

Makes us wonder what else could be coming down the pike ...
 
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#12 ·
my manufacturing plant that i have worked at for almost 23 years is about to have ANOTHER layoff. 2 years ago we had well over 5000 ppl working here, NOW after the layoff we will have 950. you tell me is the reccession over with yet? i hope so because i maybe getting layed off :eek:
 
#16 ·
The Government lies about every thing. You can not fool all the people all the time but government thinks they can.

If the governmetn admits to 10 percent unemployment, Just double it or tripple the number and you will get a truer picture.

I see vacant business around my town of lubbock, texas now. There will be many more before the end of the year but the local media will not report on it.

I spent 30 years on teh fire dept.

I tell you this, as the economy goes down, fires go up.

go bankrupt, lose all you have

Have a fire, pay off every thing and put money in your pocket.

The fires are gonig to increase, watch the news, they will report on the fires because most viewers do not think to connect fire to the bad ecomony

later
wayne
 
#17 ·
If it is getting better, we didn't get the memo locally.
Jobs are still sliding.
Most folks have their boats up for sale, way more than usual for the land of 10,000 lakes.
When we drive to town we see more and more houses for sale each trip, only the ones than went on the market this time last year are still on the market.

Lot of younger folk moving back in with parents.
Lot of other folk getting the hell out of the area, jobless rates are high, last year was the worst winter in 114 years, heating oil is going to be high again and they just can't afford to heat their homes through another winter like last year.

Green shoots, my ass.
 
#56 ·
real estate deals???



I wish we had great deals on land around my area! My husband and I just bought our first house. It's a small-ish home on a tiny bit of land (and I mean tiny!) for that price!

So far my area has not suffered the way many others have...we're definitely starting to feel it though!! (Montreal, Canada)
 
#21 ·
Nope.

15% unemployment rate officially. In the city of Detroit its over 20%.

Any recovery Michigan sees will be very slow to come. People are still leaving this state if they are able to find jobs elsewhere. I dont know what all the new grads are goign to do for jobs. I have been on a local site and new grad nurses say it is hard to find a job.
 
#22 ·
Here in west texas, the health business is still strong (lot of old folks moving here for the nice weather and to watch New Mexico blow by).

My daughter 54, an RN said that they cut her back to 5 days a week because they have hired so many new RN's at lower (starting wages) and that her overtime will be cut to about 1/3 of what it was.

She has taken a night job part time (hospist) to make up for the lost overtime.

she did not fill out an applicaton. She called five agencies within an hour or so stating what she was looking for.

Within three hours of her call, she had all five agencies call her back and wanted to know when she could start.

She picked the second highest paid. I said, "why not the highest paided."

The second highest paid would allow her to work when she wanted to, if she wanted to work two weeks or a month straight then she could, if she wanted to work a day and take off three days she could.

Not bad.

later
wayne
from Lubbock, Texas
 
#25 · (Edited)
I see more home For Sale signs around here every day. Small businesses and not-so-small ones closing too. Fast food places appear to be doing ok, but some older established higher end eateries have closed. No shortage of 'for rent' signs at apartment complexes (maybe people are buying homes?). The nearby 'big' town announced a near 20 million dollar shortfall by the end of this year. No businesses being added. Auto industry related supply businesses are closing. If economic recovery means that the local Dairy Queen is doing ok, then we're doing just wonderful.
Just ask Joe (the dumb@ss) Biden. LOLOL!! What IS unbelievable, is that these stupid politicians think that they can lie to us about what is going around in OUR towns, right before OUR eyes, and we will believe it. These politicians are delusional..
and we are perpetuating it.

IN THE FALL, FIRE THEM ALL!!
 
#26 ·
Here in W.N.C. It's going from bad to worse. A state trooper told me the other day they did'nt even have the money in their budget to replace parts on his patrol car. County has cut jobs, taken back pay for vacation and sick days for all employees even cops. Plants have been gone since NAFTA. Employment office is packed with job seekers....no jobs available except maybee flipping burgers etc.
I guess the economy is rosy if your a politician though...

Vote yourself a raise when you want it
Free health care
Most everything you want or need is paid for by the taxpayers

Yeah...I guess the recesion is over for them.
Maybee sheeeple will remember that at midterm elections but I doubt it.
 
#27 ·
#29 ·
My husband and I live in Mississippi. He has worked in Memphis Tn. for the past 37 years. he is a crain operator on the river unloading river barges, loading containers and etc, well now the company is losing most of their contracts and for the past year has been cutting all the mens hrs. Now they have had another big cut and are only letting the workers get around 20 to 25 hrs a week if they are lucky.We are having to cut our expenses, so as of the 9th of sept I will no longer have the internet. People all around here are losing their jobs and my husband feels that his job will be gone very soon.
 
#36 · (Edited)
My husband and I live in Mississippi. He has worked in Memphis Tn. for the past 37 years. he is a crain operator on the river unloading river barges, loading containers and etc, well now the company is losing most of their contracts and for the past year has been cutting all the mens hrs. Now they have had another big cut and are only letting the workers get around 20 to 25 hrs a week if they are lucky.We are having to cut our expenses, so as of the 9th of sept I will no longer have the internet. People all around here are losing their jobs and my husband feels that his job will be gone very soon.

i know how he feels. only reason i'm still working is because high senority ppl 45+yrs volunteered to take the layoff for about 4-6 months so as they come back, ppl will be cut back and i have 3 ppl under me. after working there 23 years and 2years ago haveing over 5000 ppl working in the plant.now only 950 are here and im the 3rd from the bottom of senority. ill be lucky if i last until xmass.:eek:

talk about stressed :eek: :headshake: and i dont see the economy getting any better by this time next year if it ever can recover at all and the country doesnt collapse 1st.:eek:


the only ones they are fooling is ppl who have a job and have no threat of loosing it.
 
#31 ·
Well, I sell appliances - the industry is so definitely down - know who our best customer is lately? City Bank. Why, you ask? Because so many builders have gone out of business with unfinished houses - owned by the banks - who now need to SELL these unfinished homes - i.e., finish them - so thank goodness for that business, but how depressing is that?

:confused:
 
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