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JFK 07-22-2010 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355283)
Looks fucking haunted, doesn't it?

yup, that paint job does absolutely nothing for it :2 cents:

LongBG 07-22-2010 12:10 PM

That really makes you take a look at shit from another perspective hey.

That shit must also devalue your place buy a shitload too, that's gotta suck.

IllTestYourGirls 07-22-2010 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355570)
I did in fact buy at the height of the market. And you would think that looks stupid of me. But... I also sold at the height of the market. I bought my house in Phoenix for $220k, and sold it in 2006 at for $540k. So in a way I just sort of traded houses, and I'm in a much nicer house (although without a pool) and I don't complain about the Phoenix weather.

Was it government funded? I don't know. I believe so.

So you are so ungrateful for getting your house payment cut in half you dont even know where the money came from? Sorry man but thats just low down. I dont blame you for doing what you did, I would protect my home and family the same way. But come on, at least know where the money came from. :(


Rochard 07-22-2010 12:11 PM

So along with all of the housing boom, in 2006 / 2007 a large number of projects were in place - new shopping centers. Keep in mind ALL of this is within two miles of my house.

This shopping center was built and never filled up. Behind me in this picture is another building with Firestone tire center (which seems to be booming), and there's also three other large buildings in this shopping center, mostly empty. One has a subway, there's a credit union, a nail place, and a tax place, but otherwise it's pretty empty.

http://www.rochardsbunnyranch.com/rock/lincoln14.jpg

Rochard 07-22-2010 12:12 PM

This is another business complex, built right on main street. Four very large buildings, all empty save for a Dominos pizza place and a a new yogurt place. Oh and an insurance place.

http://www.rochardsbunnyranch.com/rock/lincoln15.jpg

TheDoc 07-22-2010 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355570)
I did in fact buy at the height of the market. And you would think that looks stupid of me. But... I also sold at the height of the market. I bought my house in Phoenix for $220k, and sold it in 2006 at for $540k. So in a way I just sort of traded houses, and I'm in a much nicer house (although without a pool) and I don't complain about the Phoenix weather.

Was it government funded? I don't know. I believe so.

Is it a VA Loan? Those don't count :)

Rochard 07-22-2010 12:16 PM

And here's where it hit home for the entire town - The Rainbow Market closed. I don't remember the details, but the Rainbow Market was the original supermarket in town from like the 1950s. It closed down about six months ago, and a short time later the dumpy little pizza place next door closed down too. All that's left in that complex is a Taco Bell.

http://www.rochardsbunnyranch.com/rock/lincoln17.jpg

http://www.rochardsbunnyranch.com/rock/lincoln18.jpg

Ron2k1 07-22-2010 12:22 PM

On all your pictures I barely see any human being :)

It looks like a complete ghost town!

Rochard 07-22-2010 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IllTestYourGirls (Post 17355578)
So you are so ungrateful for getting your house payment cut in half you dont even know where the money came from? Sorry man but thats just low down. I dont blame you for doing what you did, I would protect my home and family the same way. But come on, at least know where the money came from. :(

At the end of the day, I re-financed the loan with the terms the bank gave me. I don't recall the documentation saying anything about any program that it was covered under.

Rochard 07-22-2010 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron2k1 (Post 17355624)
On all your pictures I barely see any human being :)

It looks like a complete ghost town!

It's not intentional really. I'm just taking pictures of empty houses, and for the businesses, well, they are empty of people because there is no businesses there.

IllTestYourGirls 07-22-2010 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355629)
At the end of the day, I re-financed the loan with the terms the bank gave me. I don't recall the documentation saying anything about any program that it was covered under.

Ok fair enough :thumbsup Congrats on saving yourself 100k+ :thumbsup

topnotch, standup guy 07-22-2010 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amputate Your Head (Post 17355502)
Suburbia is unsustainable. At some point (when the oil runs out or becomes so expensive only the rich have access to oil), we will see whole suburban "towns" sitting empty, tumbleweeds blowing through.

Yeah, and then everybody gets to move back into the cities.

http://www.fmft.net/archives/gangsta1/gangsta%201.JPG

Somehow I don't see the average suburban family as being too keen on that idea.

Think again.

Amputate Your Head 07-22-2010 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355542)
I think in the future people won't commute to jobs. Most of us will work from home, and houses will be built with home offices built in. My wife drives into Sacramento every day, and there's no need for it. She has a computer here at home, and if she needs to talk to anyone she can do video conferencing.

Yes. Existing homes are being reconfigured for this and I believe new homes already are being built with offices as part of the plan. This house I'm in is a good example of a reconfigure. It's a 4 bedroom / 3 bath with a good sized separate dining room and two living rooms. We use the one at the back of the house as the "living room" because it's got sliders to the back and is all open to the kitchen and everything, and there's 2 bars (kitchen bar and a separate wet bar). I use the front living room as my studio. Massive vaulted ceiling and architectural cutouts & styling, fireplace (also a fireplace in the back living room and again in the dining room) and right next to the front door. The space is fantastic, but the downside is there are no doors or anything, it's wide open so no office privacy. Second floor is entirely master suite, (bath & walk-in) and nothing else. (attached 3-car garage, laundry room, blah blah blah, etc...)

The homes here in this area were all generally built this way, with minor variations. One of the two living rooms was intended to be a "show" living room basically. One of those places where snooty people put expensive furniture that no one can ever sit on. Well I decided that was stupid, got rid of all my extra furniture, put in overhead halogens, and studio-ized it. Been working on the garage and exterior here now for the last few weeks, putting in shelving and wiring for sound, etc... because garages are for boring people. I need a Lair. :rasta

Semi-Retired-Dave 07-22-2010 12:58 PM

They look like Track Homes.

Rochard 07-22-2010 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amputate Your Head (Post 17355720)
Yes. Existing homes are being reconfigured for this and I believe new homes already are being built with offices as part of the plan. This house I'm in is a good example of a reconfigure. It's a 4 bedroom / 3 bath with a good sized separate dining room and two living rooms. We use the one at the back of the house as the "living room" because it's got sliders to the back and is all open to the kitchen and everything, and there's 2 bars (kitchen bar and a separate wet bar). I use the front living room as my studio. Massive vaulted ceiling and architectural cutouts & styling, fireplace (also a fireplace in the back living room and again in the dining room) and right next to the front door. The space is fantastic, but the downside is there are no doors or anything, it's wide open so no office privacy. Second floor is entirely master suite, (bath & walk-in) and nothing else. (attached 3-car garage, laundry room, blah blah blah, etc...)

The homes here in this area were all generally built this way, with minor variations. One of the two living rooms was intended to be a "show" living room basically. One of those places where snooty people put expensive furniture that no one can ever sit on. Well I decided that was stupid, got rid of all my extra furniture, put in overhead halogens, and studio-ized it. Been working on the garage and exterior here now for the last few weeks, putting in shelving and wiring for sound, etc... because garages are for boring people. I need a Lair. :rasta

Oddly enough, while out running this morning, I was thinking about this exact subject - the "show" room. When you walk into the front door of my house, you have a large foyer, which opens up to a dining room / living room. WHAT THE FUCK IS THE POINT OF THIS?

Foyer:

http://www.rochardsbunnyranch.com/rock/house01.jpg

Opens to living room:

http://www.rochardsbunnyranch.com/rock/house03.jpg

and a dining room behind that.

What the fuck is the point of this? It's a waste of space. We've used the dining room an handful of times when we've had "company" over for dinner. Otherwise no one ever uses it.

But in my case there's only three of us here and we still have rooms we don't use. Oddly enough the most popular room is my office here.

ottopottomouse 07-22-2010 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355758)

Nearly every house i've been in in this country has some sort of foyer/hall inside the front door with all the rooms leading off it - even council houses. Only exceptions I can remember are tiny coal-miners terraced houses where the door went straight into the living room and farmhouses where the door went straight into the kitchen. Does seem a waste of space now I think about it - the one in my house is as big as a room.

Elli 07-22-2010 01:55 PM

Incredible and sad, but it's good to see that people are realizing that car-dependant suburbia isn't sustainable over the long haul. Not everyone can telecommute. There still have to be local jobs.

alias 07-22-2010 02:11 PM

Interesting pictures.

$5 submissions 07-22-2010 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355600)
All that's left in that complex is a Taco Bell.

Taco Bell survives recessions the same way cockroaches survive nuclear testing on South Pacific islands.

bdjerk 07-22-2010 02:26 PM

are we supposed to feel sorry for this? no one made those people go out and take those loans for houses. survival of the fittest. plan for shit like this. live accordingly.

baddog 07-22-2010 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355473)
So while everyone is blaming programs closing on tubes and free porn, I'm like.... Then why are restaurants closing down left and right?

Panterra Bread closed down. I used to eat here with Loryn.

http://www.rochardsbunnyranch.com/rock/lincoln09.jpg

Chills closed down. Come to think of it, Applebeas did too.

http://www.rochardsbunnyranch.com/rock/lincoln11.jpg

FUCKING WENDYS - GONE! I used to eat here with Vendzilla and Spannow and a few others.

http://www.rochardsbunnyranch.com/rock/lincoln12.jpg


No great loss with any of those establishments. :2 cents:

Semi-Retired-Dave 07-22-2010 02:35 PM

5 Years ago Countrywide said...come and get it. Interest free loans with 0 down.
Well...we see what happened. 5 year adjustable everyone got 5 years ago is a different story.

Atticus 07-22-2010 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baddog (Post 17356017)
No great loss with any of those establishments. :2 cents:

I disagree! Panera Bread ROCKS! :thumbsup

AdultEUhost 07-22-2010 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355570)
...I bought my house in Phoenix for $220k, and sold it in 2006 at for $540k....

mmm, what caused this recession again...? :1orglaugh

kane 07-22-2010 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberAge-Dave (Post 17356040)
5 Years ago Countrywide said...come and get it. Interest free loans with 0 down.
Well...we see what happened. 5 year adjustable everyone got 5 years ago is a different story.

There was a story from a little while back of a guy who came from Canada to the US as a college student. He was going his last 2 years of school at a US university. So he needs a bank account. He goes to Washington Mutual with about $2,000 to his name and opens up a checking and savings account. He is told while doing this that he qualifies for a 360K mortgage. He says, "How can that be? I don't even have a job." He is told that having a job or verifiable income wasn't one of the qualifications for the loan. He says they even told him he could buy a house, they would set it up so he had no payments for 6 months and during that time he could fix the place up and let it appreciate a little the sell it before he ever had a payment due.

He passed on the offer, but with loan practices like that it is no wonder so many homes are being foreclosed on.

Amputate Your Head 07-22-2010 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdultEUhost (Post 17356119)
mmm, what caused this recession again...? :1orglaugh

Indeed the massive bubble was key. I bought a Maui property close to the beach in mid '03 for $660k and sold it in very early '05 for $1.1 mil. All I did was live in it. Only improvements were re-doing the master bath and some tile work out front. $440k instant profit, minus expenses, I walked with approx $390k.

And then the whole fucking program collapsed. :disgust

kane 07-22-2010 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amputate Your Head (Post 17356158)
Indeed the massive bubble was key. I bought a Maui property close to the beach in mid '03 for $660k and sold it in very early '05 for $1.1 mil. All I did was live in it. Only improvements were re-doing the master bath and some tile work out front. $440k instant profit, minus expenses, I walked with approx $390k.

And then the whole fucking program collapsed. :disgust

A few years ago, right at the top of the bubble, a friend of mine bought a new house in a new construction development. He paid 305K for it. All he did for improvements was put up a fence and put grass in the backyard. Total cost about 2K. He had only lived in the place 2 months when he was offered 355K by a co-worker. 3 months after that the builders broke ground on the next phase of the development and the new price for the house he had purchased was 410K. He was then offered 435K by someone and passed.

Now the house is worth about 270K an falling, about 70% of the new phase from the development sits empty and never has sold.

Amputate Your Head 07-22-2010 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kane (Post 17356167)
A few years ago, right at the top of the bubble, a friend of mine bought a new house in a new construction development. He paid 305K for it. All he did for improvements was put up a fence and put grass in the backyard. Total cost about 2K. He had only lived in the place 2 months when he was offered 355K by a co-worker. 3 months after that the builders broke ground on the next phase of the development and the new price for the house he had purchased was 410K. He was then offered 435K by someone and passed.

Now the house is worth about 270K an falling, about 70% of the new phase from the development sits empty and never has sold.

That shit is painful. I've lost everything I gained on that first property. My 2nd Maui property was, at one point, worth $2.1 mil.
Today it's more like $1.4 mil. :(

epitome 07-22-2010 03:36 PM

Come to the DC area. Mall's are full on Wednesday afternoons with people carrying shopping bags. My buddy recently relocated here to run a tattoo shop and was shocked that most people pay with cash or debit cards and not credit cards.

All thanks to federal and homeland security [deficit] spending!

CYF 07-22-2010 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kane (Post 17356157)
There was a story from a little while back of a guy who came from Canada to the US as a college student. He was going his last 2 years of school at a US university. So he needs a bank account. He goes to Washington Mutual with about $2,000 to his name and opens up a checking and savings account. He is told while doing this that he qualifies for a 360K mortgage. He says, "How can that be? I don't even have a job." He is told that having a job or verifiable income wasn't one of the qualifications for the loan. He says they even told him he could buy a house, they would set it up so he had no payments for 6 months and during that time he could fix the place up and let it appreciate a little the sell it before he ever had a payment due.

He passed on the offer, but with loan practices like that it is no wonder so many homes are being foreclosed on.

and people wonder why we're fucked

baddog 07-22-2010 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atticus (Post 17356075)
I disagree! Panera Bread ROCKS! :thumbsup

goodgirl took me to one. I thought it sucked. Subway's sandwiches are better, IMO.

kane 07-22-2010 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amputate Your Head (Post 17356173)
That shit is painful. I've lost everything I gained on that first property. My 2nd Maui property was, at one point, worth $2.1 mil.
Today it's more like $1.4 mil. :(

Damn, that is a rough drop.

I wonder how long it will take for property values to return, if they ever do. A person could make the argument that most homes were overpriced. Million dollar plus homes are in a different league, bu the average home for the average person was even over priced. I had seen where some economist were saying that right now is the first time in the history of this country that the average wage earner can't afford to buy the average home. However, they still do, they just go further into debt to do it and use credit for everything else that people used to use cash for.

alias 07-22-2010 03:56 PM

Buy your house with cash.

Rochard 07-22-2010 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdjerk (Post 17356004)
are we supposed to feel sorry for this? no one made those people go out and take those loans for houses. survival of the fittest. plan for shit like this. live accordingly.

Well, you should feel sorry for this. Because of greedy banking and people buying houses they couldn't afford, a lot of other people are suffering - which is my point. Our industry isn't crap right now because of tubes. My local fucking Wendy's didn't shut down because of tubes. People are losing their jobs and their houses, which is why they aren't buying porn.

The entire point of this thread is to remind our industry that we are in a massive recession, and every industry is hurting. Not just ours.

Amputate Your Head 07-22-2010 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alias (Post 17356229)
Buy your house with cash.

The same could (should) be said for everything else too. Not just houses.

HomerSimpson 07-22-2010 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agent 488 (Post 17355118)
you have tubes on your street? or cross sells?

:1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh

I think it's the cross sales

Rochard 07-22-2010 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baddog (Post 17356017)
No great loss with any of those establishments. :2 cents:

I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up. Yeah, no great fucking loss at all. Until your fucking hungry and ten of the closet restaurants are all fucking closed.

Tell us wise one what it was like during the great depression.

Amputate Your Head 07-22-2010 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17356254)
Well, you should feel sorry for this. Because of greedy banking and people buying houses they couldn't afford, a lot of other people are suffering - which is my point. Our industry isn't crap right now because of tubes. My local fucking Wendy's didn't shut down because of tubes. People are losing their jobs and their houses, which is why they aren't buying porn.

The entire point of this thread is to remind our industry that we are in a massive recession, and every industry is hurting. Not just ours.

Word.

I'm not that far away from you. There aren't any stores like that around here though, just homes, yachts, and the country club. But the nearest town/city looks a lot like that. Some areas are worse than others though.

baddog 07-22-2010 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17356263)
I knew it was only a matter of time before you showed up. Yeah, no great fucking loss at all. Until your fucking hungry and ten of the closet restaurants are all fucking closed.

Tell us wise one what it was like during the great depression.

When I am hungry I do not find myself resorting to junk food.

Rochard 07-22-2010 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kane (Post 17356201)
Damn, that is a rough drop.

I wonder how long it will take for property values to return, if they ever do. A person could make the argument that most homes were overpriced. Million dollar plus homes are in a different league, bu the average home for the average person was even over priced. I had seen where some economist were saying that right now is the first time in the history of this country that the average wage earner can't afford to buy the average home. However, they still do, they just go further into debt to do it and use credit for everything else that people used to use cash for.

My "average" house in Phoenix doubled in value over a three - four year period. That's fucking stupid already.

Some friends of mine - I call them "Bonnie And Clyde" - bought a house here in town in 2004 or so. They couldn't afford it then, and they couldn't afford it now. She's a fucking cashier for costco and he works construction. Yet somehow at the height of everything they took money out against their house, put a down payment on a huge pick up truck, bought a bought, a jeep, a motorcycle, iphones and ipods for everyone in their family, and exotic Mexican vacations. Then they started renting two rooms in their house out to help make ends meet. No dice. The bills were too much - insurance on the truck, the jeep, the bike, the boat, etc. Then he lost his job, and it all crashed. So, instead of doing the proper thing they just stopped paying their mortgage. In fact, they attempted to sue their mortgage company (and failed). Now they are waiting to the bank to foreclose on their house.

In the mean time, Clyde is not working, but has cashed out his 401k and bought brand new trikes. Great. Oh, on top of that, they went on a two week vacation - and used their daughter's credit card to pay for it.

These are the exact people that fueled the economy and then caused it to crash.

bdjerk 07-22-2010 04:18 PM

not everyone is hurting. only the stupid fuckers that lived beyond their means. dont buy shit you can't pay for if the world goes to shit. if more people lived that way, there wouldn't be this issue in the first place. credit card companies and banks can't give money or loans to people who don't sign for them. there would be no housing crash if people said "hey i can't afford that shit." i'm having the best financial years of my life right now. do you know why? i lived within my means and identified weak spots in the market before it crashed. survival of the fittest. i don't feel sorry for anyone.

Atticus 07-22-2010 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baddog (Post 17356199)
goodgirl took me to one. I thought it sucked. Subway's sandwiches are better, IMO.

Try the bagels in the AM. Good muffins and pastries also.

Amputate Your Head 07-22-2010 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdjerk (Post 17356288)
not everyone is hurting. only the stupid fuckers that lived beyond their means. dont buy shit you can't pay for if the world goes to shit. if more people lived that way, there wouldn't be this issue in the first place. credit card companies and banks can't give money or loans to people who don't sign for them. there would be no housing crash if people said "hey i can't afford that shit." i'm having the best financial years of my life right now. do you know why? i lived within my means and identified weak spots in the market before it crashed. survival of the fittest. i don't feel sorry for anyone.

What about all the people that got proper fucked through zero fault of their own?

datatank 07-22-2010 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355102)
Everyone is bitching about so many programs crashing down and blaming everything on tubes and free porn while ignore the most obvious facts - That we are in a recession and so few have money to spend on porn. No one is buying porn while worrying about making their next house payment or if they'll have a job in the morning.

I live in Lincoln, California, just north of Sacramento. Ten years ago it was a small sleepy town off of a freeway off of a much larger freeway. Lincoln had a population of eleven thousand people. Once someone figured out there was a small cute town with a one hundred year old main street off of a freeway of the main freeway, they decided to build houses here. From 2000 to 2006 the town had a 238% increase in population, including myself when I moved back to California to work for ICS. The city loved the rapid growth; In 2006 we were named the All-America City and had big celebration. The developers had to build new fire stations, schools, parks, upgrades to most of the roads, and so forth. Bigger businesses moved in, Target, and so forth. All of the houses had new loans on them, and most of those new loans defaulted.

On my street three are exactly twenty houses. About a year ago we counted all of the empty once, and ten of them were empty with five more having for sale signs on them. During my morning run I took my camera and took some pictures. I'll follow up over the next few days of the town itself, and show you how sad it really is.

Here's my street....

This is the house across the street from me. It's now been vacant for two years or so. Currently the bank has had workers in it re-painting and fixing the holes in the walls. The back of the house, which you can see from the main street, has a gutter that's falling off. Note the dead lawn.

http://www.rochardsbunnyranch.com/rock/lincoln01.jpg


Vices thrive during recessions.

Historically whore, alcohol and tobacco use has always increased during recessions and depressions.

onwebcam 07-22-2010 04:27 PM

Don't worry help is coming. Obama's budget proposal again is to cut out the mortgage tax deduction. Change is what you'll be counting.

datatank 07-22-2010 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rochard (Post 17355126)
Most of the houses on my street were sold in the $500k range. My new neighbor, a nice Cuban family, recently paid $220k for their house - which is less than half of what I paid for my house. I bought in 2006 at the height of the housing market.


Do you have a mortgage?
Why are you staying in the house?

Atticus 07-22-2010 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alias (Post 17356229)
Buy your house with cash.

That is absolutely terrible advice. Get a mortgage but get one you can afford.

Take advantage of the low interest rates to buy a home and then invest your money in something with a higher return. Plus use the mortgage deduction on your taxes. Anybody who pays for a house with all cash is a moron.

Atticus 07-22-2010 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amputate Your Head (Post 17356310)
What about all the people that got proper fucked through zero fault of their own?

How would it be through zero fault of their own?

If you're talking about the ones that had a mortgage they could afford but then got laid off or had health issues etc then I agree. But if they knew they couldnt afford the mortgage when they signed the papers or could only afford it if the boom times continued then the blame has to at least partially side with the borrowers.

On a diff subject: What part of Maui did you live? My wife and I love it over there and have considered buying a place. Just curious on your thoughts.

datatank 07-22-2010 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alias (Post 17356229)
Buy your house with cash.

nice theory but 90% of the population would not be home owners

alias 07-22-2010 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amputate Your Head (Post 17356258)
The same could (should) be said for everything else too. Not just houses.

Yeah man, the consequences for debt will never be the same.


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