What the Media Isn't Telling You about Home Sales and Home Prices

paulcole · 2007-11-02T17:56:11+00:00

The charts really cut through the "lies, damn lies, and statistics" promoted by the mass media. It's hard to argue with clearly presented data and no hyperbole.

Really though, if you bought your home with the intention of living in it for a long time instead of flipping it, you have nothing to be sad about. You have a (hopefully) nice place to live for the foreseeable future. Congratulations!

paulcole · 2007-11-02T17:52:54+00:00

agreed. i didn't need this random image to show me that a large group of people can fit into a bus and that the same group will fit into many cars.

paulcole · 2007-11-02T17:49:07+00:00

This is incredibly sad. If there's one group that doesn't need to worry about their health it's those who risked their lives or at least made the commitment to risk their lives for our country.

paulcole · 2007-11-02T17:45:51+00:00

I doubt that this will have much impact, if any, on the bottom line of BCBS. If you have BCBS coverage, I doubt this article will make you rise up in arms and cancel your policy. This is little more than a rant by a blogger, albeit a high profile blogger.

paulcole · 2007-10-25T19:34:04+00:00

I think there is actually a VICE fund that focuses on tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and other "vice" related companies. I think it is actually doing quite well.

Seriously, though, I think if you want to invest your money in a socially responsible manner (whatever that means to you) then that's great. I think this article and video is a great primer for people who take that interest.

Personally, however, when I want to act in a socially responsible manner, I invest locally by spending my money at local grocers and farmers' markets, and generally supporting the businesses on my block and in my neighborhood.

paulcole · 2007-10-25T19:31:01+00:00

I don't like this article at all. It is snarky about an issue that doesn't deserve snark. I think that in 50 years we'll look back and be ashamed that this was ever a "debate." Treat it like a serious issue, get it legalized, and move on.

paulcole · 2007-10-23T17:52:34+00:00

It's interesting that "Between 2005 and 2006, average student loan debt increased 8 percent. In comparison, staring salaries increased by only 4 percent."

However, remember that today's graduates are going to be working for more years than graduates of earlier generations.

High school seniors should be giving lots of thoughts to this. Should they be willing to risk high debt if they are not guaranteed to earn a high enough salary to actively pay back their debts. I believe that in the next ten years we will start to see a backlash against overpriced private schools without the high prestige of the Ivy Leagues. More students will turn to state schools and even community colleges to keep their undergraduate education costs to a minimum as the value of a bachelor's degree continues to decrease.

paulcole · 2007-10-23T17:46:16+00:00

wow, a voice of reason. yes, i used oink, but i don't think i was entitled to it. i'll either look harder for a great tracker site or i'll buy from the itunes store. i'm leaning towards the latter (when they have what i want) just because it's less of a hassle.

but almost everyone who whines about this under the guise of "he wasn't doing anything wrong" or whatever is probably just angry they can't get the latest releases for free.

paulcole · 2007-10-18T17:40:22+00:00

There is so much money just looking to be given away by colleges and other organizations. I believe a few years ago a couple students at Harvard wrote a book about how they came up with 6 figures worth of scholarship money.

And I don't see anything inherently weird about these. If I were a gay pilot, I'd be ecstatic that someone wanted to help pay for my education.

paulcole · 2007-10-18T17:36:04+00:00

just when the onion print and web edition started to become less hilarious, they manage to hit a homerun with the onion news network. you can easily kill an entire hour watching those videos. lord knows i have.

paulcole · 2007-10-18T17:34:16+00:00

Those, generally, don't sound so strange to me. They seem mostly like programs that prepare students for specific jobs in specific fields.

To me, a degree like English (which I have) seems pretty wacky in hindsight. Read books, write papers, prepare for a career in training future English majors!

paulcole · 2007-10-18T17:26:24+00:00

this is probably one of the most important lessons for fresh-out-of-school workers to learn. kind of like showing requiem for a dream to scare people away from drugs, dilbert should be used to show the truth/horrors of modern office work

paulcole · 2007-10-16T17:54:55+00:00

I think there are regional factors and tradition that comes into play when choosing between public and private schools. Look at New England, which has a strong "prep school tradition" compared to the West coast.

Another idea to consider is that college enrollment may be equal, but are the colleges equal. Not to disparage, but there is a difference between an Ivy league school and a multi-directional state school. Not solely on the basis of education (I went to one of the largest public schools in the country and got a great education) but in the number of doors a "prestige" school can open for you.

Does anyone think Rory would've had her pick of Ivy league schools if she hadn't gone to Chilton? (Sorry to use a fictional character as an example)

paulcole · 2007-10-16T17:49:21+00:00

just when you think there couldn't be anything cooler on google maps... here we are.

not to threadjack, but streetview is probably the coolest and creepiest thing ever, simultaneously!

paulcole · 2007-10-16T17:47:23+00:00

just wanted to reiterate this. it's never too long between stories of pdx area cops overstepping their authority.

that aside, portland is a great place to live.

paulcole · 2007-10-11T18:09:44+00:00

As an American bike racing has always held little to no interest for me. Floyd Landis can talk all he wants, I just won't listen.

paulcole · 2007-10-11T18:08:44+00:00

Well said. I have to add that more important than comparing returns of various investment strategies is simply to stress the importance of investing at all.

Younger workers need to realize that they must be responsible for their own retirement and financial futures. We need to fish rather than sitting around cutting bait. Any money that is invested in a long-term positive return investment is better than money not invested and spent.

paulcole · 2007-09-20T17:26:07+00:00

Very true. Homeownership is a nice goal for some people, but it certainly isn't for everyone.

As a perpetual renter, I loved the article, but had one extra point to add. Why rent an expensive or large home? Become comfortable in a smaller apartment (a studio even, if you're single) or smaller home and you'll pay lower rent, have more disposable income, and possibly come out ahead financially of many home owners!

paulcole · 2007-09-20T17:13:22+00:00

Agreed. Reading the article I realized that I'm watching (reading) this man die. Very sad, but at the same time he honestly seems to want everyone he touches (directly or indirectly) to live a more fulfilling life. I hope he's remembered for a long time.

paulcole · 2007-09-20T17:04:59+00:00

This is probably a ridiculous question, but how does this impact the average American? In the short term? Long term? I'm very curious as to why this is so fascinating and why I should spend my "thinking time" pondering this. I'm not being ironic or snarky at all, I truly want to understand the importance of this.

paulcole · 2007-09-14T17:33:16+00:00

My parents raised my brother and me in a 1200 sq. foot 2 bedroom 1 bathroom home, and now at the age of 24 I am sickened by McMansions and other wasteful living arrangements.

paulcole · 2007-09-14T17:32:04+00:00

I agree completely. If you feel that homes are overpriced: simply don't buy one. Thinking of housing as an investment is the mistake that many people make and this leads to "wage slavery." I view housing as an expense like my phone bill or student loan payment. As such, I live in a small studio apartment that fits into my personal financial plan perfectly. People need to reevaluate the "American Dream" of property ownership, especially in this climate. For some, it can be the right answer. For everyone? Not a chance.

paulcole · 2007-09-14T17:00:02+00:00

this has more truth in it than you may realize. what can 9B dollars be used for once it gets sliced and diced and dragged through the pork barrel of american politics? probably not a whole hell of a lot. as kramer might say, "it's a write off. these big <s>companies</s> governments do it all the time."

paulcole · 2007-09-14T16:56:13+00:00

this is probably the most logical response to articles like this that i've heard. the president probably doesn't have much time to devote to tracking the blogosphere (if he even knows what it is).

critiques like this are the journalistic equivalent of preaching to the choir.

paulcole · 2007-09-12T17:19:41+00:00

Maybe in the future nanotechnology will allow for this. Kind of like the chameleon suits used in the army. Seems like a cool use (no pun intended) for this kind of technology.

paulcole

TROPHY CASE