On Cloud Nine – Paulson, Palin, and Guilty for OJ

This edition of “On Cloud Nine”  includes Henry Paulson, Sarah Palin and those people who have always felt that O.J. Simpson was guilty.

Henry Paulson, or Hank as his friends call him, is delirious at the prospect of spending $700 billion of OPM (Other People’s Money). 

Bill H.R. 1424 (451 pages)gives the Treasury power to spend up to $700 billion to buy bad debt from banks, credit unions, thrifts and insurance companies. The hope is that by shoring up their books, trust will be restored to the financial system, banks will start lending again, and it will get the economy going on the road to recovery.  Congressional negotiators did apply some brakes on the doling out of the money: $250 billion up front, then $100 billion, and the final $350 billion upon congressional approval.

How is this going to help homeowners and us to sell houses???????

Second on our list of “On Cloud Nine” is Sarah Palin and her supporters.  From ‘hockey mom’ to VP in a few short weeks.  Unbelievable!  I watched the debate with a group of people (it was a debate party actually); political leanings were mixed, everyone watching TV in a kind of “fixated” way much the same way we do when important events are unfolding. At one point, I piped up and said, “It’s only a Vice-Presidential debate for heaven’s sake!”  I was immediately shushed down… anyway, Sarah did surprisingly well on the debate, showed a lot of spunk, poise and self-confidence; she amazed our group (even the die-hard Obama fans!)

                                 

Thirdly, having been through the whole OJ debacle more than 13 years ago, i would say very few people still thought the “Juice” had nothing to do with his ex-wife and her friend’s death.  So it was gratifying to see that there is justice after all and OJ was finally convicted of something, and being sent to jail where he belongs!  I won’t apologize for being one of those who are “On Cloud Nine” to wake up this morning to the news that he was found guilty!  Guess he picked the wrong place to gamble…..                           

Well, this ends another edition of “On Cloud Nine” – thanks for indulging me in this.  I had to find a way to vent my frustrations!  Have a good and profitable Saturday!

Disclaimer: I don’t remember where the quotes came from; if they are copywritten, please let me know so I can get proper permission.  The ski chalet shown is at Christmas Mountain, Bartlett, NH; for more info click here: Christmas Mtn. Condo

 

Royal View – Conway NH View Lots for Sale

There are good things happening, right?

Everywhere you look there seems to be disaster striking…TV, radio and newspapers all tout the hopelessness of life; recently it’s been centered on “the fuel crisis” – price of oil and gas. The other issue that gets media attention is the real estate “decline” somewhat predicated on the mortgage and lending downfall. We forget that real estate has normal market fluctuations with highs and lows.

Please consider this: (1) even if your property’s market value is down today from last year at this same time, it is probably still worth much more than it was a half-dozen years ago, (2) foreclosures are still a scant 7/10th of 1% of total homes in this country, (3) there is a large segment (30%) of all real estate owned in this country that is owned free and clear (no mortgage), and (4) the National Association of Realtors expects approximately 5 million homes to sell this year. Also, since we all need food, shelter and clothing doesn’t it make sense to “own” your home versus “renting” it, since you stand to make out from the power of leverage on an asset that we need anyway.

Is anyone using geothermal heating/cooling?

Even though it’s been around for decades, geothermal heating and cooling isn’t used by many people. In researching geothermal technology, I’ve found out a couple of things:  it’s more expensive to install than traditional heat pumps but if you’re building a new home that initial cost can easily pay off big through reduced energy and upkeep costs.  Is there someone who has a geothermal system already and would be willing to share their experience with it? With utility expenses sky rocketing it’s becoming more and more critical to increase efficiency in the way we heat and cool our homes.