Gas prices suck.  Oil prices are terribly high.

BUT I can't find a way to get my ladders and tools on the back of a bike for the 35 mile drive to the inspection, especially when the wind chill is 5 below zero.

There goes the recreational trips.

I quite agree that $100/barrell oil is a difficult pill to swallow.  This will definitely get the alternative energy folk back to the table on this year's election, which could be a really great thing!

We are really in the soup. We have a pres from an energy state and no infrastructure built to help folks with mass transit. So we really are hosed. Maybe the next Pres will get his or her head out of .... and take an initiative. Where are Ike, Harry and Teddy R people with guts brains and the ability to get things done

Our prices have gone up again. As matter of fact they went up by 10cents over night ! I have also noticed food, cereal etc has made it's increase as well ! Time to trim the Bush's !

Matthew,

Yes, well that is our consulation prize, I guess it is time for the nation to stop procrastinating and bring on the alternative tech, we have it is just a matter of producing it, and its not as if we don't know how. Good point. Lance

Melissa,

I did not fill up my fuel tanks on my motorcoach last week, thinking I might save a little this week. My trucking industry news e-letter tells me $.059 yesterday, and now those Chicago boys will bid it up even higher and hell I live in California, I cannot imagine what its going to be here, the darn coach has nearly 500 gallons worth of fuel on board? Yikes. - Lance

Erby,

Yes, I guess we are basically stuck with it, I mean what can you do. This is going to really get in the shorts of the small business people, solo entrepreneurs and Realtors, hell, that's they do is drive around town all day getting everything done. Wow, bad timing for the real estate industry, who needs that now?

Consumer confidence truly drive our economy.  Gas prices effect it and so does the media in HUGE ways. 

I work in a unique location, there is the "mainland" and the Island and you can watch the tremendous effect that gas prices right before your eyes.  On the mainland, housing prices are good, sales are almost equal to last year and we've got around 6 months of inventory, and retailers are always busy.  On the Island, it's a different story because you have to drive all the way across the bridge!  The minute gas prices go up, people stop driving.  On the Island, housing sales are way down from last year, inventory is way up (11 months!), and even our retailers are seeing the crunch there. And, it's all because people don't want to spend the money on gas.  It's insane how gas prices really do effect EVERYTHING we do and buy.

Good post!

Lance, Oh Lance you are killing my optimism now :(  This post was cleverly written and I loved your injections of sense of humor within (hail mary short sales, may I use that??) 

It is really true about killing buyer confidence.  I am starting to think about dusting off the ole mustang in my garage and letting the explorer get rusty now!  As the caucuses and primaries begin today with Iowa, I would have thought we would see a lowering of energy prices, just like we did with the mid-terms.  I really do not believe what has happened in our energy sector is all free markets.  Read Enron.  I do have hope for 2009.

Get my drift?

Lance - I enjoyed reading your post until I got to the end - I hate to say it, but it was a bit of a let-down.  I guess I'm left wondering what the purpose was other than to post "doom and gloom"?  Surely you see some light somewhere...care to share it?

Jackie

Jackie,

Well Jackie, I am unaffected and your Stagging will be in more demand due to all this. I always did well in down-economies and adverse sector rotations, while unemployment numbers were going up. The Franchising Industry is counter cyclical, so is the service industry, as it is often cheaper to outsource service. But, then there is retail, housing, auto sales, and higher ticket non-essentials like Furniture, jewelry, etc. In chaos is always opportunity, so you look for the opportunity and buy low and sell high. The best part of tough economies is that it puts reality back into the game, hard work ethic and adversity builds character. The ending of the short economic piece today, was imagery from "Rocky" who emerged the champion and the better man! It's all in how you look at things, today starts the beginning of a audit and test of your will and strength of character. Do you accept the challenge? If so you have nothing to worry about. - I fear nothing. Lance

Renee,

Yes you can use my "Hail Mary Pass Short Sell" comment in your blog, correspondence or speeches to homeowners during conferences and symposiums, or where ever you like. I thought that was funny, and thought of it as I was writing something the other day. I think for many it is a "Hail Mary Pass" and my other thought was calling it a "Hot Potato" and you can use that too. Its like playing musical chairs with real estate and the music stopped minutes ago. Its like that old "Fruit Cake" oh no! not another fruit cake, quick wrap it up with a pretty boy - stage coach is leaving jump on - see ya! wouldn't want to be ya. Anyway, hang tough gorgeous Renee, you are winner and this is the time for winners to shine - Lance

Jen,

Yes, I know the area well and have done a bit of business in Mt Vernon, Burlington, Oak Harbor, Antecortes and have friends who live use to live on Orcus island, speaking of oil, the distribution plant is there too. I can see that things could get interesting in Snomish County, but also some good news Boeing just closed a deal for 790 of those new Boeing 787s with British Airways, I guess you already heard that news, so you should be fine there. Remember the 787 is the most efficient airliner ever built, and efficiency means savings and the airline industry will need as many of those aircraft as they can get. My dad tells me they paid $5.60 a gallon of jet fuel for the G-4 the other day. Scary stuff. But, you are in a unique situation there considering the rest of things. - Lance www.aircraftwashguys.com

Yeah ... the price of gasoline is bad, but thank god our cars don't run on milk at over $6.00 per gallon!

If only I could get from point A to point B around here without freezin my arse off... I'd ride a dog pulled sled to work:-) Granted it would add about an hour and a half to my 10 minute drive in to town.... but it would be so much fun!  HEY! I wouldn't have to wash it! And I could fit at least one client in the*sigh*

I hate the cold, dislike doggy pooh and have a need for speed to reach my destinations...

Sarah,

I like your alternative transportation, perfect for showing properties;

"Just get on and we will slide over to see my new listing"

Yes, you are definitely going to save some fuel that way, but I wonder what dog food costs, those dogs look hungry, or do you just stop every so often and let them catch and eat a rabit? - Lance

Don't rub it in i just filled up the tank

Lance, We have seen the fallout from rising gas & oil prices for the past year. It is one thing we can't do a darn thing about but doom & gloom isn't what we need right now.  We just have to work smarter. 

Sandra, 

Lance, I understand how it is easy to get discouraged with all that is happening in the world.  Our market was very much affected last year as well by gas prices and the subprime mess in late summer.  I had a client comment the other day that he guessed the season was over.  I told him I didn't think we had a season last year.  2008 has just got to be better, I won't think otherwise. 

Sandra,

It would be nice to say that the worst is over for you there and maybe it might be, but between the fires a few years back and some of the drought periods, then the high fuel prices and now the housing slump challenges, I see that y'all have been thru the wringer. - But you have to admit that Show Low, AZ is a great place to live and the people there are sure nice folks, I mean wow what a cool place it is. Lance

3 weeks ago I traded in my Suburban because I was getting only 10-11 mpg and bought a Cadillac SRX and I'm now getting 17.5 mpg.  I love it!

Don't matter, I am not giving up my F150.  I will pay the cost, I have to.  Im not getting rid of it. 

David,

The Cadillac SRX is a fine automobile, and an excellent choice too, I did not know they were so fuel efficient, pretty good considering how cool they look:

Indeed, not long ago I wrote an article on that very subject of Suburban Fuel Mileage:

How Can I Conserve Gasoline:

There are many ways to conserve fuel when driving; simple things you can do to increase your gas mileage. Recently I was at the gas station and I noticed that the price was above $3.00 per gallon for regular. I thought wow, I am glad I have a small car with me today? I looked over at a Soccer Mom, filling up her tank she looked at the pump with tears in her eyes and started to break down. I asked her what was wrong, only half suspecting it was the fuel prices. She said she had wanted to visit her mother next weekend how was in the hospital, but said she couldn't. She said look at this. It said $109.09 and she said; "My card is already over limit and I will be surprised if they do not shut it off now." Today gas is three-dollars a gallon soon if could be as high as $4.00?

I asked her what it usually cost to fill it up? She said something that shocked me; "Who said I filled it up?" In fact it was not on the "F" for full mark. Her trusty Suburban, which she bought for safety so she could take her four kids to various school, church and sporting events and practice is too expensive to drive. She said she could let her husband drive it, but it really did not fit in the parking structure at work too well and it kept getting door dings and side swiped when he used it. It did have marks on it, it was a nice vehicle indeed, even had what appeared to be shopping cart therapy marks from its over size in the stalls.

I explained to her some simple driving techniques which if employed could reduce her weekly fuel bill considerably. We talked about carpooling techniques when possible and consolidation of trips. It is time America think about conservation, perhaps better planning of trips, car pooling and driving at best rates of fuel use. Then we talked about the best way to use cruise control. How so? Well use cruise control and drive 55-60 on the freeways, this will keep your cars fuel consumption rates low, once you move much over 55 mph, the co-efficient of drag curve shoot up into a hyperbolic usage scale. Cut down on that wind resistance of highspeed, as takes a big toll on your fuel economy. Another thing you can do is not accelerate from a stop, allow the car to slowly break ground (move forward) before touching the gas pedal. You can also think about using the air-conditioner less, use the poor man's "model 52" air-conditioner drive fifty and roll down two windows.

Chad,

Well, some of my friends who live in Louisville, KY, are very glad to hear that, with only one exception, please buy another F-150 when you get tired of your current one, they want those factories running full strength, its good for the local economy and housing market - Lance

Now the news is telling us that gasoline is going to $3.60 per gallon and maybe $4.00 by the Summer? And that $100 per barrel is not the top, it might go higher even still? O