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2008 - A Lot of Unanswered Questions

By
Real Estate Agent with Long & Foster 0225078705

2008 was the year in real estate that most of would not want to see repeated, but before we move into 2009 I would love to ask a few questions.  I am still feeling very uneasy about living through the biggest unexplained events to transpire since the "Great depression", but personally feel there are too many questions that are still not answered to my satisfaction.  Even here on Active Rain, no one really talks about the events of 2008.  I guess they feel it is too negative and all they want to do is get back to work as usual.  Guess what, it isn't going to happen anytime soon.  In the meantime, have we demanded answers from our elected representatives?

I would really like some disclosure before I can have final closure of the year.  Why?  So we do not have to go back and repeat the same mistakes over and over again.  First of all I would like to here an explanation from Congress why this happened, and why they waited until just before elections to explain to the citizens of the United States.  It seemed very self serving for their own position in life. 

  • Why were there no major indictments of the major mortgage company CEOs?
  • Why were there no investigations indictments or censures of Senators taking lobbyist, favored loans and bribe monies and monies from those they over see?
  • Why was there no explanation of all the events from Congress until it was absolutely too late?
  • Why is there no transparency on our tax dollars used to bailout companies that should have failed?
  • Where is the accountability from government as to where, and how the bailout monies were and are being spent.
  • Why were Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac after still allowed to lobby after they were bailed out Congress?
  • Why aren't the senators and the Congress taking cuts in pays since they caused about 95% of this mess?
  • Why are special interest and lobbyists still allowed to buy influence at our expense?
  • Where are the calls for independent prosecutors now?
  • Why are there more questions than there are answers?
  • Why there was no Federal oversight into: Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, derivatives, Wall Street, hedge funds, the manipulation of the commodities and oil markets, banks that lent monies without questions, bans without real assets, and a credit bubble that is probably one of the biggest the world has ever seen?
  • Why were banks and mortgage lenders that knowingly had high risk and unsound lending practices bailed out with taxpayer monies?
  • Why were the foolhardy not allowed to fail?
  • Will the government bail out pensions?
  • Where is all the money going to come from?  How will these bailouts eventually impact every citizen in the United States?
Posted by

James Crawford Broker Associate

Long & Foster Fredericksburg Virginia

678-595-5286 Direct

 

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Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Emily Lowe - Nashville, TN Realtor (The Lipman Group / Sotheby's International Realty)  I agree...and if Americans really understood the events, they would be smart enough to understand the problem lies not with the office of the president, but in Congress.  That is their duty under the Constitution.  No oversight, no enforcement of law, taking bribes, favors from those they are supposed to supervising and no cry of fowl from the American people!

Dec 31, 2008 07:47 AM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Tony and Libby Kelly, CRS, ABR, ePro, SRES, CLHMS, CNHS (Keller Williams Realty Portland Premiere)  Contact your elected officals and demand answers! Demand investigations!

Dec 31, 2008 07:48 AM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Camille O'Donnell (Coldwell Banker Waterman Realty Company)  We are also stewards...and accountable as members of society!  It is our civic duty to demand justice, not just talk about the events that occurred and how they impact our lives...what about America?  This is worse than an invasion of a foreign country.  And no one in America is asking any questions. How sad!

Dec 31, 2008 07:53 AM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Colorado Springs Realty Patricia Beck (Prudential Professional Realtors, GRI)  And that is our problem!  That is why we have elected officials that can call for Congressional investigations.  That is where an independent special prosecutor can be called in to investigate and have wide sweeping powers.  Special prosecutors are not just meant to investigate sex with an intern in the White House!

Dec 31, 2008 07:56 AM
Steve Mun
Keller Williams Silicon Valley - Santa Clara, CA
Silicon Valley Realtor

Here, here Jim!  Thanks for asking these questions and helping me get them off my own chest, vicariously.  Quite cathartic for me.  

 

Steve Mun, Silicon Valley Realtor
www.stevemungroup.com

 

 

Dec 31, 2008 08:58 AM
Paul Francis
Francis Group Real Estate - Las Vegas, NV
Las Vegas Real Estate Agent - Summerlin Homes

Happy New Years Jim!

I think the true travesty of just how pathetic things have become is when somebody like Barney Frank can get re-elected after the mess that has been created.

Regardless... the questions will go unanswered until they are so loud that they can't be ignored. Spend some time on this site -->  Peter G. Peterson Foundation, watch the video and make sure you check out the Citizens Guide on what can be done.

Unfortunately --- it's a whole lot worse then 90% of the population even knows.... yet.

As discussed long ago on one of your previous blog posts...

"just because you have a million dollars in credit does not make you a millionaire."

The first half of the Bailout money was just to keep the doors open for the beneficiaries in case anybody is wondering where it went... the big sham now is to have Americans get into even more debt to keep an artificial economy going.

Dec 31, 2008 12:35 PM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Steve Mun, e-PRO, QSC® (Keller Williams Realty)  I think we all need to ent, and focus on how we can effect real reform.

Dec 31, 2008 12:42 PM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Las Vegas Real Estate - Paul Francis, CRS (Prudential Americana Group)   "Artificial economy" is a very good lable for this mess.  Credit does not equal net worth.  They can remove credit at anytime.  Many are just starting to learn that credit is more costly than it appears!

Dec 31, 2008 12:45 PM
Kay Van Kampen
RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO
Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate

Has anyone figured out where all the bailout money went....it certainly didn't help the consumer?  I think it's time to do a quick audit.  I understand that some banks can't account for it already.

Dec 31, 2008 12:50 PM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Kay Van Kampen, Broker, Springfield Missouri Real Estate (RE/MAX Solutions)  It was supposed to help out real estate..by making loans available.  Does anyone remember why it didn't?

Dec 31, 2008 02:51 PM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Hey Jim.  I'm behind, but I finally got to this fabulous post.  Your questions mirror what all of us who watch the debacle known as our "real estate market" daily. 

I fear that it will be some time before we see daylight and probably not until a lot of your questions have answers. 

Unfortunately, the fox is still guarding the henhouse. 

Dec 31, 2008 09:39 PM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

Do you see Barney Frank calling for an investigation into Fannie and Freddie?  Of course not, because he was defending them while they were sliding into oblivion... with his friend at the helm.  Of course Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid can't call for investigations, because there would be too many powerful Democrats sucked in... even if there were some GOP Congressmen caught up, it wouldn't help them.  They can only investigate GOP people... and ALL of the blame can't be laid with Bush for this.  They know that already. 

So, the bottom line is that they want to sweep it under the rug. 

The GOP should clean house and then go after this as a campaign issue in 2010.

Jan 01, 2009 01:14 AM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Lenn Harley Homefinders.com MD & VA Real Estate "Unfortunately, the fox is still guarding the henhouse. " So true!  We must be relentless calling for reforms and investigations! Happy New Year Lenn!

Jan 01, 2009 01:22 AM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Diamond Dwellings Realty)  I agree.  Even though I cannot stand Bush, I also realize most of the blames lies in Congress.  They need to move throguth this.  The republicans and Democrats for the good of the nation need to clean out the house.  The Republicans need to do it, and move forward again.

Jan 01, 2009 01:25 AM
Mike Klijanowicz
Cummings & Co. Realtors - Perry Hall, MD
Associate Broker @ Cummings & Co. Realtors

I definitely hear you on this one.  I have no idea why THEY ARE NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE EITHER!  Let's see what this new administration does.  I don't have a good feeling about where our deficit is headed. 

By the way, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

P.S.  Check the fourth bullet from the bottom, I think you need to take out an "E"...

Jan 01, 2009 01:56 AM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA
Jan 01, 2009 02:00 AM
The Somers Team
The Somers Team at KW Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA
Delivering Real Estate Happiness

Jim, great questions and will probably be awhile before we get the answers, some we may never get the answers.  The whole process is a great case study and what is crazy, some of these problems will probably happen again in the future.  Hopefully everyone can learn something from the mess.

Jan 01, 2009 02:55 AM
J Perrin Cornell
Coldwell Banker Cascade Real Estate - Wenatchee, WA
Broker, ABR, VAMRES

Jim I couldn't agree more! Perhaps time will answer some of the questions... but all in all it looks to become history with no real answers...just a lot of speculation... and if youo think we have troubles now wait until congress dictates the types of homes, loans and cars we drive... not that it will go that far...but you never know

Jan 01, 2009 03:11 AM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Christopher and Stephanie Somers - Realtors - Philadelphia Real Estate (RE/MAX Affiliates) It must never be allolwed to happen again.  Over 7 trillion dollars in wealth evoporated in 2008, and we saw a 38% + erosion of all wealth.  It exceeded 1931 in its destructive power.  This is not over yet...the real damage lies just ahead.  We need to get answers, indictments, change laws and prosecute the criminals!

Jan 01, 2009 09:18 AM
Jim Crawford
Long & Foster - Fredericksburg, VA
Jim Crawford Broker Associate Fredericksburg VA

Perrin Cornell, ABR (Windermere RE/NCW)  There will be a lot of first in 2009.

Jan 01, 2009 09:19 AM