consumer: The True Real Estate Professionals Stay in the Game
- 07/24/08 01:39 AM
One thing about bubbles - they do tend to draw less qualified people into the trendy "bubble" profession or "second career". How many of you know someone that had never bought or sold a single stock / equity - that is until the days of the online brokerages and the internet boom in the late 90's. Suddenly everyone was a day-trader. The market only went up, right? Well, there are still many folks that actively trade, but generally with quite a lot more caution and less frequency. For the most part, the "rookies" moved on and left the equity markets to those with a little more experience and savvy. … (4 comments)
consumer: The Psychology of $140 Barrel Oil
- 07/02/08 03:22 PM
It's well documented - with every passing day, oil prices seem to be setting a new record. With the triple combo of an ever weakening dollar, insatiable demand in emerging markets, and the "speculation factor" from hedge funds and the like, many project there is no end in site to the price escalation. While a recent conversation I had with an executive in a major domestic oil company revealed that the "industry insider" opinion is oil should be priced somewhere in the $70 a barrel range right now, I have a feeling that we are still far from seeing the top of this "super … (1 comments)
consumer: Less Leverage Equals More Stability
- 06/13/08 03:40 AM
Inundated by a constant barrage of bad news over the past 12-18 months, the average consumer has really taken it on the chin. With soaring gas prices, rising unemployment, and price declines in the average consumer's largest investment, their primary residence, it has certainly been a rough ride. The cherry on top for the consumer's pain is the significant reduction in availability of consumer debt - whether for a house, car, or credit card for everyday purchases. Just when the consumer needs the liquidity most is when it has become least available. However, as painful as navigating through this recessionary environment has been for most, it … (1 comments)
consumer: Different Perspective from the Press
- 05/20/08 01:06 PM
An interesting assessment of the market from the WSJ a few weeks ago (link below) - one that unlike the press at large is not quite as gloom and doom. Candidly, I think some in the media have realized that the average consumer is tired of the negative press around housing and in many cases they've tuned it out. A well thought out argument for why we could be at the bottom is at the very least, a good read. Affordability is a key element to stabilizing the current environment and restoring confidence. Consumers must feel that they are getting a good deal … (1 comments)
One thing about bubbles - they do tend to draw less qualified people into the trendy "bubble" profession or "second career". How many of you know someone that had never bought or sold a single stock / equity - that is until the days of the online brokerages and the internet boom in the late 90's. Suddenly everyone was a day-trader. The market only went up, right? Well, there are still many folks that actively trade, but generally with quite a lot more caution and less frequency. For the most part, the "rookies" moved on and left the equity markets to those with a little more experience and savvy.;)
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