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We Need to List The White House & All Federal Buildings as Short Sales

By
Real Estate Agent with Long and Foster Real Estate VA License # 0225089470

We Need to List The White House & All Federal Buildings as Short Sales

As we face sequestration, I can tell you that the folks in the suburbs of Washington, DC are paying close attention to what is happening.  We are hearing tales of federal employees that are expecting twenty percent pay cuts if Congress can't get a budget together.  While we are currently experiencing an abundance of buyers and very little homes to sell, that scale might tip the other way if those salary cuts hit.  We'll definitely see it switch up if we see mass lay offs.

If Congress and the President were regular old U.S. Citizens and carried on spending the way they do, they would soon find themselves having to hire a Short Sale Agent like me to list their home.  Why?  You can't continue to spend more than you make.  You either need to cut spending or make more money.  And in our government's case, doing both is merely a start at solving the problem.  It's like taking a crayon and making your first mark at coloring in a football field...or probably something larger....like the state of Texas.

I'm happy to list the Pentagon as a Short Sale since it's in Virginia.  But who do you think would buy any of this stuff?  China already owns the vast majority of our debt.  Them buying the properties would be more like a Foreclosure.  And what would the ads look like?

Oversized, functionally obsolete government building is a great investment opportunity.  Damage from commercial jet strike repaired.  Rezone as residential and make it assisted living for baby boomers.  The government won't need it anymore.  They can't afford to pay anyone to work in it.

I think living in the shadow of the Federal Government has made me a bit bitter and skeptical.  They are great at talking, bad at everything else.  


Comments (31)

Elizabeth Weintraub Sacramento Broker
Elizabeth Anne Weintraub, Broker - Sacramento, CA
Put 40 years of experience to work for you

Haven't you heard, Chris Ann? Throwing everybody out and starting over isn't necessarily a guarantee. Hey, meet the new boss. Just like the old boss. But I'd like to see you sell the Pentagon to the Chinese. But first we should let them hack it. Oh, wait, they've already done that.

 

Feb 25, 2013 05:00 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Elizabeth:  That's like selling a Bank of America Short Sale to Bank of America.  Maybe we can sell it to Saudi Arabia.

Feb 25, 2013 06:01 AM
Jim Patton
Aspire Home Real Estate 209-404-0816 - Modesto, CA
Realtor - Stanislaus ,Merced, San Joaquin Counties

Chris Ann- Unfortunately our "leaders" are so out of touch with reality it's sad.  Time to start listing all the distressed property our government (actually us taxpayers) owns. 

Feb 25, 2013 07:55 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Jim:  We should treat them like tenants and get their offices and homes (The White House) listed first.

Feb 25, 2013 09:22 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Chris Ann- loved this and agree with you.  I don't want our buildings and debts being sold to China.  Better yet, why not turn them into low income housing and/or housing for the homeless. 

Feb 25, 2013 12:09 PM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Kathy:  Why not?  That sounds like Washington, DC logic.  We're in debt.  Let's dump this building and get nothing for it.  And they can write the vouchers for the housing which will increase the debt.  

Feb 26, 2013 03:17 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Mar 02, 2013 12:29 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Hi Chris Ann,

How did I miss this post? I just saw it featured in Kathy's "ah-ha" moments and I love it! Go for it gal..list it all or I'm with Kathy make a great low income housing project or better yest for the homeless! If we ran our personal fiances like the government does we'd be out in the street!!

Mar 02, 2013 09:56 PM
Charita Cadenhead
eXp Realty - Birmingham, AL
Serving Jefferson and Shelby Counties (Alabama)
This is just too funny.
Mar 02, 2013 10:02 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Hi Chris Ann,

I'm with you! Enough is enough! It's time to raise our voices and take back America, American style. I don't want to have to learn how to speak Chinese! I don't even like Chinese food! Nor do I appreciate all the Chinese junk I've purchased over the years that didn't last. I'm sick of giving my money to people who are not American.

Putting up the White House and all the Federal Buildings on the market for Short Sale and taking out the trash is the only way our country is going to get any better. And the only person who I'd trust to list those buildings is YOU!

Mar 02, 2013 10:13 PM
Melissa Zavala
Broadpoint Properties - Escondido, CA
Broker, Escondido Real Estate, San Diego County

If you list the pentagon as a short sale, I wonder who you would be dealing with. Wouldn't it be ironic if they qualified for some sort of Government incentive (hee, hee)?

Mar 02, 2013 10:41 PM
Kristin Johnston - REALTOR®
RE/MAX Platinum - Waukesha, WI
Giving Back With Each Home Sold!

I saw your post on Kathys wrap up and I can understand why she included in it...thanks for sharing!

Mar 02, 2013 10:55 PM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

I think everyone feels this way toward Washington. One good thing, the pentagon has unusual windows giving vista views of the ??, interior has park great for the kids, elevator building, lots of parking!!  Probably needs paint & TLC with newer decorating touches (brass everywhere, yikes).

Mar 02, 2013 11:46 PM
Eileen Burns 954.483.3912
Trans State Commercial Realty Inc. - Fort Lauderdale, FL
FLorida Real Estate Connector

Thanks Chris Ann for your giggles on this national tradegy. Initiate term limits, abolish lobbyists and let Congress have the same health care program that is now in place and see how fast we can achieve a turn around.

  Kathy thanks for sharing and introducing us to Chris Ann

Mar 02, 2013 11:48 PM
Kevin J. May
Florida Supreme Realty - Hobe Sound, FL
Serving the Treasure & Paradise Coasts of Florida

Chris Ann, you've been misled.  They're not even that good at the talking aspect any more.  All I can ever hear them say is "Blah, blah.......Blah, blah, blah, 'BLAH', ...blah,blah!"

Mar 03, 2013 01:19 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Kathy:  I knew from all the comments this morning that someone must've featured me in a post.  Thanks a bunch!

Dorie:  When you think about how well our representatives are paid, with their salaries, retirement and lobby money, well, they have no incentive to stop insane government spending.  They are part of the problem.  The money has to come from somewhere.  We can't keep printing the stuff.

Charita:  I heard someone hypothesizing that our system of government has about ten years left at best before it implodes.  That it could last that much longer would be a shock to me.

 

Mar 03, 2013 01:50 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Patricia:  Not to get off on a total rant about the state of things, but taking back the government is what made me flip on gun control.  I was a staunch gun control advocate for years.  Then, the more I thought about the state we are in, and that there will have to be a revolution to change it, well, the government has tanks and lots of fire power.  Not sure how we would fare with six round revolvers.  Mustkets gave the our founding fathers a fair fight against the tyrannical government we were leaving.  I'm not a fan of violence, but the government will need to be overthrown at some point.

Melissa:  I'm sure they'd write a law to pertain to them right before hand.  Sounds about right, doesn't it?

Kristin:  Glad you stopped by and enjoyed it.

 

Mar 03, 2013 01:57 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Lyn:  Views of highways and office buildings.  Maybe a few of the Potomac River.

Eileen:  Our representatives would have to vote for the term limits and abolishing lobbying.  Will never happen, even though it's exactly what needs to happen.  We can institute term limits at the voting booth.  Never vote for an incumbent.  I don't care what party they are with.  Always throw a newbie up there.

Kevin:  Their non-stop rhetoric is the fuel of 24 hour news networks.  I am also tired of hearing it.  

Mar 03, 2013 02:01 AM
Beth Atalay
Cam Realty and Property Management - Clermont, FL
Cam Realty of Clermont FL

Chris Ann, How did I miss this post? I saw it on Kathy's post. Agree with you 100%. I agree with the comment you wrote to as well " the government will need to be overthrown at some point"

Mar 03, 2013 10:05 AM
Chris Ann Cleland
Long and Foster Real Estate - Gainesville, VA
Associate Broker, Bristow, VA

Beth:  I don't see any way in which it won't.  It took a little over 200 years for us to get to this point.   Seems a good run for a government.  

Mar 04, 2013 04:36 AM