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gzzParticipant
Flyer,
The government is borrowing a lot more after Trump’s tax cut. But that tax cut mostly went to the very rich and corporations. Both those groups for the most part just saved and invested their tax cuts, ultimately back into the US bond market. The increase in demand for loanable funds matched the increased supply, so no impact on rates.
In other words, the US government has the same spending as before, the rich and corps have the same investment and consumption as before, and rates are the same.
All that really changed is we handed rich people a bunch of bonds to get their money rather than force them through taxation.
It would have been pretty different in, say, the 70s when high rates discouraged corporate borrowing and a corporate tax cut would have led to more real investment. Likewise, a middle class tax cut in 2017 would have spurred consumption and caused rates, economic growth, and inflation to all increase.
gzzParticipantSure, we could get a RE downturn in a big recession. However RE doesn’t always go down in recessions. And it didn’t do that well in the giant 90s economic boom.
Then there is a certain upside risk us data-driven investors are not very good at dealing with: the risk there will be another bubble that sends prices up 30-40% over 2-3 years. I am not counting on that, but the absurd cryptocurrency bubble of mid-2017-early-2018 is a reminder such things can happen out of nowhere.
We are in some ways even more primed for such a bubble now than when it actually happened: economy is stronger now than in 2004, population is higher, rates are lower, and new construction is also lower and even more burdened by regulatory hurdles and tight labor markets.
The main thing we don’t have are liar loans funded by private MBS. But bubbles can happen without absurd lending.
gzzParticipantSpdrun, we are today 0.8% below the peak rates of four months ago.
For a common $650,000 mortgage, that’s a $300 a month difference in payments.
Conversely, if your max monthly payment before tax/ins is $3000/mo, your buying power went from $590k to $645k
Aside from buyers, current owners can refi at better rates, decreasing their desire to sell and making investor owned properties more profitable.
Finally, lower rates make alternative investments in bonds less attractive.
The old saying about yield curve inversion: it predicted 10 of the past 3 downturns.
March 2, 2019 at 7:11 PM in reply to: Black friday: Review of Google Wifi routers and Samsung frontload washer/dryer #811939gzzParticipantMy space requires stacking units. My old all merchanical one I purchased used wasn’t very good, and I like the Samsung ones better so far. When it broke the repairman said he couldn’t fix it. It plays music when a cycle is done rather than an awful buzzer that was so loud I disabled it.
I have several Samsung 21 inch 1600×1200 monitors from 2005 still working great after 13 years of being on 40 hours a week. I got them all on ebay used in 2010 from a Florida court that was selling them. I like the 4×3 ratio better than wide screen, but it 4×3 monitors haven’t been manufactured for many years.
I also have a bunch of HP 2465 1920×1200 monitors, maybe 9 total. They are 16×10 which is at least better than 16×9 that is more common. They have manufactured dates between 2006 and 2008 and also have never once failed. One HP 2475, which is supposed to be slightly better, did fail. Finally I have one 2560×1600 Dell 3007wfp from 2007. It was about $1500 new, and $700 when I purchased it used in 2009. The panel is either LG or Samsung.
gzzParticipantI am sure you can watch a Jewish and Muslim service on youtube.
If you are a Christian interested in attending a Jewish service, there is a “Jews for Jesus” congregation I think in Claremont. They mostly keep the Jewish traditions but add in some Trinity and Gospels.
gzzParticipantRich’s figures here are more accurate because they are broken down by house/condo and PPSF.
Case schiller also adjusts for PPSF but are 2-3 months delayed compared to Rich.
Zillow is still moderately good for particular properties but their zip code and regional data is pure junk.
gzzParticipantMy office has some pretty mourning doves that are always outside my window. Close relations of pigeons but much nicer.
gzzParticipantMy back, neck and shoulders get oily and need a soapy scrub every other day at minimum.
Getting all the excess oil off with a washcloth sound like more of a hassle than a shower.
Last weekend I was in well-clorinated resort hot tub for 2 hours and my skin was great afterward.
gzzParticipantI support repealing prop 13 so it excludes commercial property, or anything above $5 million.
gzzParticipantWhat would it do to property values if California has 70s/80s level smog again?
Sometimes I see 20-year-old Arizona cars here belching out bad smelling fumes and am glad we don’t allow that.
gzzParticipantThe desalination plant was expensive to build, not to operate. It has a long term contract.
I also miss the drought.
Between the rain and China trade war, almonds are now $4.50/lb at Costco. They were $7 or 8 a few years ago. Walnuts are also now very cheap. Hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and cashews have gone way up. Pecans are flat.
I notice because I spend about $600 a year on nuts since about 2010.
gzzParticipantThe sign-up bonus of $70 is weak. Chase has multiple cards more than $500 in bonuses. The best was one with $1100 of Southwest flights. And I actually used them all pretty quickly.
The 5% is pretty good but other cards are 2% everywhere.
The extra 3% is worth $150 a year if you spend $5000 a year on Amazon.
gzzParticipantIf they are damaging your property and not fixing it, sounds like they are being the aggressive ones.
gzzParticipantLarge fridges use barely more electricity than small ones.
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