Economy - I'm totally confused??

[ftwildernessguy]

I'm a pervert!

Congratulations.

 

[ntsammy5]

Since this is about the economy, a person I deal with at the bank, just bought a home in Bradenton - the house sold 3 years ago for 800, was listed at 650 and he got it for 225!!!!! Unbelieveable!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

It seems FW is populated with Geminis and perverts.

 

[2goofycampers]

Since this is about the economy, a person I deal with at the bank, just bought a home in Bradenton - the house sold 3 years ago for 800, was listed at 650 and he got it for 225!!!!! Unbelieveable!

Wow, maybe Frank and I can afford a home in Fl.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Since this is about the economy, a person I deal with at the bank, just bought a home in Bradenton - the house sold 3 years ago for 800, was listed at 650 and he got it for 225!!!!! Unbelieveable!

How come I can never stumble into these hot real estate deals when I am buying a house? As much as everybody is whining about the real estate market here in the valley, I can't see where any homes are going for any lower than before. My wife has been dragging me around to open houses on weekends because she is nosey, and I can't believe the crap we have seen for 200-300,000. They aren't selling, but nobody seems to be dropping the prices, either.

 

[auntie]

Since this is about the economy, a person I deal with at the bank, just bought a home in Bradenton - the house sold 3 years ago for 800, was listed at 650 and he got it for 225!!!!! Unbelieveable!

Hmm. ....I may be taking a little trip to Bradenton!

 

[des1954]

Since this is about the economy, a person I deal with at the bank, just bought a home in Bradenton - the house sold 3 years ago for 800, was listed at 650 and he got it for 225!!!!! Unbelieveable!

$225K is probably what it's really worth. The home we owned in B-ton was purchased in 1987 for $128K - 3000 sq ft, 1 acre, on a lake, development sat on the Manatee River. We sold in 2003 for $245K. If we had held out and sold it in 2004 - 2005, we could have easily gotten $500-600K. Now according to Zillow, it's worth $230K. It's all relative. The "McMansions" in our old neighborhood can't be given away right now.

Hmm. ....I may be taking a little trip to Bradenton!

Nah, don't do that - or at least not to buy anything. Just keep renting on A.M.I. when you come down for vacation, Phyllis. You don't need to pay the high taxes, put up with poor traffic conditions, keep it maintained, and all that crap. And just TRY to get homeowners insurance on the coast of Florida! You will pay thru the nose just for insurance! State Farm has pulled out of Florida - and the Governor told them not to let the door hit them in the rear on their way out!!! Florida property for a 2nd home is more trouble than it's worth, IMHO. They always said you can't go wrong with real estate in Florida. They were wrong.

 

[auntie]

Who's talkin' about a 2nd home
Sheesh the way things are going here, we'll be in the market for a primary home. Of course I couldn't leave my parents..since they depend on my sister and I to care for them. My brothers would have them in a nursing home so fast your head would spin. My sister's Title business...well that went under last year. Heck..I'm lookin' to pack up the whole damn family and get out of Dodge. I have been doing a bit of searching in some areas north of Tampa. Although we have relatives in the the Melbourne, and Jacksonville area's. Just trying to get an idea of price and taxes..that sort of thing. I have been hearing about difficulty getting insurance, sounds awful.
Mostly, I'm just looking...trying to get an idea of what we might do if things get worse here. Even if things pick up...I don't see Bob and I being able to retire here. I don't see my kids being able to buy homes here..it's too expensive. My kids won't think of moving north..(I like the Glens Falls area of upstate NY)....so the idea has crossed our minds to see what opportunities might present themselves by going south. Of course there is that small issue of EMPLOYMENT...
I can dream can't I?...

 

[tinkerbell34]

The prices in Bradenton are about right. My particular home I built and paid $116k for it. When the prices went up my home was work 260K at the peak. Now it is worth about 120k...and it is only five years old. Sucks for all the people that are upside down but it is great if you want to buy a home around here. There are tons of brand new homes in various stages of construction that they can't get rid of.

 

[auntie]

Thought I'd paste this here..was on the opening screen of today's AOL about Disney layoffs and cut backs.
________________________________________________________________

Disney Parks isn't telling just how many positions it plans to eliminate, but suffice to say that it'll take more than pixie dust to get the parks airborne again. The company recently offered buyouts to 600 park executives at the tip of a barrel loaded with pink slips, and last week it consolidated operations of its resorts (which previously had a wide degree of autonomy) into one organization. Now comes word that the cutbacks will kneecap the rank and file, too.

The Disney parks have been stealthily slashing at the essentials for a year now, to little notice. Last June, it quietly began outsourcing Audio-Animatronic robotic figures, a technology for creating lifelike human robots that the company famously invented and has operating on many of its most beloved attractions. Now, China helps make the figures. In September, the start of their fiscal year, the Disney parks yanked attractions, closed areas, and gutted the schedule of spectaculars.

Longtime fans are already grousing about other cuts. Longer waits for resort shuttles and to reach phone operators. (Adding to the insult, Disney doesn't offer toll-free long-distance numbers to the general public, so would-be guests are paying for the wait.)

Inside the parks, some attractions (including the Monsters, Inc. comedy club at the Magic Kingdom and the historical exhibition about Walt Disney himself at Hollywood Studios) are now trimming their opening hours so that the company won't have to pay two shifts' worth of actors to work them. Although the resorts can truthfully claim they're operational, in fact, their availability has been curtailed. Even some high-priced (and staff-intensive) "character meals," during which kids meet with a fleet of costumed characters, have been shelved, with some resort restaurants no longer offering them at all.

It's not as if the parks are empty. The lines seem as long as they ever were. Disney is throwing deal after deal at the public, including the right to visit for free on your birthday in 2009, and Universal Orlando gave away 100,000 one-week passes during the Super Bowl. But nothing can bring back the free-spending days of the past. Once guests get through the gates, they simply aren't spending as much as they used to spend, and the company is feeling the pullback.

For years, Disney's bottom line has depended on the principle that once customers are in the thrall of that "magic," they won't be able to resist upgrading their hotel rooms, buying plenty of souvenirs, and staying for longer than they might need to. Now that Americans are budgeting more carefully, the impulse buys are choked off, and that's thrown a wrench into Disney's economic model. In no small way, the penalties of charging $75 for a day ticket are coming home to roost. Guests refuse to spend much more than that now.

Orlando itself is hunkering down for a cold economic winter. Forbes magazine says that Orlando is the seventh-emptiest city in America, with 7.3% of homes sitting vacant, and 12.3% of rentals empty. Hotel rooms are faring even worse: Last month, four in ten, on average, were vacant.

When the theme parks are slashing jobs (Universal Orlando is also canning shows to combat payroll costs), don't expect those figures to improve: Some 200,000 jobs in Central Florida depend on tourism, and 62,000 of those positions are with Disney.


In Anaheim, where the other American Disney park is, the city is so desperate it has ruled in its own favor toward forcing the major online hotel room bookers to pay more than $21 million in taxes that no one's really sure they actually owe.

It's gotten so bad for Disney that Republicans have taken to using its name as a shorthand for all that is wasteful and useless. In last night's Republican response to Pres. Obama's address, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal once again mocked Disneyland by citing the stimulus bill's promise of development of a high-speed rail line that could go there. I'm sure the 3.1 million residents of Orange County don't appreciate the sarcasm. Disney's world may be getting smaller after all, but we could all use more affordable public transportation.

 

[miztigg]

i just got back from orlando 2 weeks ago i usually travel on off times not a big fan of crowds however we did AK on mon and MK on thurs and they were the busiest i have seen them the past few times i have been down. i only went 2 days because the tickets prices were so high my DH & DS and some other family members got universal tix for the whole week for 99 bucks my twins are only 5 so i took them to the disney parks the rest of the week a few days we stayed at the house we rented and i have plaitinum passes so we did sea world and aquatica to save some $.
as for the houses go in my area my best friend just moved to st croix her house in southampton nj is worth about 800 she was lucky to sell it for 500. i hope something happens soon i feel bad for the people who work so hard and are losing thier homes i am fortunate i work at a busy center city hospital and the only cut backs we have seen so far is not alot of overtime is offered

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Punctuation is our friend.

 

[2goofycampers]

Thought I'd paste this here..was on the opening screen of today's AOL about Disney layoffs and cut backs.
________________________________________________________________

Disney Parks isn't telling just how many positions it plans to eliminate, but suffice to say that it'll take more than pixie dust to get the parks airborne again. The company recently offered buyouts to 600 park executives at the tip of a barrel loaded with pink slips, and last week it consolidated operations of its resorts (which previously had a wide degree of autonomy) into one organization. Now comes word that the cutbacks will kneecap the rank and file, too.

The Disney parks have been stealthily slashing at the essentials for a year now, to little notice. Last June, it quietly began outsourcing Audio-Animatronic robotic figures, a technology for creating lifelike human robots that the company famously invented and has operating on many of its most beloved attractions. Now, China helps make the figures. In September, the start of their fiscal year, the Disney parks yanked attractions, closed areas, and gutted the schedule of spectaculars.

Longtime fans are already grousing about other cuts. Longer waits for resort shuttles and to reach phone operators. (Adding to the insult, Disney doesn't offer toll-free long-distance numbers to the general public, so would-be guests are paying for the wait.)

Inside the parks, some attractions (including the Monsters, Inc. comedy club at the Magic Kingdom and the historical exhibition about Walt Disney himself at Hollywood Studios) are now trimming their opening hours so that the company won't have to pay two shifts' worth of actors to work them. Although the resorts can truthfully claim they're operational, in fact, their availability has been curtailed. Even some high-priced (and staff-intensive) "character meals," during which kids meet with a fleet of costumed characters, have been shelved, with some resort restaurants no longer offering them at all.

It's not as if the parks are empty. The lines seem as long as they ever were. Disney is throwing deal after deal at the public, including the right to visit for free on your birthday in 2009, and Universal Orlando gave away 100,000 one-week passes during the Super Bowl. But nothing can bring back the free-spending days of the past. Once guests get through the gates, they simply aren't spending as much as they used to spend, and the company is feeling the pullback.

For years, Disney's bottom line has depended on the principle that once customers are in the thrall of that "magic," they won't be able to resist upgrading their hotel rooms, buying plenty of souvenirs, and staying for longer than they might need to. Now that Americans are budgeting more carefully, the impulse buys are choked off, and that's thrown a wrench into Disney's economic model. In no small way, the penalties of charging $75 for a day ticket are coming home to roost. Guests refuse to spend much more than that now.

Orlando itself is hunkering down for a cold economic winter. Forbes magazine says that Orlando is the seventh-emptiest city in America, with 7.3% of homes sitting vacant, and 12.3% of rentals empty. Hotel rooms are faring even worse: Last month, four in ten, on average, were vacant.

When the theme parks are slashing jobs (Universal Orlando is also canning shows to combat payroll costs), don't expect those figures to improve: Some 200,000 jobs in Central Florida depend on tourism, and 62,000 of those positions are with Disney.


In Anaheim, where the other American Disney park is, the city is so desperate it has ruled in its own favor toward forcing the major online hotel room bookers to pay more than $21 million in taxes that no one's really sure they actually owe.

It's gotten so bad for Disney that Republicans have taken to using its name as a shorthand for all that is wasteful and useless. In last night's Republican response to Pres. Obama's address, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal once again mocked Disneyland by citing the stimulus bill's promise of development of a high-speed rail line that could go there. I'm sure the 3.1 million residents of Orange County don't appreciate the sarcasm. Disney's world may be getting smaller after all, but we could all use more affordable public transportation.

Can I get the Reader's Digest condensed version, please ?

Sounds like Disney is feeling the crunch but dealing with it in all the wrong ways.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

They are cutting their own throats. Instead of concentrating on giving people more value for their money and attracting visitors, not to mention appealing to repeat customers, they are charging more, cutting back on quality (food and entertainment), and decreasing staff who provide customer service. If you've ever taken one of Disney's travelling business courses, you would realize they are violating their own rules.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

"For years, Disney's bottom line has depended on the principle that once customers are in the thrall of that "magic," they won't be able to resist upgrading their hotel rooms, buying plenty of souvenirs, and staying for longer than they might need to. Now that Americans are budgeting more carefully, the impulse buys are choked off, and that's thrown a wrench into Disney's economic model. In no small way, the penalties of charging $75 for a day ticket are coming home to roost. Guests refuse to spend much more than that now."
-------------------------------------------------------

I agree with Jim.
And I do firmly believe it will come back and bite them in that BIG OL BUTT !
They have pushed the prices to the absolute limit, and as long as Disney got away with it, so did the other theme parks. BUT, at least the other theme parks give deals on their tics.

I love Disney, always will,,but this past year Disney out priced my family from going back any more.(and that was BEFORE this economy went down the tubes)

I mean, lets face it, a few others may think that Disney and or the Fort is worth it, NO MATTER WHAT the price,,looks like Disney will have to count on those folk to keep them alive,,cause unless Disney starts coming down on the prices OR at least start GIVING THE MONEYS WORTH,,I can't afford them anymore.

 

[stacktester]

"For years, Disney's bottom line has depended on the principle that once customers are in the thrall of that "magic," they won't be able to resist upgrading their hotel rooms, buying plenty of souvenirs, and staying for longer than they might need to. Now that Americans are budgeting more carefully, the impulse buys are choked off, and that's thrown a wrench into Disney's economic model. In no small way, the penalties of charging $75 for a day ticket are coming home to roost. Guests refuse to spend much more than that now."
-------------------------------------------------------

I agree with Jim.
And I do firmly believe it will come back and bite them in that BIG OL BUTT !
They have pushed the prices to the absolute limit, and as long as Disney got away with it, so did the other theme parks. BUT, at least the other theme parks give deals on their tics.

I love Disney, always will,,but this past year Disney out priced my family from going back any more.(and that was BEFORE this economy went down the tubes)

I mean, lets face it, a few others may think that Disney and or the Fort is worth it, NO MATTER WHAT the price,,looks like Disney will have to count on those folk to keep them alive,,cause unless Disney starts coming down on the prices OR at least start GIVING THE MONEYS WORTH,,I can't afford them anymore.

How would you like to be an investor in that 4 Seasons catastrophe next to the fort lol. Can you imagine?

 

[tinkerbell34]

I was talking to a friend today who has two friends in my city selling homes. One had bought their home for 210K and just sold it for 65K. The other is still trying to sell their 3 bedroom 2 bath home w/ pool. They started at 120K and are decreasing the price by 10K every month until they can sell it. If I didn't have to try to sell my own home, now would be a great time to pick one up for a bargain basement price.

 

[djblu883]

I feel blessed that I was lucky to choose the work I did so many years ago. Last week I read it was one of ten of the highest jobs( employments ops) on the market right now...and although people are not wanting to pay the cost of a traveler anymore and I took a HUGE cut to get off the road..Looks like I'll have a job and keep my home...unless Obama changes the way health care workers are paid.I have family who have taken big hits and I've lost alot myself in the stock market...trip money is pretty much non existant for me to treat family to go with me this year but I'm still saving for Jan.2010 for 8 days ...one problem...no one to work for me when I get a vacation...I'm the only PT here...no one to sub in for me....when I think of that...I just tell myself..count your blessing you silly child you do have a job and warm home!!! and a almost a year to find that sub!!!

 

[des1954]

Disney, U.S./IOA, Sea World, Busch Gardens....they're all jumping on the same "cut back" ship. I suspect the "suits" that run these places think the average 1 day park tourist won't be aware of what they are missing - or they would think it was a maintenance issue. Yet, they are still charged full price for their day's admission.

To me, that equates to going to an AYCE buffet 30 minutes before closing - being charged the full price for the buffet, only to find they are starting to pack some of the selections up for the night. Didn't they just charge the customer the full price for half the selections earlier diners received?

Yep! It'll come back to bite them big time. There are better ways for them to tighten their belts, but the exec's won't enact change that effects THEIR pockets. Greed and avarice prevails.

 

[ntsammy5]

OK - in our November trip we noticed a little less magic, but the beer was still good and cold and we stayed offsite.

This time we're going in May and staying at POFQ (thanks Rhonda!!!!) and for the first time ever we will not have a car so it will be totally WDW transportation. I'll let you know what we find. I know that we would not be going if it weren't for the special military deal so I'm thankful for that.

We're really looking forward to it -