2010 weakest year for home sales since 1997

"democratic socialist economy that reduces excessive profit taking and insures everyone has what they need to live. Food, shelter, clothing and basic health care."

What I eat, where I live, what I wear is none of the government's business. I want government to leave me alone. I can provide for my family without their "help." Please cut taxes and services and leave me alone.

"Lets see you get by without driving on public roads"

I have no problem with roads. I don't need government to reduce my profit or jack with my food, shelter, clothing or health care. My health care was better before they spent 850 billion.

Please cut taxes and services and leave me alone.

You mean cut things YOU think you don't use.

Let me ask, how do you take care of your family?

Do you provide them with safe food, water, shelter, medicines? Who do you think ensures that these things are safe?

How do you get to work so that you can provide for your family? Do you drive a safe car on paved roads and bridges, then take a elevator that was inspected to your office building that was built to stringent safety codes? Who made that possible?

When you get home at night, and you sigh with relief at the peace and quiet because no one was allowed to build an asbestos processing plant, pig farm, or tanning factory next to your house. Who do you think made that possible?

Home ownership isn't a right, it's a privilege and a responsibility. There are plenty of housing options that do not include ownership. Also, giving everyone land and forcing them to raise their own food is ridiculous. I have no intention of raising chickens or bartering my food at farmer's markets. People who WANT to do this are more than welcome, however.

There are plenty of social and charity programs that provide clothing, so the government does not need to get any more involved.

85% of Americans already have health insurance. Not saying we don't need to reform health care COSTS, but insurance isn't the way to do that.

The second the government tries to tell me I have to live like everyone else, in x house, raising y chickens, on z amount of land and wearing this, and riding on that, and buying this other thing, that is the day I exercise my 2nd amendment rights and start overthrowing the oppressive government. You can have your socialism, I'll take my freedom!

"The second the government tries to tell me I have to live like everyone else, in x house, raising y chickens, on z amount of land and wearing this, and riding on that, and buying this other thing, that is the day I exercise my 2nd amendment rights and start overthrowing the oppressive government. You can have your socialism, I'll take my freedom!"

There it is brothers!! Apples, many on this site are socialists. They want government to take care of their every need.

With a FREE United States... that is one with Free Markets and a limited Government that does what the Free Market cannot (National Defense)... all those Socialists are free pool their money and buy a large piece of land, where they are FREE to live like socialists. Let them divide the land up, raise chickens and barter and pool all their resources for the benefit of community.

A Free Society lets them do that, as long as it's all volentary and they don't infringe upon the rights of others.

But that's not good enough for Socialists. They want EVERYONE to live like that and they won't quit until they get their way. I think its because a majority of them have "non producing" jobs. Not that they don't contribute, but they don't produce a tangible goods, like food, clothing, etc. They're teachers and lawyers and community organizers.

They need the producers to be included in their socialist dream because someone has got to do the 'grunt' work while the thinkers think.

Under a Socialist society would I be free to operate a free market business? Would I be free to work whatever job I want and eat whatever foods I want? Would I be free to spend my pay the way I want?

I'll take the Free Society every time. It's just so much better for everybody.

(Oh... I belive this is the most hostile post I've ever written. Sorry... just got carried away with all this socilist talk)

(Oh number 2... The United States has very little "Free Market" left. Most of it has been divided up between the Government and favored Corporations)

These are truly greedbeasts

yes, and that seems to be at the root of so may of our problems. People , Bubba, cannot afford to take care of themselves anymore. Very few. God forbid one of your children gets a cancer that needs intensive treatment. Most insurances have a cap. Then what? Or how is that sick kid going to get back and forth to the treatments if both parents are working? Or if there are other kids at school? One thing can dump a family right down the drain. Sadly I know just such a family. The criticized everyone for taking the grandma to the doctor "All the time" ( she has had a heart attack, has copd, has nearly bled to death, and a number of other things they attributed to bad liing in her youth 80 years ago) well, then this year her father, (the wife) came down with a stoke and dementia and they HAD to deal with that) The husband, the lower bread winner had to quit his job to help out, then their son who was about to graduate with a very prestigious degree from the IVY league, was discovered to have a difficult brain tumor. He has 50 % chance at survival after over a year of treatments . They had just finished telling all of us that we were overly medicalized and that they went to the doctor once a year for a check up and didn't understand why the rest of us expected help with grandma, and basically accused us of doing it on purpose for who the hell knows what reason?

We have a whole generation , a huge one , ready to retire who have paid off homes that are not selling and are basically worthless. They have chldren who can't get jobs with good healthcare insurance and are worried sick. Most don't care about themselves even anymore, We need the government to come in and save the homes, health insure everyone, and end all the god damn wars.

Those who can should be trying to feed themselves , house themselves, teach themselves, etc etc,but those that can't shouldn't have to live in fear of one illness destroying everything. Medical bills are the #1 cause of bankruptcy. No one bankrupt is going to be paying a mortgage. It is just downhill from there to living under a bridge. It can and does happen to once middle class people every day.

" Bubba, cannot afford to take care of themselves anymore. Very few. God forbid one of your children gets a cancer that needs intensive treatment."

Never underestimate Bubba. He does fine in spite of government. My trailer is paid for without government help and it is not worthless to me. The only expense on it is the county taxes that go for Health care for illegals and education for illegals. Perhaps if I didn't have to pay for illegals there would be enough for me to buy health insurance the government is forcing on me.

what would happen if god forbid someone in your family god a bad disease?

what would happen if god forbid someone in your family god a bad disease?

Bubba would say, "Hey, tough break. I can't afford to pay for the treatment so go on off into the woods and die respectfully."

He's a true libertarian - no messing around here.....

(Nah, I'm just kidding. He'd ship em off to the ER and we'd all get to pay for it)

"what would happen if god forbid someone in your family god a bad disease?"

What would anyone do? The same thing we did when my dad died of cancer. Treat it and deal with it. We don't need government. I had good insurance before government jacked with it.

what , no offense it it wasn't someone old and it wasn't terminal. Something that needed treatment for years. How much insurance do you have? I know ours isn't that good , it is blue cross and blue shield that we pay for ourselves to the tune of about $49,000 including major medical . This is for both our kids and us . We can't change because the preexisting conditions clause hasn't kicked in until 2014 and since it was private our kids got kicked off at 19, yes the ones under 26 can now come back on, but at the same exact price we are already paying for them. There are millions without insurance, and do you think it is a coincidence that the number one reason for bankruptcy is medical bills?

What if god forbid your kid got a brain tumor that would take years and years of care, What would you do then, Our insurance also went up this year. It is a joke. It was already ridiculous. We need a universal health care insurance system. People are dying every year because they can't afford to see a doctor=what do you say to them tough @!$%#, let your kid die a slow gross death because I have insurance and you can't afford ir? nice.

"What if god forbid your kid got a brain tumor that would take years and years of care"

My children have good jobs and good insurance benefits. They don't need government for their insurance.

I guess they wouldn't have that job if they had a brain tumor, My sister and brother in law had good jobs and good insurance too. He had to quit his job to go help their son. (He can't do anything for himself now with the tumor) and she had to take a leave from her job as an engineer. They had to get an apartment near the hospital and some of the treatment is considered in the US (not Europe) experimental , despite its great track record in the rest of the world) and it isnt covered so they have to pay for it--this is what happens when you have insurance companies running the show. They make money by NOT paying. I think you are living in a bubble bubba. What is the cap on your insurance? Millions can be rung up quickly. Our company had a heart case where treatment was 3 mos at a cool million. the guy sadly died anyway, now we will not be able to reup our companies insurance.

"Our company had a heart case where treatment was 3 mos at a cool million"

And you expect government to pick up that tab? How can they? The current debt is 14 trillion. That's $45,000 for every American. How do we pay? It's not possible. I'm afraid we're maxed out because of poor economic management over the past 50 yrs. I don't think I'll see the SS I've been paying in for the last 45yrs. How in the world can government pay everyone's health care?

it wouldn't cost that much if it were universal health care as in Europe. The system we have now, we as Americans PAY MORE, GET LESS because the insurance cos are in the middle . Geesh. Haven't you followed any of the suggested plans? IT would cost less, and everyone , EVERYONE, would get more.

Read any plan
two effective plans are the German Plan and the French Plan. Very different . THe German plan is one of the oldest plan. The French is very different but removes the BS that we have here.

"The system we have now, we as Americans PAY MORE, GET LESS because the insurance cos are in the middle ."

That is true and Obama was going to change all that. I think the democrats and Pelosi have made it worse after spending all that money. Now we gotta repeal it and start over.

That is true and Obama was going to change all that. I think the democrats and Pelosi have made it worse after spending all that money. Now we gotta repeal it and start over.

I agree with you to an extent Bubba. It is worse now for all private pay insurance customers. But we don't have to repeal, it won't be repealed, we just have to finish the job and get it done all the way. We need universal health care, like they have in Europe and Canada. It will help small business (we have one as I indicated before and are being bankrupted by it and can't compete with European and Canadian cos that don't have to worry about it, Yes they pay higher taxes, but they get something for it. No surprises and no cut offs, and spread out throughout the nation its cheaper (just economics proves this , buy in gross, it costs less, and the power of unions proved it as well) so you are right Obama didn't get it done. I didn't vote for him in the primary, as the only thing I really wanted was health care insurance and so I voted for the hard-ass hillary, who I think would have gotten it done by any means necessary. Those people @!$%#ed with her once, and with her that was enough. She was loaded for bear on health care and by god, I think she would have gotten it. Obama isn't too black, he is too green about the workings of our crooked system. He thought that it would be reasonable. Yeah right. So I voted for him in the end because , yes he was better than McCain /Palin. but I wasn't expecting much.

What the heck are you talking about? Take credit for what?

Sounds like novagirl22 likes whining just for the sake of whining.

Exactly what decisions are those?

since this is all coming from DECISIONS THAT BUSH AND THE REPUBLICANS MADE WHILE HE WAS IN OFFICE!

What's the reason they were so low in '97? Was that because of Bush and his merry band of Republicans too?

Housing will never come back till banks loan money to qualified buyers. Qualified buyers are a small market.p>

Right now the banks can get higher yields in the stock market then the housing loan market.

Problem with that changing the in favor of home buyers is inflation. Long road out of this one.

IF we get out of this one. I am fairly convinced that this one is a game changer. I don't know if that is bad long run. Maybe the US is too big and we will go the way of the Soviets. More peacefully would be nice, but more manageable units. THe Northeast, the mid west, the south, the west. I think Daniel Quinn's model for beyond civilization may have found its moment.

Tired_of_Extremists:

Regurgitated socialist talking points neither make nor support an argument. Specifically what kind of deregulation are you talking about?

Here's a fact for you - REGULATION is fundamentally what caused the mortgage debacle. Yup, that's right - REGULATION. If the government had kept its ideological tentacles out of the private sector, no lender in their right mind would have made such risky loans. And now the whole world is forced to pay for more failed liberal ideology.

What can the President do other than what he has already tried? He cannot force the lenders to make decisions based on the benefit to the nation or the borrower- those lenders are obligated to the investors for whom they service loans. The problem with these loans were at the originating point, and that was certainly not a time at which Barack Obama had any significant control over regulation of the mortgage industry.

Exactly what is it that he's tried? He cannot force the lenders, eh? Is that a joke? He forced automakers, financial companies and insurance giants to do all sorts of things, by employing authoritarian tactics. Why not the lenders?

And FYI, the fundamental problem with the loans began long before the originating point. It began with government interference in the private sector that not only encouraged, but forced lenders to make risky loans that they would not otherwise have made. And now the whole world is forced to pay for liberal ideology.

Correct, espliff. And we'd all like to know why the Obama regime has been doing everything BUT tackling this problem.

NMBG: How would you tackle the problem? Have the government take over the loans from the servicers? Talk about gov't intervention in private business. Build a time machine and go back a few years to avoid the problem?

Who said anything about having the goverment take over anything? That's a pretty big assumption for a lawyer, cmlawyer. How about getting government OUT of private business? If lenders had to assume the risk themselves, no one would be able to get a mortgage they couldn't afford.

The banks got around risk by packaging and reselling garbage on top of garbage with AAA ratings. A lack of government regulation and understanding of these products only made it worst. If Fannie or Freddie never existed we would still be in the same exact predicament with this bad economy only with a little less national debt (one less entity to bail out). The "free"[use term lightly more like an oligarchy] market created this bubble; same with the tech bubble in 90's and these corporate elitist are the villains.

I would love to be a villain right now; able to steal and keep millions of dollars with no risk of criminal charges.

jabba- problem is, equity is not growing. Anyone who bought after 2008 in most parts of the country has lost equity and will not see any significant recoupment of that- much less growth- until at least a 2015, and quite likely later than that. That little blip in December? Great. Made up for an abysmal October/November, but January is right back to slow down. If we can hold our own through 2011 with the foreclosures still hitting the market maybe, just maybe, we can expect to see stabilization in 2012, and small growth in 2014 and 2015. But that small growth will NOT bring us back to 2009.

By 2015 home sales will be back up again, once people have built up equity and they're looking to move or upgrade

prices are still going down--so what is it you are basing this upswing on? What makes you think houses will be worth more when there is a total foreclosure glut on the market and more everyday, more unemployment and more people losing healthcare. who is going to buy these houses?

http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2011/01/20/5883932-2010-weakest-year-for-home-sales-since-1997?last=1295551687&threadId=3033492&sp=0&pc=25#c51029421

even a conservative can figure this one out. You don't need a Liberal to help you. It takes a while to rebuild an economy after the right wingnuts spend it all and think they will use the crdit card after that . Every time the dems come in and pay it down, the right calls them tax and spend (Warped thinking?) then the repubs come in have a wild party, wreck the place, and the people sober up elect a dem and then we blame him for eons. I think I heard Jimmy Carter being blamed the other day. COme on.

I think I heard Jimmy Carter being blamed the other day. COme on.

And I hear Regan blamed every day too.

yeah and Reagan was the one made the huge deficit. What is it that Carter did. Turn down the thermostat wear a sweater and lust in his heart?

What is it that Carter did. Turn down the thermostat wear a sweater and lust in his heart?

...And create the Department of Education. Don't forget that when we see the next article about skyrocketing tuition costs.

Oh yeah, another evil deed. How could I forget that. I live in NYS and we have really good state university system. I am happy to pay for that. Without it our state would be in a much worse position. They are working on the tuition now. Even with some increases it is still a really great deal. Kansas too, has a great deal with their system. I guess you put your money where you value things. Education, environment, and Health Care are valuable to me. Wars and war profiteers, not high on my list.

Without it our state would be in a much worse position.

You can't prove that.

They are working on the tuition now.

Working on what? Raising the state funding so the university can soak even more money?

I guess you put your money where you value things.

How 'free market' of you.

Education, environment, and Health Care are valuable to me.

That's great. And as such, in a free market, you have every opportunity to support the things that you value. As a consumer - not as a tax payer.

Wars and war profiteers, not high on my list.

Not high on mine either. In other news, the sky is blue.

I SAID "Without it our state would be in a much worse position."
YOU ANSWERED:

You can't prove that

Sure I can. Look at the prices of private colleges and universities. It is fairly obvious that most people cannot afford $40,000 a year for college, so for the people of NYS to be able to get college degrees which raises income level and job opportunity, there would be less people able to go without the SUNY system being in place. SUNY has many colleges now listed as best values in the ratings.

Working on what? Raising the state funding so the university can soak even more money

No, they are working on how to keep tuition low. If you check for SUNY Oneonta, it went down--YES DOWN, this year nearly $1000 from the previous tuition. Check for yourself.

That's great. And as such, in a free market, you have every opportunity to support the things that you value. As a consumer - not as a tax payer.

Education, the environment, and healthcare are things the impact us all. That is why you can't dump toxic waste on my street. Public education benefits the country as well as health care. Look at the European countries like Germany who has good public education, the oldest public healthcare, the best certification and protection commission e for natural remedies, and they are way ahead of us. Some things need regulation like the environment and the medical industrial complex. Free market hasn't done a good job at all just from a cost benefit standard. Germany gets much more bang for its buck, on all three fronts.

Sarcasm is wasted on me. I don't find the environmental destruction, the 47,000 a year dying from no healthcare, or those who can't get decent education for lack of access, funny in even an ironic sort of way.

But you go ahead and laugh all you want.

Sure I can. Look at the prices of private colleges and universities. It is fairly obvious that most people cannot afford $40,000 a year for college, so for the people of NYS to be able to get college degrees which raises income level and job opportunity, there would be less people able to go without the SUNY system being in place. SUNY has many colleges now listed as best values in the ratings.

Look at the public colleges. Not many people can afford $15,000 a year for college. Further, the private colleges are a direct result of the Dept. of Education. The Dept. of Education subsidizes the hell out of tuition. As a result, there's no intrinsic value associated to a college education. Cost has been divorced from the product. Both, public and private universities understand now that they can raise their tuition to astronomical heights and the federal governments solution is to give the consumers more money to afford it. So there's absolutely no disincentive to keep jacking up tuition.

No, they are working on how to keep tuition low.

I'm flat out calling you a liar on this one. It's complete and utter BS. Tell me, what incentive does any college or university have to lower costs when the federal government will just create a new scholarship, increase the amount available through student loans and create more federal grants?

If you check for SUNY Oneonta, it went down--YES DOWN, this year nearly $1000 from the previous tuition. Check for yourself.

One university. Further, one university - not exactly "renowned". And, you're talking about one year. One university - in one year, saw lowered tuition costs. Look at the cost of education nationwide. Look at the trend of tuition over 10 years. It's like climate change. You don't get to look at your local temperatures one year and disprove climate change.

Education, the environment, and healthcare are things the impact us all.

Environment - commons

Healthcare - commons

Education - not commons

That is why you can't dump toxic waste on my street.

You couldn't dump toxic waste on any street before the EPA was created.

Look at the European countries like Germany who has good public education, the oldest public healthcare, the best certification and protection commission e for natural remedies, and they are way ahead of us.

And yet, they spend far less per student than the US. I don't know why you're talking so much about healthcare. But, if want to look at another example of federal subsidizing screwing up a market, the prescription drug industry is another good example.

Some things need regulation like the environment and the medical industrial complex. Free market hasn't done a good job at all just from a cost benefit standard. Germany gets much more bang for its buck, on all three fronts.

We're not talking about regulation. Who the hell is talking about regulation? I'm talking about subsidization. When the federal government is subsidizing an industry - that's not anything remotely close to a free market. So when you talk about "bang for it's buck" I look no further than what the federal government is throwing into a sub-par system.

Sarcasm is wasted on me. I don't find the environmental destruction, the 47,000 a year dying from no healthcare, or those who can't get decent education for lack of access, funny in even an ironic sort of way.

Just curious what you thought is sarcastic? I think you're trying to paint me into an argument I'm not making.

Not high on mine either. In other news, the sky is blue.

This comment is in relation to

Wars and war profiteers, not high on my list.

having absolutely no relevancy to the topic. And again, you're painting me as someone who doesn't think the DoD could be significantly reduced?

@!$%# off, I don't have discourse with people who call me a liar especially when SUNY is a huge college system and I guess you looked it up for SUNY Oneonta, the one I mentioned and saw it is a fact that tuition went DOWN. And it isn't $15,000 I quoted, go re read. It was SUNY ONEONTA, AND IT WAS IN THE $4000ds

As for calling me a liar. It doesn't just piss me off as rude, but you were wrong, AND it violates the UA and Coh.
By, done with you.

@!$%# off, I don't have discourse with people who call me a liar especially when SUNY is a huge college system...

Okay, how about I prove you're a liar then:

And regardless of any rate hikes, public schools are still a steal compared to private schools. The average sticker price for four-year public colleges and universities this year was relatively low, at $7,020. The average annual cost of attendance at a four-year private college is $26,273; some schools cost as much as $50,000 a year.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/24/news/economy/public_tuition_soars/index.htm

Perhaps you're the one that needs to re-read. I never ventured a guess what SUNY Oneonta's tuition was. I was talking about the national average. And since we're talking about a FEDERAL program, what good is it to look at SUNY?

As for calling me a liar. It doesn't just piss me off as rude, but you were wrong, AND it violates the UA and Coh.

I would be really interested to hear from a moderator if calling someone a liar is a violation of the UA. Especially, when the evidence supports the assertion. Either way, I think it's obvious you have no argument and your position is akin to anti-global warming arguments.

It was cold in my state this year, therefore global warming is disproved

sorry, wrong again, AND I don't discourse with name-callers. Have a nice life.