Anita

Hi Jim,
I won't pretend for a moment to understand corporate tax breaks for those who leave the US. (Seems counter intuitive doesn't it?) Perhaps you can tell me why McCain deems it socialism to cut it out of the code... before you're "removed"
BTW I missed BO-TV tonight, but I voted 2 weeks ago...
:) - Wed Oct 29 2008, 21:13

This topic has really gone la la, but I will add one thing... taking taxes collected from big corp. drilling on your state's land and redistributing it to the citizens is socialism, and I agree with it. So does George W. Bush. He said "The oil under Iraq's soil belongs to the Iraqi people." As far as I know this concept works in AK only while the rest of the US works like the capitalist society we hold so dear where those with the money make the rules and buy up America's natural resources for their gain and theirs alone. (Many resources are stolen from Indian land btw since they're supposed to profit like AK does, but somehow the money never reaches them... now I really am off the reservation :) - Wed Oct 29 2008, 15:44

A short description of how the tax system works in this country since so many seem so clueless. (WHY?)
I live in rural NM. For every dollar NM citizens pay in federal tax, our state gets back $3 or 4...
This is "redistribution of wealth" from richer states to help poorer ones because we are all Americans and this is what we do- help each other!
THIS IS NOT NEW, IT'S NOT SOCIALISM, MARXISM, OR COMMUNISM. (caps for emphasis- not flaming ;)
The progressive income tax structure was supported by Adam Smith- the patron saint of free markets- and used for the past 100+ years by both Republicans like Lincoln and TR, (Marxists?) and Democratic presidents. Not until an increasingly desperate McCain began "red baiting" to scare the uninformed and use them as tools when all else failed, did the tax system and Obama's patriotism become suspect! - Tue Oct 28 2008, 23:15

The first law of home buying: Don't believe everything the realtor tells you. I know there are honest realtors but some will say/do anything for a sale. You all know this is true.
Go to your county's property appraisers office or website and look up the house you're interested in. See what it sold for last time. You may even see that it was a flip that was bought for say $150k sold for 225k and now the seller wants 250 after only months or a year. It will give you a lot of information about the sale history that might help. Information is power! You will also see that sometimes people paid way too much, or that within just a few years, with the market tanking they still want more than the market will bear because they, like many realtors, have not come to grips with the new economic reality of inflation and tighter mortgage/money markets and an endless supply that can't possibly be filled. Prices have yet to reflect this new reality. Also many people put a lot of money into upgrades thinking that was the ticket to a quick sale and now they don't want to eat that investment. I don't blame them for that! - Sun Jul 20 2008, 17:54

Hi Darlene
Try city-data.com there's lots of useful info there. On the forums you will find local, "real" folks (not just realtors) who will share what they know, plus this site is full of useful stats for every city and county in FL with crime, population breakdowns by race, age, income, etc.
Good luck. - Thu Jul 10 2008, 22:29

Mark, read this article from USA Today it might help answer this question - Mon Jun 9 2008, 11:05

It's not the media creating the hype it's the media reporting what the Fed, Freddie and Fannie heads are saying. It's not media hype that Bear Stearns went belly up. Foreclosure stats are not hyped. Oh, and I've also read in the paper that banks are tightening up on loans making them harder to get for average folks (too little too late).
As others have said yes, prices are down, but if you do a simple search you will see they are still well above what they were in 2003! That is not a bargain especially considering that the economy, gas and unemployment is worse now than 5 yrs ago with no good news on the horizon.
Like the dot com bust this is just another much needed correction that will work itself out... eventually.
There is a lot of defensiveness and denial among realtors who post here. I say if you can't take the heat get out of the kitchen. - Sat Jun 7 2008, 21:08

IMHO you should take your time before buying or renting long term. Where you work in relation to where you live will make a huge difference in your quality of life. Trust me. Long commutes are hellish in Tampa Bay. Bridges are the only way out of most of Pinellas- a major headache at rush hour. It is something you need to keep in mind unless you have the patience of Job, don't mind a longer day spent in traffic, and of course the price of gasoline is another factor. Public transportation is not that great. Good luck! - Sun May 25 2008, 13:59