tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post5435049608680987799..comments2023-11-02T07:30:03.967-07:00Comments on Cassandra Does Tokyo: Buyer's Angst"Cassandra"http://www.blogger.com/profile/17412381249313151515noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-37588875979731481372009-01-12T02:30:00.000-08:002009-01-12T02:30:00.000-08:00If you're buying France (which appears to be the w...If you're buying France (which appears to be the widespread assumption) it is the one European property market in complete and utter denial. Prices have barely budged downwards. The bubble is nationwide. Near me, in Alsace, they remain through the roof and completely unrelated to average incomes. Fantasy land. Don't touch with a barge pole. The advice above that any offer that doesn't leave you Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-80414345623475217782008-12-19T16:53:00.000-08:002008-12-19T16:53:00.000-08:00Cassandra, one for the road and this ones for you....Cassandra, one for the road and this ones for you...<BR/><BR/>http://naybob.blogspot.com/2008/12/good-buy-or-good-bye.htmlMr. Naybobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03141485178488436435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-38854924013378178392008-12-12T12:26:00.000-08:002008-12-12T12:26:00.000-08:00Oh if I could only dictate to the trading gods the...<I> Oh if I could only dictate to the trading gods the size of the loss I will countenance!!</I><BR/><BR/>Absolute gold. Thank you for that. It will be my epitaph. Perhaps when I can look back on all this with wonder and amusement.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-10802953944399543782008-12-06T01:09:00.000-08:002008-12-06T01:09:00.000-08:00If the past history of house bubbles is considered...If the past history of house bubbles is considered, the US housing market has at least 5 years until the bottom will be reached. The UK is probably at least year behind. Find a house to rent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-73951347716758326652008-12-04T11:31:00.000-08:002008-12-04T11:31:00.000-08:00Wait for the bottom to be set. Feels much better...Wait for the bottom to be set. Feels much better to have an appreciating asset. Or at least one that's not losing value.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-75469724276498045402008-12-03T05:45:00.000-08:002008-12-03T05:45:00.000-08:00I live in Minnesota, USA and spent Thanksgiving We...I live in Minnesota, USA and spent Thanksgiving Week in Arizona looking at "shitboxes" while our realtor told us they were good value, all I saw was "sale off." What isn't on sale? I am inundated with email ads announcing 20% off of everything as a starting point. The real bargain is when prices are off 50% or more. How can real estate be a value when bubble price of 2005-2006 is taken off KWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14671746717468688170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-40647466280810041152008-11-30T03:32:00.000-08:002008-11-30T03:32:00.000-08:00helpful link for UK property searching:http://www....helpful link for UK property searching:<BR/><BR/>http://www.zoopla.co.uk/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-64883914007356016052008-11-30T00:30:00.000-08:002008-11-30T00:30:00.000-08:00mistress cassandra,When a supermodel spouts that "...mistress cassandra,<BR/><BR/>When a supermodel spouts that "that there is no way that she would purchase a house in this market...", and that is covered worldwide (like Giselle and her admonition regarding not "accepting dollars, only Euros from now on...." for payment for modeling 'servies', then...<BR/><BR/>that will be your signalAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-53268325598307578822008-11-28T14:54:00.000-08:002008-11-28T14:54:00.000-08:00Lease with an option to buy.Good luck in your sear...Lease with an option to buy.<BR/><BR/>Good luck in your search.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-50509798459311647642008-11-28T14:43:00.000-08:002008-11-28T14:43:00.000-08:00In your market of interest I'd wait, but in my hom...In your market of interest I'd wait, but in my hometown prices are stable! -(not)- <BR/><BR/>Rent for a year and look at leisure over the course of the rental. You'll make a better informed purchase decision when you know the area better. If you find you really don't like it, you won't have to sell in a questionable market.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-47356371068028307322008-11-28T06:53:00.000-08:002008-11-28T06:53:00.000-08:00Find a middle ground - say, something lovely out a...Find a middle ground - say, something lovely out at Marly - to wait out the storm? Rental, that is.<BR/><BR/>Ah, but Paris rentiers are in denial as well, no doubt.<BR/><BR/>I think it was Bill at CR who identified polls of builders associations as a leading indicator for bottoming or recovery. I've found that useful so far.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-87669359736386024252008-11-28T03:05:00.000-08:002008-11-28T03:05:00.000-08:00In Finland reality started to return to realty a y...In Finland reality started to return to realty a year after the downturn happened (last time). During that time unemployment increased from 4% to 14% So widespread unemployment is the only thing that seems to make sellers start eating that nasty reality-pie. Shame on you for not choosing a wise wife ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-88627231263852333292008-11-27T13:57:00.000-08:002008-11-27T13:57:00.000-08:00i think you are actually more interested in gettin...i think you are actually more interested in getting a read on your readers sentiments. well in that case, i favor the views of Templeton who said prices would fall 90% i beleive some 10 years ago. <BR/>now if governments around the globe decide hyperinflation is their preferred route, and if they can have their way, (and they most certainly can to but only to the extent that they are willing to tooearlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06513358663917044513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-16638750166365314372008-11-27T03:49:00.000-08:002008-11-27T03:49:00.000-08:00My heart goes out to ya! We were transferred in 20...My heart goes out to ya! We were transferred in 2003, and I didn't get it. The realtor, at the first house we looked at, was telling me about the improvements in the home buying process... down payments, credit,PMI, even jobs unnecessary? WTF? Unfortunately my husband didn't share my reluctance to jump right in and it was a rough two years renting while we searched for something that I was Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-81595592017210672162008-11-27T01:54:00.000-08:002008-11-27T01:54:00.000-08:00Rent somewhere nice. Tell the wife to be quiet.Rent somewhere nice. Tell the wife to be quiet.Nick von Miseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03985951853422897135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-7354545848881470592008-11-26T20:19:00.000-08:002008-11-26T20:19:00.000-08:00Hold out another six months to a year and there wi...Hold out another six months to a year and there will be gorgeous bargains.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately we bought a year ago in Taipei. One morning my wife couldn't stand the smell in the kitchen in the morning, 20 year old plastic pvc pipes. This was once a topper end condo. Prices here are off in theory at 5% only, many cash rich speculators holding on. Still lots of new construction in the area. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-19211479950554186562008-11-26T15:33:00.000-08:002008-11-26T15:33:00.000-08:00I've been going through the same exercise on the S...I've been going through the same exercise on the SF peninsula. the stretch from burlingame to los gatos is reminiscent of london. most of the tech folks are in complete and utter denial about what is coming their way. they can't quite seem to grasp that lot prices in the los altos hills cannot be sustained at $3m in a world where tech multiples regress to more realistic levels. the HF guys Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-80267557107428508782008-11-26T10:00:00.000-08:002008-11-26T10:00:00.000-08:00My mature, nicely-presented, amazingly well insula...My mature, nicely-presented, amazingly well insulated place in the Cotswolds just valued at 30% off assumed peak "value". New build over road, priced earlier this year on-plan at GBP575, went on at GBP495 and sold same day for GBP400.<BR/><BR/>The current level of denial is proportional to the deepness of the sh*t that over leveraged mortgagees in over-priced assets are in. Humongous will be the Half Emptyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04589816424420932962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-86035060063462872722008-11-26T08:28:00.000-08:002008-11-26T08:28:00.000-08:00Cass,My guess, given demographics and economics, i...Cass,<BR/><BR/>My guess, given demographics and economics, is that rural/small town at more than a commute from a large city is better protected against further long term depreciation - especially if you can buy it at distress. The Dordogne: couple of acres spitting distance from a small town and twenty minutes from a regional centre. Sounds like heaven to me. <BR/><BR/>The other option would be Charles Butlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00486529931043507880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-22399354799963718782008-11-26T07:44:00.000-08:002008-11-26T07:44:00.000-08:00Splash out on a rental for a year, you need time t...Splash out on a rental for a year, you need time to think about where is best, proximity to your intended area of residence will ensure you choose a better home. The fact it may be at a much lower price is of course a bonus. The spouse benefits from the fabulous rental, a huge present and the admission that you are stupid and can't cope with all the stress of buying a house at the moment.<BR/>dismalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02097704305584196283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-42749034039142259742008-11-26T07:40:00.000-08:002008-11-26T07:40:00.000-08:00You leave in your house, you dont invest in house....You leave in your house, you dont invest in house. Pay what you can afford. Enjoy what you get. Hope in 20 years people will be talking about the bad days. If you can wait, give it another 6 months till there is clarity in losses. Till we have that that market has not bottomed.Robertm73https://www.blogger.com/profile/00791029733711045031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-2718506418118997272008-11-26T07:34:00.000-08:002008-11-26T07:34:00.000-08:00Better marital discord now than total marital diss...Better marital discord now than total marital dissonance later. <BR/><BR/>There's very little (none?) data about the lack of house purchases causing marital issues whereas my (admittedly anecdotal) data seems to indicate that purchasing a house at a too high price can indeed cause marital stress, up to and beyond the breaking point. <BR/><BR/>Of course, the amount of marital stress is often Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01174922843733794622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-46775197694157871282008-11-26T07:30:00.000-08:002008-11-26T07:30:00.000-08:00have been doing exactly the same thing but in lond...have been doing exactly the same thing but in london. will rent for 1 year to decide where to buy and wait for prices to stabilize (drop some more.)<BR/><BR/>Rental prices are collapsing - from gbp1,600p.w. to gbp900p.w. in less than a month.<BR/><BR/>met (only) one honest agent; 2.5mm she believed might go for 1.75mm but definitely not more. anything around 2mm would go for below 1.5mm. that's The Ruminatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12699756481854641935noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18079728.post-15095229818431939562008-11-26T07:27:00.000-08:002008-11-26T07:27:00.000-08:00My advice is this: buy as conservatively as you ca...My advice is this: buy as conservatively as you can, live happier with non-housing goods, and don't buy for investment. If your value goes down a bit, and you bought conservatively, who cares? You're getting value out of the house.Bill Millhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10065077215311205545noreply@blogger.com