“People need to feel like they’re getting a great deal.”

From the WSJ:

Home Prices Edge Downward

Home prices declined in September and are poised for a grim winter as banks step up their efforts to take back and sell foreclosed properties.

Prices fell 0.6% from August, according to the widely watched Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller index of 20 major metropolitan areas, breaking a five-month run of increases during the spring and summer, when higher sales volumes typically firm up prices.

For the third quarter, prices were down 3.9% nationwide compared with a year earlier, a slight improvement from the 5.8% annual decline recorded at the end of June, according to the Case-Shiller National Index.

Prices remain under pressure as the housing market continues to digest high volumes of foreclosed and other “distressed” properties that tend to sell at a discount. Though sales picked up at the end of the summer, analysts said buyers were only closing deals they perceive as a bargain, which could help explain why prices are sliding again.

“Buyers don’t want to tell their friends ‘I bought a home.’ People look at you sideways. But if it’s a foreclosure, they pat you on the back,” said John Burns, president of a home-building consulting firm in Irvine, Calif. “People need to feel like they’re getting a great deal.”

This entry was posted in Economics, Housing Bubble, Housing Recovery, National Real Estate. Bookmark the permalink.

88 Responses to “People need to feel like they’re getting a great deal.”

  1. grim says:

    From the Star Ledger:

    FEMA may buy flood-ravaged land in N.J.

    The federal government has started the process of potentially purchasing property in 13 New Jersey towns which have been continuously ravaged by flooding, most recently during Hurricane Irene, according to the state Office of Emergency Management.

    Mary Goepfert, a spokeswoman for the office, said the towns will be awarded grant money through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Severe Repetitive Loss Pilot Program, designed to speed up the process of buying out or raising homes in flood-prone areas around the country.

    According to Goepfert, officials have started discussing buyout options with homeowners in Wayne, Lincoln Park, Fairfield, Pompton Lakes, Pequannock, Manville, Little Falls, Paterson, Cranford, New Milford, Westwood, Middlesex Borough and Denville.

    Once the federal government buys the property, towns cannot build there in the future.

  2. Mike says:

    Good Morning New Jersey

  3. grim says:

    Guess I missed all the fun yesterday afternoon? Had some business down near Cape May, not a fun drive to make in the late afternoon.

  4. Mike says:

    Grim 3 Beautiful homes decorated for Christmas?

  5. A notary public who signed tens of thousands of false documents in a massive foreclosure scam before blowing the whistle on the scandal has been found dead in her Las Vegas home.

    NBC station KSNV of Las Vegas reported that the woman, Tracy Lawrence, 43, was scheduled to be sentenced Monday morning after she pleaded guilty this month to notarizing the signature of an individual not in her presence. She failed to show up for her hearing, and police found her body at her home later in the day.

    It could not immediately be determined whether Lawrence, who faced up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000, died of suicide or of natural causes, KSNV reported. Detectives said they had ruled out homicide.

    Lawrence came forward earlier this month and blew the whistle on the operation, in which title officers Gary Trafford, 49, of Irvine, Calif., and Geraldine Sheppard, 62, of Santa Ana, Calif. — who worked for a Florida processing company used by most major banks to process repossessions — allegedly forged signatures on tens of thousands of default notices from 2005 to 2008.

    Trafford and Sheppard were charged two weeks ago with 606 counts of offering false instruments for recording, false certification on certain instruments and notarization of the signature of a person not in the presence of a notary public. You can read a .pdf version of their indictment here.

    Detectives said they had ruled out homicide but they also said it could be weeks before investigators know how 43-year-old Tracy Lawrence died.

    Is this really a suicide or a warning to others?

    http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/foreclosure-fraud-lender-processing-services-robo-signer-whisleblower-found-dead-nevada

  6. Anon E. Moose says:

    Grim [3];

    Nice little airport down there. Short flight, much less traffic.

  7. yo says:

    “an increasing number of economists worry that depressed housing prices and underwater borrowers are holding back a broader recovery.”

    Actually, the United States does not have depressed housing prices. According to the Case Schiller national house price index, inflation adjusted house prices are still more than 9 percent above their 1996 level. The problem was that the country had a housing bubble that is now mostly deflated. The problem is not a depressed housing market.

    Dean Baker

  8. yo says:

    BREAKING NEWS: US Fed joins other central banks to boost liquidity in global markets

    Yeah! Fed is printing more money to benefit the dollar haters

  9. Fabius Maximus says:

    #147 (previous) Nom

    Search Craigsl1st for Photoshoot Jobs and see if you can work out where the insult is.

  10. Mikeinwaiting says:

    Green shoots?
    “November 2011 ADP National Employment Report®
    ADP today reported that employment in the U.S. nonfarm private business sector increased by
    206,000 from October to November on a seasonally adjusted basis. The estimated advance in
    employment from September to October was revised up to 130,000 from the initially reported
    110,000.
    The increase in November was the largest monthly gain since last December and nearly twice the
    average monthly gain since May when employment decelerated sharply.
    Employment in the private, service-providing sector rose 178,000 in November, which is up
    from an increase of 130,000 in October. Employment in the private, goods-producing sector
    increased 28,000 in November, while manufacturing employment increased 7,000.”
    http://www.adpemploymentreport.com/PDF/FINAL_Report_November_11.pdf

  11. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    (9) fabius,

    Yeah, in all my free time. Sorry but I am not vetting every blog post with an internet search to make sure I don’t have a macaque moment. If you want to infer insult, that’s your prerogative, but it doesn’t manufacture intent.

    I have plenty of ways I can insult you without taking shots at your lovely bride. In fact, I am insulted that you would think I would stoop to the level of some snarky liberal.

  12. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    (150) (prior thread) Morpheus,

    Damn, I was gonna say that. But I got distracted by the ravings of a gooner.

  13. Shore Guy says:

    “It could not immediately be determined whether… died of suicide or of natural causes”

    If her hands were tied behind her back and she had three shots to the head, I’m guessing suicide. it is so sad when they do that.

  14. Shore Guy says:

    If convicted, does he get to keep his pension?

    http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/11/colorado-sheriff-arrested-drug-charge/1

    Former national ‘Sheriff of the Year’ nabbed on drug charge

  15. gary says:

    For all the nonsense I fling on this board, I’m absolutely fascinated by the level of intellect and debate on this forum. It needs to be said from time to time.

  16. yo says:

    Is future pension benefits should be based on behavior while in retirement? I say “yes” he should be able to keep getting benefits.He is just a Horn* Mfker

  17. Libtard in Union says:

    He only gets to keep his benefits if he claims a disability and then becomes the Denver Broncos Fireman.

  18. JJ says:

    Now for something totally different. I had stacks of records in the attic from when I used to buy tons of records from around seventh grade to I was a Freshman in college. Wife was bugging me when up in attic this weekend getting Christmas stuff to get rid of them finally. I claimed they were worth something my wife did not believe me. Guess what Albums are worth a lot of money. If any of you have them pull them out and do an internet search. I got lucky as I am a cheapskate and I bought mainly used albums and DJ editions marked “not for resale” that DJs sold anyhow for like one buck each to record stores who resold them at three bucks each. I had two hundred albums, bs ones are like ten bucks each but I had a few worth between $50 and $500. Weird. Had a few thousand in cash in attic. Strangest one I found I bought which was very odd at the time was a Otis Redding Album that was done live at the Wiskey A go go back in the day when Hendrix and Doors would stop by. Otis did all along the watchtower with Hendrix on Gutar and the Doors as the ‘house” band. Funny I could record album on an MP3 and music would be worth one buck, but actually album is worth $200. Weird. Back to RE

  19. JJ says:

    Most people in NJ who search Craigs list looking for a little extra cash end up buried at Gilgo Beach on Long Island, go figure.

    Fabius Maximus says:
    November 30, 2011 at 8:14 am
    #147 (previous) Nom

    Search Craigsl1st for Photoshoot Jobs and see if you can work out where the insult is.

  20. evildoc says:

    ——For all the nonsense I fling on this board, I’m absolutely fascinated by the level of intellect and debate on this forum. It needs to be said from time to time.——

    Note that one can be fascinated by the good, by the bad, or by the average.

  21. JJ says:

    S&P Futures are up 34+pts with Dow Futures up 270 pts.

    Might be good day to do some tax harvesting on the pop!

  22. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [22] JJ

    “Might be good day to do some tax harvesting on the pop!”

    I’m hearing that!

  23. Anon E. Moose says:

    How’s this for ‘green shoots’? Black Friday sales up; margins negative.

    “Because it is not difficult to dump product when you are, well, dumping.”
    Corning also lowers 4Q expectations – not enough glass-using gadgets (iPads, large-format TVs).

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/about-those-record-black-friday-sales

  24. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [9] fabius

    You know, I did try and it would not accept “photoshoot jobs.” I tried photoshoot and got a few inocuous posts for NYC. Was expecting pron but it didn’t come up.

    So how hard do I have to work here in order to find the macaque moment? Seriously, I have better things to do.

    And if you read correctly, I said “ads” as in advertisements. Next time read, okay?

  25. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [16] gary,

    “For all the nonsense I fling on this board, I’m absolutely fascinated by the level of intellect and debate on this forum.”

    I’m not sure if that says a lot about us or very little about you. ;-)

  26. Fabius Maximus says:

    #11 Nom

    Innocent and unintened meaning may get you past intent, but it is not a sufficient defense if the statement is still capable of bearing the meaning to an ordinary reader.

  27. Shadow of John says:

    Now I am as randy as the next guy and three others to boot but even I feel bad for a guy who’s parents named Johnson name him Randy.

    Randy Johnson, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s senior vice president for labor.

  28. Anon E. Moose says:

    Con’t [24];

    [Black friday margins negative]

    Also, Paulie could do anything. Like run up bills on the joint’s credit. And why not? Nobody will pay for it anyway. Take deliveries at the front door and sell it out the back at a discount. Take a $100 case of booze and sell it for $50. It doesn’t matter. It’s all profit.

  29. Shore Guy says:

    “Black friday margins negative”

    Like the old joke, they plan to make it up in volume?

  30. JJ says:

    I used to work with Dick Long for a few years, everyone on wall street knew him. If you called him Richard he got mad. Phone books, presenations, memos etc. It was his calling card. Who would’t want to call up Dick Long. I am sure a few people know him he worked on the street for like 40 years

    Shadow of John says:
    November 30, 2011 at 10:19 am
    Now I am as randy as the next guy and three others to boot but even I feel bad for a guy who’s parents named Johnson name him Randy.

    Randy Johnson, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s senior vice president for labor.

  31. gary says:

    Moose [30],

    “And when there was nothing left and you couldn’t borrow another dollar from the bank, you bust the place out… you light a match.”

  32. Anon E. Moose says:

    Shore [31];

    Like the old joke, they plan to make it up in volume?

    Change you can believe in:

    http://www.hulu.com/watch/4258/saturday-night-live-first-citywide-change-bank-1

  33. Happy Renter says:

    [34] Classic.

  34. reinvestor101 says:

    I don’t know what the hell is going on, but with all this damn global money printing happening right now, I have to ask where in the hell is mines? Hell, if you’re going print up some damn money, at least give some to me so I can help the damn economy. The first thing I’d do is get that new damn LS 460 and then go right down to Florida and start buying and flipping some damn real estate. I’m a one man stimulus package.

  35. JJ says:

    It is a bull market baby, RE 101 you should have been buying stocks on Black Friday instead of flat screens, you could of had that LS 460 today!!

  36. Libtard in Union says:

    You’re a one-man moron!

  37. dirtyjerzy says:

    Can someone post the uber home inspector’s website? Thanks in advance

  38. Anon E. Moose says:

    dj [39];

    I think this is the guy you are referring to:

    http://www.afullhouseinspection.com/

  39. dirtyjerzy says:

    that’s the one – thanks

  40. Captain Foresight HEHEHE says:

    JJ,

    They are hoping this pop carries them through Xmas. It might, but it might not. Central banks still seeing diminishing bang for the buck from their intervention.

    I still don’t know why they don’t allow things to drop down to a natural level. You intervene in the 800’s you set up a decent rally, here you are lucky if this thing pops above 12000 and there’s no way it stays there long term.

  41. chicagofinance says:

    My cousin’s husband is a urologist, and he has a patient named Richard Aiken who insists on being called Dick……I guess he went to right place……

    Shadow of John says:
    November 30, 2011 at 10:19 am
    Now I am as randy as the next guy and three others to boot but even I feel bad for a guy who’s parents named Johnson name him Randy.

    Randy Johnson, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s senior vice president for labor.

  42. JJ says:

    worst part of being a urologist is all your customers are assholes

  43. funnelcloud says:

    JJ#43
    Wrong hole, proctologist not urologist service assholes

  44. funnelcloud says:

    Good Afternoon Mike

  45. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [28] fabius

    Pretty weak justification for misguided outrage. Depends on what you consider an ordinary reader. My mind wasn’t in the gutter, if that is actually where you were going with this (Craigslist didn’t help). Must I assume that everyone else’s is?

  46. Libtard in Union says:

    Can we just downgrade the IBs daily?

  47. The Original NJ Expat says:

    [32] JJ – I used to work with Dick Long for a few years, everyone on wall street knew him. If you called him Richard he got mad. Phone books, presenations, memos etc. It was his calling card. Who would’t want to call up Dick Long. I am sure a few people know him he worked on the street for like 40 years

    I had roommate back in the mid 80’s was dating a girl whose last name was “Less”. Her Dad was a police chief (Nutley, maybe?) and his first name was Richard. That’s right, Chief Dick Less. If that wasn’t bad enough, this girl’s brother was named after their father. Yep, Dick Less Jr. I used to joke with that roommate that it would be funny if instead of Diana his girlfriend’s first name was T1tslikah and her middle name was Sparrowmoror.

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  49. Double Down says:

    http://www.businessinsider.com/warning-do-not-try-to-drive-in-manhattan-this-afternoon-2011-11

    WARNING: Do Not Try To Drive In Manhattan This Afternoon
    Zeke Miller | Nov. 30, 2011, 11:16 AM

    Consider yourselves warned. @GridlockSam, our favorite source of New York City traffic information, calls today “the gridlock alert day of the decade.”

    It’s going to be a traffic nightmare today as President Barack Obama is in town for three fundraisers, coinciding with the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

    Obama is landing at JFK around 5 p.m., choppering in Marine One to Wall Street, and then attending three events in Greenwich Village, the Upper East Side, and West Midtown. Each neighborhood will be subject to a traffic freeze while the President is on the move. Plus, the area around Rockefeller Center will begin to be shut down around 4 p.m. for the tree lighting at 7 p.m.

    In short, it’s going to be a madhouse. Trains are going to be packed/delays, and many bus lines are being detoured/delayed too.

  50. Methinks central bankers all over the planet are about to reap the whirlwind.

    Today’s action might just turn the world into Argentina.

  51. Spin the presses until they overheat and explode.

  52. Anon E. Moose says:

    Double Down [52];

    Security (Kabuki) Theatre.

    Each neighborhood will be subject to a traffic freeze while the President is on the move.

    So when traffic begins moving again, we’ll know precisely where the President is. Got it. And just in case the terrorists aren’t yet aware, the FAA has published this map, complete with convenient bulls-eyes.

    http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/sect_print_1_7688.html

  53. Libtard in Union says:

    Our presses aren’t overheating at all. Down another 12% year to date for us after a flat 2010.

  54. Comrade Nom Deplume says:

    [32] JJ

    I interviewed with this guy once.

    http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2011/03/15/head_picked_as_nhs_deputy_ag/

    Story is actually incorrect; he was in the AG’s office far longer than the article states.

    Real nice guy, good lawyer, and really funny bastard too.

  55. Anon E. Moose says:

    Nom [57];

    If he wasn’t born with a great sense of humor I imagine he’d have had to grow one.

  56. All Hype says:

    Doom (53):
    Supposedly a French bank ran out of money last night, which may contributed to this move. I find this coodinated action to be quite frightening. Things must be really, really bad in the EU and it must have spread to the USA quickly. We bought ourselves a little more time and made the eventual implosion a whole lot bigger.

    Smoke em if you got em!

  57. JJ says:

    we all know french banks always have no money so why would that be a big deal

    All Hype says:
    November 30, 2011 at 3:56 pm
    Doom (53):
    Supposedly a French bank ran out of money last night, which may contributed to this move. I find this coodinated action to be quite frightening. Things must be really, really bad in the EU and it must have spread to the USA quickly. We bought ourselves a little more time and made the eventual implosion a whole lot bigger.

    Smoke em if you got em!

  58. yo says:

    Germany benefitted from this EU problem.With the Euro losing over 18% of its value, export breaking their record.Decrease in import and a 6% unemployment.Now IMF (US,Canada,Japan,ECB) has to bail the Union.

  59. yo says:

    Global central banks are opening the spigots and the casualty has been the dollar,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at Forex.com.

    “The extension of the dollar swap lines essentially means that dollars will be available cheaply and on request for the next 15 months to Europe’s troubled financial sector, which will probably greedily eat them up after being starved of much-needed dollar funding since the summer.”

    Under the program, the Fed lends dollars to other central banks in return for their currencies. The foreign central banks then use auctions to lend dollars to financial institutions under their jurisdiction.

    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/global-central-banks-move-to-bolster-liquidity-2011-11-30?dist=afterbell

  60. Juice Box says:

    re # 59 – “I find this coodinated action to be quite frightening”

    I don’t it is just more Dollar Hegemony, or Dollar Crack. It will be like the old days in Europe where you got a premium for paying in dollars instead of the local currency. Those Frogs and the rest of Europe need to be taken down a peg or two anyway.

  61. joyce says:

    (61)
    The german people do not benefit by having their local currency lose value. The people in germany who held/hold euros are now poorer.

    The german multinationals may have benefited if their increase revenue via exports offset the currency valuation loss.

  62. JJ says:

    companies hedge. Multinational coumpanies keep cash in every currency they do business in

  63. Fabius Maximus says:

    Man, Mitt can’t catch a break. Finally puts his head above the ramparts and gets it shot off.

    http://tinyurl.com/7lxufkj

  64. Juice Box says:

    Have to remember many in the EU were pushing for a removal of the dollar as the worlds reserve currency. Now we just reminded them why they need us more now than ever, becuase they went BUST FIRST!! Heck if Russia begins a resurgence there will be nothing but smiles coming from the EU knowing we are still there after nearly sixty years defending them. Next time I go to Paris I want free coffee and free croissants on the Champs-Élysées just for being an American.

  65. yo says:

    Joyce,currency devaluation of 18% does not mean inflation will be 18% too.The German citizen enjoyed a by product of their products being sold outside their country and at the same time buying products made in Germany at a lower price compared to imports.The most important re action is unempolyment at 6%.And companies announced more hirings at a time when the region has 18% unemployment.

  66. JJ says:

    Plus in case of excessive cash in circulation they only have to fire up their ovens to reduce liquidity

  67. joyce says:

    68
    Ok, the imported goods (in who knows which categories of goods) were previously cheaper than domestic products, hence the reason for importing them. Now, the price of imported goods has risen as to make it cheaper to buy domestically. But you implied yourself, the price of goods in Germany only appear lower (they didn’t change, only the price of imports have risen). That means the average german is paying a higher amount for certain goods than he/she was before the currency devaluation.

  68. chicagofinance says:

    NOTE: NET EXPORTER ≠ ENERGY INDEPENDENT

    Wall Street Journal
    BUSINESS
    NOVEMBER 30, 2011

    U.S. Nears Milestone: Net Fuel Exporter

    By LIAM PLEVEN And RUSSELL GOLD

    U.S. exports of gasoline, diesel and other oil-based fuels are soaring, putting the nation on track to be a net exporter of petroleum products in 2011 for the first time in 62 years.

    A combination of booming demand from emerging markets and faltering domestic activity means the U.S. is exporting more fuel than it imports, upending the historical norm.

    According to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Tuesday, the U.S. sent abroad 753.4 million barrels of everything from gasoline to jet fuel in the first nine months of this year, while it imported 689.4 million barrels.

    That the U.S. is shipping out more fuel than it brings in is significant because the nation has for decades been a voracious energy consumer. It took in huge quantities of not only crude oil from the Middle East but also refined fuels from Europe, Latin America and elsewhere to help run its factories and cars.

    As recently as 2005, the U.S. imported nearly 900 million barrels more of petroleum products than it exported. Since then the deficit has been steadily shrinking until finally disappearing last fall, and analysts say the country will not lose its “net exporter” tag anytime soon.

    “It looks like a trend that could stay in place for the rest of the decade,” said Dave Ernsberger, global director of oil at Platts, which tracks energy markets. “The conventional wisdom is that U.S. is this giant black hole sucking in energy from around the world. This changes that dynamic.”

    So long as the U.S. remains the world’s biggest net importer of crude oil, currently taking in nine million barrels per day, it isn’t likely to become energy independent anytime soon. Yet its growing presence as an overall exporter of fuels made from crude gives it greater influence in the global energy market.

    If the trend toward net exports persists, it could also influence the national political debate over U.S. energy policy, which has been driven primarily by concerns about upheaval in the Middle East over the past decade. The independence of the U.S. from foreign oil sources has long been a lightning-rod issue in Washington, one further inflamed by last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Supporters of off-shore drilling have used the desire for independence to push their cause, setting up a battle with environmental groups and others who prefer a shift away from carbon-based fuels.

    The growth in exports is part of a “transformation of the energy system,” says Ed Morse, global head of commodity research at Citigroup Inc. “It’s the beginning signs of a process that will continue for the next decade and will point toward energy independence.”

    The reversal raises the prospect of the U.S. becoming a major provider of various types of energy to the rest of the world, a status that was once virtually unthinkable. The U.S. already exports vast amounts of coal, and companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. are pursuing or exploring plans to liquefy newly abundant natural gas and send it overseas.

    The shift is one of the clearest demonstrations of the diverging fates of the U.S. and emerging market economies. While the U.S. labors under stubbornly high unemployment and sluggish growth, emerging-market economies are growing strongly, bolstering demand for fuel.

    U.S. customers have been pulling back in part because an anemic economic recovery has left millions still looking for work. In August, U.S. drivers burned 7.7% less gasoline than four years earlier, when gasoline usage peaked. Production of ethanol made from corn has also ramped up dramatically in recent years, cutting into the need for other fuels.

    Now, “we’re not using as much,” said James Beck, an analyst at the EIA. “Prior to 2008, basically anything we produced, we used.”

    But U.S. drivers aren’t seeing much benefit in the form of lower prices because refineries on the Gulf Coast are shipping much of their output to places where demand is strong, keeping prices high.

    The U.S. was a net exporter of petroleum products in six of the first nine months this year, and the trend accelerated in the third quarter, with September data released Tuesday showing net exports of 919,000 barrels per day, more than any month this year. That indicates to observers that this year will be the U.S.’s first as a net exporter since 1949, when the U.S. economy was ramping up rapidly after World War II.

    Mexico and Brazil were major consumers of U.S. exports, according to the September data, while the Netherlands—home to key European ports —and Singapore also were significant net importers.

    Gasoline and low-sulfur diesel continued to be among the biggest lures for foreign customers, as was petroleum coke, which is used to make steel. Those are among the many products that are thrown off in the process of refining crude oil.

    The growing exports have made the U.S. a pivotal part of the supply chain. In 2006, the U.S. was a net importer of petroleum products from Brazil, but last year it sent a net 106,000 barrels a day.

    Argentina and Peru are now net importers from the U.S. For the next year or two, “the economies in Latin America will be growing faster than in the U.S. and the trend of increasing exports should continue,” says Daniel Vizel, U.S. head of oil trading for Macquarie Group Ltd.

    Singapore’s net imports from the U.S. roughly quadrupled in the past five years, while Mexico’s rose by about two-thirds. Mexico, in particular, is having trouble keeping pace with gasoline demand and buys about 60% of gasoline exports from the U.S.

    The figures illustrate the impact of the significant increase in domestic production thanks to new sources of oil coming from North Dakota and Texas. North Dakota’s oil production of 424,000 barrels per day in July was up 86% over the same period in 2009.
    Growing domestic output means refineries in the U.S. are making more fuel than the local market needs. That has given those on the U.S. Gulf Coast added incentive to look for customers abroad.

    Also adding to the U.S. exporting firepower: Refineries are more efficient, giving them an edge over older facilities in Europe. New drilling methods are boosting U.S. oil production, helping ensure steady supplies of raw material for refiners to process.
    The U.S. could expand its export trade further next year. Motiva Enterprises LLC, a joint venture between Shell and Saudi Arabian Oil Co., is expected to finish work next year on a refinery expansion in Port Arthur, Texas, which would double the facility’s capacity and make it the largest in the U.S. Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP and TransMontaigne Partners LP plan to build a $400 million terminal on the Houston ship channel.

    For decades through World War II, the U.S. was a net exporter of petroleum products, with sales reaching a high of 126 million barrels in 1944. The country then became a net importer in 1950, and grew increasingly dependent on foreign supply in the 1960s. Net imports peaked just above a billion barrels in 1973, the year domestic oil prices spiked amid the Arab oil embargo. After falling off in the 1980s and 1990s, net imports spiked again in the middle of the last decade before tapering recently.

    To be sure, the balance could shift back relatively quickly. If the U.S. economy were to rebound sharply, domestic need for fuels refined from crude oil could also shoot back up, which could increase crude import demand. In addition, U.S. refineries could lose customers if foreign economies falter, sending the U.S back to being a net importer.

    Meanwhile, export demand is boosting corporate profits for oil majors, such as Exxon and Royal Dutch Shell PLC, and major U.S. refining firms, such as Valero Energy Corp. and Marathon Petroleum Corp.

    “Unless there is a recession around the world, we’re going to be exporting for quite some time,” says Mike Loya, head of Americas for Swiss energy-trading firm Vitol Group, which moves more than five million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products every day.

  69. A.West says:

    I know a guy named rusty johnson
    That’s randy johnson’s nickname after his wife decides to follow Lysistrata’s tactics.

  70. yo says:

    John Wood?

  71. When did Rusty Trombone stop posting here?

  72. reinvestor101 says:

    >>>Juice Box says:
    November 30, 2011 at 5:06 pm

    Have to remember many in the EU were pushing for a removal of the dollar as the worlds reserve currency. Now we just reminded them why they need us more now than ever, becuase they went BUST FIRST!! Heck if Russia begins a resurgence there will be nothing but smiles coming from the EU knowing we are still there after nearly sixty years defending them. Next time I go to Paris I want free coffee and free croissants on the Champs-Élysées just for being an American.<<<

    Shlt. You know what the hell they ought to do? Let everyone in the damn world use the damn dollar and get rid of the mucking Euro, the pound and the rest of them damn stinking currencies. Get rid of all the damn central banks too and just have the damn Fed run to whole mucking world. That the way the damn thing is heading anyway, just we might as well get it the hell over with and formally announce it. Along with that we can just get rid the all those stinking leftest Euro governments, the liberal press and Obama and the damn democrats and let the Fed run the whole damn shebang. Just think about that—no more currency differences, no more government differences and more importantly—no more damn liberals. Business would run and solve everything. Hell, I want to see every damn thing under the sun privatized including legislation. Guess what? Everyone needs to get their ass out of the damn way and let business solve the damn problems.

  73. morpheus says:

    well…. we closed on the property in hanover township NJ (morris county). All in all, a fair price. I used a smaller house on a smaller lot as a comp and did a 2% appreciation per year since 1996 and got that price. The price was almost 23% off OLP.

    I was reviewing the NJREREPORT from 2005 and 2006. Apparently 2 bedroom homes in that township were going for $350K. That was fu**ing insane. Apparently 3 bedroom homes were going for $400K+ at least. crazy.’

    Anyway, appraisal came back $17K above our sales price. IF zillow’s numbers can be believed (and I wonder at that) for the house in 2008, we bought at 36% discount from peak. Even if those numbers cannot be believed, the 2% appreciation rule leads me to believe that the price was fair.

    I cannot believe that after four years of searching, we are done. Do I expect another 5-10% drop in the next year or so? Yes. However, wife cannot stand living in a one bedroom apartment with a 6 year old. It has been getting very crowded here. Rent is a lot less than the mortgage, but it is time to move. for a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath ranch, full basement (with lots of work benches to work on my guns!) and a carport, I think we did ok

    tired…spend too much time setting up new minolta laser printer. For $179.00 for a color laser, I will deal with a little aggravation.

    Thanks for all your help. Helped me get something that I can afford and still save for retirement and my son’s future education.

  74. Shore Guy says:

    Morph,

    Congrats on the new home.

  75. Congrats, morph. Sounds like you landed a live one.

  76. Shore Guy says:

    Kettle,

    If you are looking in, I thought you might get a chuckle out of this “news.”

    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204262304577069302835999204.html?mod=WSJ_article_forsub

    Reactor Core Melted Fully, Japan Says
    Fuel Breached Vessel Floor, Operator Says, In Its Gravest Fukushima Status Report

    TOKYO—Japan’s tsunami-stricken nuclear-power complex came closer to a catastrophic meltdown than previously indicated by its operator—who on Wednesday described how one reactor’s molten nuclear core likely burned through its primary containment chamber and then ate as far as three-quarters of the way through the concrete in a secondary vessel.

    The assessment—offered by Japan’s government and Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex—marked Japan’s most sobering reckoning to date of the nuclear disaster sparked by the country’s March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

    snip

  77. Shore Guy says:

    It took them this long to realize the extent of the damage?

  78. Shore Guy says:

    http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2011/11/30/phone-rootkit-carrier-iq-may-have-violated-wiretap-law-in-millions-of-cases/

    A piece of keystroke-sniffing software called Carrier IQ has been embedded so deeply in millions of Nokia, Android, and RIM devices that it’s tough to spot and nearly impossible to remove, as 25-year old Connecticut systems administrator Trevor Eckhart revealed in a video Tuesday.

    That’s not just creepy, says Paul Ohm, a former Justice Department prosecutor and law professor at the University of Colorado Law School. He thinks it’s also likely grounds for a class action lawsuit based on a federal wiretapping law.

    “If CarrierIQ has gotten the handset manufactures to install secret software that records keystrokes intended for text messaging and the Internet and are sending some of that information back somewhere, this is very likely a federal wiretap.” he says. “And that gives the people wiretapped the right to sue and provides for significant monetary damages.”

    snip

  79. morpheus says:

    thanks shore and clot. Still, although the house is in move-in condition, there still exists the matter of the electrical, plumbing, chimney and roof flashings repairs. Kind of ate into the new furniture fund. However, will not tap into the “lose your job fund”.
    All in all, it will be a life changer. Had to buy a season pass at camelback and in all probability, will only take one weekend trip to ski with my son this season.

  80. Shore Guy says:

    Anyone who uses a smart phone when dealing with classified, confidential, or proprietary information needs to bear this in mind and, perhaps, rethink their activities:

    http://www.pcworld.com/article/245229/carrier_iq_rootkit_reportedly_logs_everything_on_millions_of_phones.html

    If you use an Android, BlackBerry, or Nokia smartphone then you may be at risk of being illegally wire-tapped by Carrier IQ–a provider of performance monitoring software for smartphones–according to reports.

    Earlier this month, security researcher Trevor Eckhart announced that he found software made by Carrier IQ that may be logging your every move on your mobile phone. Trevor referred to it as a “rootkit”, a piece of software that hides itself while utilizing privileged access like watching your every move. Carrier IQ didn’t take too kindly to this accusation, and responded aggressively with a cease-and-desist letter, and went on to deny this accusation. However, to further back his accusation, Eckhart released a video that he says shows the software in action.

    In the video, Eckhart navigates to a list of running applications on his phone, and he found that the application IQRD–made by Carrier IQ–was not shown. However, when he searched all of the applications on the device, Eckhart discovered that IQRD showed up with the option to force stop it; therefore, he determined that the app must have been running. However, when he tried to stop the application, the force stop function did absolutely nothing. Additionally, this application always runs when the device is started, according to his research.

    After connecting his HTC device to his computer, Trevor found that IQRD is secretly logging every single button that he taps on the phone–even on the touchscreen number pad. IQRD is also shown to be logging text messages.

    In the video, Eckhart shows that Carrier IQ is also logging Web searches. While this doesn’t sound all that bad by itself, it suggests that Carrier IQ is logging what happens during an HTTPS connection which is supposed to be encrypted information. Additionally, it can do this over a Wi-Fi connection with no 3G, so even if your phone service is disconnected, IQRD still logs the information.
    snip

  81. Shore Guy says:

    Morph,

    There is something to be said for having a house that falls well within one’s means. It sounds like you have achieved that. One bit of advice, if there are things that need to get done, do them NOW (finances permitting, of course). After awhile, the things that should be done but are not tend to become acceptable and they become harder to accomplish once the momentum from the move-in passes.

  82. cobbler says:

    Morpheus, congratulations on your purchase.

  83. chicagofinance says:

    chicagofinance says:
    November 30, 2011 at 10:39 pm
    A.West says:
    November 30, 2011 at 6:48 pm
    I know a guy named rusty johnson
    That’s randy johnson’s nickname after his wife decides to follow Lysistrata’s tactics.

    JJ’s favorite baseball player; aka what do you call a Convent?
    http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/pics/rusty_kuntz_autograph.jpg

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