This morning as I was driving down Hazel Avenue during commute traffic, I noticed the absence of contruction trucks which got me to thinking about the collateral benefits of the dramatic downturn in new construction.
First on my list was the dearth of gravel trucks and not having to deal with chipped and broken windshields from thrown rocks.
Then I got to thinking about how long it has been since I've heard a traffic report during the commute, reporting the daily "ladder in the rodeway."
Lastly, the total number of cars on the road appears to me (and others) to have declined. Presumably, this is at least partially due to the $4.00 gallon gasoline, but the missing contruction trucks is another factor.
What other "benefits" have you observed from the housing downturn?
Paul
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
8 comments:
Paul,
Some of it is outright migration out of the area. Which is fine by me. I was reminded of something from my teenage days living a few blocks off the beach: Locals only, tourists go home >; )
Jane: I see increasing evidence of both an exodus from the area, and closing businesses. In browsing Craigslist garage sales last Saturday in Cameron Park, out of a total of 7, two were businesses that had closed and were selling of inventory, and another was someone moving to someplace "cheaper" (Colo.)
And having lived on the beach myself, I do recall the "after Labor Day" parties we would have when the tourists were gone.
Perhaps high gas and lower home prices in the Bay Area will lead to fewer "crazy commuters" as I call them.
In New Mexico on business....I paid close to 50 cents a gallon less compared to Sacramento.
The biggest benefit I've seen is that the costs of every building product has dropped 40-60%. The new kitchen I had bid out 2 years ago was over 25K, today, it will be between 8 and 10K. The granite alone has gone from $4500 to $800. 2 years ago, it was a minimum 3 month wait and we had to fit into the contractor's schedule. Now, it's "when do you want me to start"
If any of you owners want to do some cheap upgrades, now's the time.
I'm shopping for a bigger boat and prices are so good I can't make up my mind.
Hmmm....this gives me hope that run-away inflation will not kick in this summer......
How about this-
I heard on the radio that restaurants have seen a 15% decline in business. That means more people are eating at home. From my experiences, people will eat less and healthier by foregoing the ginormous portions given by restaurants.
If people eat better, then maybe we will see a small decrease in weight related issues clogging our overstressed medical system.
well the first benefit of the housing downturn that comes to mind is a move back to affordable housing prices.
Post a Comment