Do you realize how good you got it here, in the Triangle? (sales, foreclosures)

[CarolinaCowboy]

Just got off the phone with my brother, he lives in Oregon. Said everything is bankrupt and closing everywhere he looks. Half the homes are in or have gone into foreclosure. Unemployment is 25% where he lives and approaching 15% statewide and this does not include underemployed and those who off the books. There are no jobs to be had, none, nothing, not even Walmart is hiring! He told me about college grads and folks in their 60s applying for bus boy jobs! For real!

Read an article about evictions in TENT cities across California. Notice I said TENT cities. These are people who already lost their homes and jobs and now the state tells them they can't live in their cars and tents!

I spoke with several people in Nevada who are baby boomers, lived there most of their lives. They are in their 60s and lost their retirements,got laid off and many are loosing their homes. They show up on foot, many of them for jobs, because they don't use or cannot afford the internet to apply. They drop off applications in piles of hundreds for a single position. Yes, the 20 and 30 something's always get the work.

Here we still seem to have it good. The malls and restaurants still seem to be packed and homes being kept. But for how long? There is just no way with what is going on around us, that this will last. It has to eventually impact us here too.

For those of you who do not travel, man I'm telling you, it is getting real bad out there, for real!

I think the news about the recession coming to an end are pure BS, to try and get the rich to spend. There is nothing good in the forecast. Let us hope we stay shielded here in our own little world.

[lovebrentwood]

Excellent post. Thank you for writing it.

I've found the gravity of the recession hits home with people only when it personally affects them.

[wheelsup]

A little exaggeration on your brothers end I think.

50% of homes in Oregon are in foreclosure? Really? I don't believe it.

California, Nevada, Michigan, Illinois and one or two more states (not Oregon) accounted for something like 60% of total foreclosures in the country in the past quarter.

Check it out we're #48 and Oregon is #49 Feb 2009 Unemployment #'s:
http://www.bls.gov/web/laumstrk.htm

California actually has lower unemployment that North Carolina.

[SFspiderman]

Of course I realize how good I have it here..

[Waterboy526]

A lot of the same people who were claiming the recession was so bad back in the later part of last year, are now the ones saying that everything is getting better and we're almost out of it. Sales are still going down across the board, foreclosers are up again (after going down for 2 months), and unemployment will only continue to climb through most of this year.

I wonder why people are telling us it's getting better now? Are these same people trying to make certain politicians look good?

[NancyBikes]

Originally Posted by Waterboy526

A lot of the same people who were claiming the recession was so bad back in the later part of last year, are now the ones saying that everything is getting better and we're almost out of it. Sales are still going down across the board, foreclosers are up again (after going down for 2 months), and unemployment will only continue to climb through most of this year.

I wonder why people are telling us it's getting better now? Are these same people trying to make certain politicians look good?

Because to a large degree, recessions are a psychological phenomenon. If people would only act like things are better now and start spending more, then this would pull us out of the recession. So telling us that things are better becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

[SunnyKayak]

keep it local

[JViello]

Some of those stats sound just a little inflated...ya think?

I think we are in deeper than most people realize, but 50% forclosure? LOL Probably more like 5%.

[GucciLittlePiggie]

wow... my thought a few years ago was to move to Portland, but ultimately i decided it would be too hard to get jobs and make enough to have the lifestyle i want. glad i chose the Triangle instead...

[tabbcat]

I can vouch for Michigan... LOL... we still haven't been able to sell our house there. Luckily we have tenants.