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as a self employed carpenter I have more new work. the fly by night idiots are bankrupt or left town and either took their Mexicans with them or abandoned them. sometimes it is a good thing to flush out the system and get rid of the slime. us longtime pros are finally getting a break from the hacks
One bright spot in this mess ?
I am glad to hear that. As a homeowner it's like gambling in Vegas when you hire contractors to do work on your home. I heavily rely on word of mouth and recommendations. There's more than our fair share of horror stories about shoddy/incomplete workmanship out there.
My brother-in-law's flooring business has seen a drop in the number of customers he gets. He just has his head above water. Hopefully the worst will be over soon, it's still a good sign he managed to survive 2008 and 2009 and this year as well
My brother-in-law's flooring business has seen a drop in the number of customers he gets. He just has his head above water. Hopefully the worst will be over soon, it's still a good sign he managed to survive 2008 and 2009 and this year as well
No offense but do you honestly think the worst will be over soon? That's not unbrainwashed thinking there. The worst is yet to come. The DOW is going to drop, the bottom is going to fall out of the housing sector, unemployment is going up. Sorry but you and your brother need to prepare for the inevitable.
We're planning on getting our bathroom redone in the early Spring and I'm hoping to get either a deal or have the contractor jumping at the chance for some business. New home starts are the lowest in over 10 years, not a bad thing. I like green space.
I'd say retail and office space are way down and mall/ office owners are losing big in rent losses. The banks must be sitting on these losses and won't be able to do so forever. We have two new office complexes for sale and both are mostly empty. Strip malls( we have too many) have empty store fronts as does the Mall.
I'm looking for a used car and keep thinking prices should be down but they aren't. Maybe people are keeping their used cars or asking for what they think they are worth, or dealers are playing hard ball. You worry that people may be neglecting maintenance, running their cars into the ground and then trying to get what theyc an for them.
We're planning on getting our bathroom redone in the early Spring and I'm hoping to get either a deal or have the contractor jumping at the chance for some business. New home starts are the lowest in over 10 years, not a bad thing. I like green space.
I'd say retail and office space are way down and mall/ office owners are losing big in rent losses. The banks must be sitting on these losses and won't be able to do so forever. We have two new office complexes for sale and both are mostly empty. Strip malls( we have too many) have empty store fronts as does the Mall.
I'm looking for a used car and keep thinking prices should be down but they aren't. Maybe people are keeping their used cars or asking for what they think they are worth, or dealers are playing hard ball. You worry that people may be neglecting maintenance, running their cars into the ground and then trying to get what theyc an for them.
Beware......
That contractor that "jumps" many be on his way out of business.
No offense but do you honestly think the worst will be over soon? That's not unbrainwashed thinking there. The worst is yet to come. The DOW is going to drop, the bottom is going to fall out of the housing sector, unemployment is going up. Sorry but you and your brother need to prepare for the inevitable.
He said 'hopefully'. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. I'm sick of hearing such pessimism.
as a self employed carpenter I have more new work. the fly by night idiots are bankrupt or left town and either took their Mexicans with them or abandoned them. sometimes it is a good thing to flush out the system and get rid of the slime. us longtime pros are finally getting a break from the hacks
good for you, there will always be people who will pay a bit extra for good work/product, but, on the other hand, in though economic times, people will also count every penny and if necessary buy the cheaper, china made item, or get serviced by a contractor with a lower price.
good for you, there will always be people who will pay a bit extra for good work/product, but, on the other hand, in though economic times, people will also count every penny and if necessary buy the cheaper, china made item, or get serviced by a contractor with a lower price.
I think you hit upon one of the largest problems affecting the economy today. Americans want well made merchandise, but DEMAND low prices...and it's very difficult to have both. If we keep demanding cheap goods...then cheap goods is what we'll get.
when carhart moved to Mexico I had to find another source of quality workwear.took 5 mins. Pointer union made and same or better quality 5 bucks cheaper carpenter pants
I think you hit upon one of the largest problems affecting the economy today. Americans want well made merchandise, but DEMAND low prices...and it's very difficult to have both. If we keep demanding cheap goods...then cheap goods is what we'll get.
Even before the economy took a nose dive, Americans were demanding low prices.....we are truly getting what we paid for, are we not?
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That's not unbrainwashed thinking there. The worst is yet to come. The DOW is going to drop, the bottom is going to fall out of the housing sector, unemployment is going up. Sorry but you and your brother need to prepare for the inevitable.
