'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

On 09/08/2020 06:06, wrote:
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

Fair enough.

On 09/08/2020 06:07, Bod wrote:
On 09/08/2020 06:06, wrote:
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few
decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open


Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

Fair enough.

What about the Rust Belt? Seems pretty grim.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_Belt#:~:text="Rust%20Belt"%20is%20an%20inform al,industrial%20decline%20starting%20around%201980 .&text=Rust%20refers%20to%20the%20deindustrializat ion,its%20once-powerful%20industrial%20sector.

On 09/08/2020 06:14, Bod wrote:
On 09/08/2020 06:07, Bod wrote:
On 09/08/2020 06:06, wrote:
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few
decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open


Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

Fair enough.

What about the Rust Belt? Seems pretty grim.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_Belt#:~:text="Rust%20Belt"%20is%20an%20inform al,industrial%20decline%20starting%20around%201980 .&text=Rust%20refers%20to%20the%20deindustrializat ion,its%20once-powerful%20industrial%20sector.

Ah! reading that Wiki further, it does say that improvements are being
made in those areas.

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 06:21:02 +0100, Bod wrote:

On 09/08/2020 06:14, Bod wrote:
On 09/08/2020 06:07, Bod wrote:
On 09/08/2020 06:06, wrote:
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few
decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open


Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

Fair enough.

What about the Rust Belt? Seems pretty grim.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_Belt#:~:text="Rust%20Belt"%20is%20an%20inform al,industrial%20decline%20starting%20around%201980 .&text=Rust%20refers%20to%20the%20deindustrializat ion,its%20once-powerful%20industrial%20sector.

Ah! reading that Wiki further, it does say that improvements are being
made in those areas.

The unions are renegotiating there contracts but there is friction
when some old guy on the old contract is making twice to 3 times as
much money and working less than the new guy. The old folks are aging
out or being bought out and moving here these days.

"Bod" wrote in message
...
On 09/08/2020 06:07, Bod wrote:
On 09/08/2020 06:06, wrote:
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few
decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

Fair enough.

What about the Rust Belt? Seems pretty grim.

There will always be some of that in any modern first
world country as some industry stops being viable.

It even happens in France even tho you lot pay a lot more
for your food to prop up very inefficient French farmers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_Belt#:~:text="Rust%20Belt"%20is%20an%20inform al,industrial%20decline%20starting%20around%201980 .&text=Rust%20refers%20to%20the%20deindustrializat ion,its%20once-powerful%20industrial%20sector.

On 09/08/2020 07:01, %% wrote:


"Bod" wrote in message
...
On 09/08/2020 06:07, Bod wrote:
On 09/08/2020 06:06, wrote:
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few
decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open


Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

Fair enough.

What about the Rust Belt? Seems pretty grim.

There will always be some of that in any modern first
world country as some industry stops being viable.

It even happens in France even tho you lot pay a lot more
for your food to prop up very inefficient French farmers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_Belt#:~:text="Rust%20Belt"%20is%20an%20inform al,industrial%20decline%20starting%20around%201980 .&text=Rust%20refers%20to%20the%20deindustrializat ion,its%20once-powerful%20industrial%20sector.


Ok.

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 06:14:40 +0100, Bod wrote:

On 09/08/2020 06:07, Bod wrote:
On 09/08/2020 06:06, wrote:
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few
decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open


Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

Fair enough.

What about the Rust Belt? Seems pretty grim.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_Belt#:~:text="Rust%20Belt"%20is%20an%20inform al,industrial%20decline%20starting%20around%201980 .&text=Rust%20refers%20to%20the%20deindustrializat ion,its%20once-powerful%20industrial%20sector.

There is a reason they call it the rust belt. We shipped most of our
manufacturing offshore or to right to work states and those bloated
union salaries are not competitive anymore. Car companies are not
going to pay a high school graduate line worker $80k a year to do some
menial task several hundred times a day when a Mexican, a guy in
Tennessee or a robot can do it much cheaper.
I was reading the other day that you can't even blame the Mexican or
the Hillbilly for most of the decline, it is the robots.

On Sunday, August 9, 2020 at 2:31:47 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 06:14:40 +0100, Bod wrote:

On 09/08/2020 06:07, Bod wrote:
On 09/08/2020 06:06, wrote:
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few
decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open


Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

Fair enough.

What about the Rust Belt? Seems pretty grim.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_Belt#:~:text="Rust%20Belt"%20is%20an%20inform al,industrial%20decline%20starting%20around%201980 .&text=Rust%20refers%20to%20the%20deindustrializat ion,its%20once-powerful%20industrial%20sector.

There is a reason they call it the rust belt. We shipped most of our
manufacturing offshore or to right to work states and those bloated
union salaries are not competitive anymore. Car companies are not
going to pay a high school graduate line worker $80k a year to do some
menial task several hundred times a day when a Mexican, a guy in
Tennessee or a robot can do it much cheaper.
I was reading the other day that you can't even blame the Mexican or
the Hillbilly for most of the decline, it is the robots.

Sadly that's about it. The other thing that drove companies to move jobs
away from unions was the work rules that destroyed productivity. Like
requiring two men for a one man job. I remember when I used to go into
Bell Labs with some gear on one of those small, folding little luggage
carts. I couldn't continue to wheel it behind me in the building,
the engineer had to call a "porter". Even if Trump could bring jobs
back, they aren't going to be the jobs of the 60s and 70s. On the other
hand, if you get educated, learn a needed skill, like repairing robots,
then you can still earn a decent living.

On Sun, 09 Aug 2020 01:06:46 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.’s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didn’t even think
about why the workers weren’t working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills they’d receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

You're lucky regarding the RE commissions. Up in the Florida panhandle
they're still 6%, same as the rest of the country.

On 8/9/20 3:13 AM, Jim Joyce wrote:
On Sun, 09 Aug 2020 01:06:46 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?
Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.
You're lucky regarding the RE commissions. Up in the Florida panhandle
they're still 6%, same as the rest of the country.


You don't *need* a real estate agent to sell a house.Â* Show it yourself and have a lawyer do the paperwork.

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 06:27:18 -0400, I Sellers
wrote:

On 8/9/20 3:13 AM, Jim Joyce wrote:
On Sun, 09 Aug 2020 01:06:46 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?
Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.
You're lucky regarding the RE commissions. Up in the Florida panhandle
they're still 6%, same as the rest of the country.


You don't *need* a real estate agent to sell a house.Â* Show it yourself and have a lawyer do the paperwork.

Exactly, that eliminates both sides if the buyer has a lawyer too. We
have a lot of lawyers here who are also title companies so the buyer
kills two birds throwing that rock. Usually the title insurance is in
addition to any real estate commission.

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 06:27:18 -0400, I Sellers wrote:

On 8/9/20 3:13 AM, Jim Joyce wrote:
On Sun, 09 Aug 2020 01:06:46 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.’s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didn’t even think
about why the workers weren’t working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills they’d receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?
Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.
You're lucky regarding the RE commissions. Up in the Florida panhandle
they're still 6%, same as the rest of the country.


You don't *need* a real estate agent to sell a house.* Show it yourself and have a lawyer do the paperwork.

I assume most people know you don't need to use a realtor, but I always use
one for a couple of reasons. First, I don't stick around when I put a house
up for sale because I always buy the next house before putting the current
house on the market. I hand the keys to a realtor and let him/her run with
it, keeping the grass cut, scheduling open houses, dealing with incoming
queries and offers, etc. Second, I'd rather let a realtor manage the MLS
listing. Yes, I could do it, but it's worth it to me to hand off that task.

For some people, bypassing the realtor would make sense, so thanks for
mentioning it.

On 8/9/2020 6:23 PM, Jim Joyce wrote:
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 06:27:18 -0400, I Sellers wrote:

On 8/9/20 3:13 AM, Jim Joyce wrote:
On Sun, 09 Aug 2020 01:06:46 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?
Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.
You're lucky regarding the RE commissions. Up in the Florida panhandle
they're still 6%, same as the rest of the country.

You don't *need* a real estate agent to sell a house.Â* Show it yourself and have a lawyer do the paperwork.
I assume most people know you don't need to use a realtor, but I always use
one for a couple of reasons. First, I don't stick around when I put a house
up for sale because I always buy the next house before putting the current
house on the market. I hand the keys to a realtor and let him/her run with
it, keeping the grass cut, scheduling open houses, dealing with incoming
queries and offers, etc. Second, I'd rather let a realtor manage the MLS
listing. Yes, I could do it, but it's worth it to me to hand off that task.

For some people, bypassing the realtor would make sense, so thanks for
mentioning it.


What's a high-roller like you doing hanging out on a DIY politics forum?

--
Demolitioncrats are destroying America!

On Sun, 09 Aug 2020 02:13:06 -0500, Jim Joyce
wrote:

On Sun, 09 Aug 2020 01:06:46 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

You're lucky regarding the RE commissions. Up in the Florida panhandle
they're still 6%, same as the rest of the country.

That can be true if both parties buy an agent. (3% + 3%).
I didn't even know people did that these days. The buyer is usually a
lot better off just buying a lawyer to look over the documents. My guy
is $275 an hour and he can read a lot of paper in an hour.
It is not like homes for sale are a secret these days and you need the
secret handshake to look at the MLS.

In article ,
says...

That can be true if both parties buy an agent. (3% + 3%).
I didn't even know people did that these days. The buyer is usually a
lot better off just buying a lawyer to look over the documents. My guy
is $275 an hour and he can read a lot of paper in an hour.
It is not like homes for sale are a secret these days and you need the
secret handshake to look at the MLS.



I don't know how it is now, but about 10 years ago I went through some
ot it. Bought a house and the agent did dual duty as a buying and
selling agent. I think they got 5 % as there was some negociation going
on for the sellers.

I sold a house through a realitor. They got 5 % on that as I negociated
it to that.

Then I sold a house. I advertised that in the paper and put out a sign
'for sale by owner' with my phone number. I showed it about 5 times
before someone bought it. I downloaded a standard contract off the
internet and I and the buyers signed it. They did a home inspeciton and
all well. We went to a lawer of their choice and he did all the paper
work. No realitor was involved. From what two lawyers told me , in NC
you have to have a laywer do some of the paper work to register it at
the court house. It was no big deal at all to sell the house yourself
and save from 4 to 6 %. I saved about $ 5,000 as that was a $ 100,000
house, or maybe the buyers came out that much better depending on how
you look at it. I did look at the county tax values and home selling
records around that neighbor hood that is all public record and can be
done on the computer from home. As there were about 10 or 12 homes
built in the area at the same time and were very similar and 2 had sold
within the last 5 years it gave me a good idea of the price I should
ask.

Yes, there is a MLS that I found the house I live in now. I did have to
go to the realitor to buy it. I made a low ball offer as I knew the
house had been on the market for over 4 months and it was rejected.
About 2 months later it was still on the market,so I made another more
reasonable offer and it was accepted. As I had taken out some home
equeity loans on another house I owned I was paying cash as far as they
were concerned. Went to a lawyer with the sellers and realitor. Signed
some papers and got the keys. Was lucky as the lawyer's office was
across the street to where the deed had to be registered so it was all
done in a few hours.

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 15:05:42 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...

That can be true if both parties buy an agent. (3% + 3%).
I didn't even know people did that these days. The buyer is usually a
lot better off just buying a lawyer to look over the documents. My guy
is $275 an hour and he can read a lot of paper in an hour.
It is not like homes for sale are a secret these days and you need the
secret handshake to look at the MLS.



I don't know how it is now, but about 10 years ago I went through some
ot it. Bought a house and the agent did dual duty as a buying and
selling agent. I think they got 5 % as there was some negociation going
on for the sellers.

I sold a house through a realitor. They got 5 % on that as I negociated
it to that.

Then I sold a house. I advertised that in the paper and put out a sign
'for sale by owner' with my phone number. I showed it about 5 times
before someone bought it. I downloaded a standard contract off the
internet and I and the buyers signed it. They did a home inspeciton and
all well. We went to a lawer of their choice and he did all the paper
work. No realitor was involved. From what two lawyers told me , in NC
you have to have a laywer do some of the paper work to register it at
the court house. It was no big deal at all to sell the house yourself
and save from 4 to 6 %. I saved about $ 5,000 as that was a $ 100,000
house, or maybe the buyers came out that much better depending on how
you look at it. I did look at the county tax values and home selling
records around that neighbor hood that is all public record and can be
done on the computer from home. As there were about 10 or 12 homes
built in the area at the same time and were very similar and 2 had sold
within the last 5 years it gave me a good idea of the price I should
ask.

Yes, there is a MLS that I found the house I live in now. I did have to
go to the realitor to buy it. I made a low ball offer as I knew the
house had been on the market for over 4 months and it was rejected.
About 2 months later it was still on the market,so I made another more
reasonable offer and it was accepted. As I had taken out some home
equeity loans on another house I owned I was paying cash as far as they
were concerned. Went to a lawyer with the sellers and realitor. Signed
some papers and got the keys. Was lucky as the lawyer's office was
across the street to where the deed had to be registered so it was all
done in a few hours.

When I bought this house I got the agent agree to a seller commission
only and the title company acted as my agent for the transfer. I just
paid the title search/insurance from them. It was a cash deal and went
through pretty fast.
When I sold my condo I just told them what number I wanted on my
check, take it or leave it. They called me. I had made no effort to
sell it. I think they only paid a lawyer but I really don't know. I
got the check I wanted.

My first house was bought directly from a small builder. He had a
wife/broker but it was the same deal. I told them how much money I had
and that was I paid. I did pay the title insurance and the recording
fee.

On Sun, 09 Aug 2020 14:46:00 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 09 Aug 2020 02:13:06 -0500, Jim Joyce
wrote:

On Sun, 09 Aug 2020 01:06:46 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 05:34:06 +0100, Bod wrote:

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.’s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didn’t even think
about why the workers weren’t working, then wondered why roads and
buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills they’d receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions,
never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about
high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but
rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

Other than the inaccuracies I suppose it is OK.
Maybe Mikey should spend more time in Flyover land.
I called my village about a pot hole in the road, they were out there
the next day, cut out about 5 feet of road, edge to edge, fixed the
drain pipe that caused it and repaved it 3 days later when the
concrete on the pipe had set.
RE commissions are typically 3-3.5%.
Construction is booming here, even during the Covid.
I agree the health insurance is high but the government is making that
worse, not better and the lawyers are a big part of the problem.

You're lucky regarding the RE commissions. Up in the Florida panhandle
they're still 6%, same as the rest of the country.

That can be true if both parties buy an agent. (3% + 3%).
I didn't even know people did that these days. The buyer is usually a
lot better off just buying a lawyer to look over the documents. My guy
is $275 an hour and he can read a lot of paper in an hour.
It is not like homes for sale are a secret these days and you need the
secret handshake to look at the MLS.

I mentioned my reasons for using a realtor in another post. For my move
last year, I wasn't in Texas to manage the sale and I wasn't in Mississippi
to handle the purchase, so I used a realtor as my agent for both of those
actions.

Bod wrote

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and government,
the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

Bull****. We will either get a vaccine for this virus,
or it will die out like SARS did, or we will end up
with herd immunity eventually. There is no way that
the US will end up resembling a developing nation.

Even the worst of the schools wont either.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think about
why the workers werent working,

But ended up with one of the lowest unemployment
rates in the modern first world anyway.

then wondered why roads and buildings took so long to finish.

Hardly the end of civilisation as we know it.

They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive.

Not when they had health insurance they didnt.

They paid 6% real-estate commissions, never realizing that Australians
were paying 2%.

A small part of the cost of a new house
and they can obviously afford it.

They grumbled about high taxes

Which are in fact one of the lowest percentages
of GDP in the modern first world.

and high health-insurance premiums

They dont care when their employer pays for that.

and potholed roads,

Everyone does, even in england.

but rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked
better.

But which has other real downsides like much higher
tax levels like are universal in western europe.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

I gave up on those, they just make my head hurt.

On 09/08/2020 06:52, %% wrote:
Bod wrote

'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and
government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

Bull****. We will either get a vaccine for this virus,
or it will die out like SARS did, or we will end up
with herd immunity eventually. There is no wayÂ* that
the US will end up resembling a developing nation.

Even the worst of the schools wont either.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to.
Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think
about why the workers werent working,

But ended up with one of the lowest unemployment
rates in the modern first world anyway.

then wondered why roads and buildings took so long to finish.

Hardly the end of civilisation as we know it.

They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and
enormous bills theyd receive.

Not when they had health insurance they didnt.

They paid 6% real-estate commissions, never realizing that Australians
were paying 2%.

A small part of the cost of a new house
and they can obviously afford it.

They grumbled about high taxes

Which are in fact one of the lowest percentages
of GDP in the modern first world.

and high health-insurance premiums

They dont care when their employer pays for that.

and potholed roads,

Everyone does, even in england.

but rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that
worked better.

But which has other real downsides like much higher
tax levels like are universal in western europe.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open


Agree/disagree.....Opinions?

I gave up on those, they just make my head hurt.

:-) Ok, thanks for your input.

On 8/9/20 12:34 AM, Bod wrote:
'Without fixes for infrastructure, education, health care and government, the U.S. will resemble a developing nation in a few decades'.

The U.S.s decline started with little things that people got used to. Americans drove past empty construction sites and didnt even think about why the workers werent working, then wondered why roads and buildings took so long to finish.
They got used to avoiding hospitals because of the unpredictable and enormous bills theyd receive. They paid 6% real-estate commissions, never realizing that Australians were paying 2%. They grumbled about high taxes and high health-insurance premiums and potholed roads, but rarely imagined what it would be like to live in a system that worked better.

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/ar...ut-in-the-open

Agree/disagree.....Opinions?


True!

Ambitious people build stuff, others riot loot and burn stuff down.