Wednesday, August 01, 2018

When is a Price Reduction not?

I want "back on market" to include why.  In this case it is failing to assess.

Property History for 680 Big Rock Road

DateEvent & SourcePriceAppreciation
Jul 31, 2018
Relisted (Active)
CRMLS #CV18145580
Jun 19, 2018
Delisted (Hold Do Not Show)
CRMLS #CV18145580
Jun 18, 2018
Listed (Active)
CRMLS #CV18145580
$680,000
Jun 18, 2018
Delisted (Withdrawn)
CRMLS #CV18033504
Feb 12, 2018
Listed (Active)
CRMLS #CV18033504


I want "price drop" to mean 10%. 
 

Property History for 9727 Cedar Street

DateEvent & SourcePriceAppreciation
Aug 1, 2018
Price Changed
DAMLS #218016874
$448,000
Jul 16, 2018
Price Changed
DAMLS #218016874
$458,000
Jun 6, 2018
Listed (Active)
DAMLS #218016874
$474,500


Property History for 1386 Helen St

DateEvent & SourcePriceAppreciation
Jul 31, 2018
Price Changed
CRMLS #IV18172590
$330,000
Jul 19, 2018
Listed (Active)
CRMLS #IV18172590
$340,000       

122 comments:

Unknown said...

Failure to assess means that the buyer could not get the bank to loan the money at the price agreed to by both the buyer and seller agreed to?

LBD said...

Proving again that mortgages control the price. Raise rates prices will go down.

Rob Dawg said...

You are both correct.

Lawyerliz said...

The Buyer could put a more down.

Lawyerliz said...

The seller could reduce the price..or rent with option to buy.
No more stated!!

Unknown said...

I never hear a person start looking for a house with the question "what do I need?" it's always "how much can I afford?"

LBD said...

Rubygoat, Can't show fiscal responsibility , what would you friends think? All that matters is how much a month?

Lawyerliz said...

My kids, 3.75%, both. Just in time

Lawyerliz said...

Even that wouldn't matter, if there were no 2nd mtges or cash out Refis and
People would stay there for a while, building equity. Or to rebuild a needed roof

Lawyerliz said...

I look around and see what's out there and what the price ranges are. And what we like. Can we stretch to buy it.? We always use all the proceeds as a down payment or for needed improvements to the new house

LBD said...

We are old school, now days debt makes you king for a day. We started with nothing and a house was hard to get when you had to put 20% down and you had to reinvest gains or pay taxes when you sold. Usually the gains paid the 20% down on the next one moving up. I would imagine sales would stall and prices would drop if it took 20% down.

Lawyerliz said...

Son borrowed 100%,.but Zillow sez it's gone up 15k$. Plus it has paid down about 2k..

Unknown said...

As a first time home buyer in 2007 I put 3% down. The market hadn't gone crazytown here yet, so it was a measly $4,500. I was offered a nothing down mortgage, but for putting 3% down, I was rewarded with $3,000 off the closing cost. I will say that even at 26 years old I had a credit rating in the high 700's, but even then I thought it was silly.

Lawyerliz said...

Why wouldn't you want to reinvest it all in the next house??.

LBD said...

Elizabeth Merceret said...

Why wouldn't you want to reinvest it all in the next house??.

Today you use it to buy toys or go on vacation. Youth seems to have no clue about wealth building and retirement.

You also pay heavy interest in the early years so no or low down pays the Bankers more money and you pay pitiful little amount of principle. Every time you start a loan over you lose unless you pull you gain forward. Lot of money to be made buying less and killing the mortgage. IMO.

Lawyerliz said...

Well when the rate is under 4 you pay a lot more to principal. Check out bankrate.

TJandTheBear said...

"Sellers only care about the price, buyers only care about the payment."

Funny how that truism started with houses but took over autos as well.

It's a rare individual that doesn't max their budget, thus I'd expect every rate increase to come directly out of prices. Mitigating factors (that JtR has amply documented) are multi-generational families pooled savings & income as well as parent's equity.

Looks like sentiment may be turning, though, which puts us in the odd "tweeners". Should be fun from here on out.

Lawyerliz said...

To be fair, cars do last a whole lot longer than they used to, and drive many more miles. When you have a rate under 4, it takes real stupidity to b.c. refi at 6 to pull some money out. Are cash out 2nd mtges available? Hope not.

Jim the Realtor said...

>>I want "back on market" to include why.

While the truth would be vital information, the buyer's agent is so petrified of losing their client's deposit that they cook up a whale of a story instead.

LBD said...

Good Morning!

Yes 4% does shift more to the principle compared to a normal 6-7% mortgage but consider the the payment qualification determines the price of the home. That number remaining steady means if the interest rate goes up the price of the house must go down. Houses are artificially priced now due to this subsidies rate. IMO

So many ways to skin a cat. Cars financed off of a RE loan is nuts IMO. The interest rate is less but over all cost is more. $50K car put on a 30 year mortgage @ 4% cost $35,934.75 in interest. Same $50K at 6% 5 yr would cost $7998.40. Short term vs long term and consider the car wont't live through a third of the loan.


Best payment is none and killing debt fast is the key. :)

LBD said...

Just like renal a reference when they want a tenant out they give a good review when they shouldn't.

LBD said...

rental! LOL!

Firemane said...

In 1997, when wife and I bought, we put 20% down, (proceeds from her mother's estate). But, we ran up stupid debt and by 2003 we did a refi which folded in all of our stupidity into the house at 105% of appraisal, (ahh, the days when lenders couldn't give it away fast enough). (Hangs head in shame).

Luckily, I finally grew a brain - threw an extra $100 a month toward principle, and eventually stopped with the credit cards. My wife, unfortunately, didn't.

But, when I needed to cash out for the divorce in 2013, none of the lenders I contacted would finance more than 85%, which ended up being just enough to hand her the equity while I kept the house and actually only added 1 year to my expected end of mortgage date.

Of course, I'm anti-American, since when I bought, my wife's kids were already grown, and I had every intention of staying put until death (probably not true of wife), and retiring in my little 3 BR townhouse. That's still my plan. But, I'm looking for a partner for my golden years, and I'm betting that won't be her plan.


Jim the Realtor said...

Here you go Liz - Doomer Mark says HELOC mania is the next big thing in mortgages:

https://www.mhanson.com/7-30-18-hanson-a-revolution-in-lending-on-deck-heloc-mania-2-0-also/

LBD said...

We didn't have a clue when we bought our first house. It wasn't till we had bought our 3rd house 10 years later I learned to read an amortization schedule. Wife bought an accounting program for Apple II e for a dollar. I laugh and said a waste of a dollar. When I printed a thirty year at 10% (yep and that was dirty low deal back then)it set in and rates where down so we refinanced in to a 15 year. I also ran prepay amounts and it all came together. Now we have several properties and haven't had a mortgage for over a decade. Learning to ride the wave is way better then paddling to never catch it. Still with the first wife, 47 years end of the month. Crazy thing is she still likes me!

Rob Dawg said...

You had a IIe and Liz calls me rich? Moneybags Lobbiest Ben Dover!

Lawyerliz said...

They neither care nor understand. What they are really after is status.

Firemane said...

"Rich" as an intentionally non-specific term, (that allows the Rich to deny or assert being a member depending on situation).

"Owning multiple properties" is one of those phrases typically reserved for the rich. HOWEVER ... currently, my brother "owes" two houses, plus he's in charge of my Mom's estate.

Personally, I think before a mortgage is paid off, it should be called "owing a house".

LBD said...

LOL! bags of electrons maybe. :)

Update The Bank Manager is no longer there. Nobody talking. She is not on the local rap sheet so she probably screwed up big time.

LBD said...

I like long term lease with option to own.

Lawyerliz said...

After a certain time men are at a premium, so you may have your choice of ladies!

Lawyerliz said...

Gack!!! HORRORS. It takes 10 years to forget.

Rob Dawg said...

Rich and wealthy are fundamentally evil terms these days. I would be grateful if we could work out better terms.

Theoretically a cautious and astute homeowner in my neighborhood could be living in a $1.4m house having paid $400k and is thus a millionaire. They aren't any richer than 2008 when that house was $400k.

Lawyerliz said...

Hehe. I own OWN 2 houses now, one under contract. Paid off!!

Rob Dawg said...

LBD - "Learning to ride the wave is way better then paddling to never catch it. "

One of my earliest posts: "There's a wave coming. Either surf or get churned."

Lawyerliz said...

Seldom done. But I agree. Leased property can acquire liens.

Rob Dawg said...

I have mortgages as a cash flow and tax choice but they are a choice not a necessity.

Lawyerliz said...

The money is imaginary until spent.

Lawyerliz said...

Until the💩💩💩 really hits the fan. I irrationally like things paid mlm for.

Lawyerliz said...

It's the depression grandmother in me. Cheapest wonan I ever saw.

Lawyerliz said...

The tenant was getting annoying too, even tho I had a good leasing agent.

LBD said...

Kind of like eating over the falls on a long board.

I like better a has been then a never was. ;)

Rob Dawg said...

It's the depression grandmother in me. Cheapest wonan I ever saw.

My mom was born the exact very "day the banks closed."

Rob Dawg said...

Note to all. I am enjoying this large room full of measured voices. Thank you all.

Firemane said...

Funny thing - I get to see the completely other side of the inanity of real estate, while listening to the Cali madness here.

To build my Mom's house new from scratch would cost (at $100/sq ft) about $140,000. It's current Zillow "value" (in Hamilton), is ~ $25,000.

IIRC, the tax value last I looked was around $46k.

Raleigh area houses run $130-$150 / sq ft. these days.

Then Dawg posts his listings for $150k closets for sale.

It's all madness.

On a completely unrelated note - I turned 111000 yesterday.


Rob Dawg said...

Happy 56th!

Rob Dawg said...

When I hear "Hamilton" my mind short circuits and goes straight to "corn fed cuties." So shoot me.

Firemane said...

When my Mom was still living in Hamilton, and I had reason to visit, I was forever getting excited and shocked faces whenever I uttered the phrase, "I'm going to Hamilton this weekend."

So, in the unlikely event any of you ever find yourself in Raleigh, I will be happy to take you to Hamilton (assuming you've got 4 hours to kill - 2 there -- 2 back). Though that seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to simply so you can say honestly - "I've seen Hamilton. I wasn't impressed."



Lawyerliz said...

Hehe he.

Lawyerliz said...

People at Home Depot and Lowe's are very nice and some have been here a very long time. Seems all wallpaper is to be viewed only on line

Lawyerliz said...

I'm reaching sensory overload again. Now we are having a hard time finding a bathroom fixture without a shower. Only one hole in the tub.

LBD said...

HBD! Firemane

Real estate is local. Dirt makes structures valuable. Kali's problem to reasonable people. Here most lots in town are valued around $10K but the over zealous assessors drive the structure price extremely high. Not reasonable especially they seem to a new program based off of cost of new construction. Insane but the dupes don't get it, many cheer in the rise of their fake value. Clueless rich.


LL, One hole? You should have a minimum of two, drain and vent. Confused.

Lawyerliz said...

2 holes. Wasn't counting the drain.

Rob Dawg said...

Warning. A web search of “corn fed cuties” doesn't return the same results I expected. I was expecting Maryann from Gillian’s Island and short shorts next to tractors.

Rob Dawg said...

My most recent new/renewed rental is $1/sf per month. So expensive.

Lawyerliz said...

So, How many square feet?

Lawyerliz said...

Our repair and redecoration frezy is keeping the economy going all by itself. All the tradesmen and subs and contractors are busy and happy. Home depot is full of people buying and crew restocking. A couple of employees told us where to go if they didn't have it.

Lawyerliz said...

Frenzy

Lawyerliz said...

Pigs?

Lawyerliz said...

Nitey nite.

Rob Dawg said...

1200 sf. Just s modest home.

dilbert dogbert said...

Someone mentioned cars up thread so here is my car comment: Test drove a Tesla yesterday. Interesting car with too damn many features. The sweet wife tried them all out. I turned them all off when I drove. Nice acceleration when you dump the whole battery into the motors. It has a big touch screen to adjust every thing. The only safe way to do that is when stopped. Comfortable seats and roomy inside.
The kids have an Audi that has a heads up display. A rock cracked it and it cost 4K to replace. The installer screwed up and the replacement cracked also - not a rock crack.
All of these electric cars need a beeper/growler for parking lot driving. On parking lot duty at the Dryscoll Ranch Rodeo a Prius snuck up on me and I almost backed into it.

Lawyerliz said...

And good morning too. Kitty in her old age is learning to walk on a leash. Short distances. Where she wants to go anyhow.

Lawyerliz said...

Hub test drove a Forrester and it.had too much in the way of features. And at the end we both felt carsick, him A lot, me a little. And I never feel carsick. Passenger seat uncomfortable. Hub wanted a heads up, will tell him about costs. Thx.

Lawyerliz said...

Spent nearly all day looking at bathroom stuff yesterday. Not finished shopping either. Gack, overload.

Lawyerliz said...

Wanted to look at wall paper, can only look on line. Is wallpaper out of style? My children hate it.

LBD said...

Good Morning!

No wall paper over here and haven't had any in years. Do what you like it's your place.

Drove electric golf cats before and don't care for them. :) Don't like the auto start stop on gas engines. Drove a Buick Encore with it. Annoying and not sure I could get used to the fell on start up.

Agree to much electronic stuff for me now days.

Firemane said...

Dogbert,

I think you may have a real idea there. With the path forward suggesting a growing number of hybrid and pure electric vehicles, an after-market add-on that generates sound whenever the actual engine shuts down (but battery is still active).

Make it configurable.

A) Mustang
b) Ferrari
c) Aston Martin
d) Lamborghini
e) Maserati

LBD said...

How about a blown nitro Hemi? That would rattle a few windows. =:0

Rob Dawg said...

You will note that car mfgs will never go back to space frame construction precisely because it is too inexpensive to repair and modify.

Firemane said...

Another good jobs report.

U3 down to 3.9
U6 down to 7.5

NFP was a tepid +157k, but previous two months were revised up by a combined 59k, so even that was solid.

I'm more concerned with what happens to labor force going forward.
There was a big leap back in February to 161.9M. Since then, labor force has only grown about 300k, (105k in July).

Mind you, labor force is a noisy series, 500k swings aren't really surprising (in either direction).

However, over the previous 3 years, the July to December pattern has gone:

2015: +1M
2016: +530k
2017: +130k

Without a doubt, there was an immediate positive reaction to the tax bill last December. There was a big surge in hiring and labor force. Like Cash for Clunkers, I think much of this was simply a pull-forward.

I'm sticking to my prediction of post-election blahs regarding unemployment.


LBD said...

Glad to see the mileage standards rolled back. Another Obummer wedge to make you drive what you don't want.

Rob Dawg said...

February is the reconciliation month and for the last few years has been a sizable up bump. If that holds we are probably missing a few say 10k jobs every month adding up.

Nothing worrisome. And my initial claims advice still holds. 240k plus minus 40k isn’t even worth mentioning.

Rob Dawg said...

Glad to see the extreme increases in proposed mileage standards not being forced through. Many lives saved. Real cars will be less expensive.

That said CAFE needs to be modified. Way too many loopholes relevant to the intended goals.

Firemane said...

Dawg,

That's why I come here. Even though I don't necessarily agree with your position, it's got logic and nuance that I can appreciate.

I will say I surprised that the goals were so aggressive. But, my opinion of American auto industry at this point is that the only thing keeping them afloat since the '70s is the Federal Government. And I personally prefer the "light touch" of forcing them to innovate through higher standards than bailing out Chrysler or GM every 20 years.

My view is the American fixation on the current quarter profits (and executive bonuses) has been so bad for so long that the American auto industry is incapable of even pretending to look forward and BEING innovative, unless an external force smacks them upside the profit margin.

As for the notion the cars will be less expensive ... on that I just have to chuckle. The bigger they are, the higher the mark-up. I paid roughly half what my ex-GF paid for my 2nd Prius, while she was snagging her 2nd Acadia.

But, hey Ford already did the biggest end run around CAFE standards ever. They're dropping cars almost entirely.

I do find it amusing that LBD blames Obama for making "you drive what you don't want", when Ford axes all cars except the Mustang and Focus.





LBD said...

I am glad you are amused but it was part of his game plan to kill the gas vehicles to force electric cars sales. To shove wind and solar energy down our thought he also sold our Uranium handicapping us for future use if we wanted to change direction. Cars sales dying comes from the choice of buyers to chose trucks and SUV's. They are also short profit and imports took the market. The Buick Encore I mentioned earlier is really a Dawoo or GM South Korea. American name plate does not mean made in America, even if it gets screwed together here it probably has 60% or less American parts.

It was probably cheaper for the government to save the unions and their retirees not the car manufactures.

Inovation was hard when you are playing banks and car sales where the money lending vehicle to stay alive. You have to have money to do research. Toyota's Prius is and old idea from an American company 1980. Briggs and Stratton. History goes back to the early 1900's.

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1980-briggs-and-stratton-hybrid-concept-car.htm

Lots of things the public never hears but I followed the Freep during all of the mess and what an eye opener it was.

People buy what they want and some times get burnt Oldsmobile Diesel rush to get in the market? Harley sales is very telling.

Fun world we have here eh? :)

Lawyerliz said...

Contractors bitching they can't fix their own cars anymore. They LIKED being able to do that.
If we can ever trade with Cuba all those olde cars will become available

Lawyerliz said...

As my son used his Harley, he came to hate it.

LBD said...

Fixing your car is as easy as it ever was. Not knowing what to do, that is something else. IMO.

Rob Dawg said...

“To shove wind and solar down our thought”

What an awesome typo.

Rob Dawg said...

Mrs Dawg’s company car. Nissan Altima with CVT At 68k needs a new transmission. I needs a new sensor but Nissan is evil and going to get caught eventually.

LBD said...

Typo? Me Ha ha!

New junk technology, Clutch from a mini bike to run a car, what could go wrong?

Lawyerliz said...

!!!!!

Lawyerliz said...

Terrible.

Lawyerliz said...

Now they are saying recession is a year and a half away still. I wonder what mp would say.
Contractor went out to lunch and the first 2 restaurants he went were too busy to wait. Sign of prosperity.

Lawyerliz said...

Price changes minus 10k. Maybe the most the realtor could talk them down.

LBD said...

Good Morning!

Hot 94F

Lunch out family visiting and pool time, BBQ and fire pit this evening!

Lawyerliz said...

Yay.

Is the NRA really in financial trouble?

LBD said...

Haven't heard but that is one tactic the rich loons use to break a view they don't like.

dilbert dogbert said...

Liz:
When I drive my 27 year old pickup truck around town I get offers to buy. Cummins desmell will last forever.
I used to own murikan cars that I could not afford to own if I could not fix them myself.

Lawyerliz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lawyerliz said...

I'd never fix a car,.but it's a good idea to keep them simple

dilbert dogbert said...

Someone up thread mentioned body of frame cars. So, I ahdden to go Google hunting and found this:
*
In light of the news about the updated construction process for the new MacBooks, it is high time you got a brief edumication on the history of unibody construction. It may seem revolutionary, but the method Apple is using derives from the early 20th century monocoque ("single shell") technique of using an object's external skin to support structural loads. It has its roots in the airline industry where a price drop in aluminum in the 1920's made it affordable to meet the demand for stiff, strong, smooth skins that could handle the stress of high altitudes and increasingly powerful aircraft. By the end of WWII, almost all high-performance aircraft were built using monocoque or semi-monocoque technique.

"The use of monocoque extended into the realm of automobiles as unibody construction (body is integrated into a single unit with the chassis) starting in 1923 with the Lancia Lambda, but it didn't really take off until Nash Motors released their 600 in 1941. Because the body was constructed as a single unit, Nash produced a vehicle that was not only stronger, but about 500 pounds lighter than a traditional body-on-frame automobile."
*
I remember seeing a Nash that crashed into a wall back when Dinos roamed the earth. The front was smashed up to the bottom of the windshield with the engine pushed sideways across the body. The windshield was not cracked!!!! The doors could be opened and closed.

dilbert dogbert said...

Here is a bar bet question: What WW2 murikan fighter had fabric construction. Many did. Might win you a free drink if you do some research.

LBD said...

I made my living fixing cars. Basically none of the do it yourself things have changed. Oil changes, brakes, batteries, alternators, starters, water pumps, clutches, head gaskets etc. Electronics IMO are way easier to deal with then 20 years ago. A cheap scanner tells with probably a 90% accuracy of the failed component. Then you can find tutorials on YouTube that will show you how to do it. Then all of this stuff last several times longer the ever before. You buy a Kraut car then expect to pay the punishment of playing the rich mans game.

First thing you do with a unibody in drag racing is tie the sub frames together and cage it, bridge effect. Low HP works, then again maybe not I broke the sub frame on my 64 Nova with a 283.

EngineerJim said...

When you get a new car these days, you don't get a spare tire. You don't even get a mini-spare, or a jack, or a lug wrench. In other words, you can't even remove a tire in an emergency. Instead you get a tire inflator kit which can pump air and sealant into a flat tire. That's supposed to be good enough to drive to a tire store to get it fixed. Of course the sealant makes a mess of the tire and the valve stem, so maybe you just buy a new tire. On the one hand, I can't remember the last time I got a flat tire. But on the other hand you can't rotate the tires yourself if you wanted to. As time goes by, people become more and more disconnected from knowledge of their car. By the way, I got a new car 5-months ago and haven't bothered to look under the hood yet.

Lawyerliz said...

I nlew 2 or 3 tires on I 95 during my trek up and down from Miami to here at 70 mph
Not too scary, as the tires deflated gradually
What was scary was waiting by the side of the road while the giamt trucks rolled by.

Lawyerliz said...

Blew

Lawyerliz said...

My hermit niece may come to visit.

Lawyerliz said...

Nobody there.

LBD said...

Not much here. An eight year old can really be exhausting. Want to lower your pool 4" just put an eight year old boy in it. Had a great time. :)

Lawyerliz said...

Did you jump in too? Contractors here. Water to be turned off shortltlt, so off to brkast, excercise, if I can stand it, dr. Appointment, and maybe more bathroom shopping.

Lawyerliz said...

Oh, Kali, fires bbn oare your fault Trump.

Firemane said...

I just did a search on auto innovations of the 21st century.

Hybrid (Toyota)
Backup Cam (Nissan)
Dual Clutch (VW) - not even sure what this is
Auto-Park (Toyota)
Collision Avoidance (Mercedes/Hon/Toy)
LED Headlamps (Audi)
Blind Spot Monitor (Volvo)
Auto-pilot (Tesla)

Even when the ideas originate here, it seems it's the Axis that is the one that actually gets there first.

LBD said...

A few thoughts on the list. Bringing things to market takes the right alignment of the sun, moon and the stars to work. Marketing has a huge influence. Pretty sure many of these innovations date way back in time and are developed around the world due to cost, talent etc. VW dual clutch is a splitter allowing a multi speed gear box to be shortened for narrow front ends. I don't see a real performance advantage Still don't see the advantage to a Prius over a micro car like a Yaris etc. Back up camera is just adaptation of known technology. Auto park, collision avoidance, blind spot monitor are all parts of the coming self driving car. Cars now have all the basic hardware to be self driving less the brain. Auto pilot is defective and should be removed from the market. IMO. Pretty much all manufacturers have alliances in stocks with each others corps. Things are developed around the world as well as components coming together as destination assembly. Ever heard of the first Porsche balanced drive train with the trans axle in the rear? 1980's? Amazing! Nope 63 Pontiac Tempest, Didn't sell so off to the dust bin. How about turbo's? 64 olds F-85, Corvair. Air bags? Cadillac and they had to buy them back from the dealers. Funny how that all works.

Unknown said...

FYI i think the LED headlamps are dangerous. They blind me with they are in my rearview.

Firemane said...

I get that there's lots of variables.
I get that some ideas fail on their first try, then later succeed.
I get that most innovation is simply fusing different techs.

My observation is that there appears to be a repeating pattern of US corps being 'late to market' again and again and again.

I applaud the effort that GM put into their initial all-electric car, but (as usual), it was a complete flop.

I grew up driving (in order): Chevy Vega, Chevette, Plymouth Colt, Dodge Daytona, and Saturn SL. I can tell you the Prius is NOT comparable to one of the micro-cars. But, what impresses me the most about the car is that even though 50 mpg was already crushing every American Hybrid -- they didn't stand pat -- and the most recent Prius is 60 mpg.

I get that if you've got 3 kids, an SUV makes sense, the same way station wagon's made sense back in the '70s.

What bothers me is not public choice, but that it seems with the exception of a couple of the grown-from-scratch billionaires, the reality of American Corporate culture is a lack of innovation. The very companies that grow large enough that they literally CAN afford to take some risks are the ones that don't, because they are overly beholden to the next quarter profits.

I see the same pattern in music - where the 'formula' wins an ever-growing share of the market.

I see a growing number of uber-large shell companies whose only business is buying smaller successful companies, so they can skim profits for already rich people while providing no additional value. (The one manufacturing plant outside Hamilton was a victim of one such scam some years back - so it literally hit home with me).

EVERY company (4+1) I've worked for since 1987 (with the exception of my current employer), was "purchased" by a larger entity. In all 5 cases (one company was swallowed by TWO larger fish), nothing changed for the people actually working (except the benefit packages mostly got more complex with higher premiums). There wasn't "expertise" that was shared. There weren't "process improvements". The owners got lucrative payouts, and in most cases were allowed to continue running the companies just as they had been before -- except paying the skim.

My view is American Capitalism is broken and dying - and it has absolutely zero to do with government interference. But, government interference is a nice, simple (and wrong) excuse to wield to explain anything wrong -- as the uber-rich continue looting and pillaging.







EngineerJim said...

I would add to the list of car innovations -- tire pressure monitoring systems. You can check tire pressure at any time while you are in the car, and the measurements are accurate. Regarding blind spot monitoring -- you need it because of the huge blind spots in cars these days (smaller height on the windows, and large pillars and seats).

LBD said...

I have worked on every car you have owned, except Prius and they all where a mix of many imports resulting price motivated junk IMO. I also worked on everybody's junk, from Mercedes to Subaru.

The auto industry is controlled by the government and unions. Lots of money spent else where and not spent on R&D, That simple. A biz round table several years ago Alan Mulally was asked how doing business was different around the world compared to the US. He simply put this way, other countries and governments ask how can they help. The US is constant harassment and road blocks. Simple formula to lose, wonder why they all want to move out of the country? Australia lost Toyota Ford and GM assembly plants due to government control and unions.

America can make great cars but not under the current conditions nor cheaply. IMO.

Firemane said...

Funny thing, though. Toyota and Benz and Nissan can manufacture in America - and have to provide health care benefits (the rest of the business world can ignore), and still remain competitive.

There's not a developed country out there competing in cars that has to provide health care. Personally, I think having a health care system that didn't add massive costs to business would be a step in the right direction.



LBD said...

No employer has to provide health insurance to my knowledge. I don't think any foreign name plate produced in the US are UAW. DOT and EPA add massive cost to us production of any brand unless congress gives a waiver which they do. I don't see why I can't buy a car or truck with the same safety and emissions stuff as a motorcycle. I don't think we can produce an export vehicle with out them either. That makes our home produced cars very expensive and uncompetitive in the global market. I also did DOT and EPA conversions for import on MBZ. Get governments heavy hand out of the car business like Obummers insane mileage requirements pushing golf cars. IMO.

Lawyerliz said...

Economy bopping along here, except brick and mortar stores. Comtractors insanely busy. Home Depot ditto. Restaurants ditto. Not to mention the space industry.

Lawyerliz said...

Local bums gone. House for sale signs reappearing, had disappeared. Whoever manufactures campaign signs will be millionaires shortly. Restaurants busy, chains and mom and pops.

Lawyerliz said...

I'm close to giving up on wallpaper. I guess it is totally out of fashion. That bathtub will be a hellava job getting upstairs.

LBD said...

Good Morning!

Wheel of fortune keeps spinning on up! Correction soon.

I remember 2 of us carrying a 6' cast iron tub up a couple flights of stairs when I was young. My back still hurts thinking about it, young and dumb. lol!

Firemane said...

No business has to offer health insurance. However, the Affordable Care Act includes a mandate for certain large employers (with over 50 full time equivalent employees) to either offer qualified and affordable health benefits, or pay a tax penalty.

Now, the truth is, when the ACA went into effect, it didn't really force many companies not already offering insurance to pony up. The law basically reflected a continuity of the existing reality at the time.

However, it DID create an incentive (the tax penalty) for large employers to STOP removing health care coverage from their benefits packages, (between 1999 and 2009 the % of workers offered employer-sponsored coverage fell from 71% to 66%.

But, let's step back a moment. Let's say we go back to before the ACA. And go back to 1999 when 71% of FT workers were VOLUNTARILY offered health care coverage by employers. How could it POSSIBLY be the fault of the govt. that they cannot compete globally, when they are VOLUNTARILY sinking massive sums into providing health care packages to their workers? I mean, if they couldn't compete, (prior to 2009), they could simply stop offering health care coverage and be competitive.

LBD said...

1999 is a faulty base for an argument. IMO. Pre collapse of the auto industry which happened with a sales slump and the requirement of 1 worker to support 3 retirees. Old joke at GM a retirement company sells cars. Major part of the down fall, that is why sales didn't make the profit needed but the banking branch did,till it didn't.

It will be interesting to see where the UAW goes after the SCOTUS ruling on right to work. Throw in the UAW theft deal with Fiat.

The UAW in recent years have tried to infiltrate the import companies in Detroit south but can't get it done. Part of the reason is manufactures do provide benefits like heath care, a bargaining chip of competition. The Obummer care was not a real player as the market took care of this item, so really no need for it.

Mahindra looks like they are setting up shop in Michigan and bring their jeep to market in competition with Fiat. I understand they still hold a license to produce the original Jeep platform since 1947. It is now being sold as a side x side off road vehicle. Now being converted for the street. Not sure if they will direct import and converted or assemble here in the US. They also bid on a postal delivery contract but don't know if they got it or not.

https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/chrysler/2018/08/07/fiat-chrysler-jeep-mahindras-roxor/917886002/

Bottom line is baggage cost and makes the big 2 uncompetitive. IMO.

Lawyerliz said...

They are pounding away.

Lawyerliz said...

It wasn't.

Lawyerliz said...

This was stainless steel

How soon is soon? A year and a half?

Lawyerliz said...

I want price reductions. . . A regulation?

Rob Dawg said...

New post. Love hearing all the diverse views.