To answer the last question in the first post, it sounds like you should put your money into canned tuna, and a big storage facility.
Interesting delima you pose. I really don't like being a doom sayer, but I have to put my prediction somewhere, and this is as good a place as any. As a baby boomer, having lost money after the dot com bubble burst, having lost money after 9/11, we decided to invest in real estate, and now that's tanking. Here's my plan for the immediate future. I'm keeping my real estate holdings, even though their inflated values have a long descent ahead of them, I'm going to invest in the stock market, backed by the full faith of the government stimulus package. BUT, when the DOW hits 9500 and I can see some simblence of savings, that I once had in the stock market, I and a bunch of my fellow baby boomer buddies, who've seen their stock portfolios, aka their retirements ripped from their accounts in the past, will most likely take our money out of stocks and invest in certificate of deposits or T-bills or at worse a good ole fashioned mattress. At least then, we will be able to rest easy about our retirements with what we'll have and not what we lost. I'm wondering how many other baby boomers will do this? My prediction is another run on wall street when the DOW is back up close to the 10,000 mark, by baby boomers who want to keep something/anything for their retirement and to heck with everything after that.
My earlier prediction of a down turn in the stock market seems to be abading if only due to the stimulus money having its effects on our economy. What happened with our inflationary run due to low interest rates and greedy banks is that prices went into the stratosphere. But they will come down as we've been seeing in the latest realestate prices in this area. Yet eventhough they will come down eventually to intersect market demand, the prices will never be what they were before word was out about this sleepy little oasis called the panhandle. Those who have the money and wonder what to invest in would be wise to take advantage in this down swing and accumulate realestate bargains where they can find them. For this particular area is in for a boom. Where this country's middle class populous held the highest bid for products around the world, it is shrinking. Countries like India and China have emerging middle classes and will be and have been able to outbid us on things like oil and jobs. But what is nestled in this little alcove of Florida is a shining gem. A rare natural beauty unique on this continent, unmatched by countries like India and China, yet poised to absorb an economic bevy of commerce in the coming generations. Before the machine gobbles up what's left, before the new airport allows the spread of a population increase, I think its important to not loose site of the real value in South Walton. Purchase with preservation in mind.
My earlier prediction of a down turn in the stock market seems to be abading if only due to the stimulus money having its effects on our economy. What happened with our inflationary run due to low interest rates and greedy banks is that prices went into the stratosphere. But they will come down as we've been seeing in the latest realestate prices in this area. Yet eventhough they will come down eventually to intersect market demand, the prices will never be what they were before word was out about this sleepy little oasis called the panhandle. Those who have the money and wonder what to invest in would be wise to take advantage in this down swing and accumulate realestate bargains where they can find them. For this particular area is in for a boom. Where this country's middle class populous held the highest bid for products around the world, it is shrinking. Countries like India and China have emerging middle classes and will be and have been able to outbid us on things like oil and jobs. But what is nestled in this little alcove of Florida is a shining gem. A rare natural beauty unique on this continent, unmatched by countries like India and China, yet poised to absorb an economic bevy of commerce in the coming generations. Before the machine gobbles up what's left, before the new airport allows the spread of a population increase, I think its important to not loose site of the real value in South Walton. Purchase with preservation in mind.
I'm not familiar with all the "little shop" CRE areas on 30A, but I have to imagine it's the same. The best locations will collect the pull back, the rest will be left empty.