By Michael Fink

November 4, 2006 09:00 AM | Link to this

Buyers backing out of contracts in record numbers (from WSJ):

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06308/735390-28.stm

By Frank

November 4, 2006 06:10 PM | Link to this

After enjoying The Real Deal for a while, I simply want to say that Jeff O. seems to be carrying most of the water for this blog. Hats off to him for fulfilling his responsibility to the readers. The other 3 people responsible for this blog should be titled “guest contributors” at best or possibly replaced.

By shermanator

November 5, 2006 08:19 PM | Link to this

It’s too late now to worry about homesteading under SOH. Property tax assesments will be going down for the next five years. They should have claimed residency five years ago.

By easyasabc

November 6, 2006 10:51 AM | Link to this

Our boy Jeff was on the Sundy morning South Florida Business Report. You talk about being stupid and ugly. Jeff came off as just another bitter young man who does not own property, and he just wants to trash our market here. Jeff figures that he can lower the market values here through his position at the Post. I like how David Weir said that Jeff was one of the top reporters at the “Post”. I think the “Post” is in trouble.

David also mention that a year ago that Jeff said on his program how our real esate market was taking off. And now Jeff blames this past year on the hurricane season for the market down turn. Gee, did i miss a category five storm here this past summer? That was not the problem, the problem was today’s buyers are not saving and are maxed out on their credit, flippers who got greedy on resales, and loan lenders not giving out exotic loans as they use to.

I was waiting for jeff to promote a certain area to move to, and he did say those two magic words…..North Carolina. Maybe Jeff should find himself a job with the local paper there. I think Jeff is in some developers pocket from the N.C. area.

Jeff, one remark on your conversation with David Weir…..you said “and ummm” about 20 times. When you do talk, gather your thoughts, and have a point on what you say. I believe you were going over your blog stories in your head as you spoke. And comb your hair when you go on tv and sit up straight in your chair when you are interviewed.

Linda has some good blogs at times. Alexandra has a great column on Post Sunday Business section. Can anyone tell me if Alexandra is taken? Just becaue Jeff writes 90% of the blog stories, does not mean it is good stuff. Most of it is rehashed from other news articles that came out several days before.

Does everyone like about these politicians, attorneys and developers going down???? Look for a number of mortgage brokers and realtors in the area next to get hit by the Feds for false loans. The problem again was everyone got so greey, no one wanted to share the wealth with their staff members.

Jeff, please tell us if Christine Christofek smells really good or does she smell like the garbage dump at her second job as the Waste Mangement spokesperson.

easyasabc

By cw1900

November 6, 2006 12:21 PM | Link to this

I didn’t see the show, but Jeff didn’t really mention NC, did he?

Yes, Mildred, it is a bandwagon, herd instinct, follow the crowd, whatever you want to call it, it is comical. When it is this prevalent, it is the short term top for NC, GA, TN.

from earlier post below…

Easy and Rich R, you two will be interested in this. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. Yesterday, I was at a birthday party in PBG at some people’s house we go to about once or twice per year. We do see some of the same people there each time, but are only acquaintances. At one point, I walked inside and listened to 3 women talking about there upcoming moves to GA and western NC. On the couch were the three husbands talking about it as well. I sat and listened for awhile. Two were moving, and putting the houses up for sale, and “we’ll just see what happens, we’re in no hurry� type of mentality. They both had ventured up there from what it sounded like, strictly on the bandwagon go with the crowd approach, both went up one time each, and bought property from what it sounded like in the country and the other they described as mountain view in GA. The other guy who has not bought yet, but was asking a lot of questions, and the other two were saying to him…�Yep, now’s the time to buy up there�. These three people from the talk I heard thought they were the smartest real estate investors on the planet, and the wives were, honest to god, discussing the slower pace of life, how neighborly everything felt, etc. Easy, I was just waiting for one of them talk about baking pies, but then I knew I would probably throw up if they did. Bottom line is, there is definitely a segment of the population here, not very astute on when exactly to buy and/or sell that is being marketed heavily to go to north GA, TN, or western NC, and when heavy print media, infomercials, and seminars are coming here talking about those three place, those people will all pay full retail price, that is exactly when I do not buy, just the opposite, I want to sell to those amateurs. If you are seeing the slick, full color brochures come your way on lot purchases in some new ground floor development, run for the hills, just not those hills. You are about to get screwed and pay way too much.

The icing on the cake was this morning as I was driving into the office. I was changing stations and ended up on 1230 am just in time to hear an infomercial type of broadcast from a local realtor talking to an obvious lot salesman up in NC and I swear, cross my heart, I heard a “by golly� or a “dadgumit� or something like that, and then I heard it….Are you ready Easy….he didn’t say pies, but he did say you could “roast marshmallows at night in your own backyard looking at the stars, and sit around with the grandkids telling stories� I laughed so hard, I almost swerved off of I-95 into a poor slob stuck in traffic not wanting to go to work to get yelled at by his boss, dreaming of his wife’s homemade baked apple pie on the window sill of his new overpriced house in the hills of western North Carolina….

cw

By Marshmellow Nights

November 6, 2006 12:49 PM | Link to this

At least someone else has good stories to tell. Did you see the informercial that has Dan Marino selling land in Tennessee and Carolina? They have one also with “Ponch” from CHiPs tv series. I like to know if those homes will have plumbing inside or outside? No infrastructure (roads, water, gas, power lines) in those lots being sold. The real tax bill comes after you buy the land. Those hillbillies will make all those Yankees pay the price of leaving Florida. I believe you can watch the SFB report on line when it comes up later on and see Jeff’s interview.

easyasabc

By Rich R

November 6, 2006 12:59 PM | Link to this

almost like the condo Boom in Miami Beach or the swamp land deals of the late ‘60’s.

Here we go again.

Waiting for new numbers….

By cw1900

November 6, 2006 01:18 PM | Link to this

Actually, Rich R, if you have been up there awhile, you obviously see the Floridian’s armed with an infomercial. A little knowledge is a very dangerous thing, you know that. Most of these coming up to you now in 2006 are very reactionary, not proactive at all. Reactionary thinking always kills you in any market, whether the stock market or the real estate market.

The smart money people who bought up there 4,5,6,7 years ago, those are the smart ones selling their profits to all of the idiots coming now. These idiots, if they did real homework, would find they are buying at very high prices compared to just 3 short years ago.

Good for you, Rich R, if you can make a pile of dough on Bill and Cheryl from Haverhill, the 3 kids, the dog, and their dream of the hills and 4 wheelers, and of course, the pies and marshmallow campfires.

He with the most info and knowledge wins.

He who watches the mighty infomercial will forever make payments to the people with the real knowledge.

cw

By wobe

November 6, 2006 06:57 PM | Link to this

Well said Easy. We would have so many more horor stories about the real estat market if the post didn’t make so much money on real estate advertising. wobe

By VOTE !

November 6, 2006 07:05 PM | Link to this

I wanted to tell everyone to vote tomorrow. No matter what party you align with, we all have to agree that somethig has to be done in this country.

There are many issues out there to vote on. We have the war, jobs, medicare, immigration, crime, education, taxes and other issues. We can talk about the war, if is right or wrong. The only thing i know is we didn’t start this war on terror. I just know it was a nice sunny morning in NYC, our president was reading children stories in Florida, the talk of the day on the radio was about Britney Spears belly ring. Within minutes, our world changed. We had people holding hands and jumping out the 80th floor of a burning building, men and women were fighting for their lives and this country above the skies of Pennsylavania and our president had our country military at Defcon 1 ready to launch nukes. Remember that D-Day alone killed 6,000 allied soldiers. Look up how many were soldiers were killed on Iwo Jima, Tarawa, or Anzio. Thank God you speak English and not German or Japanese. No matter what, support the troops.

We have millions of American workers out of work. Losing their jobs to oversea trade agreements that were passed by this congress. They do not count anymore as the unemployed by our government because their benefits ran out.

We have elderly people buying their drugs from other countries because they are cheap in price. We have over 50,000 people so far this year going to another counrty to get a medical procedure done because our doctors charge 5 to 10 times more to do.

Whatever type of jobs that are here, they are taken by illegal immigrants. Cannot blame the illegals because they are escaping their land for work to feed their kids. CEO’s at Publix and Western Union are making money on the overseas money transfers by the illegals sending millions to their homeland. Think billions being made by these two corporations alone.

We have employers out there knowing they can get workers cheaper and make their pockets richer. Not offering them insurance or other benefits. Remember how Corporate America told Americans that it will be cheaper for all of us by going out of country to get things made? Our country has lost the technology edge and became a service industry. Only ones who benefit it was the CEO’s in this counrty.

Wth no jobs, more crime will happen. Another reason why our education is going down. Our schools are too busy about teaching sex to the kids instead math and science. The kids leave school and have two options when there are no jobs for them, life of crime or a military life. One way or another, they will end up in a battle. They can either die in street gutter selling drugs or in the streets of a country which they couldn’t find on a global map.

Then there are the ones out there who complain about taxes and insurances and tell how they cannot afford a home. In the meantime, they are paying off their school loans, car payments, child supports, ex-spouse supports, credit card payments and going out spending $30 a plate on some pasta dish with their new squeeze and throwing away what they have left to a landlord.

So when you go to vote tomorrow, think about your future, your kids future and grandkids future. Maybe it is time to remove everyone in office and give their job to someone else. If you think your politician did a great job for you, vote him or her back in again. If you didn’t vote, they don’t complain.

easyasabc

By To Easy

November 7, 2006 09:43 AM | Link to this

Hey Easy, what happened to Florida being a paradise?

Like you said, crime is up, education is crap, homes are overpriced, property taxes and insurance are too high, but you call this a paradise?

What happend to AS WE SPEAK PRICES ARE RISING? You really are just some desperate realtor trying to dump his properties before the interest rate resets aren’t you?

By Cartersville here we come

November 7, 2006 10:51 AM | Link to this

CW or whoever you are,

We are one of those families moving up to Cartersville, Georiga. Maybe if you really believe we are following a crowd, then so be it, I don’t care what you think. I do know my family will be safer up there rather than here in Boynton Beach, and my wife thinks we can have more family time, then what is wrong with that.

I will take a cut in pay, but when my house here sells, I can buy something for a lot less money, and my new mortgage will probably less than 50,000. My wife has researched schools and they seem to be sufficient. When we visited this summer, it was everything I expected and the realtor and other we met were very friendly.

Adios amigos here in south Florida. We can’t wait.

By This is Paradise

November 7, 2006 11:12 AM | Link to this

No, i believe i said this many times before that i am not a realtor. Maybe if you learned how to read, you would remember that i promoted sellers and buyers not to use realtors and save money on both sides.

In general, across the nation, i say to vote to feel what direction is better for you. But i can tell from your attitude you are one of these “do nothings” who in life complain about our politicians, taxes and wages, but won’t vote to hear your voice to be heard.

Yes, crime is high here, that is because for various reasons. Our law enforcement has no discipline, no leadership, our court system and district attorney gives out free passes to repeat offenders. School system has been messed up here for years, due to school board members lack of vision for the kids and making special deals to make them more rich. Parents like you, who raise smart a*s kids who show no respect to others. Maybe because their parents, like you, show no respect and have little or no education. So the kids become what their parents are, A******S !

You want to see prices rise?, stick around. You think the intrest rates will go up? Maybe? But where will it put buyers like you? I tell you, looking from the outside and still making us landlords richer. If the intrest rate goes down, the price of homes will go even higher. Lots of good deals out there. Local Fox network is telling whre to find great deals this week. Lots of 2/1 in the $200k range. Maybe you like 4/3 for $450k out in the Acreage? What an you afford?

You can move up north to pay more to pay more taxes, a lower housing cost, but you get what you pay for in hickville areas. You can search for a better school system and see the change of seasons. It won’t be like Florida! No matter where you go, crime is everywhere. Why don’t you stand in the park across from the White House at 3 am. If you think you are safe, you are wrong. No one is holding you back to leave here if you think Florida SUCKS. Find a place where they cook marshmellows at night. Share a pie with another “halfback”. Tell stories about how you hated Florida. You will have fun with other “have nots”.

No matter what in life, you will have to pay taxes and you will die. You won’t be able to escape those two subjects. So get your mind set on those two matters.

Paradise is what you make out of it. If you want to live a miserable life, go on. Someone will put you in your place when you cross paths with them. If you want to enjoy who is around you and make the most out of life, then do it. Not everyone is rich, not everyone is poor. If you have a problem of what i talk about here, which is the truth, too bad!

Life IS good here in Paradise. If you don’t think so, go get yourself a U-Haul and take I-95 going northbound. We will not miss you. The rest who are here, will say it is one less A*****E around.

easyasabc

By Cartersville????

November 7, 2006 11:19 AM | Link to this

I just saw the blog about Cartersville. I believe you will do well, as a farmhand. Do you or your kids “Hablo Espanoel”? If not, you will have to. Great pecan pies sold near the missle silo along the interstate. You must own near that waste treatment center in Boynton. Many people got pulled in by fast talking realtors to buy near there. I bet he told you it was a power plant when you bought. Make sure not to show your home around 5pm, it really sticks in that area at that time.

say hi to Jimmy and Roselyn! Have some Billie Beer.

easyasabc

By School is not a priority in north ga

November 7, 2006 11:29 AM | Link to this

Ok easyasabc and cw, your posts are very rude, however I have to agree with some of what you say. North GA is way too laid back and the parents in general just don’t care as much. Here is an example: My good friend moved there from Iowa to take a teaching job in Blairsville, anyway… she was all excited about her first back to school night where the kids and parents show up to meet the teacher..she had 30 kids and had made sure they all knew when it was..so she had her room all looking good, she felt good…one kid and his mother showed up..and the mother didn’t even speak english so the child translated everything she had to say….she was heartbroken, she had worked very hard for this day and one kid showed up…ok, so I guess the moral of this story is that many parents here just don’t emphasize education for their children. At least one hispanic mother showed up, but not one of the regular redneck locals, not one! She was right in saying that if that had been Iowa, the paretns would have come, some grandparents would have come etc… The gov’t can only do so much here…the rest is up to the families of these children.

Those people with Andy Griffith on the brain and Mayberry, you’ll be shocked, and some of the people have said they have only went up there once or twice before they made the decision, what are they smoking!

By To Easyasabc

November 7, 2006 01:35 PM | Link to this

How about this little fact of paradise: Remember those FCAT scores, in Martin County about 50% of the kids there in the 10th grade can’t read at grade level. AND THAT IS THE BEST COUNTY IN THE STATE FOR EDUCATION!!! Let’s not even start with PB County.

Let’s talk culture here. Where is there a respectable museum? Where is a respectable opera, ballet, symphony? There aren’t even any decent sporting events in PB County!!!

All that you have here, easy, are OK restaurants (but they are kind of boring, all doing that fusion thing that’s hot now), melanoma, and hurricanes.

The weather here is decent for 4 months a year, but its nice everywhere for 4 months a year.

I’m a native Floridian, born and raised in Miami and I’ve lived in several parts of the state. West Palm reminds me of Miami in the early 80s. Its got some superficial appeal, but with horrible crime, a downtown that you can’t go to at night, and a LOT of corruption in government.

And don’t worry, easy, as a gringo you will soon be pushed out of your life here.

Adios

By To Easy

November 7, 2006 01:35 PM | Link to this

Easy, forgot one more thing. Is there a decent college anywhere here? Oh yeah, you have FAU: HAHAHAHA

By NO VOTERS

November 7, 2006 01:47 PM | Link to this

I just came back from voting and can tell you no one is voting in my area. How sad. Those signature pages are mostly all blank now as of 1:30 pm. Where are the voters? You have a chance to vote on raising the homestead exemption from 25K to 50K. Stop complaining on these blogs, you had your chance to do something to help you on property taxes here. Floridians are just a lost cause as far as I am concerned. You are just even too lazy to go out there and VOTE!!!!

If it will help, they were handing out a piece of apple pie if you came to vote. I know how some of you like your pies. Go get a piece of that pie and VOTE!!!!

By To Adios

November 7, 2006 02:04 PM | Link to this

It seems that you are just not happy here. Nothing seems right for your type. This is a world that is not perfect, and for sure, you also have many faults in your life. You have alot of built up anger in you. You need to let it go. Here’s how…..

Did you vote today?

Can you say “I am MAD as HELL, and i am NOT going to take any longer!”

Do you know how to get on I-95 with your luggage in hand?

Do you know which direction points North?

Do you have enough gas money to get you to the next state?

Can we tell you don’t let the door hit you in your a*s as you leave.

And yes, we will not miss you…..good luck in “Marshmellow Mayberryland”.

Some people just have to move on to find their “Pie Heaven” somewhere else in life.

Life is good in Palm Beach!

easyasabc

By to that guy in Boynton

November 7, 2006 10:45 PM | Link to this

Dude, without a spine, and from your comments it appears you are lacking one, those good ol boyz up in cartersville georgia are going to eat you alive. i have relatives in lawrenceville, and that whole area is filled with uneducated rednecks and a few lower middle class floridians who thought or still think they want to be just like the local yahoos.

you actually have been to a state once or twice and will base your family’s future on a few days of getting snowed over by a few biased realtors?

either you have gotten us good or you are a fool. how do you stay employed here without a backbone?

these people on this blog are right, there are quite a few here who aren’t thinking with their brain. Georgia is ok, but jeez, it’s no nirvana. You don’t know what you have until you leave it. Many people will be so sorry a few years from now.

By A.P.

November 8, 2006 12:07 PM | Link to this

THE LESSER OF THE TWO EVILS!

My biggest issues in this campaign was education, property taxes, and insurance.

I DON’T GET IT!

Ask any teacher and they will ALL tell you that they NO LONGER TEACH NOR EDUCATE THE STUDENTS. All they do is base their curriculum on the FCAT. Accountability is needed, but this not the medium. They give PRE-TEST AFTER PRE-TEST to prep them for the FCAT.

It seems that S.Florida will continue to carry the financial burden for the rest of the state regarding property taxes! Increasing the Homestead Exemption to $50,000 is not the answer. BIG DEAL!

That will only equate to several hundred dollars if that!

Mr. Crist has received millions of dollars over the years from insurance companies to fund his campaigns!

Where do you think his loyalty is at?

INSURANCE COMPANIES!

What would happen if Mr. Crist would go after the insurance companies and have them lower their premiums?

POLITICAL SUICIDE!

We can only hope that Mr. Crist does the right thing!

Till then, the answers to all our problems is THE END OF THE CAREER POLITICANS!

By cw1900

November 8, 2006 12:34 PM | Link to this

A.P.

don’t be bitter. the dems won big last night. you should be smiling from ear to ear.

my sister is a teacher here in pbc. you are wrong when you say “ALL” teachers will tell you…blah blah

the fact remains there are very good schools here and there and very bad schools here along with every state in the union. deal with it. the election isn’t going to solve whatever education problem you may have or think you may have.

the homestead amendment was for a very select few and was not meant for the masses, of course, that is not a fix to property taxes, you obviously didn’t read the ballot on that one.

you seem to be a guy who gets all worked up that an elected official is going to make or break you.

let me give you a lesson in self worth, self respect, and self reliance, sir.

if you are to get ahead in life, whoever is in any office at any time in your life should matter very little to you. i have never, and never will, allow myself to get all worked up about who my president, senator, dog catcher is. i vote and pay attention more than most, but the fact remains, i am responsible for myself, and i will not sway, waiver, change, or in any way alter my life based on who won last night or in any election.

you see, i have confidence and faith in myself, not elected officials. if you look to them to be your guiding light, your savior, you are putting faith in the wrong place. those that place a lot of faith in their elected officials always are disappointed and tend to blame others for their problems.

so what if crist or davis is your new governor, man! be proactive, not reactionary. grow up and be a man, you whining twit.

cw

By Rob

November 8, 2006 01:09 PM | Link to this

cw

I happen to agree with what AP said.You come across like a self proclaimed genius.Talk about a whining twit.You need a tampon.

By What's wrong with the FCAT

November 8, 2006 01:16 PM | Link to this

So what’s wrong with teaching the FCAT. Isn’t the FCAT about math, reading, science, and writing?

So why do Florida schools do so poorly in education, as measured by the FCAT and other tests? Its either because we have an unusual amount of dunb kids here (I think easyasabc was one), or the teachers can’t teach.

Even though easyasabc is a great example of a Florida idiot, all of our kids can’t as stupid as he is. So it must be the teachers.

That’s probably why they are working here for pennies when they could make much better money up north where they have real education systems.

If the teachers were any good, they could teach the FCAT and other things. But they aren’t. So let’s face it, the education system here is a joke, and that won’t help prop up these plummeting property values.

By michelle

November 8, 2006 01:31 PM | Link to this

What’s wrong with the FCAT? What about the kids that work hard all year and do well and happen to bomb the test.The teachers should have the discretion to pass these kids based on the work throughout the year.While a test can measure their aptitude it shouldn’t be the only way.

By online reader

November 8, 2006 01:46 PM | Link to this

Doesn’t the Masilotti incident ring a bell.

Charlie Crist has an affiliation or relationship with insurance companies.Can you say conflict of interest.

Dirty politicians

cw,

Politicians do whatever they want to do and thier decisions can impact your life.You’re right cw, you can change the world.You’re so powerful and almighty.You’re an idiot.

By easyasabc

November 8, 2006 03:04 PM | Link to this

Before we go back talking real estate here, let me say this…..if the politicians that were elected do not do the job that they were voted in for, go back and vote them out in the next election.

The ones who were voted out of office, will have nice pensions and free medical for them and their spouces.

If you are working for pennies here, no one is holding a gun to your head to stay. Yes, there are people with college degrees not working in their field. You do what you have to do to survive in life.

It takes more than a teacher to teach a child. It takes both parents also to make sure the child goes beyond of where the parents are at. The child needs to be making more than pennies like their parents are doing today. Maybe some of these parents were the ones we knew in school who thought that everything was going to be given to them. Sorry, but life is not that simple. Need to go out and make more money, save more money and sacrifice to get what you want…..like a home for your family.

Life is not so good for some, but they made it that way for themselves. Should have study your books in school. Maybe you can tell your kids that before they turn out to be like you…..working for pennies.

easyasabc

By To C.W. From A.P.

November 8, 2006 04:27 PM | Link to this

Mr. Arrogance! You seem to be your BIGGEST FAN! You seem very intelligent and estude. JUST ASK YOURSELF!

Bye the way, TAKE YOUR D* OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!

By cw1900

November 8, 2006 06:37 PM | Link to this

To AP, Rob, What’s wrong with the FCAT, and online reader…

You 4 say,

1. “o let’s face it, the education system here is a joke”

Back that up. Let’s have a few real life examples. There is no perfect education system anywhere, and a few privates here i wouldn’t send my dog to either.

Is that just what you re-hashed from someone else from up north? I lived in Westport CT for 18 years. I know money. I know good school systems. I know people with real money and people who think they have real money. Don’t say something unless you can back it up. Give specifics. In a public school system as large as PB County, you will good and you will have bad. I happen to earn enough to live in an area of Jupiter to send my kid’s to an excellent public school. That’s right, it is excellent. If I was mediocre, I might have to choose Lake Worth, get it my friend?

1. “Charlie Crist has an affiliation or relationship with insurance companies.Can you say conflict of interest.”

I believe if you look at both Davis and Crist, they both do, so what? Did you hear that off of some radio show today and then said to yourself in the car, “Yeah”, I’m mad at that I’m not gonna take it anymore…” You go get ‘em, buddy.

You and I have relationships with insurance companies, you can spin anything, big laughable deal! If Davis won, would you have said the same thing? and trust me, I’m no great big fan of Charlie either. Did I even say who I voted for?

1. “TAKE YOUR D* OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!”

wow, very intelligent. you sound like someone who is fuming at your computer and can’t get the words out……meaning you have nothing intelligent to say. We are all typing in easily understood english phrases, please participate.

1. “You need a tampon.”

…see #3.

cw

By to cw1900

November 8, 2006 07:58 PM | Link to this

“most” any school system can produce good students.

i think it is what you and your kids make of it. i have a friend she and her husband have two children who grad. from lake worth, the son 4ys ago, and the daughter last year.

the son went to fsu, then harvard law. the daughter is at nyu.

they grew up in a good home with good values, and the parents made sure they had good friends. that simple. that from lake worth.

i grew up in a very nice area in mass. most of my friends did not do as well. it has to do with the child, more than the school.

By cw1900

November 8, 2006 08:13 PM | Link to this

very well said.

i simply used lake worth as an example as most people see it as a dump, but many parts are very nice, of course. Since some of the people above used bad stereotypes, I figured LW was as good as any stereotype.

you are correct, we all go with what we have and just do it. your friends, obviously, like many of us, went about their lives and didn’t sit there and worry about the govt and what it would do to make their lives better. we just do it and don’t whine about it.

that is why you and your friends are miles ahead of the whiners above.

good luck to you and yours.

gotta get back to work.

cw

By new to blog

November 8, 2006 08:53 PM | Link to this

cw

This is pretty entertaining. I do have to admit you have the I syndrome.

I this and I that.Do you like to hear yourself talk? Did somebody ruffle your feathers? It sounds like you have a big ego. If it makes you feel better,You’re the best.

There, do you feel better now?

I thought this was a real estate blog.

By reading and smiling

November 8, 2006 09:18 PM | Link to this

I read these blogs and have been for a few months. i think cw actually makes a good point and it does coincide with real estate as this blog is supposed to be.

I think he or she is following what the blogs here have been saying all along, which is the negative people here complaining all time hoping real estate crashes are the same one’s complaining about our new Governor, even though it was a remarkably successful night for their side of the isle.

Besides, yesterday was election day and it goes along to a point to the overall discussions on these blogs.

Read some old ones and you will see. It gets pretty heated here. Don’t worry, I’m sure the real estate mudslinging will be back before you know it.

Easyasabc is much more ranting than cw here, but they both have very valid points and that certainly stirs up the ones who resemble those remarks is my guess.

By “Fan of easyasabc, cw, and Rich R

PS I can’t wait to get my daily fix every night or whenever I can.

Palm Beach County rocks!

By Teacher and homeowner

November 8, 2006 10:19 PM | Link to this

To What’s wrong with the FCAT,

I’m a teacher in a central Palm Beach County middle school. It is a rough school. These kids come from rough families, that is just the reality.

How dare you and your comments. What makes you an expert on teaching and education. We have some of the most dedicated teachers I have ever had the pleasure of working with. They care, really care. Do you? No.

Yes, there are bad teachers, but there are bad cops and bad employees in your profession. Does that make them all bad?

You are ridiculous.

I could transfer to a school closer to my home in PBG, but I choose not to. I feel I am making a difference to kids who’s parents are too busy working lousy jobs or do not care enough. I really felt for the teacher in Georgia, in the earlier post, about how no parents showed up to her open house. That would make me feel horrible. It is true that schools located in nicer neighborhoods have better ratings, but that really is because of the parents, upbringing, many things. My daughter is having a great experience in high school and will go to UF next year. I feel she is getting a very fulfilling education.

I love what I do, and I am sick and tired of this attitude constantly bashing education in Florida.

I do thank you. Why? You remind me why I left Westchester County NY all of those years ago. That pompous attitude from people who truly thought they were better than other people only because of where they lived always floored me. What a horrible way to go through life thinking like that.

Please try and sell your house and move back to the northeast. You belong there. We are tired of your attitude, really.

By To the Teacher who isn't doing his job

November 9, 2006 09:28 AM | Link to this

All you have to know about our brilliant education system here in Florida is look at how Florida kids compare to the rest of the country.

For example, in 2004 Florida students only scored better on their SAT than did students from Tx, GA, SC, DC.

So you teachers out there, you obviously aren’t doing your jobs. You want to fix the education system, fire these bums in the schools, raise salaries, and try to lure some qualified teachers in here.

By to To the Teacher

November 9, 2006 09:58 AM | Link to this

Hey big shot,

Sounds like you have all of the answers.

You talk in cliches and generalities, but once, again, a know it all with no real solutions.

This place is a great place to live, there are plenty of very decent public schools here in this area (as good as where I came from in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and that ain’t too shabby either if you know anything about it).

I hear many of my northern friends talk in cliches about many things here in FL, and most of them do not know of what they speak.

It really isn’t as bad as what you think. The same as it really isn’t as bad here in our RE market as what the cliched thinkers openly talk about.

You sound like a walking cliche. Be original and come back when you have an idea that is your own.

HNN in Boca

By maxmoose03

November 9, 2006 11:43 AM | Link to this

Licensed R/E Broker observes: Like young Mr. O., many of us did sit through the “supply and demand” lecture of Economics 101. Those of us who went further in business know that much of the increase in house prices was due to the decline of the dollar vis-a-vis global currencies, in the Bush administration’s relentless effort to turn America into a third-world country. If I am right, the prices of commodities from gold to gasoline should have risen along with house prices and stabilized at the same time, and of course they did. (Although with the elections over,, Bush’s oil buddies are free to pursue higher prices now.) What I am finding now is lots of potential buyers out there, all looking and blindly offering 50K less than the asking price. For my own properties, lowering the price has been a useless exercise, since folks will still offer 50K less than the reduced price. (I am speaking of typical properties in the half-million range). In closing, sorry, Mr. O., 3 times as many houses on MLS does not translate to substantially lower sales prices, because the value those dollars used to represent just doesn’t exist any more.

By easyasabc

November 9, 2006 12:18 PM | Link to this

It seems we are not talking about real estate here, but i have to say this about the education system.

Most teachers/educators try really hard to educate the kids today.  Yes, we do have teachers who just sit back and are collecting a check.  But as i said before, it takes the parents also to help educate their kids.  Parents need to be involved with their kids studies, homework and who is educating their kids.  Most, and i mean most parents do not show up to their kids school except to drop them off, pick them up, go watch a sports activity their kids are in, and on graduation day.  Many schools have "parents/teachers night" where the kids who are failing have parents that never shows up to ask their kid's teacher why little tommy or mary is flunking out?  Teachers send out warning notices about failing students to their parents, and never get the feedback from them.

I know from data, that the highest income communities in this country, has the highest test scores in their schools. One reason is that these school district hires the most experience techers for these kids. Their salaries are more than what our principals make here. Yes, their tax rates are high, higher than Palm Beach County. For those people who live in these expensive areas, they don’t have to worry about taxes, insurances or the cost of a home. Their kids go on to the best law and business schools in the country.

The reasons we have low scores here are several. One is the parents DON’T get involved with their kids homework. Parents need to be educators themselves when their kids are at home. Don’t bother to go see the teacher in the last week of the school year to protest four quarters of failing scores. It is too late by then.

Second, we have many ESOL students in this area. Many teachers have to take time to go slower for these kids, and it hurts the kids who are ahead of them in learning. The students get off track while the teacher is helping ESOL kids.

Third is that we have a terrible, corrupt school board. They are more concern of their next salary and bonuses hike than the kids education program. And some administrators at these schools give little or no support to their staff.

Fourth, we have many inexperience teachers and substitutes in our classrooms. I do believe we need to spend the money to get the best. Better paying, experince teachers would improve our test scores. No doubt about it. Which comes to our school budget. We are wasting tax paying money here in so many terrible ways. Our school board leaders and administrators are pocketing money in various ways. I could write a book of what i know, everything from students, teachers, administrators, and corruption. Some of your biggest criminals are controling the schools. There are also students that became attorneys, doctors, succesful business people. I don’t count a student being succesful football or basketball player in the pros making it. It is very sad that we have school administrators out in the Glades area promoting their boys to think “Football” to succeed in life rather learning math and science. What do you think are the odds of just one student making it to the pros? The odds are better for the student who study math and science to get somewhere. For every student who made it to the pros in sports, i can show you 1,000 who have low wage job, on govt. support, a single parent, on drugs, in jail, or spent more money on their wheels and teeth than on their college education.

We are not the only school district like this. You can find this type of problem in all 50 states. To the shores of Miami, to the big city schools up north, and even in small hicktowns of some place called “Marshmellowville”.

Most people who retired here, are all done of raising kids, and really don’t care about the school system. The reason we talk about now is the influx of minorities with kids that came here over the years and young single parents who moved here and had kids. Yes, we have great schools and terrible schools. Want to change it, get involved with your kids studies, worry about his or her test scores. Talk with their teacher and administrator about what can be done to improve the system and test scores.

Raising taxes won’t help, too much waste going on already over the years. But will help is having a responsible school budget, a realistic master plan on the local school system and its goals, a school administration that is accountable for their actions and parents who care about their kids education. Having kids growing up to be fat, drunk and stupid won’t help them to buy homes for themselves later on in life.

easyasabc

By cw1900

November 9, 2006 01:04 PM | Link to this

easyasabc,

Very well put. I completely agree.

I agree the school board is corrupt and there are many higher up on Forest Hill who simply don’t give cr*p and love to pass the buck, and both of those issues create a big part of the problem.

I just get a little irritated with people painting a broad brush on ALL teachers here in PBC. Not ALL are bad as some here on this blog would think or want you to believe.

cw

PS Ooopps, I used “I” three times, no, 4, no 5 times…some people do not like it, and I (oh no, 6 times now) certainly don’t want to offend the other bloggers here, what to do, what to do….

By TANC

November 9, 2006 01:42 PM | Link to this

To blame classroom teachers for poor performance of students in the State of FL is completely ridiculous. Are there some bad teachers, yes, but my gosh given how we treat teachers I can’t believe there are not many, many more.

Teachers are severly underpaid, deal with incredible bull#$%^ from parents, kids, and administrators, they aren’t allowed to really “teach”, and we tie their hands when it comes to disciplining bad eggs. AND, then they get blamed when kids are not performing.

We need to cut the money budgeted for items that are not classroom related in half or more, drastically raise teacher salaries, let them teach properly instead of dictating what they have to do, instill some discipline in the classroom and make students AND parents accountable for THEIR actions, and THEN AND ONLY THEN is it proper to start blaming teachers for poor performance.

Why do you think so many good teachers are leaving the profession and being replaced by more mediocre ones?

It’s quite obvious…

We trust our teachers with the future of our children yet we pay and treat them worse than garbage collectors (no offense to the garbage collectors of the world but you get my point).

By crazydem

November 9, 2006 02:58 PM | Link to this

Hello-I just woke up from my stupor of glee after yesterday’s results came in, please excuse my absence.

Toll and Hovnathian (SP?) finally cancelled a ton of orders. Big surprise. I just want to thank these people for finally coming to their senses and stopping construction on new homes. News flash: NO ONE IS BUYING THEM. (Mike Fink-funny thing is they never mentioned anything about the rents out of line with the sale price of new homes as the basis for their decision.)Now the RE market can start to improve.

Again, my prediction for 2007: GOLDILOCKS ECONOMY BABY. If your money is not in the market or you’re saving up for a DP on a house-put it in the market and be the wind in the sails of all the people who have ridden this thing up from 6k in ‘03. Just remember to save some rent money!

One final thing-anyone who bashes our teachers has never been in a public school. Many of them are the hardest working, most underpaid people I’ve ever seen.

I’m outta here. Just some words of wisdom for today, folks. Please don’t respond as I’m honoring our Vets tomorrow and taking the day off. Looks like the waves are up too, so I’ll be reveling in the freedom they provided for this great nation while enjoying the sunshine and crisp breeze. PEACE!

By maxmoose03

November 9, 2006 11:02 PM | Link to this

As one who foolishly tried teaching in a high school in Palm Beach County, I note the following: the school was more akin to a Christian scool than a public school, with teachers making their preoccupation with Jesus clear to Christian and non-Christian students alike. (Note: a source of confuision here: in this school Catholics were not considered “Christians”). Most of the time is spent doing book-keeping rather than teaching, as teachers are pressed to provide as many as 12 grades per week per student. (In my case this would have been 1,980 grades per week, all of which had to be defensible to angry parents, who can view the grades on-line 24 hours a day). The principal came to the school by being promoted away from a sex scandal. I could go on and on….if it weren’t too nauseating to think about. The fact is we have horrible schools, overseen by long-entrenched, incompetent staff, whose worst inadequacies are often fully supported by the community.