By Henry Weinberg

January 8, 2008 5:49 AM | Link to this

People with lower incomes need to shop too. Is Walmart the world’s largest retailer or what? There is a place for Worth Avenue shoppers as well as the Dollar Store client. Not everyone lives in a mansion and has a 6 figure income. There has to be a place for the minimum wage earner as well as the well heeled.

By Ashley

January 8, 2008 7:39 AM | Link to this

I actually really like that Borders store. And that mall in general. As for Borders, the employees are very nice and actually read books versus B&N and other bookstores that seem to hire anyone that walks in. And it is nice to have a mall that’s not full of stores that I don’t want to shop in, nor could I afford if I did. Not everyone in Palm Beach County LIKES Louis Vuitton and Chanel. Regular people need clothes too….we don’t run around naked. Before all of the stores closed in the mall, it used to be one of the best places to hit a sale around. I just hope they revitalize the area and don’t let it fall further into disrepair.

By Heavymetal

January 8, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this

What a collection of loudmouths. Ed, do us a favor, babe. That brat’s record shark HAS to have relatives out there off Palm Beach. Swim out, find one and have dinner together, will you?

The Borders store was ALWAYS full. With white people. (Gasp!) The Dillards and Sears are practical no nonsense places to shop for those of us with our noses not pointed at the sky and our thumbs not up our arses. So there was no Pottery Barn or Anthroplog-whatever. You can find those at CityPlace, which..Im sorry on any given night is way more ghetto than PB Mall. And for the best chicken gyros in town, the food court was it.

And by the way, guess what happens when the PB Mall goes away? Yup! All those ‘coloreds’ and hoodlums you people fear will forget west and head south to hang out. To Clematis and City Place. Wht was a trickle will no be a flood, and you guys can REALLY pull out the ‘N’ word then.

By Max Gives Him Opinion

January 8, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this

What is this about closing the borders?

I am in favor of it. I have heard we have all kinds of illegal immigrants coming through the open borders, taking away the jobs meant for the kind of people who reposnded above.

I say close the borders and let’s a stop to this.

By ashley

January 8, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this

heavymetal…you are dead on right….

I’m suprised, as cheap as that mall was, the blue hairs of palm beach county didn’t FLOCK there en masse. I’ve never had a problem in that mall and I go all the time, day and night…nevermind they have one of the ONLY music stores around the area that is worth a damn (and even that is marginal!)

I guess I’ll have to drive to Treasure Coast Mall now to do my shopping.

oh and Ikea….super cheap and flimsy psuedo-Swedish furniture you have to assemble yourself so you can look like every other khaki-pants wearing automaton around town….no thanks, I’ll pass!

By ashley

January 8, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this

“murder mall”

i thought that was boca town center….seems like our little “ghetto” mall is pretty safe to me.

oh and one more thing!

GEAUX TIGAHS!!!

By Rich R

January 8, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this

Max,

You’ve been wrong on virtually all of your forward thinking statements to date.

I really hope you are correct on this one.

By 2005

January 8, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this

They just keep on coming. For a non-bubble, an awful lot of 2005/2006 buys do not seem to be faring well.

EG :

ID#: R2784706 UNBELIEVABLE DIRECT INTRACOASTAL PROPERTY IN HISTORIC PROSPECT PARK. DIRECT INTRACOASTAL WITH DOCK AND BOAT LIFT. PULL UP ON YOUR BOAT AND ENJOY YOUR OWN PRIVATE DOCK WITH BOAT LIFT. THE ONLY THING BETWEEN THE HOUSE AND THE WATER IS YARD

Days On Market: 305

Current List Price: $1,900,000

Initial List Price: $2,750,000

04/25/07 - Price Reduced to $2,250,000

05/17/07 - Price Reduced to $1,990,000

08/28/07 - Price Reduced to $1,900,000

2005 paid $2,025,000

By Rich R

January 8, 2008 1:34 PM | Link to this

No Max,

The economy will not collapse as result of this housing correction itself.

But…..

We are moving closer to “The Perfect Storm” on the economy. The housing issue is only one element.

If you get your head out of your butt and take a step back and look at the bigger picture and NOT JUST RE, you’ll see things are moving quickly into bad ground.

Falling Dollar,

Falling home values/eroding equity.

Record high inventory of unsold homes combined with almost no sales volume to speak of.

Credit Cruch,

uncertainty on wall street.

Bond market slipping.

Huge Consumer cedit card debt with record level defaults.

Gasoline expected to hit $4/gal by summer. Oil trading at close to $100/barrel for March delivery.

It don’t take a rocket scientist to see this freight train coming at us Max.

The American working class are tapped and just can’t continue to endure this madness much longer. Especially since they can no longer use their home as an ATM machine.

We all know you live in a fantacy world Max. What’s it going to take to get you to just be real on one issue?

Get a grip Max.

By Nikki

January 8, 2008 2:00 PM | Link to this

People please, This article is about the Palm Beach Malls rennovations not the real estate market. What do you guys all have ADD?

By 2005

January 8, 2008 2:08 PM | Link to this

Absolutely correct maxi.

Asking prices for two years have been fantasy, pushed by idiot RE folk and glommed onto by too many owners and/or flippers.

Now the thing is, many still ridiculous asking prices, that now cannot get crazy financing, are BELOW the 2005 price PAID.

Somebody loses.

For instance any idiot who listened to “prices are rising as we speak” and believed it.

Shame on you.

08/28/07 - Price Reduced to $1,900,000

2005 PAID $2,025,000

PAID $2,025,000 2005

NO BUYER at $125,000 less, TWO YEARS later. Guess where this is headed.

You know what carrying a place and mortgage like this takes. Month, after month, after month.

By Max Says Rich is Talking Apples and Oranges

January 8, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this

Now you are talking a whole different ball game, Rich.

You are preaching to the choir when it comes to the falling dollar being a disaster. A weak currency can un-do much of what this country accomplished in two world wars.

And about the last thing I want to see is the f—— Arabs having a gun to our heads in the form of oil prices.

Do I expect the American economy to escape 8 years of Republican criminals and child molesters unscathed? Of course not. But among the least of our problems is house prices. In fact, a home is going to be the one safe haven most people get. In an economy subject to run-away inflation, your rent could go up astronomically — but the price you paid for your home, and a fixed interest rate — can never change.

Think about it, Rich. That storm IS coming. The only stable shelter is your home. Hopefully, your job covers the expense of your house (otherwise you should not have bought it!) Keep that job and run for cover — in your house.

By Max Goes Back to 2005

January 8, 2008 2:39 PM | Link to this

Goober, much of what I told Rich applies to your comments.

I have always been shocked by the decline of the dollar — willfully engineered by short-sighted Republicans, so their manufacturer friends can sell their crap overseas. And don’t even get me started on Bush’s loooking the other way for 8 years when it came to sealing our borders, so his sister-in-law’s wetback relatives could slip in unscathed.

But again, the only safe haven for most people is being in a house that they can afford the payments on, payments which should not go up, except for maybe HOA fees. Given my ‘druthers, I would avoid HOA’s and condo boards like the plague. If real estate values are not going up, property taxes should not be either.

Why anyone would be looking to sell a house they don’t need to, in a crappy market, and facing the economy that is shaping up, is a mystery that will never be answered for me. I suspect part of the problem is the newspapers and nuts like Mike Fink keeping them worried about irrelevant values.

Next disaster: Bush provokes war in Iran.

By Unreal

January 8, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this

I just don’t understand what is going on here. This county/state/city is really in some sad shape. Last week I was on here reading about some brat kid who killed what some believe was a genetically altered shark off the coast. Now, we’re closing one of the best stores around that was apparently the only literate racist safe haven left. On top of it all, you people can’t even force yourselves to stay on topic with your discussion of the articles!! Get a grip, dummies!!

Ashley…you and Heavymetal should get a room and keep your racist hatred to yourselves. I am not suprised that you agree with Heavymetal’s views given your choice of college football team. You’re probably a Louisiana native, so it’s inbred into you.