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JERRY2KONE · **I do count my blessings. -** 01.03.2012, 02:34 PM

Yes I do count my blessings when it comes to how we live and what we have received for all of our hard work. All of it has been part of our plan so all of it is expected. I never put all of my eggs into one basket when it came to job skills. I tried to learn everything and anything that I could in areas that I can depend on to keep food on our table no matter what the economy does. I was a mechanic when I went into the Navy in 1977, but I am now retired from that and can do just about anything mechanical as well as cabinet making, framing, electrical, plumming, cement work, roofing, welding, and some basic machine work.

Actually I just watched a report about what States have been hit the hardest by the state of our economy, and Florida is ranked number one for the worst number of jobs available, and most of the jobs that are available are below the national average in pay. In fact this is why employers can get away with paying so little, because there are so many people waiting in line to take whatever jobs are open due to departing disgruntled employees. There are few if any loyal employers because they know they can fill any job with somebody new and at lower pay. And finding a good job with half desent benefits is becoming the unicorn of jobs.

I departed Orlando in 2004 right before the housing bubble hit. I bought my homestead in 1991 for $98K (brand new model home), and sold it for $160K in Dec/2004. It hit a value of $185K six months later. Now the houses in that neighborhood are valued and selling for between $25K - $35K for 1800 sq ft, with a two car garage on a 1/4 acre lot. That is just unbelievable and outrageous. I sold the empty lot next store to my home for nearly $25K. My friends there told me that people are tearing their homes apart selling anything they can and walking away from their mortgages because the Banks refuse to work with them about the slumping values (bad loans). Investing in a good home used to be a great savings plan, but no longer. Finding a good job in Florida used to be fairly easy, but now there are hundreds of people applying for the same job.

JERRY2KONE · 02:45 PM

NITRONAUGHT Hey Jerry,
NC may have some I.T. opportunities, then I might have to move..lolll

Down here, it's contractors positions mainly right now. Glad your friend got a good position. I think the economy is showing a little bit of a turn around,,, we can sure as heck do with it....

Actually my best friend moved from Florida around 2000 up into Charlotte because of the IT jobs that were open there. He took a really good job as a temp, and ended up staying with the company for quite a while. Charlotte is the central hub for quite a few IT companies, and even several corperations with IT data centers there. He tells me all the time that there are tons of IT jobs available there, and tried to get me into computers, but it is just not my forte'. Through the last few years we have shared info about the economy there compared to other places, and NC has barely been touched by any of it. He purchased his home for a fair market price and has not lost a cent in value. In fact his home is up in value from what he paid in 2000-2001. So you may want to seriously consider moving there if that is an option for you. He lives just 5 miles from the Charlotte Motor Speedway so that is where I go to see the NASCAR races when I can.

Nitronaught · 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JERRY2KONE

NITRONAUGHT Hey Jerry,
NC may have some I.T. opportunities, then I might have to move..lolll

Down here, it's contractors positions mainly right now. Glad your friend got a good position. I think the economy is showing a little bit of a turn around,,, we can sure as heck do with it....

Actually my best friend moved from Florida around 2000 up into Charlotte because of the IT jobs that were open there. He took a really good job as a temp, and ended up staying with the company for quite a while. Charlotte is the central hub for quite a few IT companies, and even several corperations with IT data centers there. He tells me all the time that there are tons of IT jobs available there, and tried to get me into computers, but it is just not my forte'. Through the last few years we have shared info about the economy there compared to other places, and NC has barely been touched by any of it. He purchased his home for a fair market price and has not lost a cent in value. In fact his home is up in value from what he paid in 2000-2001. So you may want to seriously consider moving there if that is an option for you. He lives just 5 miles from the Charlotte Motor Speedway so that is where I go to see the NASCAR races when I can.

Thanks for the Info Jerry, the way things are going that may be an option....

But I'd have to sell my house, and down here that's the problem.... I can't sell my house for what I paid for it 18 years ago....

JERRY2KONE · **Tough spot. -** 01.03.2012, 05:45 PM

We're all in kind of a tough spot right now with our homes. We have a house in California that is upside down as well, but what can we do. So we have it rented out to a nice family to cover a good % of the mortgage so we just have to wait it out. We had to draw about $40K out of our 401K to do a complete renovation to the hoiuse just so we could get it rented out. Man did that hurt when we did our taxes for last year.

Thousands of people are also stuck in just the same way. They cannot move to another city for a job, because they are stuck in a house that will never sell under the present situation. I hope it all works out for you one way or another. We keep hearing hints of a recovery, but without some significant change in our Gov and economy I dont see how it is going to change anytime soon. I still think there is more trouble on the horizon. Especially looking at the presidential candidates we have to chose from.

Nitronaught · 01.05.2012, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JERRY2KONE

We're all in kind of a tough spot right now with our homes. We have a house in California that is upside down as well, but what can we do. So we have it rented out to a nice family to cover a good % of the mortgage so we just have to wait it out. We had to draw about $40K out of our 401K to do a complete renovation to the hoiuse just so we could get it rented out. Man did that hurt when we did our taxes for last year.

Thousands of people are also stuck in just the same way. They cannot move to another city for a job, because they are stuck in a house that will never sell under the present situation. I hope it all works out for you one way or another. We keep hearing hints of a recovery, but without some significant change in our Gov and economy I dont see how it is going to change anytime soon. I still think there is more trouble on the horizon. Especially looking at the presidential candidates we have to chose from.

It's all good Jerry, I've got a job and my family is OK, things are very tight financially, when something goes wrong we are falling in a little deeper in the hole. So I'm doing my best to work extra jobs on the side to help stabalize that...

Compared to many others out there,,, I'm not going to complain, I just don;t have a quick and easy fix just like all of us in this mess.... Frustrating as hell!!!! But I'm employed, my kids have food and clothing, and we have a roof over our heads. That's what counts to me....

Now only if I can win that darn lottery, I just keep forgetting to buy the tickets as I don;t ever carry cash on me anymore... loll :cool:

Now what the heck is Robin doing about that site of his? Starting to look pretty gloomy if you ask me....