Why does George Bush deem the housing "bubble" an accomplishment? What do you think?
473548
It is a false bubble with more people losing their homes to reposessed then ever before in history, high prices is costing people millions of dollars with the rich coming out the winner, as usual. \n\nThe guy above is one sick puppy, needs medication fast.
1117670
I don't think the bubble's bursting, per se...not yet.\n\nI think property values have gone up enough that people who have been there for awhile are ready to cash out.
662702
Hadn't thought of it quite this way before.  I like your take on it (you should really have published it as a fuller op-ed somewhere).\n\nHowever, I actually think that there's not a lot that Bush or any president can do here.  But having said that, I do continually wonder at Bush's (and every corporatist conservative's) blind faith that everything happens because of Adam Smith's Invisible Hand. Smith is good as far as economic THEORY goes, but there are so many externalities - including petrol-monopoly and all its trappings - that the market is hamstrung from responding as Smith himself would have predicted.
567197
the American Dream is getting harder and harder to achieve here, that it is almost down right impossible. Its due to our inadequate leadership (i.e. President Bush) and poor decisions/judgements made (i.e. the Iraqi war). I'm an extremely patriotic American (I love my country and their citizens.. sry I cant say the same for George w. Bush) and I suggest you just stay where you are. Things in the US arent going so great...\n\nby the way... gas in my city is reaching $3.62
1153776
Bush (President) is doing a good job--for the super-rich corporate interests. The little people are only here, to provide wealth to the super-greedy, some of whom own the private Federal Reserve.  The tax-collecting division of the Fed, the IRS, shakes down the little people, to provide tax payments (not even covering the interest) that go toward whittling down the National Debt. (Your taxes do not pay for government.)
626160
Yes, of course.\nDonald Trump is a fantastic example of what real success is.  And by that, I don't mean just because he has a huge amount of money.  Rather, because he's remained focused on building extremely high quality properties whether he was up or down.  He also gets my vote because of the emphasis he put on his children's maturation.
478575
this is from their official site, and the success they tout at the end is very debatable.\n\nCongress created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in 1934. The FHA became a part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Office of Housing in 1965.\n\nWhen the FHA was created, the housing industry was flat on its back:\n\n\nTwo million construction workers had lost their jobs.\n\n\nTerms were difficult to meet for homebuyers seeking mortgages.\n\n\nMortgage loan terms were limited to 50 percent of the property's market value, with a repayment schedule spread over three to five years and ending with a balloon payment.\n\n\nAmerica was primarily a nation of renters. Only four in 10 households owned homes.\n\nDuring the 1940s, FHA programs helped finance military housing and homes for returning veterans and their families after the war.\n\nIn the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, the FHA helped to spark the production of millions of units of privately-owned apartments for elderly, handicapped and lower income Americans. When soaring inflation and energy costs threatened the survival of thousands of private apartment buildings in the 1970s, FHA's emergency financing kept cash-strapped properties afloat.\n\nThe FHA moved in to steady falling home prices and made it possible for potential homebuyers to get the financing they needed when recession prompted private mortgage insurers to pull out of oil producing states in the 1980s.\n\nBy 2001, the nation's homeownership rate had soared to an all time high of 68.1 percent as of the third quarter that year.\n\nThe FHA and HUD have insured almost 33 million home mortgages and 47,205 multifamily project mortgages since 1934. FHA currently has 4.8 million insured single family mortgages and 13, 000 insured multifamily projects in its portfolio. \n\nIn the more than 60 years since the FHA was created, much has changed and Americans are now arguably the best housed people in the world. HUD has helped greatly with that success.
861005
Most of those facts are incorrect. \n\nOil prices up until two months ago were the highest since the mid 1980s (relative to the dollar value). The price drop pre-election has already started to reverse, by +10cents in the past two days.\n\nSure, taxes are lower. But deficit spending has been at an all-time high, and the federal national debt has more than doubled in the past 6 years alone. In other words, we're gotten more in debt since Bush took office than in the past century before that.\n\nInflation is maintaining roughly the same rate as the past 15 years.\n\nYes, home values are double what they were five years ago. Which means that half as many people can afford to buy a house.\n\nForeign terrorist attacks on US soil occur on average every 7-9 years. So, the current regime doesn't get any credit for not blowing that by having one occur sooner.
1058663
I have been looking at the answers and other than the first one I think a lot of them are candidates for best answer.  I do NOT think he is a wonderful president.  The surplus was chewed up and now there is a booming deficit, while here in Canada we still have a surplus.  The current account deficit is at all time highs.  Then there are wars waged on false info.  Gini index is approaching that of third worlds (the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer).  OK he stands up for morals but also has presided over more executions as Governor and his brother being second at the same time.  OK my rant is over everybody have a nice day
815110
Bush and his crownies think that if you give rich people even more money they will invest it wisely which will create jobs and bolster the economy.  It's called supply side economics and it DOES NOT WORK.  It sounds good but it's fundamentally flawed.\n\nOne reason that can cause the economy to slow down is that supply side investment is not invested in the most productive way.  Meaning that the money isn't being invested in the best places to help stimulate the national economy.  In such a case it is ludicrous to dump more money into the supply side of the economy (the Bush tax cuts).  The way to fix such a stagnant economy is to stimulate demand.  Give tax breaks to the lower class and middle class who spend most or all of their income on consumer products.  The increase in spending on consumer products will provide emerging patterns in the market which will help investors identify where to reallocate their investments and make the economy run stronger.\n\nIt's really as simple as this.  Demand precedes supply.\n\nThe End.
145291
I suggest reading "Are You Missing The Real Estate Boom?" by Davie Lereah\n\nReal Estate prices can't go to zero, unless there was a reason for people to flee that area or the interest rates shot up suddenly and much higher than what we could imagine, whatever the size of that area. It's not likely that interest rates will shoot up quickly. So ask yourself if the people of the area you are thinking about have a reason to leave the area suddenly.\n\nIf they don't, then there will likely be no real estate bubble in that area. \n\nReal Estate is not a short term investment and it's not as liquid as stocks. Stocks can go to zero but it's EXTREMELY difficult for real estate to go to zero.\n\nThe real estate bubble scare has been brought upon by stock brokerages and/or the media since they are tied together or invest in each other. Don't buy into it.\n\nReal Estate is a finite commodity. However, stock shares can be split forever it seems. Also real estate is unique, even if it's in the same complex, if a condo. Is each share of the same stock unique? No! \n\nSo in my opinion, yes real estate can drop by 10%, 15% or 20% but I wouldn't call it a bubble. The price will likely come back up in time, unless the area has been cursed forever. For less risk, buy in an area that's got potential, is near good schools, near shops, near transportation, has a good real estate history and near jobs.\n\nMy strongest suggestion if you are serious in buying is to speak to a good Realtor, (go to http://www.ReferredPro.com) to be referred to one, who can give you some guidance, especially since they work with lots of people in your shoes who are thinking the same thing and lots of others who are making money in real estate. Warning: friends don't necessarily give the best advice, even when they think they are.
127127
He was president when the great depression started, I remember my dad talking about it and said he was at least partally to blame by his fiscal policys. Hey Bush take a lesson here supply side economics does not work, never has never will.
756149
Economy isn't working for Bush because the media puts their spin on every story they do on the economy.\n\nCheck this out:\n\nThe number of jobs increased between April 2005 and March 2006 not by 5.8 million but by 6.6 million.\n\nThe federal budget deficit has been cut in half in three years, three years faster than George W. Bush called for. Why? Tax receipts were up 5.5 percent in FY 2004, 14.5 percent in FY 2005, and 11.7 percent in FY 2006. That's up 34.9 percent in three years. And that's after the 2003 tax cuts. When you cut taxes, you get more economic activity, and when you get more economic activity, the government with a tax system that is still decidedly progressive gets more revenue.
1039646
An emphasis on war policies is driven by business concerns....Imagine if Cheney was a real estate salesman....  ok we'd have to buy bombs, mobilize troops consult with the Carlise group... No .if realestate was our focus  we could buy Afghanistan for $8000 an acre, have a presence in the middle east and cut all the heroin use in the world...ummmmm    Know any real estate tycoons running for pres???
820975
As you know, the Fed caused this bubble by lowering the interest rate right after the .com crash in an attempt to prevent a recession. It didn't take much of an interest rate increase to slow it down and let the true nature of the economy catch up with it.\n\nIt is going to get worse. A lot of homes are going to be on the market for less than what they were purchased for. If you want to stay in the industry, come up with some creative selling and purchasing schemes like they did right after the PC crash in the early 90s.\n\nNow is the time to create visibility for your company. Make sure everyone in town has a flyer and business card. Set your self up as an expert on how to deal with and plan for the changing situation. Give free seminars. Issue free written plans offering alternatives that can be picked up from you office or downloaded from your web site. Do not appear greedy. Become the nice guy expert. People will hunt you down when it is time. Become the hunted.
1030264
The economy is booming all over, despite the war, and the current interest rate hikes. \nThis is due to Bush's policies on tax cuts, THEY WORK!!!!!!!!\nIf we keep more money, we spend more money.\nif we spend more money, we stimulate the economy\nLiberals who are morons, and smoked to much weed during economics can't understand this. \n\nBut it's more than that, Bush is doing a fine Job and the libs know this, they are scared. And so there answer is to smear all he does, everything he says and does bad and good will get major spin from the libs, they are only capable of hate. The dark side as it were.
1116018
Is GW looking out for anyone who isn't in the upper classes best interest? \n\nHe has done exactly what any Republican would do, make it easier on the rich and harder on the poor. Their theory is that the money will 'trickle down' to us, eventually helping the economy more than if it were controlled by the government. \n\nIt's great in theory, but unfortunately most of it will sit in offshore accounts, earning ungodly amounts of interest. Those at the top have a habit of keeping hold of their money, not trickling it downward our way.