Are you a realtor by any chance?

Overall incomes are going down and unemployment is going up. There are many working part time or without overtime so as the economy picks up their hours will increase before more people are hired.

With lower employment and salary levels housing prices must come down to match available purchasing power.

The government is trying to prop up prices- with the $8k tax credit that now is extending to all buyers. The FHA is effectively making more sub-prime loans (in spite of their superior ‘knowledge’ of the market) with 3% down and is allowing the $8K tax credit to apply to the down payment, effectively making a zero down payment- just like the sub-prime crisis. The only difference is that the taxpayers now are the direct backstop.

You mention the government has a role to keep peoples property from dropping below market value…. what does that mean exactly? Isn’t the market the average value of a neighborhood?

And why not argue for the merits of lower housing prices? It’s much better for the buyer & consumer… lower property taxes, and greater affordability for people who actually did save up properly to make a substantial down payment or pay 100% in cash…

I can say prices are inflated on the coastal areas by looking at the ownership price to rent ratio… once this gets closer to 1 then it would be a better time to buy. If you can rent a place for $2500 per month that is selling for $2 million… that means the owners are subsidizing you as the renter, big time.

-Mike

You can actually make a spice blend from other pantry items and get a still great taste. I recently ran out of my homemade Taco Seasoning, which I actually like *more* than the packets from the store. Additionally, you can make a duplicate of the “cream of” soups, but I haven’t done that yet. Try some cream and a can of mushrooms and some chopped celery next time.

My quick and easy favorite is a chicken thrown in the crockpot with Redmond Real Salt, cracked pepper, cumin, oregano sprinkled on top. I cram half an onion, two carrots and two sticks of celery inside and let it cook all day. We have chicken for dinner that night, and then I remove the remaining good meat and cook the bones with 1T vinegar on low all night long. (I do add extra water to cover the bones.) I have more meat for another meal, plus about 6 Cups of excellent bone broth. This time of year I bake up a big squash and puree it with some broth. Adding some extra spices, that is currently a family favorite. (Half of the family being under age 5).

Mix ~10oz water, 1/2 tsp yeast, ~1 tbsp honey, and some flour (enough to make it paste like in texture) in a bowl. Set in fridge overnight.

Add another 1/2 tsp yeast, and start mixing in more flour until dough is appropriate texture, tacky but not sticky. Set on plate on counter for ~1 hour.

Lightly oil bottom and sides of bread pan. Knead dough for a minute or two. Roll dough into cylinder to fit in bread pan. Run hot water in another pan. Put dough on baking rack in oven, and hot water below dough. Close oven door and leave off. Check back in about 1 1/2 hours to see how far dough has risen. If it is near the top of the bread pan turn oven on to 350 for 27 minutes (I just leave it in while preheating, also leave water pan in). When timer goes off, take out of oven. You can leave it in the bread pan for a bit before you take it out, or you can take it out and wrap in foil right away.

I like this because it give me bread in a consistent cross section that I can make sandwiches out of all week for my girlfriend and me.

One of my current low-fuss favorites is pasta with asparagus and goat cheese. Just chop the asparagus into 1-inch sections and throw in for the last 2-3 minutes of the pasta’s cooking time. Dress the whole thing with a log of soft goat cheese mushed together with some salt, a splash of lemon juice, and a good glug of olive oil. (Best if you let the goat cheese soften first, but the pasta seems to melt it pretty well regardless!) I like it with black pepper on top.

Here’s a really quick burger recipe:

Modified Firecracker Burger
1.5lb ground beef
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp cajun creole seasoning
1 tsp salt

Mix and form into 4 to 5 patties. Grill or broil. Use your favorite sauce or condiments. Eat it plain or in a bun.

The intersting thing is that if one invests prudently, its possible to accumaualte great wealth, even if you only save ten cents out of every dollar that you earn.

My own approach is to use simple efficient, effective and economical mechanical methods to manage my assets while always looking for the opportunity to become extremely wealthy by capitalizing on a black swan. My book, The Naked Portfolio Manager is, I belive a black swan that will eventually have a profound effect on the way people manage their money. But if I am wrong about the book, I can still get there more slowly simple by investing well.

chamoiswillow, that sounds very good too, I’ll have to try it!

I also take a pork tenderloin, about 2 pounds, and cut it halfway thru lengthwise, but stop an inch from each end, so it gapes open into a pouch, and spoon in chutney of your choice. Bake at 350 until done.

Do you also do macaroni and cheese tuna casserole? (Macaroni and cheese with tuna and frozen peas or mixed veggies.)

1 T pine nuts
3 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced finely
2 cups arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups broth
1/2 cup cheese*, grated or cubed
1/4 cup parmesan or pecorino romano, grated

In a pressure cooker, saute nuts in olive oil, then pull from pan to add at the end. Saute the onion in the nut-infused olive oil until soft. Add the rice and coat with oil. Add the wine and cook until absorbed. Add all the broth at once, cover and cook on high heat until you reach full pressure, then turn down to low and cook for 7 minutes. Release pressure (I do this under cold water in the sink so it happens quickly) return to heat and add cheeses. Stir until melted. Don’t forget the pine nuts.

This recipe can be done from chopping to eating in about 35 minutes and has endless variations. You can add sauteed mushrooms, raw greens or cooked sausage at the end. You can add cubed, roasted beets with the broth for magenta risotto. You can puree roasted winter squash or root vegetables and add at the end. Saute or grill asparagus while it’s cooking to add at end. It can be a main dish or a side dish to anything you’ve grilled while it’s cooking. Parsley and lemon change it into Spring-time food. Leftovers can be gratined or baked with tomato sauce. If you use dried mushrooms, use the liquid for part of the broth. I generally use homemade chicken broth, but canned is okay or whatever broth you’ve got. I used lamb broth once and it was terrific. I’ve used red wine when I don’t have white open and that’s good, too, but different. If you can imagine it, you can make it.

*My favorite cheese in this is Manchego, but I’ve used Fontina, Havarti, Gouda, taleggio, or no cheese at all quite successfully. It’s a good way to use up odds and ends of whatever is on hand.

Because it tastes so damn good!

If the processed food bugs you, use an alternative. But a little bit of onion soup mix isn’t going to kill you. Still, we’re not opposed to trying alternative recipes that might be healthier. We’ll give yours a try, JerryB. But if it’s not as good as ours, we’ll go back to the MSG!

Simple crock pot roast:
1 - 3 to 4 pound chuck roast
1 - large onion roughly chopped
1 - large carrot roughly chopped
2 - celery stalks roughly chopped
4 (to 40) whole garlic cloves
4 oz good beer or ale (drink the rest)
2 TBS Kosher salt (560mg sodium)
ground pepper to taste
red pepper flake to taste

Add beer and 1/3 aromatics to bottom of crock pot. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper, and place in crock pot. Add remaining aromatics on top of roast and turn to lowest setting. Place top on crock pot and come back 6 to 8 hours later for the best pot roast this side of Mom’s kitchen. Prepare additional vegetables as per Kris’ recipe to serve along with roast.

It takes only a few minutes to prep and the benefits of not taking in all the sodium and MSG (yes, it triggers migraine headaches). You can also wrap the roast in heavy aluminum foil and braise in the oven on 250 deg for 4-5 hours.

@Cyllya, I’ve found that if the dry onion soup mix isn’t in the soup aisle, it’s probably in the dip/dressing aisle - its alternate use is to make onion dip.

Tomato & Basil Pasta
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=195737590490&1&index=2

You also touch upon the fact that limiting beliefs are socially reinforced - i.e you are told by friends and/or family that something cannot be done.

This is often referred to as “crab theory” or the “tall poppy syndrome”. An interesting phenomenon - and something very important to be aware of.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_mentality

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_Poppy_Syndrome