Recent posts

#1

Off-Topic / Re: Mortgage Payments should b...

Last post by JayhawkCO - Today at 11:13:41 AM

And reduce by 75% the amount of people willing to build a house since they wouldn't have any idea how much it would cost in five years.

The only thing that's certain in life is death and taxes. By taking away much of the potential profits from speculation, this type of mortgage should dampen changes in home prices.

Why is that a good thing? I'm not exactly a capitalism absolutist, but appreciation in and if itself is not something to avoid.

#2

Off-Topic / Re: Mortgage Payments should b...

Last post by kernals12 - Today at 11:07:55 AM

And reduce by 75% the amount of people willing to build a house since they wouldn't have any idea how much it would cost in five years.

The only thing that's certain in life is death and taxes. By taking away much of the potential profits from speculation, this type of mortgage should dampen changes in home prices. And this doesn't increase risks, it just transfers it from the lender to the borrower, allowing for lower interest rates

#3

Off-Topic / Re: Mortgage Payments should b...

Last post by jeffandnicole - Today at 11:06:57 AM

That's what my brother did in Indianapolis.  I kept calling him a slim lord for years after he sold.  Can't deny the fact that he made some money off of, even though it was a questionable act.

If they have some insight into the future and can see an area that may gentrify, they can make some money.  But in the meantime, they just hope their asset isn't destroyed.

#4

Mid-South / Re: Laredo: bids opened for SH...

Last post by MaxConcrete - Today at 11:02:51 AM

I think you meant Highway 83/US-83 (aka future Interstate 2)

See the environmental assessment.

There is no indication this project has any relation to US 83 or I-2.

3.1 Need
The project is needed to reduce traffic congestion on existing state and local roadways due to the
increased commercial drayage (short haul shipping) traffic between the international ports of entry
locate west FM 1472 and the developing warehouse district located along IH 35 north of Laredo.

3.3 Purpose
The purpose of the proposed project is to accommodate anticipated future growth in the region by
adding necessary additional capacity. Travel times between FM 1472 and IH-35 would be
significantly reduced with the construction of the new roadway. The new roadway would also reduce
traffic on Killam Industrial Blvd., I-69W, FM 1472, and FM 3338 by offering an alternative route
between FM 1472 and IH-35.

#5

Off-Topic / Re: Mortgage Payments should b...

Last post by Max Rockatansky - Today at 10:51:37 AM

That's what my brother did in Indianapolis.  I kept calling him a slim lord for years after he sold.  Can't deny the fact that he made some money off of, even though it was a questionable act.

#6

Mid-Atlantic / Re: West Virginia Turnpike

Last post by ibthebigd - Today at 10:50:59 AM

Indiana selling off the Indiana Turnpike

SM-G996U

#7

Pacific Southwest / Re: 380 is unconstructed from ...

Last post by gonealookin - Today at 10:42:55 AM

My thought was, why doesn't Nevada change the numbering of its I-580 to "I-380"?  That way, the connection would logically be to I-380 near SFO Airport, which would require California to construct that long-awaited "Southern Crossing" bridge across the Bay!   

(NOBODY at Tahoe wants to make it easier for even more visitors to pile into this over-taxed area by upgrading US 50 through the Sierra.  Yeah, it's also more difficult for me to get to Sacramento, but we have all the visitation we can handle.)

#8

Off-Topic / Re: Mortgage Payments should b...

Last post by jeffandnicole - Today at 10:38:56 AM

So, how do you view mortgage in general? Right now, it's a loan with certain financial terms - interest rate, payoff period etc. Real estate component is just backing the loan for bank's "peace of mind". Risks of property ownership are still on a borrower, abet insurance is required.
You propose to tie in real estate much deeper into the equation. Can you describe full legal framework? What are the right of the bank in this scheme?

It would turn mortgages into a more equity-like product, the value of them would rise and fall with the value of the underlying asset.

If a borrower defaults, then the bank forecloses, sells the house and makes a profit or loss equal to their share of the equity. 

A mortagage should not be an "equity like product." A house should be. A mortage is just a loan.

Any financial advisor will tell you that you need to have a diverse portfolio. Having hundreds of thousands of dollars tied up in a single asset is not a diverse portfolio.

To diverse the portfolio, someone can buy more housing in areas of increasing crime and decay. The more boarded up housing, squatters and drug dens, the better.

#9

Pacific Southwest / Re: 580 is unconstructed from ...

Last post by Max Rockatansky - Today at 10:32:31 AM

I-70 being rejected over Minaret Summit, Sonora Pass and Echo Summit not enough to tell you that it ain't happening?  There is a less of need for a full limited access highway in South Lake Tahoe now than there was circa 1965-1973.

#10

Mid-South / Re: Laredo: bids opened for SH...

Last post by Bobby5280 - Today at 10:21:18 AM

$100 million plus? For a pair of frontage road streets that run 6 or 7 miles? Jeez.

That project might help move traffic more efficiently between the growing Travel Centers of America complex on I-35 and the Columbia-Camino border crossing. But it won't solve the giant crush of truck traffic present on Mines Road. The zone from I-69W up to Millenium Park is really bad. They're going to have to look at building an elevated freeway through there and doing other at-grade freeway upgrades the rest of the way up to the Columbia-Camino crossing.

I doubt this new pair of frontage roads would be related to I-2. Or I-27. I-2 would ultimately end in Laredo at an interchange with I-69W. An eventual I-27 extension down to Laredo would more likely follow US-277 from Eagle Pass to Carrizo Springs and then to I-35. Although the route length would be shorter, it seems less likely I-27 would follow FM-1021 and Mines Road down to Laredo.