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How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:24 am
by Chizzang
So my brother and I had lunch the other day
He thinks the economy is sh!t everywhere but a few places in the U.S.
I was shocked (really..?)
It's absolutely BOOMING in the cities I work in
San Francisco Bay Area / Los Angeles / Seattle / Portland
What say you..?
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:32 am
by bandl
The great thing about being in the booze business...people buy booze when the goings are tough, and they buy more booze when the goings are tougherer
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:35 am
by VictorG
I can't even keep up with all the breweries, distilleries and Cider houses that have opened up in western Montana in the past 2 years. Pretty amazing!
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:40 am
by AZGrizFan
I'm in oil country. Things aren't great.
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:43 am
by 93henfan
Chizzang wrote:So my brother and I had lunch the other day
He thinks the economy is sh!t everywhere but a few places in the U.S.
I was shocked (really..?)
It's absolutely BOOMING in the cities I work in
San Francisco Bay Area / Los Angeles / Seattle / Portland
What say you..?
I'd say you're both correct. Cities, especially those propped up by gobs of government spending, are doing pretty well - for now.
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:45 am
by 89Hen
There's always money in DC.
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 9:50 am
by Ibanez
Charlotte is doing just fine.
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:04 am
by ASUG8
Greenville barely felt the '08 recession and has had construction cranes up downtown ever since. For a relatively small town, we have 3-4 cranes up now with some large projects going on. It's a pretty good job market as well, and housing has gone nowhere but up.
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:08 am
by Chizzang
Other than oil based and pure retail based
I'm inclined to believe that things are pretty good out there
Retail ain't coming back any time soon
and oil is in a huge global production glut
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:19 am
by Grizalltheway
Montana is probably never going to be a rich state, but unemployment is at 4%, Missoula and Bozeman have burgeoning tech sectors, Helena has the gubmint and such, and the Flathead and other areas draw in a ton of property taxes from the richies and their third homes. The Orientals also decided to buy American beef again, so that should help. All thanks to 12 years of Democratic governorship.

Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:22 am
by HI54UNI
Things are generally pretty good around here. The unemployment rate in our county is 2.5%. Statewide it is 3.1%. Worst county in the state is 5.1%, best is 1.5%. If you don't have a job it's because you don't want to work. Manufacturing is doing pretty well. Several factories in the area have mandatory 50 hours weeks right now to keep up with demand. The farm economy is tight. The big farmers are doing OK because they farm enough acres to make a small margin per acre. The small farmers are all tightening their belts. No matter what happens the government will bail the farmers out. Wages are really going up in some industries, other industries should be based on the unemployment rate and product demand but aren't.
A lot of people seem nervous though that things are going to take a turn for the worse. Maybe that's the perception your brother is getting?
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:25 am
by Ibanez
ASUG8 wrote:Greenville barely felt the '08 recession and has had construction cranes up downtown ever since. For a relatively small town, we have 3-4 cranes up now with some large projects going on. It's a pretty good job market as well, and housing has gone nowhere but up.
Charlotte and its bedroom communities are in the same position. SInce i've been here, there have been 2 high rises completed, another 3 started and multiple developments begun all around town. A unemployment rate of 4.7% and a booming real estate market.
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:29 am
by mrklean
In Atlanta we are still feeling it. however, the housing business is booming. People are still moving into the city.
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 10:38 am
by 93henfan
Delaware's three big industries 10 years ago were: banking, chemicals, automobiles
Fast forward to today: Delaware's gigantic MBNA is gone (as are several other banks that dotted the Wilmington skyline), GM and Chrysler plants are both gone, and floundering DuPont merged with Dow and shuttered many of its plants in the area
In the smaller towns downstate, Playtex and General Foods were huge employers in Dover and only a skeleton crew from Playtex remains. My dad was let go with 41 years at Playtex. The entire town of Seaford revolved around the DuPont nylon plant which closed. That town turned into a hellhole. Used to be a very competitive sports school and now they are just God-awful embarrassments.
Delaware took a heavy blow from 2008 and has not fully recovered. Thousands upon thousands of jobs gone for good.
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 11:06 am
by GrizFanStuckInUtah
Things are going pretty well in Utah across the board form what I can tell. Low unemployment, lost of tech coming in, lots of building.
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 11:27 am
by Silenoz
My home's worth has gone up about $100,000 in a couple years, so I'm gonna say good. Bozeman is nuts
Good luck to anyone thinking about moving here. Even 1500 feet is now $350,000
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 11:50 am
by 93henfan
Silenoz wrote:My home's worth has gone up about $100,000 in a couple years, so I'm gonna say good. Bozeman is nuts
Good luck to anyone thinking about moving here. Even 1500 feet is now $350,000
You're halfway to Washington DC area pricing. Congrats!
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 11:50 am
by 89Hen
93henfan wrote:Delaware's three big industries 10 years ago were: banking, chemicals, automobiles
Fast forward to today: Delaware's gigantic MBNA is gone (as are several other banks that dotted the Wilmington skyline), GM and Chrysler plants are both gone, and floundering DuPont merged with Dow and shuttered many of its plants in the area
In the smaller towns downstate, Playtex and General Foods were huge employers in Dover and only a skeleton crew from Playtex remains. My dad was let go with 41 years at Playtex. The entire town of Seaford revolved around the DuPont nylon plant which closed. That town turned into a hellhole. Used to be a very competitive sports school and now they are just God-awful embarrassments.
Delaware took a heavy blow from 2008 and has not fully recovered. Thousands upon thousands of jobs gone for good.
Downstate's big "industry" now is retirement homes. They can't build them fast enough. We have 100 homes going in next to us.

Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 11:53 am
by 89Hen
Silenoz wrote:My home's worth has gone up about $100,000 in a couple years, so I'm gonna say good. Bozeman is nuts
Good luck to anyone thinking about moving here. Even 1500 feet is now $350,000
I was just pulling up some comps for a home in Arlington. New listing for $1,179,000...

Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 12:04 pm
by Grizalltheway
93henfan wrote:Silenoz wrote:My home's worth has gone up about $100,000 in a couple years, so I'm gonna say good. Bozeman is nuts
Good luck to anyone thinking about moving here. Even 1500 feet is now $350,000
You're halfway to Washington DC area pricing. Congrats!
Still less than half the median income, I would guess.
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 12:21 pm
by CAA Flagship
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 12:35 pm
by 93henfan
Grizalltheway wrote:93henfan wrote:
You're halfway to Washington DC area pricing. Congrats!
Still less than half the median income, I would guess.
Since 89 posted an Arlington home:
https://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va ... -in-nation
What freaks me out is that I make more than the median household income in the country's wealthiest county, Loudoun VA, but I sure don't feel like it.
I heart child support!
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 12:39 pm
by Col Hogan
Booming here in Northern Texas...companies moving in, housing construction remains high...in fact, the lack of certain trades is hindering some construction...
We got here just in time...
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 12:48 pm
by Silenoz
93henfan wrote:Silenoz wrote:My home's worth has gone up about $100,000 in a couple years, so I'm gonna say good. Bozeman is nuts
Good luck to anyone thinking about moving here. Even 1500 feet is now $350,000
You're halfway to Washington DC area pricing. Congrats!
But I'm used to Canadian prices!
Re: How's the Economy in your area...?
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 12:51 pm
by 93henfan
Silenoz wrote:93henfan wrote:
You're halfway to Washington DC area pricing. Congrats!
But I'm used to Canadian prices!
I just got back from there. Exchange rate is pretty good right now. I took $200 cdn out of the ATM the first night and it charged my account around $150. With their somewhat inflated prices (at least in Quebec), it's pretty much a wash.