May 16, 2010 at 11:43 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
This land is your land, this land is my land… Until your lender forecloses. Vacant homes, playmates going to other schools, and empty seats at church are signs that lives are being changed by a wicked economy. Yet there is proof that diamonds are created under tremendous pressure.
Older children are moving back in with their parents. Young couples and older couples are sharing a home with Mom and Dad. They are renting their home because they cannot sell it in this market. They do not want to lose it entirely. So the extended family is under one roof for a time.
My father-in-law thought my fitness equipment was a waste of money but found some room for it in the basement. However he surprised us when he asked if he could hold my daughter’s dreadnought acoustic guitar. Then he proceeded to play and actually sing. My mother-in-law is an avid reader and has fallen in love with my wife’s kindle reader.
The move home and combining family members led to unexpected surprises. My daughter found new support for body marking when she discovered that her grandmother has a tattoo on her hip. My son and his grandfather are playing two person video games nearly every night. My mother and I share early rising and coffee habits.
My Mom has a page on a social site and now has over 100 friends. My daughter is helping my Mom’s social group with a quilt to raise money to fulfill critically ill children wishes. I actually caught my son playing cribbage with my Dad. I can still see the sheepish look on my Dad’s face when I caught him reading and e-book.
Old relationships are being renewed. My wife and I have been visiting with my parents friends and making new connections. It was through one of my Mom’s friends that my wife found out about a better job opportunity. My Dad and I had lots of talks in the workshop that I was not much interested in as a kid.
He talked to me about the war, about coming home to Mom and starting a family. He told me about his parents passing away when I was very young. He told me that people, especially men always argue about when we become grownups. He told me that he thinks it is when your parents die because until then you are always somebody’s little boy.
That’s when I realized two things were true. I am actually glad that our house is rented for awhile and I wanted to be ’somebody’s little boy’ for a many years to come.
Tags:
economy,
financial difficulties,
relationships
December 13, 2009 at 11:52 pm · Filed under Money and Finance
Nation’s Economy – Greatly Affecting Small Businesses
six decades, there are many businesses that are tremendously affected, but go unnoticed~A large number of industries and small businesses are suffering indirectly because of this nation’s economic recession~The largest recession that U.S. residents and companies have seen in the past 40 years continues to indirectly affect many small businesses}. The housing market and stock market have been some of the most talked about issues, while the banking and loan business trails a close second. Many of these markets are inter-related in some way, but many major industries that affect millions of home owners are not far off.
Homeowners will concur that the housing industry has taken a huge blow, and the property values in Phoenix, Arizona lies at the epicenter of impact. These buyers all have property that has greatly depreciated in value over the past 2 years (sometimes being down hundreds of thousands of dollars). Home foreclosures are on the increase, repossessions are common place, and people are just walking away from their homes because of loss of home equity.
For those owners who are not affected by unemployment, housing market decline, and stock market woes – they quickly find out they are incorrect. When most homeowners desire to make enhancements to their properties, they may need financing or some sort of financial loan. Local banks and credit unions can usually provide this type of home improvement loan. Swimming pool, landscape, and home improvement companies have not had the fortune of getting it’s potential buyers approved for these financing programs.
The swimming pool industry in Phoenix has been one of the largest industries influenced, since financing a swimming pool was the clear choice for over 70% of pool and spa customers. Financing enables buyers to invest the money they desire into each project, and without a loan, buyers simply spend much less or don’t buy at all. Arizona pool companies have suffered tremendously with the decrease in the economy and lack of financing – sometimes even closing their doors, down-sizing, or diversifying into other venues. Motivated pool and spa companies have expanded into other venues such as pool remodeling, general construction, and even landscaping. General contractors have entirely gone into other fields, such as sales, marketing, or consulting. Arizona Landscaping Companies are starting to offer other popular landscape features such as travertine patios, waterfalls and ponds, Phoenix patio covers, and mist systems – anything to generate extra income.
One pool and landscaping Phoenix company, Unique Landscapes and Custom Pools, has figured out the technique of offering many varying products to potential clients years ago. As a Phoenix pool builder, licensed general contractor, and landscaping contractor, Unique is able to offer their clients many different options when it comes to home improvement. By offering many different aspects of our swimming pools and landscape services to our clients, we’ve been able to generate revenue during these difficult times – simply by diversification. However, the major challenges have been the simple fact that these financing programs are simply not available to the average customers.”
“It’s difficult to think about all the money that was given to banking industry just a year ago for these construction loans, and now it’s difficult for our customers, who want to buy our products, to get this assistance” claims business owner Chris Griffin, of Unique Landscapes and Custom Pools in Mesa, AZ. Maybe it’s time for the government to look a little further into some of the struggles of the smaller companies that are greatly affected by this struggling economy. “Pool financing in Phoenix is getting better” remarks Griffin, “I can’t quite see the end of the tunnel, but I can faintly see the light”.
Tags:
economy,
financing,
landscaping,
loans,
pool and landscaping,
recession,
swimming pool financing,
swimming pool loans,
swimming pools
