tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17652078966698865102024-02-21T07:40:54.653-08:00Northwest Indiana Home BuilderGreen homes, Smart Homes, Healthy Homes for your family daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-81348822351251478602010-11-24T10:58:00.001-08:002012-10-24T08:24:31.730-07:00Important breaking news coming soonWatch here and our Facebook page for news in the next few weeks! daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-88143580902314665972010-05-26T10:03:00.000-07:002010-05-26T10:10:42.441-07:00Twitter List Research - Home BuildersI am trying to build a <a href="http://twitter.com/daltonsbriefs/builders">twitter list for home builders and home building related entities</a> (feel free to follow that list too), if you are a home builder or related entity please leave your twitter profile in the comments here or send me an @ reply to either <a href="http://www.twitter.com/daltonsbriefs">@daltonsbriefs</a> my primary profile or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/greenpointe">@greenpointe</a> for Green Pointe Homes.<br /><br />The list will top out at 500, since that's all twitter will let you list, and then I'll have to start a second one like I've done for realestate and northwest indiana. <br /><br />One last question for those that happen across this post, is there a single hashtag being used for home builder related posts these days?daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-83622085538819313802010-04-12T14:03:00.001-07:002010-04-12T14:19:25.443-07:00How to build a home Part OneThis begins a series I've postponed a couple time, but really need to get started. I'm sure comments and additional thoughts will cause some revisions along the way.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How to build a home Part One - Location, Location, Location</span><br /><br />It seems so cliched to say, and yet from the perspective of building a new home, in any part of the country, but especially here in Northwest Indiana the key is where? You may already be disagreeing with me and wanting to talk budget or investments or financing first. But alas I'm writing the series and I can tell you that LOCATION is KING!<br /><br />What school system<br />What kind of neighborhood<br />Sidewalks or rural roads<br />Manicured lawns or Acres and Privacy<br />Neighbors for that next block party or perhaps trees so you can't see anyone<br />In the city with utilities<br />In the county with well and septic<br /><br />These are key questions that predate budget or financing truthfully. All of them have corresponding pluses and minuses that have to do with who you are, and how your family lives now and wants to live the future. Perhaps you can drive the streets of your area and choose that perfect spot easily ... or is it a bit more difficult and you need another set of eyes? I have often done the "DRIVING and DREAMING" Tour with potential homebuyers and it can be extremely revealing.<br /><br />This brings then to center stage the need for good maps and driving directions and background information on all those communities in your area that have available homesites. And that is our project right here on this site for this month. We will be posting one at a time maps and detailed information on each community in Lake, LaPorte and Porter County that we know of that have available lots. We'll even be available to help if you want ideas. <br /><br />Steve<br />Green Pointe Homesdaltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-45656277573571753482010-03-31T08:17:00.000-07:002010-03-31T08:18:18.707-07:00What mortgage rate can I get today?<h3 class="post-title">An update from First Financial Trust Mortgage<br /></h3><h3 class="post-title"><a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com/2010/03/valparaiso-mortgage-rates.html">Valparaiso Mortgage Rates</a> </h3> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-9342424145624377"; google_ad_width = 234; google_ad_height = 60; google_ad_format = "234x60_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; //2007-04-05: post footers google_ad_channel = "7949577213"; //-->></script>I had a customer ask me to post an update on where the mortgage rates are priced right now, so here is that post:<br /><br />Going into last week mortgage interest rates were rocking up and down between 5% and 5.25% for 30 year fixed rate mortgages, best to state in Indiana since some companies price higher in Illinois and Michigan. Indiana property values have leveled off and we get better pricing than surrounding states. That's good news!<br /><br />In the middle of last week mortgage rates began a climb upwards toward and over 5.5% for 30 years fixed. Some experts are even suggesting rates will go higher tomorrow after the Federal Reserve stops buying mortgage bonds in support of pricing as they have done for the last 16 months.daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-74939777479627821182010-03-23T11:12:00.000-07:002010-03-23T11:14:36.060-07:00When should I cut my yard this year?If you have this kind of question, and so do I, I've been checking out <a href="http://www.lifeandlawns.com/2010/03/19/when-should-i-start-mowing-my-lawn/trackback/">Life and Lawn tips</a>. <br /><br />We will be putting in the yard at our model in Keystone Commons in Valparaiso in about a month, unless Allyn tells me to hold off until May ... we'd love to show you through the model if you're interested in building. <br /><br />Give me a call anytime 219-465-8352.daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-87814592071933086272010-03-22T11:11:00.000-07:002010-03-22T11:19:48.172-07:00We pay real estate agentsFor years home builders and real estate agents have had a love/hate relationship, perhaps even more hate than love. Here's our written policy on paying real estate agents:<br /><ul><li>You must be licensed in the State of Indiana</li><li>You must register your client with us, email or fax or even tweet, but let us know who you are working with to eliminate confusion</li><li>We will pay you 3% for introducing us to a customer that buys a home within one year of the introduction. You introduce, and are welcome to join as many meetings as you want during the process, but are not required to do any more than register.</li></ul><br />For active real estate professionals and online marketers we also have the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Green Pointe VIP Program</span>:<br /><ul><li>Increased commissions for licensed agents who introduce us to multiple clients</li><li>Cross marketing opportunities using our online resources in collaboration with yours</li><li>Training and coaching opportunities for social media, new media synergies</li><li>For those with real estate licenses in escrow, we have a legal referral program as well</li><li>For licensed mortgage bankers, brokers, insurance agents, financial planners we also build custom referral programs that work for your clients and meet requirement of the State of Indiana. <br /></li></ul>Call Steve Dalton, 219-465-8352 or feel free to <a href="mailto:steve@greenptdev.com">Email Steve</a>daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-74498013170371888112010-03-16T10:53:00.000-07:002010-03-16T10:53:53.654-07:00How to choose a listing agent<a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com/2010/03/real-estate-pros-in-nw-indiana.html">Northwest Indiana Mortgages - FHA VA and Conventional loans: Real Estate Pros in NW Indiana</a><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!--<br />google_ad_client = "pub-9342424145624377";<br />google_ad_width = 234;<br />google_ad_height = 60;<br />google_ad_format = "234x60_as";<br />google_ad_type = "text_image";<br />//2007-04-05: post footers<br />google_ad_channel = "7949577213";<br />//--><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript"<br /> src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script>daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-18172416175563800052010-03-15T06:30:00.001-07:002010-03-15T06:55:10.616-07:00Daltonsbriefs northwest indiana homes update<h3 class="post-title"> <a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com/2010/03/northwest-indiana-mortgages-today.html">Northwest Indiana Mortgages today</a> </h3> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZk2c4-mQ6_OckDgXPEvgtGzSI6TlamqjVKTRYw4JJKPfKoXp5mI081pMkXyPmvXROIUAsU1A7sqCdkoLkug8C7Vv-QV33vgeQvToKCbDrcdEKOfurqTM0tTkqpvgUQCfC_qafqLO60SmN/s1600-h/FNMA+4.5.bmp"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZk2c4-mQ6_OckDgXPEvgtGzSI6TlamqjVKTRYw4JJKPfKoXp5mI081pMkXyPmvXROIUAsU1A7sqCdkoLkug8C7Vv-QV33vgeQvToKCbDrcdEKOfurqTM0tTkqpvgUQCfC_qafqLO60SmN/s200/FNMA+4.5.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448848204250952866" border="0" /></a><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-9342424145624377"; google_ad_width = 234; google_ad_height = 60; google_ad_format = "234x60_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; //2007-04-05: post footers google_ad_channel = "7949577213"; //-->></script>Let's shoot straight today, here's what rates are doing:<br /></p><p>Update: watching bonds slide - oops that means rates will be higher on rate sheets this morning. Have you talked to your real estate professional lately? Time to jump!<br /></p>The bond market looks to open slightly higher, meaning lower rates, but mortgage companies will probably hold at or near Friday rates. That means that for 10 weeks straight we've been at or below 5.25% this year. You all know, those that read regularly, that I don't believe rates can possibly stay this low due to inflationary pressures. The key question is when do they push upward to 5.5% and above?<br /><br />Go to link for the full article and predictions on market swings this year.daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-67198087644116015042010-03-07T05:31:00.000-08:002010-03-07T05:32:14.636-08:00Buying a home in 2010<h3 class="post-title"> <a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com/2010/03/homeownership-is-best-stimulus.html">Homeownership is the best Stimulus</a> </h3> <p><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-9342424145624377"; google_ad_width = 234; google_ad_height = 60; google_ad_format = "234x60_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; //2007-04-05: post footers google_ad_channel = "7949577213"; //-->></script>The writers over at the Times blog push forward one negative theory that is rolling around, namely that more families should be renting, well of course we believe this is hogwash. First the Times article:<br /><br /></p><blockquote><h3><a title="Permanent Link to Knocking the home buyer tax credit" href="http://nwitimes.com/app/blog/news/?p=4257" rel="bookmark">Knocking the home buyer tax credit</a></h3> <div class="PostInfo"><em>Category: <a href="http://nwitimes.com/app/blog/news/?cat=1" title="View all posts in NWI in the News" rel="category">NWI in the News</a></em></div> <p>The economics blog <a href="http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2010/03/very-expensive-home-buyer-tax-credit.html">Calculated Risk</a> takes on the notion of expanding and extending the home buyer tax credit, claiming it will cost taxpayers more than $100,000 for each additional house sold.</p> <p>The thinking is that the $8,000 tax credit primarily goes to people who were going to buy a house anyway, and so doesn’t have much stimulative effect on the home market.</p> <p>There’s another effect, evidenced by something I overheard at our Editorial Advisory Board meeting, where one of the members talked about not being able to get tenants for rental property he owns.</p> <p>On this very subject, the article from the <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/sep/22/some-sour-tax-sweetner/">Las Vegas Sun</a>, which the blog post cites goes into detail.</p></blockquote><p>The reasons we find this so frustrating:</p><ul><li>Calculated Risk is merely a negative talking anti-economy bunch. They don't like homeownership, they wanted the bubble and aren't too happy to see the economy already bouncing back.</li><li>Who cares if landlords now have some competition, that's good for the market. Perhaps take the opportunity to fix up your property while it's empty.<br /></li><li>Homeowners make the best community citizens, they stay, the keep maintained, they are part of the neighborhood. </li></ul>If you are renting now, your rent is going to go up this year. Time to talk about buying a home. Let's talk today!daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-4223586607047872292010-02-28T16:09:00.000-08:002010-02-28T16:16:25.554-08:00Northwest Indiana HomesI was wondering out loud today what terms consumers actually use when they look for a home builder. Thoughts? <br /><br /><ul><li>Home Builder</li><li>Contractor</li><li>Homes and Models</li><li>Floorplans</li></ul>The problem with thinking about search engine optimization is that often we can't relate to real <a href="http://www.google.com">google</a> and <a href="http://www.bing.com">bing</a> users. For years I've though that dominating <a href="http://greenpointe.blogspot.com/2010/02/announcement-home-building-again.html">Northwest Indiana Home Builder</a>, or any of the more specific community searches like <a href="http://greenpointe.blogspot.com/2009/01/10-predictions-not-commonly-held.html">Portage Indiana Homes</a>, or <a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com">Valparaiso New Homes</a> ... would do the trick. But now I'm not so sure. Do real consumers really use these kinds of terms? <br /><br />Be honest, what do you think are terms actually searched in the region.daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-31267494891313197332010-02-22T10:13:00.001-08:002010-02-22T10:19:22.411-08:00Announcement - Home building again<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20dsPCR4DZH-06nHHBZOGn6TndFLAxBPrMjrOdiu4x0-m29DoYHHTsLrErxzIOKEMkpI4drXbEfjqm8jR6uVBMQwk6LP0krOqwRqM6lvRq2Bw5KmjuNKprN8hDn5cWdL0uTG4KIpZAyE/s1600-h/landscape+illum.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 178px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj20dsPCR4DZH-06nHHBZOGn6TndFLAxBPrMjrOdiu4x0-m29DoYHHTsLrErxzIOKEMkpI4drXbEfjqm8jR6uVBMQwk6LP0krOqwRqM6lvRq2Bw5KmjuNKprN8hDn5cWdL0uTG4KIpZAyE/s200/landscape+illum.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441133713852015682" border="0" /></a><br />We are so excited to be making this announcement finally -<br /><br />Julie and I had the opportunity for 10 years to build homes in Northwest Indiana, mainly for first time home buyers. We loved the business and were blessed to build for over 200 families.<br /><br />In 2007, sadly the mortgage business went haywire and we were left standing with far too much inventory and almost zero home buyers. We won't go into all the gory details but our lives were turned upside down overnite and it has taken us until now, almost three years later, to make this announcement!<br /><br />Green Pointe Homes, our forray back into home building, will be based in Valparaiso. For the time being we're going to go slow, working one on one with our customers. Since Steve is trained as a mortgage banker he will be working with first time buyers, buyers who need assistance with credit repair or saving for down payments. You can check out his daily post on <a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com/">Northwest Indiana Mortgages</a>, for rates and ideas on how to prepare to buy your home.<br /><br />So, without further adieu, let's talk shop. You can contact Steve at 219-465-8352 or by <a href="mailto:steve@greenptdev.com">email anytime</a>. Let's meet and talk about how we can work together, our family with your family.daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-57026569064228159222009-12-06T12:53:00.000-08:002009-12-06T12:53:27.314-08:00Auto Insurance Online - Northwest IndianaFrom our associates at <a href="http://www.nwiquotes.com">Northwest Indiana Quotes</a><br />They have an easy form to get quick auto insurance quotes within hours.<br /><br /><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/nwiquotes/%7E3/WokqVjok7cA/">Part B- Medical Payments</a>:<br /><p>Medical payments are the second part of an auto insurance policy after <a href="http://nwiquotes.com/2009/11/auto-insurance-part-a-liability-coverage/">liability</a>. Medical pays for reasonable medical expenses incurred by a covered person for bodily injury caused by an accident involving any motor vehicle designed for highway use.</p><br /><p>Covered persons are the named insured, spouse, or any family member when occupying a motor vehicle, or as a pedestrian when struck by a vehicle. Also covered is any individual, other than the named insured and family, while occupying a covered auto. Covered people are protected while entering or leaving an auto.</p><br /><p>Typical coverages: $1000, $3000, $5000, $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000.</p><br /><p>What does all this mean? <a href="http://nwiquotes.com/2009/11/auto-insurance-part-a-liability-coverage/">Auto liability coverage</a> protects you when you cause bodily injury to someone outside your family or vehicle. Medical payments covers your bodily injury in an accident. For example, if you slide through a stop sign into another car, liability will cover their medical cost up to the limit of coverage. If you slide through the stop sign into a tree and your wife suffers an injury, medical payments will cover her up to the limit of coverage. Medical will also cover passengers in your car (important if you’re the car pool mom) and cover your family in other accidents. Also, if your son is riding with a buddy and gets injured in an accident, your medical will cover your son if the friend’s coverage isn’t enough, up to the limits of your coverage.</p><br /><p>It’s surprising how many consumers are unaware of how medical payment coverage can affect them or their family. They are willing to have $300,000 in coverage for someone they don’t know but only have $1000 in coverage for family. Upping coverage from $1000 to $25000 should be a few dollars a month. Next time your getting an a<a href="http://nwiquotes.com/forms/autoform.php">uto quote</a> ask what the difference between the coverages is.</p><br /><p></p><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-9342424145624377"; google_ad_width = 234; google_ad_height = 60; google_ad_format = "234x60_as"; google_ad_type = "text_image"; //2007-04-05: post footers google_ad_channel = "7949577213"; //--><br /></script><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"><br /></script><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-83142868076700077312009-10-14T09:37:00.000-07:002009-10-14T09:47:23.429-07:00Geo-targeting my sitesIt's my strong opinion, and most of mine are, that consumers are finally really using geographic terms when searching for service providers. For years consumers really struggled with searching for a real estate company, or mortgage company, or even insurance company because the generic search terms yielded them little result but more frustration.<br /><br />Here are the projects I'm working on today, if you are reading and think I'm off base say so. If you have a site that is a legitimate reciprocal link, let me know. Spammers please stay away:<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com">Northwest Indiana Real Estate</a> - I worked on this term back a couple years ago, and really did well in for <a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com">Northwest Indiana home builder</a> especially. Right before the home building market went haywire consumers were starting to search for home builders online this way. </li><li><a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com">Portage, Valparaiso, Chesterton Indiana Mortgages and Mortgage Rates</a> - It's a mouthful, and no one types in all those terms, but frankly who wants to work with Quicken Loans for a mortgage right here in the region? Think that appraisal will be fair ... no way! The bulk of my referrals go to <a href="http://fftmortgage.com">First Financial Trust Mortgage</a>, in Portage. Good solid loan brokers, with lots of avenues to get that tough loan or tough appraisal approved. <br /></li><li><a href="http://www.cendercompany.com">Indiana municipal finance consultant</a> - this term's is a whole lot harder to gain analytics on, frankly many Indiana mayors and elected officials still use word of mouth to get referred to a finance consultant. One of the major competitors has basically paid the way for the association (IACT) that connects all the possible consumers, it's a tough sale to get in the door but well worth it because that competitor is stretched too thin. </li><li><a href="http://reasonbellpundit.blogspot.com">Northwest Indiana Politics</a> - my number one and most trafficked site, even offering advertising for the first time due to amount of traffic. We have multiple authors from different perspectives, and some of the posts get pretty heated in the comments. This site averages a post a day, sometimes three or four though.<br /></li></ul>I try to write everyday, oh let's be honest I'm lucky to write every day on all these sites. <br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-11875112717421607202009-08-24T06:36:00.000-07:002009-09-03T13:37:05.472-07:00Question - what do you do for a living?A common email or social media question I get, and thus a couple quick responses here:<br /><ol><li>I work for a <a href="http://www.fftmortgage.com/">mortgage lender in Indian</a>a, working with first time home buyers, move-up buyers, and whole lot of construction buyers. My background has always been in new construction and right now this is a particularly complicated area of finance, where our clients need more than the typical mortgage professional. <br /></li><li>I also provide <a href="http://www.cendercompany.com/">municipal consulting to cities and towns in Indiana</a>. Market studies and legislation research being a key component. </li></ol>The rest of my time is set aside for my family, and with four kids that's a bunch of time!<br /><br /><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden"><div id="refHTML"></div>daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-64352248395251158532009-01-28T12:07:00.000-08:002009-01-28T12:16:22.748-08:00Our servicesWas asked to post a list of our consulting services, so here it is:<br /><br /><ul><li>Developer and Bank workouts on ailing real estate projects</li><li>Social media services including set up, writing, public relations and listening post</li><li>Sales training with a focus on real estate, mortgage lending, and new home sales</li><li>Development market studies, with feasibility and planning assistance</li><li>Strategic planning - company planning retreats, organization structure</li></ul>That's the bulk of our services, please feel free to contact me directly if I can prepare a proposal for you and/or your company or project. <br /><br /><a href="mailto:steve@greenptdev.com">Email</a>daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-30237104120501892972009-01-04T06:07:00.001-08:002009-01-04T06:30:25.770-08:0010 Predictions not commonly heldI liked this idea, which I picked up while reading RSS feed from <a href="http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/01/doug-kass-unlikely-possibilities/">The Big Picture</a><br />Refers to <em></em><a href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10455209/3/kass-20-surprises-for-2009.html" target="_blank">20 Surprises for 2009</a> by Doug Kass<br /><br />Here's his list:<br /><blockquote><p>1. The Russian mafia and Russian oligarchs are found to be large investors with Madoff.</p> <p>2. Housing stabilizes sooner than expected.</p> <p>3. The nation’s commercial real estate markets experience only a shallow pricing downturn in the first half of 2009.</p> <p>4. The U.S. economy stabilizes sooner than expected.</p> <p>5. The U.S. stock market rises by close to 20% in the year’s first half.</p> <p>6. A second quarter “growth scare” bursts the bubble in the government bond market.<br />7. Commodities markets remain subdued.</p> <p>8. Capital spending disappoints further.</p> <p>9. The hedge fund and fund of funds industries do not recover in 2009.</p> <p>10. Mutual fund redemptions from 2008 reverse into inflows in 2009.</p> <p>11. State and municipal imbalances and deficits mushroom.</p> <p>12. The automakers and the UAW come to an agreement over wages.</p> <p>13. The new administration replaces SEC Commissioner Cox.</p> <p>14. Large merger of equals deals multiply.</p> <p>15. Focus shifts for several media darlings.</p> <p>16. The Internet becomes the tactical nuke of the digital age.</p> <p>17. A handful of sports franchises file bankruptcy.</p> <p>18. The Fox Business Network closes.</p> <p>19. Old, leveraged media implode.</p> <p>20. The Middle East’s infrastructure build-out is abruptly halted owing to “market conditions.”</p></blockquote>And my list:<br /><br /><ol><li><a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com/2008/12/recovery-carnival-of-real-estate.html">Housing recovery has already started,</a> and will become big story in 2009. Home building will remain sluggish while inventories slowly drop.<br /></li><li>Stock market rally in first quarter to 12,000 Dow ... with big stories dominated by mergers and acquisitions<br /></li><li>Even though <a href="http://reasonbellpundit.blogspot.com/2008/12/chrysler-already-blowing-money.html">Federal Government gave out cash to GM and Chrysler</a>, both will file bankruptcy in 2nd quarter, with GM being purchased by Ford and Chrysler by Toyota. This will break the union contracts and allow steel, textiles, and other union dominated industries to begin re-organizing labor contracts.<br /></li><li><a href="http://firstfinancialtrustmortgage.blogspot.com/2008/11/rates-drop-again-buy-or-refi-now.html">Mortgage rates will hang at 5% till end of March</a>, with refinance boom helping dodge Alt-A reset crisis, but then start going up as "economic recovery" news causes inflation to become more certain</li><li>Oil will go back up to $80 by June 2009, the dollar will strengthen though. The US will lead the global recovery thus the dollar strength. Oil demand issues will recover traction thus the oil strength. <br /></li><li><a href="http://reasonbellpundit.blogspot.com/2008/12/10-day-plan-social-media-for.html">Conservative groups will continue rapid growth</a> - <a href="http://topconservativesontwitter.org">#TCOT</a>, <a href="http://dongtomovement.com">#dontgo</a>, <a href="http://rebuildthisparty.ning.com">#rebuild</a>, and collaborative projects will push to hyperlocal since local races in 2009 and 2010 are more important than national ... ie. local state house control of re-districting in Indiana</li><li>Obama will be tied in knots, one the one side his radical left support, on the other the great middle of America that only heard "change" ... he will accomplish very little in 2009 and 2010 ... which frankly will be good for America</li><li>Governments all over the country will actually have to cut budgets, and cut deeply. This will be the first time in decades that budgets actually get cut. Some politicians will lose in 2010 merely because they couldn't deliver pork for the first time.<br /></li><li>Hyper local blogger collaboration will hurt traffic to individual bloggers, with a rush to get added to collaborative projects. Monetization will only work in collaborative aggregates, with traffic and advertising connections. See circa <a href="http://nwiblogs.blogspot.com">2006 model Northwest Indiana bloggers, old news</a>. I better move or I'm dead in the water too.</li><li>Massive unemployment will actually be good for the economy, with consulting and home based contractors niche growing substantially. Companies will hire the work they actually need and leave the extras to the side as unecessary overhead. The fast and connected will not only survive but grow, the lazy and entitled will be left far far behind.<br /></li></ol>What are your predictions for 2009? Disagree with me, cool comment or email me, the engagement is more important than the prophesy.daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-87246231850392774622008-12-12T09:40:00.001-08:002008-12-12T09:40:55.655-08:00Talk to Ford about auto bailout on twitter<div > Lots of talk about the auto bailout, and whether the Congress or President will give them cash. This guy has engaged on Ford Exec himself and is hosting a public exchange on twitter this morning </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><tr><td valign="top"><!-- BEGIN_CLIP_CONTENT ID:D22A746A-878B-48A0-9B8E-36873BDA9393:1 CLIPMARKS.COM --><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/D22A746A-878B-48A0-9B8E-36873BDA9393/" title="go to this clipmark"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_icon/468947ec-f68a-4900-b3a3-bdb730bebf02/D22A746A-878B-48A0-9B8E-36873BDA9393/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://kirkpete.blogspot.com/2006/12/lobbying-in-plain-sight-auto-bailout-on.html" href="http://kirkpete.blogspot.com/2006/12/lobbying-in-plain-sight-auto-bailout-on.html" style="font-size: 11px;">kirkpete.blogspot.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://kirkpete.blogspot.com/2006/12/lobbying-in-plain-sight-auto-bailout-on.html"><H3 class="post-title entry-title"><br /><A href="http://kirkpete.blogspot.com/2006/12/lobbying-in-plain-sight-auto-bailout-on.html">Lobbying in Plain Sight: The Auto Bailout on Twitter</A><br /></H3></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://kirkpete.blogspot.com/2006/12/lobbying-in-plain-sight-auto-bailout-on.html"><DIV><SPAN>Update</SPAN>: Operation Ford Motor now has its own hash tag, #OFM, <A href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23ofm">if you want to follow the action today</A>.</DIV><BR /><DIV>I don't know what if anything will come of this, but it's fascinating -- beginning at about 10:30 a.m. today, <A href="http://twitter.com/ScottMonty">Scott Monty</A>, the head of social media for Ford (yes, there is such a function now), began a Twitter conversation with <A href="http://twitter.com/michaelpleahy">Michael P. Leahy</A>, head of a new Twitter-powered conservative group called Top Conservatives on Twitter (#TCOT).</DIV><BR /><DIV>Even if you don't have a Twitter account, I believe you should be able to follow <A href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=+tcot%2C+scottmonty%2C+michaelpleahy">this search link</A>, which currently shows the "Tweet" below as the first result:</DIV></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://kirkpete.blogspot.com/2006/12/lobbying-in-plain-sight-auto-bailout-on.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content6.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/kirkpete.blogspot.com/img/C024FDD0-1AA6-4023-9DE2-5C9264420D2F" alt="" /></div></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;"> </td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/D22A746A-878B-48A0-9B8E-36873BDA9393/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table> daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-45489659168540202362008-12-06T14:53:00.000-08:002008-12-06T14:57:04.253-08:00Welcome TCOT membersThis is my business blog, for our small business consulting practice. Feel free to subscribe and let me give you a list of my more political sites as well, thanks again for stopping by:<br /><br /><a href="http://reasonbellpundit.blogspot.com">Porter County Indiana Politics</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.redcounty.com/porter">Red County - Porter County Indiana<br /></a><br /><a href="http://hoosiersformccain.blogspot.com">Hoosiers for McCain<br /></a><br /><a href="http://hoosieraccess.com">Hoosier Access</a> - guest author<br /><br /><a href="http://nwiconnect.blogspot.com">NWI Connect</a> - guest author<br /><br />If you follow me on twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/daltonsbriefs">daltonsbriefs</a> I'll get you followed back later this weekend as I'm cleaning out my follow lists. About 50% of my posts on twitter are related to politics, and the other half <a href="http://synergyhomes.blogspot.com">real estate-mortgage business in Northwest Indiana. </a>daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-26323388210774619962008-11-29T17:05:00.000-08:002008-12-08T20:46:13.531-08:00Could gasoline now be too low?I'm worried that with gasoline dropping this low, we'll lose our interest in Drilling for More Domestic Oil. Come on nation, keep your focus, we need energy independence. Drill Here, Drill Now. Do you remember the <a href="http://dontgomovement.com">Don't Go Movement</a> in the summer, or have you already forgotten too? Our nation needs to get energy independent, now. <br /><br />from <a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fmjperry.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault" class="entry-source-title" target="_blank">CARPE DIEM</a> <span class="entry-author-name"><br /></span><div class="entry-body"><div><div class="item-body"><div><a target="_blank" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHwq_oQnWy54NwUeqFiL8uzpBEo8DvR7gtLah5JPSH_LK0oI0hyzwYJ9Aeo68pgaDSc-_x2foUpFjQqL2okEgiRYPV6UccVvPqyYjCHFLZBZqj4JivJ_3XsFnV0-NH9IWEd_8000dOLdf/s1600-h/gas1.bmp"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 400px; height: 265px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqHwq_oQnWy54NwUeqFiL8uzpBEo8DvR7gtLah5JPSH_LK0oI0hyzwYJ9Aeo68pgaDSc-_x2foUpFjQqL2okEgiRYPV6UccVvPqyYjCHFLZBZqj4JivJ_3XsFnV0-NH9IWEd_8000dOLdf/s400/gas1.bmp" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" > The chart above shows the cost of 1,000 gallons of gas purchased at the retail price from January 1980 to November 2008, measured as a percent of monthly per-<span>capita</span> disposable income using </span><a target="_blank" href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/DSPI/downloaddata?cid=110"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >income data</span></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" > and </span><a target="_blank" href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/POPTHM"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >population data</span></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" > from the BEA, and gas price data from the </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/fsheets/real_prices.html"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" ><span>EIA</span></span></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" > and </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.gasbuddy.com/"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >Gas</span></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" > </span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.stlouisgasprices.com/"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >Buddy</span></a><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" >.</span><br /><div><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" ></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);font-family:georgia;" ><br />At the current national average price of $1.83 per gallon, 1,000 gallons of gas ($1,830) would cost 5.22% of per-<span>capita</span> disposable income of $35,058. That's the lowest cost since December of 2003, almost five years ago. In St. Louis, where gas is available in some locations for as low as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.stlouisgasprices.com/">$1.33 per gallon</a>, a thousand gallons of gas now costs only 3.79% of monthly per-<span>capita</span> disposable income, which is slightly lower than the February 1999 all-time historical low of 3.88%, when gas averaged 92 cents per gallon. </span></div></div></div></div></div>daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-8918755795633208402008-11-27T03:54:00.001-08:002008-11-27T03:54:45.007-08:00Happy Thanksgiving - Challenges and Blessings<h3 class="post-title entry-title"> <a href="http://nwiblogs.blogspot.com/2008/11/thanksgiving-we-have-overcome.html">Thanksgiving - We have overcome</a> </h3> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwti3GtB_8MONp2-1AjSr7oig07F05ykVGazmMpEvKk3x4dmVHqS90MdbZEO8wnS45x_r1lZftVz94WStCZ1EwEoDuqmkz4r5hszKzNz0q1nuNssnatxfWGHnlCaVhwo-_KaDJ2FAS0I/s1600-h/thanksgiving.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwti3GtB_8MONp2-1AjSr7oig07F05ykVGazmMpEvKk3x4dmVHqS90MdbZEO8wnS45x_r1lZftVz94WStCZ1EwEoDuqmkz4r5hszKzNz0q1nuNssnatxfWGHnlCaVhwo-_KaDJ2FAS0I/s320/thanksgiving.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273301013379295426" border="0" /></a><br />No pun intended, Happy Thanksgiving. In this time of economic worry, I felt it important this morning to remember that we have overcome many obstacles along the way in our nation's history and we will overcome these as well. Now, before we take ourselves too serious, we've also been blessed by God and it's high time we take those blessings serious. No soapbox today though.<br /><br />Thanks for our families, for our churches, for our communities. Thanks for the ability to speak freely and gather in whatever groups we choose. Thanks for our government leaders, although we may have voted different, their responsibilities are great and warrant our support. Thanks for Northwest Indiana, the Southshore of beaches and mills of jobs.<br /><br />As we gather with friends and family today, remember those who are not as fortunate as you ... there are homeless in NW Indiana, there are hungry, there are families still suffering from the floods a few months ago, there are families unemployed or worried about being unemployed soon. Pause a moment, how can you help.daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-60129546679362182802008-11-26T06:11:00.001-08:002008-11-26T06:11:29.627-08:00Buy a toaster - get a bank for free<div > I think I saw this last week, but forgot to bookmark so here it is </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><tr><td valign="top"><!-- BEGIN_CLIP_CONTENT ID:FBD07EF1-2513-4D00-B067-6F8460A30124:1 CLIPMARKS.COM --><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/FBD07EF1-2513-4D00-B067-6F8460A30124/" title="go to this clipmark"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_icon/3adf60a9-f5a1-414c-afef-78984e7bf087/FBD07EF1-2513-4D00-B067-6F8460A30124/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2008/11/fdic-special-buy-toaster-and-get-free.html" href="http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2008/11/fdic-special-buy-toaster-and-get-free.html" style="font-size: 11px;">mjperry.blogspot.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2008/11/fdic-special-buy-toaster-and-get-free.html"><div align="center"><img src="http://content7.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/mjperry.blogspot.com/img/2B7089F7-89F5-4EA6-8373-2235263154F9" alt="" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2008/11/fdic-special-buy-toaster-and-get-free.html"><H3 class="post-title"><br /> FDIC Special: Buy a Toaster and Get a Free Bank<br /> </H3></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;"> </td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/FBD07EF1-2513-4D00-B067-6F8460A30124/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table> daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-74542223670331405612008-11-24T09:10:00.001-08:002008-11-24T09:10:23.024-08:00Next Generation Accounting Firm<div > I came across this firm while doing some research for one of my clients, a financial consulting company that does work for cities and towns and not-for-profits. Root is going the extra mile to use technology and paperless office strategies to change the way accounting is conducted. Kudos </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><tr><td valign="top"><!-- BEGIN_CLIP_CONTENT ID:A30FF642-7538-4661-B236-A2150A097DE7:1 CLIPMARKS.COM --><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/A30FF642-7538-4661-B236-A2150A097DE7/" title="go to this clipmark"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_icon/3d69fed6-c515-4640-822c-7adff914a346/A30FF642-7538-4661-B236-A2150A097DE7/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://www.root.com/?pageId=29" href="http://www.root.com/?pageId=29" style="font-size: 11px;">www.root.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.root.com/?pageId=29"><div align="center"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/blog_cache/www.root.com/img/BB3E938E-E444-4CC0-9186-8BC0C0E8159A" alt="logo" /></div></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.root.com/?pageId=29"><DIV id="siteSearchIContainer">Search <INPUT type="text" class="form" name="keywords" /></DIV></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;"> </td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/A30FF642-7538-4661-B236-A2150A097DE7/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table> daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-83908131411574334602008-11-20T06:18:00.001-08:002008-11-20T06:18:13.634-08:00Jobless claims jump more than expected<div > Hold your horses, this news was expected and frankly will probably get a bit worse in December and January before we see jobs numbers improve. 3 million members of the real estate - housing industry have lost jobs over the last year, this wave affect is now finally hitting the rest of the economy. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><tr><td valign="top"><!-- BEGIN_CLIP_CONTENT ID:B122DD0D-007C-4E6F-9507-D4A4122FFF8C:1 CLIPMARKS.COM --><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clipmark/B122DD0D-007C-4E6F-9507-D4A4122FFF8C/" title="go to this clipmark"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_icon/2932c6cf-d78b-42dc-92b7-189bb195dcab/B122DD0D-007C-4E6F-9507-D4A4122FFF8C/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid=%7B4042254D%2D1594%2D44AB%2D9DFF%2D768228795ED4%7D&siteid=rss" href="http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid=%7B4042254D%2D1594%2D44AB%2D9DFF%2D768228795ED4%7D&siteid=rss" style="font-size: 11px;">www.marketwatch.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid=%7B4042254D%2D1594%2D44AB%2D9DFF%2D768228795ED4%7D&siteid=rss"><H1 class="storytitle" id="StoryContent_TopPageNavigation_Headline">Weekly U.S. jobless claims jump to 542,000</H1></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid=%7B4042254D%2D1594%2D44AB%2D9DFF%2D768228795ED4%7D&siteid=rss"><H2 class="storytitle" id="StoryContent_TopPageNavigation_Headline2">Initial claims hit highest since July 1992; continuing claims touch 4 million</H2></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid=%7B4042254D%2D1594%2D44AB%2D9DFF%2D768228795ED4%7D&siteid=rss"><DIV class="p"><br /> Initial claims for state unemployment benefits rose by 27,000 to stand at 542,000 in the week ended Nov. 15, the Labor Department reported. The number was much higher than the 503,000 that had been expected by economists. <br /> </DIV></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;"> </td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/B122DD0D-007C-4E6F-9507-D4A4122FFF8C/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content8.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table> daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-39556993112230989692008-11-11T18:00:00.000-08:002008-11-11T18:02:13.735-08:00Walmart donations for jobs trainingFrom <a href="http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=32505">InBusiness<br /></a><br /><p>The Walmart State Giving Program awarded the Center of Workforce Innovations a grant for $100,000, November 10 at the 10th Annual Valparaiso Rotary Club’s Veteran’s Recognition Day Luncheon. The event was a fitting venue for the presentation as the grant will support the CWI project, called Talent Gain, to assist returning veterans secure employment.</p><p>Talent Gain will focus on placing returning vets to our region with employment in high-demand jobs like advanced manufacturing and transportation-distribution-logistics. These industries not only recognize the work skills veteran’s received while on active duty, they also acknowledge their integrity, loyalty, work ethic, and their ability to function well under pressure. “We look forward to growing and moving this initiative forward with the generosity of Walmart,” said Linda Woloshansky, President of the Center of Workforce Innovations. “Assisting our returning vets by working to place them in positions, is very gratifying,” she adds.</p><p> “Walmart through its State Giving Plan is pleased to support community programs like Center of Workforce Innovations’ veteran re-employment project,” said Jason Wetzel, senior manager of public affairs for Walmart in Indiana and Ohio. “This is Walmart’s way of continuing to serve the community and our commitment to help our military personnel while oversees and when they return, and help their families as well.”</p><p>The Center of Workforce Innovations’ project is committed to the re-employment of recently separated veterans and their spouses by facilitating job placement prior to their return to the community. CWI overseeing the One Stop Career System has access to a range of veterans' services and the Indiana Job Service. Yet these resources are not enough to show our commitment to, and support of, our returning military and their families. Job search, even with the use of the Internet, is difficult because of the large number of applicants for every job. The project is relatively straight-forward. Web cameras donated from major companies are placed in One Stop offices and pre-exit military transition facilities. Area employers then agree to post job openings, and interview via Web-cams, candidates prior to their return to the area using VOIP. We believe companies making this level of commitment to those who have served our country will give those returning not only an edge on being the candidate of choice, but also dramatically reduce the length of time between their return and re-employment.</p><p>Source: <a href="http://www.innovativeworkforce.com/index.php?section=1">The Center of Workforce Innovations</a></p>daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1765207896669886510.post-58506910580541797842008-11-10T04:15:00.000-08:002008-11-10T04:31:44.307-08:00What NW Indiana needs - RecoveryThis site remains focused on creating economic opportunities in Northwest Indiana. I have spent the last ten years of my life working in creating communities, economic development, consulting with small businesses wanting to grow and evolve. It seems that all the world is discussing the economy right now, and in Northwest Indiana it's no different.<br /><br /><ul><li>We were not hit as hard initially by the housing downturn. Banks did squeeze the home builders early in 2007, putting roughly 50% of them out of business. This caused great distress in construction jobs and home building of course, but had the effect of limiting the inventory runup. Already positive indications that inventories are leveling and foreclosures are working through quickly.</li><li>Mortgages can still be acquired, although mostly FHA lending so a little more expensive than in past years, so while rates were low in August there were a ton of refinances, and now after two years of sitting on the sidelines first time buyers are back out looking at homes again. (See <a href="http://firstfinancialtrustmortgage.blogspot.com/2008/11/fha-loan-limits-for-northwest-indiana.html">FHA Mortgage Limits for Northwest Indiana</a>)<br /></li><li>While housing was stagnant in 2007 and early 2008, commercial construction maintained its activity, and was able to support those looking for jobs in that industry. The Steel Industry, which is very important to the Region, was solid and actually hiring former construction workers back to the mill through the summer. <br /></li><li>In September, when banks started to pull all their money off the table, commercial construction finally began to crack. At this point the credit crisis hit Wall Street and Obama took the lead in all Presidential polls. <br /></li></ul>Where does NW Indiana go then in the next 12 months? <br /><ul><li>The Steel Mills have already begun cutting back outside contractor work and overtime, mainly due to automakers and appliance problems.<br /></li><li>Commercial construction is on hold, on ice, awaiting the banks actually getting back into business. Residential construction is still on hold, and in my estimation the one easy place to get a burst of activity in the economy with aggressive push to build for first time buyers all over America.</li><li>Inflation is non-existent, unemployment increasing to 6.5% and Wall Street jitters have everyone with a 401K uncomfortable. <br /></li></ul>Some steps I am recommending to construction clients:<br /><ul><li>Find ways to build for the first time buyer, partner with lenders to help these buyers clean up their credit, acquire 3% down payment, and build at the lowest levels possible. This is the market that will recover first. <br /></li><li>Rehabs for existing homes can still pay margin, if you hold overhead to almost zero, and do most of the work yourself</li></ul>Some steps I am recommending to communities:<br /><ul><li>First time buyers are waiting for leadership, and we sorely need them in the market. Use your bully pulpit and time to raise the issue. With rates under 7% and home values depressed this is the time for these buyers to grab their first home. Home owners buy consumer goods, care for homes, pay property taxes ... we all need thousands of new home owners in our communities.</li><li>Although Indiana has capped property taxes, use funds in 2009 wherever you can find them for infrastructure projects. Bid it out and be amazed how low the prices will be, do twice as much work as previously planned. Valparaiso's recent increase in AV is just one good example of investing and getting the return back immediately.</li><li>Maintain a list of all employers of more than 5 employees in your community. Actively pursue them, asking "how can we help you grow?" This is no time to waste hundreds of thousands on out of town recruiting, this is time to grow the businesses already in your community and taking risks. Most will need help with capital and lending, since local banks are too scared of their shadows to help out. Help, bully, partner.</li></ul>I'll leave the post hanging for now, and await more ideas in comments. Udpates to come later this week.daltonsbriefshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848952073180198356noreply@blogger.com0