I just googled "dance the hoochie coo standing on the corner." Google must think I'm looking for 1920's hookers.

Yesterday my boss decided to drain the gas tank of the snowblower and put it away from storage. Of course, he was joking at the time that because he'd done that, we'd get more snow (even though he thought we were through with large amounts of snow for the season).

Susan, just from what I've been reading on various economic/housing blogs, I'd hold off on buying for at least a year, and then see what the market is doing in Seattle. The foreclosures are just starting to happen now--many of the ARM mortgages haven't even reset yet. When they do, the foreclosure rate is going to skyrocket even more than it is already.

Well, we just renewed our lease, so we're staying where we are through 3/31/09. And we're only buying if the inheritance comes through, which is still not a certainty.

As for anecdata, there are definitely more houses on the market, and they're staying there longer. Two houses across the street from us have had for sale signs for months. And when DH and I were poking around realtor websites, we found a house we liked that had originally been listed at $420K that's now around $350K.

That job I got laid off from a year and a half ago? Mortgage industry. I keep wanting to chime in on this conversation but then I start laughing and can't.

It's good that I'm out of that industry, and from what I heard most of the rest of my group is gone too.

Emily, dare I ask why you googled that phrase?

I just googled "dance the hoochie coo standing on the corner." Google must think I'm looking for 1920's hookers.

And wouldn't it make more sense to "goolie" that phrase?

A coworker just asked me not to growl at her. I had to explain I was growling toward her, not at her.

Couldn't you say you were growling with her, not at her?

Unfortunately, she was not growling.

I'm also standing in Allyson's corner. I'd love to own a home, but I would never consider it while I still have debt and I know I can't afford anything here on my own anyway. So, while I really sympathize with people that were flat-out defrauded, it bugs that somehow I'm supposed to feel sorry for people that bought something they couldn't afford.

Also, dropping market rates do not cause foreclosures. If you bought a house to live in long-term, and can still afford the payments, a temporary downturn shouldn't affect you.

I wish I was in a position to buy something, since I'm definitely noticing more houses up for sale on my walks, even in Forest Hills, which usually doesn't have any. Of course, this has no real meaning for me since the cheapest one I saw was 1.4 million, but still.