graphrix_IHB
New member
You all remember those days, the days where people like IR, zovall, ISM, oc_fliptrack, ocrenter, SoCal Housingbubble and the like were considered the pollyanna chicken little nut jobs who didn't know it was a new paradigm. Well... I tried with the worst bottom callers thread, and I guess some of you bought into since you didn't reply, but I thought it would be cool to remind everyone of <a href="http://www.irvinehousingblog.com/blog/comments/time-for-bubble-bingo/">Orange County Bubbilicious Bingo</a>. I wish the link to oc_fliptrack's blog still worked, because those bingo slots were all from comments. I can't remember for sure, but the "increases in foreclosures only happen with job losses" sounds like something I would say. Anyway here is the <a href="http://lansner.freedomblogging.com/2006/10/27/insider-qa-builder-laing-homes/">Lansner blog post</a> that inspired Eff, er I mean oc_fliptrack.
Here is my favorite comment from that blog post from a long, long time commenter on there...
<em>Auction Heaven in '07 Says:
October 27th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
Insider Q&A;: Auction Heaven On Laing Homes Interview
Forget the consultants! Let?s hear what a local homeless guy has to say about this market.
O.C.-based John Laing Homes, recently purchased by builder Emaar from Dubai, sells from the county?s mid-section to lots overlooking the Pacific. Auction Heaven, currently living under a bridge (PCH/Santa Ana River), took our queries?
Q. What?s your general impression of the current O.C. housing market?
A. It?s kinda like watching paint dry. At least on the surface. Beneath the painted surface, people are sweating painted bullets trying to make their monthly carrying costs, including builders like Laing Homes. Of course, they aren?t going to admit that publicly since they happen to enjoy making money.
Q. Is it any different at the middle of the market vs. the higher end?
A. At the higher end of the market, Ms. Mamet and Ms. Hyphenated might tell you that things are just fine. Of course, they?ll say the same thing about the lower end. The only difference I see between the two is the amount of granite used in the granite table tops. In the higher end, you?ll see more of that.
Q. What kind of discounts, etc. are you offering to entice buyers? Is it more free extras, mortgage buydowns ? or just price concessions?
A. I think anyone who wants to buy a Laing home right now should ask how the Seaside Terrace homes in Huntington Beach are doing. New homes, new auctions. Six brand new homes just sitting there, rotting in the California sun. Way overpriced. Even at auction. No takers? I?m amazed. Extras? You might get a baseball through your back window or watch a bum jump out of the river, but that?s about it. Could be me, too- so keep an eye out, ya hear?
Q. But the discounting?
A. I?d pull your hair out for asking me that.
Q. How long do you think this slump will continue?
A. This slump will continue until Ms. Mamet and Ms. Hyphenated are dreaming of those glory days when they got to talk to Jon Lansner about the housing market, way back when.
Q. Are you changing/delaying any building plans to account for slower sales volumes?
A. Absolutely not. In fact, we are at this moment working on a secret plan to fill in a large section of the Newport Beach coastline with leftover real estate listings, printed on cheap copy paper, (sporting numerous misspellings), to create more land. See, they were wrong. We are making more land.
Q. How is Laing?s Newport Coast project doing, the one pictured above featuring multi-million-dollar tract homes with vistas of the sea?
A. Are we doing a project in Newport Coast? I thought we weren?t making any more land? Other than that ?other? land? Doesn?t Kobe live in Newport Coast?
Q. Is it meeting sales goals?
A. I?m happy to say that SeaCrest is exceeding sales goals and I?m DONALD BREN. One of these statements might be a lie.</em>
http://img802.mytextgraphics.com/photolava/2008/08/22/bubblebingo-4blsr9a1v.jpeg
That card not only changed my life, but it changed oc_fliptrack's.
Here is my favorite comment from that blog post from a long, long time commenter on there...
<em>Auction Heaven in '07 Says:
October 27th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
Insider Q&A;: Auction Heaven On Laing Homes Interview
Forget the consultants! Let?s hear what a local homeless guy has to say about this market.
O.C.-based John Laing Homes, recently purchased by builder Emaar from Dubai, sells from the county?s mid-section to lots overlooking the Pacific. Auction Heaven, currently living under a bridge (PCH/Santa Ana River), took our queries?
Q. What?s your general impression of the current O.C. housing market?
A. It?s kinda like watching paint dry. At least on the surface. Beneath the painted surface, people are sweating painted bullets trying to make their monthly carrying costs, including builders like Laing Homes. Of course, they aren?t going to admit that publicly since they happen to enjoy making money.
Q. Is it any different at the middle of the market vs. the higher end?
A. At the higher end of the market, Ms. Mamet and Ms. Hyphenated might tell you that things are just fine. Of course, they?ll say the same thing about the lower end. The only difference I see between the two is the amount of granite used in the granite table tops. In the higher end, you?ll see more of that.
Q. What kind of discounts, etc. are you offering to entice buyers? Is it more free extras, mortgage buydowns ? or just price concessions?
A. I think anyone who wants to buy a Laing home right now should ask how the Seaside Terrace homes in Huntington Beach are doing. New homes, new auctions. Six brand new homes just sitting there, rotting in the California sun. Way overpriced. Even at auction. No takers? I?m amazed. Extras? You might get a baseball through your back window or watch a bum jump out of the river, but that?s about it. Could be me, too- so keep an eye out, ya hear?
Q. But the discounting?
A. I?d pull your hair out for asking me that.
Q. How long do you think this slump will continue?
A. This slump will continue until Ms. Mamet and Ms. Hyphenated are dreaming of those glory days when they got to talk to Jon Lansner about the housing market, way back when.
Q. Are you changing/delaying any building plans to account for slower sales volumes?
A. Absolutely not. In fact, we are at this moment working on a secret plan to fill in a large section of the Newport Beach coastline with leftover real estate listings, printed on cheap copy paper, (sporting numerous misspellings), to create more land. See, they were wrong. We are making more land.
Q. How is Laing?s Newport Coast project doing, the one pictured above featuring multi-million-dollar tract homes with vistas of the sea?
A. Are we doing a project in Newport Coast? I thought we weren?t making any more land? Other than that ?other? land? Doesn?t Kobe live in Newport Coast?
Q. Is it meeting sales goals?
A. I?m happy to say that SeaCrest is exceeding sales goals and I?m DONALD BREN. One of these statements might be a lie.</em>
http://img802.mytextgraphics.com/photolava/2008/08/22/bubblebingo-4blsr9a1v.jpeg
That card not only changed my life, but it changed oc_fliptrack's.
