Day: March 9, 2008

Letter Re: Comments on Farm Land Versus Coastal Land

Regarding the recent comments in SurvivalBlog, I have no experience with coastal land. I do have experience with farm / rural land. In my part of the Midwest, "junk" land (rough land not really fit for farming or pasture…and not holding valuable timber) could be purchased all day long 10-12 years ago for $500-$750 per acre. I recently attended a sale of several parcels good only for hunting and the price was $3,000+ per acre. Top quality tillable land—great for corn, soybeans, wheat? Within the last 90 days a 1,500 acre parcel sold for $6,500 per acre. 10-12 years ago, …


Letter Re: Inflation in Zimbabwe Approaches the Wheelbarrow Stage

Greetings! It’s not quite a wheelbarrow full of money yet, but check out accompanying the photo in this news story. I guess that I should invest in a separate ALICE pack, for when ‘Helicopter Ben’ starts dropping off my paycheck – that way I can at least schlep it all to the grocery store, and keep my hands free to operate small arms. Check out the slide show imbedded in the article as well – shows just how far Rhodesia/Zimbabwe has fallen. – Bob in Pittsburgh


Two Letters Re: 21st Century Property Squatters

Dear Jim: < Sarcasm On > Your disappearing home equity got you down? Behind on your mortgage? What if you could live payment free for up to 8 months or more and walk away without owing a penny? See: You Walk Away < Sarcasm Off > The foregoing is a real solicitation to delay the foreclosure process. When real estate parasites like this have a business helping deadbeats game the foreclosure process, you know the Schumer is starting to really hit. Not that I have much sympathy for the crooked bankers and lenders being taken advantage of here (just wait …


Odds ‘n Sods:

From Bloomberg: Fed Boosts Lending to Banks as Credit Rout Continues. Bloomberg also reports: Bernanke Policy to `Destroy’ U.S. Dollar, Faber Says. It sounds like there are some perilous times ahead!    o o o Mark in Idaho mentioned: that he spoke recently with a good friend who lives in Southwestern Utah. Mark said that his friend went to his local LDS cannery over the weekend and was told to “hurry up and buy what he could since the cannery prices were going to increase, as of the 22nd of March.” That leaves just a short time before the price …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"We have the illusion of freedom only because so few ever try to exercise it. Try it sometime. Try to save your home from the highway crowd, or to work a trade without the approval of the goons, or to open a little business without a permit, or to grow a crop without a quota, or educate your child the way you want to, or to not have a child. We all have the freedom of a balloon floating in a pin factory." – Karl Hess