Fort Worth Real Estate

• 28May

  A System to Build Upon

  Developments, Local Stuff, Residential No Comments
  I noticed an interesting article in the FW Weekly by a guy named Kendall McCook titled The Real Builders. In the article McCook attacks a friend when the topic of finance flip houses in New Orleans. McCook seems sure that laborers are getting fleeced while the banks finance a middleman “at the expense of the taxpayer” he says. Depending on the institution I suppose that may be partially correct, given the Bush/Obama bank bailouts. Still I feel that McCook is essentially attacking the same capitalism which is catalyzing the rebuilding of New Orleans.

  McCook, who has produced plays about Socialist farmers, suggests instead corporations which are equally owned by all employees. A utopian idea I suppose, and of course people do have the freedom to establish such corporations, but the realist in me sees things fairly differently. In fact, I simply can’t understand this logic at all. The breakdown doesn’t add up. The bank lends money in hopes of receiving back only a minimal interest payment; that is their business. The borrower (presumably a house flipper) tends to be fairly handy and will invest much of their own time in this project, may hope to make say $20,000.00 profit for several months work. Assuming a skilled laborer is hired (McCook says a “Mexican fearing deportation”) they will contract their services independently. Everybody wins here. Each entity their own company or sole propeitorship.

  I think it’s safe to say that most “Republican free-enterprise capitalists” don’t enjoy the fact that the Federal government is stealing from taxpayers to pay banks (regardless of which administration is doing it). I know that is true of this free-enterprise capitalist. In fact, I think that McCook’s inclination towards worker owned companies, would be a concept similar to taxpayer funded banks. Both being socialist in nature, it’s almost absurd for him to abhor one and promote the other.

  I think our system works well. We can see plainly that it promotes jobs and rebuilding in areas like New Orleans. It is a system which far surpasses those of other nations, leading to McCook’s migrant laborers. And it is the same system which allowed Mr. McCook to finance his home in Fairmount.

• 27May

  Thinking White

  Residential No Comments
  Some time ago I wrote about a study which indicated that painting urban surfaces white could actually offset CO2 emissions. It appears someone else picked up on this study as well, Energy Secretary Chu. Secretary Chu says that the new administration wants to implement this… And, if White’s not your thing, there are also other colors (even darker ones) which can have the same energy saving response. 

  It is an interesting idea, and a relatively practical one as it actually could save cooling bills. Still, it would be almost amusing to me if this were implemented in large swaths. I mean white roofs? It would almost be like a goofy Obama fad. Perhaps if the media pushed it hard enough you could utilize a white roof survey to predict future political outcomes.

• 20May

  Post Office Tremmors

  Local Stuff 2 Comments

  I am not sure I can emphasize enough how completely asinine all of this post office business is. I am tempted to say that the City of Fort Worth could just pay me $200,000.00 to tell them exactly what they want to hear. But the reality here is that they are completely overspending. There is plenty of space available in Fort Worth, and space close to the city center I might add. What about Radio Shack space? Why not use that insanely expensive TCC property that no-one knows what to do with? 

  In fact, there is so much space available that perhaps private parties should be supplying proposals out of pocket. Or, in the words of Councilman Jordan, “they might ought to be doing us a proposal” (He really said that, I didn’t make that up, I believe it’s a dialect of Burlesonese).

• 19May

  Bikes in FW

  Local Stuff No Comments

  Fort Worthology says I have to login to comment. I tried to override this by going to the wordpress register extension for that domain… to no avail (registrations are turned off). 

  Odd change for Ology. 

  At any rate, I prefer a Specialized Crosstrail. It gives me just enough urban, with grit for a little bit of trail. LED light, and I have never been partial to the basket. A Trek Portland was my road preferance, but I don’t care to cough up 2k.

  It is bike to work month you know.

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