"I've been told by realtors that they think the rates will go up drastically after the elections. And they are also telling me I should buy now or just after the summer high season, but before the election." IMO, that's sales hype. As generalization, rates will rise if the Fed believes inflation is a larger concern than recession. Rates are lowered by the Fed as one possible means of stimulating the economy. Rates are tightened by the Fed as one possible means of reigning in the economy & balancing supply/demand. The Fed operates independant of the Oval Office. "So I could look at this year as a grand opportunity to "move up" while sales are tanking and buyers get desperate." Buyers are not desperate. Some sellers, in some markets, are feeling pressure. Whether 2008 is a "grand opportunity", or not, is a cr*p shot. Prices are still falling. If you're comfortable knowing that any property you purchase in 2008 may continuing dropping in value for a couple years before stabilizing...it doesn't matter...purchase what works for your situation. "The worry here is - how low can it go?" As a bank work-out officer during the late 1980s & early 1990s real estate crash, I saw hundreds (there were thousands nationwide) of condos originally priced around $150,000 sell for $10,000-$20,000. You couldn't give away a condo conversion. It took 10-12 years for these condos to regain their original sales price in value. How far will condo prices fall in this cycle? We won't know until they start to rise again. Those who purchased a 2 bed/2 ba condo in a good location for $15,000 in 1991 & held saw fantastic returns...but they had to wait ten years for them. You're in CA, right? IMO, there's more air to come out of the balloon. You are at the epicenter of the subprime debacle as insult to injury. Inventory levels exceed demand. With those market conditions, I don't feel you're under any immediate pressure to make a decision. Watch, wait, be patient, learn your market, watch the inventory numbers...and toss the dice. Over the long haul, real estate prices will recover & climb again. IMO, that's 8-10 years away though. If you're looking for a property to hold for a lesser amount of time...I'd wait until prices bottom & start to rise again. Rather than holding a property through the dregs, I'd buy when I see clear evidence of stabilization & that prices are again rising. I don't believe that going to happen in 2008. /tricia

I agree. I been looking hard for place closer to work then available at this time. As soon as I can get out of here the better. I can very easily head back to Washington State but I took on a good job here as a Strictures Technician on Boeing Aircraft for an MRO (Maintenance Repair & Overhaul) and will be making good money in the next year. Hopefully I can find a place soon enough. Shame of it is this kid has spent on many occasions time with his dad and things around here could not be better between us. We go places, laugh all the time and are pretty lined up with each other. Its what I signed on for until the evolution of her son started going down hill however, he has always been a bit of a manageable problem at times but now he stresses her out so bad shes off the rails at times. Anyway I agree with your advice which is the same advice given to me by my sisters and close friends but most importantly myself. Most recently he threatened to call the Sheriff telling them I threated to shoot him but they know of him because we have had the Sherriff here many times and we were told to file an unruly child report with the county clerk. We went there and they told us they needed to see her divorce papers and also the father would have to be on board. Well John didnt want to do it so that was that. If we were able and he acted out tge Sherriff would take the necessary actions if I had to call. The real problem I have right now and is a major part of why I need to get out of dodge asap is because of my other half and my different shifts, shes on 1st shift and Im on 2nd it leaves me home alone with the kid most if the day and he starts in, last week he got violent once again and got right in my face wanting to fight with nobody here, so I told him Im not getting into it with nobody here so Ill call the Sheriff. Well thats when he started yelling "good ill call and tell them how you just threatened to shoot me etc. Meanwhile that was his exact threat to me when he got in my face saying him and his friends will shoot me. I can wipe the streets with this kid, hes a spoiled brat who lies, steels, drugs etc and I don't want to be here alone because if some false report gets written i can and will lose my job and maybe even freedom. That day he called his mom lying as always and crying to her and she believes him. While this was going on I had his dad in the phone so he heard everything and knows how bad this kid is and so does she, then she posts on facebook " nobody threatens my kids etc" Right then I saisaid its time to move out of here fast. When ththis was happening it all stemmed from the night before when he was on drugs yelling at her and he never went toto sleep tge whole night. Anyway she wasn't answering my call when this was going on only to find out becausebecause he was on the phone with her crying about me. Then she posts thathat on facebook. So it proved that if shes not here Im getting the blame and if he did call the Sheriff she would side with him. Time to go. Two weeks ago he broke into my closet and took my riffle and started firing it off the back deck into the woods where there are houses on the other side. My nieghbor told me about that, he asked me if he was allowed and I said he is forbidden to even touch those riffles. He said yeah we didnt even know where the shots were coming from and even the road workers were ducking for cover. This a 13 year old kid whose mom grants him adult privileges, big mistake and if I get on him she takes his side. I told her about the riffle incident about a week later because I dont tell her anymore because it always gets turned around on me so I just removed all the riffles from the home. Turns she knew about it and never said anything to me. I told her you do relize if he struck anybody on the other side of those woods or anywhere, you go to prison for murder and possibly even John. In not legally responsible for this kid. Anyway this is getting to long winded, its so much longer of a story and all I can say is I dont even like coming home from work and once it gets that bad its time to leave. With all I have explained, its obvious its just not safe for me to be here any longer. God knows I put up with alot but God cant physically bear witness for me so its time to move on. Like you said she is not on my side and in the long run its only going to hurt the kid and maybe even her as time goes on and he contunes to get worse. Hes even pulled stolen credit cards fraud when he was 11 and 12 till we found out. But, never really got in any trouble. His parents are smart people to. Moms a nurse snd dads an engineer so we are not talking about uneducated people. I suggested bording or military school. I been pushing this kid to go into the Coast Guard. Two weeks ago I got special clearance at work and brought him up into the cockpits of the Boeing 767s I work on and a tour threw all the hangers and other airplanes in attempt to try and plant some seeds. Last month I aranged for him to come to NY to my Moms funeral where I have to admit he was on great behavior alone and miles away from Ohio. We stayed with very close friends of mine and he had a great time outside of my moms funeral proceedings. It was night and day. But I also had a man to man talk with him about it and he saisaid dont worry I know how to act, I laughed with him and said thats what Im worried about. Anyway once there I tried like always to show him some responsibility and arranged for him to be next to me and carry my moms coffin. He did wonderfull in NY with me and my family, I had mamany of them write to me telling me how nice he is and handsome etc. Why that all kinda changes at home is beyound me. I think he knows Mom is not around and Joe has support from his family if I get out of hand. His biggest problem is his mom doesnt engage in team work with me to reprimand him when hes out of line, instead she looks for every which way to turn t around and blame me mainly because im here or his teachers before he was kicked out of school or his dad. This is the key factor of why this kid is the way he is.

Personally, I restart seeds after about two weeks or so. I will still keep the originals to see if they finally pop, but I don't want to get too far behind in case they never do sprout. It has been my experience that most all peppers (with a few exceptions) will sprout within two weeks if they are going to at all. Like I said, there are a few exceptions but even most super hots will pop within two weeks if they are under proper conditions. Heat and moisture are the two biggies. Too little or too much is not good. 70 to 85 for soil heat and constant moisture without being soggy is good. If you grew several other varieties of peppers and they sprouted fine, then I would consider it a problem with the seed. If you had wide spread failures to sprout, then I would look more at your setup. My 7 Pot Brain Strain-Yellow seeds that I got from the trade actually were the first to sprout for me. They were going strong at 6 days. The photo below shows my early sprouts. Notice the ones that sprouted first were near the center of the heat mat that I had them on. That probably had something to do with it. I expect it was just a bit warmer there than on the outside cells. If you click on the photo it should open in a bigger size so you can see it easier.

I keep trying to post this and it isn't posting.... trying one last time. Thx Jan. I didn't realize that is the best way. I will post all of the pics here so it is all consolidated. I have blueprints of the home but i have not measured. Trying to figure out a design for the fireplace area. I would like ot do some sort of venetian plaster to finish the fireplcae as it literlly is unfinished . I plan on removing the wood beam and obivously lower the tv once it is all finished. Because the fireplace isn't centered every design seems weird to me. I am trying to complete this room and add a coffee table, swivel chair and an end table or 2 and either a table lamp and floor lamp or something like that. i have purchased counter stools that i am not sure work in the space as well. I love the DR table and the chairs. I plan on addiing a sideboard and new chandeloer and warming it up with wallpaper. The entryway is fairly narrow according to Houzz but i still want something on the wall below the staircase as it feels bare to me. Whether it is a narrow console or it is a low bench I would like some help there. The most important items on my list of doing are Fireplace design Coffee table Swivel chair Entryway Sideboard posting pics of first floor main area, coffee table i think ill go with along with additional ones i like and entry way consoles for opinions probably going with this table (for reference the ivory sqaure is 48") but not sure about sizing . may be only to fit one. not loving thta its only 14" high others i am looking at these are the counterstools the entryway area im looking at these any and all help would be great. NOt sure if i gave too much info or never enough. Would llove to figure out this fireplace and then select a couple of tables to start. thx