Archive for September 26th, 2008

Looking for Monroe County IL Homes for Sale?

September 26th, 2008 by John Barlow


by John Barlow

Choosing a home for sale in Monroe County IL area might just be the best decision to make if you want to live in a progressive community. Monroe County takes pride in its educational and recreational activities. There are even good job opportunities for those who may want to move in and look for employment here. Monroe County is strategically located near St. Louis, MO.

Before you choose from the homes for sale in Monroe County, you may want to explore some of its communities first. There are several options that you may choose from. The city of Columbia, New Hanover, The Village of Valmeyer, Renault, Waterloo, Burksville, Fountain, Village of Hecker, The Village of Fults, The Village of Maeystown, Merrimac, Madonnaville, and Monroe City.

Whether you are an individual, a couple, or just starting to build your own family in a new home, Monroe County offers the best home for you. Those who love the life in the farm will like it here. There are also businesses that exist here.

Monroe County has an almost zero crime rate. The community consists of people who strongly believe they need to unite for the good of their community. It is highly noticeable while looking for Monroe County homes for sale, that you will see several places for worship and education in the area. There is practically no problem in searching for the religious community that you belong to.

Down Goes Lehman Brothers

September 26th, 2008 by Dan Gibson


by Dan Gibson

We have all heard about the problems in the banking industry, but has it really bothered anyone? Nope. At least until September 15, 2008 when two of the pillars of the financial world faded into oblivion and raised questions about the mortgage market as a whole.

Founded in 1850, Lehman Brothers was not some regional bank. The fact it was unable to weather the mortgage crisis is an incredibly bad sign because it was diversified across many markets. When it filed bankruptcy, it has $613 billion in bad debt.

The essential failure of Merrill Lynch is even more troubling. Saddled with bad debt, it was thought to have a solid plan for surviving. Obviously, that was not the case. With help form the Feds, Bank of America purchased Merrill for a song at $29 a share.

Make no mistake, the failures of these two stalwarts is an amazingly bad sign. These are not some small regional banks going down the drain. This is the equivalent of Google failing and selling out to Microsoft as a last gasp gesture.

The current market is staggeringly bad. If large banking companies keep being wiped out, the liquidity for mortgages and even basic credit cards is going to disappear. Still, nobody seems to be particularly worried.

Chairman Ben Bernanke of the Federal Reserve is the master pulling the strings. Watch his actions closely. The Fed has been doing shocking things, but it always occurs around a weekend when media attention is low, so most of us do not grasp the significance.