Unemployment By County

It's been quiet. Too quiet.

I found this somewhere, I can't remember where. It's an animated display of the growing unemployment rate by county. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor (so you know the real unemployment rates are much higher than what's shown below). [The graphic to the left shows the final slide.]

Look at little 'ol Marin in the map. It almost seems to try and hold off the waves of unemployment crashing against its borders, but in the end it succumbs. It ends up in the 7.0 - 9.9% unemployment range along with Sonoma County and all the other "we're immune, we're special" places.

I wonder what it could mean?

Then there are the reports (like this one, for example) of how the pricing in"luxury" markets is now getting pummeled whereas the "plebeian" markets, after having been oppressed, are benefiting somewhat from desperate attempts to prop them up with bailout and stimulus money provided by you and me, Mr. and Mrs. Tax-payer (so you just go ahead, pat yourself on the back).

And then there is the Marin IJ (so it must be worse than reported) pointing out that while the cheaper areas in the Bay Area are rising a little in price thanks to the bailouts and stimuli, Marin prices are still going down, over -12%, and are likely to get a whole lot worse.

And oh my but how many formerly for-sale houses are now for-lease or for-rent, at least here in Mill Valley! I guess all the Marin "FBs" are asking potential buyers for a personal bail-out while they wait for a return to a "normal" housing bubble.

Dec. 24 Update: Oh, and I forgot to mention that this POS in Mill Valley, the one accross the screet from the 7-11, is back on the market. I guess the "let's rent it" thing didn't work out so well for them. 'Such a shame, really; who could have known?' Anyway, I first noticed this POS back in December of 2005. So this place has been trying to sell for over four years or more than 1460 days at more or less the same asking price. More on the history of the posting on this POS can be found here.

Have a merry Christmas Marin!