loans and property values can be a strange thing. I applied for a loan to put a sizable extension on my house, they said "sure you can have that much just not to put into a house in your neighborhood, if you'd like that much even 30 or 40% more we'd cover it but just not there houses in your neighborhood aren't generally worth that much."

Of course now with things as bad as they are I've got someone offering to do the work for much less with a smaller crew, too bad I'm busy competing with people in India now who can charge 20-30% of my rates to almost do what I can do.

I'm afraid the U.S. will not bounce back until the economy adjusts itself so that the equivalent of $7.00-$10.00 an hour or so is an okay wage again.