We’ve been on the road the last few days, but back in the saddle now.
While gone, Wifey and I were discussing comments left last week about doing more videos.Â
I appreciate the encouragement, because the videos are my favorite part of the blog. They bring an instant dose of reality to all discussed here.
But according to the bubbleinfo trackers, only about half the people watch the videos.
Wifey speculates that it’s because people don’t have time to watch, and/or that folks are using their phones to access the internet and don’t want to bother with linking to a youtube on a 1-inch screen.
We decided to go for the combo package – have videos augment the text and comments.
There has been a shortage of videos lately, mostly because there’s been a shortage of REOs. While waiting for the foreclosure tsunami to begin, I’m going to try to use video to better demonstrate the actual market conditions.
We can also anticipate an expanded role for the REO Speedwagon:
How does that sound? Your input is appreciated!
I only watch the videos, for what it is worth.
Truck looks great! Need more horn action!
I watch depending on the zip code or topic. =)
Don’t forget for everyone watching from bubbleinfo, there’s ten people on Calculated Risk that see a featured video. 😉
I watch the videos and read the text. I like your style!!
The motor in the truck looks trick.Is that a small block 283 or 307?You are having way too much fun in that truck.
Please take “the speedwagon” thru The Covenant in RSF with the camera. That would be classic with all those old gizzards staring ya down!
Love the videos. The texts are ok (can’t always follow), the discussions are interesting. Good mix.
Jim, I love the videos, but most of the time I hit your site I am in a location where I cannot watch them. I always catch up eventually when I get a moment when viewing is possible.
I have been watching and reading for months without posting. Your work is outstanding. I think you are a consumate professional. thank you.
FWIW, Jim, I love the videos–and I don’t even live in the San Diego area. And your comments are always insightful.
Up here on the Central Coast, I noticed a listing was just updated. The owners bought it in late 1994 for $203K. It’s been listed anywhere from $679-$669K for 511 days! The price hasn’t dropped in over a year.
Other homes in that neighborhood have sold for $360-$480K.
*Chuckle* Jim, puh-leeze drive your awesome truck up to that house, lay on that horn and yell out the window: Price will fix it! I’m so tired of seeing it on the MLS…
That mechanic did a terrific job on the engine, and he has a great sense of humor! The horn is definitely a keeper! But wasn’t it just the head gasket that needed replacing? And is that an 8-Track tape player in the dash?
Your upholstery job reminds me of what us Canadians use as upholstery material for our pickup trucks: a Hudson’s Bay Company point blanket!
Employer blocks embedded videos.
I read when I have a few minutes between tasks, and fail to follow up and watch at night.
Others might have same problem.
The videos are great – an informative and important perspective of California real estate market trends. Also, articles posted by you and other contributors are most interesting. By the way, I know nothing about engines, but is that a 327??? Had one in my first car (a Corvette) that my Dad bought for me, but as it turned out, it was really for him. He got a speeding ticket.
The videos are my favorite part too. I watch all of them. However, I use RSS feed to read your posts so the only time I actually come to your website is to post a comment.
Ditto as Chuck Ponzi. I read your site at work when I have free time and we’re not suppose to be watching videos here. ><
I guess the beast is back. Love the sound of the engine and the funky horn. Let’s hope you get some REOs in CV, Carmel Valley, not the other shitty CV.
Ditto a few of the others – can’t watch videos at work.
I’m in Boston and I watch all the videos!!!
Your vids are the best. I’m a thousand miles north in Portland, OR, and with no real connection to the San Diego area–but any day with a JtR vid is a good day.
Repeat what others have said – I wouldn’t take those stats too seriously.
Depending where I’m at and how busy my day is, I often check the site several times a day from various locations/devices. But I’m only going to watch the video once.
There’s probably quite a few people who do the same.
The videos are definitely the hook that got me, especially with the hilarious running commentary (e.g., “Detroit river” and “BioDisco”). I’ve seen every vid you’ve made, plus subscribe to you over at YouTube to catch’em early! 🙂
p.s.: You need to take that bad boy to a country road and lay down some rubber!
Oh, and second sdnerd’s comments.
LMAO. My dad has a ’72 Chevy and whenever he gets work done on it his demeanor is very similar to your own. Old trucks kick ass.
Now Jim, that’s what I’m talking about!
Same as sdnerd’s comments. I watch the video once and check back a few times to see the comments.
My first car was a ’67 Chevy Nova that we dropped a 327 in. I can still here the sound of that engine.
Good stuff.
Like others, I might check the forums at lunch but don’t watch videos at work.
I love the name of your truck – REO Speedwagon – perfect play on the band’s name & totally fitting for your profession. Love the horn and sound of the engine too!
I read a bit at work and at home, but only watch the videos at home.
I heard about you from the LA Times, and have learned quite a bit from you and your readers’ comments. Thanks to all.
Love the upholstery.
Same for me as others, you tube and all embedded video blocked at work, but I still lurk the comments and posts.
Videos are great. Fine looking the ceramic headers.
Love the videos. I never review the site from the phone – too slow. I view the videos when the tagline is intriguing. When I do watch the videos I get a kick out of the humor. I know by the video and my own reaction to it that I better get to the comments in most cases!
Same as sdnerd.
The videos always get watched. They may get put off for a day or two depending on length or topic, but, invariably, they all get watched.
JTR, love the videos and send to my friends around the country – keep up the great work.
Pigpen,
Austin, TX
I watch every video and read every post and comment – Google Reader makes it easy. I even check the site and watch the clips while on vacation. The Wifey says I’m addicted to the Internet. Keep up the good work and get on the videos.
I always watch the videos. Thanks for posting them.
I had an old 1970 Ford at one time. Watching your video reminds me of driving it.
Sold her to someone that was going to refurbish and customize it. Had a blown header too that would smoke up I5 for everyone.
Thanks.
Started looking for our first home earlier this year, and found your site via the LA times. I read it daily and watch ALL videos. I really can not convey my appreciation for all I have learned from you, AND the readers comments. While much of the reality of realty scares and sickens the crap out of me, I am a much better informed buyer because of bubbleinfo. The terribly depressing fact that I have come to accept is how large the odds are against me finding a decent deal in todays market. I believe I am at the depression stage of the “Five Stages of Buyers’ Grief”, but I must continue to search out of fear that if I don’t buy now, I’ll be priced out forever!
Wow, thanks a million!
We’ll stick with the videos!
Stats on the truck:
New factory-built Chevy 350 V-8 engine with
Edelbrook intake and carburetor
Hooker super pro ceramic headers
New exhaust
Electronic ignition
Cored radiator
A lot of parts off the old engine, and
New horn
The blown head gasket turned into cracked heads, which turned into just a tired old engine. Instead of buying an used engine with question marks, I went ahead and bought new, thinking I could use it for the dream rig, the 1969 Camaro Indy Pace Car Convertible.
I always liked them a lot, but when I saw John Doe and Exene driving one, I knew that someday I’d have to get one of my own.
P.S. My wife thinks I’m crazy.
Great videos, keep them coming.
Sweet ride but I was hoping for an ice cream truck conversion.
love the videos. data is good too. I access from work, home, and iphone. videos work great on my phone. I also access some threads multiple times but usually only watch the videos once. Not sure how this affects the ‘tracking’ stats you see.
I love the videos and read most of the text unless I see charts and graphs.
Saw an article about you that ran up here in the Sunday Seattle Times real estate section a while back! Love your realism……………
Nice truck!
The videos are the best part!
And, for the record, I think a 50% watch rate is very, very high.
LOVE the truck! 🙂
Watch all your videos, even though I get motion sickness almost every time (have to watch from across the room). 😉
Like the others, watch the vid once, check comments often.
How much did it cost to get all that work done on the truck?
Jim,while I think you really like your truck as a beater with a badass engine, it would look really cool with paint and wheels. Add an old style logo for your firm painted on the door and write the whole thing off as an advertising expense.
I’ll check in on the site from work once or twice daily, but save the videos to watch from home. Please keep them coming; I love them
Keep the videos coming. People do watch the videos on Youtube through other channels like CR too.
Hello from Lexington, KY.
(Sandy Eggo Native, Long-Time Resident of N. Cal., SD Rental Unit Owner, and Equity Refugee living the good life).
Love the videos!
Jim,
The “REO Speedwagon” nick for your truck is pure awesomeness.
I’m restoring a 66 Corvair Corsa and I can tell you from experience. Just dropping a new crate motor in is the way to go. I wish I had that option.
If you ever decide to do the paint my guy stripped all the accessories + trim, did welding, and prep/paint, and color sanded for a single price. He also put some of the accessories + trim back on. (Most shops will want to charge you an hourly rate.) Let me know if you’d like the contact info. He mostly does Impala’s for the low rider guys.
I like the videos too but I am getting a little concerned about your driving while doing the videos. I have noticed several times that you are weaving when doing it.
What about doing what the cops do and mount the camera on the dashboard or from the roof or mirror? Use a clip of sorts so that you can easily dismount [without giving us motion sickness] to view houses when you stop, that is actually stop the car, to show details.
Can’t have you crashing; we wouldn’t get our videos if you did that. . .
Yep, the employer blocking YouTube thing.
Like the rest, I check in at work and if there is a vid posted, I’ll check back in that night when I’m home to watch it.
If everybody else is doing that, then that is where you get your 50% of the website hits watch the videos. 🙂
In other words, 50% of the hits see the vids, but 100% of your readers see them!
That engine bay looks niiiiccce. Thanks for sinking some money into the old Chevy.
And don’t paint it…maybe throw some paint over the primer patches (primer is a sponge that soaks up water and holds it against the metal), but other than that, leave it a beater.
Now go chase down some ice cream trucks. I would love to see you arrange some drag races between you, the IC trucks and maybe a bunch of roach coaches sitting idle from lack of construction sites. I smell a reality show.
I’m not a car guy but that was f’in bitchin! Good looking motor, great sounding and what a horn. The perfect stealth ride.
My employer, me, condones watching all video content.
Now back to business, how about the Dataquick numbers? Poor grumpy permabears, you won’t like this news.
As always thanks for the update! How many new listings would everyone expect to see across the US? We’re only seeing 200-250 which seems incredibly low and a really, really bad sign for the market.
I actually like the videos even more than the commentary here. You need to find some more REOs (or others) to film and post! 🙂
Anybody can fix up and paint a truck. But it show a little pizzaz to keep the original paint job and fix everything else.
Always enjoys the video even though on a rare occasion they go a little long.
Plus, I get to see what the rest of the county lives in since I am stuck in Mission Beach. HeHE
I do half my reading on my phone, which doesn’t support embedded objects (it’s a “dumb phone”).
Also, “lack of REOs lately”? Check out this article from today’s paper:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FORECLOSURE_RATES?SITE=CADIU&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Almost forgot, hey worm! 🙂
I love the videos and almost always watch them.
I have a request for you. I’m living in an apartment on Torrey Pines Rd. in La Jolla and a couple big ocean view properties on the top of the hill look to have had construction stopped. My 5 minute search shows that 7940 Costebelle way is either NOD or foreclosed halfway through construction, but I’m not seeing anything on 7930 Costebelle. You are a professional and I think this would be an interesting story to hear.
Listing for 7940 Costebelle below.
http://tiny.cc/8e1cu
Although I don’t post often like others, I love your blog. I read it daily. I also watch your videos on youtube. I learn a lot from you and other readers who post their comments.
I recommend your site to everyone I know. If I’m looking for a place in SD, I would definitely look you up.
You are truly a “hillbilly at heart”
I mean that in a sorta good way.
I forgot to mention that I download your video thru mxtube on my ipod and watch it. From watching, I learn what to look for when house hunting.
I learned how to read on Bubbleinfo.com
Love the videos, text, and commentary, keep it all coming!
My dad had a ’66 Chevy truck. Got it new and had it until he passed in ’78. We finally sold it in the early ’90s. I learned to drive in that truck.
We went on a lot of family vacations in that truck when I was young – all over the Southwest with a camper shell on the back. I would lay on the bunk bed in the back and watch the road through the rear window.
The dashboard, the sound of the hood when you closed it, brings back some great memories. If you would have shown the chain locks on the tailgate, the picture would have been complete.
Thanks for the memories.
Nice that you’re smog exempt. Hopefully you used a Crower cam and supported us here in the South Bay. I’m with the comment above about cruising the Covenant for giggles.
SAW–WHEEET
Wow, lots of comments on this topic! FWIW, I generally don’t watch the videos. I’m not that interested in specific houses in foreclosure in north county. But I do really enjoy the topics and the comments of other users about the housing market in general. It’s also nice that there aren’t a zillion comments on most topics, and while there is some, there is less flame wars and ranting here than other places.
Just my two cents.
Spotty.
I enjoy the videos and you do a great job.
Have you thought about pursing another career in Hollywood?
This would make a nice horn…
http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/LB/0510/Pink_Panther_Pops_Awesome.mp3
Todd,
Hillybilly’s OK, but preference is desert rat.
Andrew,
Glad we can be of service to the community! 🙂
Nathan,
No Hollywood for me, but I read a story the other day about the movie Purple Rain which struck me about right – A quasi-autobiographical film shot while on tour.
Maybe I’ll just stitch all the videos together one day and call it a feature-length?
Thank you everyone for the kind words! More videos on the way!
I primarily watch the videos after work–fascinating. I need a reality-check after working on computers all day.
Keep ’em coming.
The videos pulled me in after they were linked to from http://www.metafilter.com
I have told many people IRL about this “sardonic realtor guy” who gives us common folk a behind the scenes view from one of the epicenters of the housing crash.
I don’t live anywhere near where you work (I’m in Northern Canada) but I still check the site every day.
I’mJimTheRealtor… love it!
The information I have received from this site was instrumental in helping me purchase a home this year. I am thankful for the information and Jim’s willingness to be so gracious with his time and knowledge for free. He is very special and in my opinion a throwback to a better time when the people in this country were more inclined to help others instead of help themselves with honesty and integrity. Your family must be very proud of you.
I forgot. Love the videos. They are very telling of the state of the real estate market in SD in real time.
Jim, I’m launching a national public access television channel here in Canada very soon. If you can package your videos in half-hour segments, I’ll definitely put them on the air! The audio/video quality may not be the best that it can be, but the content is solid gold!
Just don’t call it “The REO Speedwagon Show”. I’m trying to keep the lawyers as far away as possible. 🙂
First, I was drawn to this site thinking it was just another housing bubble site …. and like magic, I read this blog and video everyday.. I am addicted to this site. THANKS JIM
We watch the videos faithfully, so keep ’em in there. The topics, vids, and the bloggers’ comments are educational and entertaining. We’ve learned a lot about real estate in general (not just the SDG markets) from your site and we certainly appreciate the analyses of the real estate market w/i the larger economy. Excellent and brainy site — compliments to JtR and his team and to all you bloggers as well. Thanks for all the work (and mileage) you do in putting it all together. Excelsior!
spotty,
You’re really missing out by not watching the videos. The houses? NBD. Jim’s commentary on them? Priceless!!! I’m always laughing!
Love the videos, Jim! Keep em coming. Don’t always have the time/energy to watch them, but it’s great to hear your voice and your sense of humor. MUCH better than just reading. Now, when I read your stuff, I can hear your voice in my head. You’re doing a great job.
I LOVE the videos and I live in Seattle. I don’t really know a thing about San Diego real estate except for what I learn here, and I watch the videos religiously. Please do more! Thanks.
(My only suggestion would be to wear soft-soled shoes when filming. Houses in San Diego seem to have lots of tile/marble floors)
riding the storm out
One more thing Jim.
When your wife said she thought you were crazy, did she say it with a smile or a frown? 🙂
Jim, YouTube is blocked at my workplace. However, Google Video is not.
Many people read at work and watch at home. Your statistics engine treats them as two separate visitors and that skews your video viewers percentage downwards.