Why Assets Will Crash by Charles Hugh Smith
Posted by freedomforall 4 years, 11 months ago to Economics
As the chart illustrates, the top 10% own 84% of all stocks, over 90% of all business equity and over 80% of all non-home real estate. The concentration of ownership of assets such as vintage autos, collectibles, art, pleasure craft and second homes in the top 10% is likely even greater.
Consider a pleasure craft that retails new for $120,000. In the boom era of rising stocks and housing, a used boat might fetch $65,000. But as the wealth of the small pool of households able to buy and maintain a costly craft evaporates, the number of qualified buyers evaporates, too.
The seller might be aghast by an offer of $35,000 and reject it angrily. Six months later, he's praying someone will take it off his hands for $15,000, and in another six months, he'll accept $500 just to get out from underneath the insurance, slip-rental and licencing fees.
This is how it happens that boats that were once worth tens of thousands of dollars are set adrift by owners who can no longer afford to pay slip fees, and vacation homes are abandoned and auctioned off for overdue property taxes: the market for these luxuries dries up and blows away, i.e. goes bidless--there are no buyers at any price.
Once housing and real estate valuations fall, that will trigger a decline in the value of all other costly, narrowly owned assets, which will reinforce the reverse wealth effect.
Consider a pleasure craft that retails new for $120,000. In the boom era of rising stocks and housing, a used boat might fetch $65,000. But as the wealth of the small pool of households able to buy and maintain a costly craft evaporates, the number of qualified buyers evaporates, too.
The seller might be aghast by an offer of $35,000 and reject it angrily. Six months later, he's praying someone will take it off his hands for $15,000, and in another six months, he'll accept $500 just to get out from underneath the insurance, slip-rental and licencing fees.
This is how it happens that boats that were once worth tens of thousands of dollars are set adrift by owners who can no longer afford to pay slip fees, and vacation homes are abandoned and auctioned off for overdue property taxes: the market for these luxuries dries up and blows away, i.e. goes bidless--there are no buyers at any price.
Once housing and real estate valuations fall, that will trigger a decline in the value of all other costly, narrowly owned assets, which will reinforce the reverse wealth effect.
As I was reading the article I was thinking now might be a good time for me to go shopping for that nice sailboat I always wanted, but wait! I don't want all those fees and maintenance hassles at this time in my life.
I still want one as an escape route.
https://www.stereophile.com/floorloud...
Might have to switch to the mini model speakers.
Hard to have room for a veggie garden, too, but the bounty from the sea is a partial replacement.
Yeah, you'd need a lot of boat to use them, LOL!