Before everyone's Rebel Yell has become ”House Prices need to come down”, I decided to check some historical data and verify the truth to that statement. As it turns out, I have to disagree. A reading of the US Census data on housing shows that if one were to track the values of homes we provided over the last half-century, here is what shows up.

Antiques over the past 10 years or so have become the new hot craze for home and office decorating.  You see things like old fire hydrants, lamp post, musical instruments and barber chairs being used in the most unique ways in homes all over America.  Some of these antiquities are hand me downs from generations before and family heirlooms past along to "always be kept in the family". Many of these treasures can be found and are widely available if you know where to look.  Sites like EBay and Craig’s list are havens for rare items that have no value to their current owner but are true finds to someone else.  Garage sales, Thrift Stores and flea markets are other places these finds often show up.  With so much desire for things of the past, this could be a perfect part-time home based business for someone who enjoys treasure hunts and shopping for unique items.

For most of us, 2008 was a year of wake up calls with hard lessons. We have learned that the gnawing feeling in the back of our head about too much buying on easy credit, should not have been ignored. We learned that we blindly trusted the motives of our government and we learned that things we've taken for granted for years, like honest stock brokers and solvent banks, can evaporate with little to no warning at all. We learned that unthinkable developments--like the instant collapse of once mighty corporations--actually happen and that they can take our life savings with them. Poof....it's gone. We are finding out the meaning of Ponzi schemes and are now questioning the safety net called Social Security. And worst of all, we've even begun to question one of the core tenets of life, the virtue of homeownership.
As economists might say, we're re-evaluating our assumptions, the core beliefs we use to make choices and plan our lives. And while we're at it, we should be careful about our expectations for the coming year, which may turn out to be even more challenging than 2008. As the recession deepens and job losses mount, here are some of the riskiest assumptions we could make in 2009:

The Feds can print money all day long and pro-active States and Cities across America are now lining up at the trough with projects ready for stimulus money. The major part of President-elect Obama's plan to revive a flailing economy is the promise to "create 3 million jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure and powergrids since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s."
His plan would include potentially hundreds of billions of dollars for infrastructure projects. And while economists debate whether this is the most effective form of fiscal stimulus, the mayors of the nation's cities line up at the trough. Schools, roads, rails, pipes and airports are lining up the list of 457 cities.

Life really isn't that hard. All you need is a passion and the skillset to perform to the maximum of your talents and ability. No matter what it is that you do, if you do it with passion and to your best ability it's worth the effort. The stronger the passion, the more pain and hardship you will endure to get where you want to go. A lack of passion means a lack of willpower to accomplish. Complacency is the same as coasting the bottom of your abilities. It's the easy way out of a life that could have been invigorating and accomplished. Here at Fortunebound we are convinced that the current financial and economic crisis will completely re-shuffle the prosperity deck of cards with new chances for everyone willing to go out there, learn the set of skills needed and make it big. But you need to be willing to make your Wish List and start on it. If you can find your hopes and wishes in any of the following list, it's time to take a subscription to Fortunebound. 2009 will be the beginning of a life full of financial independence, excitement and happiness that comes from accomplishment and balance. Pick and choose.

Have you been job-hunting for more than six months?  It may be time for you to take a new approach.  Good jobs are a hot commodity and there is a competitive pool of talent available for any given position.  Each and every applicant must realize that they are truly competing for a second interview, then a third and then a job offer.  You have to make any potential hiring authority realize what sets you apart from your peers or competitors. We put our collective resources together and realized that over the years collectively we have hired thousands of employees. Here are some of our tips.