a positive spin on the economic downturn

It is impossible to get away from talk about the economy - impossible.  It is every where. Daily. Stock market values.  Unemployment rates.  Housing prices. And on. And on. And on it goes.

While I have many friends who have been severely, adversely affected by the economic downturn.  While the last home I owned lost value quickly due to the housing market bust and I had to sell it at a loss simply to get out of the six monthly payments I was making on it from a far away place.  While much of the bad news is based in fact, not fiction...it isn't all bad.

When investing in my retirement account, I can actually buy whole shares of stock rather than just portions of it.  In the 90's when I started investing in retirement accounts, I remember only being able to get fractions because of the high value.

When buying my first home around 2001, I remember being told by mortgage lenders that any interest rate under 10% was excellent.  Now a home buyer would balk at such a rate.  Low interest rates is another perk of a sluggish economy.

The area we now live is expensive.  Five years ago, we would have NEVER been able to afford a piece of property or home here.  Home values have dropped 55% since then.  It sucks for those who are now upside down in their mortgage, but for a newcomer like me, this makes ownership more attainable.

Stocks, interest rates and home values were valued so high - it kept out many from my generation.  For those of us who are now lucky enough to be employed, the downturn has made such luxuries accessible.

I don't share this with any disrespect to those who are suffering.  Just to point out, that an economic downturn isn't all bad.

just Sheri, finding the silver lining