For couple of hours I've been going through CRAIGSLIST, first taking a look at real estate for sale in hope there'll be a good home rental there, since very few people are really following Craigslist's rules and post ads just about anywhere they want and I have found good bargains this way! I browsed through at least 850 of the for sales ads, which like I say include hundreds of rentals. I'm not surprised by huge amount of "For Sales" of lovely homes at prices 50k less than they were four years ago because this is something everyone in the U.S. knows and expects to find. What causes fear in my heart is the fact that in the BUSINESS category people are trying to sell everything, from $400 to $4k hot dog carts, and are selling sign companies, multiple dry cleaners, hundreds of restaurants, bars, pizzerias, delicatessens, shoe stores, car tire companies, auto parts stores, nightclubs, banquet halls, party-planning businesses, party rental businesses, supermarkets, shoe making companies, plant nurseries, hotels, Dollar discount stores, Hispanic coffee places (called cafeterias), daycares, ALF's, advertising and online businesses, cell phone stores, book making business, beauty salons, barbershops, fleamarket spots, fence companies, and even pawn shops!!! I mean, the pawn shop, in an economic situation like we have now we would think is a very profitable place and the owner would not want to sell--rent out maybe, but not sell! Add to this used Caterpillar equipment, construction and carpentry tools, commercial fryers, commercial freezers and slicers (by the dozens). Huge lots of shoes, cell phone carrying cases, motorcycles, boats (these two for barter daily as well as for sale), roofing material and equipment, huge collection of sports cards, dozens of restaurant equipments, landscaping trucks & equipment, entire contents of thrift stores, home-based etc. This is not counting what you find on the Barter or "For Sale" of each individual article! And 95% of what I mention is from businesses which are closing or have already closed. On top of that, right in the business section, there are law offices that supposedly are downsizing. I also personally see on TV some of Miami's eldest established practices advertising frequently and going as far as to "appeal to ethnic values" and remind audience and probable clients that they are "your American (meaning Anglo) lawyer, the one who's been here for such and such a long time"! Notwithstanding fact that some people have poor perception of attorneys--that excludes me because I know how truly valuable they can be!--so many will say that we can expect anything from a lawyer. And we can also expect them to advertise because out of state established firms have set up house here in Miami. But I can see these attorneys are feeling a lot of pressure, not so much from the Competition, but because by know most Miamians have declared bankruptcy, at least once already and it is difficult to have everyone declare a second time! Regarding foreclosure, most people are savvy enough to know they basically will be out of at least $4k and foreclosure will not be stopped; it will be slowed but not stopped. That's not taking into consideration the new law which went into effect last year in Miami-Dade county in which a judge gave order for banks to be able to move foreclosures at faster pace. So basically everyone in foreclosure is simply out of a house by now: what use can anyone make of an attorney for this? Basically in Miami most who are employed right now are the ones having anything to do with Medicare-provided services. Yes, that's a lot of people! Plus the 28,000 Metro-Dade employees, and all the part-timers in hotels and eateries in Miami Beach. But aside from these jobs there is not much else in Miami. At 13+% unemployment--which is probably considerably higher since illegal immigrants are not counted by agencies and most are paid under the table. There is the fact as well that our Congresswoman, along with Miami Mayor, on April of this year called for a census recount since it is not possible that Miami has 30,000 less people than it did in 2008 and 2009!!!!....This clearly says that the huge illegal immigration in Miami was greatly overlooked since they apparently did not let themselves be counted. Having lived in Florida for decades and having seen bad economy, especially in the mid-seventies, I can attest to fact that this had never happened before. Hearing news about Ohio this morning and about many government employees been laid off in so many places, I can only believe things will be worse pretty soon. That's not counting thousands of returning soldiers for whom work has to be found. So aside the U.S. getting in some Cold War/prolonged situation with China in which none of their goods get in here (and none of ours over there), and since an all-out-real-war w/ China is out of t and since an all-out-real-war w/ China is out of the question, what can the U.S. do to stop the economy sliding? For those not unemployed yet and/or still owning a business, they are aware of some things but not of the real gravity the country is in. My main concern is, who's minding the store?