OT What to do...what to do

[rrlund]

We lost the last implement dealer in the county,now I went to the feed store this morning to get some salt blocks and,you guessed it. They didn't have any TM blocks,not much of anything else either. The owner said he's talking to the township about turning the place in to a bar. I get around some and I can tell you there's no clamor for another bar around here. I talked a few months ago about stocking some bearings,chain and the like and selling them out of my shop. Now it looks like we need a feed store too. God I don't want to be the one to have to do this. He has a new building with a great location for a multipurpose farm store if he'd just stock something,but he won't spend the money. If he tries this bar thing,I'll be able to buy that location for mortgage sale in a year. Trouble is by then,I'll have to remodel it back to what it is now. It's just SO frustrating to live in Michigan anymore!!

 

[Anonymous-0]

rrlund
Gee that sounds bad alright.
In my home town the hardware store closed in the 60s
the elevator closed in the 70s.
The grocery store closed in the 80s.
The cOOp closed in the 90s.
And now by god the bar even closed.
But we do still have a post office.
Sure is nice that the government can keep on going with out a profit.

 

[Dave H (MI)]

Maybe at a mortgage sale but not directly. First he would tell you that he wants about $150K more than the market value. Then he will explain why HIS property has not declined in value while the rest of the state is dropping 20-25% in actual saleable value. IF you are able to come to an agreement on price, you will then be told by the mortgage company (after preapproval and payment of a $500 fee) that you cannot have the loan because the property is not worth it. When you report this back to the seller he will give you the "well shucks" routine and eventually offer to LC the property. Terms will be simple. Since he is not getting a lump sum he now wants to add 5 figures to the sale price, collect an outrageous interest rate, and retain the right to foreclose on you in 5 years. Swears he will "work it out" if things should go badly but gets cagey if you want it in writing. You have just decided (unwisely) to keep negotiating with this human turd when along comes a slick willy realtor (who has not had a sale in two years) to convince him that his is a "unique property" and he should hold out for even more $$$. I would like to tell you that this is fiction but.....

Implements are not the only thing getting scarce around here....work, money, common sense....the list could go on forever.

 

[Stinky Cheese]

You may be surprised, a bar will draw the welfare crowd and the union one too. They have nothing better to spend your and my money on and unless the bar owner dips into the barrel too much himself, he may have a going business. There is a lot of people that don`t have to eat, but they do have to drink, and they`ll do so in bad times just like in good.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I think you need to look at it from this guys perspective. It is tough to run a bussiness like this and make a go of it. Think about how many items he needs to stock so he has just what you want. Think about how much it cost to buy all of the stock and carry it on his shelves. Just take bearings. Think about how many sizes and types there are on just your equipment let alone the rest of his customers equipment. He doesn't know which bearing you will need tomarrow any more than you do. The sad fact is the guy is probably farther ahead to close the bussiness and work at Walmart.

 

[rrlund]

You're giving the guy too much credit. His parents gave him a job because he needed it. His mother passed away,Dad retired,he just doesn't have a clue and doesn't want to know. He'd rather be pi$$ed at you for asking than carry anything. He has a prime location on a state highway,a mile from an intersection with another one,in an area where the nearest dealer of any kind is 40 miles away. I'm not claiming to be the one who's skilled enough to do it,but somebody could make a killing with the right products in there. Namely the stuff TSC used to carry. There used to be a company called ITCO that supplied parts to small ag stores. Haven't heard of them in years. Anybody know of a franchise like that where a guy could get started?

 

[Midwest redneck]

What city in Michigan are you in? In Ortonville there is a new Tractor supply coming to town.

 

[rrlund]

We're in Sheridan. Nine miles east of Greenville,15 miles north of Ionia. Are you talking about TSC? We have plenty of those worthless holes around here. Great place if you need dog food. On second thought,might as well go to WalMart or Meijer. Better selection of goods at a lower price.

 

[Mr. Cautious]

Yes, I was refferring to TSC, yes I suppose they are worthless. I do have a pretty good auto parts store near me, only a few miles. I live about 10 miles from the "city". Yes TSC is from what I remember a clothing store, somewhat and petfood, The closest TSC near me now is about 25 miles away until the one near here goes up.

 

[RayP(MI)]

I"m rrlund"s neighbor - about 15 miles away: He"s got it about right. Our area is one of the most under employed areas in the state and country. Things are really hurting here. We had several large employers just up and leave, including allegedly the world"s largest refrigerator factory. Empty and for-sale homes abound, more cars and toys (boats, quad runners, motorcycles, wave runnes, campers) in front yards than ever. Yeah, people are hurting and this problem won"t go away soon.