Life extends beyond Ridgway, Colorado real estate for us here at San Juan Realty, Inc. We’re business owners and homeowners, just like you. Even though the maket rebounded on Monday with a 936 point gain on the Dow, what does this mean for you and me? Mr. and Mrs. Normal American Homeowner… The largest-ever single-day gain in U.S. History is impressive, but unless you bought GE and Microsoft today and finished up 17%, it’s likely you’re just as concerned about the state of things as we are here in Ridgway.

I tell you – it’s pretty confusing. Gains today could be losses tomorrow, as evidenced by last week’s 1000 point plus cumulative dump in the Dow. Home values continue to remain fairly static and we’re still in a buyer’s market and seller’s market for those in a favorable equity position.

So, looking beyond real estate…Ridgway, Ouray, Montrose and Telluride aside. We asked ourselves this week: what kind of news you can use can we provide to our readers? 

Here are some interesting things to think about in this roller coaster of an economy:

• If you’ve got (or want) solar power in your home, WAHOO! The federal bailout offers tax incentives to homeowners for installation of solar power.
• Did you know you can use an FHA Streamline K loan to finance your purchase/rehab property?
• The U.K. has invested more than $2.3 trillion in their country’s banks, by far outweighing the $500 billion the U.S. just spent. Read more about the parallel bank bailout situation in Europe at Yahoo! Finance.
• Tired of getting flipped to an out-of-country call center? That inexpensive labor is getting a glimpse of the economy that’s paying their salary, reports MSNBC.
• It’s not just the mortgage, housing and credit markets in turmoil. Could your child in college be next?