The construction industry has been living a charmed life for most of the 1990s and continuing through last year. Never in my all-too-lengthy life span has our country witnessed such sustained prosperity. For most of the last decade, even people who didn’t know what they’re doing were able to make money.
It’s questionable how much longer the economy can continue to tick so lustily. Most economists are not saying the lights are about to go out on the party—they never do—but all of them seem to be saying that the guests are getting tired and the booze is running low. Housing starts are predicted to decline this year. As of this writing, the stock market has been in a year-long slump. Economic growth has been slowing down, and everyone knows we are long overdue for a recession.