I think it more position in the market rather than the market itself. And financial position, as far as how to weather the changes.
Trends come and go, you just have to be ready for them.
Where I'm at a few years back you didn't have time to answer the phone. Resi and Commercial were hopping, and paying premium.
I went out on my own, and the DotCom crash happened, market went dry for about a year or so, and compitition was all these out-of-work guys doing side jobs for pennies. Had to go back to work for someone else. It was over before it began!
DotCom died, but before it did pushed everything else out, and left a huge void in Commercial Real Estate. Downtown SF, CA was a ghost town! But Residential was still going, and you had time for them now, but rates are really low now too. And now Commercial is coming back, and all at once. Something you know will eventually level out, but key is knowing when it will, and be ready for it. If I had the capitol to take on a sizeable Commercial job right now, I could be making some serious money. But, I don't have capitol.....
The company I now work for is swampped in Commercial TI's right now. Can barely man them 6 days a week with some labor pool too.
Anyway, I don't think we are in "Hard Times", more like changing times. And key is being prepared for those changes.
