It is definitely affecting me directly in two different ways. #1 is that my firm does a lot of real estate development engineering and since no one is loaning on real estate, no one is developing it. Every now and then someone wants to use their cash feserves to plat out some lots, but not nearly like a couple of years ago. So, we have pushed hard on the other markets (commercial, industrial tennant improvements, and a little public works) and managed to keep body and soul together. But it has been a pretty stressful few months.

SHAZAM!!! While I was typing in this thread, I just got a phone call from a site manager that a major tennant improvement project that I had a proposal out on got approved. This project will fund 20% of my firms gross for the next 2 years.

#2 is that I am currently remodeling a home, and since so many of us are looking for work, I am getting good pricing and great service on my little projects. I have a plumber installing my hot water heater, and gas lines for it, the range, 2 fireplaces, and the pool right now, and his bid came back below my budget number. First time in the entire project that happened!