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investing: Be wary of buying just because real estate is "on sale" - 10/22/08 01:07 PM
The good news for real estate investors: buying a home in Orange County is about as cheap as it was in 2003.
The bad news for real estate investors: competition is fierce and rents are dropping.
We all know that with so many families foreclosing on their home loans, buying inexpensive rental properties is becoming relatively easy for investors. One of the [millions of] side effects of this whole crazy economic downturn is that now those savvy investors are having a hard time finding tenants who can afford the rent.
Rental rates here in Orange County will "only" drop about 3% … (4 comments)
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investing: Lehman Brothers dragging down the market - 09/11/08 12:45 PM
Lehman Brothers shares dropped 45% on Tuesday, leading the stock market on the whole to decline by almost 3.5%.
I was expecting a lot more drama and to-do about Lehman Brother's tribulations, and was surprised at the comparatively small amount of press that it got, at least compared to the Fannie Mae bailout and Bear Stearns a while back. In a flight of Sherlock Holmes-ian fancy, I hopped onto the information superhighway (specific destination: Google) to try to solve the mystery.
One of the search results was a blog on the Wall Street Journal that did a great deal to explain … (8 comments)
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investing: Armchair Investing in TX - little hassle, big reward - 06/05/08 01:48 PM
Is anyone interested in a great investment with very little personal hassle? How about working with a company that is guided by honesty and integrity in all business transactions?
Then don’t wait to mark down this appointment on your calendar:
Tuesday, June 10 at 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. PDT
At this time, the real estate investment firm Michael Franks, LLC will be hosting a webinar to give investors an opportunity to learn about the new project at Sequoia Bend Apartments in Hurst, TX. The 178 unit, 7.3 acre complex includes 2 swimming pools, 2 laundry facilities, storage units and private balconies.
… (1 comments)
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investing: Good vs. Evil - a Timeshare Showdown - 06/04/08 12:01 PM
Yesterday I had an experience that made me truly appreciative and proud of the way we do business. Yesterday, I went to my very first time share presentation.
Now, I had heard about time share presentations. They start with a really friendly, get-to-know-you sort of preso, all smiles and jokes. Then the "manager" comes by and tries to close the sale. At this point, if you say no, you often get the cold shoulder within a matter of seconds.
The presentation started really well. Doug, the salesman, was very personable, friendly, really seemed to try to get to know us. He … (5 comments)
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investing: Run the numbers but trust your gut - 06/03/08 11:35 AM
Yesterday I talked about risk and how rather than avoiding it, we just need to know how to manage it.
Today's post is an important footnote.
Throughout the last few hundred years, man has developed increasingly accurate and complicated mathematical models to help nail down the bare bones of risk. But how far is too far? How much concrete knowledge about a given situation is too much?
The problem occurs when we rely too much on numbers and forget about instinct. To quote Peter L. Bernstein from Against the Gods:
"... to what degree should we rely on the patterns of … (2 comments)
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investing: Using Spidey Sense to Invest in Real Estate - 06/02/08 04:21 PM
Peter Parker could tell you that with great power comes great responsibility.
Let's adjust this adage for the world of real estate investing: With great reward comes great risk.
Many of us shy away from the word "risk", trying to avoid it whenever possible. But is risk such a bad thing?
In his book Against the Gods, Peter L. Bernstein tells us that thousands of years ago, humans knew little about risk since every aspect of daily life was determined by the gods. Today, however, we know that we have a certain amount of control over what happens (albeit, not a … (0 comments)
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investing: Should I buy oil tankers or rental properties? - 05/28/08 06:13 PM
John Mauldin's Thoughts From the Frontline issued last Friday had a very interesting analysis on the price of oil and what's causing it. I highly recommend that you read the full article, but in the meantime, here are my thoughts on his thoughts.
According to Michael Masters, one of the biggest reasons for the increase in oil prices is the recent increased interest in commodity index funds by large institutional investors such as pension funds and sovereign wealth funds. In a statement John Mauldin calls "inflammatory", Masters was quoted as saying:
"Think about it this way: If Wall Street concocted a … (2 comments)
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investing: A break in the Clouds? - 05/24/08 06:29 PM
The last few months have been tough for most of us in the real estate industry, to say the least. Although our company has weathered the storm quite well and no one has gone hungry, we're far from having anywhere close to an average year so far this year, or last year for that matter. It seems like day after day, there's more bad news about what's going on and the prospects for a turnaround. However, lately it seems to me like there have been a few rays of hope, and more good news than I can remember in quite some … (4 comments)
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Carey Pott
Foothill Ranch,
CA
More about me…
January Financial
Address: 28 Rue Fontaine, Foothill Ranch, CA, 92610
Office Phone: (949) 305-6355
Cell Phone: (714) 306-4969
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