6/20/10: Real World Economics with Dr. Mark Skousen
If you haven’t figured it out by now, macro-economic policy can create pain or pleasure on Main Street USA. We’ve also discovered that what pains Main Street USA can pain the entire world! So even though it sounds super boring, we decided it made sense to talk about macro-economics and related policy. Of course, to do this we needed to get someone way smarter than us. But when it comes to real estate, the danger of listening to most economists is that they’re primarily academics with very little practical experience. And often, whatever real world experience they do have is limited to just one state or country. So imagine how refreshing and enlightening it would be to talk with a bona fide economist who thinks like a businessperson AND has real world real estate experience – not just in the US, but abroad!
That sounds like a TALL order! Fortunately, when it comes to great radio show guests (and beer), tall orders are our specialty!
Bellying up to the radio bar to talk economics and politics are:
- Your bartender and host, Robert Helms
- Busboy and co-host, Russell Gray
- Chief patron and Godfather of Real Estate Estate, Bob Helms
- Economist, businessman, investor and really big brain, Dr. Mark Skousen
We hop right into the conversation by reflecting briefly on how the experiences of the last few years highlight the direct connection between macro-economic policy and Main Street reality. We barley get started before we realize we’re in over our heads, so we draft our special guest into the conversational brew.
Dr. Skousen quickly helps us get a handle on the topic. In addition to having a big brain and formal training, Dr. Skousen’s background as a columnist at Forbes Magazine and his role as the promoter of the annual Freedom Fest conference allows him to tap into the insights of such notable folks as Steve Forbes, Peter Schiff, John Mackey and many more. In fact, The Real Estate Guys™ are headed to Freedom Fest in fabulous Las Vegas in just a few weeks to expand our minds and meet some of these interesting people!
Dr. Skousen reminds us that real estate economic cycles are long and sometimes slow. He also explains why, unlike others in the past, one particular asset class bubble managed to affect (infect?) the entire financial system of the world. His comments remind us how truly influential real estate is across all segments of an economy.
Now we thought Dr. Skousen might have a dark (or least amber) economic outlook. But our fears turned pale, as the good doctor served up a forecast of sunshine. He shares the reasons for his optimism and reveals what he believes is the single most important ingredient for sustainable recovery. However, he also expresses his concerns over certain currently policies which he says are actually delaying economic growth. Then he talks specifically about one area of real estate investing which he says has been showing real promise. Not surprising, it has to do with the private sector providing some much needed liquidity. How appropriate!
Long time listeners of The Real Estate Guys™ know we’re big fans of international diversification. Dr. Skousen shares his personal experiences of living and working abroad and how, through his activities in Freedom Fest, he’s seen a marked increase in US citizens’ interest in off-shore investing and strategies. Wow! We didn’t know so many people were listening to The Real Estate Guys™.
Like our beer drinking, we have a great time with this show. We think you will too!
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4/11/10: Old School Real Estate -Debt Free Investing
Does debt free mean no leverage? Or are there other ways to optimize return that don’t include mortgages? The Real Estate Guys™ look take a fresh look at an old school concept: investing for cash – even when you don’t have any!
In the old schoolhouse for today’s lesson:
• Your Professor of Profit, Head Teacher and Host, Robert Helms
• Teacher’s Aide and Co-Host, Russell Gray
• Old School Principal and the Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms
It’s been said, “There’s no school like the old school.” This is just another way of saying that there’s often great wisdom in fundamental concepts which have stood the test of time. When traumatic events like mortgage meltdowns and Great Recessions occur, they shake the structure of conventional wisdom. What is often left standing are “old school” principals (like Bob!).
So we decided to brush the dust off of some old school ideas and talk about the pros and cons of investing for CASH. Wait! If you love leverage or have no cash, stick with us because there’s something in this show for you too!
Class starts with a Health & Safety lesson on the double-edged nature of financial leverage. Magnified gains are awesome, but magnified losses can leave you cut and bleeding. Don’t ever run with leverage or swing it around wildly.
Our next lesson is in Current Events and begins with the when, how and why purchasing for cash is the best (and sometimes only) option for many opportunities in today’s market. However, our Science book says the caterpillar of cash today can metamorphosis into a butterfly of leverage in the future.
After recess, our Economics class features a discussion of why “cash is trash”. Although it’s fallen out of vogue for bandwagon real estate “investors”, many experts consider real estate a desirable commodity for hedging against inflation.
In Shop class, we discuss how to work with tools to create leverage that doesn’t involve borrowing. Wow! Debt free leverage. Maybe this should be a Physics class?
For Phys Ed, we learn how to play and stay in the game – even if we don’t have any cash of our own. Fun, but sweaty.
Before we know it, the school day is over and it’s time to head home for supper. We guess we’re a little nerdy – because we sure had fun in school today!
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1/3/10: Happy New Year with Gary Eldred – What Does 2010 Hold?
The easiest thing in the world to do is predict the past. But what about the future? As we enter a brand new decade, what does the future of real estate look like? To find that out, The Real Estate Guys climbed the proverbial technology mountain to connect with a real estate sage – all the way from Dubai!
Sitting on the mountain top for this broadcast:
- Your real estate guru, Robert Helms
- Pillow fluffer and co-guru, Russell Gray
- Trump University faculty member, best selling author, seasoned real estate and renowned consultant, Dr. Gary Eldred, PhD.
Digging through technological challenges, The Real Estate Guys mined some golden nuggets of wisdom from special guest, Gary Eldred who called in all the way from Dubai! As someone who has studied, taught, invested, and consulted on real estate for decades, Dr. Eldred has earned the right to have an opinion. We talk stocks, bonds, gold and real estate. Gary tells us which asset class he believes will outperform all others in the new decade – and why.
Gary also reveals his strategy for hedging against economic uncertainty. He tells us which type of mortgage he prefers right now and why. As one of the most well traveled investors we know, we also were intrigued by Gary’s comments China, India and Africa – and how what’s happening there affects real estate in the US and other parts of the world. Of course, since he was calling from Dubai (where he is currently working) and Dubai’s been top of the financial news recently, we made sure to talk about that too!
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