Commentary on real estate related news to help you read between the lines and find the hidden opportunities.
If you’re left brained (logical), we probably already lost you at the headline. But this isn’t a blog on positive thinking (not that we have anything against that). We’re talking about negative equity and how it gets measured. More importantly, where are the opportunities? Just before Thanksgiving, the Wall Street Journal ran a headline that […]
Don’t Be So Negative! Just Change Your Perspective Read More »
The AP headline this morning says “Stock Market Slumps as Home Construction Slows”. Oh no! We can hear the pitter patter of mutual fund investors’ feet running to their computers to check the damage to their 401k. Funny, but when we look at our computer, we see interest rates on 30 year fixed mortgages back
Home Construction Slows – Good or Bad? Read More »
This is Russ. I just got back from 3 days in beautiful San Diego where I attended the NAR Annual Conference. Robert drew the short stick and had to go to Belize to handle some business. Poor guy. In case you don’t know, the National Association of Realtors is the world’s largest trade association, boasting
Part 1: Report from the National Association of Realtors Conference Read More »
The AP reports that gold hit an all time high of $1,118 per ounce today. Do you understand why? Do you REALLY understand? And what does gold have to do with real estate (besides that you dig gold out of the ground)? Great questions! Gold’s rise is a prime refection of a falling dollar. Why?
Is Gold All that Glitters? Read More »
Sorry. Can’t help all the Fannie puns. They’re just too good not to use. Today the Associated Press published a report “Fannie Mae seeks $15 Billion in US Aid after 3Q Loss”. In case you’re keeping score, Fannie and her brother Freddie Mac have gobbled up about $111,000,000,000 ( we showed you all the zeroes
Are We Going to Lose our Fannie? Read More »
Sorry – not a particularly catchy title for this post – but it’s still an important concept that merits reinforcement. In Equity Happens, we talk about how real estate investing is a business of fundamentals. When you master the fundamentals, then you master the business. In this case, the fundamental we’re talking about is one’s
Problem or Opportunity? Read More »
Today, The New York Times ran a story headlined Concerns Are Growing About FHA’s Stability. Hmmm…that’s interesting. Especially since a major chunk of the loans funding the fledgling housing recovery is coming from FHA.
Hey, FHA! Your Fannie is Showing Read More »
Today’s Wall Street Journal reports that MGM Mirage is cutting the price of the condominiums in its spectacular City Center project in Las Vegas, Nevada. How big a cut? Thirty percent! We’re not sure what their margin is, but that’s probably all of it and then some. Ouch. Worse, it’s probably still not enough. But
Reality or Mirage? Read More »
We like classic rock (which you’ll find out if you come on our Annual Investor Summit and Sea). If you’re familiar with George Thorogood’s iconic song (the title of this post), you may remember his conflict with his landlady: I come home one Friday, Had to tell the landlady I’d-a lost my job She said
One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer Read More »
Duh. Does this surprise anyone? But what, you may ask, does this have to do with real estate? We’ve seen an uptick in home sales since the $8,000 tax credit for 1st time home buyers was introduced. We affectionately call that the Bucks for Buyers program. But unless it gets extended, the Bucks for Buyers
Shocker! Car sales drop when Cash for Clunkers ended Read More »