tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3719761684158756242024-03-19T02:18:03.380-07:00The Brink TankThe cutting edge ideas, people, resources and technologies that are shaping the future of alternative investmentsNuWire Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02512928198926080436noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-64900286920600808962009-07-17T02:35:00.000-07:002009-07-17T02:47:38.674-07:00eRealAnalyzer: Online Tool To Analyze Your Investment Properties<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/erealanalyzer-758746.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 307px; height: 194px;" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/erealanalyzer-758737.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.erealinvestor.com">eRealAnalyzer</a> is a useful online tool that analyzes real estate to provide investors with useful data points on a given property. The data that eReal Analyzer provides is quite comprehensive, including data on projected cash flow, your equity in 10 years, comparable home prices in the area, estimated property taxes, Cap rate and other statistics from their extensive national database of 400,000 properties. You can search for properties in a location you are interested in, and then discover investment data that you normally wouldn't see in a typical property search site.<br /><br />You can also add variables like down payment percentage and property management costs and eReal Analyzer will recalculate data points based on these variables. Additionally, you can compare different properties across the data to help determine how the different investment opportunities you are considering stack up against each other in terms of projected profit. Full access to all tools costs $17.95 for a monthly subscription or $99.95 for the annual plan. You can also analyze a single property for a one-time fee of 99 cents.<br /><br />From the eRealAnalyzer site:<br /><blockquote><br />eRealAnalyzer™ is a patent-pending Web-based real estate search and analysis application. It is the real estate industry's first browser-based, integrated financial analysis solution. eRealAnalyzer enables prospective buyers of your listed properties to visualize and compare alternative property ownership financial metrics with a single click.</blockquote><br />To learn more, you can visit their site at <a href="http://www.erealinvestor.com">erealinvestor.com</a>.NuWire Investorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02512928198926080436noreply@blogger.com452tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-3632673851121980202008-10-22T11:04:00.000-07:002008-10-22T11:12:32.597-07:00Ethiopia Building Large Wind FarmEthiopia will soon be home to the largest wind farm in sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to its agreement with Vergnet, a French wind turbine manufacturer. <br /><br />The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation (EEPC) signed a deal with Vergnet earlier this month to install 120 one-megawatt wind turbines in the next three years. The first 30 of the turbines will be in place as early as next year. The 120 MW wind farm would represent 15 percent of Ethiopia's power generating capacity and bring Ethiopia's total capacity to 934 MW. <br /><br />Ethiopia relies heavily on hydroelectric power, which has resulted in a track record of power shortages, especially because of droughts. Some of these, however, have come from the EEPC deliberately imposing power outages.<br /><br />The wind farm will be located in Ethiopia's northeastern Tigray region.<br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2228618/biggest-sub-saharan-wind-farm">BusinessGreen.com</a>Trista Winniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382617732016247867noreply@blogger.com443tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-49446860812909342272008-10-15T16:47:00.000-07:002008-10-15T16:52:01.207-07:00Abu Dhabi Launches International Media CenterThe city of <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/abu-dhabi-real-estate-racing-to-beat-dubai-at-its-51801.aspx">Abu Dhabi</a>--capital city of the United Arab Emirates--is opening a 200,000 square-meter campus called the Abu Dhabi Media Zone, built by the government to house foreign media companies, local officials announced Sunday. CNN, HarperCollins, Random House, the British Broadcasting Corporation, The Financial Times and the Thomson Reuters Foundation--the charity arm of financial news corporation Thomson Retuers--will join the Abu Dhabi Media Zone, according to the New York Times. <br /><br />CNN will move nearly 30 staff members to Abu Dhabi, and will begin broadcasting a prime-time news show from the city on CNN International. London, Hong Kong and Mexico City are the only three other international cities from which CNN has the capability to produce studio broadcasts.<br /><br />The strong sales growth of English-language books in the Middle East attracted HarperCollins and Random House to the area. Abu Dhabi, which recently hosted the Middle East International Film Festival, is also known for its interest in <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/indie-film-investments-51440.aspx">films</a> and in film education. Flush with wealth from oil money, Abu Dhabi has plenty of money to invest in the arts. The Abu Dhabi Media Company recently announced a plan to spend $1 billion to start a film financing branch to invest in Hollywood-style, English-language movies. Last year, the company agreed to a $1 billion deal with Warner Brothers to make video games and movies.<br /><br />The creation of this campus puts Abu Dhabi one step closer to reaching its goal of becoming a cultural and media center for the Middle East. The Abu Dhabi Media Zone will offer training for the region's journalists and filmmakers as well as provide a base for Western companies to conduct business. The first ever U.A.E. Press Freedom Day was held in Abu Dhabi last month, with the goal of encouraging the government to be more open and to make information more accessible.<br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/13/business/media/13deal.html?src=linkedin">New York Times</a>Trista Winniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382617732016247867noreply@blogger.com348tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-84796847363195090792008-10-09T11:23:00.000-07:002008-10-09T11:30:43.189-07:00Leno And Bush Invest In Wind TurbinesJay Leno and George H. W. Bush are two individuals who have recently installed residential wind turbines on their property. A residential wind turbine can lower your electricity bill by 50 to 90 percent, and pay off the initial investment in six to 15 years, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) . Bush installed a 33-foot tall Skystream 3.7 at his at his Kennebunkport, Maine home. Jay Leno installed a Delta II by PacWind on his garage (link to video). <br /><br />The Skystream 3.7 is produced by Southwest Wind Power, which has sold about 2,000 wind turbines nationwide. Prices start at about $12,000 for the device, which uses magnetic technology to produce energy even at low wind speeds. According to the Portland (Maine) Press Herald, it can produce 400 kilowatts per month with 12 mph winds. It was designed to work in residential neighborhoods and has noise isolators to minimize noise. You can also choose the remote monitoring option that allows you to monitor the output of your device from your home. As with solar energy, there is the potential to sell excess electricity back to the utility company during periods of good wind availability. Of course, location is an important factor when choosing wind, so if you live in high wind area--such as the Pacific Northwest--a wind turbine can be a solid investment. Even if you don’t live where there is a lot of wind, there are some turbines that can produce energy at winds as low as 3 miles per hour because of their high-powered magnets.<br /><br />While the AWEA claims that a typical residential wind system makes less noise than an average washing machine, and even though they are only as tall as an average tree, one drawback is dealing with unhappy neighbors and homeowners' associations. Some cities have ordinances that ban residential turbines over a certain height. And while installation of a residential wind turbine can possibly increase the value of your home, it may hurt the value of the surrounding properties. Despite the pollution-free energy, there have been several situations where citizens have opposed commercial wind turbines because they don’t want to look at them. Despite the potential complaints, as technology improves to produce smaller and cheaper units and the energy situation worsens, it is likely that more and more individuals will follow the example set by Leno and Bush and look to buy their own backyard wind turbine.Trista Winniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382617732016247867noreply@blogger.com352tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-70180113220158886692008-09-29T11:02:00.000-07:002009-07-24T10:55:55.362-07:00Attention, Angry Investors: Here’s A Simply Smashing Business Concept<a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/smashshack-759964.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left;" alt="" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/smashshack-759952.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>There’s nothing quite like unbridled destruction to chase the blues away. That’s the philosophy behind Sarah’s Smash Shack, a business in San Diego which provides customers with breakables, such as dishware and glass frames, along with a safe environment to obliterate them. Owner Sarah Lavely first conceived the Smash Shack during her divorce, when she frequently felt compelled to smash things. As quoted in a recent <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/17/smallbusiness/smash_shack.smb/index.htm">CNN Money article</a>, Lavely says:</div><br /><div>"I broke a lot of stuff on my driveway...I wished there was someplace I could go and just [break things], just go nuts. I was sure other people felt like that at times, and I thought I should open a shop where you could do that."</div><div></div><br /><div>Who knew that being psychotic could lead to pioneering a new service industry? Usually, it just leads to a career in politics.</div><div></div><br /><div>People have more than marital woes to be angry about these days, and as gas prices rise and markets tumble, the shop has been seeing a steady increase in business. As a service, the Smash Shack seems superfluous—some might say ‘wasteful’, ‘decadent’ and ‘childish’—but maintaining one’s sanity is priceless. Some people are too timid to go to a firing range to blow off steam, but not too timid to lob a few saucers against a stainless steel wall. And besides, if groceries become much more expensive, people won’t need plates, so why not smash them?</div><div></div><br /><div>Of course, you needn’t bring your own flatware; Lavely has selected only the finest cheap ceramics to deliver the most crack for your buck:</div><div></div><br /><div>“Ceramic white dinner plates are Lavely's biggest seller, because they require a strong toss and break violently against the wall. Patrons order from a menu that includes items like The House Special (15 plates in 15 minutes for $45), the Six Shooter (six rapid-fire <a href="http://wineinthebox.com">wine</a> glasses for $12) or the Juggernaut (two large jugs for $12.) Value seekers can opt for the Mystery Box: 10 assorted smashables for $25. If you'd like to smash a person, Lavely allows the next best thing - a photo inserted into a very breakable glass frame.”</div><div></div><br /><div>If they add a Precious Moments Hummel Pummel to their menu, I’m totally there.</div><div></div><br /><div>Customers can even write messages on the plates before tossing them. This, however, is a tad unsettling because the shards are donated to local schools and art programs, and I dare say that some of those messages will not be appropriate for young eyes. Let’s hope that no more than three letters can fit on most of the remnants.</div><div></div><br /><div>The Smash Shack is a novel idea, one that may in fact fill a much needed niche, and there is more innovation to be had. After all, maybe some people just want a safe environment to trash their own things (an ex’s record collection, for example, or a mother-in-law’s favorite teapot). Perhaps the management can offer to project the faces of one’s ex or a political figure on the wall. One might even be able to charge one’s HMO for the cost, categorizing it as a form of therapy.</div><br /><div></div><div>There’s certainly room to expand, and though Lavely isn’t exactly shattering her business goals just yet, the catharsis industry may be a new territory suited for fed-up investors looking to break their own molds. I can’t wait for someone to open an Effigies R’ Us, where you can design your own burnt offerings in the shape of a nemesis and even choose the aromatic wood to be used, be it a Hickory Clinton, a Burning Bush, or even a Balsamic Bin Laden. You just know they’d do gangbusters during barbecue season. In short, when it comes to a new business in your town, rage could be all the rage.</div>Trenton Flockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15132009215858128588noreply@blogger.com334tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-63987517330169422122008-09-10T15:28:00.000-07:002008-09-11T11:08:15.007-07:00Investment Riches Offers Free Real Estate Consulting<a href="http://www.investmentriches.com">Investment Riches</a> is part real estate brokerage, part social networking company that offers a free one-on-one consultation on real estate investing. The consultant can help you find the right market to invest in, find the right property or just build your portfolio. They also offer a social networking feature so like-minded investors can join together and, with the help of Investment Riches, get price discounts through bulk negotiation. All services are free for individual investors. There are 6,000 active members, many of whom participate in the forums and blogs. The free membership also grants members access to a real estate database and opportunities listings. Full members get the first look at new opportunities three days before the listing is made available to the general public. In order to gain full member status, you must be approved by the Investment Riches staff based on certain investment criteria. <br /><br />Investment Riches has done a great job at using the Web to differentiate themselves from traditional real estate brokerages. They have built a community around their business by offering people unique value for free. Investors can utilize their database of statistics, seek advice from other investors in the forums and talk one on one with a consultant at an unbeatable price. One potential drawback is that full membership is limited to qualified investors. To gain access to all the site’s tools, you must apply for admission and wait until someone approves your application. However, casual investors and beginners can still get access as a limited member, which allows use of the forums, access to listings and profiles on the featured cities.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Website:</span> <a href="http://www.investmentriches.com">www.investmentriches.com </a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Location:</span> Las Vegas, NV<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Type of Business:</span> Real Estate Brokerage<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Value for Investors:</span> Free Consultation, Active Community Forums, Assistance in Bulk Negotiation, Social Networking</blockquote>Charles Sipehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05826573873854924565noreply@blogger.com186tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-90399981088468400612008-09-02T14:33:00.000-07:002008-09-02T14:47:25.044-07:00Invest In A Lobster Trap Off The Coast Of Maine<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/lobsterboat-719032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/lobsterboat-719000.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.catchapieceofmaine.com/">Catch a Piece of Maine</a> is a new company with a brilliant idea that allows anyone to make an investment in the lobster industry. For $2,995, you can lease a specific lobster trap off the coast of Maine for one year. A fisherman will harvest the lobsters that are caught in your trap during the 32-week season and FedEx them to you, relatives, customers or anyone you choose. Each package includes fresh mussels and clams, a home-baked dessert, bibs and cooking instructions. You are guaranteed a minimum of 40 lobsters of 1.5 pounds each, which comes to approximately $75 per lobster; this would drop to $60 a lobster if the trap catches 50, which the founders believe is a realistic goal. The idea is similar to a farming co-op where an individual can make a deposit to the farm owner in return for a share of the harvest. <br /><br />What makes this investment unique is the interactive experience. You can select your own fisherman by viewing their personal profile online and even check the statistics of your trap. It's actually similar to playing fantasy football. The company provides video updates of the fishermen and you can learn how your personal fisherman is faring and hear their thoughts and observations on lobstering. You can even take a trip to Maine and experience a day in the life of your chosen Maine fisherman.<br /><br />Basically, you own a piece of the business, but unlike stock in Microsoft, you get an immediate return. If you buy stock in General Electric, you won’t be able to spend a day with an engineer. Catch a Piece of Maine takes fractional ownership of a business and adds an experiential element to it, making it much more personal and fun. It is a great business model that could be applied to other businesses to achieve a similar effect. Wouldn’t it be interesting if you could own a table at a restaurant? Your investment would provide the business owner with guaranteed cash flow and in return you would receive all the revenues of people who sit at that table.Charles Sipehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05826573873854924565noreply@blogger.com352tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-77935723398853762592008-08-29T13:20:00.000-07:002008-08-29T14:37:16.298-07:00Tiny Houses: Tiny is the New Big<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/tinyhouse-737660.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/tinyhouse-737075.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>An increased level environmental awareness and a flood of foreclosures are just some of the factors that may be shifting Americans' attitudes about home ownership. Particularly, consumer demand for bigger homes may be shrinking and shifting instead to smaller economical and eco-friendly homes. Who wants to pay for air conditioning or heating for a 2,500 square foot home? One interesting byproduct of this shift is the growing market for “tiny homes,” the term used to describe homes less than 750 square feet, though tiny homes can be less than 100 square feet. <o:p></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal">Several companies will manufacture tiny homes, which are being used as primary residences, vacation homes and even portable homes that owners haul around the country with a truck. For about $45K (not including shipping) <a href="http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/">Tumbleweed Houses</a> will build you a 102 square foot home in about three months. They also offer do-it-yourself instructions for between $695 and 995. Alchemy Architects offers the ultra modern <a href="http://www.prefabs.com/PrefabHomes/AlchemyArchitects/weeStudio.htm">weestudio</a>, a 364 square foot home with a base price of $69,500.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/tinyphone-774392.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/tinyphone-774372.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you take a look around, you will see a tiny culture emerging all around us. Tiny cars such as the Smart Car have overwhelmed projections with 14,000 sold in the U.S. and a year-long waiting list, according to <i style=""><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_34/b4097076843647.htm?chan=autos_autos+--+lifestyle+subindex+page_top+stories">Business Week</a></i>. You can get a laptop that fits in an envelope and a dog that fits in a purse. Small is trendy. As author Seth Godin said, “Small is the new big.” With sales of small cars greatly outnumbering sales of larger cars, this shift in consumer demand could easily carry over to Americans becoming more likely to buy small or tiny homes to minimize their housing costs and environmental impact. There is an untapped market, which presents a great opportunity for investors in tiny real estate or the next Smart Car for the housing market.</p>Charles Sipehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05826573873854924565noreply@blogger.com307tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-20210096719005362232008-08-27T10:33:00.000-07:002008-08-27T10:46:08.833-07:00The Next Gold Rush: Investing in Garbage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/cash-garbage-751820.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/cash-garbage-751799.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Garbage has suddenly become a hot commodity. Just as record oil prices have made it profitable to squeeze oil out of the sand in Canada, it has become profitable to scavenge the landfills for valuable pieces of metal and plastic. According to Roben Farzad's <i style="">BusinessWeek</i> article "<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_31/b4094036650513.htm?campaign_id=rss_topEmailedStories" title="Cash for Trash">Cash for Trash</a>,", 8 percent of global oil production is used to make plastic each year and it requires 80 percent less energy to produce recycled plastic. A manager of a recycling facility in <st1:city st="on">Auburn</st1:city>, Mass. is getting $900 per bale for aluminum and $300 for No.2 clear plastic. Farzad also interviewed a homeless person who was being offered 7 cents for bottles (up from the traditional 5 cents) and an e-waste plant manager who revealed that a 16 square foot box of memory sticks contains $15,000 in precious metals.<br /><br />With high global demand for commodities and increased public support for the green movement, the recycling industry looks promising. One of the problems in the past was low commodity prices in the mid '80s and early '90s that made recycling programs unprofitable. Now, with most analysts predicting that the prices of commodities such as oil will continue to rise, this shouldn't be a problem. There is tremendous opportunity for growth in a lot of communities that don't even have a recycling program at all. The recycling plants can't get enough garbage and governments can't find enough places to put their garbage. "Balance the equation, and recycling could grow by orders of magnitude," Farzad wrote. One of the obstacles is the fragmentation of the policies and practices of garbage collection which is often regulated by local governments and varies across the U.S. For instance, my hometown doesn't have a formal recycling program, yet in a nearby city, individuals who are caught with significant recyclables in their garbage can be slapped with fines.<br /><br />If you are ready to jump on the bandwagon, there are several emerging recycling companies you can look into. TechTurn is an e-recycler that booked $40 million in sales last year and is rushing to open new plants all over the country. Coskata is a startup that attracted venture capitalists with technology that promises to derive $1-a-gallon ethanol from trash. Strategic Materials is the largest pure-play glass recycler and is on pace for $200 million in sales this year. Analyst Eric Prouty's six-stock Buy list of recyclers has returned 180 percent since its inception in 2006, according to <i style="">BusinessWeek</i>. Investing in "waste and recycling" reached a record $622 milllion in 2007, up from $20 million in 2001. Who would have thought that the stuff we throw away was worth so much? It certainly gives a whole new meaning to the saying "one person's trash is another person's treasure."<o:p></o:p></p>Charles Sipehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05826573873854924565noreply@blogger.com113tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-39211202199731290382008-07-22T08:27:00.000-07:002008-07-23T16:01:32.901-07:00Turn a Profit by Investing in Solar Panels<p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/solarpanel-712562.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/solarpanel-712427.jpg" alt="solar panels" border="0" /></a>Advancements in photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, have greatly decreased the once prohibitive cost of solar panels. Additionally, historic highs for the costs of energy that are likely to continue to ascend suggest that an investment in solar panels for your home may provide you with healthy returns.<br /><br />One company that is lowering the barrier of entry into owning solar panels is <a href="http://solarcity.com/">SolarCity Inc.</a> in California. They offer a 15-year lease for solar panels that includes installation, free repairs and free removal at the end of the lease. They also guarantee that you receive the power production promised, which they can monitor remotely, according to the <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB119145190875348249.html">Wall Street Journal</a></span>. The company has plans to expand to Oregon and eventually the East coast.<br /><br />Even in cloudy regions like Seattle or New York, there is still a good opportunity in solar power. Solar panels work surprisingly well in less than sunny conditions. Findsolar.com gives Seattle and New York a good rating for sun power availability. Germany produced over half the world’s solar energy in 2006 despite having half as many sunny days as Portugal, according to the <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/04/AR2007050402466.html">Washington Post</a></span>.<br /><br />Leasing a 16-panel system for $85 per month would generate 3.2 kilowatts of electricity and reduce a $200 electric bill to an estimated $75, according to SolarCity’s site. Therefore, solar panel lessees would save an estimated $40 per month in the first month. However, payments increase 3.5% each year, so the electric rates would have to increase at this rate or higher to maintain this savings. Another disadvantage is that at the end of the lease you do not own the system and would either have to buy it, upgrade or have it removed. A more sensible option may be to secure financing a system with a solar panel retailer.<br /><br />If energy prices continue to rise, you can turn a good profit by producing your own electricity and even possibly selling it back to the energy company. Some states, such as California, offer tax incentives to offset some of the initial cost for the system. Washington state will buy solar generation at <a href="http://www.sunergysystems.com/incentives.html">15 cents per kWh until 2014</a>. The flip side is that technology will likely advance considerably over the next decade and you may be stuck with an obsolete model that is much less efficient than future models. The current solar technology only captures a small portion of the sun’s energy and billions of dollars are being invested into research and development to produce more efficient solar cells. The improvement in this technology could follow a similar path as computers, in which efficiency could double every two years and result in your system being as worthless in 15 years as a 1993 computer is today.</p>Charles Sipehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05826573873854924565noreply@blogger.com287tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-75668217759567911912008-07-16T07:53:00.000-07:002008-07-23T16:05:14.688-07:00Lessons from Lunch with Warren Buffett<p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/Warren-Buffet-795788.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/Warren-Buffet-795779.jpg" alt="Warren Buffet" border="0" /></a>Guy Spier, one of the investors who helped pay the $650,100 winning eBay bid to have lunch with Warren Buffet, shared some of the lessons he learned from the greatest investor in the world in a recent <span style="font-style: italic;">Time</span> <a href="http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1819293,00.html">article</a>. While you may not be able to afford to pay more than $3,600 a minute for advice from the Sage of Omaha, you can still learn vicariously by reading some of Buffet’s enduring lessons on investing and on life.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Do the Right Thing Even if it’s Hard</span><br />Buffet has become one of the richest men in the world while never sacrificing the highest ethical standards. “People will always try to stop you doing the right thing if it is unconventional,” said Buffet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Listen to Yourself, Not the Crowd</span><br />Buffet learned at an early age from his father that it is important to listen to yourself rather than seek the affirmation of others. Although he was heavily criticized for not investing with the crowd in technology and Internet stocks in the late '90s, he stuck to what he believed and turned out to be right. During the lunch he asked his guests, “Would you rather be considered the best lover in the world and know privately that you're the worst — or would you prefer to know privately that you're the best lover in the world, but be considered the worst?"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Numbers Don’t Lie</span><br />Buffet said that he limits contact with the managers of businesses that he invests in, choosing rather to examine the company’s financial records. By relying on the numbers he is able to focus on neutral information and prevent outside noise from affecting his decisions.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stick to Your Knitting</span><br />Buffett shared was that he only focuses on his “circle of competence” when considering investments. As a result, when he finally makes an investment, he has no doubt that he is right.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Enjoy Life</span><br />Buffet wrote in Berkshire’s annual report that he “tap dances to work.” It is evident that he loves what he does and does everything with great passion and excitement. By the way, according to Spier, Buffet doesn’t say no to dessert.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be Generous</span><br />Buffet’s greatest legacy may be his generosity. He has committed to giving the great majority of his fortune to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and the proceeds from his annual lunch go to the Glide foundation to help the poor. I believe that Buffet’s affinity for contributing to the greater good is a major key to his success.<br /><br />Guy Spier wrote that his time with Buffet “was worth every dime,” and it turns out he may have underpaid. The winning bid by Zhao Danyang for next year’s lunch was $2.1 million.<br /><br />Image Courtesy of <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Warren_Buffett_KU_Visit.jpg">Wikipedia Commons</a></p>Charles Sipehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05826573873854924565noreply@blogger.com91tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-45278869778021766602008-07-14T09:30:00.000-07:002008-07-23T16:05:52.293-07:00How To Hedge Your Fuel Like Southwest<p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/Oil-Seesaw-764749.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/Oil-Seesaw-764735.jpg" alt="Oil Seesaw" border="0" /></a>Few people know that there are ways that you can hedge fuel prices as an individual, similar to how <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1126197.html">Southwest Airlines</a> hedges oil. Southwest has been successful at hedging their fuel by buying contracts that give them the option to buy fuel at a fixed price in the future. Here are a few ways that you can implement a similar strategy:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My Gallons</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mygallons.com/">Mygallons.com</a> is a new site that lets anybody buy credits for fuel at today’s prices. After you pay an annual membership fee of $29.95 to 39.95 you get a debit-type card that you could use at 95 percent of U.S. filling stations according to the site. However, soon after MyGallons launched their service, their deal with the payment processing network fell apart, so the cards they issued are not accepted anywhere until MyGallons can find a new partner. While this illustrates the risk of being an early adopter, look for MyGallons and similar companies such as FuelBankUSA to offer such services in the coming months. I wouldn’t buy too many credits, though. If MyGallons goes under, they may not be required to refund your deposits.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Fuel Banks</span><br /><br />Fuel banks allow you to purchase reserves of gasoline on the commodities market. First Fuel Bank in St.Cloud, Minn., has been around since 1982, when gasoline only cost about $1 per gallon. People who bought in as recently as 1997 could still be paying less than $1 per gallon. Unfortunately, you have to live in or near St.Cloud Minnesota to take advantage of this, since their pre-paid card is good at only six locations.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />U.S. Oil Fund ETF</span><br /><br />Another tactic to hedge fuel is to buy stock in the U.S. oil fund ETF (exchange traded fund) which is available on the American Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: USO). The objective of the fund is to track with the movement in price of crude oil, although it doesn't always achieve this objective. If the USO does follow the price of crude oil, then you can profit as everyone else suffers. In addition to the uncertainty that the USO will track with crude oil market prices, changes in crude prices don’t necessarily match fluctuations at the gas pump. Further, according to <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,214715,00.html">Fox News</a>, the USO fund requires that you pay taxes on gains annually, even if you don’t sell.<br /><br />There are many more ways to protect yourself if you think fuel prices will continue to rise. For instance, you could convert to ethanol by purchasing a home ethanol distillery such as the <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/investorcentric/2008/05/homemade-ethanol-future-or-waste-of.html">EFuel100</a> and stockpile sugar or corn in your backyard. You could invest in solar panels and drive a hybrid. And, of course, you can move within walking or biking distance of work so you don’t need to use as much fuel. If you feel fuel prices will drop in the future, you can be like <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-te.to.hummer05jul05,0,5819178.story">Glen Peck</a> from Annapolis, Md. He has two Hummers parked in his driveway and is a board member of a group called The Hummer Club, according to the Associated Press.</p>Charles Sipehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05826573873854924565noreply@blogger.com236tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-90638727233840919872008-07-07T10:29:00.000-07:002008-07-23T16:07:50.938-07:00Moon Property Rights Are Closer Than You Think<p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/moon-755011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" alt="Moon" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/moon-754985.jpg" border="0" /></a>With U.S. real estate prices falling and NASA’s Phoenix mission successfully landing on Mars, this may be the perfect time to turn our attention to lunar real estate. An <a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4264325.html?series=35">article</a> this month in Popular Mechanics discusses why owning your own lunar real estate may not be totally out of the question. Although the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that was ratified by 62 countries restricted any country from claiming territory in outer space, it did not restrict private or corporate ownership. The proposed 1980 Moon Treaty would have banned private property ownership of the moon, but it was never ratified by the U.S. As a result, it is generally accepted that claims of private property on the moon would be recognized. Effective use of unclaimed land has historically been used to establish ownership, so a corporation that established a base on the moon could claim legal precedence if a dispute arose.. Even if someone sent robots on their behalf, they could make a valid claim based on the legal precedence of ownership of salvaged ships being granted to individuals who discovered them with robotic submarines. </p><p></p><p>You can <a href="http://www.lunarembassy.com/">buy lunar property</a> with a prime view of Earth from the Lunar Embassy’s website. For just $24 plus shipping, you can receive the deed to an acre of land on the moon. Dennis Hope, founder of the Lunar Embassy, says he has sold 500 million acres, although this is questionable when you see how bad the website is. A deed from the Embassy includes a declaration of ownership filed with the U.S, <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Russia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, and U.N. on the basis that Hope originally sent a claim to the U.N. and did not receive any objections. However, Glenn Harlan Reynolds, a <st1:place st="on"><st1:placetype st="on">University</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">Tennessee</st1:placename></st1:place> law professor says in a Popular Mechanics podcast that millions of owners could form a worldwide constituency that could require governments to recognize the group’s claim.</p><p>This could create a legal battle between individuals with a lunar deed and corporations who have actually landed on the moon. These individuals could extort corporations for a share of their profits, similar to people who buy Internet domains and wait until a company is willing to pay for rights to it. There are several private expeditions underway to land a robot on the moon and claim a $30 million dollar prize offered by Google. This seems to be a better investment than buying property through Lunar Embassy.</p><p>Image courtesy of <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/bluedharma/">Bluedharma</a><br /></p>Charles Sipehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05826573873854924565noreply@blogger.com118tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-80043381687907527772008-07-03T09:51:00.000-07:002008-07-23T16:09:55.734-07:00Tesla to Save Suburbs with Electric Cars?<p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/Teslaphoto-780510.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/Teslaphoto-780488.jpg" alt="Tesla Car" border="0" /></a>Tesla Motors, makers of the remarkable electric super car that can accelerate as fast as a Ferarri, putting the Prius to shame, has just announced plans to begin production of a $60,000 electric sedan that would seat five and go 225 miles between charges. The Model S would effectively put the price of an all-electric car that doesn't sacrifice performance within reach of a much larger segment of the population.<o:p></o:p><br /><br />This is a big development for our energy-strapped nation. It was unknown whether electric battery technology was advanced enough to be cost-effective for people without deep pockets. A $60K price point in just two years would be a game changer, and in 10 years electric cars could be ubiquitous. Tesla’s co-founder and chairman, Elon Musk, is on the record with a prediction of a sub-$30K offering in four years at the most according to <a href="http://www.paloaltodailynews.com/article/2008-7-1-sc-car-side">Palo Alto Daily News</a>. Unless Tesla is bluffing, they may have discovered something special in battery technology, which may just <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/stepford-no-more-the-death-of-suburbia-51767.aspx" style="">save suburbia from an inevitable death</a><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size:8;"><!--[if !supportAnnotations]--><a class="msocomanchor" id="_anchor_1" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_1','_com_1')" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_1')" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=371976168415875624&postID=603048105625385587#_msocom_1" language="JavaScript" name="_msoanchor_1"></a><span style=""></span></span></span>. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">However, Tesla has disappointed before with production delays and an inability to deliver enough supply to the hundreds of customers yearning for their environmentally-friendly race car, so there are plenty who doubt that Tesla can deliver on their goal to bring electric cars to the masses. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">If you are interested in investing in the future of the auto industry, you may have soon have such an opportunity. Musk has told <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9946577-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5">C-Net</a> that there are plans in the works for a Tesla IPO by the end of 2008, which would raise an estimated $100 million. But perhaps an even better investment option is to head over to the Tesla Motors site where you can pay $55,000 to lock in a production slot for the 2009 Tesla Roadster. As your delivery date approaches, you could sell your spot in line for a nice profit, which you can then put toward a more practical Model S in 2010. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <div style=""><div style=""><div id="_com_1" class="msocomtxt" language="JavaScript" onmouseover="msoCommentShow('_anchor_1','_com_1')" onmouseout="msoCommentHide('_com_1')"><p class="MsoCommentText"><o:p></o:p></p> <!--[if !supportAnnotations]--></div> <!--[endif]--></div> </div>Charles Sipehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05826573873854924565noreply@blogger.com147tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-2636324630589924482008-07-01T16:45:00.000-07:002008-07-02T08:51:43.834-07:00Home For Sale: Fully Furnished; Concubine Included<a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/Weddingringtrap-crop-745547.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/Weddingringtrap-crop-745544.jpg" border="0" /></a>It is said that home is where the heart is, but usually home and heart don’t sell as a package deal. However, desperate times call for desperate measures, and one Ms. Deven Trabosh—who apparently lost her dignity with her equity—is selling her house and her hand in marriage as a package deal. It’s like <em>Indecent Proposal</em> meets the <em>Amityville Horror</em>.<br /><br />Because the story is so sensational, Trabosh has been getting plenty of coverage on the offbeat news waves, and I hesitate to give her any added attention. I’d rather write about the economic impact of recession on the <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/investorcentric/2008/06/hard-times-for-las-vegas-sex-trade.html">sex trade</a> and <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/commoncensus/2008/04/economic-downturn-sucks-fat-from.html">plastic surgery</a> industries, but Ms. Trabosh represents both subjects nicely, as seen in this <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2008/06/27/single_mom_selling_fla_home_and_heart_on_internet" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><em>Boston Globe</em> article</a>. Most coverage of this debacle has made it out to be a human interest story, portraying this woman—in her own words—as “a Princess Lost in America” with a fetish for European men, but it is far more compelling to view it in terms of a different kind of interest: the return on investment for any sap who decides to play house with Ms. Trabosh, or—as I like to call her—the Trabesty.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/top-5-overbuilt-us-markets-in-2007-51243.aspx">Florida’s real estate market</a> has been one of the hardest hit in the country, and now may be the best time to buy property as a long-term investment. With so many foreclosures available, is it really a good investment to buy a luxury home at more than the full asking price? The Trabesty listed the home at $340,000 on a traditional real estate site, which is already somewhat steep for such a saturated market, but then she upped it to half a million in the house/harpy package deal. Apparently, she thinks she’s worth roughly $160,000 dollars. How...generous.<br /><br />We can only assume that most interested buyers will be interested mostly in the Trabesty’s tangible assets, which were described in the article as “Barbie-esque” though they are more appropriately labeled “Barbie-qued”. Over time, these assets can be expected to depreciate significantly, require high-maintenance and all without any hope for resale. It is true: Like all “alternative investments,” buying Ms. Trabosh’s claw in marriage may offer benefits that can’t be put in monetary terms. But so can investing your money in <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/top-15-charities-for-investors-for-2007-51357.aspx">deserving, investor-driven charities</a> instead of buying a shot with an opportunist who may just divorce you and take “her” half of the house in a matter of months.<br /><br />Any lonely fellow who contacts the Trabesty—and they do—is advised to conduct full and proper due diligence. I recommend seeing if she can be leased before committing to buy, and I certainly recommend a pre-nup to go with this aging pin-up. Trabosh says she is offering a fairy tale come true. I’ll certainly agree that the story is "grim", but will she find Dunce Charming? If you believe in fairy tales, her character is more likely to end up in the oven than at the altar.Trenton Flockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15132009215858128588noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-37898970637679394432008-06-26T09:04:00.000-07:002008-06-26T21:28:35.128-07:00Walk Score Helps Consumers Walk Away From the PumpEarlier this week, I reviewed <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/2008/06/hoodeo-online-dating-for-neighborhoods.html">the new beta version of Hoodeo</a> and lamented that it wasn’t more pedestrian-friendly. More people are beginning to consider the price of gas when choosing the location of a new home and Hoodeo didn’t do much to find walkable communities for interested users. In pointing this out, I would be remiss to not mention a site that has a leg up in this regard: <a href="http://www.walkscore.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Walk Score</a>.<br /><br />Walk Score gives areas and addresses a score on a scale of zero to 100 based on distance to retail, entertainment, restaurants and cafés. This is good news for people looking to trade their house and car keys for a condo and a pair of Mephistos and who want to find a neighborhood that will give them a reason to step out of the house without <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/rising-energy-costs-lead-to-major-price-hikes-51682.aspx">worrying about gas prices</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.walkscore.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/walkscore-map-702833.jpg" border="0" /></a>Walk Score’s system is limited, however, because it cannot account for tough hills, lack of infrastructure (safe sidewalks and crosswalks) and other obstacles which may make even a short distance a major obstacle. Most suburban areas will rank well below 50 points, which is considered unacceptable. This lack of walkability is precisely why suburbs may soon be less in demand in coming years (See our article <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/stepford-no-more-the-death-of-suburbia-51767.aspx">Stepford No more: The Death of Suburbia</a>). For now, Walk Score is only appropriate for people living close to downtowns or communities with a pedestrian-friendly town center.<br /><br />Walk Score just released a list of the most walkable neighborhoods in my own area, Seattle, with an overall score of 72. To compare, the man at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue enjoys a score of 86 (assuming he can count that high). Meanwhile, the home of the King of Rock (Graceland, that is) scores a measly 32. That’s still much better than the King of Pop can do: <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/2008/05/neverland-ranch-avoids-foreclosure.html">Neverland Ranch </a>scores a perfect 0. Maybe that’s why Jacko abdicated to <a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/2008/03/dubai-world-developing-modern-world-in.html">Dubai</a>, which will probably have self-cleaning conveyor-belt sidewalks before the boom there is over.<br /><br />Wandering back on track—Walk Score is limited, but the developers know this, so with time it may provide a much more accurate and useful tool. Though a little too arbitrary for use on its own, it could help some homeowners narrow the field, and used in conjunction with sites such as Hoodeo, it may have users running, not walking, to the best place of all: Home Sweet-New Home.Trenton Flockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15132009215858128588noreply@blogger.com100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-58569811622509696072008-06-24T10:34:00.000-07:002008-06-26T09:20:52.423-07:00Hoodeo: Online Dating For Neighborhoods (Without The Social Stigma)As the stigma attached to online dating diminishes and real estate sites continue to boom, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to play matchmaker for neighborhoods and the people who love them. Enter <a href="http://www.hoodeo.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Hoodeo</a>.<br /><br />Hoodeo, now in beta form, was launched by the team behind eppraisal.com and works on the basis of one idea: It's better to find the right neighborhood first, and then find the right home within it. How does Hoodeo determine the right neighborhood for you without knowing you, your lifestyle, your family or your DNA? With a brief questionnaire, of course!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.hoodeo.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="The Hoodeo compatibility chart places your top neighborhoods based on three criteria" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/hoodeometer-712427.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Hoodeo Q & A is short and not terribly dry. My favorite question would have to be:<br /><br />"Ugh… work… but you have to pay the bills somehow. How would you classify your profession?"<br /><br />Cute, huh? Based on your answers, Hoodeo creates a list of your top 10 most compatible neighborhoods. The results are placed on a chart which is part Venn Diagram, part dartboard, part fruit pie based on your respective flavors: Lifestyle (Green Apple), Property (Peach) and Price (Blueberry). Dead center is a bull's-eye, but I found it impossible to get one of those no matter how I fudged with the questions. See? It's just like online dating.<br /><br />If it all sounds too simple, that's because it is. Ultimately, the Q & A is too short to really get an accurate idea about your lifestyle or your needs. Furthermore, regarding Location Location Location! you can't narrow the fields based on your commute (method and time). I don't think it's too much to ask that they add this in later versions given how important it is becoming for some people to avoid long and costly travel times.<br /><br />Hoodeo has its heart in the right place in trying to bring homebuyers one step closer to true love, but like many sites that make a science of compatibility, what sounds good in theory falls flat in practice. Hoodeo's system doesn't even pry enough information out of you to find that perfect place with perfect, unfeeling, mechanical precision, so the results are particularly disappointing. Until Hoodeo can improve on its system, I say follow your heart...or your real estate agent.Trenton Flockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15132009215858128588noreply@blogger.com52tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-28635639366146150682008-06-23T08:10:00.000-07:002008-06-23T08:14:30.485-07:00Real Estate Investing GameI’ve always thought it would be interesting to have a game about real estate investing, but the few I’ve seen have been lackluster at best. Typically these games over-simplify things and in the end don’t really teach players anything about real estate investing. I finally came across a real estate investing game that is actually decent: The game is called Real Estate Empire. It is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it is entertaining and someone who is new to real estate investment may even be able to learn a thing or two.<br /><br />Some things the game has which set it apart from the others are that it takes into account things such as the economy, market cycles, credit, savings and professional skills. In the game, players can select from one of five different professions including real estate agent, contractor, interior designer, handyman and MBA. Each has a skill set that can help in the game as well as an accompanying savings and salary. To win the game you have to make more money than the competition--namely, the 4 remaining professionals.<br /><br />As the game progresses you can buy, fix up and re-sell homes. While one of the downsides to this game is that it basically focuses on the fix and flip strategy of real estate investing, I think it does a pretty good job covering it. Players have to make sure they negotiate a good deal when they buy and decide which repairs to make and which ones will ultimately provide the highest return for them. When they sell the home they have to decide if they want to use an agent (to sell it faster and potentially for more money, but with higher costs), or go it alone. The game even takes into account peak selling seasons, so selling in winter is harder than selling in the spring or summer.<br /><br />Another cool feature the game has is that it teaches credit and savings. In order to buy a home you first have to have a down payment, and you have to build your credit up along the way as well. At the end of each month, players have to decide which bills to pay and whether to use savings or credit to pay them. As the player pays their bills off, their credit gets better and their credit lines increase and subsequent mortgage rates available to them become better--just like in real life. This part of the game is pretty cool and this is the only game I’ve ever seen that incorporates this piece, which of course is vital to investors.<br /><br />Rather than explain the entire game, though, I’ll provide you with a link to the place where you can download a trial version and play it for yourself. The trial version is just like the regular game, only a trial game will end after 60 minutes of play time. That is plenty of time to decide whether or not you like it, though, so I recommend checking it out if you like this sort of thing. Happy playing…<br /><br /><a href="http://www.logler.com/real-estate-empire">http://www.logler.com/real-estate-empire</a>Eric Ameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345721212538060888noreply@blogger.com251tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-42110024807975320892008-06-16T08:43:00.000-07:002008-06-16T08:44:08.882-07:00HotPads Helps Answer The Question: “Rent Or Buy?”<p class="MsoNormal">With a new mapping tool released by <a href="http://hotpads.com/">Hotpads.com</a>, called the rent ratio heat map, users can now quickly and easily determine whether it makes more sense to rent or to buy in a certain area. The tool evaluates each area based on the rent ratio—or ratio of rental pricing to for-sale pricing—and assigns the appropriate heat map color. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">While the tool is not perfect, it is a very cool idea that I’m sure will evolve with time. A couple of problems I noted were the comparison properties and the buying costs used to calculate the ratio. In their comparison, they use the number of bedrooms to determine the costs. The problem with this, of course, is that the apartments and other multi-family rentals examined are very different from the homes to which they are being compared. In areas like Manhattan, where single family homes are virtually non-existent, this comparison model makes sense. However, in suburban areas that have a high concentration of single-family homes, things are going to get a little off. Most people in the suburbs would prefer to live in a home rather than an apartment for various reasons. As a result the prices for rental homes tend to be considerably higher than apartments. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Another problem is with the cost they assign to the buy side of the equation. They simply take the cost of the home, but neglect to consider any additional expenses involved in home ownership. This of course includes property taxes, utilities (typically higher than in apartments), maintenance and so on. These costs vary greatly based on which state, and even city, you are in. For example, property taxes in Texas are more than double those in Washington. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">This tool is a great idea, and as it evolves and becomes more accurate it will become an incredible resource for people to consult. It is most definitely worth checking out, and you can even use it as a starting block when evaluating neighborhoods, but don’t let it take the place of additional due diligence. This tool is not meant to be the final word on whether a person should actually choose to rent or buy; it is simply meant to be a starting point for them. </p>Eric Ameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345721212538060888noreply@blogger.com327tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-30511348376710706742008-06-11T13:06:00.000-07:002008-06-11T13:53:55.328-07:00Trump Golf Resort Delayed: Birdies Have The McDonald Bogeyed<a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/trumpx-large-crop-796448.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/trumpx-large-crop-796436.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>Scotland may be the home of golf and bagpipes, but a protracted battle to stop Donald Trump’s $2 billion dollar golf resort has proved that the nation’s love of golf and old wind-bags is not unconditional. Trump argued yesterday for the resort in northeastern Scotland, on a stretch of shifting sand dunes on the coast 12 miles north of Aberdeen.</p><p><a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/trouble-with-investing-in-the-trump-trademark-51453.aspx">Trump has had quite a few snags</a> in the last year. This latest bout of fiscal fisty-cuffs has been raging for some time, and as always Trump is reluctant to admit defeat. It may not just be bull-headed pride, though, as he claims that the project was inspired by his mother’s own Scottish heritage.</p><p>But tartan touting has not helped The McDonald in his fight, and resistance from environmentalists and residents—including a landowner who refuses to sell his family farm—has Trump’s kilt in a twist. The stretch is home to several species rare to the island, including cute, little otters and cutely-named kittiwakes (second only to titmice, in my book) and a golf course might spell doom for their populations. Badgers are also known to have their dens there—distant relatives of his, I imagine.</p><p>His rebuttals to concerns regarding the resort’s environmental impact are sub-par. From a <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-06-10-trump-golf-resort_N.htm?csp=34">USA Today article</a>:</p><p>"People won't play a course if it is environmentally harmful," Trump said. "They don't like it, they don't feel good about it and they won't play it."</p><p>The <a href="http://www.oceansatlas.org/servlet/CDSServlet?status=ND0yMDAxMCY2PWVuJjMzPSomMzc9a29z">United Nations Foundation may say otherwise</a> given their address of the rising popularity of the sport worldwide and the concerns of environmentalists , but Trump has his own experts...and...</p><p>“Under cross-examination by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Trump drew snickers from the audience when he said he knew more about the environment than his consultants did. He acknowledged he had not read environmental reports that he commissioned.</p><p>"‘I would consider myself an environmentalist in the true sense of the word,’ Trump said.”</p><p>The panel, it would seem, rightly sees this as the steaming pile of haggis that it is. Though Trump remains optimistic, the best he can hope for is a scaled-down version...but he would never settle for anything but the best. Methinks the kittiwakes are safe for now.</p>Trenton Flockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15132009215858128588noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-28394136627316483672008-06-09T08:16:00.000-07:002008-06-09T08:26:09.367-07:00Deciding If You Should Buy A Franchise<a href="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/educated-franchisee-755045.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/blogs/thebrinktank/uploaded_images/educated-franchisee-755041.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>When it comes to buying a franchise, there are a lot of resources available. Few of them, however, will truly prepare you for the decision of whether or not to purchase a franchise. I found this out the hard way when my wife and I invested in our first franchise.</div><div><br />Investing in a new or existing franchise is different than buying an existing business and thus requires a different focus of evaluation. Although buying a book about small business ownership may be helpful, there are many franchise-specific issues and considerations that an investor should address before deciding to take the leap into franchise ownership.</div><div><br />Rick Bisio, one of the most successful franchise consultants in the industry, has recently released a book titled "<a href="http://www.educatedfranchisee.com/">The Educated Franchisee</a>." In it, he distills the information he’s learned not only from being a franchisee, but also from coaching hundreds (perhaps thousands) of individuals through the process of deciding whether a franchise is right for them. There are many resources related to small business, but few truly capture the unique challenges of the decision to buy a franchise.</div><div><br />Bisio clearly has a grasp of the one of the most important considerations when looking at a franchise opportunity: “buying a franchise is not the destination, it is the vehicle.” With this in mind, the book aims to address the question of whether a franchise is the proper vehicle for achieving an individual’s personal and financial goals. At the end of the book, the reader should be able to answer the three crucial questions any serious investor should consider:</div><div><br />1. Is a franchise right for me?<br />2. How do I find the right franchise opportunity?<br />3. What should I expect out of franchise ownership?</div><br /><div>If you’ve been considering small business ownership and are open to the idea of a franchise, I recommend you pick up a copy of "The Educated Franchisee." $20 is a small price to pay to ensure you are making the right decision to invest your time, energy and hard-earned dollars in a franchise business.<br /><br />It’s also a no-risk scenario. Bisio is offering a 100% refund if the book doesn’t “[help] you decide which franchise opportunity [is] best for you or [educate] you whether buying a franchise [is] the right move.”</div>Jeremy Ameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13645240701126540724noreply@blogger.com221tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-29192308433580217592008-06-06T15:39:00.000-07:002008-06-09T11:40:20.624-07:00Google Mortgage MarketPlace: It’s Coming…<p class="MsoNormal">Zillow recently made headlines with their new <a href="http://www.zillow.com/mortgage/Mortgage.htm">mortgage marketplace</a>, but Google is quietly testing a <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/help/merchantsearchbeta/compare.html">mortgage marketplace</a> of their own in the U.K. Whether or not that means that Google will bring the marketplace to the U.S. is unclear, but in all likelihood if things go well in the U.K., we can probably expect to see it hear too. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">After seeing the success that Zillow has had with their tool--over 28,000 loan requests in the first two months, according to Zillow-- I can’t see why Google wouldn’t also be successful. Google’s viewer base is more than 50 times larger than Zillow’s and they have a lot more money to throw into designing a great tool for users. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">What does a Google Mortgage Marketplace mean? Well, it likely means even more competition among lenders, which means lower rates for borrowers. The main questions will probably revolve around service. Sure it’s great if someone quotes me a loan, that’s lower than another lender, but how can I know that they are going to actually close it? Is this lender someone who is going to pull the old promise the world trick only to hand over something completely different at the closing table?<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">These are questions that Google is going to have to answer if they hope to have success with their new tool. What I would love to see is the ability for users to rate lenders (it doesn't appear that Google's UK mortgage marketplace has this ability). Much like they have with their shopping site. That way users could compare not only quotes, but also past service records, which offers a much better solution for borrowers. Zillow offers a rating system as part of their mortgage marketplace, and if Google wants to take this thing to the next level they would be wise to add one too, maybe even with some additional features to what Zillow offers. In the end, Google’s name and size alone should allow them to control this marketplace, and I foresee them doing just that. <o:p></o:p></p>Eric Ameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345721212538060888noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-42839474137685218312008-06-04T13:57:00.000-07:002008-06-04T14:01:21.728-07:00Estately.com Expanding To Include Portland Properties<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.estately.com/">Estately.com</a>, a real estate search website that uses referrals to connect consumers, real estate professionals and brokerage companies, is expanding outside Washington state by "adding 35,000+ Portland homes to our existing database of nearly 50,000 Western Washington homes," according to a recent blog post on Estately.com announcing the news.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"The site incorporates interactive mapping and displays details about the proximity of schools, parks, transit stops and restaurants to selected properties. Consumers can subscribe to get updates on price changes for properties and can save property notes," according to Inman News.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Estately.com users can search properties in specific neighborhoods and choose from agents in Estately's referral network by viewing competing bids anonymously. "The company has an agent-ranking algorithm that narrows the list of agents for a given area, and Estately staff research these agents and conduct interviews with some agents in developing its referral network," according to Inman News.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">"We hope we make it easier for you, Portland, to search for a home in the hip neighborhoods--Hawthorne, Woodstock, Lloyd, Belmont, The Pearl District, and Sellwood--and the less hip ones. We also hope we make it easier to decide if a house is actually right for you," according to a blog post on Estately.com. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">For more information on Portland real estate, see our previous article, <a href="https://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/steady-growth-in-portland-real-estate-51406.aspx">Steady Growth in Portland Real Estate</a>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p>Trista Winniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14382617732016247867noreply@blogger.com158tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-90379114717146988042008-05-30T13:35:00.001-07:002008-05-30T13:35:56.772-07:00Facebook Application Helps Buyers Decide Where To Buy Property<p class="MsoNormal">I just discovered a new Facebook application which could help change the way people buy property. The name of the application is <a href="http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2364094024">Facebook Neighborhoods</a> and the basic gist of it is that users are able to meet and interact with their neighbors. The tool is pretty far-reaching; it covers many countries and neighborhoods already and is growing rapidly. I believe the tool is originally intended for neighbors to communicate with one another and stay updated, but I think it could also be used as a great tool for potential homebuyers and investors alike.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Once you are in the Facebook Neighborhood tool you are able to browse through neighborhoods, see what is going on in the particular neighborhoods and also see the names of other people living in the neighborhood. Typically, unless you are friends with these people, you won’t be able to view their full profiles--in case you were wondering what type of people are in the neighborhood--but you can send them messages. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">For real estate investors, talking to neighbors can be one of the more beneficial due diligence tasks they can undertake. Neighbors are going to know whether there is a drug house in the area, or a neighborhood thief or numerous other helpful things. They might even know things about the particular house in question. Many times I’ve found that the neighbors know about damage the house has suffered (which homeowners are supposed to disclose, but sometimes things magically slip their minds), or specifics about the sellers such as why they are selling and so on, which can be helpful in negotiation. You might be surprised at what types of things can come up when you talk to neighbors. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Obviously not all the neighbors are going to be part of the Facebook Neighborhood, so prospective homebuyers are probably still better off at least attempting to knock on the neighbor's door (especially for the property-specific information), but for those who are too shy for face to face confrontation--or maybe just don’t have the time--this could be another way to conduct due diligence.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I would use this tool to accomplish a wider neighborhood survey of sorts. I would craft a message that asks a few questions about the neighborhood, send it out and then see what type of responses I get. I wouldn’t ask anything specific about the house, but would start the message by saying I’m thinking about buying a certain property in the neighborhood and just wanted to get a little more info about the area. By throwing out the address--even though I don’t ask directly for property information--if they have some juicy information they just might share it. Mainly I’m looking for information regarding the neighborhood. What do they think of the schools?<span style=""> </span>How is the homeowners association (depending on how wide the neighborhood is; there may be different HOAs)? Any problems with crime? How do they like living there? Things like that. People like to share this type of information, and it will be useful whether you plan on living in the home or renting it out. This initial communication could also serve as a spring board for further relationships with the neighbors so that you can ask them for help in the future for things such as checking on how your tenant is maintaining the property (helpful for out of area investors) and so on. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Questions are your friend when conducting property due diligence and this tool just provides homebuyers an easy way to connect with people who might have the answers they are looking for. <o:p></o:p></p>Eric Ameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345721212538060888noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371976168415875624.post-56100496798521682282008-05-23T14:59:00.001-07:002008-05-23T15:01:55.664-07:00PolicyMap Offers Tons Of Info For Investors And Developers<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.policymap.com/index.html">PolicyMap</a> is a new online service that was created by The Reinvestment Fund, a non-profit organization that funds neighborhood redevelopment. I read about PolicyMap on <a href="http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com/">Future of Real Estate Marketing</a> blog and thought it sounded like an interesting service. When I went to check it out, I was astonished by the amount of information and customization they offered. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Real estate investors or developers who need to do extensive demographic research should definitely check this site out. They offer more than 4,000 different demographic variables for which you can customize maps and reports. They cover the standard ones such as crime, income and so on, but they also have powerful ones you can’t find anywhere else, such as an estimation of a neighborhood's population in the year 2012 and many others I just don’t have space to mention. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">All of this information does not come cheap, however.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">They offer limited data and customization for free upon registration, but for the real goodies you have to be prepared to ante up. Their standard subscription starts at $200 a month, and they don’t even publish their premium subscription price. If you are a developer or real estate investor who does a significant amount of deals, though, I think their service is well worth the price. This is especially true if you have to put together presentations for money partners or others as part of your investments. PolicyMap offers data that would make your presentation much better, in addition to tools that should make gathering the data and putting into presentable format much easier. <o:p></o:p></p>Eric Ameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345721212538060888noreply@blogger.com30