Not Partying Like its 1999

Are you better off today financially than you were three years ago?  Five years ago?  Twelve years ago?  For a large portion of Americans, the answers are no, no, and no. The listless stock market, crashing real estate, rising household debt, and increased unemployment have sent combined sucker punches into the gut of the U.S. economy.  The country is staggering around trying to find its way, while the politicians ineptly put the finishing touches on a collapse.  Of course, a full economic collapse is not a certainty and perhaps is not even probable, but better leadership at the top will Read More

The Boy Scout Laws vs. Lawmakers’ Laws

Tomorrow night, my kids will return home from a week-long Boy Scout summer camp.  I’ve missed them (some of the time), though I have enjoyed the increased quiet and better productivity both for my job and for household maintenance.  The boys will come home tired and dirty, and regale us with stories of games, merit badges, new friendships, and whatever else crosses their minds. The next morning, I’ll open the newspaper and read about economics, politics, real estate, and similar realities.  As one of the nation’s top mortgage note buyers, I spend a great deal of time keeping abreast of Read More

Beyond 2011 – The Austere Years

More and more thinking people in the U.S. are realizing that the country has major economic and financial issues and no path toward solving them.  It is not hard to see the problems, though many choose to ignore them and listen to the politicians’ self-serving assurances that everything will be just fine. So, why does a real estate note  like me care about such things?  Because, my success as a mortgage buyer and such will be greatly influenced by economic trends and the decisions of the country’s leaders.   Most likely, your investments and business will also be impacted. My predictions below Read More

How to Invest in Real Estate Notes – Part 4 of 4

If you have not already read the previous three parts of this article, you can find them here: How to Invest in Real Estate Notes — Part 1 How to Invest in Real Estate Notes — Part 2 How to Invest in Real Estate Notes — Part 3 Now we come to the final stage of buying a real estate note, with you becoming a full-fledged mortgage note buyer.  The mortgage note seller has already provided you with all of the documents and information that you require, and you as the mortgage note buyer have received and verified the documents, Read More

Are We Following Greece Over the Edge?

Even the mythical Greek gods would have trouble helping Athens.  As of this writing, Greece is on the verge of defaulting on their loans and causing untold damage to European and American banks, not to mention challenges to the EU currency.  Greece enjoyed years of unrestrained spending and cheap lending, which together with lax financial regulations and statistical fudging have made it the economic basket case of Europe.  Their debt rating has dropped to its lowest possible level.  Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and possibly Italy have similar issues and could be right behind the Greeks.  Prime Minister Papandreou is caught between Read More