All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

I'm a one-man team (most of the time).  However, I use email when I need to collaborate.

It's also weird that accreditation is based on wealth alone (assets or income). People who can slip through the cracks know very little about money management and investment risk, but just won the lottery, received a large inheritance, or signed a major-league sports contract. The wise operator (in my opinion) uses wealth as the starting point to comply with the law and then screens their accredited investors to make sure they are also sophisticated.

One way to enter this space with very little capital (accreditation is not a factor) is the Reg CF offering. I've done one for as little as $25 and one for a max of $1,000. The average is around $100 or $200. One is real estate related and the rest are business startups. Reg CF offerings are available only on a funding portal that has been approved by FINRA (http://www.finra.org/about/funding-portals-we-regulate). There is no secondary market for these securities and I'm prepared to pay my tuition to the College of Hard Knocks in the form of losing my investment.

The winning EV technologies have not yet been decided (including whether gas-powered vehicles themselves will ever become obsolete). Besides recharging a rechargeable battery (fast charge, no waiting), there are hydrogen fuel cells (refill the hydrogen tank with hydrogen) vying for consideration. It's the land along high-traffic corridors that's of real value (consumers want convenience).

Search for "gas stations" (or whatever topic you want) on REIT Magazine to follow what public real estate is considering.

Doesn't it boil down to having two business cards created (at least in your mind)? One card says Owner and the other card says Property Manager. Both business cards tell the truth. The question then becomes which business card do you usually give out to people? The choice may just be a matter of personal style.

I went through this process when I decided where to retire.

At a high level, I used financial media, Wikipedia, and local news (many TV stations stream their local news broadcasts) to select a state and city.

At the neighborhood level, I used CrimeReports to get a feel for crime and real estate listings to get a feel for the type of housing in the zip code.

Then it's boots on the ground to home in on a specific choice.

People may be leaving the San Francisco Bay Area in droves, but others are replacing them in bigger droves. For example, there is a shortage of U-Haul moving vans in the Bay Area, which has inflated costs so much that it costs $2,000 to rent a truck from San Jose to Las Vegas — but only costs $100 the other way around (http://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-bay-area-residents-moving-away-increase-u-haul-rental-prices-2018-3). At the same time, more than 83% of homes in the Silicon Valley area sold above listing price in March, 2018, Redfin finds (https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/94716-san-jose-california-has-most-competitive-housing-market-in-u-s).

The housing sales-price graph may be bumpy rather than monotonically increasing. Three years ago (early 2015), for example, my run-down San Jose home sold for 75% above its comps-based asking price (my dirt was worth more than my sticks and bricks). The buyer turned it into a McMansion and sold it two years later (early 2017) for $1.4 million. But the house languished on the market when it was first listed at $1.6 million (mid 2016) and was withdrawn after a couple of price reductions. Perhaps it's a coincidence, but the house was relisted on Jan 20, 2017, the day the new president was inaugurated. Maybe the market was taking a breather until the politics settled (who knows).

A friend of mine who lives in Santa Cruz says that Santa Cruz County (just south of Santa Clara County) is the least affordable place in the country to rent (percentage of household income vs. rent). Long commutes are not uncommon. During the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s, people were driving the 60+ miles (well over an hour) each way from the Central Valley (Tracy area) to Silicon Valley. These tech workers couldn't afford to live closer to their jobs.

I don't know about the location where you live, but I would have to disclose a "noisy neighbor" situation in California.

When I sold my personal residence there in 2015, the PRDS (Peninsula Regional Data Service) Supplemental Seller's Checklist form from my realtor asked about items such as (to highlight a few of the 25 categories): animals (squirrels, crows, flying and crawling insects), neighborhood conditions (vehicular traffic noise on the street, aircraft noise from the local airport), and governmental issues (nearby street undergoing a beautification upgrade).

Californians might sue each other over the silliest of things, but the lawsuits are real and suck up valuable resources when they happen.

If you believe everything is overvalued and you do not believe hyperinflation is coming, then cash is what I'm holding on the sidelines (whenever I sell an investment that has run its course).

Cash is liquid (meaning it can be converted quickly into other assets when you are ready to pounce and you can earn 1.5% interest in an FDIC-insured high-yield savings account while you wait).

I agree with this recommendation. If the neighbors ask for something, you can say you're just the property manager and have to check with the owner. If the owner says NO, then the faceless owner is the bad guy and not you. Also, I find it better when the property manager is living close by in case something breaks and needs fixing.

I read the book once so far and learned a lot. I know I'll need to read it at least a couple more times before I even consider purchasing my first note.

The book is credible because it was written by someone who has done it many times. I also know from my own experience that regardless of the knowledge I picked up in the classroom, my real learning didn't start until after I entered the workforce.