Gerald Tostowaryk
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 - Commercial Real Estate/Economic Update
First, let me apologize for my usual lengthy blog. I can't help it, I just love the sound of my written voice. If you just want the synopsis, feel free to skip ahead to the end - but then you'll miss my witty Star Trek remark. Okay, what's happening out there?
Well let's have a look at a few statistics. And what better place to start than Statistics Canada? According to Stats Can commercial rents have been rising in Canada steadily over the last four years however the last few quarters have see ...
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at Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:57:22 -0700
Thursday, January 26, 2012 - Why You Need a Commercial Realtor
Life is so full of coincidences. A few days a month I instruct learners in the new Agent Licencing course and yesterday was one of those days. At the end of class one of the students, a gentleman my age (who (here's another coincidence) who happens to be the father of another agent whom I taught a few years back) comes up to me and relates the story of a transaction he thought he would complete without a REALTOR some years back to save some money. Of course you know where this is going.
Well, b ...
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at Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:31:09 -0700
Thursday, December 8, 2011 - Commercial Real Estate - Calling The Listing Agent
Who You Gonna Call?
Who do most of us call when we see a property for sale that we are interested in? The listing agent of course, who else? After all, we want the most accurate information and we want it now, isn't that what's most important? Well there are some interesting opinions on that, let's take a look at them.
In This Corner...
Well let's start with the arguments in favour of calling the listing agent. First, my obligatory disclosure; as a member of CREA® I can only speak for REALTORS® ...
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at Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:20:22 -0700
Thursday, October 20, 2011 - Valuing Commercial Land
Commercial real estate is, by its very nature, rather complicated. From determining a client's needs and wants, to sifting through the various property types available to fill those needs, to the often lengthy purchase negotiations followed by lengthy and intricate due diligence processes, through to final possession, there are many considerations that come into play. As if this wasn't enough, when valuing commercial properties, many more factors enter the equation. Possibly the most complex of ...
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at Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:13:15 -0600
Saturday, August 27, 2011 - Preparation for A Smooth Trouble Free Commercial Real Estate Transaction
Wow it's been over a month since my last blog. Seems like I'm making excuses for my infrequent blogs regularly these days. In my defense, this summer has been good for our brokerage with several transactions to work on and several new associates joining our team. Okay, I'm finished making up excuses, well at least until my next blog.
Being busy is not a situation uniqe to myself, it seems to be a common malady these days. All the more reason to use a professional to guide you through something ...
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at Sat, 27 Aug 2011 09:32:35 -0600
Friday, July 22, 2011 - I Guess I'm Just Difficult To Get Along With
A client of mine made on offer to purchase some land the other day. The Seller's Letter of Intent (an often used first step in the offer process) was pretty fair but it had a couple things I didn't particularly like.
The Seller's lawyer was to hold the rather substantial deposits, and was to submit these deposits immediately upon condition removal to the Seller.
The first part, Seller's lawyer holding deposits, is certainly in the Seller's best interests but is not in my buyer's best interests. ...
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at Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:04:47 -0600
Saturday, July 2, 2011 - Buying A New Building? Have It Inspected
Buying A New Home
Use an Agent... and have it Inspected! - This applies to commercial real estate also.
Below is a blog article I am reprinting with the kind permission of Mr. Jay Markanich, a licensed inspector in Virginia. While it is residentially oriented, the same applies when buying a commercial building. The article is a great example of why you should use professionals such as REALTORS® and inspectors when purchasing real estate, even NEW real estate.
Am I Sensing A Disturbing Trend?
...
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at Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:48:47 -0600
Sunday, June 26, 2011 - Comparing Commercial Leases
Commercial Leases Are Like Snowflakes
Snowflakes? Didn't expect that for a start to a discussion on commercial leases, did you? But it is true, commercial leases are just like snowflakes, no two are alike.
Residential property leases are governed in Alberta by the Residential Tenancies Act and when you've seen one, you've pretty much seen them all. But commercial leases are not closely regulated and just about anything goes. So what are the common things to look out for? Let's have a look.
Rent ...
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at Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:53:56 -0600
Thursday, June 9, 2011 - The Value of A REALTOR®
So this is what writer's block feels like. I admit I have been pretty busy the last while, but I have also had writer's block. If I ever catch the guy who invented blogging, I will have a word or two for him.
Now I don't know if I've overcome it or not, but I'm going to spend some time with a topic that never goes away: What is the Value of A REALTOR®?
Real Estate Knowledge
This one is always a tough one because real estate, like stocks and other investments, tends to be a perennial favourite t ...
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at Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:16:19 -0600
Thursday, April 28, 2011 - Show Me The Green Stuff
Does going Green produce the Green?
There's a lot of talk these days about going green. But is it any different than in the 1970s and 1980s when corporations talked the green talk but didn't walk the walk? I don't know the answer, only time will tell, but it sure seems different this time. It sure seems like going green is taking hold and that going green might be the key to earning more of the other kind of green stuff.
It's everywhere, it's everywhere
So what is my justification for saying th ...
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at Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:34:45 -0600
Saturday, April 2, 2011 - Which Offer To Purchase Form To Use?
Commercial Real Estate Forms Introduction
If I ilive to be a hundred (and I will) I will never forget my first commercial real estate transaction. It was a lease deal with a small, but sophisticated landlord. He produced his "standard" lease for the client to sign, and I remember clearly my thoughts. Since it was his "standard" lease, it must be the common lease form in use today, and it must be non-negotiable. After all, it is his "standard" lease. I learned fairly quickly that neither is true ...
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at Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:13:05 -0600
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 - U.S. Commercial Real Estate Update
Lately it seems all my blogs are about seminars or information sessions I have attended - so why stop now! This morning I had the good fortune to attend an information session hosted by the Western Canada chapter of the CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) organization, the most respected name in commercial real estate in the world. The second best part of the session was the U.S. commercial real estate market update (Oh the best part? Breakfast of course).
Is Anyone Buying Commercial ...
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at Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:33:48 -0600
Thursday, March 24, 2011 - Edmonton Commercial Real Estate Enters a New Millenium
Buildex 2011
If you had the good fortune to attend Buildex Edmonton 2011, you probably picked up some great ideas. Intended mainly for construction industry, the session focuses on building rather than buying commercial real estate - but there was still a wealth of information for buyers, sellers, and their agents.
Since the conference is construction oriented, I only attended two sessions (I registered for three but the schedule of a REALTOR® doesn't always cooperate and so I could only attend ...
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at Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:41:36 -0600
Friday, March 18, 2011 - Downtown Edmonton Opportunities
Opportunities Often Come In Disguise
If you read my last blog, you know I recently went to a seminar on redeveloping brownfields. I was a bit tired from a busy week, wasn't too excited about the seminar, and really didn't want to go that morning. But I did go, and was glad I went. I learned a lot of useful information on redeveloping contaminate real estate. Sometimes good things come disguised.
While there, I met a couple of ladies who work for the City of Edmonton in redeveloping older neighb ...
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at Fri, 18 Mar 2011 22:45:19 -0600
Sunday, February 6, 2011 - The Difference Between Terms and Conditions in Real Estate Contracts
What Are Purchase Contract Terms and What Are Conditions?
Boy there sure is a lot of stuff to read in most commercial offers to purchase or lease. And every single line of it is important to read. Always read any offer presented to you from front to back. Always. It is the most boring part of my job but I still do it every time.
Most of the stuff you read in a real estate offer to purchase or offer to lease are Terms. Only a small portion of the average offer is Conditions. So what's the differ ...
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at Sun, 06 Feb 2011 16:48:08 -0700
Sunday, January 30, 2011 - The Best Time To Buy Real Estate-Part Two
Now
Yes now
If you read part one, that probably sounds familiar. The more I read about current goings on, the more convinced I become that we are in the trough of the current economic downturn. The trough is the time to buy.
Okay, but first some explanation, and some caveats (there's always caveats, aren't there?).
First, the explanations. What is it that makes me so sure we are in the trough? And what is the "trough"?
The trough is the "bottom" of business or economic cycle - and the best tim ...
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at Sun, 30 Jan 2011 13:33:55 -0700
Saturday, January 29, 2011 - Why Did The Economic Boom Collapse?
I don't get it. I just don't get it. I mean every time a boom collapses, there is no warning. I think it must be those darn naysayers. You know them - every time things start going well and everyone is making a buck, they always predict doom and gloom. Sure enough they scare enough people into selling which starts a selling panic, and well, the rest is history.
Certainly couldn't be that booms are fuelled by greed - and bound by their very nature to fail.
Nah, no way.
Couldn't be.
Oh, by the w ...
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at Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:05:52 -0700
Wednesday, January 19, 2011 - The Best Time To Buy Real Estate
Now
Buy now
Now is the best time
My answer will probably be the same next year.
Buy now
Got it? Good
How's that for an intro? One of the most common questions professional REALTORS® get asked is, "When is the best time to buy?" Invariably, the best time is now. The only time I actually hesitated was during the boom. Those of you that read my blog regularly know my thoughts on booms. Booms are nothing more than exuberance exceeding intelligence. They always end badly, and true to form, the last ...
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at Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:02:39 -0700
Wednesday, January 5, 2011 - Void, Voidable or Illegal?
Void, voidable, or illegal. If you're a lawyer then you probably knew right off that I'm going to be talking about contracts. For the rest of us, void, voidable or illegal siimply refers to what contracts are if one or more of the essential elements are missing or improper.
The more time I spend dealing with real estate contracts, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. I took a wonderful course last year entitled "Critical Pitfalls in the Residential Real Esta ...
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at Wed, 05 Jan 2011 11:30:47 -0700
Saturday, December 18, 2010 - Investments, Real Estate, Markets, and Priorities
It's a peaceful Saturday morning, I'm in my home office typing away my latest blog and I can smell the delightful aroma of chorizio sausage, hash browns and eggs being cooked up in the kitchen. As the thoughts of a soon to be enjoyed breakfast occupy my thoughts, I am also pleased that the Christmas holidays are upon us and work takes a back seat for a few short weeks.
I remember several years back hearing from some source (sorry don't recall the source) that it is the anticipation of a good th ...
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at Sat, 18 Dec 2010 09:26:56 -0700
Tuesday, November 30, 2010 - The Best Trick to Sell Your Commercial Real Estate For The Most Money In The Shortest Time
.....Hire a REALTOR®
Sorry, I guess I set you up. The only tried and tested way to sell real estate in the shortest amount of time for the most amount of money is to hire a professional, experienced REALTOR®. We continually fight against so called "experts" who are going to tell you the tricks us REALTORS® don't want you to know. C'mon, think about it. Are they licenced? Are they regulated by The Real Estate Act? Do they have an Assurance Fund to protect clients? The bottom line is, are the ...
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at Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:50:09 -0700
Tuesday, November 9, 2010 - The Successful Real Estate Investor-Part Seven: Real Estate Investment Analysis
And so we come full circle with the financial aspects of successful real estate investing. After the long and winding road, we have arrived at our destination. At least for me, I have to agree with the general drift of Cervantes in the classic Don Quixote, the road is better than the Inn. On the road to a destination is generally the best part, arriving (at least for me) has always had a certain melancholy feeling to it. Nonetheless we are here, so let's dive right in and look at some of the ...
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at Tue, 09 Nov 2010 19:57:39 -0700
Sunday, October 17, 2010 - The Successful Real Estate Investor - Part Six:The Statement of Cash Flows
The statement of cash flows is the final financial statement for the astute investor to be aware of. Its usefulness is, I guess, limited to two main purposes; to determine cash-on-cash return, and to predict cash flows.
Before we get into these two areas, we should review exactly what the statement of cash flows is. This statement is simply the Income Statement minus annual debt service (mortgage payments). When I say the "Income Statement" I mean the operating income statement NOT including de ...
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at Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:33:57 -0600
Wednesday, October 6, 2010 - Predicting The End of A Real Estate Boom
Okay, there is no way to predict the end of a boom, well there is no accurate way. By accurate I mean accurate enough to tell you within a month when to get your money out. Booms are irrational creatures and trying to predict their behaviour is a fool's game.
But there are two pieces of advice that seem to stand the test of time that tell you the end is near. How near is hard to say but it is likely near.
The first one is one most of us have heard before, "When your cab driver is giving you inv ...
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at Wed, 06 Oct 2010 10:41:03 -0600
Friday, September 24, 2010 - The Successful Real Estate Investor - Part Five
Well if I haven't bored you to death yet, let's discuss that highly emotional, heart tugging, gut wrenching issue that is on everyone's mind daily - balance sheets.
First of all, what exactly is a balance sheet? Well, if you read my last post, we discussed income statements which is exactly what it sounds like, a statement of an organization's income and expenses, usually for a 12 month period. A balance sheet is another important statement in the trilogy of financial statements (note I said tr ...
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at Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:52:47 -0600
Sunday, September 19, 2010 - The Successful Real Estate Investor-Part Four
Well, last post we discussed financial statement analysis as part of the due diligence process when purchasing income producing commercial real estate. Today let's delve into some of the common areas for the astute buyer to check for, and how to best use financial statements to help ensure a great purchase.
When buying income producing commercial real estate, it is highly likely the buyer will have to reconstruct the seller's income statements to arrive at a more realistic statement of net inco ...
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at Sun, 19 Sep 2010 14:36:56 -0600
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 - Thinking of A U.S. Real Estate Investment?
Are you considering investing in the U.S.? Check out this news item;
http://www.inman.com/news/2010/09/1/bulk-buyer-law-spurs-wall-street-interest?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+inmannews+%28Inman+News+-+Headlines%29
Now most of us aren't considering investing in seven or more properties in the U.S. so it doesn't apply to us, but there are two hidden points that are more important to us average small-time investors than the main story.
The first lesson is how importa ...
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at Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:49:53 -0600
Monday, August 30, 2010 - The Successful Real Estate Investor - Part Three
GAAP, CCA, Capital Expenses vs Operating expenses...say what? What language is that and what does it have to do with commercial real estate investing? Well, some of you probably recognize this as accounting lingo; and it has everything to do with commercial real estate investing....well, at least with successful commercial real estate investing.
In my last discussion on successful commercial real estate investing, I did a general overview of points of importance to commercial real estate invest ...
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at Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:04:27 -0600
Saturday, August 28, 2010 - The Successful Real Estate Investor - Part Two
Okay, so in my last blog I spoke of the value of common sense in real estate investing. And as promised here is my humble opinion on how to employ that common sense in the world of commercial real estate investing.
Before even looking at a single building, sit down with a professional REALTOR® to review your portfolio and your goals. A true professional will take the time to understand where you are and where you want to be. And you might just find out that you aren't where you should be. Real ...
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at Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:28:19 -0600
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - The Successful Real Estate Investor
Well, between a busy schedule and a couple of very short vacations, it's been quite a while since I had the opportunity to make a blog post. One idea did cross my mind while dealing with a prospective customer who had made some bad investments.
What makes a successful real estate investor? I mean investors come and go, get rich in real estate programs come and go, but only a small percentage stay the course in the real estate investment world. Now I can only speak from my experience, and there ...
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at Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:04:44 -0600
Sunday, July 11, 2010 - Hire A Professional
Ever watch that TV show Holmes on Homes? I have to admit I have never seen it mainly because I am just not interested in most television shows, especially reality (there's a misnomer) shows. But I have seen bits and pieces, and it's pretty easy to gather that he goes around exposing shoddy workmanship. Talking about the poor job our contractor, lawyer, real estate agent, etc., did for us is pretty much a national pastime. Now I have a knack for getting myself in trouble...so why stop now. The t ...
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at Sun, 11 Jul 2010 09:01:15 -0600
Monday, July 5, 2010 - Should I Leverage My Edmonton Commercial Real Estate Investments?
Well, after my last couple of blogs, I can not neglect to mention leverage and my thoughts on how to use it today in the the Edmonton real estate market.
Most of you no doubt know that leverage refers to how much debt one uses to purchase something. A general rule of thumb is that the more leverage one uses, the greater one's return on investment. Sounds great, doesn't it? Well, there is another rule of thumb; the greater the leverage one uses, the greater the risk also. Someone once told me th ...
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at Mon, 05 Jul 2010 11:26:52 -0600
Friday, June 25, 2010 - European Economics. Any effect on Edmonton Commercial Real Estate?
So Greece is having its economic challenges, and now other European countries are wavering. They're a long way from Edmonton, what possible effect could their economies have on our real estate values? Lots.
Now there is an old saying that we all rise to our level of incompetence and I think me disucssing world economics is probably rising way past my level of incompetence...but what the heck. Let's see how far into trouble I can get myself.
I do not know how much trouble the European countries ...
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at Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:37:34 -0600
Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - Rising Interest Rates and Rising Inflation - Any Real Estate Consequences?
There sure seems to be a lot of talk about the danger of runaway inflation and subsequent rising interest rates. Will it happen? What effect will this have on commercial real estate?
Well, first things first. Will we see runaway inflation and rising interest rates? Now I am not an economist and I certainly do not pretend to be one. Fortunately that doesn't bother me because there is an old saying that goes, "If you placed all the economists in the world end to end, they wouldn't reach a concl ...
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at Tue, 08 Jun 2010 22:25:37 -0600
Sunday, May 23, 2010 - The Real World of Real Estate
Commercial Real Estate is an interesting world. I have to admit, I love my job. Oh it has it's ups and downs, good days and bad days, but all in all it's a lot of fun. As part of my career, about 3-5 days per month I teach new agents coming in to the field. Their comments are quite different than the comments I get from existing agents. The new agents coming into the field want to know what the "real world" of real estate is like, existing agents often lecture me on what the real world of real ...
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at Sun, 23 May 2010 21:29:26 -0600
Saturday, May 15, 2010 - Getting Rich In Commercial Real Estate
Getting rich in real estate. Seems to be the thing to do these days, doesn't it? I mean there are investment groups everywhere, Do-It-Yourself Real Estate Guides, must attend Real Estate Seminars, Real Estate Investment magazines, Real Estate DVD programs, and on and on and on. Any concerns? I mean, does any of this send just a little shiver of concern up your spine?
It seems like real estate investing is the no lose way to go. After all, hasn't real estate made more millionaires than any other ...
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at Sat, 15 May 2010 19:32:44 -0600
Tuesday, May 4, 2010 - Businesses - The Black Sheep of Commercial Real Estate
I just read an article that said 9% of Canadian convenience stores closed last year. Wow 9%. I know that the economy was tougher but that is a big number.
I generally do not do business transactions, I leave that to Graham Hein of our office who specializes in retail businesses, but I do know a few things of note.
Buying a business is one of the toughest decisions to make. It is a well-known statistic that the vast majority of businesses for sale are over-priced. A going concern business should ...
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at Tue, 04 May 2010 22:40:25 -0600
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 - What's my commercial real estate worth?
Hmmm, as a follow-up entry to my last entry about valuing commercial real estate, perhaps a good topic would be about some common misconceptions about the value of our property.
Municipal Assessment
Commonly clients mistakenly believe that the municipality's assessment of their property is an accurate reflection of it's value. In theory it is, but in practice it usually is not. Yes most municipalities including the City of Edmonton use Market Value assessments which means they value it at marke ...
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at Wed, 28 Apr 2010 09:37:58 -0600
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - Valuing Commercial Real Estate
I want to buy or sell some commercial real estate, how do I go about determining the value? Well, this topic is far to in-depth to discuss in one message, but let me give out a few tidbits.
Land - Well, if it is commercial land, we will assume you are going to develop it. While it is not as simple as it sounds, it is pretty much like this. Once you figure out what you want to build, what would the land be worth if you were buying land and building? Subtract the cost/value of the building and th ...
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at Wed, 21 Apr 2010 19:25:42 -0600
Sunday, April 11, 2010 - Some Real Estate Purchase Contract Legal Issues
Okay, before I start, remember, I am not now, nor have I ever been (but I sometimes wish I was) a lawyer. I am about to relate some legal information to you, so you need to check with a good commercial real estate lawyer if you have any questions.
Occasionally, some rather interesting court cases appear in the news regarding commercial real estate transactions. One that comes to mind was, if my memory serves me right, from BC. A buyer entered into a purchase contract with a seller for a propert ...
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at Sun, 11 Apr 2010 08:25:03 -0600
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - What? Trust my Real Estate Agent?
I'm sure that buying or selling commercial real estate in Edmonton is no different than buying or selling commercial real estate anywhere in Canada (or the world for that matter), a lot of money is at stake and you really need to know who you can trust.
As agents, when working with clients looking to buy or sell their commercial properties, we often have to contend with the "expert from afar". Some of our clients have people they trust whom they consult on these issues. After all, commercial ...
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at Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:52:37 -0600
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - Commercial Real Estate Purchase: Calling The Listing Agent
Okay, so you're looking to purchase some commercial real estate. Because commercial real estate agents have not really embraced the MLS® system in our locality (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) and many other locales, it is a tough process including searching endless company web sites and driving around the neighborhood. If you've ever searched for a residential property before, you know how much easier it is than searching for commercial real estate. Searching for a commercial property can be a mo ...
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at Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:25:19 -0600
Sunday, March 7, 2010 - Need to free up some cash for your business?
It was only a year ago everyone was in a rush to buy a commercial property to operate their growing businesses out of. Now, a lot of us are wondering how we can free up some cash to keep our businesses afloat through this downturn. If you're in the group looking how to free up some cash, perhaps you may want to consider a sale-leaseback arrangement. The first question to ask yourself is, do you own the real estate you operate your business out of? If you do not, then a sale-leaseback is, unfo ...
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at Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:32:19 -0700
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 - Standard Commercial Lease Agreements
When working with commercial leases, most sophisticated landlords have "Standard" lease agreements. If you're new to leasing, it sounds kind of intimidating, doesn't it? Sort of like there is some unknown organization somewhere that produces "Standard" lease agreements and everybody signs them without question because they are "Standard". That word standard sure packs a lot of punch, yet usually it is nothing more than fluff. Truth be told, there is no such thing as a standard lease agreement. ...
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at Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:06:19 -0700
Saturday, December 19, 2009 - Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah
Christmas is one of my favourite times of year, when we can forget the cares of the world for a short time and just enjoy family, friends, and to be thankful for the many blessings we enjoy. The world of commercial real estate can be a trying one at times for all involved, especially the last year in the Edmonton area. But at the end of it all, all that really matters is family and health. I thoroughly enjoy my work, but it will never replace the joys of family and friends. I wish everyone a j ...
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at Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:52:15 -0700
Thursday, December 3, 2009 - Real Estate Investments
With the recent episode of great growth in real estate values in Edmonton (North America for that matter) a lot, and I mean a lot, of Real Estate Investment firms have popped up out of the woodwork. How does one determine which ones are a good investment, and which aren’t? Well, at the outset, I should say I don’t know. If I knew that, I wouldn’t tell the world, I would just invest all my money quietly in those firms. So, I don’t know the future, but I can provide some s ...
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at Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:07:25 -0700
Thursday, November 12, 2009 - Buying Commercial Real Estate-Conditions
When making an offer to buy commercial real estate (or any real estate for that matter), most buyers insert conditions. Conditions basically say "I will buy your real estate IF this event happens to my satisfaction". They are a way of tying up a property while you do your research, or "due diligence". Common conditions in the Edmonton commercial real estate market are financing, inspection, checking rents and leases, environmental analysis, checking title, checking contracts relating to the rea ...
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at Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:05:03 -0700
Friday, November 6, 2009 - How Much Deposit To Put Down?
This is a question that Sellers and Buyers will have very different answers on. Let's focus mostly on the Buyer, and the Seller's point of view will be covered in the process. First, I want to start off with a question. Is a deposit required when making an offer? Now I am not a lawyer, but from all the legal information I have seen, the answer is that no, a deposit is not required. A promise to sell and a promise to buy are valid consideration; consideration being something of value that is req ...
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at Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:41:28 -0700
Thursday, October 29, 2009 - Dead Cat Bounce
Those of you that know me know that I am fond of expounding way beyond the limits of my knowledge and often speak of the "Dead Cat Bounce". I first heard this term some years back; it is used to describe a stock market rebound that has no legs, fools everyone into thinking good times are back, and then it tumbles again. The analogy is that even a dead cat will bounce once if you drop it, but it is still dead and falls back to the ground. You have to admit it is a heck of a good analogy. So, why ...
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at Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:22:04 -0600
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - Market Ups and Downs
I feel there won't be any big growth for a while in general in North America. The last 10 years have seen the stock market up and down like a yo-yo and now real estate. I think people will learn (for a few years anyways...until they forget) that "get rich quick" is a pipedream for most of us. But watch out because the ups and downs aren't done yet. So why has the Stock Market and now Real Estate been so volatile over the last ten years? There are so many new tools in the last 10 years for peopl ...
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at Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:15:01 -0600
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - Where is the Market Headed?
We have sure heard a lot lately about the much heralded "end of the market slump". What do I think about that? Unfortunately, I believe it is still a long way off. I sure hope I am wrong, but too many major factors are at play, regionally, nationally, and internationally. We have sure had a good ride the last few years with real estate values soaring and everyone and his cousin and his cousin’s dog being a real estate investor/developer of some sort; banks loaned out the money like candy, ...
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at Tue, 29 Sep 2009 23:00:21 -0600
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