reverse mortgage dallas

Three Reasons Commercial Real Estate Could Hold Back a Recovery

I will admit to lacking serious knowledge in commercial real estate, with my experience being in single family homes. And yet it does not surprise me, since the economy, whether rising or falling is akin to dropping a stone in pond, the ripples affect everything nearby in an ever widening circle.

Many of my conversations a year ago were not only talking about the then coming election, but also the amazement (read fear) about how prices were soaring at local markets, with the price of a loaf of bread hitting astounding prices. Those on a fixed income were very hard hit, and those small business owners who occupy commercial real estate, have no doubt felt the sting also.

Good post, excellent food for thought.

Reverse Mortgages Are Both Expensive and Complex

A reverse mortgage is certainly not for everyone, and what you say certainly has elements of truth, the equity in your home is used up, slowly but surely.

But we can't condemn the one, without looking at the other. Take the case of one sweet lady, certainly up in years which could affect the equation, she had desired all her life to travel the world, and not that her husband was gone and she had the time, she did not have the resources (or did she).

Her home had appreciated in value to be worth a small fortune, yet it set there without her being able to take advantage of it. The banks wouldn't talk with her since she had (basically) no income and no visible way to repay the loan.

A reverse mortgage allowed her to use a portion of her equity to take the trip of a life time, and without the burden of worry brought from credit cards, foreclosure concerns, or having to sell her home full of memories.

Never enter into any loan, be it reverse or whatever, without learning all you can, and taking the necessary steps to protect yourself. But also realize that a reverse mortgage could allow you to accomplish things that otherwise might not be possible.

While it's not necessarily an idealistic statement that "money makes the world go round", it true nonetheless.

reversemortgagedallast.../

Housing Market Tracker - Reverse Mortgages Up, KKR Down

Judy... we all have slipping fingers sometimes, and many of us have have certainly made typos (read me too). In your defense I'll say that a search on SA, and seeing your title, got me to click, so slip or not, maybe it was providential.

You (or whomever is reading this) may or may not know there is an entire SEO niche that concentrates on misspellings, capitalizing on the fact we all have slippery fingers, or sometimes a minor brain freeze.

Keep writing, keep searching and remember... "to err is human, to forgive divine".

Now then... let me run this through spell check... :)

10 Dangerous Stocks to Avoid

BindlePete:

Very intuitive look at what can only be a difficult task in the best of times, and certainly so now. I had a client recently who wanted to use the equity in their homes (via a reverse mortgage) to invest in the markets.

On the one hand (personally speaking) I'll take some risk, however when dealing with clients I can't in good conscience advise them to use borrowed money for investments. On the flip side, it not actually borrowed (in a way) since it's the equity in their home, and money they have paid in, and inflation has carried to lofty heights.

You certainly have a valid point on the free money scenario, unless you factor in risk. I'm not adverse to risk, yet it is something all investors, even conservative ones must factor in (based on the recent mutual fund collapse).

While free money is great, make certain to NOT "let it ride", and pay it back as soon as possible. At that point, then you are truly riding a wave of growth on free money.


On Apr 03 10:09 AM bindlepete wrote:

> This is a pretty silly analysis in one regard. True, leverage can
> work against you in hard times but when interest rates are well below
> the inflation rates it could well be a time to borrow as it is essentially
> "free" money. Pay it back with peanuts.
>
> Now if you are in a regulated or solid business situation such as
> a utility or Rail Road (these rail roads folks are on the uptick
> due to the spiking energy costs of trucking and need for commodity
> exports coal grain etc) leverage at a less than zero cost makes a
> lot of sense. The utilities are guaranteed a profit if they are a
> regulated outfit so they will get their interest back no matter.
> ( This is not true for 3rd party producers.)
>
> The rail roads do have pricing control outside their contractual
> agreements and here, unless they are fools, they should have themselves
> covered for inflation.
>
> If you do not think we are in an inflationary environment google
> Shadowstats . what is going down other than housing ?
>
> Food no, Medical no, education no, labor no, energy no, enertainment
> no, clothing perhaps a trifle, rent no, taxes, no . The BLS is cooking
> the figures. Since Clinton they have been lying to us.

Looking Back in Order to Look Ahead

Years ago I had a girlfriend who told me I talked too much about my past. I told her that my future was rooted in my past, and from it sprouted the roots of my life (being a bit new age I'll admit). You can probably guess that we didn't last, yet through the years I have maintained that point of view.

It would be wonderful if we could impart to our children (or are investments) the knowledge and wisdom to learn from our mistakes, unfortunately that is rarely the case and we each must make our own mistakes. Collectively that makes up the economy and the markets and I wonder if the US can learn from it's mistakes (and successes of course) and chart a more stable financial path for the future.

Without a doubt I love this country, served in the USMC and proud of it, but I do at times wonder if we have not taken a turn that leads through a dark Forrest. Of course, being that a bit of that early new age thinking still hanging on for dear life, I know that is darkness, there is also light on the other side.

My industry is reverse mortgages, and while that is not something I'd have thought about becoming involved in years ago, it does bring a certain satisfaction since I can help people accomplish at least some of their dreams.

America, three cheers, now stand up straight and walk on.

Some economists worry too much stimulus could trigger a double dip.

When you look at it, aren't we always at a turning point. The world, and certainly the economy is always evolving, reacting, twisting and turning. A stimulus package will certainly ignite a fuse, but whether it gets hot enough to really spread, only time will tell.

I think what I've learned after this entire mess is to be well diversified. That's certainly not an original thought, but it is an original direction for me to take.

I was speaking with one senior the other day, discussing of course a reverse mortgage, and they were speaking of using some of the equity in their home for multiple purposes.

Vacation, helping family and friends, but the one I don't hear very often, but did on that phone call, was investing. They realized that even with a reverse mortgage, at some point in time (should they live long enough) while they might not face foreclousure, they would still have to face inflation. That was one smart senior.

"In my parents' retirement community, when they describe me as an M&A banker, it's no longer socially acceptable. So they call me an adviser to the free flow of capital." - Goldman M&A head Tim Ingrassia, in his keynote speech this morning at Tulane

I'm continually striving to eliminate the bad press (and feelings) that some predatory lenders have given to our industry, reverse mortgages.

What we've done at our main site...

senioradvisorynetwork.com

is start to stress the fact that we are not lenders, merely information advisers. If someone wants more information, we can of course provide it, but no one calls or shares their information unless it is requested and authorized.

There always have been (and I guess always will be) bad apples in the bunch, and guilt by association is something we have to fight against. Guess that's just business, money, politics, religion, it's all about perception.

Tobacco Company Yields are Smokin'

I certainly can't say my life has been free from tobacco, it has not, but I finally with the aid of hypnosis, nicorette, the patch (and whatever else I could throw in) conquered the habit. That does not however mean I'm not yearning for one right now.

I understand, though I've not yet looked in depth, that there is now an e-cigarette that is burning up the competition (excuse the pun).

These are troubled times (recovering yes) and turning to a cigarette to relieve stress is something that many, many people do. Whether or not it adds to their stress later in life, probably isn't a financial consideration (unless we're talking health care costs), but it sure is nice to breathe the fresh air and not taste cigarettes on my breath.

Non-Residential Housing Construction Decline Stops

While there are certainly multiple factors, and I'm certainly not an expert on new home construction, America is being told by multiple advisers, start investing again. And while investing (perse) may not translate to new homes, the air of expectancy and looking toward the future recovery, is certainly in the air.

Obama promised change, but in order for that change to happen, we all have to be part of the solution.

How High Can Gas Prices Go?

I don't know if it's just me or not, but when I read (we should be able to keep them under $3 a gallon), should I be excited or scared? What has and continues to amaze me is how gas prices spiral upwards, then come down, then sneak back up again.

Is it complacency that makes us thankful it won't go beyond $3, or simply the inevitability of the seasons and Americas, and the worlds dependency on fuel.

Which is not to say I don't do my fair share of driving, so I'm as guilty (or thankful) as everyone else. It's no wonder seniors are considering a reverse mortgage it nearly impossible to live on a fixed income in today's world.

That said, here's to a summer of vacations and prosperity for all.

IBM (IBM) / Sun Microsystems (JAVA) deal could close as soon as tomorrow at $9.50/share, DealBook claims. Depending on the outcome, this will be either one of M&A's worst kept secrets, or a massive manipulation of the rumor mill. JAVA +2% to $8.16.

there are a thousand and one (or more) places to get in on the latest wall steet (or off wallstreet) news, Seeking Alpha is my first stop in the morning, no matter what the markets are doing. It's always difficult to determine if something is experiencing a natural or manipulated run. In some cases, the manipulation might be for the betterment of all (a push in the right direction) in other cases it's simply Ceasar... surveying his domain, and manipulating things for his/her own potential gain.

Due diligence is the key to understand what is happening, but doesn't let procrastination halt what might be a profitable move.

Cramer's Mad Money - Watch the Credit Markets (4/1/09)

I can certainly testify to the fact that housing is a hot, and in some cases, sensitive issue. Since my particular niche is reverse mortgages, I'm dealing with those 62+, and while some of those may be Cramer fans, they're just as likely to be fans of Cramer from Seinfield.

I've found that the reverse mortgage industry has to pay it's dues, based on some predatory lenders from the past, just as a friend of mine has to do in the penny stock arena.

As for me and Cramer (both the mad one and Seinfield one), I'll keep watching, there is always a nuggest or two to gleam.

Reconsidering Penny Stocks

Being someone who has lost money both in blue chips and pennies, I had agreed with SA concerning keeping these guys off the forums. But then, that is a generality, and there are good in bad in every industry. The fact that there were a few (or a lot) of fast talking salesmen touting the "latest and greatest", certainly brought telemarketers or infomercial to mind, but like you say, times have changed.

In some ways I'm very conservative, I have to be in my industry, but personally speaking, I recently subscribed to a newsletter, I don't know their readership, but they were pumping out some solid advice. And at least on one occasion, I can't speak for all of them, I jumped on, rode a wild horse of a penny pick, and came out on the other side with money in my pocket. And, at least in term of penny stocks, that's well worth the risk and being diversified is always a good thing.

Here's the site...

whisperfromwallstreet.com

My advice re: pennies, join a few newsletters, then do some paper trading, then never, never, never put all your eggs in one basket.

Does One Need to Invest in Oil to Benefit from Expensive Oil?

It would be oh so easy if we had a crystal ball, but then that would yet one more screen we stare into relentlessly. The fact that oil is rising, or falling can (at least to a degree) be tied to the seasons of the year and the planned or actual travel plans of most Americans.

Last summer, all of us staggered from the prices, no matter our income level. Interesting how they fell come election time, or, as I mentioned above, was that simply the Fall, and travel less eminent in our minds.

I'm not (sadly) invested in oil, though I did take a stab at futures awhile back, of course things headed in the opposite direction, as if waiting for my option purchase.

I don't know if I'll see it in my lifetime, but I yearn for that car from "Back To The Future", that runs on what's left after good dinner, now that would really be something to see AND invest in.

Stocks managed to push off intraday lows in the final hour, which is about the only positive spin on an otherwise cheerless session. DJIA finishes -3.26% (-253.76) to 7,522.42. S&P -3.46% (-28.23) to 787.71. Nasdaq -2.81% (-43.40) to 1,501.80.

I've spent many a tense moment staring at the trends, wondering if a particular stock, mutual fund or option is going to move in the direction I want (or in this case America wants). There's a part of me that wants to shout hallelujah, when things work in my favor, but I'm mindful of the fact that for every winner, there is also a loser, but that's how the market works, always has, always will.

I think what's important to learn from this entire economic downturn, (and I'm sure there are a few short sellers out there) is to put something (a little or a lot) away for a raiiny day. No matter how beautiful the sun is shining, there will come a time when we're caught outside without a raincoat, and that's when the storms are sure to come.