DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!

I’m not one to complain in an open forum unless it’s ranting about dumb politicians or even dumber financial “gurus” on television. But, after being let down at least a dozen times by the same company, I feel as though it’s my civic duty to deter any prospective consumer from using that company.

Real Property Management Colorado is a Colorado property management company. At first glance, they seemed professional and their leasing agent was great. The problem is that they NEVER respond to maintenance requests, even those that pose serious harm to tenants. In October, one of my properties had a biannual inspection and it was found that a light bulb in the master bath was burning VERY hot. Since then, occupants have replaced countless light bulbs and today had to call the fire department to come out and inspect the issue. Turns out the light was burning extremely hot and scorched the ground wire and the fixture housing and the ceiling around the fixture. If this had happened while the occupants were sleeping we could be looking at a major issue.

This is just ONE example of how negligent this company has been in “managing” their properties. They should call themselves property secretaries not property managers. To be a property manager, you have to do more than just route calls – you actually have to resolve issues and MANAGE things!

I’m debating on whether or not I setup a new website with fighter profiles, videos, etc. or use other media sources I have to help develop the fighters’ personal branding. I’ll play around with it later this week to see how it unfolds. For now, I have been so immersed in the mixed martial arts scene, I REALLY wish I didn’t have this busted wing so I could train and compete!

It’s all about the matchups, so enough posting and I need to get back to studying the Colorado fight scene so I can know all I can about matching these guys for good fights that play to their strengths and put them on the path to success!

Here’s a link to Intuit’s website where they’re offering a FREE copy of TurboTax Business 2009.

This is not a gimmick. Enjoy!

Leverage
As you know from real estate investing, leverage is a powerful tool for seeking out substantial profits. There is a flip side – leverage can accelerate both profits AND losses. Forex offers up to 400:1 leverage, which means only $250 in margin can control 100,000 units of currency. For example: if you put on a 1 lot trade (100,000 units) and the currency pair increases just one pip (the smallest movement the currency pair can make – 1/100th of a penny in most cases), then you have made $10 on your $250 “investment”. That’s 4% on just one pip.

Taxation
Forex contracts are taxed as 1256 contracts. These contracts, according to IRC 1256, are taxed on a 60/40 basis. 60% of profits realized in less than one year are taxed at short-term capital gains rates and 40% are taxed at long-term rates. Compare this to equities and options, and you have a significant advantage. Also, if you’re trading stocks, make sure you’re aware of the wash sale rules – this could completely destroy you when it comes time for taxes. More information on Forex taxation works here.

Volatility
This is one of the double-edged swords of Forex. Volatility is when the market moves quickly. The ranges experienced in the Dow in a one-week period can often be expereinced in mere minutes in the Forex market. This is good because you can realize the same amount of profit in a short amount of time, increasing your rate of return. Unfortunately, without proper risk management, the opposite is true as well.

There is more information at the Fisk Financial education section for those who are interested!

Right now, I’m up roughly 50 pips, which is about $540 on this trade. I traded 1 standard lot ($100,000 base currency) on 400:1 leverage, which is only $250 margin. So the rate of return on cash for this specific trade is 216% in about 9 hours.

Click for larger version

So, today, be like an ant. Don’t let obstacles stop you from achieving your goals. Don’t let momentary set backs change your path. Go out and conquer your dreams! (Inspired by Jim Rohn)

The last two years have been rough on housing in a chain reaction-kind of way.

First, mortgage guidelines tightened, preventing some homeowners from ditching onerous ARM products.  That sparked a foreclosure boom that led to large losses on Wall Street.  In turn, it sank the U.S. economy.

Today, as compared to 3 years ago, foreclosures are way up, home values are way down, and mortgage rates are as low as they’ve ever been. It’s wonderful news for home buyers — there’s a plentiful supply of homes and financing is cheap. Home affordability is near all-time highs. But the market is changing. Massive, sustained government stimulus has helped reverse the economy’s slide.  There’s still some rough patches, but overall, prospects look bright for 2010.

In housing, we can already see the improvement:

• The supply of new homes is down 40 percent this year
• The number of existing home sales are soaring in Cincinnati and other markets
• Pending home sales are as high as they’ve been since 2006

Furthermore, home prices are on the rise in the majority of U.S. markets. The Buyers Market is fading, folks. If you bought a home in February 2009, pat yourself on the back — you timed the market bottom pretty well.  Both home prices and mortgage rates were bottoming that month.  Since then, however, it’s been a steady erosion and home sellers are psyched about it and therefore less apt to give their houses away. It’s important to remember that in contrast to this information, there are still record levels of foreclosures and jobless claims.

For today’s home buyers, mortgage rates remain low and home prices have a lot farther to climb.  Homebuying conditions may not be as perfect as they were 9 months, but, as compared to what we’ll see next year, they’re pretty excellent.  Especially because mortgage rates will cross 6 percent soon.

Just be cautious. The number of homes sold may be on the rise, but prices still seem to be suffering a bit. The market could be poised for another drop though after this relatively short-term response to government stimulus packages, low interest rates, and lowering supply. The bottom line is still crunch the numbers and work for the best deal you can get.