Hoosier, I’m of the opinion that capitalists are usually smart enough to outmaneuver govt. Its about knowing where to direct your money. That could be RE, stocks, bonds etc… Its about being able to adapt to the investing environment you’re in. The past 3 months I’ve been doing some trading online. I’m learning a lot by reading and taking my lumps with my own money. I started out O.K. but then I started losing money after making bonehead decisions. I decided to halt trading until I at least learned how to not lose…much. When I took a step back, I realized that I had bought when I should have sold and sold when I should have bought. I learned a lot about a stock’s support & resistance levels and how to use support to buy and resistance to sell. The past 2 weeks, I’ve been trading Faanie Mae (FNM) three times per week. After losing $1200 initially. I’ve managed to make it back to even. People are saying that FNM is worthless. I disagree. It has value as a dayswing trade. I know this doesn’t sound like much. But I thnk that if I can learn to trade/invest the right way (consistent wins), instead of making money, I’ll develop the knowledge to make sound and profitable trading/investing decisions. I still like REI, but I can’t seem to find many profitable deals in my area. I’m also having trouble with getting the financing that was available before. Properties are selling for prices that can never cashflow. I’ve decided to broaden my scope, but its much harder than most people think. But its a lot of fun for me. The point to this “rambling” is that you should focus on the things that you can control. The govt. is going to do whatever they want. Its up to you to adapt to the changes to make money. That’s where my focus is right now. Its starting to pay off for me little by little. Man! I wish I was 18 again!! You’re in a golden opprtunity. Don’t waste it by focusing on things you can’t control. Good luck man! :beer
NJbird_dog,
GREAT POST!!!
You nailed it man…100% nailed it!
If a simple change in PRESIDENT could actualy CHANGE things…We’d have change every election…Instead we get more of the same…and for EXACTLY the reasons you mentioned.
Here’s what we ALL need to realize…
Imagine this scenerio…
You decide you can’t take it anymore and get involved in politics to REALLY make some meaningful changes. Now remember, if you or your WIFE had any financial problems years ago or you argued at a school committee hearing and it’s on TAPE… be prepared to see it within WEEKS of your announcement. Your kid got suspended from school for taking a BUTTER KNIFE with him to spread his jelly…THAT’S THE LEAD ON THE 6:00 NEWS!!!
But…even with all that…you start RAISING MONEY…Because without MONEY you have NO CAMPAIGN…
The political parties are the SOURCE of that money, the MACHINES designed specifically to collect it and distribute it…Let’s say you get INCREDIBLY LUCKY and hit a home run first time out and get elected to a Senate seat or Congressional seat…(NOT HAPPENING for an UNKNOWN first time out with no name recognition) but we’ll assume it does…
You get to Washington and find out as a JUNIOR Senator or REP you have about as much power as the guy who washed your car on the way down to Washington…
So HOW do you GET POWER???
You get POWER by getting ELECTED OVER and OVER, You get elected OVER and OVER by bringing HOME $$$$$$$ to your state, you GET those dollar$ by PLAYING WELL with others and getting appointed to committees that CONTROL that money!!!
Case in point???
RON PAUL…
Probably one of the FEW people in Washington that could actually CHANGE SOMETHING…
His problem???
NO POWER…NADA…NOTHING…He doesn’t play well with others, he speaks his mind, he points out what the Goverment is actually DOING with tax dollars and as a result he has NO JUICE…NEVER HAS…NEVER WILL.
So…UNTIL… Senators, Congressmen, and Presidents all decide TOGETHER to LEAVE Washington, Give up their power, and let NEW PEOPLE take over the system every 4 years…CHANGE WILL NEVER HAPPEN. Too much $$$$$$$$ & POWER at stake
And when these guy’s RETIRE or get THROWN OUT of OFFICE… They end up in a HIGH PAYING CORPORATE JOB at a company that’s looking for ACCESS to WASHINGTON…those companies funnel money to the political parties…and the CYCLE starts again.
It’s a BIG WHEEL made out of MONEY!!!
Why do you think EVERY SINGLE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPER is a BIG political contributor to ALL parties…These guy’s KNOW how the game is played…THEIR MONEY buys them what they need…It’s set up beautifully…They don’t HAND someone an envelope…They hold a Wine tasting, or a dinner party for a candidate…Then instead of ONE envelope…1000 envelopes get handed over!!!
The MONEY isn’t coming OUT of politics…IT RUNS ON IT!!!
SO…with that FACT in mind…Wouldn’t it make sense for YOU to MAKE MONEY so you have some say in how it’s spent??? It’s insane I know…But the REALITY is well known…The more $$$$$ you have the more ACCESS you have, the more ACCESS, the more INFLUENCE!!
We can argue about the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, Politics all that…But in the END…The people here who GO OUT and MAKE MONEY with MONEY will ALWAYS be the ones’s who VOICES are not only HEARD…
BUT LISTENED TO!!!
SMARTEN UP PEOPLE…It’s called CAPITALISM for a reason…C A P I T A L!!!
Websters definition of CAPITAL???
Generally refers to FINANCIAL WEALTH!!!
Njbird,
I did read the whole post,alotta good points.But,if we think this guy is a puppet we are badly mislead.That in itself would be business as usual.But close to 3 dozen czars??And have you heard the background of these?VAn Jones is a radical racist that makes rev wright look like a saint.And his rants are as recent as two months ago!!So I guess we’re supposed to fall far that same piss poor excuse about these czars as he gave on rev wright that he did’nt know!!??If he really is that stupid we should be terrified,if he knew(which is the case)we should be outraged.His racism is all around him.Just open your eyes.Van Jones is attempting to unite all races against whites in one of his rants,the same as rev wright,and the rev @ the inoguration.Oh and he’s our first interracial president.
He can appoint 1000 czars…
HIM and ALL his czars will be gone in a few years…An another “talking head” will take his spot on the X. Cripes we’ve had SENATORS that WRITE the LAWS of the land chasing young boys around hotels and other IDIOTS propositioning men in airport bathrooms…There’s no shortage or MORONS up there…ON BOTH SIDES…A few more will just blend in with the rest.
BUT the MONEY…will still be controlling it ALL!!!
CONTROL the MONEY…and you control the PROCESS for good or bad.
This is a CLASSIC PENDULUM scenerio…
It swung TOO FAR one way under BUSH, now the only way it CAN swing is TOO FAR the OTHER WAY!! This happens over and over…
Instead of ARGUING ABOUT IT…PAY ATTENTION!!
WHO benefits from this new REALITY???
What happens to the economy???..Good or bad… It DOESN’T MATTER, you can make MONEY either way!!
How’s it effect REAL ESTATE, BANKING, CAR COMPANIES…
The ANSWERS are right in front of us but we AGRUE over meaningless BS.
Look at AIG stock…From $7.00 in March to $38.00 Yesterday…The GOVERMENT can not let that company FAILwe knew this LAST YEAR!!!..It would make Lehman look like a local bank went under. SOMEONE’S MAKING HUGE MONEY OFF THIS STUFF!!! What are YOU doing???
Ford…$2.00 in March…DIDN’T NEED a Goverment bailout…Which car company increased it’s sales by the highest percentage year over year???
F O R D…stock price $7
Home Builders…Do you REALLY think this country is NEVER going to build another new HOME??? Because that’s what some of these stocks are priced like…
I can bitch about things I have no control over like Obama and his Czarina’s… or I can make money???
Gee…let me think???
Fd,
I’m making money also,and I’m glad to be.But,I’m not gonna act like this is just the cycle as normal,because playing with racism is very dangerous as this administration is.I agree none of us can do anything about our complaints with govt.But,I refuse to just put my head in the sand just because I’m still making money.I care more about my kid’s future than that.I do agree with you for the most part.We must hold the govt accountable or we have no right to complain at a later date of something that greatly effects us that “came out of nowhere”.If we pay attention,just like with stocks,you also will be prepared. :cool
I agree…Good points!! :beer
Hey, any word yet on that house that had the fire damage???
Man,10 bids.I got beatout,I went up 2 $28k,it needed about $60k in repair coulda sold @$140k.I was just staying below 100k for safty.My wife said the offer was close to double mine since they were’nt allowed to say how much.Sux,on 2 the next one thu.
I got a woman I’m up against alot who has this mentality that as long as she makes something she’s fine whether it be $500 or $50k.It’s almost impossible to compete with that peabrain thought.I have to see a good margin to keep myself and my partner safe from "surprises"and still make money.How do you compete with people like that??Any advise?
You just DON’T compete…If she wants to OVER PAY…Let her.
Basically…Do EXACTLY what YOU did.
You are a VERY SMART investor!!!
I’ve seen people chase that type of deal and regret it later.
You made the smart move…Another one will be along shortly…As you already know!
Walking away is very hard, but it’s without doubt the wise choice.
You know what I do on these???
I follow the progress on the project…SOMEONE will talk about how much she’s spending on it…Just ask around…then watch what it actually SELLS for…In my experience I have NEVER regretted walking away from a bidding war property…They usually get buried in them and have to INFLATE their selling price which just leads to a MUCH LONGER selling time…until finally they just REDUCE IT and sell it for the market value.
It all adds up to LOT’S OF TIME, LOT’S OF MONEY and very LITTLE PROFIT!
I fell for a stock tip back in Feb or March that made me sell my AIG stock that i bought at .35 cents each for GWGI stock for .32 cents each. Well now AIG stock is about $40.00 a share and my GWGI is down to .02 cents a share. That is how my small fortune was lost.
:banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead :flush
Yes… Tips are worth what you PAY for them…(nothing)
How much is AIG worth when you factor in the reverse split? I’m not sure how that works when you sell. I’m doing a swing trade with Fannie Mae. I bought 5K @1.56 today. It went a bit today. There was a lot of short covering. We’ll see how it goes.