Day one review of Storm

Overall I really like the phone.  I still would like a week to give it my offical review but here are some quick day one notes:

Pros

• I have the typing down (I'm still faster on my pearl)
  
• Touch screen with click is nice
  
• Screen is wonderful and video podcasts look great
  
• Facebook reinstall fixed menu problem (I blame stupid appstore)
  
• Voice quality is good and my old Bluetooth headset connected quickly
  
• Easy to move icons around and customize it to your preferences
  

Cons

• Still haven't got the browser down (zoom when I want to click or click on the wrong thing)
  
• I miss the scroll ball
  
• Takes to long to reboot (if you install something)
  
• Flips to landscape to quick (Maybe I hold my BB to flat)
  
• Same with my last blackberry - I feel like the mute button should also be a Silent or vibrate button that switches to configurable profile (top left)
  
• I have answered the phone upside down when I'm using it in landscape mode (strange feeling)
  

Still need to figure out

• Google maps still doesn't use GPS (works with NAV4ALL and BB Maps)
  
• Need an app to easily upload video
  

Wish list

• e-mail/messages in conversation (like g-mail or IM messages)
  
• More app to work with new OS (bbPlaces and Qik don't work)
  
• An application store that works and is up to date (version looks to control it 9)
  

BlackBerry Storm 1 hour review

Well, I can't really say that I got to do much in the first hour.  I basically played with it for 10 min and then upgraded it to v4.7 of the OS that wasn't a quick process.  I'm not sure what was on it before but  4.7 works pretty well.  So, first hour was basically set up and that's it.  My first hour review:

Pros

• I like the luck button (on my old BB I remaped the 
  
• Love the auto focus camera: you can push the button (or touch the screen) and it focuses so when you take the picture it's a quick process (about a second)
  
• Transfer of contact and settings was seamless from other BB
  

They need to fix

• Sporadic menu drawing errors (ex, Facebook's submenu never looks quite right)
  
• Browser isn't quite there yet (maybe I just need to get used to it)
  
• Landscape suretype keyboard option
  
• Stop letting applications control the type of keyboard (ex, Opra Mini doesn't use suretype)
  
• Application store is down right embarrassing
  
• A little disappointed my mail accounts didn't port over but that's due to switching providers
  

ToDo

• Figure out why Goggle Maps isn't using the GPS (BB Maps does)
  
• Move around icons (not a fan of default folders)
  
• Look for some new applications
  
• Make some calls on it
  

One in five homeowners with mortgages underwater (Reuters)

Nearly one in five U.S. mortgage borrowers owe more to lenders than their homes are worth, and the rate may soon approach one in four as housing prices fall and the economy weakens, a report on Friday shows.

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081031/ts_nm/us_usa_economy_mortgages

Home prices see another record plunge

Home prices fell in August for the 25th consecutive month and prices in 10 major markets plunged a record 17.7% over 12 months earlier, according to a key index of real estate values released Tuesday.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/434687817/index.htm

The pace of new home sales fell to its lowest level in 17 years in August, according to a key government report released Thursday that signaled more dismal news for the housing sector in coming months.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/402883414/index.htm

Greenspan: Economy in 'once-in-a-century' crisis

The U.S. credit squeeze has brought on a "once-in-a-century" financial crisis that is likely to claim more big firms before it eases, former Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan said Sunday.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/392443838/index.htm

RE2R001 - Mailing list for multi units

Topics: Mailing list for multi units <Click here to download the show>

Why? To get deals before they are listed, friend just got a great deal

What I did up to this point
Got a PO Box right by my the office of my full time job
- $20 for 6/months and $2 for a key deposit
Contacted SorA office
- Got a sample report that would only have been $50 (wasn’t able to use it due to everything being in one cell)
- Paying $175 and hour for a file from county’s IT vendor (around $200)
Problems:
- This is only one county so I will need to do the same
- Some properties have a trust mailing address so will not get the owners all the time

I creating my first mailing using VisaPrint

Need to do a review of the sites:
http://www.premiumpostcard.com/
Lets you do standard postage (200+) for cheaper shipping but I didn't research
http://www.click2mail.com/
Example: Yellow cards with black writing - 100 postcards to 100 addresses for roughly 37 cents per piece (per the site)

I went with VisaPrint b/c I could order full color postcard and group them in small group as not to get pounded with lots of calls. Also, if you follow this link (http://www.vistaprint.com/frf?frf=924122510989) you will receive a special promotion and I'll get a discount on my next order for referring you.




Here is the verbiage:
Front: "Thinking of selling your multi-unit? I'm looking for one!"
"I'm a local investor that is in the market for another apartment building. Your property fits my investment criteria of what I'm looking for. If you have been considering selling please let me know. Or, if you just want to chat about investments that's fine also."

Back: "You are welcome to e-mail me:
John@PeoriaInvestments.com
Interested in building your portfolio? Let me know your criteria and I will let you know when I get a lead on a property that doesn't fit my strategy."
Split the mailing
After taking the list and breaking it down by removing the duplicates (people who own more than one property) I decided the list was two big. I have no idea how much interest this mailing will generate so I'm going to do two halves. Note, in my area there is actually more b/c I'm only doing one township.

Dirty Laundry:
Got a collection notice for not paying my sanitary bills for 2 of the properties and now I need to have my PM company follow-up.

Other Major Tasks:
Tool for tracking leads I hope SLOWLY come in
Check on who suggested what on getrealREI thread
Process for coming up with an offer price quickly
Thinking about Larry's ultimate buying machine program
Still thinking about being a Realtor
Will interview my agent

Que Review:
Investor in multi-unit deal (part owner of LLC)
Take on debt
Contribute 2.5% cash
Pitched update - 5-15% privet investor
(15% or interest free with part ownership of LLC)
Spent: $1800 in the appraisal
$1000 soil sample to meet EPA to prove I can build
Looked at a few other places but nothing worth sharing. Do you want me to share my bad deals and why I didn't continue with them?

Disclaimer:
The information contained on this show or the website is for informational purposes only.
In addition, this is not advice or a recommendation, just my opinions and experiences. You should contact an Agent, Layer, Accountant, or other independent advisor for personal advice or material to make any decision or take any action.

Foreclosures rise 14 pct so I'm making offers

I'm making a low ball offer on a REO in Pekin today. OK, I know all I have done is posted on Foreclosures lately but come on, it all over the news:
The percentage of vacant homes available for sale remained relatively flat in the second quarter, but still hovered in record territory.
http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/344682992/index.htm

Reuters - Home foreclosure filings rose 14
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080725/bs_nm/usa_economy_housing_foreclosures_dc

Foreclosures and stuff

So, on Tuesday I looked through the MLS for houses that are banked owned and I'm still shocked at what they are asking for them. My Agent did know of some deals that went through but the banks still have near market value on them. Are they just waiting with a high price hoping someone will come along and may near full price?

House of Representatives passed a massive rescue package to shore up the struggling housing market. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080724/bs_nm/fannie_freddie_dc

In the news, The Federal Reserve unanimously approved new mortgage lending rules to crackdown on shady practices - particularly sub prime loans made to borrowers with weak credit. http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/335014181/index.htm

The number of Americans losing their homes to foreclosure continued to soar in June: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/331566102/index.htm

With all of this stuff going on you would think I would be able to get a deal on another rental.

India 2008 – Power Sightseeing Weekend

So, we were some busy this weekend I haven't had time to write anything. So, I'm going to post some pictures on Facebook until I get some time (more than likely on the way home from India)

Team Dinner - Leela Palace

So, tonight I think I might have had the best dinner. It was the whole team and we went to Leela Palace. The place was so big I couldn’t get a picture so here is one from the web.



Here is some video that someone took while we were there, it's a little dark but you can get a better idea



Anyway, we had a nice table at a place called Jamavar. It was the best Indian food I had ever had and it stared with the biggest shrimp (Prawns) I have ever imagined. Really, they were so big I thought they were small lobsters without legs. I didn't take a picture of one but I should have.

I don’t really understand why but at lots of the restaurants are set menus. So you basically have 2 choices, veg or non-veg so I got non-veg of course. We toped off dinner with the first bottle of Indian wine I had. Overall it was a wonderful dinner.

Having a driver

OK, the whole drive thing. I guess the reason this is so strange is b/c in the states most people have cars and you do somewhere you just rent a car. At most you only use a cab if you’re someone like New York or need to do from point A to point B. Well, here when you get a car you get a drive. Oh, and the drive is pretty much at your beck and call. It’s so strange to get dropped off and have someone say, I’ll be hear when ever you’re done. They never ask what time, they never complain about what time to pick you up, nothing. So, Saturday we got picked up at 7am and didn’t get dropped off till 10PM. The drive was with us the whole day. I have no idea when he ate or drank but he never did in front of us and he was always right there when we came out of where we were. On Saturday we went too 5 shops (2 were malls) 5 touristy places and stopped twice to see local stuff. Guess I know how the rich feel now.

India - First weekend

So, I pretty much didn’t know what India even was until this weekend. I got a full view with dinner out on Friday. We ate at a hotel called Oberoi and got to sit out in a courtyard.

Traffic was bad but dinner was fun. This was our first trip that wasn’t at 2am so we got to see all the crazy driving. We also our first go at telling vendors NO.



The whole driver this is a post in itself but I will stick to the weekend. The highlight was a trip Meghan and I took to MySore. It was a three hour trip but worth it. We got picked up early and stopped a few time to find out about Papa, Jack Fruit, and Sugar Cane. I was happy with our driver b/c it went out of his way to show us things.

The key reason to go was to see MySore Palace. I can’t begin to explain how impressive it was.

It's to bad but we couldn't take any pictures inside. I could go on and on about it but I can finish up with I got to sit on an elephant (pics on Facebook)

After the Palace we went up to Chimundi Hill which had a temple on the top, a “daemon” statue, and a big bull. The temple was very interesting but a great view down over the city of Mysore. Oh, and I didn't even talk about the place we ate lunch - guess I have to post more later when I have time.

Work and eating

So, since I have been to China all I have done is work and eat. The crazy thing is there isn't much where I’m located so I'm just going back and forth from the hotel to the office that is just across the street. Here is a picture of the office that it actually really nice.



Since I have been here there hasn’t been a ton of food I really like until today. It’s funny but everything here looks the same so I can’t really tell it apart. However today I found out there is Northern and Southern Indian food. I’m not sure what one I like but one is better I think. I still can’t tell the food apart but here is some stuff that was really good:

So, Friday I hope to do something that will be more fun than cross the street so stay tune.

Made it to India

Long flight but it wasn’t bad. It took about 24 hours but for the first time I took a shower in a business lounge in Germany. It was just like a hotel bathroom but in an airport business lounge. I thought it was great to break up the trip with a shower. It’s nice after being stuck in an airplane. When I fly back I’m going to plan for it and take a change of clothes. Another cool thing about the layover was in Germany was I got to eat some German food and have a few beers. The meal was the soup below and I took the beer glass as a souvenir. Oh, and I got to eat my first Indian food on the airplane. Not bad but nothing special. I did thing the little bag of mint fennel and other seeds (strange but similar to a mint of piece of gum in the states)







So, onto the first problem. I filled my TV on the plane and actually crashed it. It turned out to be Windows CE and here is a picture of the crash/reboot. Overall, the TV is so much cooler than on planes in the States. It even had video games on it and the best part is that it was included in the ticket price.



Second and more exciting problem. No driver at the airport! So, we called the hotel with the help of a local but they didn’t have a driver reservation. So, we crammed all three of us into a supper small extra mini van and made our way to the hotel. It was a little shady but we agreed on a price before we left and it worked out. Just not the nice air conditioned van we should have had waiting. Here is me in the cab...

New Coaster with 97 Degree Drop - I wish it was closer

I love costers so I have to put this one on the list: "the Farenheit at Hershey Park, a coaster that drops you down a 97-degree slope. Yes, that's beyond vertical. It hits you with 4 Gs of force, more than what NASA astronauts are subjected to.

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/311472804/new-coaster-doesnt-screw-around-features-97-degree-drop

Homes in foreclosure top 1M

More than one million homes are now in foreclosure, the highest rate ever recorded. It's crazy to think somwthing like 1 in 10 people are late on there payments. Who do you know that could be letting the payments slip?

Anyway, I need to start looking for another rental!

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/305358905/index.htm

Eureka Skydeck 88

So, today we went to Skydeck on the Yarra River in Melbourne. The 88 is for the 88 stories and of course we went to the top and took the pics below:









It also had a white cube that you get in, they hang it over the side of the building, then make the white clear glass. It was crazy seeing down under your feet. Problem is they don't let you take pictures why you are in the cube. I was able to get some video from the desk

Down Under - Hand Feeding

So, I'm in Australia 2 days and I already get to see Kangaroos and even get to feed them!

There were also birds that would eat right out of your hand but as you can see they were more aggressive

This one has a baby (Dingo)

Home prices post record decline

The prices of homes sold in the first quarter of 2008 posted a record decline, according to a new report from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/295921407/index.htm

Foreclosures: The fight over the fix

While Congress grapples with how to help troubled homeowners, the Bush administration is expanding a more modest effort to help at-risk borrowers.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/288637271/index.htm

Where home prices are headed next

The housing implosion is nowhere near over. In 75 of the 100 top U.S. cities, prices are expected to fall in the next 12 months according to Fiserv Lending Solutions. Do you agree? If so you should wait to buy.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/285354180/index.htm

Regulator: Fannie, Freddie face more risks

Mortgage financing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could face further problems if home prices continue to plummet more than many current forecasts, according to the chief federal regulatory agency charged with overseeing the two firms.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/285586459/index.htm

Trip starting soon

Leaving for Floriday on Thursday, can't wait...

Fed cuts rates again and hints at pause

The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter percentage point Wednesday, but the central bank's statement signaled it may be the last rate cut for at least a while.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/280958372/index.htm

$900M loss and more bad loans - Countrywide

Countrywide Financial Corp. swung to a nearly $900 million loss Tuesday, after the mortgage lender was forced to set aside more money for credit losses as a result of further deterioration in the housing market.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/280155588/index.htm

Foreclosures up 112%

It's hard to belive but "one out of every 194 U.S. households received a foreclosure filing in the first three months of 2008, according to the latest figures released Tuesday by RealtyTrac." I really thought this foreclosure thing was overblown but I could be wrong.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/279964560/index.htm

Housing relief efforts slow as pace of foreclosures rise

The pace of housing rescue efforts slowed in the first quarter of the year, according to a new report, while the number of people losing their homes to foreclosure skyrocketed during the same period.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/279646602/index.htm

Vacant homes for sale hit a record high

Not the same here in central IL but wow:

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/279489339/index.htm

Buyers Market - New homes in Washington, IL

So, I spent 2 hours over in Washington doing the open house thing. It's a buyers market for sure. I couldn't believe how fast they talked about doing extra things like finishing the bsmt if you had a good offer. One builder (had a whole subdivision) was offering to take your house on a trade. I though that was interesting. My understanding, they want full price on the new house and will give you full price or extra on your current house. It keeps prices in the subdivision high and they can sell your old house at cost. With 5-6 vacant houses and more partly finished I think they are eating lots of interest on the project.

New home sales at 16-year low

New home sales fell in March to the lowest level in more than 16 years, according to a key government report on the battered housing market released Wednesday.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/276929770/index.htm

Homebuilders: No recovery until 2009

The damaged housing and home construction markets will continue to take a beating at least through the end of the year, according to economists who spoke Thursday at a forecast conference sponsored by the National Association of Home Builders.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/276976640/index.htm

Foreclosures jump 57% in March

Foreclosure filings jumped 57% in March compared with the same month last year and rose 5% versus February, as the nation's housing market continues to deteriorate.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/270583456/index.htm

60% of Americans not buying homes - Poll

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/270066763/index.htm

Pending home sales at all-time low

An index of homes under contract for sale fell more than expected in February, reaching the lowest level since the index's 2001 debut, according to a report released Tuesday.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/266372253/index.htm

Fed sees economy getting worse

Some members of the Federal Reserve are worried about the possibility of a "severe and protracted downturn" in the U.S. economy, according to the minutes of the central bank's latest minutes released Tuesday.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/266509029/index.htm

Construction spending declines

Construction spending fell in February, according to a government report released Tuesday, but the decline was less than expected.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/261992034/index.htm

Fed official: More help needed for borrowers

An influential member of the Federal Reserve called for more financial education to help low-income mortgage borrowers Monday.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/261385640/index.htm

Fed cuts key interest rates by 3/4 point (Reuters)

Why don't we see the lower rates?

Reuters - The Federal Reserve slashed a key U.S. interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point on Tuesday, a substantial cut but smaller than many in financial markets had expected, as part of an effort to hold off a deep recession and financial meltdown.

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080318/bs_nm/usa_fed_dc

Households face the unthinkable: budgeting (Reuters)

Wow, they call this new? - "After years of living large, U.S. households are finally learning what financial experts thought they never would: to live within their means."

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080318/ts_nm/usa_housing_consumers_dc

Mortgage crisis: How bad it's going to get

If there is any word that captures the mood in the economy right now, it's uncertainty, along with shadings of bafflement and distrust. We have never seen a credit crisis quite like this. What's next?

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/252882722/index.htm

Get ready for another Fed rate cut

The two widely accepted facts about the upcoming Federal Reserve meeting Tuesday is that the central bank is worried about the country falling into a recession and that it will again slash interest rates sharply.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/251466653/index.htm

Why Warren Buffett is buying railroads

I think it's interesting to follow what Warren is up too:

Want to invest in a green industry that employs the latest technology, reduces U.S. oil consumption and is priced very attractively? Look no further than the railroads. Laggards for decades after the 19th-century boom ended, they're hot again.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/252448162/index.htm

Avoid IRS trouble: 5 red flags

More Americans than ever before are being audited, as the Internal Revenue Service is working hard to collect every single greenback it can. The total number of individual returns audited last year increased 7% from 2006, shooting up from 1.29 million to 1.38 million audits in 2007.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/251269312/index.htm

Back in the US

My trip is coming to an end. It was fun and I'm looking forward to going again.

Stocks fly as Fed's cash injection eases credit fear (Reuters)

Stocks rallied more than 3 percent on Tuesday, giving the S&P 500 its best advance since October 2002, after the Federal Reserve said it would add up to $200 billion to strained credit markets in a coordinated effort with other central banks.

http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080311/bs_nm/markets_stocks_dc

Dalian - Big Black Mountain

The best in Dalian was probably the Stone Drum Temple on Big Black Mountain. We entered at the bottom of the mountain and hiked up to the top. Here are a few pictures along the way:

It's fun to see something up close then seeing it from half was up

At the top was the temple area. It's a little strange hiking up into the mountain and all of a sudden you're at a clearing with a temple:

Yep, I'm a dork...

Trip to see my sister

My trip to India got cut so I get to stay in China a few extra days. So, I hopped a plane to Dalian for the weekend. It was just like a flight to Chicago, take off, get a drink, land. It was fun to meet all Mandy and Darren's friends. We did get to see some things while I was there:

From the beach we walked up into a park

You do tons of walking here in China

More Food Stuff

Well, guess all I have done is eat. I can now add roasted duck and fish heads to my list of things I have had on this trip. The roasted duck was more of an experience. They bring out the duck and once you approve they cut it up on front of you. The skin of course is a big part of it. I'm not a fan of skin on chicken so I wasn't all that impressed. But, the meat is combined with about four types of dipping things and something I can only call a small light soft shell. How you eat: 1) take a shell and add a few pieces of meet dipped in the black souse 2) add in some other white and red sticks that I think were cucumber and radish 3) roll-up and eat

Oh, and the fish heads, it was a little nasty to see the head looking up and you but you don't eat it. You just pick out the meat from the bones.

Temple of Heaven

So, I just ran over after work for a quick look. I wished I had more time to see this HUGE park. The crazy thing is that the whole park is behind this wall.

Here are a few of the temples that are around. They are not close together - must be miles of park in the wall

As you can see in the pics it got dark quick. It was still really cool at night:

I was past the time to see the ocho wall so I did miss out on most of the main things to see. I think you could spend the whole day in this park and still not see it all.

CCTV Tower

Well, it's almost the same as the one in Vegas but it was still fun to see it. Here is details on it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_TV_Tower

This the the pic of the location some of the press conferences will be done for the Olympic games.

Below is the video of the actual tower

And here is the view from the top

The ride home (home for this week anyway) was strange. I had to go to 4 taxis before I got one that could read the name of my hotel. I thought I was safe with the card that is in Chinese that you just hand them but I was wrong. BTW, I took the Subway today also and it was the same as every other subway I have been on.

Work and Eat and Eat

This morning at breakfast I tried a waffle. It was really strange, a cross between a true waffle from Belgium and a Belgium waffle from the US. I watched them make it because it wasn't a batter, it was more like an extra big doughy biscuit that they put on a standard waffle maker. Side note, if anyone knows how to make waffles like they have in Belgium please let me know, they are great. So, way off tangent..

When I'm at work there isn't much to talk about but food. Today for lunch I went to this noodle place I love. Actually, I think this was the third time I have been there. Anyway, I ended up with some pepper noodle dish I sure wasn't expecting. So, that how you get good with chopsticks, order something that is so hot if you don't pick out the peppers your nose will run the rest of the day at work. You might think you would have time to fix a mistake like that but it's just plain crazy at lunch around here. There are tons of people and the places that are fast food are packed. The reason I bring this up is because the noodle place (sorry, the name is in Chinese) is a sit down restaurant and I wanted to get it to go. It's like playing guessgures every time I go out.

Dinner was a blast because we when out with a big group from work. I got to try all different types of things. My favorite was this sesame steak dish that was great but this shrimp/pineapple thing was a close second. The stranger things were different types of fish, some Veggie dishes, and some sushi type roles. I did stay away from the ell, whole baby fish, and some other thing I had no idea about. Guess today was the food day.

The Great Wall

We went to the Great Wall at Mutianyu, which is about 90 minutes from Beijing. We had to get a driver for half the day to do it but it supposed to be a better part of the Wall.

The Great Wall is breath taking. It's like the Grand Canyon in that you almost think what is in the distance is fake. It's so hard to explain but you almost have to just see it.

Since the wall is so old nothing would meet regulations. No step are the same size and almost nothing is level, but it's amazingly solid.

The parts of the wall they let you walk on are actually sections that have been fixed since it was first erected. Here is the area once you go past what is new (using the term new lightly)

Mandy and Darren have some other great pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/DarrenjSeath/BeijingPowerWeekend

Actually had dinner at a TGIF's. I know, what I'm I doing there of all places. Well, it turns out that you can't get a good hamburger in China so you have to go to a western area. Unlike McD's and KFC's the TGIF's was actually like a TGIF's. Most of the food was the same and the people working (although Chinese) had the outfits and flare on. Overall it was a little strange but it did have English menus so you can't complain to much.

Site Seeing Saturday - The Palace Museum (Forbidden City)

It would be hard to write about everything we did today. So, here is Pics of everything:

Entry way:

Me, before we got onto the grounds:

Pics can only show part, here are some scans of the area:

There is so much to see, I will have to add to this post later with more pictures.

Site Seeing Saturday - Tiananmen Square

The worlds largest public square

The famous hotel where the press was held

Site Seeing Saturday - Whole in the wall lunch

In the Hutong area (700 year old alley community) here is the whole in the wall place we had lunch. I think it might have been the dirtiest place I have ever eaten but the food was great. My mom had been to this place with my sister and since neither had died I figured it was ok.

Site Seeing Saturday - Silk Market

I didn't get any pictures of the Silk Market. Think of a huge flea market in your mind and stack about 5 on top of that. It was so crazy I can't explain it. Everyone is grabbing you to have you look in there shop and there are thousands of shops. I'm not joking, I really would say around a thousand shops but may had similar things for sale. Note, may were also owned by the same person so if your 'shopping around' make sure you go to may of them.

If you go, leave all emotions at the door. They will start crazy high and only come down of price when you walk away. They also will lie to you with no problem: say it's at the cost to make it but end up selling it to you for less, agree on a price then say it was for a smaller version, hold something up with a price but have the price actually be for something different, or my favorite get pissed and throw something b/c your taking advantage of them. I kept falling for the 'this shirt 2 USD' but when you stop and say you'll take it they pull out some crap shirt. I did buy a great wall shirt for 2 USD by the way so you can get a good deal. Just don't go if you need something and be able to walk away and not buy it. Oh, and I thought lots of the stuff was crappie made knockoffs. I have no problem with knockoffs but at least make a quality version of it.

First full day

Well, overall I think I make it through the day pretty well. I got up and worked out so I think that helped. Breakfast at the hotel is really nice. Things are defiantly different but since it was a buffet I just tried a bunch of different things. Lunch was the adventure! The people I'm working with took me to a traditional lunch location downtown as kind of a welcome lunch. It was as traditional as I think you can get. I couldn't tell you what the name of anything was but I made sure it wasn't dog or cat. It was all home-style so I got to try all kinds of things: Shrimp dumplings, Seafood something (about the size of sushi but wrapped in a rice sheet, Fried egg and pork (looked like an omelet) and something like beef stew over greens. All and all it was really fun and I had quite the challenge with my shop sticks. I wish I would have taken pictures but I didn't want to be that dorky tourist.

Trip over

Well, this is my first trip over a few hours that I flew business class. I must say, it’s pretty impressive. From Chicago it’s a 14 ½ hour flight so I'm glad I have it. I’m not sure it’s worth the additional cost because I’m not sure how much more it costs but the seats alone might be worth it. The food was also great and they pretty much give you anything you want to drink. I took this opportunity to try my first Chinese beer. It wasn’t that much different than beer in the states. The fun part was the old school pull-tab.


It turned out another person from Cat was a few rows back and noticed my Cat shirt. She was supper nice and it turns out some of her family will be in next week to visit. Of course I invited myself to hang out with them after work for some tourist type things. Anyway, sure hope my posts get better than this.

On my way to China

Just finished my first leg and waiting for the next 14 1/2 hour flight. Can't wait till it's over.

White House to veto foreclosure bill

Read full story for latest details.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/241754379/index.htm

More signs of home sales weakness

The new year picked up where 2007 left off, as sales of existing homes fell in January to the lowest level in nearly a decade, according to a reading by an industry trade group released Monday.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/240929522/index.htm

Fixed mortgage rates up as adjustable rates drop

Adjustable-rate mortgages could become more popular as the difference between long-term fixed rates and adjustable rates increases, Freddie Mac reported Thursday.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/238871462/index.htm

China

I'm off to China in less than a week. Everything will be running like clock work why I'm gone but I thought it would be fun to post pics why I'm there. So, look for them to start next week.

Fed sees economy slowing

The Federal Reserve cut its growth forecast for the economy and said it sees higher unemployment for the rest of the 2008.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/238347925/index.htm

Wall Street Journal discusses bank-owned foreclosures

The Regular Riches Buy Low Real estate investment strategy got an
unplanned endorsement last week from the Wall Street Journal. Please
enjoy the attached article which discusses how bank-owned foreclosures
represent one of the best opportunities for investors in today's
market to acquire properties below market.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120275539042859517.html?mod=todays_us_personal_journal <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120275539042859517.html?mod=todays_us_personal_journal>

Learn to Be Rich 1/2 day class in Peoria (Rich Dad Poor Dad)

I can't make it but in case someone would like to go:
Thursday, February 28th at The Radisson Hotel
117 North Western Avenue
Peoria, Illinois 61604

Disclaimer: Although the training is based on the teaching of Robert Kiyosaki, he will not be presenting.

http://www.myeducationnetwork.com/learn_to_be_rich/IL/rockford/20957/

Realestate over drinks

I was kicking around the idea of a podcast that would only be the 'dare to be bumb' idea from getrealrei.com. I'm not sure anyone would listin but it might make me more acountable to myself. If anyone listened I'm sure they would provide ideas. Could be fun...

Jennifer Project

Here is the site map of the current project we are working on. It's located in Washington and we will be building two additional building.

From the front:

From the back:

Countrywide delinquency soars

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/235585852/index.htm

Free Peoria, IL Landlord Training Marc 14th

John Campbell is giving free (supported by PHA) training from 9-noon on March 14th. Sign up with the attached registration by Mar 7th if your interested.

Paulson: No recession

Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson will tell the Senate Banking Committee Thursday that he still believes the U.S. economy will avoid falling into a recession this year, according to a published report.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/234989004/index.htm

Homebuilder stocks catch fire

The hard-charging homebuilding stocks are making believers of some investors.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/234900196/index.htm

Major lenders put freeze on foreclosures

Six of the nation's largest mortgage lenders have temporarily stopped foreclosure proceedings in a joint effort to cool the raging foreclosure crisis.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/233824020/index.htm

Home prices set to slide

In a fresh sign that the nation's housing crisis will worsen, home prices are likely to decline in 2008 for the second straight year, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/231045173/index.htm

Fed official: Weak economy, no recession

The United States will not get out of its economic slump any time soon, but might be able to avoid a recession, according to the head of the San Francisco Federal Reserve.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/231643280/index.htm

Bloomington REOs

Looked at a few repo apmt building going to foreclosure Feb 25. Not sure I have the guts to by a multi at auction yet. 10 apartment buildings in all - hope that's not me some day :-)

What slump? Homeowners in denial

Despite numerous reports and estimates showing home values undergoing historic declines in 2007, more than three out of four homeowners believe their own home has not lost value in the last year, according to an online survey.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/231206365/index.htm

Las Vegas tops foreclosure list

The epicenter of foreclosures shifted to the booming city of Las Vegas at the end of 2007.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/229715465/index.htm

Listed, 6plex on Holland

Ouch, they like this place per the price given it's age. On the plus side the tenants pay: Gas and Electric, Water

$330,000 for 6 Units
MLS ID# 1094625

Home equity loan defaults soar

One of the last sources of ready cash for homeowners looking to get money from their house appears to be shutting down and the results aren't likely to be pretty for the economy.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/228822850/index.htm

Banks getting tougher on mortgages - Fed

Federal Reserve says borrowers with good credit are getting squeezed out of loans as fallout from the subprime debacle spreads. Read full story for latest details:

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/229103191/index.htm

US real estate a 'bargain' for foreign buyers - Boston Globe

The dollar is falling, good for foreign investors
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/0-0&fd=R&url=http://www.boston.com/realestate/news/articles/2008/01/23/us__real_estate_a_bargain_for_foreign_buyers&cid=1126682309&ei=1TeYR4qsOoHo_AHBx5GBBw

Homes see first price drop on record

The worst housing financial crisis in decades is only going to get worse, a Merrill Lynch report said Wednesday.
http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/221779322/index.htm

Prices of homes sold in December registered the biggest year-over-year decline on record, according to an industry trade group, and 2007 is the first year on record that has seen a drop. A report issued Thursday showed the problems in the housing market have not yet bottomed out.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/222374403/index.htm

Pain relief for mortgage flare-ups

Lenders, foreclosure-prevention groups and the government are all working to ease the shock of upcoming subprime adjustable rate mortgage resets. But the recent plunge in interest rates will also help consumers. Even so, it won't be enough to save many at-risk ARM borrowers.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/222215432/index.htm

Real-Estate Search Engine Roost Launches With Full MLS Listings

Just when you thought the real-estate bubble had burst and the economy was going to hell, here comes another real-estate search engine. Today we see the launch of Roost, a real-estate site inspired by the lean look and feel of travel search engine Kayak. In fact, two of Roost's board members and lead investors from General Catalyst Partners are also on the board of Kayak. Roost was founded in May 2007, and raised a $5.5 million A round.

What makes Roost different is that, instead of trying to list all properties in the U.S. as Zillow or CyberHomes do, or take in feeds from individual real estate brokers as Trulia or Redfin do, it is negotiating with Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) in each metro area to get a comprehensive set of houses on sale. (The MLS is what real-estate brokers contributeto and use to find homes on the market, and up until recently MLS data was well-guarded from the Web). Roost launches with more than a dozen cities/MLSs, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Washington, D.C. (Notably absent are San Francisco and New York).

Roost is a real-estate search engine with comprehensive for-sale listings in the markets it covers, including for-sale-by-owner listings (which it does not show side-by-side with MLS listings because of industry restrictions). You can see all the photos for a particular house without leaving the search engine, you can see results on a map, and there are sliders (for price, bedrooms, square feet, etc.) to tweak results. It is a pretty-straight-forward site without a lot of bells and whistles. "We are laser focused on search," CEO Alex Chang tells me. "We are not doing valuations. We are not creating heat maps. We are doing high-performance search."

On the back-end, Roost hosts a directory of real-estate broker sites and delivers search traffic to those sites based on a combination of natural results and paid search. "I send qualified traffic to the broker," says Chang. "They are buying clicks from me." That is the business model. But Chang is going to have to crow pretty loud to get noticed by prospective home-buyers who have many other real-estate search engines to choose from these days, and maybe less incentive to go house-hunting in the first place.

Fed slashes rates to 3.5%

The Federal Reserve slashed two key interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point Tuesday following an unscheduled meeting, citing continued concerns about a weakening economy and turmoil in the financial markets.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/220990407/index.htm

Update on Viigo

The latest version on Viigo made some great improvements. I'm also using it as my only feed sourse. The only thing missing, folders...

REIT sector undervalued: Canaccord Adams

Canaccord Adams real estate analyst Shant Poladian has added his voice to the chorus of Bay St. commentators who maintain the real estate investment trust sector is undervalued.

"Looking for 20% plus total returns once [the] global credit market turmoil subsides," wrote Mr. Poladian in a note investors.

"Canadian property fundamentals are in the best shape we've ever seen and most of our stocks remain poised for healthy organic growth in 2008 and 2009. In our view the REIT sell-off is overdone."

He says recent stock prices are pricing in too large a correction for the drop in underlying property values based on recent real estate transactions. He believes REITs are trading at a 13% discount to net asset value, even after 25 basis point adjustment is made for capitalization rates, the implied rate of return on a property.

"We believe the REIT sector will eventually revert to trading at a modest 5% premium to net asset value, in line with its long-term historic average, which equates to a sector total return north of 20%," said Mr. Poladian, predicting 15% capital appreciation and 8% yield. In fact, he can see returns approaching 30%.

"We see a wall of capital sitting on the sidelines from private equity funds waiting in the wings, large institutional investors deploying capital following raising their real estate allocations, and individual investors eventually redeploying funds that are currently parked in money market investments," said Mr. Poladian.

Despite his bullish stand, the analysts says the turmoil in global credit markets warrants means investors should be defensive and focus on REITs with strong balance sheets, healthy organic growth profiles, strong performance track records and look to medium to larger cap companies.

Garry Marr

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/tradingdesk/archive/2008/01/18/reit-sector-undervalued-canaccord-adams.aspx

Mortgage applications up 28%

Read full story for latest details but that's good news for the market.

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/217634517/index.htm

The Fed will calm a stormy market

The stock market is in turmoil. Banks keep announcing big losses, and economists are raising the odds for a recession. Does that mean you need to be doing a dozen things right now to protect your investments?

http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_topstories/~3/217718940/index.htm

Fed hints at more rate cuts

Ben Bernanke and other Fed members say 'substantial easing' may be needed. But markets, still concerned about recession, plunge.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/02/news/economy/fed_minutes_analysis/index.htm?section=money_topstories