I was out in Southern California visiting my “little†sister for her 40th birthday two weekends ago, and as usual after a few cocktails out on the patio, the conversation amongst us siblings devolved into quoting lines from our favorite movies. (This is a source of constant bemusement bordering on irritation for our spouses, who for some reason aren’t into it)  Our favorite quotables include Ghostbusters (You’re right, Ray, no – human – would…
Off-Topic Friday: The Starbucks Curse – Is the Party Over?
After my wife and I got out of grad school with our newly minted MBAs from the University of Southern California, we high-tailed it out of Los Angeles to the Northern California town of Burlingame. This was in May of 1992.  At that time, Burlingame was a quiet little town with a slow and somewhat decaying downtown area – you know the type – three consecutive blocks of shops, restaurants, and offices not much…
Shut UP Already! The Sky IS NOT Falling!
I’m confused. I really am.  I’ve been getting a rash of grief lately from the Chicken Little crowd here over my bullishness about buying suburban rental homes here in Metro Detroit.  They’re running up and down the street like little girls with their dresses up over their heads screaming “The Sky is Falling. They Sky is Falling!â€.  I suppose that it’s easy to do when you put your brain in neutral. That…
A Commercial Hard Money Suicide
Commercial lenders are suffering in this economy as well – just not as publicly it appears. Last month one of the most prolific Hard Money Lenders on the Commercial Real Estate side of the house killed himself. A Hard Money Lender lends money to real estate investors for very short time frames at astronomically high interest rates – and some investors hyperventilate at the chance to borrow. It looks like he got overexposed to the…
The Deal Done Died
Yep. After all the drama. All the back and forth. All the ups and downs. My first apartment deal is DEAD. Call it doctor: time of death Thursday July 10, 5pm eastern. The cause of death is what’s ridiculous. Again, to recap (please indulge me if you’ve seen this before) Mr Seller and I agreed to terms last April 15th. He produced all of the required due diligence documents up front, except for his 2007 Tax Returns…
Off-Topic Friday: Captain Picard v Captain Kirk
I have thought for a long time that Star Trek is a metaphor for life. Especially for work and business. But as much as I try to explain it to my wife, I still usually get the blank stare (you know the one I’m talking about), even though I converted her into a STNG fan when we were courting way back in grad school in 1990. (She doesn’t like or get Monty Python either) I…