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  • As Goes GM, So Goes U.S. Government Credit
    My friend in the finance dept of a GM dealer has told me many stories of credit worthy individuals unable to secure loans in Q4 for vehicles they wanted to purchase. Read into that what you want but what I see is that among other thing, the rubber meets the road in this credit crisis in auto sales. Zero percent interest will help provided underwriting guidelines don't continue to kill deals. But, we'll see how much of a dent that will make because it is not the only factor in play in the auto's woes.
    Jan 05 14:42 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • Rent vs. Buy: Buying Becomes More Attractive
    Interest rates will go up, probably by a lot, as we inflate from the money printing and the treasury bubble bursts forcing the gov to compete with higher rates to fund debt. As that happens, it is anyones guess as to what the net effect will be on the price of homes: deflationary or inflationary. However, if you're looking to buy into the American dream, I wouldn't recommend trying to bottom pick this market. Taking advantage of the historic low interests rates in 2009 will probably be reasonable timing, but it still may not work out better than renting from a "pure" financial perspective.
    Dec 23 14:00 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • Deflation Is Just Around the Corner
    The printing of money is inflationary. People loosing their jobs, homes and investments en mass is deflationary. No one knows where this is headed but it is clear that the US dollar is severely damaged. Where does one invest their money? Food storage is a good option.
    Dec 17 16:34 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • The Debate: McCain's Insane Mortgage Proposal
    Hasn't government already done too much? And yes, clearly McCain would have won the day had he only corrected, "Sorry Obama, it was Al Gore who invented the Internet, the computer was invented by private industry".
    Oct 08 14:27 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • Google Breaks Down
    Google's not going anywhere, that's agreed. But that doesn't mean their stock won't. They'll continue to grow, but at decelerating rates. In the current environment, a PE in the low to mid-twenties is a reasonable expectation for GOOG.
    Oct 03 14:06 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • What the Online Banking Industry is Missing
    E*Trade does have one of the best approaches to secure "authentication&q... which is let the user choose between user name/password or using an RSA SecurID token. Much better than sites like BofA that use SiteKey or many Credit Union which use a list of security questions in addition to user name/password.

    Securing a web site is a much more involved process than just the authentication technology in use. That's what this article addresses. The concern is valid.
    Jul 30 10:14 am |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • Setting a New High Mark for the Next Housing Bubble
    A newer 3,600 sq. ft. home sold on July 10th in San Diego's 4s Ranch for $608k, which is a new low price threshold. That's down 30 to 40 percent from market peak for such a home. I previously "hoped" to see such a home in the $600k to $650k range by this winter. Expect more global cooling the Califoreclosia real estate market this winter to bring us back to reality.
    Jul 25 13:41 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • Can Cities Create "Foreclosure Sanctuaries?" [Housing Tracker]
    Michael Aguirre is a joke, this is another attempt by him to garner press and try to bolster his campaign for re-election. If we re-elect him in November, we're fools.
    Jul 24 12:18 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • Countering the AP's 'E*Trade Financial Earnings Preview'
    I'm a long-time customer and have been holding ETFC long but I got out of my position after hours (I wanted to sleep tonight). The stock will probably retreat into the $2 range yet again, almost certainly with the next macro mortgage meltdown, which is inevitable in the current economy.

    I'd like to know how much of their loan portfolio is ALT-A and Option-A (e.g., the next mortgage cliff)? Is anything else hidden shareholders should know about? I was disturbed by the announcement regarding Fannie and Freddie, was this well known (e.g., Cindy, did you know)? Why hadn't E*Trade disposed of these non-core positions before the recent free fall? I guess they were "trying" to avoid taking more losses in 2Q.

    Financials like BAC and WFC will be rewarded with increased business and stronger earning in Q3 and Q4 as opportunity, customers and money migrate their way. E*Trade has a longer, slower trajectory to recovery due to past transgressions. Great company and market opportunity, but saddled with untimely baggage left by the previous management team.

    Disclosure: No longer long
    Jul 22 19:57 pm |Rating: +1 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • IndyMac Failure: How Much Trouble Is Sen. Schumer In?
    Schumer's suggestion that IndyMac would fail and the resulting run was a disaster, it may have happened at some point, but his actions show an ignorance that should help us all realize how ignorant our elected officials can be. The subsequent excuse was classic, basically: "If everyone had done their job right, this never would have happened". You too Mr. Schumer.
    Jul 13 11:07 am |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • Is the Long Commute Still Worth It?
    At market peak, a new 3,500 sq. ft. home in Temecula was $600k to $800k. Now, they're 40 to 50 percent of that. In San Diego, they still cost $800k+. At market peak, gas cost was an issue because the delta in home costs was not as significant. Now, it is significant. You can buy "a lot" of gas for what you'll save. In fact, property tax savings and a Prius or Aptera (Google it, coming to a Socal highway near you) will financially justify the decision so you can pocket the $300k to $400k you save each month in financing the comparable home in San Diego.

    Other family and personal issues are probably much bigger factors than gas prices in making a decision about living in San Diego vs. Temecula. The people who are hurting are those who bought in Temecula at market peak, have ballooning payments and are now also hit with higher gas prices.
    Jun 12 15:30 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • More Than 1,000,000 Homes In Foreclosure [Housing Tracker]
    Apostle lives in a land of abundant oil and agricultural commodities. Money is flowing to Alberta. There's no relief in site when an uneducated person can get a job on a drilling rig for $1,000/day.
    Jun 11 14:30 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • Google Merchant Search: How Far is Too Far?
    Google will continue to aggressively push these boundaries. In a world driven by information, this is Gaia, and they know it. Look for them to win sometimes, draw elsewhere and loose sometimes. At the end of the day, they are data driven and avoid huge missteps.
    Jun 05 12:27 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • Riverbed Under Pressure
    Riverbed has a disruptive technology that has broader application than is currently appreciated. They win deals hands down when benchmarks are performed by customers. The macro-economic environment is a concern. However, Riverbed will continue to achieve growth rates well above average. To value them based on the PE of peers is a mistake of the current macro-economic environment. Also, for GS to announce coverage at this time with a one year target at $15 smacks of something stinky.
    Jun 04 13:15 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article
  • Is Google Interested in Ormat's Geothermal Technology?
    There's enough geothermal energy 3 miles does on the west coast, such that harvesting 2 percent would supply for the entire nation's electric needs. With modern drilling techniques learned from the oil industry, it is within reach. Given that energy is of long term strategic interest to Google, it is easy to understand why they seek to make it a competitive advantage. It doesn't hurt either that the public will further enshrine Google if it helps bring long term relief to energy costs as well as decrease our dependence on rogue nations.
    May 22 13:14 pm |Rating: 0 0 |Link to Comment |View article

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