Beauty seeks Brain….

[Priceless_PrincessNYC]

Beauty seeks Brain….
Don’t get me wrong…I’m no dupe! I just would like to make some changes and get some unbiased feedback….
My ex-husband recently sold some of our mutual real-estate
So I suddenly have some extra cash to play with.
I mean…I didn’t exactly hit the lotto…LOL I just have a few thousand dollars.
But instead of running out here getting some unnecessary cosmetic surgery I would like to invest in the stock market or do some possible Day Trading…
I am exceptionally clever but have no experience with the market and I am smart enough to ask for help
Does anyone with any knowledge about the stock market have any tips or suggestions?

I am also looking to relocate.. I am on the east coast (ofcourse the T-girl community is strong in NYC) I just hate the winters! LOL I am looking for something on the west coast or possibly Florida. Know of any areas where there is a sturdy TS community and good weather?

[Quinn]

As someone who actively day trades both stocks and currencies, let me give you one piece of advice: Do not, under any circumstances, engage in day trading unless and until you have a lot of experience in the markets. You may get lucky at first, but, rest assured, you will lose your money.

I would recommend doing some research on mutual funds and selecting a nice growth fund that focuses upon East Asia. Why? A lot of investment opportunities that look great in the U.S. right now aren’t going to look nearly as good by late 2007/early 2008.

Best of luck,
-Quinn

[specialk]

Well, Im not going to portray myself as an expert on investing, however I'll lend you my opinion based on my own experience. I do have money invested in a retirement account. It tanked, in 2001 through 2003 as did most every other investor. Then in 2004 I moved it over to a fund available to me, in real estate. It returned 12% in 2004, and 14% in 2005. Currently, it's on track for 12% this year. I'm investing with TIAA-CREF.

As far as Wall St. is concerned, I feel it's as crooked as The Wicked Witches nose. Insider trading, bogus quarterly reports from crooked CEO's (Enron Worlcom to name a few). People on the inside usually are the only ones cashing in because of inside info. Although, the Dow and Nasdac are enjoying a recent up tick, God only knows when the next terror attack might hit here to mess things up, not to mention the economic situation here at home.

The reason real estate was a big winner is simply interest rates being so low. The "real estate bubble" is starting to deflate as rates slowly rise. My suggestion would be to own a piece of real estate, since prices are moderating and rates are still affordable. At least YOU control this investment!!! You make sure the mortgage is paid, the place is kept up, taxes are paid, you control your own piece of the Big Pie, instead of crooked or stupid CEO's your hoping will do the right thing for the investors. Yeh, you can say I don't trust too many people in this world, but I will have a retirement cuz' of my cautious nature and unwillingness to always follow conventional wisdom. Anyway, good luck Priceless and be carefull!!

[Quinn]

Well, Im not going to portray myself as an expert on investing, however I'll lend you my opinion based on my own experience. I do have money invested in a retirement account. It tanked, in 2001 through 2003 as did most every other investor. Then in 2004 I moved it over to a fund available to me, in real estate. It returned 12% in 2004, and 14% in 2005. Currently, it's on track for 12% this year. I'm investing with TIAA-CREF.

As far as Wall St. is concerned, I feel it's as crooked as The Wicked Witches nose. Insider trading, bogus quarterly reports from crooked CEO's (Enron Worlcom to name a few). People on the inside usually are the only ones cashing in because of inside info. Although, the Dow and Nasdac are enjoying a recent up tick, God only knows when the next terror attack might hit here to mess things up, not to mention the economic situation here at home.

The reason real estate was a big winner is simply interest rates being so low. The "real estate bubble" is starting to deflate as rates slowly rise. My suggestion would be to own a piece of real estate, since prices are moderating and rates are still affordable. At least YOU control this investment!!! You make sure the mortgage is paid, the place is kept up, taxes are paid, you control your own piece of the Big Pie, instead of crooked or stupid CEO's your hoping will do the right thing for the investors. Yeh, you can say I don't trust too many people in this world, but I will have a retirement cuz' of my cautious nature and unwillingness to always follow conventional wisdom. Anyway, good luck Priceless and be carefull!!

SpecialK, in this instance, I respectfully disagree with your recommendation – at least as it relates to this lady's circumstances. If she's looking at moving to the West Coast or Florida, those are markets she shouldn't make an initial, entry-level real estate purchase in at the moment. Under normal circumstances – or in a different region – I would absolutely agree, but right now is not the time to buy in those regions.

-Quinn

[thmack]

chicagos weather suck

but i would love to have you here

[specialk]

Well, Im not going to portray myself as an expert on investing, however I'll lend you my opinion based on my own experience. I do have money invested in a retirement account. It tanked, in 2001 through 2003 as did most every other investor. Then in 2004 I moved it over to a fund available to me, in real estate. It returned 12% in 2004, and 14% in 2005. Currently, it's on track for 12% this year. I'm investing with TIAA-CREF.

As far as Wall St. is concerned, I feel it's as crooked as The Wicked Witches nose. Insider trading, bogus quarterly reports from crooked CEO's (Enron Worlcom to name a few). People on the inside usually are the only ones cashing in because of inside info. Although, the Dow and Nasdac are enjoying a recent up tick, God only knows when the next terror attack might hit here to mess things up, not to mention the economic situation here at home.

The reason real estate was a big winner is simply interest rates being so low. The "real estate bubble" is starting to deflate as rates slowly rise. My suggestion would be to own a piece of real estate, since prices are moderating and rates are still affordable. At least YOU control this investment!!! You make sure the mortgage is paid, the place is kept up, taxes are paid, you control your own piece of the Big Pie, instead of crooked or stupid CEO's your hoping will do the right thing for the investors. Yeh, you can say I don't trust too many people in this world, but I will have a retirement cuz' of my cautious nature and unwillingness to always follow conventional wisdom. Anyway, good luck Priceless and be carefull!!

SpecialK, in this instance, I respectfully disagree with your recommendation – at least as it relates to this lady's circumstances. If she's looking at moving to the West Coast or Florida, those are markets she shouldn't make an initial, entry-level real estate purchase in at the moment. Under normal circumstances – or in a different region – I would absolutely agree, but right now is not the time to buy in those regions.

-Quinn

Hey Quinn, you've picqued my curiosity with your last comment. Perhaps you can elaborate a little.

[Quinn]

Hey Quinn, you've picqued my curiosity with your last comment. Perhaps you can elaborate a little.

Sure, no problem. To begin with, I share both your skepticism of Wall Street (and adjust my trading strategy accordingly) as well as your preference for real estate investments. After all, you can always live in a piece of real estate, even if it's next to worthless. However, in the case of the lady we have both addressed, I would recommend caution and patience when it comes to purchasing any real estate in the two markets she mentioned (West Coast and Florida). By any definition, the aforementioned markets have some of the most overvalued real estate in the nation:

http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/29/real_estate/buying_selling/handicapping_housing_markets/index.htm

Though the "experts" – most of whom are worthless – differ as to the degree of correction they are expecting, I believe we shall see a correction of from 25-45% over the next four years in those markets. As such, anyone making an initial purchase in either market – at this time – will likely be left holding a mortgage that, in not too many years, will be more than their house is worth. By comparison, other regions – like the Southeastern U.S., excluding Florida – are relatively undervalued and offer an opportunity to build equity that can later be used to purchase properties in more expensive markets that have declined. For my part, I have ceased purchasing anything in the Northeast and am putting my real estate dollars in the Southeastern U.S. or overseas.

-Quinn

[specialk]

Hey Quinn, you've picqued my curiosity with your last comment. Perhaps you can elaborate a little.

Sure, no problem. To begin with, I share both your skepticism of Wall Street (and adjust my trading strategy accordingly) as well as your preference for real estate investments. After all, you can always live in a piece of real estate, even if it's next to worthless. However, in the case of the lady we have both addressed, I would recommend caution and patience when it comes to purchasing any real estate in the two markets she mentioned (West Coast and Florida). By any definition, the aforementioned markets have some of the most overvalued real estate in the nation:



http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/29/real_estate/buying_selling/handicapping_housing_markets/index.htm

Though the "experts" – most of whom are worthless – differ as to the degree of correction they are expecting, I believe we shall see a correction of from 25-45% over the next four years in those markets. As such, anyone making an initial purchase in either market – at this time – will likely be left holding a mortgage that, in not too many years, will be more than their house is worth. By comparison, other regions – like the Southeastern U.S., excluding Florida – are relatively undervalued and offer an opportunity to build equity that can later be used to purchase properties in more expensive markets that have declined. For my part, I have ceased purchasing anything in the Northeast and am putting my real estate dollars in the Southeastern U.S. or overseas.

-Quinn


By and large we are on the same page here Quinn. There is no shortage of overpriced properties in this country. The West Coast however, covers a lot of territory. My guess is that Oregon and Wash. could still have some reasonable value to be had . Cali. is another story. Not a good choice for the entry level investor what soever, at least with only one pay check coming in. Colorado is getting out of hand, and Vegas is a boom area just not sure about their markets. Fla. although is over inflated along the coastal resort type areas, inland is certainly a different story. It's known for a reasonably affordable place to live, in terms of real estate, taxes etc. And, as we all know there are GOBS, of Tgirls in Fla. The key here as always in real estate is to be able to weather and down turn in the home value OVER THE LONG HAUL. Flipping property right now could be a nightmare, just ask my brother in law.

[MoonAndStar]

My advice..... go to a casino.... play some roulette.... and bet on black...

;~)

[Ecstatic]

Though the "experts" – most of whom are worthless – differ as to the degree of correction they are expecting, I believe we shall see a correction of from 25-45% over the next four years in those markets. As such, anyone making an initial purchase in either market – at this time – will likely be left holding a mortgage that, in not too many years, will be more than their house is worth.
Quinn, this happened to me in the overvalued Boston market some 15+ years back. In 1987 I bought a condo for what at the time seemed a very reasonable price, but 2 or 3 years later, the bubble burst, and the condo value fell to half its purchase value. Instead of moving on in five years as originally planned, my wife and I were stuck there for 12 years, owing more than the condo was worth and lacking the fiscal means to extricate ourselves. We finally sold in '99, technically for a 15k loss over the original price, but with sufficient money for a down payment on a house which has since more than doubled in value.

Now the Boston market is once again overvalued (though not -- depending upon which "experts" you ask -- as much as the So CA or FL markets, and they are expecting a 20% correction in the next couple of years. We're 40 miles west of the city, and the correction here (since this area didn't inflate as much as the metro Boston area) is expected to be more in the 5%-10% range. In any event, we can weather this coming "correction" a whole lot better, still retain far more value than cost, and the house will be paid for in 8 years. But I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to buy into the Boston market these days. From what I've read, the same holds true for NYC, DC, LV, SF, Sac, and several other areas. One plus for Boston and NYC however is that property values have been historically high compared with the rest of the nation for decades, so the coming correction shouldn't be as sharp as in areas which have experienced tremendous market inflation over the past 10 years.

[Priceless_PrincessNYC]

I appreciate everyone’s advice and will take it all into consideration.. I guess picking and trading stocks came into view as adventurous. I thought it would be exciting making a few thousand dollars here and there… I have already done the real estate/rental property thing with my ex/ he liked “flipping” the properties ( like an idiot) I rented out mine tons of problems and bad tenants. I am playing with my half of the equity from the last property..
I thought I could take like $8,000-$10,000 pick a couple of companies and ride the wave... is that possible? Is that too risky ? If I want an immediate loss or gain… is day trading the best idea .. or am I better off going to the casino like the other guy said…LOL

[specialk]

I appreciate everyone’s advice and will take it all into consideration.. I guess picking and trading stocks came into view as adventurous. I thought it would be exciting making a few thousand dollars here and there… I have already done the real estate/rental property thing with my ex/ he liked “flipping” the properties ( like an idiot) I rented out mine tons of problems and bad tenants. I am playing with my half of the equity from the last property..
I thought I could take like $8,000-$10,000 pick a couple of companies and ride the wave... is that possible? Is that too risky ? If I want an immediate loss or gain… is day trading the best idea .. or am I better off going to the casino like the other guy said…LOL

I'd follow Quinn's advice on day trading, it's a good way to lose it all fast, unless your experienced. Sounds like from you and your ex's dabble in real estate, some profit was realized. Although not over night it was better than losing everything. If you need excitement and adventure, perhaps you might want to give Texas Holdem Poker a whirl. You can learn online, play online, lose it all online or..........get lucky and get rich :shock: :roll: Bottom line Priceless....your on your own baby!!

[Quinn]

Though the "experts" – most of whom are worthless – differ as to the degree of correction they are expecting, I believe we shall see a correction of from 25-45% over the next four years in those markets. As such, anyone making an initial purchase in either market – at this time – will likely be left holding a mortgage that, in not too many years, will be more than their house is worth.
Quinn, this happened to me in the overvalued Boston market some 15+ years back. In 1987 I bought a condo for what at the time seemed a very reasonable price, but 2 or 3 years later, the bubble burst, and the condo value fell to half its purchase value. Instead of moving on in five years as originally planned, my wife and I were stuck there for 12 years, owing more than the condo was worth and lacking the fiscal means to extricate ourselves. We finally sold in '99, technically for a 15k loss over the original price, but with sufficient money for a down payment on a house which has since more than doubled in value.

Now the Boston market is once again overvalued (though not -- depending upon which "experts" you ask -- as much as the So CA or FL markets, and they are expecting a 20% correction in the next couple of years. We're 40 miles west of the city, and the correction here (since this area didn't inflate as much as the metro Boston area) is expected to be more in the 5%-10% range. In any event, we can weather this coming "correction" a whole lot better, still retain far more value than cost, and the house will be paid for in 8 years. But I certainly wouldn't advise anyone to buy into the Boston market these days. From what I've read, the same holds true for NYC, DC, LV, SF, Sac, and several other areas. One plus for Boston and NYC however is that property values have been historically high compared with the rest of the nation for decades, so the coming correction shouldn't be as sharp as in areas which have experienced tremendous market inflation over the past 10 years.

Ecstatic, your story is not unique and has happened to many people -- including my mother when I was kid. It makes it very hard for the average homeowner to effectively plan for their retirement and can set people back years. I agree with your assessment of the likely market conditions in Boston and NYC. I think the extreme high-end market in those cities may take a slightly disproportionate hit, but the mid-range and low-end markets will probably fair pretty well. On the other side of the coin, I believe places like the Jersey Shore are going to fair very poorly.

-Quinn

[HeHateMe]

My quick advise:

Move to Dallas. The weather is great (a little hot in the summer, but so what). The economy is booming!

Regarding investing, buy Valero (VLO). This is an oil and gas company. The stock continues to rise exponentially. If you are going to pay out the ass at the pump, you might as well profit as a result! I certainly have with this stock.

[Ecstatic]

Ecstatic, your story is not unique and has happened to many people -- including my mother when I was kid. It makes it very hard for the average homeowner to effectively plan for their retirement and can set people back years. I agree with your assessment of the likely market conditions in Boston and NYC. I think the extreme high-end market in those cities may take a slightly disproportionate hit, but the mid-range and low-end markets will probably fair pretty well. On the other side of the coin, I believe places like the Jersey Shore are going to fair very poorly.

-Quinn
Thanks, Quinn. I respect your opinion in these matters. I would not want to be holding property in some of Boston's immediate MetroWest communities, like Newton, Weston, Needham right now as they are apt to get hit hard. There's always an element of gambling involved (as I found out 18 years ago), but I think we're well situated here, right off I-495 just north of the Mass Pike in a developing but still under-realized part of the state. But the exodus of people from Mass (and RI: the only two states to be losing population at the moment) is a little worrisome. But I don't think our property value will ever fall to even within 100K of what it was when we bought, and with the mortgage paid off in 8 years, we should be ok.

Now a good Thai friend of mine suggests moving to Thailand and investing in the condo market there...I dunno....

Priceless Princess, it must feel good to have 10k to risk (I assume that you're in a position that you can afford to risk it all, and 10k of itself isn't that much money, but it's good money to invest). Good luck in picking a venture. I'd be tempted to play it safe with 9k and do something wild with the remaining thou....

[twowaybro]

let me chime in here....i say 4get trading stocks right now and invest in hard assets like gold(not paper gold but 1oz and more preferably 1/2 oz coins)....in hard economic times like these gold is always a safe and profitable bet. Gold is selling at an all-time high and is only going to go up...now is a good time 2 buy.....just my 2 cents sexy.... 8) 8)

[Ecstatic]

Pennies just might be a good investment, too: currently it costs the Federal Mint 1.4 cents to produce each penny. There's talk of going to steel pennies, as they did during WWII (there's little copper in a penny now, but a good deal of zinc). Of course, monetarily a penny is worth a penny, but some people are hoarding them and holding onto them for the metal value.

[thx1138]

Sell dollars. Buy euros. The US gov't is technically bankrupt.

[El_hefe]

If daytrading was an easy way to make $ this board would be full of millionaires. Both Valero & gold are good suggestions, buy the ETF "GLD". That may actually be a good longer term investment since the dollar is tanking & most people feel the market will probably cool off in the next couple of years.
If you want to make a faster buck try investing in funds specializing in Brazil, Russia, India or China, just keep an eye on them & be prepared to pull quick when their market tanks. I've done very well this year with a wireless telecom in China, but that market will dive soon, but I think wireless in developing countries is a good bet.

Best suggestion: find someone who is really smart & watch what they do, There are several webpages that display the investing moves of Warren Buffet & that's the best.