You can eat my Vindaloo, mega lottery, Blondie, Noa, Israel Kamakawiwo ‘Ole, art, film and a ride on the Space Shuttle

Elvis and “You can eat my Vindaloo.” If we had ads like these I wouldn’t fast forward thru the commercials.  I’d also buy me some New Walkers Poppadums.  Bet you can’t watch it just once: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QduTLFILORY&sns=em My pal Trish is a whip smart, drop dead gorgeous international entrepreneur.  She’s lived and traveled all over the… [Continue Reading]

Where in the world are you?

jlcollinsnh around the world I don’t know too much about this whole blogging process.  Since starting last June, I’ve only barely figured out how to write the posts and put them up.  But measuring readership and other metrics is still mostly a mystery to me.  (I also just got an email from a reader asking… [Continue Reading]

How I Lost Money in Real Estate Before It Was Fashionable, Part V: Sold! and the Taxman Cometh

Previously:  Part IV:  I Become a Landlord Part V: Sold! and the taxman cometh. One of the few good things to come from all this was the bond and friendship we owners developed. My pal, whose name I have somehow shamefully managed to forget, was now the Condo Association president and he kept an eye on… [Continue Reading]

How I Lost Money in Real Estate Before It Was Fashionable, Part IV: I Become a Landlord

It is said some are born to greatness, some seek greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. So, too, with landlording. And I was definitely in category #3. So now the battles have ended and the dust has begun to settle. I’m a home (well, condo) owner! Got my very own personal little slice… [Continue Reading]

How I Lost Money in Real Estate Before It Was Fashionable, Part III: The Battle Is Joined

Major Mistake #3 In the comments section of Part II you may have noticed a couple that celebrated my ultimate success in the completion of my unit. At the time, me too. Things looked pretty good and I was feeling thrill of victory. But I had lost sight of the bigger picture. I had no… [Continue Reading]

How I Lost Money in Real Estate Before It Was Fashionable, Part II: The Limits of the Law

Part I:  Impossibly Naive Part II:  The Limits of the Law Here’s what YP had been doing. sales office He had acquired the building with bank financing and gutted it.  Maybe at this point he really planned a real project. Attractive literature had been prepared showing floor plans and images of the finished units. He… [Continue Reading]

How I Lost Money in Real Estate Before It Was Fashionable, Part I: Impossibly Naive

Up In Smoke Nowadays, everybody has a tale of money lost in real estate. Dreams and cash evaporated. It has become all the rage. Hard perhaps to believe now, but time was not so long ago, real estate was a can’t lose proposition. People said things like, “Buy land. It can only go up. They’re… [Continue Reading]

You, too, can be conned

I made an enemy this week. She is the widow of an old friend.  Before he died, I promised to try to look out for her a bit. During our recent conversation she said I made her feel small.  She said I made her feel stupid. There were tears. I’m very likely guilty on both counts.  I’m… [Continue Reading]