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I get this question every day. So here goes 

Apartments Rentals?  The rental market is very strong in almost every area except one bedroom. There is a glut of one-bedroom apartments available 

Apartments sales? There is a lot of interest right now from new people wanting to get into residential real estate investing. But if you have a project for sale that project is going to have to demonstrate an unlevered return in the high teens 

New construction residential? Very flat, we are not seeing a lot of demand for new houses right now.  There is still excessive inventory out there. 

Residential sales.  There is very strong demand for owner occupied housing right now. If your house is price correctly it will sell. Remember you do not set the price on your house being sold the market does. 

Self storage rental demand. Week but getting stronger 

Office space rental.  Very week. There are not a lot of businesses out there looking to move or get into new office space. 

Office space to Purchase.  Moderate  if it is a great deal ie less than replacement cost 

Retail rental? Demand for small retail space is very strong. I have several retail spots for lease and there is very strong demand if they are priced correctly. 

There are other segments of the market that I deal in but this will give you an idea

Another article that I read that made me think about how the words cheap and easy are part of American society was in Time Magazine about Tiger Moms. The article talks about how parents in Asia expect alot more from their children than those in the US and this could be one of the reason that China’s Economy grows at 10 percent while Americas grows at 2%.

If something is cheap(such as in the case of how most Americans eat like eating something out of a box) or if something is easy(IE how Americans are currently raising our children) it is probably that the best course of action.   I challenge you to spend a little more time and effort on the way that you buy your food and the amount of time you spend raising your children’s and the expectations that you have of them.

This reminds me of something that you need to know when you are looking at a piece of real estate to buy. You need to look at 100 different properties before you make an offer on 10 and end up buying one.

Make sure you go the The Abraham Lincoln Exhibit and the Durham Museum. It is a great way to spend the afternoon with your kids.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”
— Abraham Lincoln

The best crime fighter in Omaha

I have posted about this many times before but my son said something to me last night that made me think of it.

I will make this simple

Get a DOG.

It does not matter what kind or how big. But I have my favorites. 

Several police officers, have told me that one thing that really slows down criminals is a dog in the home.  Think about it, if you are a criminal and you know that one house has a camera and security system and another house has a dog in it. Which would you break into?

Its like many things in life, the best answers to life’s toughest questions are the simplest

Some other thoughts on this subject

1. I prefer a really big dog, but the barking kind are fine to

2. Your kids will love you for this

3. Get one from the dog shelter,

4. Get a mutt, they are more likely to have less health problems

5. Take at least two training classes with them. The basic one is fine, but the advance classes are where they learn how to be a great family member.

6. If you are a high activity person get a Lab. If you are a low activity person get a bull dog

7. Have them fixed

8. Make sure youunderstand the pack mentality of a dog

Above is a pic of my 155 lb Bullmastiff porter.  He is standing next to my Daughter Ila(front)and my granddaughter June.  Keep in mind this guy weights twice what these two girls weigh combined. 

A word on porter. This guy is a natural born killer.  He has killed countless possums, a few squires, he has actually caught a bird or two and even a bat.  On once occasion he even had an entire rat terrier in his mouth. He has even killed a cat. All of these animals made one fatal mistake. They entered his yard!!!!!!!!!  He simply does not tolerate unwelcome guests on his turf. You see, porter thinks he is in charge of the house(except for me). He thinks that everything that takes place at our house is with his permission. The kids play with his permission, chores are done with his permission, he even thinks we leave the house with his permission. Subsequently Porter is a fearless Protector.  Porter does not even like people walking buy the house, much less in the yard. The best part is he is not a barker and he does not growl.  He intimidates people buy staring them down.  And if this is not good enough, he will knock you off your feet. and hold you down by inserting your head in his mouth. Yes the whole head 

If you do not have a Dog you should consider getting one

*DISCLAIMER: This podcast is in no way tax advice. Everyone should consult a licensed CPA before engaging in any tax planning.*

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