Showing posts with label Development. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Development. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

The Real Estate Broker Conductor Dance

Dancing.

Not a favorite pastime for me.

When I was younger, I danced - well I thought I was dancing.  It might have been a sloppy swaying  or obnoxious gyration of my body.  But, I thought I was dancing.  Even if others didn't see the magic in my artful moves.

Lately, with commercial real estate (CRE) values in Las Vegas returning to their slow progression of increasing in value, I thought that Buyers would suddenly realize that the steals are gone and the Sellers would realize that they are NOT holding gold in their lands.

Oh, well.  I can only hope that the coming of the future tells them the truth -- even if Buyers want to ignore recent sales; and Sellers try to use non-comparable properties to justify an unrealistic value.

But, what hasn't changed in the 20 plus years while working CRE in Las Vegas is the dance.

Yes, the Buyer/Seller dance that starts with either the Seller or the Buyer -- it doesn't matter who starts dancing.  As long as one party or the other finds the property attractive enough that one or the other begins a dialog which might result in a potential sale.  That's what us Real Estate Brokers want to occur.

Usually, the Buyer finds a property of interest to them; then the Seller plays the hard to get game; followed by Buyer changes the viewing/walking the property time; then, the Seller fights back with  'we need to know certain Buyer qualification conditions in order to move forward;' which the Buyer then will flash their qualifications; which the Seller refuses to accept or budge.
You get the picture!

And us frustrated Real Estate Brokers are the ones who end up playing conductor.
We would be in charge of the Buyer/Seller orchestra as it plays.  All we can do is to keep trying our best and to keep up and (pretend maybe) to be fully in charge of this crazy scenario.

Now, you will have to trust me on this.  I am fully capable and experienced in helping anyone acquire a CRE property; or help a Buyer or Seller close a real estate sale -- but it is essential that the Buyer/Seller parties co-operate.

And, that is the key.

As the conductor of this musical chair scenario, it's my job to help the parties find the common ground.  Which is ground we all can stand on with two feet solidly on a firm surface.

But, as this dance is playing out, inside I am thinking: "Holy (insert your favorite word) !!!

My weary feet usually don't find the rest they need until the Escrow is closed and the property officially transfers -- changing ownership via Recording at the County.

So, you ready to dance?

To Contact David Howes try: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR; 7 0 2 5 01 9 3 8 8 AND Please #Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes Have a nice day!

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Las Vegas Raiders! Did anyone ever think the NFL would allow a team to move to Las Vegas?

The NFL has become an 11 month sport.  And with the NFL Draft just around the corner, you can be sure that Football is back in full swing!

With that said, there are fabulous Sports Bar Ownership Opportunities available in Las Vegas for the correct NFL Loving enthusiast.

Now, you don't have to open and run the business yourself.  You could acquire the real estate where the sports bar is located as a Net Leased Investment (NNN).

A NNN is where the tenant pays most (if not all) of the costs on the property to include Real Estate Taxes, Insurance and Common Area Maintenance.

Now, most local Las Vegans didn't or couldn't go to games of their favorite teams, so they just sauntered on down to the NFL Team Bar that are all over the Las Vegas Valley.

There, they could wet their whistles and make friendly talk and even wager on their teams games right inside of the bar!

That's right!  Some Sports Bars have what is known as a wagering kiosk that can accept bets on the NFL games playing that weekend.  And, this allows you to make a wager without having to go to a major resort to place a bet at a sports book!

And, these are located in particular sports bars because of the credibility of the Tenant -- which makes owning the real estate that the bar operator is located a more than solid NNN Investment!

And, one of the benefits of owning and renting a Nevada Property, if you are a Nevada Resident, you don't have business nor personal income tax on the monthly rent you receive.

It's one of the main reasons high profile persons will also own a home and live in Nevada.
That way they only pay income tax on money they earn while working in other states.
Many Celebrities do this.

(Please consult your tax person for details.)

So, if earning a passive income of +/-$10,000 per month sounds interesting to you, you need to contact me quickly.

There are real estate properties available.  But, for further details, you need...

To Contact David Howes: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR; 7 0 2 5 01 9 3 8 8 AND Please #Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes Have a nice day!

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

A New Beginning for Las Vegas?

Las Vegas!

Everyone knows your name!

Translated, it means Fun! (Not really.)

But, when some one, anywhere in the world says: "Let's go to Vegas!"
Everyone, no matter where you are in the world, knows what they mean.

And Fun means: Lots of Free Alcohol (if you are gambling), Gambling (if you are drinking free alcohol), and Partying all night long (a result from gambling and free alcohol).

So, when the NFL took up the topic of: "Should the Oakland Raiders be allowed to become the Las Vegas Raiders?  For some reason, they voted 31-1: Yes!

And as the insert article from Casino Industry Gaming News states: It was money!

Gambling Finally Becomes Non Issue With NFL Owners

That's because "Money Talks and Bull S@&t Walks!"  Is the old saying, isn't it?

And, they Voted, Yes despite the facts that Las Vegas doesn't rank very high media wise,  But, according to their vote result: Las Vegas still ranks! (No pun intended.)

Las Vegas City Rankings (Just for Fun!)

And, lastly, and this is my personal assessment, as a place to live, work, and raise a family (having lived and worked in other markets) Las Vegas is Number 1!

I think the best thing is: Nevada doesn't have a State Income tax.

Lots and Lots of money pours into Nevada via the Mining Industry, just as well as the tourism industry.

Las Vegas roads are wider than any other city in the world -- even wider than the city (supposedly) built for cars -- Los Angeles.

And on the outside looking in, Clark County and City Planners are more up to speed as to what is necessary to make traffic flow easier around the valley.

When people I'm with complain about the "Orange Traffic Cones" lining the streets, I remind them  that, that signals progress and growth!  We may NOT see the results of that growth immediately, but we will as traffic volume increases, the roads are already wide enough to handle that traffic.

And repairing roads, building much needed On and Off-ramps, wider Freeways and Streets, is all part of a growing economy.  A Valley destine to grow even larger.

Years ago, a developer told me: "If you don't have orange cones in your roads, you have a dwindling economy."

I think Mark Davis knew this and wanted to be apart of it.

To Contact David Howes try: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR; 7 0 2 5 01 9 3 8 8 AND Please #Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes Have a nice day!

Monday, March 20, 2017

How Do You Make Money Living In Las Vegas?

Not too many people ask me this question.

Most family members and friends understand that I am not too tempted by gambling.  Oh, sure, once in a while I will play $21 in Megabucks.  And I have driven a handful of times to Prim or even to Arizona to purchase a Power-ball ticket.

Yes, those, in retrospect have been such a waste of time and money.

But since the most money that I have ever won at gambling is $150 dollars, I quickly cashed out and put that ticket in my pocket. (I guess I'm cheap like that.)

Anyway, since it isn't a well-known fact, that the average Las Vegas resident gambles +/-$2,000 per month while living here, I like being the one that doesn't gamble at all -- or truthfully anywhere near that amount.

When I first moved here and was searching for a Real Estate firm to hang my Nevada Real Estate License, I had one meeting with a broker at the time who knew just what to do when the subject about real estate commissions came up"

He asked me: 'How do you make money in Las Vegas?'

Stumped, I gave the standard response of: work hard, be persistent, etc.

He said, in his experience, he has seen way too many real estate agents take a hard earned commission check down to a local casino, cash it, and by the time they leave (usually several hours later) they have nothing left.

He took a piece of paper (like below) and wrote the word Casino in the middle, he circled the word for emphasis.

Then, looking at me with earnest intent, he said, "Stay out of the casinos!'

Well, I took that as probably the best advice I had ever heard.  For one thing, I don't like the 'Strip' casinos because they are well, you know, greedy.  And, the noise and crowd isn't something I am attracted to.

Besides, once I moved to Las Vegas I found out for the first time that a casino would be willing to cash a pay check -- without taking the usual 15% that check cashing places take.

I told the broker, that I have a young family and cashing a real estate commission check at a casino wasn't something I was going to do.

I remember him saying something like, 'I hope not.'

It was apparent, that this broker knew too many agents that did that.

Eventually, I hung my license at a firm closer to where I was living at the time, and through the years, I have learned that agents do -- for whatever reason -- gamble away their commission checks.

To me that is probably the dumbest thing you can do.  The reason I know this to be true is: only one person makes money in a casino -- the owner.

To Contact David Howes try: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR; 7 0 2 5 01 9 3 8 8 AND Please #Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes Have a nice day!

Friday, March 17, 2017

Anyone know what you can do with a Shuttered Prison?

When I first read this, I thought:
Why not convert it into an office?
Then, I remembered, offices are losing traction because computers are taking over most office work functions.

Then, I thought:
Why not turn them into schools?
Well, I already proposed that vacant malls be schools because the conversion would cost less in the long run.  Besides, a prison as a school?  Most children already consider schools like they're prisons.

So, what do you do?




As this news story from the Las Vegas Review Journal indicates, there is not much interest in anyone acquiring a former prison.

So, that leaves me with the only suggestion that I think will work long term.

Tear it down.  And leave the vacant lot as a garden park.

The one potential bidder in the below story thinks turning it into a theme park would work.

Oh, well.

Shuttered Prisons

What would your thoughts on this be?

To Contact David Howes try: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR; 7 0 2 5 01 9 3 8 8 AND Please #Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes Have a nice day!

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Simply for the Benefit of Building a Hotel in Moscow

With the "surprise" results of the 2016 Presidential Election, I don't think - looking back -- anything would have changed,

Trump made promises that, at the time, I knew he wasn't going to keep.

"Make America Great Again!" Great slogan!

But his promises to the 'non college educated' will ring hollow.  Several news agencies who have had sit down talks with these former factory workers who voted for Trump simply because they felt he was "one of the union guys."  He is going to bring our jobs back, they say.

LOL!

Trump a union guy?  You have to be kidding me!  Bring jobs back?  My question to these former factory workers is: Are you that uninformed?

+/-60% of all jobs lost since 1979 have been to automation!  Those jobs are NOT returning to human workers!  Never, Ever.

And the guy who you think of as a 'Union Guy,' actually refused to pay the union workers when they did work on his bankrupt casinos!  I don't think of Trump as a union guy.  Never will!

So, don't get me started.

And, with the Trump White House calling the media the "enemy of the state" simply because the news media has dug up information revealing Trump (and/or members of his team) have had constant contact with Russian officials throughout the 2016 campaign, that actually bothers me more than it should.

Apparently, Trump is more than desperate to (allegedly) build a luxury hotel in Moscow.  This is the only thing I can think of that would make him as a patriotic American turn his back on his country, his countries allies, and destroy the America way of life as Trump seems to be (allegedly) doing.

This article is one of the best at explaining the Trump Putin connection situation.

Trump Ties to Russia


I will let you decide whether or not Trump is 'unpatriotic.'

But, wanting to build a hotel in Moscow must be worth more than we can imagine for Trump to put together such a diverse team who all have such close ties to Russia, Russian officials, and Putin.

For one thing, World War II should have taught us that if Europe is divided into individual Republics, it is easier for a more powerful nation to knock them down, one by one, like dominoes.  This is because the neighboring Republics don't want the more powerful nation attacking them.  But, as history has shown, the powerful nation usually attacks without provocation anyway.  (See Germany circa 1939)

But, as a union of united European nations, if the powerful nation attacks one; then, they have attack them all.

And, Putin understands this.  He is all for European Republics being separate nations.
This makes me think that Putin (allegedly) even wants the United States to be 50 individual nations.  You are capable of doing the math.

Also, it is reported that in order to do business in Russia, Putin (allegedly) demands a large portion of that business so he will allow you to do business in Russia.  And, (also allegedly) it has to be given to him.

Just ask any of the Russian Billionaires who refused Putin.  There are stories of them being thrown in prison until they agreed.  (And sadly, some stories say they have even have been killed.)

Its a sad, sad world we live in right now.  Enemies are pretending to be friends; a President is pretending he can lead, and the White House Staff is squirting out the fake news insult phrases when the media contradicts Trump.

I don't know about you, but I find this absolutely annoying.  All it is doing, is helping to divide the United States into the Confederate States once again.

If only the GOP controlled Congress would stand up to the bully at the pulpit.  They could nip this in the butt and right the ship.

So, I ask: Is Donald Trump truly that unpatriotic that he would lead Americans to their demise -- simply for the benefit of building a hotel in Moscow?

To Contact David Howes try: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR; 7 0 2 5 01 9 3 8 8 AND Please #Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes Have a nice day!

Monday, February 27, 2017

Urban vs Rural; OR, Blue vs Red

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog about how 57 counties in the US of A are responsible for 2/3's of the nation's GNP; while 3,182 counties or there about only contribute to 1/3rd of that amount.

This got me thinking about an article I read a long time ago from a Princeton University Professor who said we didn't live in Democrat or Republican Societies; we actually live in Urban and Rural Societies.

I now know this to be more true than ever.

For the most part, Urban societies are about growth, working and living close to each other.  This actually requires Urban Society rules of courtesy and accommodation; whereas, Rural Societies are more about individual strength, living on your own, providing for yourself and family what the land gives.  They are more encouraged by self governing, and not worrying about whether your neighbor is making too much noise at 2 AM.  Rural Society feels that any government regulation is an intrusion upon their lifestyle.  So, they are not going to have any part of it.


Once, while talking to an Urban Planner, he remarked that Urban Society rules will work in a Rural Society Setting just as wells as in the city;  but, he continued, that, Rural Rules would never work in an Urban Society Setting at all.

And, I think that is the reason Rural Society doesn't like or fit into Urban Society -- especially when Urban Society moves too close to Rural -- think Oil and Water.

Let's take for example, this current news story from the Las Vegas Review Journal.  A lot of you will have no idea what or where Blue Diamond is -- except you might think that, that is the name of a Street here in Southern Nevada.

Blue Diamond Development

But, a local developer, who acquired +/-2,400 acres on a Mesa in the southwest of the Las Vegas Valley, wants to build single family homes on what was once a Gypsum Mine located on this Mesa; and, the good folks of Blue Diamond, being the proud members of a Rural Society, don't want the influx of traffic, the new homes, and especially -- the number of people who would be using this new development as their place of residence.

That's right.  The current residents of Blue Diamond don't want Urban Society invading (moving into) their Rural Society.

Which is sad, because, with the influx of the new homes, this Rural Society would see the increase the Blue Diamond's revenue, increase in retail spending, newer commercial development, and the ease of expanding their economic output.  Thus, in other words, increasing their profit potential from adding to the County's, State's, and the Countries GNP!

But, because of their 'back off!' attitude; which could easily translate into we don't want your kind, which is mistaken for racial prejudice -- regardless of Who actually moves into the new development, they would forgo the economic improvement to their lives because...well, their Rural Society Lifestyle would have to change -- for the most part.

Now, I am sure that the current residents of Blue Diamond are very, good God fearing, wonderful people.  But, unless they understand that the only way to improve themselves and to improve their lives is to embrace progress, their community will eventually die -- just as other counties in other states where they solely only want their old factory job to be returned to them that in reality is never, ever going to happen.

In an Urban Society, from what I can tell, progress is the way for an Society -- whether Urban or Rural -- to continue to look forward to the  horizon that is directly in front of you.

If you are just looking at what was, and not at what could be, this has and always will lead every Society to ruin.  Just take a look at the numerous ghost towns that failed to see what was coming.

Urban or Rural.  Progress keeps a Society active and economically growing.

Just my two cents.

To Contact David Howes try: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR; 7 0 2 5 01 9 3 8 8 AND Please #Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes Have a nice day!

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Well, Caesar's had to have had a way to pay for their Bankruptcy!

When I first heard this, that's what I thought.

Caesar's Entertainment just completed their bankruptcy and since it cost them tens if not hundreds of millions in attorneys fees, I knew that, that cost would be passed on to their visitors somehow.

Well, that's not the official standing, anyway.
The Caesar bosses are proclaiming better WiFi service in the rooms, maintaining passes to their property's fitness center, and a whole lot of other gobble-gook.

But, the fees are here to stay -- and they will charge them for as long as visitors continue to book and stay at their properties and are willing to fork over their hard earned money.

Resort Fees to Increase at Caesars Entertainment Properties

Anyway, the other sad note is that even Free Parking at Resort Properties is a thing of the past, too!
Now, if you are staying at the property there is a discount. But, that varies property to property.

Years ago, when I first moved to Las Vegas, I took a part-time job as a taxi driver -- to get familiar with the city and 'Strip!'  And, once picked up a lady at a casino and drove her to the airport.

Along the way, as we were talking, she said (paraphrasing here) that she remembered when Las Vegas was eloquent.  She said, Las Vegas had turned into a K-Mart.  When she first came to Las Vegas years ago, it was a different time; a time when people dressed up to go down to the casino just to gamble.



I asked: why did she think it changed so much?  What she said next, I will remember this for the rest of my life.

She said, Las Vegas changed when the casinos were bought up by corporations.  She said when the 'mob' ran Vegas, they made sure you got a meal and freebies to remember your visit.  Now, she continued, everything is a profit center.

And she laughed, even housekeeping.

As I sit here today, I ponder her statement. and ask myself, How are they going to make money through housekeeping?

Oh, that's right!  In the future -- near or far -- prepare yourself for a Resort to charge a "Housekeeping Fee."

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Saturday, February 11, 2017

Are Congressmen & Senators Non-College Educated, Too?

Don ran an excellent Presidential campaign that focused on core issues as "bad" (when they weren't) and stirring up so much anti Hillary sediment.  While doing this, he confused rural Americans into thinking because he was a businessman, he was the "only one who can fix it" person.

(The problem with this is that throughout US history, businessmen who became president are some of the worst presidents ever! (Don't believe me? Look it up.)

And, this: "I'm the only one who can fix it" attitude, enabled him to confuse and con the rural Americans into voting for him.  They (apparently) goose-stepped to the polls thinking he was going to be able to do what no other President would or could do.

(Boy, did these rural Americans get conned.  The majority of rural counties (+/-3,100) voted for Don; whereas, the majority of Urban counties (+/-57) voted for Hillary.)

And all during the 2016 Presidential campaign, Don kept saying how bad the Affordable Care Act (Obama care) was.  And, by doing this, he convinced rural Americans that the insurance that was actually helping them, was horrible for them.

However, the problem with Obama care, according to the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, was that insurers systematically pulled out of states -- thus enabling one insurer to have a monopoly within that state, that enabled them to charge more money in that state, thus the monthly increase in their premiums.  (And, they were able to do this because of the limited, or very, very weak Federal Regulation.)  And because there was no mandate stating: "You must provide insurance to all," They decided that they weren't making enough money.

Through the years, I've asked why there is no Federal Regulation for Insurers -- just as there is for Federal Mortgages, etc.  You've heard of the 'Equal Opportunity' line when applying for a mortgage, right?

So, why is there no Equal Opportunity for Insurance?

Paul Ryan explains why ACA Premiums increased

The reason is: the insurers don't want any Federal Regulation on their industry, so they continually lobby and contribute (pay off) to Congress person elections to avoid being regulated.

The problem is: Insurers are in the business of making money.  They truly don't care whether or not you are healthy; or, have adequate health care coverage, as long as you pay them your premium. That's all they want.

Oh, and if you want to have better coverage, or have a lower monthly premium, you must have a higher than normal deductible.  (Does this sound about right?)

Affordable Care Act Explained

And, the protests we are seeing at Congressional Town Hall Meetings of these Congress persons from these rural American Counties, is having an affect on them.  Even these supposed Non-College Educated rural Americans are finally realizing that they were conned, too.

These elected Congress persons or Senators are starting to feel the heat that repealing Obama care as Don has demanded -- or even changing it to what the insurers want -- will result in them NOT being re-elected.

This makes me think: Are these politicians Non-College Educated, too?  It's obvious, they didn't understand the Affordable Health Care Act in the first place.

I know that Don still doesn't understand it.  (He claims he doesn't like to read, so, I am guessing that he hasn't read it, nor has anyone around him.)

Don't Change My Health Insurance

So, all you politicians: Maybe it's time that you stop taking insurer's money and start focusing on your constituents, because if you don't; if you continue to support a bad president and his lame policies, you will be out of office the next election cycle.

Ignore Constituents and you are out!

Now, I knew that there was a huge campaign to 'Hate Hillary' this past Presidential Election.  I just didn't think rural Americans would be so easily persuaded as they were.

PS: If running for president, please remember: "Democracy was never meant to be efficient."

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Saturday, February 4, 2017

If I ever run for President, I will run as a Republican because they believe everything that Fox News tells them.

To me, it is astonishing to realize just how uninformed the majority of US Voters truly are.

In 1998, Donald Trump said, "If I ever run for President, I will run as a Republican because they believe everything that Fox News tells them."

Unfortunately, Don was correct.

In the 2016 Presidential election, out of all the US Counties, Don won 3,100 plus! (I still don't know why these county residents were swayed by the Trump/Bannon hateful rhetoric.)



But, what most people don't realize is that counties Trump won in the US election are the lowest producing economic counties in the US.  The one lone exception that stands out to me is: Maricopa County, AZ.

The sad thing is, Clinton carried the counties, that combined, make up 64% of the US GNP.  Which means that the 57 Counties who voted for Hillary Clinton are more prosperous than all the of counties that Trump won.

Counties with highest GNP

This leads me to know that if a county is that prosperous, and they supply so much economic value to the country, why don't the other counties that are poorer, follow their lead?

I realize that most can't do what most of the more prosperous counties do.

And I believe that the reason is, they don't look beyond their horizon.  They don't see the forest for the trees.  They keep doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.

They (foolishly) believed that an arrogant, narcissistic man who said he will bring their jobs back, when in fact 60%+/- of those "lost" jobs (since 1979) never, ever left the country in the first place. (Automation was cheaper for the factory than the human.)

But, instead of re-tooling; instead of looking ahead; these (now old) factory workers longed for their widget making job back.  (Massive mistake.)

So, if 50 counties have more economic power than all of the counties that Trump won, why don't those 3,100+ county leaders do something about it.

Could it be even the leaders of those counties can't get out of their own way?

The bottom-line is:

Trump is NOT going to bring back any of those lost jobs.
Trump will waste money building a "wall" along the southern border when in reality, it is not necessary.  (90% of Illegal Immigrants overstay their visas.  They don't stupidly attempt to cross 100's of miles of open desert.  It is a deadly thing to attempt. I don't care what the Reality TV shows indicate.)

Trump WILL increase the US National Debt by doing things that cost money, without a means or way to pay for them.

Sure.  Trump can cancel overpaying for a new plane; Trump can sign lots of 'Executive Orders' banning Muslims from entering the country (Out of ALL the Muslim nations, he selected the 7 nations where he doesn't currently have a business or operating hotel interest.)

Yet, Trump doesn't know how to play well with others.  Leaks from the White House indicate there is a pending massive exodus waiting to happen.  (And, he has only been President two weeks!)

You can only invalidate some so much before they lose respect for you as a person and/or leader.

(Trump, I believe, thought being President amounted to him just issuing orders; and Congress goose stepping along with those orders without questioning him.)

Sooner or later, (I hope sooner) the non college educated voter will realize just how stupidly they were selecting the man with the big mouth spewing hateful rhetoric.

And I hope and pray somewhere within the walls of Congress, an impeachment process is lingering.

If Obama had tried to do any of this stuff that Trump is trying to do, the GOP would already have begun the impeachment process.

Democracy was never intended to be efficient!

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Thursday, January 26, 2017

And that is the way it should be!!!

The Nevada Supreme Court upheld the HOA's right to foreclose on a property which voids any and all mortgage liens that affect the property.



If you are a lender, bank or investment company, and you don't keep an eye on your investment, then losing your interest in that property is the end result.

HOA Auction Story

A few years ago, I went to one of these HOA auctions to check it out.  I soon learned that I didn't have enough money to compete with 99% of the investors there.

But, I watched, listened and learned just what these investors already knew.

Acquiring a property (usually a SFR/condo home) at an HOA sanctioned auction was the best way to acquire one for under market value. (Please keep that between you and me!)

And, the winning bidder receives the property for cash free and clear.

When I was there, two investors continually tired to out bid one another for a home.  The property was eventually sold for $151,000.  I learned that the losing bidder just hadn't brought enough money to the auction.

Later, I looked the address up and discovered it was a Summerlin mansion that the owner couldn't afford the HOA payments on anymore.  The HOA foreclosed, did their necessary disclosure work, held the auction and the bank was out!

And, while there, I noticed that a lot of the homes being auctions off were already bank owned and the banks simply just didn't pay the monthly HOA fee.  Thus, the bank had foreclosed on a property, added it to their asset list and simple stop maintaining the HOA monthly fee.

Well, the HOA needs that Monthly assessment to maintain their communities. So, too bad, Mr. Bank.  I truly don't feel sorry for you for any bank or mortgage company that created and funded those horrible loans 10 to 12 years ago -- just to sell loans on the Secondary market.

And now the bank are considering bring them back, again?  Obviously, the lesson wasn't learned.

Sure, let's buy a home (we can't afford) on a 100% LTV stated income loan!  Stupid is what it is.

Now, hopefully, I will close a few more deals; and then, I will have a little more extra cash to try the HOA auction process again.

See you there!

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Sunday, January 22, 2017

Could Vacant Malls be Renovated into Schools/Classrooms?

As I await for the continuation of the NFL Playoffs, I was cruising the usual Internet sites and came across an article about Department Store CEOs who are being replaced because of poor retail sales.
(Of course it is exciting to me!)

Anyway, with Amazon and e-bay taking rather large bites from this sector, and the fact that stores and malls are closing left and right, it got me thinking: (I know, not a good sign.) Since most communities still need schools, and most communities can NOT afford to build new schools, why aren't those school districts taking these already built and ready for (their) Tenant Improvement buildings and converting them to schools?



I'm sure that the banks would sell cheaply; or, they would lease to the school district cheaply in exchange for them taking care of the property while the bank tries to figure out what to do with the property next.

It has to be much, much cheaper to place a school into one of these buildings because the big box buildings could be divided into classrooms, auditorium, and gym; they already have the essential elements needed to supply children, teachers and administrators what they need.  Especially the smaller retail stores could be classrooms, etc.



Malls have built in Food Courts, Bathrooms, Hall Ways, Indoor Gathering Areas, Outdoor Gathering Areas, Ample Parking, and ease of access to and from the grounds.

The question I have: Why hasn't anyone else thought of this before?

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

The Trumpetters are getting ready -- to be disappointed!

The true title of this post should be: Corruption waiting to happen.

Because it is (allegedly) going to happen.

Trump through all of his businesses (yes! He owns thousands of LLC's which hold various properties from around the world), will result in the end of Trump's reign as US President.

The reason I think this is because I don't think Trump is capable of resisting the urge to make money.  And, as the Emolument Clause says, the president can not make money from a foreign country.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-emoluments-clause_us_58794852e4b09281d0eaf212

Now, if that doesn't happen, there is another item that I know Trump and his loonies haven't thought about.

Since he owns high rises throughout the world under various LLC's, what will the US Response be when a terrorist group attacks one of his towers?  What if they knock one or two down, killing hundreds if not thousands of people?  You know, like they did with airplanes back on 9/11/2001?

Putting Trump in office will be the biggest disaster in US history.  Instead of paying billions to prevent Russia from attacking Western Europe via NATO, I foresee hundreds of billions being spent being paid for damages, real and punitive as a settlement for Trump's arrogance.

And, even the odds makers are calling for Trump to be leaving office before four years.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-impeached-us-president-bookies-offer-even-odds-us-congress-inauguration-a7531536.html

Unfortunately, the non college educated (STUPID PEOPLE) voted the wrong candidate into office because they were conned into thinking that Trump was going to bring back their widget making/assembling job at $20 an hour. He's not!

Since 1979, +/-60% of jobs lost were lost to automation.  Those jobs didn't leave the US.  They are still here being done more efficiently and at less cost by a machine than a human.

Even the Electoral College -- which Alexander Hamilton originally designed to be a nonpartisan group of Educated people -- got it wrong.

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Not all Casinos will make money; nor are they a good idea!

Usually, when a 'Want-to-be Casino owner' comes to town, and they acquire a 'casino property' for the "it's a good price" reason, I become very skeptical about them.

The reason is that just after closing, they finally come to the realization that they bought the wrong property in the wrong location for more than it is worth!

This happened in Atlantic City, too!  Buyers of Casinos there -- with very little knowledge about the casino business in general -- were claiming they were able to buy a casino 'for the right price' and then for some strange reason, just after closing the sale, they found that they weren't making any money.  And, the cost to run the casino was much higher than they anticipated.

Just so everyone knows: Not all casinos are going to make money.

It is well known that Atlantic City's casino problem has been compounded by that fact that local casinos in states surrounding Atlantic City were the primary reason for Atlantic City's casino demise.

In Las Vegas, there is only one area where you will be spending Billion$ for a property; and will have to in turn invest more Billion$ to bring the property back up to tourist standard to attract them to your property.  (But, most buyers believe that just by putting paint and carpet in will suffice -- when it doesn't.)

Even in the State of Nevada, there are examples of casino properties that have been hurt by California casinos.  Take Laughlin, NV for example.

Laughlin, NV casinos went into overbuild mold that -- well just wasn't needed.

http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/laughlin-s-abandoned-emerald-river-resort-remains-eyesore

Now, are there resort casinos worth acquiring? Of course!

Right now, there are properties worth buying.  You just have to have the Billion$ to be able to acquire them.  You have to have the capacity to close, and, you will have to re-invest money into bringing them back up to date!

Recently, a motel owner asked me to meet him because he wants me to help him to turn his (poorly located) motel into a high rise resort casino.  I told him there is a severe lack of funding for high rise projects.  He wasn't convinced that I was telling the truth.  (I hate when that happens.)  So, he is moving ahead.

So sad.  Because he is going to invest thousands into architectural fees and permits to find he has an expensive time restricted county approval with no ready and willing buyers lined up -- because the banks foolishly fell for the first wave of condo/hotel tower ownership, and lost big time on it.  It was all a waste of money.

Now, if you still have the itch to acquire a Las Vegas Resort Casino Hotel, and you have Billion$ burning a hole in your pocket, and no matter what anyone tells you, you still have a Resort Casino Hotel is in your sites, then you had better contact me; or, click on the Las Vegas Casino Information button.  Download my form, sign it and email it back to me.



Then, we can start discussing which properties would be ripe for acquisition.

PS: European Casino Brokers don't have the internal contacts in Las Vegas that I have.

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Sunday, January 1, 2017

John Dean says Trump will breach Presidential Oath of Office!

A lot of you out there probably don't know just WHO John Dean is.

For a long time, I thought he (could be) was Deep Throat* within the Nixon Administration. (It turns out he was NOT.)

Anyway, if there is one person who can read through the BS that Trump is spinning, it's John Dean -- having done this, and did that for Richard Nixon.

This article describes just "How" Trump is using (conning?) Americans into thinking he is capable of being President of the United States when in actuality he is NOT.

http://www.newsweek.com/john-dean-gutless-press-still-giving-trump-free-pass-536478

And like most of Trump's critics, we know Trump is not qualified to be president -- we just can't convince the Non College Educated White Person of this -- yet!



*Deep Throat was Bernstein's and Woodward's inside source that helped them bring down Richard Nixon's presidency. 

Will we need a Deep Throat inside of Trump's Presidency?

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Monday, December 19, 2016

I don't understand: How do normally intelligent people fall for a lie?

You might think of this blogging today as a lesson.  It's not.  I just truly don't understand why people will believe something just because some one says it -- whether it is true or not.

Mark Twain once said: 'It's easier to fool someone, then to unfool them."

This rings true even until today.

The problem I am having is: I am finding it very hard to believe that normal, everyday human beings are so willing to accept a bold face lie -- just because one person says it is true -- and insist that his/her version is true!

Case in point: Trump verses the non-college educated white working person.

Trump has repeatedly said, he is going to bring back the jobs from Mexico and China! And he's going to 'Make America Great Again!' while doing it.

Okay, I guess Hitler said something similar back in the 1930's that allowed him to take power in Germany.  My problem with this is why haven't we leaned from history not to fall for this?

Now, Trump has been voted president by the Electoral College.  Okay.  So, is he now going to disband congress and take dictatorial powers?

No.  He is not.  Our system of government may allow a clown to be voted into office, but there still are checks and balances that he will have to learn to deal with.

And, as I watch him appoint persons that have no specific training to jobs that require a certain amount of experience to perform those jobs, I will keep an open mind.

And, I believe that most people do have open minds; but Trump, I think, is under the impression (delusion) that as president he can just fire Congressmen/women or Senators at will.

Well, Don, that's not going to happen.

So, with Donald now officially President-elect, I will anxiously wait for his resignation or impeachment; which ever comes first is okay with me.

But, before I end this today, I would like to give my own Thank You Tour by saying, "Thank you non-college educated white people.  Trump promised to bring your job back!  Well, that is NOT going to happen since your job was most likely lost to a robot who does it so much better (and cheaper) than you in the first place."

So, you were fooled into voting for him.  Best of Luck.

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Electoral College GOP Voters May Vote against Trump!

When I saw this, this morning, I thought my prayers were answered.

I would be able to get my Middle Eastern Client/Buyer back on track; and also the two Chinese Buyers to renew their efforts to acquire Las Vegas CRE Property.

I just hope the cat isn't out of the bag too soon.

And since Harvard University Law Professor Larry Lessig has announced this event, I truly hope that there are more than twice as many that will vote Hillary than is needed for her to obtain 270 Electoral Votes.

Here are two links to the story: (You may have to copy and paste the link in your browser.)

http://nypost.com/2016/12/14/at-least-20-electors-could-turn-on-trump-harvard-prof-claims/

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/310309-harvard-professor-says-gop-electors-are-close-to-blocking-trump

Lets hope there are 38 or more actual voters who Vote faithless!

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Monday, December 12, 2016

Trump (supposed) election cost me +$8 Million in CRE Commissions

If money talks, then losing the ability to make money screams LOUDLY!

For two years I have been working with two foreign investors (hotel/resort owners) who want to become part of the exclusive Las Vegas Resort Owners Club.  (This is NOT a real club.)

In order to become such a member, you have to have very, very deep pockets and have someone like me on your payroll (sort of to speak) -- (at least have me signed up to help you for compensation).

With that said, I was lined up to make a very, very large pay day -- which doesn't happen very often if at all -- if the buyer and his/their investors actually go through with acquiring a multi-billion dollar resort.

Even Donald Trump doesn't have this type of cash.

And because of Donald Trump's anti Muslim rant, and his (potential) win of electoral college votes, his election to the US Presidency is costing me a +$5 Million in CRE commission.

And, just this week, with Trump's ignorant telephone call to Taiwan and upsetting the US relation with China, he is now costing me another +$3 Million in CRE commission.

So, no love loss here.

Now, with the Russian hacking and the belated GOP leadership asking for a bipartisan investigation into this Russian hacking of the DNC and the RNC, it is my hope Trump doesn't get sworn in as President.  If he does, he may in the future have to resign.

But, I am hopeful, the Electoral College does its constitutional job and debates the pros and cons of a Trump Presidency; then, they vote for one of the top three vote recipients; namely the politically experienced one - Hillary Clinton.

I say this because my gut feeling is: Where there is smoke, there is fire.

Which leads me to hope that the Electoral College Voters realize Trump's unworthiness and that at least 38 Electoral College Voters vote faithless and elect the popular vote winner as President.

I know, it's a pipe dream.  But Trump has continued to demonstrate that he is NOT ready to be the President of the USA.

And the anti-China rant, to me, was the last straw.

#ElectoralCollegeVoteHillary

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Trump Can NOT save 3.5 Million jobs!

I was going to title this blog posting: "Stupid White Americans" -- But, I deemed that as politically incorrect,  So, how about: "Non-College Educated White Americans"  Is that better?  Or, would you rather be called "Deplorable?"

Anyway, Donald Trump ran for president on a platform of: "We're going to bring those jobs back!"

The problem is: most job losses since 1979 were to automation -- NOT a foreign country.  Now, since Hillary didn't combat this during the campaign with knowledge, the Trump hype succeeded in fooling these non-college educated white Americans into voting for him.

And, this reminded me of what Mark Twain once said: 'It's easier to fool someone; then, to unfool them.'

So, congratulations to the "Stupid" white Americans!

Now, listen up, Stupid Americans!  I think the following is important.  I received this today in an email. And, Susan Phillips makes a very good point:

"Worst Job Killer
 Remember Pearl Harbor because the ensuing war taught America the greatest lesson of all, just because you can do something, does not mean you should do something. The world quite successfully halted the proliferation of nuclear warfare. Today President-elect Trump warns companies, who shift jobs overseas, there will be repercussions for these American job killers. But "Fortune" reminds us the real job killer may be technology, "Roughly 3.5 million people are in roles that are at risk of being automated away, compared to the World Trade Organization estimate the US lost 3.2 million jobs to China from 2001 to 2013. "Amazon debuted its new bricks and mortar grocery store, "Go store," with a design which hints at a future of shopping with no human interaction. We don't need the government to stop technology job killers. Tell Uber driverless cars and Amazon Go, "Hell no, we won't Go. "It's how Baby Boomers stopped a war. Uber's original business model employed so many; our wallets can prevent companies from taking a bad turn on the road to success."
 Susan Phillips, CEO - SelectLeaders

So, that widget making job you lost to a machine is NOT coming back.  (The robot does it much, much better, quicker and for so much less per hour than you ever would work for.) 

But, there is something you can do about other company's attempts at automation.  And, try using your brain this time and NOT partake in those industries that are gearing up to take more humans out of other jobs!

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Trump definitely needs to Thank the 'Looney Tunes' American Worker!

After visiting my doctor yesterday, she said something that I knew: but I hadn't truly focused on: She said that Trump got elected by telling the non-college educated people what they wanted to hear - not what they needed to hear.

Then, this made me think about a Mark Twain quote: 'It's easier to fool someone than it is to un-fool them."

And, fool them Trump did into voting for him because he made promises logical people know that he won't be able to keep.

Hey, even Sarah Palin is now saying his Carrier deal can't be done to keep every company from moving jobs overseas.

You see, most cities, counties or states can't afford to provide the millions in tax incentives which the state of Indiana agreed to, to keep jobs!

And, what's sad is that those very same non-college educated workers will have to accept tax increases on themselves to pay for those incentives.

Plus, the true way to keep their jobs is to accept the same rate of pay as the foreign country workers are willing to work for.  Do you think that is going to happen?

So, after hearing and thinking about this, this made me think about just how "Looney Tunes" these middle American non college educated workers are.

If you view Trump as Bugs Bunny, then it makes sense. "What's up, Doc?"


Also, the jobs lost to automation are never, ever going to be returned because machines can do a much better job of welding, riveting, assembling, packing, etc. better than any human for much, much less per hour.

Now, are these very same non-college educated workers going to work for what in our society is basically a slave wage?

No, they are not.

So, non college educated working Americans, if you truly want your old job, you can have it back. But you must be willing to work for less then $3 per hour.

Are you ready to get back to work?

Contacting David Howes is easy -- either by: davidATdavidhowesDOTnet OR call him at: 70 25 01 93 88 AND Follow David on Twitter: @DavidAHowes