Two short months ago I wrote about the unbelievable action that the Federal Reserve took to prop up our sagging stock market by injecting billions of dollars into the economy, and that it didn’t take a freshman econ whiz kid to tell that this would undoubtedly lead to an increase in the inflation rate. Strangely enough I found very few business reporters that even discussed the impact of the Fed’s foolhardy actions, and fewer still…
Author: Dennis Fassett
I'm pleased to report that after multiple decades of hard-headed stubbornness, I've finally figured out that all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy. So I've taken it upon myself to convert my wife and now adult(ish) kids into a roving band of merry adventurers.
From horseback riding in Monument Valley to ocean kayaking in Acadia - all of our exploits have earned the coveted "epic" label from the younguns.
I'll tell you about them - and also about the other "adventures" I'm having in my real estate investing business.
You can also find me over at DennisBuysHouses.com
The Foreclosure Concierge
I started a new line of business last week. If you’ve been reading this blog, you know that I’m a big proponent of buying single family homes and holding them as long-term rentals. It’s my belief that it’s an ideal way to build real wealth. The idea had been jelling in my mind for a couple of weeks, and everything finally clicked into place after a meeting that I attended. Even though I absolutely despise…
California Dreaming . . . . .
I just got back into town after spending four days in my old stomping grounds of northern California. The San Francisco peninsula to be more specific, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. My wife and I lived there for six years after grad school until we moved to Michigan. The occasion was my wife’s 30 year High School Reunion. I think you get the picture. While she and I did get the chance…
Get Ready for the Tidal Wave . . . .
I received an interesting call yesterday. Turns out the caller, who’s part of a fairly large and well known real estate company (at least around the Detroit News classified ads), had just picked up a block of 100 foreclosures directly from a lender without going through a realtor. Big deal you say. Happens all the time. Maybe, but that wasn’t the noteworthy part of our conversation. He went on to tell me that this was…
Michigan out 28,000 jobs – August’s 7.4% jobless rate is 14-year high.
Excerpted from the Detroit News this morning. . . .  Michigan‘s unemployment rate in August was the worst since since September 1993.  Massive automotive buyouts and a sharp decline in residential construction were cited as factors for the state’s jobless rate. Last month 28,000 jobs were lost in Michigan, bringing the total number lost since this time last year to 96,000. Since August 2006, employment in Michigan has dropped by 2 percent while nationally it has increased by…
A Tale of Two Painters
I am perplexed. If you read the paper you can tell how bad the housing market is here. With that comes the decline in home improvement which hits the trades people hard. Very hard. I know of at least three crews that I had bid jobs over the winter that are no longer in the business. It’s gotten so bad that the high end contractor that I always use on my personal residence asked me…