BRAIN DROPPINGS FOR THE NEW YEAR FROM MIAMI

1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left..

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good Evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is congress

10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.

12. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'

13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.

17. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

18. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

19. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.

20. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

21. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

22. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

23. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

24. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

25. Going to church doesn't make you a MORAL PERSON any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

26. Where there's a will, there's relatives.

NOTE When you take from ONE source, its plagiarism... When you take from 26.... ( See above) Its RESEARCH!!!!!!!

If you want a team that knows all 26 of these truisms, but also is THE leader in luxury beach sales and leasing in all of South Florida.... Call the HARDCASTLE GROUP AT 800-614-6151

BRAIN DROPPINGS FROM SOUTH FLORIDA

1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.

3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.

6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left..

7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

8. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good Evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is congress

10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.

11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.

12. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'

13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.

16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.

17. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

18. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

19. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.

20. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

21. You're never too old to learn something stupid.

22. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

23. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

24. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

25. Going to church doesn't make you a MORAL PERSON any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.

26. Where there's a will, there's relatives.

NOTE When you take from ONE source, its plagiarism... When you take from 26.... ( See above) Its RESEARCH!!!!!!!

If you want a team that knows all 26 of these truisms, but also is THE leader in luxury beach sales and leasing in all of South Florida.... Call the HARDCASTLE GROUP AT 800-614-6151

WHO DO WE BLAME FOR ALL THE SPENDING?

(After all,.... non of US are responsible!!!!?!!,,, I want names!)

U.S. debt surpasses GDP NOW WE ARE OFFICIALLY GREECE!!!!! GET OUT THE BAKLAVA!! Lets Celebrate and throw all of Nancy Reagan's White House China in the Fire Place.... OOPPAA! WHO IS THE BIG SPENDER HERE? Ok so the President says that the 1% of you out there are KILLING and EATING the CHILDREN of the rest of the 99% of us...out THERE..... That cant be such a huge list! Lets get all the names and put them in CAMPS so that they cant hurt us like the Japanese Americans would have in WW11. We put THEM in camps and stole all thier money and their businesses for the 99%.. Why not those 1% people that are so EVIL ( Well... they ARE paying 52% of all tax revenues to Uncle Sam) BUT THATS JUST CONFUSING THINGS!!!! INCONVENIENT FACTS Compensation on Wall Street is set to be the lowest since 2008, when the financial crisis hit. According to people familiar with the situation, compensation for most of Goldman Sachs' approximately 400 partners will fall at least in half from 2010 (though that still amounts to more than $3 million per person). And pay for Goldman's fixed-income trading division could see compensation fall by 60%, with some people receiving no bonus at all. Morgan Stanley is expected to cut bonuses for some investment bankers and traders by 30%-40%. These compensation cuts are after banks made plans to slash more than 200,000 jobs over the next few years. WHAT ABOUT THE PRESIDENTS "COMMUNITY ORGANIZER" BUDDIES? Steve Rattner, an Obama CZAR spoke last month at the Detroit Economic Club, a nonpartisan organization that hosts public-policy discussions. To promote that appearance, Rattner agreed to an interview with local radio personality Frank Beckmann… The host opened the interview by asking if Rattner stepped down from his White House post in anticipation of the Security and Exchange Commission's (SEC) suit that would later allege a kickback scheme involving Rattner's private-equity firm. Things did not go well… I won't ruin the surprise, but the fireworks are well-worth listening to the interview posted to the WJR talk radio station website… Obama is not just a SOCIALIST.. HE IS A CRONY CAPITALIST/SOCIALIST... that actually in scientific economic circles is known as STATE FACISISM ( You know... TO BIG TO FAIL BUSINESSES in bed with the REGIME in power. (* See: NAZI GERMANY 1933-1945) This man was personally implicated in bribing New York state pension officials (but hasn't been indicted yet). He made close to $500 million via his private-equity fund (Quadrangle), while his investors underperformed municipal bonds. This guy lives in a $15 million home on Martha's Vineyard and in the same Fifth Avenue apartment building as George Soros. This is a guy who flies his own plane… whose wife is the leading fundraiser for the Democratic Party. This is Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and Michael Bloomberg's best friend. And Barry Diller's. This guy spent his entire life in the rarified world of Ivy League colleges, investment banks, and New York City's most elite social circles. And yet… even with all of these advantages, he ended up accused of bribing New York State pension officials to get them to invest with his private-equity firm. (By the way… I have to hand it to OBAMA! on appointing Rattner as the "car czar." OBAMA! knew about the corruption charges, and he appointed Rattner to restructure General Motors anyway. After all, who better to steal from bondholders than a crook?) And now, Rattner was going to lecture us, the great unwashed, about "income inequality." It was simply unbearable… After spending about 20 minutes congratulating himself on the bailout of GM (which cost taxpayers roughly $80 billion and bondholders roughly $27 billion), Rattner put up a chart he seemed to believe indicated rich people in America were making far too much money. ( NOTE) Rattner ended up settling his SEC case for $6.2 million, a pittance for the billionaire. He was also banned from "associating with any investment advisor or broker dealer" for two years. And as his appearance with Frank Beckmann makes clear… he doesn't want to talk about it. ELECTIONS MATTER... TODAYS LESSON No more needs to be said on this subject.. If you dont get it... Call 911.. you have no brain waves. SURE DEAL FOR TODAY Letting Hardcastle Group steer you with our extensive knowledge of Real Estate Investment, sales, purchases and management so you dont end up as a sorry news story on someone else's BLOG. Give us a call. 800-614-6151

An Idiot’s Guide to Next Financial Bubble Burst

Why is the Financial Crisis in Europe so important to us here in the US? Who needs those pesky Europeans, right? Well... besides the fact that over 22% of everything we export overseas is BOUGHT in Europe, and the fact that..... .. ok.. lets just stop there. 22% is reason enough to sit up and listen.

The European Union is an economic and political institution forged over decades, sealed with a treaty in 1993 but only, truly made real in 2002, when most of the current member states dropped their currency in favor of the common euro. For centuries a breeding ground for war and imperialism, Western Europe had bound itself together in peace and apparent prosperity, with a supranational government all its own to be quartered in Brussels.

Things have changed. While most major banks remain multinational (with interests around the world) their errors — some would say crimes — have brought renewed focus on the sovereign state. Today, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Portugal and Spain are on the edge of default, the euro zone nations have a new catchphrase: “Exposure.” As in, how much “exposure” do our banks have to the bad debt held by yours. This is the least you should know.

Why are these nations in debt? Like any state (or person, for that matter) it spent more money than it took in. Sound familiar? Sounds like the good ole' US of A to me!!

Traditionally, but especially, after switching over to the euro, these nations' governments paid out huge amounts of cash they simply did not have. To compound this, the retirement age there is low by modern Western standards, and benefits are generous. Public sector employees are well paid. Sounds good, right? So when the money ran out, these nations have turned to European banks for loans. Soon, these governments were... AND ARE.... borrowing hundreds of billions and those debts, like subprime mortgages in the United States, are toxic and insolvent.

Just like here, European banks will take 50 cents for every dollar owed to them by these nations' governments. In exchange, these countries must impose what many have described as a crushing austerity. That means no more early retirement, reduced pay for public workers (the ones who manage to keep their jobs), large-scale cuts to social programs, and a staggered repayment of the reduced debt.

There have been riots in cities across Europe by thousands who want their cake, pie, STEAK, seconds, valet parking... and Eat it too! EVERYBODY WANTS SOMETHING FOR NOTHING... or I should say. They dont want to PAY for what they HAVE received and continue to wish for.

What will happen if Greece or any of these other EU nations default on its foreign debt?

The first thing you would notice is a massive drop in stock markets from the U.S. to Japan, and all across Europe.

German banks, and maybe French too, would need massive bailouts. The prospect of those defaults in other debt-ridden countries could cause a run on the banks. Even more money would leave the market. And when money leaves the market, demand drops. When demand drops, economies go in the crapper.

It is for this reason, you are seeing the US work through the IMF to prop up these European banks with...YES... PRINTED MONEY... from our ever printing, never stopping, dollar presses in the basement of the Treasury Department. (15 trillion and counting........)

My prediction? All of these measures are fingers in the dike stop gap moves. They have not even begun to address the REAL problem.. and that is the enormous FLOOD behind the dike wall that is not likely to go away any time soon.

And what is that flood? To much debt. To much government, to much spending, the politicization of economic fundamentals and the violation of those economic fundamentals. Lets simply say that 1 - 1 = ZERO and always WILL equal ZERO no matter what your local politician says. And when you blow hot air into a balloon... at some point, if you dont stop.. IT WILL BURST.

A Sea of Trouble

With all the negative in the news lately, I decided to add a little "lightness" to your day in this blog. Not ALL of life is about economics and real estate......well... IT SHOULD BE.. but its not ENJOY

Great truths about life that adults have learned

Raising teen-agers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.

There is always a lot to be thankful for, if you take the time to look. For

example, I'm sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt.

One reason to smile is that every seven minutes of every day, someone in an

aerobics class pulls a hamstring.

Car sickness is the feeling you get when the monthly payment is due.

The best way to keep kids at home is to make a pleasant atmosphere - and let

the air out of their tires.

Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts.

Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

My mind not only wanders; sometimes it leaves completely.

If you can remain calm, you just don't have all the facts.

New Year, New Opportunities

The new year 2011 will bring many new opportunities in Real Estate Investment. The pitfalls will be equal to the opportunities.

2010 will always be considered the bottom of the real estate market since the Great Depression. Not since the 1930's have we seen the same levels of depreciation of prices or the number of defaults and foreclosures. During the last quarter of 2010, a modest turn in the level of decline of values and the number of home sales has turned.

In the South Florida market, we have experienced the highest level of closed sales in the last 4 years starting in July of this last year. While prices have dipped on average by 45-60%, depending upon location, the number of sales has jumped over 120% over last years levels. That has virtually stopped the slide in values and in some cases has led to some bidding wars among investors on the best deals. Short Sales and Foreclosure sales still outnumber the resales in the market but this number is quickly declining.

Pressure on interest rates and the weakening dollar are putting people back into the market as well to grab the best mortgage deals before they are gone. AND they WILL be gone within 18 months at the outside. It is inevitable. The fox is already in the coop. The fox is the massive dollar printing that took place in the last 20 months by the Federal reserve and there is no pulling that back in. Those dollars are in the market place and at some point, will come home to wage an inflation war on the US. Be prepared.

Real Estate and commodities, especially those pegged in US currency will be a good hedge against the devaluing of your cash position. But debt will not be your friend by any stretch if you are holding short term adjustable interest debt. You are sitting on a time bomb that you MUST get rid of or be seriously hurt. Dont ignore this warning. It will be to your peril.