Archive for October, 2007
Microsoft Buys a piece of Facebook and a Little piece at that for $240,000,000
October 27th, 2007 categories: Investing in San Diego Real Estate, Selling San Diego Real Estate
One of the most successful social network sites on the planet (5th Largest I believe) sold a small slice of itself to Microsoft for $240,000,000. Earlier CEO , 23 yr old Mark Zukerberg spurned a take over bid by Yahoo for $1,000,000,000. That is 1 cool billion. With Microsoft coming to the plate for a 1.6% share, it allows for Facebook to complete its ambitious expansion plans and maintain ownership. Facebook CEO Zukenberg will consider a public offering in a couple years , no doubt believing that the company will be worth no less than 10 times what Yahoo tried to snag it for.
The Facebook site with it 47 million users has really been sort of an experiment in that it no longer limits it attraction to college kids but opened itself up to anyone that was interested. There is currently no commonality in the specific traits of its users and it allows anyone to jump in, in a sort of free for all, at least as far as directing it towards one group or another.
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Congress Encourages Increase In Fannie and Freddie Portfolio Loans
October 20th, 2007 categories: Legislative
With a tidal wave of expected foreclosures looming in the horizon, there is a move by Congress to expand the government-sponsored finance corporations.Increasing the portfolio size over the current $700 billion limit for each Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is opposed by the current administration. The additional risk could end up being the taxpayers burden. That risk is now being encouraged by Congress with the proviso that Freddie and Fannie have a strong independent regulator overlooking these ostensibly hybrid public/private corporations even though having government backing. Read the rest of this entry »
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After The Forclosures, What’s Left?
October 20th, 2007 categories: Local San Diego News You Can Use, San Diego Real Estate News
San Diego City-County Reinvestment Task Force wants to help prevent a possible neighborhood blight by having a new plan.San Diego’s Councilman Tony Young co-chair of the task force has presented the City Council and Board of Supervisors of San Diego with some imposing and sweeping new recommendations to prevent a possible blight in some of the poorer communities.Some of the communities that make up San Diego have been hit hard by the number of recent foreclosures. As part of the task force recommendations it is being proposed to create a Regional Land Bank funded a by private investors to be able to purchase a large number of these foreclosed properties. The properties, once purchased could then be turned around to create affordable rentals and real buying opportunities.
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Serious Water Issues Lie Ahead in San Diego and Will affect Home Values
October 19th, 2007 categories: San Diego Real Estate
One of the surest ways to be able to buy something for less is to increase its available supply. In this case, I am not talking water (although the water supply is involved in this discussion). I am talking home values.
San Diego imports 85% of its water supply. With the advent of curtailing the amount of water we can import by way of a recent court order, San Diego, even with an accelerated conservation program will not have enough water to meet the needs of our current population.
Some believe the problem will just go away if we just ignore it. That thinking is exactly what got us into this mess in the first place. Who knows, maybe it will rain some day?
The greater problem of not having water reserves is now going to create some first-class nightmares. I don’t think many of us are prepared for it. Conserving after the supply is gone is a little like drawing a bank account to zero and then thinking using the ATM less will somehow replenish it.
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Master Bedroom Luxury, The Morning Bar
October 7th, 2007 categories: Buying San Diego Real Estate, Selling San Diego Real Estate
When staying at an up scale hotel, having coffee service is your room is expected. Grab the paper from the hall way, put on the coffee and perhaps the morning news on the TV. You would expect no less in a fine hotel.
Why not recreate that same luxury in your own master suite where you wake up most days when not traveling? Designers are designing Morning Bars that add that extra bit of luxury for the homeowner wanting that little something extra.
These Morning Bars for all intensive purposes are like a mini Kitchen. The object of this luxury idea is not to have it look anything like a Kitchen. Today these Morning Bars can be integrated so as to be fully functional and an attractive addition to a well designed Master Bedroom.
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