So, the biggest and best real estate investment that I’ve made so far was the 1998 purchase of a 3 bedroom, 3 bath, beautiful home built in 1907 with a studio apartment downstairs that generated $850 per month income, about 200 feet from the Variety Playhouse. My wife at the time found us a great buy we were looking at Intown property for a year, ready to get out of Duluth. Intown living began for me when we mortgaged about $300,000.00 or so for the purchase of that property in 1998.

So, I got the article from the astute forecaster Mr. Laing in April 2002. I got it. I was a true believer. I tried to get the point across to my ex-wife, who agreed to divorce in 2002 in the month of May. The biggest asset that we shared was the piece of real property at 1059 Euclid Avenue (some of you may remember this house as the one with the motorcycle cop in the window “ if you don’t, then you had to be there.

In the divorce agreement, I agreed to let her be the real estate agent. I was not a practicing agent at the time, and if you believed my ex-wife at the time, then you would think that I was one of the worst human beings on the face of the earth.

I’m not, for the record. Read the rest of this entry »

I hardly ever read Barron’s magazine, but it is a venerable newsprint institution – it’s the Dow Jones Business and Financial Weekly for Pete’s sake. Jonathan Laing is one of the Senior Editors…check out his handsome mug.

Jonathan R. Laing

Senior Editor
Barron’s

Mr. Laing writes feature articles and cover stories for Barron’s. He has written many market-moving articles, and his investigative reporting is renowned on Wall Street and in editorial circles. Mr. Laing has been featured on CNBC, Batchelor & Alexander and The John Batchelor Show.

Mister Laing moved my market back on April 15, 2002. That pivotal day was the day that I paid $3.50 at the news stand for a Barron’s. The cover page copy was:

LOOK OUT BELOW

Home prices in many areas of the country are about to fall for the first time in a decade. Here’s why.

Damn. That was on April 15, 2002. Read the rest of this entry »