Mr. “H” Has Pulled the Trigger….

Yes, Mr. “H” has talked about it for some time now, and he actually followed through last week.  He pulled the trigger to sell the house he built.

Who knows what the next chapter will read from here….there are numerous options we can explore.  To see the craftsmanship of this home built by and for Mr. H,  (a builder by trade)  on 5.7 acres….. please take the virtual tour here…. (then click on the video tour link).  The kitchen is a favorite with 2 sinks, 2 ovens, 2 dishwashers, and more….. an entertainers delight!  (I know my family will sure miss all the gatherings here…..)

Please pass this on to anyone who might be looking for a home with a lot of privacy in the Danville area (East Bay), California.

Until next time,
J.
“Take control of your destiny or someone else will”

By the End of the Year Will You Recognize the Country?

A trusted adviser of mine (Kip Herriage) sent this article a couple of days ago.  I’m normally an optimist, so to me this is down right scary.  Reading all types of information helps with making informed, educated decisions though, that’s why I’m sharing this with you today….

Richard Russell, the famous writer of the Dow Theory Letters, has a chilling line in today’s note:

“Do your friends a favor. Tell them to “batten down the hatches” because there’s a HARD RAIN coming.  Tell them to get out of debt and sell anything they can sell (and don’t need) in order to get liquid. Tell them that Richard Russell says that by the end of this year they won’t recognize the country. They’ll retort, “How the dickens does Russell know — who told him?” Tell them the stock market told him.

Here’s more on what he sees in the market:

And I ask myself, “Am I seeing things? The April 26 high for the Dow was continue reading »

Why is Gold Lifting Off in a Non-Inflationary Environment?

I read a number of newsletters, some on stock trading, & others on the world economy in general – some in my family feel it’s all rather boring.  Regardless though, here’s an article that I wanted to share, and hope you take the time to read.  I will be posting some others similar over the next few weeks.  Educate yourself as to what is really going on…..

By Alexander Green, Oxford Club Investment Director

Last Friday, the most actively traded gold futures contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange, for June delivery, hit an intraday record high of $1,249.70 a troy ounce.

In the investment world, gold is best known as an inflation hedge. Yet world central bankers are virtually unanimous that inflation does not pose an immediate threat in the West.

So what’s going on here?

Let’s start with a bit of history. A few thousand years ago, trade meant exactly that. “I’ll trade you my two pigs for your cow.” “Here’s a bushel of wheat for six dozen eggs.” “I’ll help build your barn if you’ll help me dig a new well.”  This system was effective but not particularly conducive to economic growth. So money – coins with tangible value – was invented to facilitate trade.  But gold is heavy and cumbersome. It was decided that it was easier and safer for the government to hold the gold and issue paper money (always backed by gold) instead.

Yet Uncle Sam cut its last link to the gold standard in 1971. It was discovered that more abstract forms of money are a powerful economic tool. In particular, unlike gold, money can grow.  Government officials quickly recognized that they can crank up the printing press and create new money. In fact, even the press isn’t necessary today. During the recent financial crisis, for instance, the Fed continue reading »

For Life’s Next Phase – What Do You Need?

I’ve been a bit remiss in posting to this blog regularly because I have been working on that question, what is needed for life’s next phase?  One of my businesses which is project management with an emphasis on relocating facilities such as offices, warehouses, & IT labs, now has a separate division focusing on relocating Seniors.

We primarily work with the families of seniors, assisting them with services they may not have the time to do themselves.  A large number of our clients don’t live in the area (but the seniors in their lives do), and it is not only time consuming for them to come back and forth, but also expensive.  As we work with families and other service providers, we are reminded daily of how much information families are looking for to make their decisions.  As you know these are very emotional decisions as well as practical.

The current site that is up, ForLifesNextPhase, has been a placeholder while we identify what else is needed by the families we serve.  We are currently in the process of making major changes to the site and would really appreciate your taking the time to think about if you were (or are) in this situation:

• What kind of information and support would you like to see?
• What services would you like more info about?
• What would keep you coming back to this site for your Eldercare needs?

continue reading »