Google Foreclosed Home Search

November 1st, 2009 by andum | Posted in Economy, Opportunities, Wealth Creation, Wealth Preservation

Notice all of the red dots on the US map – these represent homes that are currently under foreclosure. But, since this is a map of the US, the red dots actually represent clusters of foreclosed homes.  If you want to see foreclosed homes by address, start with this link to Google real estate search.  Once you have entered an address, if you check off the box next to Foreclosure, the search will return foreclosed homes by street, neighborhood, etc.

I read recently that the number of homes currently for sale is equal to the number of the shadow home inventory – homes representing distressed mortgages that have not yet been listed for sale.   It will be difficult for home prices to improve in communities with a high number of foreclosed homes for sale and a large shadow inventory of homes that will eventually be listed for sale.

Look for Opportunities During a Recession

March 25th, 2009 by andum | Posted in Blogging, Customer Service, Make Money, Opportunities

photo credit: philectric

The ongoing economic turmoil and uncertainty has dominated the news.  There is a fear that this recession could be the next depression, that nobody is quite sure of the way out of it and that government actions will have consequences long after the recession is over.  Or maybe you or a family member, friend or neighbor has lost his or her job or is worrying about losing their job.  The objective of this post, though, is to highlight opportunities amongst the bad news.

There is positive news. Some businesses are doing well.  For example, discount stores are doing well as people want to save money on their everyday shopping items.   Liquidation auctioneers are busy, homes are becoming more affordable, bringing in speculators and bicycle sales are likely doing well.

Let’s take a look at some other changes that are underway and see if there are opportunities.

Adversity necessitates creativity. Entrepreneurship and innovation increase during tough times.  Now, the internet allows anyone to start a website and turn a hobby or passion, an interest or even their drive to succeed into a potential source of income, an outlet from the bad news or a source for other people’s benefit.  And, you can now work virtually, for someone across the globe – you are no longer limited to a job that requires commuting.  If you don’t have a website, think about starting one.  Out of work, learn about social networking to help you find a job.  Examples of social networks include LinkedIn, Facebook and forums or community dependent websites that drawer visitors in to discuss topics that interest you.  Have special expertise, writing or graphic design skills, think about becoming a freelancer.  There are many sites on the web that help freelancers find work.