Cashflow Blog

A sample cash flow statement will improve your cash flow management skills. A clear and comprehensive sample will allow you to easily create and understand your business’s cash flow statement.

See more here:
Jul 23, Sample Cash Flow Statement

Cash flow factoring is one of the keys to successfully managing your business. Learn more about this basic management principle in order to increase your company’s cash flow and avoid future cash flow problems.

See the rest here:
Jul 23, Cash Flow Factoring

Last night I happened to catch an episode of “Larry King Live” which included a feature on the current housing crisis along with a panel of participants including Robert Kiyosaki, author of ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’, and Donald Trump.

While the stats by now are known to most people - The Shiller Home Price Index was down 15.5% for April ‘08 vs April ‘07, and over 1 Million foreclosures have been filed with many many more expected, the real overarching questions were a) is this a good time to sell and if you have to sell then what can you do to sell, b) what do you do if you are a homeowner facing foreclosure, and c) is this a good time in terms of opportunities to buy and invest?

The unanimous consent amongst the parties was pretty much as follows

a) This is not a good time to sell obviously and if you do not have to sell then you shouldn’t. If you do have to sell then you can sell if you price your property appropriately. This means first of all IGNORE what other homes are listed for, the only thing that matters is what homes have actually SOLD for recently as a valuation bench mark. If you must absolutely sell then discount your home 20% below current market value and you will find that it sells very rapidly. The bottom line is that it is not that there are no buyers, it all boils down to the numbers.

At our business we have been working diligently for the past 2 years, communicating to our sellers that the one thing that is more important than anything else in determining whether or not a listing will sell is price. We have some listings that have lingered without activity for a year where sellers simply refuse to face the realities of the market, and then other listings that are selling in a week, because in those cases the sellers are realistic and follow our advise. The Sarasota real estate market is what it is and if you ignore market realities then you simply will not sell.

b) If you are a home owner in trouble the resounding agreement was that the very worst thing you can do is ignore the lender when you get your notice. Lenders do not want to own your home, and they are willing to work out loans with home owners and today you have a lot of leverage as a owner in renegotiating your loan. The only predicament today is unfortunately that lenders will not discuss your loan until you are at least a couple of months late. Once you are late however you will find that you have the ability to get the lender to agree to work with you so you do not lose your home.

In our business we are working with a lot of short sales and I do see many lenders making amazing concessions. Some lenders are of course better than others. The worst unfortunately in terms of communicating is Countrywide and it is well possible that Countrywide’s own internal upheaval is contributing to this. Hopefully once the acquisition by Bank of America is finalized this will change.

c) Is this the time to buy? The panelist were in full agreement that we are either at or very near the bottom of the market. And yes, this is a great time to buy, as the best time to buy in any market is when prices are down and everyone is selling.

That being said, the days of real estate as a get rich quick scheme is over. You have to know what you are doing. Just because something is a foreclosure or bank owned property and priced at a seemingly amazing price does not mean that it is a great investment.

I tend to agree. If you are looking to buy a home as your residence then definitely now is the time to strike. Sellers are super motivated and there are a lot of opportunities to snap up a property that simply was unheard of in the past. And 5 years from now your property will certainly be worth more than you are paying today. If you are an investor then you need to understand how to evaluate a property as an investment. If you buy something in hopes of a quick flip then you will get most likely hurt. This is not the time to flip properties.

Overall I felt this was a very informative segment with a lot of optimistic view points. I would love to hear your views on the aforementioned 3 points, particularly with respect to the Sarasota Real Estate Market.

All the best…

Thomas Heimann, President & CEO
Bravo Real Estate Solutions
http://www.bravobrokers.com/

Excerpt from:
Housing Market Crisis Opportunity?

By Weamein Yee

In times of economic distress, investors flock to safety.  The bond market usually acts as a safe harbor for many investors but the precarious financial position of many bond insurers has many shying away from corporate and municipal debt.

Since last summer, demand for treasury securities as well as the Fed’s rate cutting campaign, has steadily driven down yields.  Demand for 1 month T-bills has been especially brisk, with a number of money market funds reluctant to invest in short term commercial paper.

Back in March, in the wake of the near collapse of Bear Sterns, the yields on 1 month T-Bills fell to 0.27%, it’s lowest in over half a century.  Yields recovered slightly in the beginning of this month but are once again below 1 percent.

With many institutional investors feeling that the stock market hasn’t hit it’s bottom yet, the short maturing T-Bill gives them a safe haven to tide their money away until they feel the time is right to jump back into stocks while sacrificing very little liquidity.  The Treasury Department has also decreased the minimum face value of it’s securities to $100, down from $1,000 as of April 7, which makes it viable purchase for a larger number of investors.

Keep in mind that this is all taking place while inflation is on the rise and that the “real” yield is actually negative.  What we have now is an upward sloping yield curve, which is a favorable situation for banks.  Banks are able to borrow short at lower rates and lend long at higher rates.  Depending on how inflation plays out, long term interest rates may even rise further in the near future.

Demand For Treasury Bills Driving Down Yields

Right now, the stock market news is all about soaring energy prices. And this may part of what could undo corn ethanol.

Earlier this year, corn ethanol looked to be in a sweet position. The government offers huge subsidies to the Big Ag companies (like Archers-Daniels-Midland Co.) who produce corn for ethanol. Additionally, rising oil prices were making alternatives (like corn ethanol) more desirable. Politicians were out there stumping on increased support for ethanol so that we could break ties to foreign oil.

Now, however, as things are liable to do on the stock market, things have changed. Corn ethanol is no longer looking profitable. Indeed, ethanol producers are seeing their profit margins shrink as two, rather large, new factors are introduced:

• Price of natural gas.
• Flooding in the Midwest.

Back in January, it was unforeseen that all energy prices would be surging to the levels that they are at now. And natural gas plays a big role in the production of corn ethanol. With natural gas prices following oil prices ever higher, it is costing more to produce corn ethanol.

The flooding in the Midwest isn’t helping, either. Corn that was meant to be turned into ethanol is being washed away, and in some cases the land it was growing on is being ruined by the things that floodwaters bring (toxins from chemicals and pesticides, excessive animal waste, debris, etc.).

What once looked like a promising investment is now starting look rather bleak. Indeed, this might herald the end of corn ethanol as an alternative to gas for cars. Which means that other fuel sources will have to be found. On the other hand, though, some might see it as an opportunity to get in while the prices are low and hope that Congress steps in save the budding ethanol industry. It’s been known to happen with increasing frequency.

Read the original post:
Corn Ethanol May Not Be The Best Investing Choice