Manna From the Heavens

May 14th, 2008

This week so far has been like receiving manna from the heavens. Everyone made money in our stock pics. It was trader's nirvana. Especially fruitful were the solar stocks. Even the dogs came out to play and we watched harvesting at its finest as percentages went up like plants on some really good fertilizer enriched water. The charts were oozing green and this was a sure sign that spring was here. The only thing dampening the spirit of the day was the rain outside and that made me wish that I was back in Cabo.

By the way, more pictures are on the way but I've been fighting a long lingering cold and I just don't feel like doing much beyond cultivating my stock garden and sipping on a nice glass of Sangria which makes a great hot tottie. I know, hot totties aren't made with wine but mine are! There are several recipes for the drink that cures all that ails ya but it depends if you like wine, whiskey, or something non-alcoholic.

Something else that has had my interest this week is social networking. Most of you know that I think that Facebook is useless, but there are other sites that seem to have done the social part very well. One of them is HouseValues, Inc (SOLD). HouseValues, Inc. provides real estate professionals with the tools and services they need to manage and grow their real estate businesses. HouseValues's subscription software products include RealtyGenerator, a turnkey lead generation and lead management system for real estate brokerage companies, and MarketLeader, a customer relationship management and lead management solution for real estate agents. The Company also provides real estate

ActiveRain

professionals with access to media buying and lead generation services to help them attract clients and promote themselves throughout their community. Additionally, HouseValues provides consumers with free access to the information and tools they need throughout the home buying and selling process.

HouseValues tools include Coaching & Community - Through a wide range of networking, professional training and personalized coaching opportunities subscribers refine their sales skills, learn new productivity techniques, define business goals and strategies, and share best practices. The company has invested nearly $3 million dollars to help further a product called ActiveRain.

Rather than focus on home builders as an investment, I'd would prefer a company such as HouseValues which focuses on the broker agents who sell the homes out there. (SOLD) is one such investment that may pay off nicely and it has a price that is too irresistible to pass up. At under $3 you can build up a nice position in this stock. And because the price is so low, so low in fact the market doesn't think its worth anything, but Cantor Fitzgerald is rating this stock as a buy right now according to Barron's. And at under $3 most of us can afford to gamble a few grand to see where it can go from here.

I think that any company that is trying to help agents and buyers alike is on the right track. I told my buddies a few years ago that despite the low interest rates the cost of housing was too high and that they were foolish to buy. Well many have lost their homes and others are struggling to hang on. I hate moving too! Still others are setting fire to their homes thinking that the insurance will pay. Now that is what I call desperate and foolish!

Everything has its true value. No one should ever talk you into what you can't afford and couples shouldn't have to struggle just to have a decent home.