Monday, October 8, 2007

Ten Tips For Buying Rental Properties

Buying rental properties is a good way to increase your assets. However, choosing the right rental property will be challenging. Here are a few things to check for prior to buying rental property.

1. Location - Most people don't want to live in the boon docks. The location of your rental property will determine how easy it will be to rent. If you have a lot of vehicle traffic, you may receive a greater response from a sign at the location than you will from a newspaper add.

Tenants want to live in nice neighborhoods close to all the amenities. They want to be close to the schools, stores, recreational locations, hospitals, and work.

I haven't met anyone who wants to live in an undesirable neighborhood or drive 15 minutes for a gallon of milk.

2. Numbers - When buying rental property you want to check the numbers. Make sure you have all the expenses associated with that property and make sure it still has a positive cash flow.

Take into consideration the maintenance issues, any utilities not covered by tenant and amortize the cost of the big projects like furnace replacement, new roofing, siding or landscaping.

These projects only happen once every 15-20 years but you may be coming in to this in the 10th year of that cycle. Remember to calculate your expenses high and your income low. This can save you some surprises down the road.

Expect the unit to be empty at least one month per year due to turn over. You will have to repaint and clean the carpets the first 2 weeks, then advertise and show the next 2 weeks. You should only count on 11 months of rent per year.

3. Lower Maintenance Buildings - You want to avoid homes that will require expensive routine maintenance. Some examples would be homes that have cedar-shake shingles or siding, wood sided buildings, wood frame windows, brick driveways, cedar decks, etc.

Try to look down the road and determine the future maintenance needs. Remember the lower the maintenance the less headaches and larger profits.

4. Higher Home Prices - Check in towns with higher home prices, because this increases the demand for rental property. Look for the ugly house on the block that has a lower price, enabling you to purchase within the margins.

After some interior and exterior paint, a little light landscaping and new curtains, viola', a house that will get premium rent because of the class of neighborhood.

If people can not afford to buy a home in this class they will have to rent. This will create a demand for rental property.

5. Below Market Rent prices - When buying rental property, look for rental property which has rent prices that are below current market rents. This will allow you to raise the rent and increase the value of the property. As per above, this may just need a little fluff to enable raising the rental price.

Rental property market value is determined by the amount of income received by the rental property. However keep in mind, if the rental property has renters when you purchase it, they may not like it when you raise the rent. Also check to see what type of lease is in place. The lease goes with the sale.

If the current renter is paying a substandard price and has 1 1/2 years left on the lease it could turn out to be a losing proposition.

There is only one way to cut a lease short as a new owner. You must remodel the place. Check with the local housing commission to see what the minimum cost requirements of remodeling are for immediate eviction of current lease holders. It is usually as little as $10,000.00 in remodeling cost to get a remodeling eviction. By the way, you didn't hear this from me!

6. Good Rental History - Whenever buying rental properties, you must check the rental history. Check to see on average how long tenants are staying and do they pay their rent on time. Some areas of town are naturally quick turnover times. Near airports, loud bars or nightclubs, near military bases, etc.

7. Complies with Zoning and Fire Codes - Make sure you check to see if there are inspections required by local officials for rental properties and does this property pass those inspections. You never know the real reason the current owner is selling the property.

It may need extensive repairs to pass the inspections. A quick red flag would be if the electricity has been turned off for over 90 days. They will usually require an inspection before restoring power, especially if it is a known rental.

8. Less Than Twenty Years Old - This is self explanatory, if you restrict your selection to buildings that are less than twenty years old, you will limit the chances that the building will have any building code or maintenance problems.

The building could be near the maintenance cycle for roof, paint and possibly furnace but the structure will be sound and not needing upgraded windows, siding or cement repair.

9. Out of State Owners or Managers - When buying rental property, look for properties that are owned by out of state owners. It is hard to manage rental property from out of state and when these come up for sale, the owners are usually more concerned with selling quickly than getting top dollar.

In order to rent a place quickly you must live near by so you can show it at the caller's request. Often times they will ask to see it in the next 20 minutes or so. Cater to their requests and show it quick. Most renters need a place within the next week or so and will not wait to see your place until next week because you are busy.

Most times they will make a decision before tomarrow when it would be more convenient for you to show it. This has happen to us to many times.

Never give out the address for drive bys. Prospective renters will ask for the address to do a drive by and just look at the place. Don't waste your time with these folks. Insist on showing it in the next 30 minutes or you will not give out the address as a courtesy to the neighbors.

10. Neighborhood is stable or improving - obviously avoid neighborhoods that are declining, look at the writing on the walls and stay out. Although these may look good due to the low purchase price, they are very difficult to collect the rents.

By finding neighborhoods that are stable or improving, it will be easier to rent the property and you will be able to increase the rent. The general consensus is, the better the neighborhood the higher the purchase price and the higher the rent prices, therefore the margin for profit is greater. The poorer the neighborhood the lower the purchase price and lower the rent prices reducing the profit margins.

Do not be afraid to buy nicer places for rental properties. The people that can afford $1000.00 a month are more likely to be able to come up with the rent on time versus someone that can only afford $350.00 a month. One little upset in the latter case and you will not get your rent on time, if at all. There is far greater stability in renting high end places versus being a slumlord!

Copyright (c) 2007 Brian Ankner All Rights Reserved

Click the link below and sign up for a FREE 11 part Ecourse jam-packed with information on buying rental properties, getting home equity loans, mortgages and the tricks lenders use against you! The info you need to succeed! Click Here ==> Buying Rental Properties E-course

Trading Stock Options

What you need to know about online investment - investing made easy?

Trading stock options are an easy and quick way to make money. Stock markets are an indicator of the health of the economy of a nation. A rising value of the stock market is determinant of a prospering economy. Initially trading was done by stock brokers on the behalf of people on the floor of the stock exchange. However, with the advent of the Internet, now stock market trading can be done online.

Online stock market trading allows a person to be in touch with the latest stock market developments while sitting at his place. All the necessary details about day trading are provided on the Internet. All a person needs for online stock trading is a computer and an Internet connection, and an online account to register themselves.

The best part of online stock trading is that online brokers charge a nominal amount in trading. However, certain things should be kept in mind while trading online. One should be careful in selecting the company for investing purposes. The selected company should be reputed, decorous and trustworthy. An investor should check the quality of expertise and services offered by a company. Also, examine the payment mode that it has made use of in the past. In addition to the payment mode, find out about the services provided by them, commission rates and the way they handle accounts. Enquire about the financial status of the company before investing in it. These trading companies keep their investor updated with all the developments of day trading.

Also, an investor can invest as per his comfort and desire without any limitation. An investor can invest in the stock market of any part of the world while sitting at his place. All the brokerage expenses and minute trading information is mentioned in the site. The information present is enough even for an inexperienced person to invest in the stock market. The services of an expert brokerage are important as an investor can not directly invest in the stocks. The investment is made through brokers who are members of the stock market.

Some of the other benefits of online stock market trading are :

  1. An investor can save a lot of time and money. He can invest as per his convenience.

  2. The charges of brokers range from $3 to $1 per trade.

  3. A trader can contact expert brokers in case of any guidance.

  4. Trading accounts can be accessed easily, and are provided with latest information on stocks.

However, an investor should be sure about the stocks in which he wants to invest. This is because, only if a person is sure, will he link himself to a particular site. For instance, if a person inclined to invest in the domestic market opens a site of the foreign market, it can be confusing.

It is important that the site on which an investor opens an account be secure, as personal and financial information has to be mentioned on the site. In case the site is insecure, it can cause information to be misused. Also, compare the fee charged by various investment sites before choosing one.

Why Choose Sogoinvest: cheap trading stock options
Contact sogoinvest: Contact Online stock trading company

Day Trading Courses

Day trading is the practice of buying and selling currencies before the close of the Foreign Exchange each day hopefully for the most profit. Anyone with a little money to invest can now trade over the internet. But its best to know a little bit about what youre doing first and theres no shortage of day trading courses to teach you about that.

Courses can be studied online or in face-to-face classes and duration differs between one day to five days - or indefinitely if you teach yourself in an internet correspondence course.

You dont need any specific paper qualifications in order to trade but you do need a few skills and a bit of knowledge that you could gain through a day trading course.

You will need to shop around, because courses can cost anything between $2,000 and $12,000 and they vary massively in quality for these prices its not always true to say that the most expensive option is the best one; it all depends on what you are looking for.

Here are a few of your options so you can see which one might be right for you.

Online

Since Day Trading University came online, there have sprung up literally hundreds of websites offering day trading courses supposedly to university standard but be wary of these claims. These courses are unregulated, especially on the internet. You want to make doubly sure that they offer you the tuition you need.

Makes sure that the website you give your hard-earned cash to, to teach you day trading, is not simply an article directory. Thats not a substitute for a proper course in day trading and is probably not something that you want to be paying too much for. To maximize the benefit of an online course, it should offer you multimedia audio or video clips as well as downloadable activities and charts to continue and consolidate your learning.

Books
Home study courses in day trading are also available in book form. They are easy t peruse at your leisure and you can browse before you buy, so you know exactly what youre getting. But books dont have the multi-sensory approach that a good website will have, with audio and visual streaming. It works for some people though. Many are written by experts in the field.

Face-to-face courses
This is where you might be spending big bucks to learn about day trading: make sure its worth it.

Tuition can be large group, small group or even one-to-one, although you may have to pay through the nose for one-to-one tuition. Be sure you really need it before you lay out your course fee, bearing in mind that if you are assertive and confident enough, *any* face-to-face tuition offers you the chance to ask the tutor(s) any specific questions which you might have.

Here are a few things you should be looking for in a good day trading course, whether that be face to face, online or in a book:
What to trade in
OK so that one was obvious, but how do you spot an opportunity for bigger trading profits? A good course should tell you this. On the flip side, they should inform you of what sort of trading to avoid and why, so you dont make big, costly mistakes.

Trading psychology
What is the best mindset for a successful trader? What opportunities should you look for? Who makes the most money?

Long-term and short-term trading
Now, as were talking day trading here, there is no real long-term, but a good trading course will differentiate between deals you strike every few minutes and ones you should sit on for a few hours. You need to recognize these in order to maximize your profits. Find out how to pick momentum stocks every day to squeeze the most out of your money. Tools of the trade

A good course will not be trying to sell you anything, so watch out for courses and books linked to a particular product or automated trading software. Of course theyll tell you that is the best one but you know your own mind. Make it up yourself without the sales pitch.

However, day trading need not be about constantly sitting at your computer, glued to currency reports. Automated trading is a great boost to day trading, and a good course should give you some ideas of what automation software is out there and how to discriminate between the packages available.

Now you know some of the options as far as day trading courses go and what to look for, you should be able to find the right training option for you.

Frank J Vanderlugt owns and operates http://www.lazytrader.com

Day Trading

Uranium to Head North of $500/Pound?

Legendary stock picker James Dines recently compared uranium stocks to the high-flying net stocks of the halcyon days of the Internet expansion era. While the much-hyped and fleeting Y2K crisis never materialized, the U.S. energy crisis for highly sought uranium has been developing for more than twenty years. Still early in the current bullish uranium cycle, investors are scoring triple-digit returns on what some are calling a renaissance in nuclear energy.

Just as investors caught the curve of a new paradigm in communications and commerce with Internet stocks, many early birds have already begun investing in the nuclear energy story. The nuclear story pitch is simple: How do you accommodate a massive rush for electrical power demand while faced with the dire threat of carbon dioxide emissions and its direct impact on global warming? The growing consensus is that fission-based nuclear power may become the significant stop-gap energy alternative for this century and possibly until reliable technologies can effectively provide the means for renewable-sourced energy.

Nearly 2 billion people across the planet have no electricity. The World Nuclear Association (WNA) believes nuclear energy could reduce the fossil fuel burden of generating the new demand for electricity. The WNA forecasts a 40-percent jump in worldwide electricity demand over the next five years. The worlds most populated countries, China and India, are in the process of creating the largest energy-consuming class in the history of earth. Both plan aggressive nuclear energy expansion programs. Dozens of lesser developed countries, from Turkey and Indonesia to Vietnam and Venezuela, have announced their eagerness to pursue a civilian nuclear policy to benefit power needs for their burgeoning middle classes.

In a nutshell, global utilities are going to need uranium to help feed the increasing number of nuclear power plants proposed over the next twenty years. Herein lays the crisis: the world has been living off rapidly dwindling inventories since the last uranium up cycle. Uranium is now in shorter available supply for civilian energy use than ever before. Over the next decade, as demand continues to outstrip supply, analysts are predicting utilities will snap up known uranium inventories sending spot uranium prices to record highs. During this launch phase, investors have taken notice, chasing up the stock prices of many uranium producers and exploration companies.

Uranium Prices May Reach Unbelievable Highs

Toronto-based Sprott Asset Management research analyst, Kevin Bambrough, told STOCKINTERVIEW.COM, There is a good possibility of a supply crunch that could drive uranium prices to unbelievable highs. Various analysts predict price targets for spot uranium, in the near-term, above $40. Canadian Augen Capital Corps managing director David Mason speculated, $100 (US) a pound is within reason within the next year or two. Sydney-based Resource Capital Research is half as generous, forecasting $50/pound by 2007, explaining another 40 percent jump in spot uranium prices will be driven by end users in the power generation market which is urgently trying to secure supply into the future.

How high could spot uranium prices run? Kevin Bambrough made a hypothetical case for uranium trading north of $500. Its a ridiculous price, Bambrough confided. Its hard to speculate if this is even going to happen. While he admits that price would not be sustainable, Bambrough makes an interesting point about the concerns facing utility companies, charged with providing us with our electricity. In his futuristic scenario, Bambrough speculated, Theres a chance that some facilities will have to choose shutting down their nuclear plants (if they can not obtain uranium to fuel the facility). On that basis, Bambrough calculated the operating costs of a nuclear facility versus the operating cost of a competing fuel. In his conjectural model, Bambrough used natural gas priced at $5.

Bambrough explained, Assuming that the coal-fired plants operating capacity, before you would basically shut down a nuclear facility, you would be comparing it to what you would have to bring on, which would be natural gas. If there is a shortage there (with natural gas), what price would it take before I am willing to shut down my nuclear facility? If you were to shut off the nuclear capacity, and fire up more gas to replace it, it would send gas prices through the stratosphere. And that doesnt factor in the cost of shutting down a nuclear facility, itself an exorbitant process. The analyst said he reached his calculation of north of $500/pound for spot uranium, under an extraordinary emergency supply crunch, by answering this question: How much would people pay before they shut it (a nuclear plant) down if there is a shortage of uranium?

Bambroughs point illustrates that, unlike coal or natural gas, the cost of uranium in the nuclear fuel cycle is minimal. Thus, uranium is subject to an ever greater price rise without the blowback of consumer panic found in rising fossil fuel prices. Uranium prices might have to approach the level of Bambroughs hypothetical forecast before even registering concern on an ordinary consumers radar.

Despite the recent parabolic rise in spot uranium prices, Bambrough doesnt foresee the uranium frenzy peaking until the years 2013-2015. What will happen then? Theres a good chance that the HEU agreement wont be renewed, said Bambrough. Russia may not be selling their uranium. The Russians may want to hold onto what they have. And if they do sell, they may not sell to the U.S. In 2004, U.S. utilities imported more than 80 percent of their uranium supplies from foreign sources. It could be that the Russians are interested in trying to build nuclear plants for other countries and be in that business, he suggested. That may go hand in hand with were going to build you the facility and we can guarantee you supply. And Russia would be using the balance of that uranium for their domestic needs. Bambrough also cited the problem of mines expiring in the face of a potential new demand.

He concluded, There are time lags to bring new production on versus what needs to be replaced in that 2013 period. The International Atomic Energy Agency forecast nuclear electrical generating capacity to soar by more than 40 percent by the year 2030, which may further drive demand for tight uranium resources, especially during the period of Bambroughs forecasted period.

Historical cycles support spot prices higher than $40/pound, a level above where uranium may hover for several years. The current cycle of rising uranium prices closely parallels the leap which occurred between February 1975 and April 1976. Spot uranium prices soared from $16 to $40/pound during that 15-month period. During the 1970s cycle, uranium steadily rose from $6.75/pound in November 1973, peaking in July 1978 at $43.40/pound. Uranium held above $40/pound for nearly four years from April 1976 through February 1980. In this cycle, uranium prices bottomed at $6.40 in January 2001, creeping higher into 2004. Since late last year, spot uranium prices soared with the same momentum seen thirty years ago. If history repeats itself, spot uranium prices should trade above $40/pound this year, and stay above that level until the end of this decade or perhaps for a longer stretch.

The key yardstick in determining how much higher uranium prices will climb is by keeping track of the number of new nuclear facilities being constructed or proposed. Estimates vary wildly, from as few as thirty by 2020 to more than 150 before 2050. A few years ago, when we first started investing in uranium, Bambrough explained. There were very few plants being proposed. The numbers have doubled for proposed facilities. And for every one you hear about, theres a lot more being planned. That puts uranium miners into an enviable position. Bambrough added that utilities have to secure their fuel supply for up to six years out, once they decide to build a nuclear facility. The fact is the supply is just not there, warned Bambrough.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Cumulative unfilled uranium requirements for U.S. civilian nuclear reactors for 2005 through 2014 were reported to be 365 million pounds U3O8e. The quantity of maximum deliveries of uranium for the same period under existing purchase contracts totaled 181 million pounds. Nearly 67 percent of the maximum anticipated market requirements for uranium lack a contract. Over the next decade, U.S. utilities will need to newly purchase more than 36 million pounds of uranium oxide each year, on average, in order to keep their nuclear power plants running. According to the Department of Energy website, contracted purchases from all suppliers precipitously falls in 2007 below 40 million pounds. By 2008, the amount of contracted uranium sinks below 20 million pounds.

In short, U.S. utilities may soon be scrambling for uranium inventory to fuel their nuclear reactors, or face the ridiculous price(s) research analyst Kevin Bambrough warned about. An excerpt from The International Atomic Energy Agencys booklet, Analysis of Uranium Supply to 2050, bears out Bambroughs thesis, As we look to the future, presently known resources fall short of demand. The deficit between newly mined uranium and reactor demand has averaged about 40 million pounds annually over the past decade, cannibalizing existing inventories. As we begin 2006, the supply/demand imbalance has reached a critical phase.

Where Will the Uranium Come From?

In his September 2004 presentation to the World Nuclear Association, Thomas L. Neff of MITs Center for International Studies, stated, The net result of nearly twenty years of inventory liquidation is that existing higher-cost suppliers were driven out of business, new mines were discovered from starting, and exploration was neglected. Neff warned in his conclusion, The problem is the one to two decades that will be needed to expand (production) capacity and build the flow of nuclear fuel that meet the expanding requirements horizon.

The 1970s price spike in uranium was limited because existing uranium mines were quickly ramped up to supply utilities with fuel. Neff noted, This is not the case today and a longer period of high prices could prevail. In Neffs analysis, uranium prices would have risen well above $100/pound in the mid 1970s, using constant 2004 US$. On that basis, Bambroughs hypothetical forecast above $500/pound may be not too far out of reach. Neff summarized why the problem has reached a critical stage, We are currently facing the consequences of what may be the largest sustained divergence between expectations and reality in the 60 year history of uranium.

Kevin Bambrough offered some slight relief for the uranium inventory problem, There are a number of mines coming on, and there are talks of expansion. He gave Australias Olympic Dam as one example, and added, Theres lots of talk about big production coming on in Kazakhstan, but Ive also heard reports saying thats very optimistic. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is less sanguine, Lead times to bring major projects into operation are typically between eight and ten years from discovery to start of production. To this total, five or more years must be added for exploration and discovery. The IAEA doesnt foresee relief until 2015 to 2020.

For the time being, U.S. utilities are forced to bide their time while they continue to rely mainly upon newly mined uranium imported from Canada or Australia. Once the worlds largest uranium producer, the estimated recoverable reserves in the United States now ranks but eighth in the world with four percent of known global reserves. Those 125,000 tonnes of uranium would supply 250 million pounds of uranium, far less than the unfilled maximum requirement for U.S. utilities over the next decade. The majority of domestically mined uranium now comes mainly from Wyoming, Texas and Nebraska. Permitting operations are progressing in New Mexico, once the countrys largest producer of uranium, which may become a significant uranium supplier later this decade.

For people who want to bring on new (nuclear) facilities and contract for it, its very difficult to do that, said Bambrough. You have to go to mines that are not even there yet in order to try and contract supply. In this light, it appears the greatest opportunity will appear with the junior uranium companies, which obtained known uranium resources during the last down cycle, and whose operators abandoned such properties because of low prices. As Neff warned in his presentation, Uranium prices have recently reversed a twenty year decline, apparently surprising many buyers and sellers. Buyers will be combing the same company lists investors scan. Just as investors will be racing to find the best uranium juniors for investment purposes, utility buyers and uranium traders will be scrambling to identify which company could provide them with a long-term uranium supply.

How Can Investors Profit?

Bambrough recalled compiling a worldwide list, in 2003, of a mere 25 companies involving in uranium mining and exploration. I cut the list down to around ten that looked to be promising, said Bambrough. Id say that today there are still less than 30 uranium companies that present a good reward-to-risk ratio considering the massive move the sector has made. Depending upon whose list you believe, the number of companies now mining or exploring for uranium stretches to about 200. The majority trade on either the Canadian or Australian stock exchanges.

So how do you separate the potential winners from the also-rans? People in the industry sort of know whos real and whos not, said Bambrough. I think a lot of the pure exploration companies are more likely to fall on tough times. Bambrough cautioned, I think there will be a real separation between the haves and the have-nots, those who actually have uranium and economic deposits. A lot of exploration companies are more likely to fall on tough times. Those are the ones that will get hurt because they dont have anything to fall back upon. They have to go to market to keep raising money to do the expensive drilling that needs to be done. It costs so much. Miller added, It will take exploration funds, good geology, and some luck to find new uranium deposits in these frontier areas. The success rate of each individual prospect will be far less than 1 in 100.

What sort of companies has Sprott Asset Management invested in? Bambrough responded, We have preferred to invest in companies that have acquired properties that were once owned and were actively being worked by majors at the end of the 70s bull market. He added, The cost of uranium exploration is so large there is great value built into many of these properties. Specifically, millions of dollars worth of drilling work and data have been collected on some properties. In some cases, mining shafts have been built that only require rehabilitation at a fraction of the cost of starting fresh with a green fields project. Another example of what he does and doesnt like, The guys that picked up stuff in the last year, when they saw the uranium boom, they just said, Im going to go grab some land. I have greater confidence in the guys that have been there for a longer period of time, bought things when they were being thrown away at the lows, and waiting for the uranium price to rise.

Bambrough shared a few of his favorite uranium stocks. Of the companies that we own, we own a larger percentage of Strathmore Minerals (TSX: STM; Other OTC: STHJF) than almost any other company, said Bambrough. We think theyve got some great properties. They were guys who got into the game very early, and who have skills as they do with David Miller (president and chief operating officer of Strathmore Minerals) in understanding the uranium business. And they have a very large amount of databases, as does Energy Metals Corporation, which is extremely valuable in understanding the properties. Both Strathmore Minerals and Energy Metals have properties in New Mexico and Wyoming. I think the future for New Mexico is quite good, Bambrough noted, as well as ISLs in Texas and Wyoming. Said Strathmores president, David Miller, Strathmore is the only company to open an office up in New Mexico dedicated to bringing properties into production. The office is staffed by two veteran uranium men, John Dejoia, VP of Technical Services and Juan Velazquez, VP of Environmental and Government Affairs. They have a number of subcontractors doing various required work to bring projects forward to obtain permits to mine.

Another Sprott Asset Management favorite is Tournigan Gold Corp (TSX: TVC). You look at a past producing region, Bambrough pointed out. They went and got old mines. Tournigan recently drilled the historic Jahodna uranium resource in Slovakia, once drilled by the Russians. The company also holds uranium properties in Wyoming and recently acquired uranium properties in South Dakota. He also likes Western Prospector (TSX: WNP), saying, Western Prospector has gone through areas where in some cases, there are shafts there that were dug by the Russians. A lot of work was previously done. Others rounding out Bambroughs preferred list of juniors include Paladin Resources (TSE: PDN) and Aflease, now trading as SXR Uranium One (TSE: SXR). We also have a bit of investment in the Labrador area, and very small, mainly in Altius (TSX: ALS), added Bambrough. Its something were watching. We think its a promising area.

Where the Action Is

The more adventurous price action may be found in the ongoing consolidation within the uranium sector. Bambrough observed, There appear to be a few aggressive junior uranium companies that seem to be moving forward and working to build a major company. In November, one uranium exploration company, Energy Metals Corporation (TSX: EMC) began takeover procedures to acquire two other uranium juniors, Quincy (TSX: QUI) and Standard Uranium (TSX: URN). Standard Uranium has since traded nearly 70 percent higher. There are people who have neighboring properties, and it makes sense for them to come together, advised Bambrough.

In late December, another of Bambroughs favorite uranium companies, Strathmore Minerals (TSX: STM; Other OTC: STHJF), announced it had engaged National Bank Financial as its exclusive financial adviser to review transaction alternatives to maximize shareholder value from its uranium assets. Questioned about this news release, CEO Dev Randhawa told StockInterview.com, National Bank has the best technical team and will help us reach the right decision to maximize the benefit to our shareholders. In a December 7th note to his subscribers, Canaccords David Pescod wrote, We talked to Dev Randhawa of Strathmore Minerals because Strathmore seemed to be the one company on most peoples list as an obvious take-out target. When we talked to Dev, obviously he wouldnt be adverse to a take-out as long as the price is right, and he even gives us a 50/50 bet that they wont be around in the next six to twelve months. In a 2005 research report, the Cohen Independent Research Group set a price target of C$4.29/share for Strathmore Minerals, based upon the current spot uranium price.

How does Bambrough envision the uranium bull market unfolding for investors? I think the market could really use more large cap uranium companies, since large fund managers currently can really only look to Cameco (NYSE: CCJ) and Energy Resources of Australia (ASX: ERA) to get exposure to the uranium market, said Bambrough. There are several junior companies that should come together to form large uranium companies to leverage their extremely valuable skilled personnel, lower the exorbitant costs of permitting and exploration, and achieving other economies of scale. How soon would it be before a larger company, combining some of these promising juniors, reaches listed status on the New York exchange? I would guess that a NYSE listing may not come until 2007 or 2008, responded Bambrough. I think that when the tap comes for a lot of these companies, it will come to those that are in production. Youll be able to see a nice production profile, several projects, diversification, cash flows, and a nice pipeline of projects.

As for the approximately 200 uranium exploration companies that have sprouted up in less than two years, Bambrough advised, I dont understand why people would put so much money into grassroots properties when there are properties that were (already) worked on, and you can continue on their work. The idea is we are continuing on those projects rather than going grassroots. Its the logical place to go for me. Bambrough is still enthusiastic about the uranium sector and closed his remarks, saying, I expect that we will see a great out performance by quality uranium companies as they move their projects forward. We still see some incredible values and are still actively investing in the space. We are still in the early days of the uranium bull market.

COPYRIGHT 2007 by StockInterview, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

James Finch contributes to StockInterview.com and other publications. StockInterviews Investing in the Great Uranium Bull Market has become the most popular book ever published for uranium mining stock investors. Visit http://www.stockinterview.com

To Make Big Money You Must Focus in on Stocks

Money creation in the stock market is made from CONCENTRATION. That's right. Trading the very best stocks at the right time with enough capital to make a big difference.

You must go from wealth CREATION to wealth maintenance in this game. Unless you plan on "investing" for the next 25+ years and building wealth slowly.. this is my plan of how you can make millions in the stock market:

In Darvas's book "How I Made $2 Million..."

How many looked at his position sizing? In his early trades Darvas only trade 1 or 2 stocks at any one time on MARGIN! Only when he got up to over $500,000 did he start diversifying a little. Most people overlook these facts.

MY Momentum Stock PLAN:

CONCENTRATION BUILDS WEALTH
DIVERSIFICATION MAINTAINS WEALTH

END GOAL:

$2 MILLION+ ACCOUNT MAKING 20-30% P.A

Start with:
$50,000
Trade 2 stocks with half capital in each.

RISK Per TRADE = 5%

When at $100,000 Trade 3 stocks with 1/3
capital in each.

Risk Per Trade = 3%

When at:

$500,000 Trade 5 stocks with 1/5 capital:

Risk Per Trade = 2%

When at $2 Million Trade 8 stocks with 1/8 capital:

Risk Per Trade = 1.25%

You first have to create wealth in order to maintain it. Whilst trading only two stocks at a time may be deemed to risky by the professionals you must be very selective on the stocks you trade. Quality beats quantity. Especially when you concentrate so much.

This is the only way a small account can break into the big time. You must not only focus your efforts in the early stages but you must also only trade the top 0.1% of stocks in the market and get your timing SPOT ON.

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Commodities - An Overview

Commodities are products traded solely on the basis of price. The products are undifferentiated products, goods or services that are not traded based on quality and features, only on price. Historically, commodities were items of value, of uniform quality that were produced in large quantities by many different producers. The items from each different producer were considered equivalent. Commodities are defined by an underlying contract and standard, rather than the quality of the product.

History

Chicago was the birth place of the first commodities market, way back in the 1840s. Farmers would bring their wheat to the market and exchange it for good, hard cash. Futures contracts developed from there. A farmer would contract with a dealer to sell a set amount of produce to him at a set date for a set price. It was comforting for both parties the farmer knew how much he was going to get paid and the dealer knew exactly how much he was going to pay for these commodities.

This practice of commodities trading evolved over the years that ensued. The farmer would decide not to sell and cede the contract to another farmer to fulfil, or the dealer might decide that he did not want the produce anymore and then on-sell the contract to another dealer.

Naturally supply and demand entered the equation. If the harvests were poor, the produce would fetch a much higher price and if the crops were abundant, a leaner price prevailed. Before long, speculators were in on the act. They started trading the futures contracts in the hope of buying the commodities at a low price and selling these for a handsome profit.

What defines a successfully tradeable commodity?

To successfully trade, commodities must:
Be standardized. If the commodities industrial or agricultural, it must be unprocessed. Have an adequate shelf-life, if these are agricultural.

There should be sufficient fluctuation in supply and concomitantly price. The reason for this is that without the risk factor, profits are meagre and unappetising. Examples of commodities are: electricity, wheat, chemicals, metals, pork bellies, RAM chips, labour and currency.

Difference between commodities and stocks The main difference between stocks and futures contracts from a trading perspective is that, unlike stocks, which you could keep for a very long time, commodities are held for a very short time only. Futures contracts are used to hedge commodity price-fluctuation risks or to take advantage of price movements, instead of trading the actual cash commodities.

How are commodities traded? Commodity Future and option trading take place at exchanges such as the Chicago Board of Trade, Euronext.liffe, London Metal Exchange and the New York Mercantile Exchange, and other online trading systems. At the exchanges, areas are provided, each designated for a different futures contract. Those trading on the floor must be members of the exchange and registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Those traders, who are not members, work through brokerage firms who are.

To conclude Commodity future option trading is both complex and risky, so the shoe may not necessarily fit just anybodys foot. If you are considering commodity future option trading, you should evaluate how much you are prepared to lose should push come to shove. Choose a trading method that you are comfortable with and that is best suited to achieving your objectives. The bottom line in commodity future option trading is that, if you exercise good judgment and manage your risks effectively, commodities trading are likely to richly reward your efforts!

Discover awesome, proven techniques for trading online; stocks, shares, currencies, FOREX etc. for both the novice and experienced trader at http://www.TradingOnline4u.com

Forex Currency Trading Systems

While the market is swamped with websites and books offering advice on the best' and newest' forex currency trading systems, it is important to do a thorough check of the system to ensure that it really works. There are a large number of such forex trading systems that are completely fraudulent or simply do not work, and have been created with the sole intention of making a quick buck. But despite this, there are plenty of forex currency trading systems out there that do work and can be quite reliable if used in a disciplined and consistent manner.

Everyone is looking for a forex trading system that works and gives them high and continuous profitability over a period of time. One must be realistic in searching for a good system, and keep in mind some essential factors when selecting a forex trading system. Firstly, it is critical to fully understand the logic on which the trading system is based. Only a complete understanding will enable you to use the system effectively over a long period of time. Not only grasping the logic, but also agreeing with it is important. The forex trading system of your choice must seem logical and intuitive to you or else you will find it impossible to stick with it.

Secondly, you should embrace a good forex currency trading system for the long term, and put in the appropriate amount of research and trial based on this idea. A solid system will tap in to long term patterns and the potential for sustained success of any system in the short term is negligible. Thirdly, be ready for a hit. Be financially prepared for a downturn and based on the assumption that at some point you will face this event, plan for your staying-afloat strategy. Emotionally and money-wise, be ready for the big one when it comes.

When you commit to a forex currency trading system, ensure that you give the system adequate time to start showing profitability. This may be not be months, but possibly years, since every system experiences a time when it produces losses or lowered returns. Give your selected system a fair trial and try to trade consistently and logically. In addition, some forex trading systems will not offer real trading data, but will be simulations that are based on a particular logic and work using historical data. As long as the logic is solid, there is no reason to reject these systems outright.

The simplest forex trading systems tend to work most effectively in a rapidly shifting market place. Just because a system seems complicated, doesn't mean it will perform better. Pick a forex trading strategy that's easy to learn and easy to use and you feel comfortable with. Identify the major trends that affect a currency and select a forex trading system that works in tandem with it. Finally, a cardinal rule of the trade: Always rely on a system that is disciplined and rational. Do not be swayed by emotions. This has spelled the downfall of some of the most influential and successful forex traders, including the pros, and must be avoided at all costs. While it may seem unlikely to you now, once you are in the midst of your forex trading experience, you will find it easy to be moved by your emotions.

The biggest advantage of a forex currency trading system is that it works completely without emotions and if you can follow it mechanically, it will be the key towards a long term career in forex trading.

Andrew Daigle is the owner, creator and author of many successful websites including a free forex currency exchange training site called ForexBoost and Forex Training blog for the Novice and Advanced Forex trader.

Using Arbitrage Trading to Make Money From Home

In todays world anymore you need to work two jobs. You need a part time job, and a full time job. The problem with this though is that it doesnt allow you to have much time to do the things we should really be doing in life. Spending time with our kids, taking family vacations, buying a new home or car, and so much more. If you are anything like me you know that a year can fly by in no time at all. Before you know it your kids are grown up, and you havent had much time to watch them grow.

So why not work from home online? Did you know that millions of dollars are being made from people working online every day? Its actually a lot easier to work part time or full time on the Internet then most people think.

Let me show you how easily you can earn a second income using sports arbitrage trading. Numerous arbitrage situations, also referred to as sure bets, scalps and risk free bets, are created every day in sports-betting markets amongst the increasing number of bookmakers operating worldwide. These are terms attributed to a minor flaw in the betting system and YOU can take advantage of them! These arbitrage situations range anywhere from 1% to 15%. So you will make 1 to 15% on the amount of money you put on each trade. Earning from this flaw is perfectly legal and is tax free in most countries. The difference in the odds determines the amount of risk-free profit to be made by the Sports Arbitrage Trader.

Arbitrage is not to be confused with gambling, which carries a risk! It is a system where you trade with TWO different bookmakers who have opposing views on the outcome of an upcoming event on the same event. The result is a profit to you, no matter who wins the event. There is more to arbitrage than this but all the considerations have been built into our state-of-the-art software, so you don't need to worry!

If you are new to sport's arbitrage trading, just take a moment to imagine yourself placing a trade that ALWAYS wins, regardless of the outcome of the event. Because you don't lose when you place an arbitrage trade, you're not betting at all - you are trading.

With arbitrage trading the amount of money you can make is endless. It really is. You could trade just once a day and make a small profit of $30 or $50 or you could trade as many times per day as you would like. See with arbitrage trading there is no limit to just how many trades you can place per day. There is also no limit to how much you can place on each trade. If you dont have much money to start off with that is ok start small place like a $50 trade or even less whatever fits your budget. Or you can trade big and trade like $500.

Arbitrage trading is simply the easiest and fastest way to make money working online. I have yet to find anything else that is better then arbitrage trading.

If you would like to learn more about arbitrage trading and how it can help you make money visit Arbitrage Trading for more information.