July 9th, 2009
Posted by Mark Clawson
Kids Helping Kids in Africa. The actions of a few can change the world. It all begins with small steps; random acts of kindness and focused attempts to help one another.
If you haven’t noticed; young people are getting involved. My daughter’s husband, Joe, spent time in Kenya a couple of years ago working at an AIDS hospice. While he did have a bout with malaria; his real memories come from the time spent helping the people. My daughter, Meredith, spent time working as a children’s counselor for Americorp helping those with less. Now the two of them will begin a trek to South Africa; setting aside time in their lives to help others.
This is a bit of an anniversary event! Forty years ago, in July of 1969, I began a very memorable year in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I was stationed at the Ethiopian Mapping Mission; they were mapping Ethiopia.
I remember being surprised to find high-rise buildings and telephone poles. Most of what I knew about Africa came from National Geographic or from watching “Abbott and Costello in Africa”. The biggest surprise came as I was walking into town and came across a television store; right in front of me was Neil Armstrong stepping down on the Moon!
July 20, 1969 - ”That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Sound familiar?
There is much that can be learned by experiencing another person’s culture. This type of education is not in books; it flows to your heart and soul. People are wonderful everywhere you go, that is why it is such a great experience to give. Joe and Meredith will be blogging back to the Generation Joy Foundation that they are involved with; barring any technology issues there will be more from me.
The Generation Joy Logo is a symbol of unity in diversity; oneness of humanity in spite of cultural differences.
Curtis Betzler the founder of the Generation Joy Foundation is a science teacher at Beaver Lake Middle School in the State of Washington. He says that the idea of “kids helping kids” began eight years ago on a personal trip to Ghana.
Betzler found that there was an incredible need for educational resources and the basic needs that we all take for granted.
“Knowing that I teach in a place where, in many cases, we have an excess of resources and most all of our basic needs are met, I began working on a way to connect the two regions. I truly believe, that in the right environment, all people want to learn and also that all people like to share.”
“This idea really took off due to the efforts of the children in the community where I work. They readily gave not only resources, but time, energy, planning and commitment to see this project through. The effort was rewarded when I witnessed the joy of children in Africa when receiving these resources and the impact it has had on their lives and community.”
Last year, Generation Joy filled two 40-foot freight containers with supplies. Among the thousands of goods packed in those vessels were 11,000 books, 170 computers, 60 bicycles, and hundreds of soccer balls.
“The potential is endless,” he said. “I think kids enjoy giving. They just need an outlet and a resource.”
Generation Joy needs donations of educational supplies, reading materials, new clothing, sports equipment, new and gently-used shoes, First Aid materials, and comfort items such as dolls, blankets, and baby bottles.
Here is a link to the Generation Joy website.
Do you know someone who can take that small step right here in Las Vegas?
Lastly, here is a video showing “kids helping kids”. Just click here.
July 7th, 2009
Posted by Mark Clawson
The stock market took another fall today; and breaking the 8240 level on the Dow Jones Inudstrial Average could signal a further pull back in the markets and could actually help the mortgage market and rates.
I wanted to keep pace with what was happening in the markets; this is just commentary but worth considering. My last post mentioned Gary Savage and The Smart Money Tracker; his latest comments will bring furhter light to what may be unfolding. Remember, the Dow may be breaking down, however, the broader S & P Index is still holding ground.
Here is a comment from Gary Savage:
“The bulls need 875 to hold. However we are so early in the daily cycle that it would probably take a miracle for this to not breakdown. Now here’s what I suspect is going to happen. Most of the shorts are going to cover at 875 looking for a bounce. Tell the truth, I know a big chunk of you are thinking along those lines.
Now maybe the market bounces at 875 and maybe it doesn’t. Either way I’m not going to lose my position this early in the cycle. First off if everyone is thinking along those same lines then no one is thinking. Where would I be if the market just slices right through that level and keeps on going and I did something stupid like losing my position on the chance that the market would bounce? As I said before, I really don’t want to make stupid mistakes anymore. Believe me, I’ve made enough stupid mistakes for 10 people in my first few years investing. I think I’m over my quota.”
Gary, is what his site is all about “common sense investing”. I hope you all understand the intent of these last few posts. This is just about trying to make you aware of some potential pitfalls; this is not investment advice.
Investing in the financial markets can involve considerable risk. Past performance is not necessarily an indication of future performance. The information included in The Smart Money Tracker and The SMT subscribers daily updates is prepared for educational purposes and is not a solicitation, or an offer to buy or sell any security or use any particular system. Information is based on historical research using data believed to be reliable, but there is no guarantee as to its accuracy. G.D.S L.L.C., nor Gary Savage, do not represent themselves as acting in the position of an investment adviser or investment manager for funds that are not under their direct control and fiduciary responsibility. GDS L.L.C., Gary Savage, will not provide you with personally tailored advice concerning the nature, potential, value or suitability of any particular security, portfolio or securities, transaction, investment strategy or other matter. From time to time, GDS L.L.C., Gary Savage, may hold positions in securities mentioned, but are under no obligation to hold such positions.
July 3rd, 2009
Posted by Mark Clawson
I’m thinking that this is an important time to talk about the stock market and what may happen to mortgage rates. You should know that I spent 25 years in the financial services industry and that many people believed that I was a pretty good technician. Most financial advisors, fundamental or technical, get a good feel for the markets after having watched it for many years; only a few will give you the bad news in advance. Hope you had one of those?
On March 6th the Dow Jones Industrial average fell briefly below 6500; 6469 to be more precise. The high for 2009, on an intra-day basis, was on June 11th when the Dow hit 8877 very briefly. That 37% gain was one of the highest (bear market rally?) since the great depression.
A break below around 8240, Thursday’s close was at 8280, could very easily see the market retrace to the 7700 level. There is a worse scenario and I’ll deal with that later in this post.
Now let’s consider what has been happening to the 10-Year Treasury Note. In the not too distant past you could track mortgage rates by looking at the 10-Year Note. That changed, for a time, when the Fed started buying Mortgage Back Securities. They have pledged to buy $1.25 trillion and they are halfway through that number.
In February the 10-Year Treasury note hit a low of 2.038% and in June the high was 4.174%. That’s a 100% increase; pushed up by green shoots in the economy, a rising stock market, inflation fears, dollar weakness (foreigners don’t want to hold our bonds with a weak dollar) and thoughts that the Fed would tighten.
If you had great credit and very good equity in your home you could have gotten a refinance in February or March at about 4.375%; a couple of weeks ago it would have been around 5.5%, now it’s about 5%.
What’s ahead? If the markets keep falling, oil prices continue dropping, the dollar remains neutral, and inflation fears calm then rates will go lower. I do not expect that we will see 2%; more like 3-3.2% on the 10-Year Note. This should translate into a 30-year fixed rate at about 4.625% - 4.75%; unless the Fed decides to buy a lot more mortgage backed securities.
My suggestion to those people who are looking to refinance or buy a home (first-time homebuyers in particular) is to get moving. The new appraisal laws are slowing the process down; just get the loan application started. You will then be in a position to move forward when you are ready!
I mentioned early in this post that things could get much worse. A friend of mine, Gary Savage, is an extremely astute advisor. I have tracked him over the last year and I’ve been very impressed with his read on the markets. I would like to hope that the market and the economy find a bottom in the next 4-6 months; that may not be the case.
Here is Gary’s read on current events.
Click here
If you want more information about Gary Savage and his Smart Money Tracker services click here.
June 30th, 2009
Posted by Mark Clawson
Las Vegas is getting hot again; so where can you go to cool off?
Here are two great community centers that provide relief from the heat.
The Centennial Hills Community Center is operated by the YMCA of Southern Nevada. The monthly and annual fees are reasonable given the amenities that are found at the center. At the YMCA, no one is turned away because of an inablity to pay. Program and membership assistance are available to those that complete the application and qualify.
The Community Center is lots of fun with tremendous facilities. You’ll find full court basketball, indoor pools, aerobics studios, a weight room, computer lounges and many other activities. They have a number of programs for “Itty Bitty” three to five year olds. Swimming Lesson are available for all ages starting at three months.This is not just for the kids, the YMCA offers FREE childcare. So work out to your hearts content.
You can view their website by clicking here.
On the other side of town you have the Henderson Multigenerational Center/Aquatic Complex.
The facility is multigenerational and you will find activities for everyone. They have a rock climbing wall, jogging track, an adult lounge and dance room. The facility accommodates a wide array of activities, interests and community services.
The 84,120-square-foot state-of-the-art facility also features an aquatic complex, including indoor and outdoor pools for casual and serious swimmers of all ages.
Click here to visit their website.
June 27th, 2009
Posted by Mark Clawson
Floyd Lamb State Park has been in the news lately; they are renovating one of the historic buildings on the site. The building will become the new Visitors Center. I wrote an article about the park about 2 years ago and I thought the timing might be right to expose you to the park once again.
At first blush there doesn’t seem to be much going on here, not many visitors. However, this park has a very interesting history attached to it. Water was the key attraction at Tule Springs. The native Indian population made use of the springs, as did the local propectors. In 1941, Jacob Foumond carved out a working ranch and he took advantage of the divorce laws in Nevada and created a dude ranch for prospective divorcees.
The ranch could accomodate 10-12 guests waiting out their six-weeks residency requirement. Life on the dude ranch was glamorized in newspapers and made famous by the many movie stars who came to obtain a divorce. Tule Springs was also a self-supporting ranch where alfapha was planted and Brangus cattle were bred and raised. In 1964 the City of Las Vegas purchased the property and renamed it in the honor of State Senator Floyd Lamb. In 1977 the State acquired the property only to transfer it back to the city of Las Vegas in July of this year (2007). Eons ago, when Tule Springs was much cooler and wetter than today, large mammals, simliar to those in Africa today, lived in the canyons and lush valleys of the area.
The lakes are stocked with fish monthly and it’s a great place to catch catfish and other varieties of fish. The fee is $6 daily per car. You can walk, bike or ride a horse into the park for just $1 a day.
This is really a fine place to take the kids and have a BBQ. You will need a Nevada State fishing license to fish the Lakes. Group reservations start at $50 (plus a $25 Refundable Deposit) for group of 100 people.
June 24th, 2009
Posted by Mark Clawson
I decided to visit the campus at UNLV yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised. UNLV was established as an Arboretum in 1985. The grounds are often referred to as the Emerald of the Desert.
Having attended the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, I was amazed by the green foliage and numerous native plants that were on display. This is expected in the Pacific Northwest; but I didn’t expect what I saw on the UNLV campus. Below is a photo of Lied Library.
The campus is home to about 28,000 students including graduate studies. Most of you know that photos are important to me and my blogs; they draw the reader in.
This will be a photo post of the campus and I hope that you enjoy.
Student Union Building with the amphitheater below.
Parking Garage
Student Recreation and Wellness Center
A place to contemplate or just relax in the shade.
Greenspun Hall
Zen Garden?
You can click here to see my Flickr slide show with larger photos.
June 19th, 2009
Posted by Mark Clawson
James Lupori, from Kenmore Undressed, recently posted an article about the consequences of short sales in real estate. This may be an issue for some of you and I wanted to keep you abreast with the workings of the real estate market.
WHY YOUR NEIGHBORS MATTER
Short Sales Reduce Your Property Values
A WARNING: This blog post is not for the faint of heart. There is nothing warm and fuzzy in what I’m about to write. This is one of those “face the brutal facts of your current reality” stories. This is a blunt discussion of what happens when your neighbors have financial problems, when the economy turns sour and how their misfortune visits your doorstep….literally!
SHORT SALES
By now, most home owners have heard the term “short sale.” It’s become an all-too-common situation for homeowners this last year. For those of you who aren’t familiar with short sales, here’s a simple definition:
A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the proceeds from the sale fall short of the balance owed on a loan secured by the property sold. (click on this link to read the Wikipedia article)
Sounds simple enough: a home owner gets into financial trouble and can’t pay the mortgage. They try to protect their credit rating and avoid foreclosure by asking the bank to accept less than what they owe on their mortgage. Wow! Sounds simple enough, right? For the purposes of this post, I’m not going to discuss the complexities of the short sale process. I’ll save that depressing subject for another day. What I’d like to focus on here is the serious, negative consequences short sales can have on a neighborhood.
For the full article click here.
June 13th, 2009
Posted by Mark Clawson
The above photo of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas is an old photo that I took of the site last year. I’ll talk to that issue later.
Fontainebleau Las Vegas LLC, announced this last week that it is filing Chapter 11. This came after a group of lenders, headed by Bank of America, decided to pull out of an $800 million credit facility that was needed to complete the project.
Common sense dictates that you don’t let a resort that is almost completed just sit there for long. (You have to understand that the photos I’m showing don’t depict the current situation. The structure is topped off and the blue windows fill every floor.) This is not much comfort for the 3,000 people that have been laid off; I happen to know a few that were working there.
This is not like Echelon which was shut down with only a few steel structures in place.
Wednesday, I got a call from ABC News and they wanted to know if they could use my photos for a piece they were doing on the Fontainebleau bankruptcy. While they weren’t recent; the photos painted the picture they were looking for. They wanted to get my approval and didn’t have much time. I was the one that they could contact to get the approval.
Las Vegas Undressed and ABC News!
The piece is after a short blip on Will Ferrell Sun Tan Lotion. The bottle shows him in various stages of undressed; just like my undressed blog sites:
Las Vegas Undressed
Summerlin Undressed
Green Homes Undressed
Remember on my blog sites Undressed stands for transparency; my sites are G-rated!
Here is my 25 seconds of very modest fame.
June 5th, 2009
Posted by Mark Clawson
When you can’t take too much more of this!
Consider this retreat from the Sun.
Seafair in Seattle - July 29th thru August 2nd
It’s about Seafair Pirates!
It’s about the Torchlight Parade
The very loud and spectacular Blue Angels.
The Big Boats
Maybe a side trip to the San Juan Islands?
I spent most of my life in Seattle and it’s a wonderful place. We used to build wooden hydroplanes with nails on the bottom. We would tie them to our bikes and ride them around the baseball diamond so we could see the roosertails.
Here is a special article about Mira Slovak a famous hydroplane racer. He piloted the Miss Wahoo and he had quite a history before that!
June 1st, 2009
Posted by Mark Clawson
Just a reminder that I have a few new links on Green!
Click Here for the full article.
