Investments

[Brent Drake]

Brent, real estate out here in Ca has changed. I began looking at rentals until covid. The Ca government makes it almost impossible for a small investor to own rentals. They have rent control on everything. During covid they told renters they didn’t need to pay. They gave landlords instructions on how to APPLY for reimbursements from the covid funds. Currently tenants can stall payments for up to six months. Squatters can remain for the same amount of time if court proceedings are initiated to remove them. If other methods are employed it can take less time. Anyway, I decided I didn’t want bogged down in that quagmire.

wow, Indiana has none of that crap. Real estate has approximately doubled since COVID-19. We have people evicted in 2 weeks. We were even evicting during Covid.

 

[Brent Drake]

Local banks are 5.5% now.
Gold is worthless.

 

[Mayfield]

Local banks are 5.5% now.
Gold is worthless.

Hi Brent,

Help me understand your position. This morning gold spot price was $2462/oz

 

[WaspAir]

 

[Mayfield]

View attachment 1161719

Yep, That's why I don't dabble in precious metals much. However, worthless is a little stronger than I would use.

Incidentally, I'm not really a prepper, banking (no pun intended) on a dystopian future, but I'm not sure gold and silver will be as valuable as some think in that scenario.

Eating, staying warm and not ill will be pretty high on the priority list. I also don't think many would be able to Rambo themselves out of problems either. Gold and silver, and the like, might not even be a medium of exchange.

I'll just stick to CDs this side of Armageddon.

Jim

 

[Brent Drake]

Hi Brent,

Help me understand your position. This morning gold spot price was $2462/oz

In 1878, an ounce of gold would buy an excellent tailor-made 3-piece suit. Today, An ounce of gold is a little shy of buying a tailor-made 3-piece suit. They're running closer to 3k.
So I don't see where gold is an investment. If the crap hits the fan, canned foods, and ammunition will be far more valuable.

 

[WaspAir]

. If the crap hits the fan, canned foods, and ammunition will be far more valuable.

I was thinking penicillin, birth control pills, viagra, etc., as much easier to carry for trade goods. High demand, too.

 

[Mayfield]

If the crap hits the fan, canned foods, and ammunition will be far more valuable.

Absolutely. I can recycle or make pretty much everything except primers. In 2018 I could buy a thousand primers for less than $35 if I shopped. Today, if you can find them, they are 2 to 3 times as much.

As to gold and silver, I see little that would persuade me that gold is a hedge against loss of value of the currencies.

 

[RogerB]

Anyone buying Bitcoin? Expectations? Why/why not?

 

[Sv.grainne]

Not me.

 

[GyrOZprey]

Canned food has relatively short "use-by" date - I feel 25 year lifespan packaged dried & freeze-dried items seem to be a better "food-security" hedge!
Unless you actually like & USE canned foods & refresh/rotate the supply - just leads to total waste!

Patriot pantry /4Patriots - have pretty edible long term meals in mylar bags - just add water & cook! Heavy on starch ,so supplement with some cans of freeze-dried meats! Also have a canister of heritage garden seeds - to grow food in the warm months!

For survival - one needs a source of clean water & a means to store(rain) /extract it (well) - solar & simple hand pumps.

Water, food, shelter, heat-source & self-defense to repel those who would take it from you!

At this stage of life - apart from imparting some old-school survival skills to the younger generation ...I honestly don't care to "survive" in a gutted dystopian nightmare of a once great world!

 

[Sv.grainne]

Canned food has relatively short "use-by" date - I feel 25 year lifespan packaged dried & freeze-dried items seem to be a better "food-security" hedge!
Unless you actually like & USE canned foods & refresh/rotate the supply - just leads to total waste!

Patriot pantry /4Patriots - have pretty edible long term meals in mylar bags - just add water & cook! Heavy on starch ,so supplement with some cans of freeze-dried meats! Also have a canister of heritage garden seeds - to grow food in the warm months!

For survival - one needs a source of clean water & a means to store(rain) /extract it (well) - solar & simple hand pumps.

Water, food, shelter, heat-source & self-defense to repel those who would take it from you!

At this stage of life - apart from imparting some old-school survival skills to the younger generation ...I honestly don't care to "survive" in a gutted dystopian nightmare of a once great world!

What a horrible view to have!

 

[j4flyer]

I believe one of the best investments is to become debt free. Payoff your house, cars and credit card debt. You’ll have many more options.

 

[GyroChuck]

I believe one of the best investments is to become debt free. Payoff your house, cars and credit card debt. You’ll have many more options.

Yes I agree, it feels good being in that category.

 

[Gyro-nut]

I believe one of the best investments is to become debt free. Payoff your house, cars and credit card debt. You’ll have many more options.

100% agree. I would not invest if I had any debt; that's 2 steps forward, 1 step back.
Pay off all debt and then RUN forward

 

[TyroGyro]

Anyone buying Bitcoin? Expectations? Why/why not?

About 40% of my wealth is now in BTC, and I expect that percentage to grow significantly from price appreciation alone. I'm not expecting to buy any more, but you never know...

I bought between 2018-2020 and, luckily in the UK, there was an brief opportunity to get it into tax-sheltered wrappers. [SIPP and ISA, roughly equivalent to the US 401(k) and Roth IRA respectively]

I am a believer (obviously). DYOR.

 

[scottessex]

I agree with Brent, METALs like Lead and Brass, Ballistic wampum.

 

[RogerB]

I agree with Brent, METALs like Lead and Brass, Ballistic wampum.

Don’t metals like copper go down when the economy is in decline … would assume the same with lead and brass or are you looking at it in a different way?

 

[RogerB]

About 40% of my wealth is now in BTC, and I expect that percentage to grow significantly from price appreciation alone. I'm not expecting to buy any more, but you never know...

I bought between 2018-2020 and, luckily in the UK, there was an brief opportunity to get it into tax-sheltered wrappers. [SIPP and ISA, roughly equivalent to the US 401(k) and Roth IRA respectively]

I am a believer (obviously). DYOR.

Makes sense if some of the predictions I heard of it hitting $35mill a coin are true in ~10 years

 

[RogerB]

I was thinking penicillin, birth control pills, viagra, etc., as much easier to carry for trade goods. High demand, too.

Sounds like a doomsday survival strategy, what exactly are you anticipating?
You’d basically need to become a general store or trading post to make anything liquid.