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Investing in Washington, D.C. can raise many challenges unique to that locale. Professional developers like Isaac Toussie recognize that, first of all, the property markets of our nation’s capital consists of some very interesting characteristics. Even though the city’s real estate environment continues to be tough due to still-disappearing gains, gains made during pre-2008 boom-times, new developments are taking place that may indicate a turn-around.

Not everyone knows that home sales have fallen as credit’s dried up the way a pro like Isaac Toussie does, causing ripple effects like job insecurity and worse. In fact, suburban D.C. has even been through price drops of up to one hundred thousand dollars! But as is often the case in the world of business, there may be a silver lining in even this catastrophe. That’s because one man’s tragedy is another’s opportunity, to put it honestly. And thus the glut of foreclosed properties has come to set off a buying spree in many places, notably among the many first-time home buyers of Prince William County who finally found prices within their reach. It should also be mentioned that so-called “vulture investors” have swooped in as well to snap up distressed properties, which is generally considered to be a good reflection of the wider economic situation, as it is a strong sign of a certain confidence in the market, that market fundamentals remain solid. In fact, these two groups of buyers play a role akin to that of canaries in a mine, signaling trends and shifts.

The second matter that has occupied many a thoughtful observer of late concerns the rate of mortgage delinquency, which has actually declined a little, according to a recent industry survey just completed. The rate at which mortgage payments have fallen behind has decreased slightly during the fourth quarter of 2009, which is surprising indeed considering that delinquency rates ordinarily rise during the last three months of the year, due to all heating expenses for winter and the holiday shopping season.

Surprised though market analysts may be, very few are puzzled because most take this development for nothing more than a statistical outlier, a coincidence. Most economists and other experts continue to believe that the situation remains extremely dangerous, as there are still record numbers of homeowners in financial straits, with the biggest difficulty of all unresolved: that way too many have missed at least three payments, and these people are really the ones least helped by any relief program whatsoever, historically speaking; these are the very souls who will be going into foreclosure rather soon.

One more thing to realize about D.C. property markets: the city was the nation’s murder capital for much of the 1990s, and still suffers from the effects of municipal mismanagement to this day. Of course, tony nabes like Georgetown exist, but for the most part D.C. is a place where real estate investors need to exercise due diligence when searching for opportunities. The city has been slowly recovering, with gentrification helping pull some pockets of poverty and despair up and out into the modern 21st Century economy, but it’s not a sure bet that current commitment levels shall last.

As legendary as the team is, it’s an open question whether Dallas Cowboys merchandise would’ve been as popular as they are without the equally famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. These ladies aren’t just any ol’ football cheerleading squad members, but make up a veritable franchise in themselves.

No less than two made-for-TV movies have appeared about them, not to mention any number of Dallas Cowboys merchandise bearing their likeness somewhere on the product! For when you think of Texas football, you think the Cowboys – and when you think Cowboys, you think of their cheerleaders.

Sure the die-hard fan might prefer his Dallas Cowboys flag “straight-up” but many others who aren’t so hard-core would most likely welcome a shot of the cheerleaders illustrating their fan merchandise! No other collection of young ladies so epitomize the American woman: young, fun, and fit; spirited; glamorous; intelligent.

Yes, regardless of the voyeurism involved these beauties know how to comport themselves and market themselves. Team try-outs obviously focus on athleticism and physical beauty but as spokesmodels for the team a great amount of social savvy and hence intelligence is required, too.

The only other set of females that have left such a deep impression on popular culture worldwide would have to be Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Bunnies. Interestingly, the Cowboys’ cheerleading squad really started out mixed, with both males and females, as was high school and collegiate football tradition.

And indeed, it was local high school students that actually made up the squad back in the 1960s. In 1969, however a deliberate attempt was made to improve in-game attendance by offering only female cheerleaders whose routines were unlike those prevalent at school games. By 1972, all cheerleaders were over the age of eighteen as their moves became increasingly a lot more like sexy dance routines.

To sell your company is one of the most gut-wrenching decisions you’ll ever face as an entrepreneur. Even without any sentimentality on your part – all of the round-the-clock research, all of the round-the-clock legwork, all that heavy lifting, now come to this, washing your hands of it all – the prospect of timing it all just right could be nerve-wracking. You’ll feel like some television game show guest, at a pivotal moment during you can opt to cash out or stay on for more.

Except it’s even worse than that! For there are a hundred and one factors involved once you want to sell your company, so many different variables at play – just like when you first started up the business, come to think of it!

And if you’ve any venture capital on board, good luck; your investors will generally be the first to cash out and get their cut (unless they are, rather more simply, buying out your share).

For example, let’s say you own a full one hundred percent of your business and wish to sell your company but you haven’t yet looked into what it could be worth because you’ve been too busy basically growing the business (unless you’re one of these serial entrepreneurs who love to start up businesses but hate to run them once things settle down).

You’ve now arrived at one of these so-called inflection points, a time when getting the company to the next stage of success involves considerable risk and a lot of time and money. If you were unlucky enough to have desperately needed investors, you will need to first double revenues and pray for stable market conditions to ensure that you are able to make as much money on a sale as you could have without those investors – who, remember, will want their cut first.

Though the existing economic hardship has also affected Connecticut realty, industry experts like Isaac Toussie believe that there’s no danger of oversupply in Connecticut mostly due to the state’s inventory levels being rather stable, likely because of Connecticut’s housing escaping the kind of speculation other places have seen. Such a happy event is probably also on account of the fact that Connecticut is home to some with the most expensive land anywhere in the country after California, with more than three percent of them priced around a million dollars as of the turn of the century. Southwestern Connecticut lies within the greater New York City metropolitan region, but areas further away, such as those communities in the northeast, are better described as luxury retreats for the monied classes, given median home values in the multiple of millions.

There can be a lot of “upside” to Connecticut realty. Condominium inventory in Connecticut are actually at steady ranges despite the financial downturn of late, which is really an extremely positive sign that bodes well for the overall real estate market there. Connecticut land ought to be fine pretty soon. Investing in commercial properties there is generally a good bet even in this economy. Slow but steady growth has marked the history of Connecticut property for some time. In truth, in spite of the current financial meltdown these days, the State of Connecticut has not witnessed a lot of overly dramatic shifts.

The Danbury Fair, the state’s largest shopping mall, is a case in point. Founded in 1947, it has three levels, forty-seven shops, and nearly four hundred thousand square feet of retail space. Industry experts like Isaac Toussie feel that once the New York City Metropolitan Area recovers, retail outlets like this one in Connecticut will follow right along. Indeed, three of the state’s eight counties, which also happen to house most of the population, make up the Tri-State Region of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Despite such proximity to a world-class metropolis like New York City, it should be noted that Connecticut was never that hot a real estate market, so it shouldn’t be surprising that Connecticut has endured the housing scandal and its subsequent crisis much better than many other states. Indeed, once-industrial and then dilapidated Waterbury now attracts newcomers, most notably Orthodox Jewry, a welcome development that has brought new life to the local economy.

Certainly, Connecticut has in fact done well relative to states like Florida, Nevada, and even California, for sales are already reported to be running at about 70% of 2008 levels, and though median prices have moderated they are at least not nose-diving! Yes, mortgages are harder to come by, but a lot of this is on account of the long-overdue correction of slipshod lending practices in the first place and is actually, in the long term, a positive development for Connecticut’s economy.

Having said all that, readers are still advised to consult those properly licensed and/or otherwise qualified when it comes to making business decisions of any financial importance as neither author nor publisher shall be held liable for such information as has been presented so far, which only constitutes mere opinion and should under no circumstances be misconstrued for financial advice of any kind whatsoever!

With media attention basically focused on foreclosed homeowners, this article will take a brief look to consider the effect on homebuilders such as Isaac Toussie.

Embittered homeowners who have been foreclosed upon have taken to trashing the premises before getting kicked out, with anecdotal estimates by real estate agents putting the number of such vandalized properties at up to half of all such units. But given all the media coverage of foreclosed homeowners, it’s time to take a look now at how the same crisis is affecting homebuilders like Isaac Toussie. After all, many of the small-time businessmen had to take out loans in order to finance their housing developments. Of course, there are no such developers out on the street, and their cases, unfortunate in themselves, are not anywhere near comparable to that of homeowners who have nowhere to go at all. But it’s fascinating to see how things can turn out for businessmen and women caught up in the same economic disaster, and how reactions can differ – or not.

For example, many small homebuilders have had to dip into personal savings just to keep their companies afloat, a familiar predicament to many homeowners. Buyers were disappearing with cash deposits of several thousand left on the table, proof that local residential property markets had turned ice-cold. Even more unfortunately, many homebuilders have proceeded since then to file for bankruptcy protection, with vast sums owed not only to their lenders but also their subcontractors and workers. But still worse yet, these small-time builders have often financed their businesses with so-called recourse debt which allows banks to seize homes, cars, and other personal assets in case of default – again, quite a familiar scenario comparable to that faced by many homeowners.

Such situations have increased and are now considered commonplace across the country. Many a builder has been left with unsold units and land, falling behind on interest payments and facing foreclosures. And in a very bad sign of the extent of the destruction involved, even very large homebuilders are in trouble, with legendary builders such as Levitt & Sons, founders of Levittown, New York on Long Island, famous for epitomizing postwar suburbia, forced into bankruptcy like some small unfortunate start-up.

It’s gotten so bad that once solid partnerships and friendships have frayed as an every-man-for-himself mentality creeps into the proceedings. Contractors and subcontractors have had to take out liens on the property they build in order to protect themselves. And it is in this respect that the experiences of homeowners and homebuilders differ: the latter have almost no hope of any governmental assistance whatsoever, despite being affected by the same subprime mortgage industry shenanigans that’s made owning a home so suddenly onerous.

Legal Disclaimer: Be advised that such information as has been presented so far only constitutes mere opinion and should under no circumstances be misconstrued for professional advice of any kind whatsoever! Always consult those properly licensed and/or otherwise qualified when it comes to making business decisions of any financial importance.

MLM network marketers are a lightning rod in any discussion about small business, salesmanship, or entrepreneurialism. Numerous successful people first got started as MLM network marketers, even though the field is viewed with deep suspicion or outright hostility by many. The tiered compensation structure is most likely the most onerous issue for such individuals, though many sales-heavy operations operate that way, on a comission-only basis and with overrides and bonuses for managers, directors, vice presidents up the corporate ladder.

MLM business opportunities might also be derided for their pay-to-play nature, although franchises operate in the same exact way. In fact, the standard admission fees for conventional franchises are many times that required of any MLM scheme. MLM is basically a way of doing business, or a business model.

It’s one rather easily subject to abuse precisely because it is so easy to get into – providing a good solid fighting chance for ordinary individuals to dabble in a bit of entrepreneurialism to see if doing business is something they would like. With nearly no barriers to entry, it’s really a relatively safe method to go for many individuals who have little cash on hand and little experience actually running a business.

Even first-time MLM network marketers will understand very quickly the basics of supply and demand, inventory management, and most importantly salesmanship. As independent contractors who file IRS Form 1099, they will also learn very quickly about taxes and accounting! It is all there, in microcosm, all the many maddening elements of owning a business. And it’s no wonder that so many wind up burned.

After all, the overwhelming vast majority of start-ups don’t last five years, and even fewer last ten years. MLM schemes are no different in this regard, and it’s crucial to note that many of the most successful, which have withstood the test of time and even the occasional scandal, share much more in common with non-MLM organizations than commonly held misconceptions would suggest.