Reply #8: Noooooooo... the RE market is on a downswing, interest rates are going up.

[radwriter0555]

The stock market will remain far, far too volatile for some time to come. International blue chip type stocks are good, investing in almost anything Chinese is VERY good. US stocks, you could give me, but I wouldn't spend a dime on them. With george in office, at any moment another crash could happen such as occurred immediately after 911... although if it does, buy the morning after when everything takes a huge shit.

US residential real estate will only pay off in under 10 years in certain regions, Las Vegas still being a very, very good market but prices are going up quickly. Sadly, New Orleans flood damaged areas are THE place to bank on right now... were I there, I'd put every penny I had into buying up the destroyed homes and tainted land. I wouldn't rebuild either, I'd let it sit. Why? Because the Casinos are moving in. They'll be doing it if you don't, sentimentality and doing the right thing aside. You sit on the property and wait for the developers to make you an offer, if they haven't already gotten in first dibs.

International residential and speculative vacation real estate is an excellent investment right now, for 5 year payoffs in specific areas such as the Tunisia, Slovinia, and my personal favorite, the Yucatan coast in Mexico.

Small business, entrepreneurial franchise types for under $150K are good places to invest, depending of course on the business. Trust me, emus and ostrich farms and Avon and Merle Norman aren't the ones.

CBS is full of shit.