The Mind of Kenney Young

Posts Tagged ‘finance’

Betting on sports ‘futures’ is an enjoyable and potentially profitable way to wager, but there are several potential risks that can lead to losses. Here’s a rundown of things to avoid:

Don’t bet at the first place you look: In other words, shop around for the best price. This is essential to all aspects of sports betting, but especially important with futures wagers. You’ll find more disparity between prices from book to book on futures than any other betting proposition. From a theoretical standpoint, a little work can yield much better value. From a practical standpoint, that means a higher payout should you win. The reason for this is that individual sportsbooks’ aren’t as worried about what the other guys are doing as they are with most other bets. Once the futures “market” is set books move the lines almost exclusively on their own financial position. The market simply doesn’t respond as quickly to futures wagers as it does to individual game lines so it is essential to do the extra work to get the best price on your proposition.

In a competitive field, don’t obsess with picking the winner: This may sound like a strange concept, but once you understand the theory behind it it makes perfect sense. In a large field–the NCAA basketball tournament is a perfect example–the top few favorites are invariably priced at odds that are less than the ‘true odds’ of them winning. On the other hand, there are always teams that fly ‘under the radar’ available at higher prices that present a betting overlay.

In more theoretical terms, the ‘true odds’ of a Duke or similar top team winning the tournament are almost always higher than the price offered. Think of it this way–say we’re betting Duke to win the national title at 2/1. This means that the Blue Devils would have to win more than 33% of the time to break even. So lets say, for the sake of argument, that we could play the tournament over 100 times. Would Duke come out on top more than 33 of these times? If not, they represent a poor value. Let’s say that they win 30 of 100 times. This means that any price under +333 or thereabouts is a poor wagering value.

Note that the more competitive the market, the more difficult it is to find good value on the favorites. Since you can make a case for quite a few teams to win the NCAA tournament at this point this particular futures market is clearly a very competitive one. In a less competitive marketplace it might be possible to “pick the winner” and have it be a good value though you will pay a price for this. Here’s a (thankfully) hypothetical example: let’s say the UFC decided to hold a one night round robin tournament with 5 competitors. Competitor #1 would be heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. The other four competitors would be professional figure skaters Elvis Stojko, Rudy Gallindo, Brian Boitano and Evgeni Plushinko. Even if he didn’t bring his “A game”, Lesnar would be essentially have a 100% certainty of beating the four untrained fighters, who also happen to be rather effeminate. If a sportsbook installed Lesnar as a -1000 favorite a bet on the 63 265 pound takedown would still be theoretically a good value. It’s always difficult to risk so much to win a little, but from a strictly theoretical standpoint its a good play.

Don’t try to make a huge profit with little risk: Sports betting provides few opportunities to make a ‘big killing’. It may happen occasionally, but even the big payouts when it occurs doesn’t make chasing big longshots a good value. If you’re serious about sports betting it is crucial to maintain your focus on the underlying numbers and look for value at all times. If you want to take a longshot at a huge jackpot, play the lottery but don’t try to do it at a sportsbook.

Simply stated, the concept of value works the same at the bottom of the wagering ladder as it does at the top. Even if you’re betting a big underdog at a huge price make sure that it accurately reflects the ‘true odds’ of the event occurring.

Don’t bet one sided props: Sometimes sports books will offer silly bets just to get publicity or in some cases just to be funny. While there may be life on other planets, the ‘true odds’ of a Martian being named to President Obama’s cabinet wouldn’t justify a +5000 line that it would occur.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

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I’ll tell you a small secret. Back again within the mid 90′s I really used to go for weeks at a time without checking my e-mail. When I finally did, there would be a whopping 20 email messages. A little note from a pal. The occasional work related message. The joke of the day. 20 entire messages, in a week, can you believe it?

Now I get 20 messages in like 5 minutes. Do you ever miss the “good ole’ days” of e-mail? When you could actually sit down, read and manage everything in a small amount of time? For many, what used to be a great convenience has turn out to be just one more task to tackle.

No, you can’t give up e-mail cold turkey. It is here to stay. However it does not have to be so difficult or overwhelming. Here are 8 simple methods to cut down on the constant shuffle and overwhelming amount of email you manage every day. And I’m not just talking about spam filters.

Action 1: Create an E-mail Procedure

Don’t get stuck in the e-mail cycle where you end up reading the same email a number of times and still do not act on it. Pick a specific time to examine your mail. Maybe as soon as or twice an hour. Study it as soon as, complete what you need from it and then move on.

Action Two: Use Instant Messenger

Instant messenger isn’t just for kids chatting about the happenings of the 8th grade. Rather than shooting off an e-mail and waiting for a response or having a conversation by sending emails back again and forth, try utilizing instant messenger. It’s great for fast check-ins and obtaining answers fast. Sign up for a free messenger service like MSN, give your contact info to individuals you communicate with on a regular basis (like your assistant) and speak in real time rather than filling up your in-box.

Action Three: Try a Wiki

No, this isn’t a Hawaiian tropical drink. Are you stuck within the trap exactly where you are constantly getting the most recent version of the contract or the latest redesign of the design? If you’re in a place exactly where a number of people are sending various versions of documents back and forth, it might make sense for you to attempt a Wiki. A Wiki is really a software program that allows users to produce and update web pages easily and rapidly. This creates a central location exactly where a number of individuals can log in, see and function on the same document. No much more emails back again and fourth. Inc. magazine recommends jotspot.com. See if it is for you personally.

Step Four: Schedule a meeting

Got stuff to speak about? Do not send an email. Instead of spreading out your requests more than what could be a couple dozen emails, schedule a quick 10 minute meeting. Quickly review what needs to be covered, answer all questions at 1 time and move on.

Action Five: Put an FAQ page on your web site

Do you discover yourself obtaining the same questions from your customers over and more than again? Try adding the answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) on your web site. Or even be much more proactive and send the FAQ to new clients when they purchase your product or sign up for your service.

Action Six: Remember the telephone

Hey keep in mind that old fangled invention called the telephone? Occasionally it seems easier to just shoot off an email, but the phone can dramatically cut down on the quantity of emails ending up in your inbox. For example, a client of mine recently told me she made a coffee date with a colleague. What could have been 3 minutes on the telephone comparing schedules turned into 8 back again and forth email’s trying to pick the perfect date to speak more than chai lattes. Don’t fill up your box should you don’t need to.

Step Seven: Automatically sort your email

Most email programs allow you to sort and highlight automatically. Learn to use features like Outlook rules so you can quickly identify individuals messages that are most important to you. For instance, I have a client who set up a rule that sends all web site leads to a special folder. This does not cut down about the quantity of emails coming in, but it sure makes it is a entire lot simpler for his assistant (and NOT him) to procedure those leads.

Action Eight: Use multiple email addresses

Get lots of newsletters and announcements? Set up a special box just for those kinds of mailers to ensure that you are able to read them when you wish to. Once again, does not cut down about the quantity of email’s coming via, but makes it easier for you to obtain to the items you want to see first.

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A foreclosed property may be a bad situation to someone who has failed to pay the mortgage amount. The creditor can take back the property if the payer can no longer afford to pay for the said property. Business savvy people actually see buying foreclosed properties as a good business deal for them. This article will teach you how to buy foreclosed properties .

The opportunity to buy foreclosed property is somewhat a good option if you are in the process of looking for a new house or planning a real estate investment. Foreclosed properties are very affordable and can be wise investments for the business savvy individual. Foreclosed properties can earn you a lot from the profit of reselling them.

The internet is a good tool when searching for foreclosed properties. Banks and other companies usually have their official sites that you can visit online. The internet is the most accessible information tool that people now have. You can also try the newspaper for ads for foreclosed properties.

Make sure that you list down all possible properties that you deem worthy of an investment. These things refer to the value of the property as a whole and the costs of any structural issues that need repair. Remember that you buy it for resale and you don’t want to end up spending more money fixing on things that must be repaired.

Another consideration to include upon selection is the location of the property you are looking for. Make sure that the property is located in a good area where there is commerce and transportation. Make sure that it is near cities and are reachable via commute.

You have just read some things that are important when you are considering buying foreclosed properties. Follow the tips above if you want to make a good investment.

Take advantage of all the great buys in the real estate market with our Dallas Foreclosures company. Find some great foreclosure properties in Dallas at our Dallas foreclosures.

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So you have got just bought a brand new property to rent out however it’s obvious that the place has seen better days? Before you begin with the redecoration it is wise to take a step back and consider the most effective manner to go about this. Many landlords have launched into intensive restorations of their rental properties solely to realize that a number of the work they need undertaken does really not increase the quantity of rent they are able to achieve.

Time is an important consideration in any restoration plan as you may usually not be able to let the property until the restoration is complete. A fast and efficient renovation program can help to extend the amount you’re ready to change tenants to rent from you while keeping the void period attributable to the restoration to a minimum. Keeping it straightforward really pays off here. Firstly, consider doing the work that has the very best visible effect however is quick to complete.

Painting walls, radiators and doors can build a rental home abundant more attractive with only a number of days work. New curtains and a few pieces of low cost but well chosen furniture can transform a space instantly. Modern flooring or tiling will take more time but might be worth the time and cash if the house to lease is in a poor condition. If doable, stay far from any major alterations, like kitchen extensions, window replacements and structural repairs. Whereas these are things you would possibly want to do in your house, continually remember that this is not a place where you may live yourself. Of these works can take a substantial quantity of your time while having terribly very little or no effect on the feasible rent.

Neutral Continually Wins

Though it’s tempting to embellish in keeping with your own taste, decorating a home to lease isn’t the same as renovating your own property. Your flats or homes for rent ought to attractiveness to a wide selection of potential tenants. To achieve this, each ornament ought to be neutral in color. Tenants are then in a position to put their particular stamp on the home to rent by hanging footage and thru their belongings.

Painting every wall white is right – not only does it provide the property to rent a clean and airy feel; it’s conjointly the most affordable paint to buy. Bear in mind that you will would like to paint over marks and scratches when the tenants move out. This can be simple if all the walls are white, but it can be a heap harder to search out an identical color for something else in a couple of year’s time.

Marketing a Home to Rent While Renovating

You must begin advertising and looking for tenants as possible, even while the works are going on. The majority of tenants will not mind this and would possibly indeed be taken by the concept of being able to move into an apartment or house for rent which has just been fixed. It can also provide you time to collect suggestions and carry out credit checks whereas completing the restoration. The moment the paint is dry your new tenants can have the ability to move in, keeping the void amount to a complete minimum.

Another great article by Downtown Toronto Real Estate This article, Guide To Rental Property Refurbishing is available for free reprint.

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The loose credit of the early part of this century is haunting us as many people with bad credit were given mortgages and at this point millions of them have faced or will be facing foreclosure.

Easy credit was the perfect solution at this time, especially when there was no down payment required and the initial rates were pretty attractive tickler rates.

But the real estate bubble burst, and home values are falling and interest rates are rising.

Previously adjustable rate mortgages are adjusting upward, and many people face $2,000 mortgage payments on their $200,000 home. At these rates, and the excess loan balances because of no down payment, even tiny increases could increase the monthly payment by as much as 20%. Even if they would like to refinance, they may not have the choice since the value in their home has decreased and credit conditions have become much more stringent. (The home loan balance is higher than the value of the home.)

How can these borrowers cope? There are some federal programs being considered that may help, but homeowners have to look into steps they can take.

The most important advice you can have is not to ignore the problem. Once you know that you may not make the mortgage, contact the lender and let them know of the problem. Illness or a loss of employment will almost force the bank to work out a payment plan for you, but if you have just been foolish with your budget, don’t expect a lot of sympathy.

Get in touch with a counselor. The Department of Housing and Urban Development can offer a housing counselor in your region who can help you find ways to dig yourself out of the problem.

Pare your budget down to the essentials to reduce overall costs. You may not be able to cut down on food or utilities, but luxury items such as premium TV or phone plans can be lowered. Whatever you are able to save you should use to pay down your high interest credit card debt.

Find out if you are eligible for government assistance. Some low income families who were not behind on their loans before their ARMs rate reset, may qualify for a 30 year fixed rate mortgages insured by the government.

There are some more drastic solutions, but, depending upon the situation, some homeowners should consider them.

Put your house up for sale. In today’s market, that may mean a loss altogether, but banks have been known to consider taking the proceeds of the sale as settlement of the loan. It may simply be a better idea than having an additional foreclosure on their books.

What about bankruptcy? This is the last step you should think about, since your financial life will be shattered for many years to come. You will render your already bad credit rating even worse, but if there is a chance you may be able to consolidate, reduce and even eliminate some debt (depending on your income), it may be a viable option.

The main lesson to learn is that you have to take as many of these steps as you can to avoid foreclosure by working with your bank and officials.

Find out what is the lowest rate for you with alberta mortgage rate or find more about edmonton mortgage