Showing posts with label foreclosure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label foreclosure. Show all posts

Thursday, September 15, 2011

foreclosure investing


Investing in Communites launch by Big Lottery Fund


You've undoubtedly seen these or read them. Glossy advertisements or four-color advances in magazines and magazines promising to instruct you all the juicy information regarding successful real estate investing. And all you have to do to learn each one of these real property investing surface encounters chuck russo secrets is to pay a rather high sum for a one-or two-day seminar.




Often these kinds of slick real estate investing workshops claim that you can make smart, profitable real-estate investments with simply no money lower (other than, of training course, the hefty fee you purchase the workshop). Now, how attractive is in which? Make a profit from real property investments you made with no funds. Possible? Not probably.




Successful investment requires cash flow. That's the character of almost any business or perhaps investment, especially real estate investing. You put your cash into something which you hope and plan can make you additional money.




Unfortunately too few newbies towards the world of real-estate investing believe it's a magical form of business in which standard company rules will not apply. Simply put, if you would like to stay in property investing for more than, say, a evening or a couple of, then you are going to have to generate money to use and make investments.




While it may be true in which buying property with absolutely no money down is straightforward, anyone who's even made a simple investment (like buying their very own home) understands there's a lot more involved in property investing that will set you back money. For instance, what concerning any essential repairs?




So, the primary rule people new to real est investing must remember is to have accessible cash supplies. Before you decide to actually carry out any property investing, save some cash. Having just a little money in the bank once you begin real property investing surface encounters chuck russo can help you make more profitable real estate investments in rental properties, for example.




When real-estate investing within rental attributes, you'll want in order to select only qualified tenants. If you might have no income when real estate investing within rental qualities, you may be pressured experience a less qualified tenant since you need somebody to pay for you money to enable you to take attention of repairs or attorney fees.




For any type of real estate investing, meaning rental properties or perhaps properties you buy to sell, having funds reserved can permit you to ask to get a higher price. You can require a increased price from your owning a home because you surface encounters chuck russo won't feel financially strapped as you wait for an offer. You won't be backed into a corner and forced to accept just any offer because you desperately need the money.




Another downfall of many new to property investing will be, well, greed. Make any profit, yes, but don't become thus greedy that you simply ask for ridiculous leasing or second-hand rates on all of your real property investments.




Those new to real estate investing must see real estate investing being a business, NOT a hobby. Don't think that real est investing will make you wealthy overnight. What company does?




It requires about six months to decide if property investing in for you. If you have decided that, hey I really like this, then offer yourself a couple of years to truly start making money. It usually takes at minimum five years to get truly productive in real-estate investing.




Persistence may be the key to be able to success in property investing. If you might have decided that property investing is perfect for you, surface encounters chuck russo keep plugging away at it and the rewards will be greater than you imagined.













You wouldn't think Apple and Indonesia have much in common. On the surface, they don't, but they can still teach you a lot about investing. Let's start with Apple.



Apple made the news recently with two major events. It is locked in a battle with Exxon over which is the most valuable company by market capitalization -- a remarkable turnaround. Apple has a market value of over $344 billion. Then Steve Jobs announced his resignation at Chief Operating Officer for health related reasons.



According to a thoughtful blog by Weston Wellington of Dimensional Fund Advisors (not available online), it was not so long ago that the financial media was trashing Apple. In February 14, 2005, Robert Barker, in an article in BusinessWeek stated "...Apple doesn't tempt me..." I wonder what did. Maybe Lehman or Bear Stearns!



Steven Gandel weighed in with an article in Money on March 24, 2004. He quoted Transamerica portfolio manager Chris Bonavico who opined that Apple stock is "...crap from an investor standpoint."



Many analysts credit the remarkable sales of its Apples Stores as the key to Apple's success. In a quote attributed to David Goldstein, Channel Marketing Corp, which appeared in an article in BusinessWeek on May 21, 2001, Mr. Goldstein gave Apple "two years before they're turning out the lights on a very painful and expensive mistake."



What can you learn from these comments about Apple stock? Read the financial media if you find it entertaining. It's useless (and potentially harmful) as a source of reliable financial advice.



What about Indonesia?



The financial media was preoccupied with the downgrade by Standard & Poor's of the credit rating of the U.S, which lowered its rating from AAA status to AA plus. The new rating places the U.S. below the United Kingdom, Canada and even the Isle of Man.



Many investors viewed the lower rating with alarm and considered it a precursor of low stock returns for decades to come. The data tells a much different story, and may indicate there is no better time to invest in U.S. stocks and bonds.



In another blog, Wellington notes that Standard & Poor's rated the credit of Indonesia a "B" in July, 2001, which placed it in the "junk" category. Over the past decade, its credit rating has never risen to investment grade.



Investors in the Jakarta Composite have earned a total return of a whopping 29% per year over the last decade, ending June 30, 2011. According to Wellington, "If the Dow Jones Average had kept pace with Indonesian stocks over the past decade, it would be over 104,000 today."



Here's the lesson to be learned from Indonesia: A low (or reduced) credit rating on sovereign debt does not necessarily correlate to lower stock market returns. This is the opposite of what many investors and financial talking heads believe.



Most investors get their financial information from the financial media or brokers. As Dr. Phil would say: How is that working for you?





Dan Solin is a Senior Vice President of Index Funds Advisors (ifa.com). He is the author of the New York Times best sellers The Smartest Investment Book You'll Ever Read, The Smartest 401(k) Book You'll Ever Read, and The Smartest Retirement Book You'll Ever Read. His new book, The Smartest Portfolio You'll Ever Own, will be released in September, 2011. The views set forth in this blog are the opinions of the author alone and may not represent the views of any firm or entity with whom he is affiliated. The data, information, and content on this blog are for information, education, and non-commercial purposes only. Returns from index funds do not represent the performance of any investment advisory firm. The information on this blog does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice and is limited to the dissemination of opinions on investing. No reader should construe these opinions as an offer of advisory services. Readers who require investment advice should retain the services of a competent investment professional. The information on this blog is not an offer to buy or sell, or a solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any securities or class of securities mentioned herein. Furthermore, the information on this blog should not be construed as an offer of advisory services. Please note that the author does not recommend specific securities nor is he responsible for comments made by persons posting on this blog.






(h/t Heather at VideoCafe)


It is a truism rarely acknowledged in this country: the single most important infrastructure investment we can make for the future is in education. I'm not talking about retrofitting the buildings or constructing more classrooms. No, we provide for the future by educating our young people, preparing them to become productive members of society. Study after study shows that the higher one's education level is, the higher the median income and the less likely one is to suffer unemployment.


But we're not doing that. No, in these austerity times, politicians clamor to cut services and jobs. Teachers are demonized. Vouchers are touted as the answer, when it's simply a way to privatize profits away from public schools. Hell, some GOP would be happy if we eliminate the Department of Education altogether.


A rare and welcome progressive appearance on the Sunday shows, Rep. Maxine Waters bemoans the disconnect between what politicians say we need to focus on and what they're really doing about it:


To tell you the truth, the plight of education in this country is shameful. Just a few days ago I learned that more cities, more states are reducing the number of education days down to four instead of five. And I could not help but stop and think, "Is this America? Is this the country that said and continues to say that education is a top priority?" Why are we not investing more in education? Why do we have dropouts? Why do we have educational systems that are failing? Why is it that we have a situation where many of our young people will not be able to compete in this high technological society because they're not properly educated? And so, no, we do pay lip service to education. We don't really invest in it, and that's got to change. But let me just say this, Americans want to work. This joblessness is not only hitting the middle class, but it is hitting all classes. It is absolutely unconscionable what is happening in the minority communities. When we look at this no jobs haven't been created in August and we find in the African-American community it has increased from 16 percent, 15.9, 16 percent, up now 16.7 percent, and now we're going to talk about cutting government by $1.5 trillion, this new 12 committee membership that we have after the raising the debt ceiling debate? And that means that we're going to lose more jobs, that means more people are going to be unemployed. The African-American rate will probably go up to about 20 percent. I don't know how our country can sustain that kind of...


Of course, David Gregory interrupts her at this point, because Lord know, the plight of the African American community doesn't concern him. But then again, he has the gall to say that we only play lip service to the importance of education. You know, the same guy who only pays lip service to journalism and who spent the better part of the last two years telling his viewers that Americans cared about the deficit when poll after poll proved him a lying hack with a corporate agenda.



Thursday, September 9, 2010

foreclosure defense


eric seiger

BREAKING <b>NEWS</b>: &quot;No.&quot; - Big Cat Country

Your best source for quality Jacksonville Jaguars news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.

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Pentax Kr mid-level DSLR announced with brief hands-on: Pre-Photokina 2010: Pentax has announced the Kr, its latest mid-level DSLR. Initially sitting above the Kx in the range it offers more angular, K-7-esque styling, 6 fps continuous ...

Fox <b>News</b> Won&#39;t Cover The Koran Burning

I remember years ago when flag burning was an issue, I think it was the city council in News Orleans that reduced the penalty for assault & battery on a flag burner to a misdemeanor. Not suggesting assault & battery is ever okay, ...


























Thursday, September 2, 2010

foreclosure report







DRF has the 411: “Former basketball star Bobby Hurley’s Ocala, Fla., farm will go on the auction block Oct. 5 as a result of PNC Bank’s foreclosure on the 140-acre property. Named Devil Eleven Farm in honor of Hurley’s jersey number during his famous career with the Duke University basketball team, the farm is a major asset in PNC’s attempt to recover about $3.3 million in loans and fees. PNC Bank began foreclosure proceedings in late April. According to a report Friday in the Ocala Star-Banner, Hurley listed the farm as collateral for a $2,531,165 mortgage and a $1 million credit line, of which more than $550,000 was used. Interest, attorney fees, and bank charges bring the total due to more than $3.3 million. Court documents filed by PNC Bank say Hurley last made payments on the mortgage and credit line in the spring of 2009. Hurley and his wife, Leslie, agreed not to challenge the foreclosure, clearing the way for the farm’s sale.”









From Jeff Horwitz and Kate Berry at American Banker: Procrastination on Foreclosures, Now 'Blatant,' May Backfire

ervicers are not initiating or processing foreclosures at the pace they could be.

By postponing the date at which they lock in losses, banks and other investors positioned themselves to benefit from the slow mending of the real estate market. But now industry executives are questioning whether delaying foreclosures — a strategy contrary to the industry adage that "the first loss is the best loss" — is about to backfire. With home prices expected to fall as much as 10% further, the refusal to foreclose quickly on and sell distressed homes at inventory-clearing prices may be contributing to the stall of the overall market seen in July sales data.
...
Banks have filed fewer notices of default so far this year in California ... than they did 2009 or 2008, according to data gathered by . Foreclosure default notices are now at their lowest level since the second quarter of 2007, when the percentage of seriously delinquent loans in the state was one-sixth what it is now.

New data from LPS Applied Analytics in Jacksonville, Fla., suggests that the backlog is no longer worsening nationally — but foreclosures are not at the levels needed to clear existing inventory.
...
"The industry as a whole got into a panic mode and was worried about all these loans going into foreclosure and driving prices down, so they got all these programs, started Hamp and internal mods and short sales," said John Marecki, vice president of East Coast foreclosure operations for Prommis Solutions ... "Now they're looking at this, how they held off and they're getting to the point where maybe they made a mistake in that realm."
...
"The math doesn't bode well for what is ultimately going to occur on the real estate market," said Herb Blecher, a vice president at LPS. "You start asking yourself the question when you look at these numbers whether we are fixing the problem or delaying the inevitable."
There is much more in the article.

Note: The LPS delinquency data for July will be released tomorrow. Here are some of the findings (no link):
• July showed an astounding 24.5% month-over-month increase in foreclosure starts, which dovetails with Treasury's latest report on HAMP cancellations (approx. 50% according to Treasury's numbers)
• Abysmal foreclosure rates in NV, FL and CA have led to much higher level equity loss for homeowners in those states as compared to the rest of the country.
• Cure rates remain steady, but seriously delinquent (6 mos.+) cures have declined significantly, by approximately 25%
• Origination remains depressed due to much stricter underwriting guidelines and low purchase activity, but what is being originated is of good quality.
• Until the deterioration ratio improves from its steady two deteriorations for every one improvement, it's hard to see how we're going to get out of the hole.
The report shows the GSEs are stepping up foreclosures.



make money from home without stuffing envelopes

Foreclosure protest at San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank by Steve Rhodes


























Tuesday, July 27, 2010

foreclosure list



A reader writes:



As a budding scientist who has been involved in the HIV field, it is rather frustrating to see media reports of the latest breakthrough in research without a full understanding of the findings and their significance (not that the medical establishment is not complicit … we put out these press releases in order to justify continued research money).  As you are well aware, the field had been fraught with repeated false hopes and, after more than two decades of trying, we are no closer to a preventative vaccine than when we first started.

These findings today do not really change this fact.  The same group has previously described another such neutralizing antibody but have been unsuccessful in their attempts to elicit this response in other individuals (this is the premise of a vaccine).  The very fact that the vast majority of people fail to mount a significant immune response against the virus (unlike we do to most other pathogens) suggests that a vaccine may not even be possible in the first place.  Pharmaceutical therapy, for better or worse, will remain our best response to this disease for the foreseeable future. 

That being said, without any signs of the disease abating, research like this cannot be discounted.  Just don’t expect results any time soon.





I don't. The Dish has long been dismissive of the search for a vaccine against HIV, but this did seem like a positive development. Another writes:



Thanks for that piece of news, Andrew. It actually brought tears to my eyes. I keep forgetting how much we suppress those hopes for a cure, then I read something like that and there's this flame, this glimmer of promise and I'm suddenly in tears. We forget how much that hope for a cure means to us, and how much we've pushed it aside and filed it away.

Right now I'm in this perfect storm of unemployment, heathcare crisis and AIDS.








Since I am, according to some, too lazy or drug-addled to find work, I've had to choose between my COBRA payments and my med copays and Dr. visits. I chose my COBRA payments for fear of that dreaded insurance lapse that would kick in pre-existing exclusions and not getting that all important certificate of coverage for my next (hopefully) job. Since I actually have a home (not sure for how long) and not totally homeless and destitute (yet) I don't qualify for a lot of help. Even if I did now, the state of GA, like many states, now have a Ryan White waiting list to get meds. Even my discount med cards from the drug companies didn't help enough to make them affordable.

So I'm waiting, waiting, waiting - so much has to fall into place, IF I can get a job in the next month or so, and IF they have good benefits, and IF the timing is just right, I might just be able to keep my insurance and go back on my life-saving meds. IF in the next month or so, I don't, I"m hitting several walls, my unemployment running out, my COBRA ending, foreclosure, bankruptcy. That's hoping too that after almost a year off my meds now, that I'm not blindsided by some totally preventable HIV related disease that would put me in the hospital and suddenly make any hope of this turning out well fly right out the window.

I have an older brother who is a wealthy retired executive from Philips, and very much a ditto head. They can't see giving me money since they would just be "enabling" me and keeping me from really looking a job (yes he really said that, almost a verbatim FOX talking talking point). Being a Christian though he did help me rewrite my resume. He keeps saying "just get private insurance" and even "just start my own company" but he hasn't a clue. With my meds running at $10,000 a month and having HIV/AIDS, I'm uninsurable through private health insurance, he doesn't understand that and almost refuses to believe it.

To address a lot of the current bashing of the unemployed: I'm a sharp hard working guy. I had the highest SAT scores in my class, I was pre-med at Wake Forest, two years ago I was making almost $60,000 a year, running an entire print production facility and doing it well. I've worked in consulting firms, F500 marketing departments, I have a killer resume. Yet...

So thanks again for that article. I do still hope. I've been in this crisis from the beginning, HIV+ back before there was even a test or a known cause. I had a partner who was only months ahead of me in progression, yet for every new drug that he just missed being able to take advantage of, I was able to. So our paths that at one time seemed to be almost lockstep veered apart and he died some 20 years ago and I'm still kicking around (I hope). I would just be crushed though that after living the miracle that being a 20+ year long-term survivor entails, that because of seemingly mundane things like a job and health insurance it might all be for nothing.




Here is an interesting story with an Oregon slant that reflects problems all states now face. Please consider Oregon budget stands at precarious crossroad.

Oregon government stands at the edge of a financial chasm as precarious as any in its 151-year history, hemmed in by the global recession, questionable spending decisions and a budget-draining combo of skyrocketing expenses and sluggish growth.

Consider this sobering fact: State expenses, including payroll, health and retirement benefits, and debt payments, are slated to rise by nearly $4 billion over the next two years -- a 26 percent jump. During the same period, however, revenues to pay those expenses are expected to increase by a little less than $2 billion, or about 14 percent -- and that assumes a return to a robust economy.

Oregon simply can't keep up.

Lacking a substantial tax increase, which appears unlikely, the state won't have the money to offer the same level of services, pay and benefits to the same number of people.

The state has faced tough times before, but this crisis is a game changer, economists and political leaders agree. Past budgetary tricks, such as borrowing or sweeping money from other state funds, won't cut it.

The only way out, they say, is to make dramatic, permanent changes. The choices that lie ahead affect not only the state budget, but the kind of place Oregon will become: What kind of schools will we have? Which criminals will go to prison? Who gets help when they need it? What kind of business climate do we want? And how much do we all pay in taxes?

"The public is going to have to understand that we will have a very different Oregon in 2020 than we did in 2010," says John Tapogna, president of ECONorthwest, one of the state's top economic consulting firms.
There is much more in the article including a lengthy discussion of four problems Oregon faces.

  • Problem 1: Our income is shrinking
  • Problem 2: We have more people in need
  • Problem 3: We've locked up a lot of money
  • Problem 4: We can't grow our way out

Email Anecdotes

Here are some anecdotes from reader Denise in response to Oregon's Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) in Deep Trouble, Taxpayers on the Hook
Hello Mish

I Read your post on Oregon's Public Employee Retirement System's troubles with interest. We just returned from visiting a friend on the Oregon coast - and have spent many vacations in the state over the years.

The coast is struggling badly. There are homes for sale everywhere. Available commercial properties abound.

We saw housing developments with only a few completed homes, most empty, and often surrounded by empty lots with weeds many feet high. One condo complex located in the Florence marina has 30+ units available. Only two have sold despite a list of enticements. I wouldn't want to be one of the two owners - it was practically screaming bank foreclosure coming.

And despite that this is their high season - do or die for many coastal businesses - the roads were practically deserted, hotels available everywhere - and miles of empty beaches. We spoke with many restaurant and lodging owners and they all agreed that it's never been worse.

Hard to be optimistic for the economy of the beautiful Oregon Coast.

Denise
Universal Problems

Those are problems all states face, not just Oregon.

It is one hell of a list of problems and states will face those even if the economy starts to grow at a fair pace.

Problem 3 is the crucial one. The "locked up" category includes pension promises that cannot be met and public union salaries way out of line with private sector salaries.

End of the Line for Meaningful Can-Kicking Delays

When it comes to state budgets, the low lying fruit has been picked. Indeed all the fruit has been picked and next year's harvest has been spoken for as well. Thus it's the end of the line for state's ability to kick the can down the road in a meaningful way, if employment does not dramatically pick up soon.

Here's a hint: it won't.

The only question is how long the administration and the Fed can keep this mess from flying apart like a pile of straw in a tornado. Obama's goal of course, is to delay that tornado until after the election. However, people are so fed up with Obama now, that election-wise it probably does not matter.

Obama is likely to lose the House in the upcoming election and enough seats in the Senate that he will not be able to pass his agenda. Hopefully, republicans will start doing a better job than they did under president Bush. Arguably that is a long shot. However, people have had enough of Obama's offering the worst possible combination of corporatism, socialism, and war-mongering that either side has to offer.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List



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iPhone 4 hitting 17 more countries on Friday | Apple - CNET <b>News</b>

The newest flavor of Apple's smartphone will arrive in additional markets July 30, including Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, and Singapore--but not South Korea. Read this blog post by Lance Whitney on Apple.

EU launches antitrust probes of IBM | Business Tech - CNET <b>News</b>

The two investigations by the European Commission surround alleged abuse of the company's dominant market position in the mainframe market. Read this blog post by Sam Diaz on Business Tech.

New Leak Found on Gulf Coast « Liveshots

The Coast Guard is responding to a new oil leak on the Gulf Coast. This spill involves a well in.



New Long Grove Listing: Front 3 by ahausexpert


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iPhone 4 hitting 17 more countries on Friday | Apple - CNET <b>News</b>

The newest flavor of Apple's smartphone will arrive in additional markets July 30, including Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, and Singapore--but not South Korea. Read this blog post by Lance Whitney on Apple.

EU launches antitrust probes of IBM | Business Tech - CNET <b>News</b>

The two investigations by the European Commission surround alleged abuse of the company's dominant market position in the mainframe market. Read this blog post by Sam Diaz on Business Tech.

New Leak Found on Gulf Coast « Liveshots

The Coast Guard is responding to a new oil leak on the Gulf Coast. This spill involves a well in.


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New Long Grove Listing: Front 3 by ahausexpert


Thursday, July 15, 2010

foreclosure listings



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Dave Weigel SLAMS Megyn Kelly On Fox <b>News</b>: &#39;Minstrel Show&#39;

I don't really get a chance to watch TV in Unalaska, and the one thing I miss is Megyn Kelly of Fox News. The last week or so of her work -- her one woman crusade against the New Black Panther Party -- has been truly riveting ...

openSUSE <b>News</b> » openSUSE 11.3 is here!

19 July: Birthday of openSUSE News; 21 July: German Wiki Team Meeting; 24 July: Hadoop Lab with openSUSE in Taiwan; 28 July: German Wiki Team Meeting; 28 July: openSUSE Project Meeting. Categories ...

FOX <b>News</b> Pushes Unsubstantiated Threat of Lesbian Prison Gang <b>...</b>

Maybe Jack Tapper and Ruth Marcus will come to their rescue again because I imagine Tapper will just say that FOX News was getting their info from one uncorroborated source inside the prison walls and it's a very dangerous place to do ...




























Friday, July 9, 2010

Buying Investments Online



Roundup, deals, VC


RevenueLoan Pushes New Funding Model, Tippr Expands in Group Buying, Microsoft and Google Lure Startups, & More Seattle-Area Deals News




Gregory T. Huang 6/8/10

OK, things have started to pick up in terms of deals news around the Northwest. This week was headlined by the activities of a trio of well-known characters in the Seattle tech scene.


—Xconomy had an exclusive in-depth interview with entrepreneur Andy Sack about his new company, RevenueLoan, which has raised $6 million from Voyager Capital, Summit Capital, and Founder’s Co-op. The idea is to make “revenue-based” investments in mostly tech startups. That means instead of taking an equity stake in a company, RevenueLoan will get paid a percentage of the company’s future revenues up to a certain multiplier of its investment (typically 3-5x). I first wrote about this investment model, and how it could shake up the VC ecosystem, last fall.


—Seattle-based BigDoor Media, the Internet startup run by Keith Smith and Jeff Malek, raised $5 million in Series B funding led by Boulder, CO-based Foundry Group. BigDoor has developed a software platform that lets Web publishers add videogame-like mechanics to their sites—things like reward points, leader boards, and virtual goods and currencies—with the goal of boosting traffic and revenues. It’s all part of an increasing trend towards “gamification” of the Web, as led by companies like Zynga and Foursquare.


—Seattle-based Tippr.com, the online group-buying site led by Martin Tobias, acquired Chitown Deals, based in Chicago, for an undisclosed amount. Tippr is now active in 10 cities around the U.S. including Chicago, the hometown of deal-of-the-day giant Groupon. Tippr rolled out its website in February, after acquiring the patent portfolio of Mercata, a former dot-com backed by Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital.


—Not exactly deals per se, but it’s interesting to note that Microsoft and Google are appealing to tech startups and developers in new ways. Bing Maps is providing a software development kit for startups to build location-based applications on top of its maps. Meanwhile, the Google Apps Marketplace added another Seattle-area company’s software to its list of offerings. Napera Networks, which makes network management and security software for businesses, earned that distincition from Google.



Gregory T. Huang is Xconomy's National IT Editor and the Editor of Xconomy Boston. You can e-mail him at gthuang@xconomy.com, call 206-624-2249, or follow him at twitter.com/gthuang.





Roundup, deals, VC


RevenueLoan Pushes New Funding Model, Tippr Expands in Group Buying, Microsoft and Google Lure Startups, & More Seattle-Area Deals News




Gregory T. Huang 6/8/10

OK, things have started to pick up in terms of deals news around the Northwest. This week was headlined by the activities of a trio of well-known characters in the Seattle tech scene.


—Xconomy had an exclusive in-depth interview with entrepreneur Andy Sack about his new company, RevenueLoan, which has raised $6 million from Voyager Capital, Summit Capital, and Founder’s Co-op. The idea is to make “revenue-based” investments in mostly tech startups. That means instead of taking an equity stake in a company, RevenueLoan will get paid a percentage of the company’s future revenues up to a certain multiplier of its investment (typically 3-5x). I first wrote about this investment model, and how it could shake up the VC ecosystem, last fall.


—Seattle-based BigDoor Media, the Internet startup run by Keith Smith and Jeff Malek, raised $5 million in Series B funding led by Boulder, CO-based Foundry Group. BigDoor has developed a software platform that lets Web publishers add videogame-like mechanics to their sites—things like reward points, leader boards, and virtual goods and currencies—with the goal of boosting traffic and revenues. It’s all part of an increasing trend towards “gamification” of the Web, as led by companies like Zynga and Foursquare.


—Seattle-based Tippr.com, the online group-buying site led by Martin Tobias, acquired Chitown Deals, based in Chicago, for an undisclosed amount. Tippr is now active in 10 cities around the U.S. including Chicago, the hometown of deal-of-the-day giant Groupon. Tippr rolled out its website in February, after acquiring the patent portfolio of Mercata, a former dot-com backed by Paul Allen’s Vulcan Capital.


—Not exactly deals per se, but it’s interesting to note that Microsoft and Google are appealing to tech startups and developers in new ways. Bing Maps is providing a software development kit for startups to build location-based applications on top of its maps. Meanwhile, the Google Apps Marketplace added another Seattle-area company’s software to its list of offerings. Napera Networks, which makes network management and security software for businesses, earned that distincition from Google.



Gregory T. Huang is Xconomy's National IT Editor and the Editor of Xconomy Boston. You can e-mail him at gthuang@xconomy.com, call 206-624-2249, or follow him at twitter.com/gthuang.




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