Shepherd Capital Partners

The Shepherd Perspective: Volume IX

Rob Purnell — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 06:17:48 +0000

Published February 15th, 2011 "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get." - Warren Buffett While this may seem obvious there is concern that the lines may be blurring in today's real estate markets. A lot of money has been sidelined since the market crashed three years ago, and it's getting impatient. Seemingly distressed assets can ...

The Shepherd Perspective: Volume IIX

Rob Purnell — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 06:19:39 +0000

Published January 31, 2011 Uncertainty. There is nothing worse for sound business and investment decisions than an uncertain economic environment. As the recovery, however tepid, takes hold, we continue to operate with mixed signals and conflicting data. While there is much talk of a turn around in real estate and a thawing of the credit markets, ...

What the Heck is Hard Money Lending?

Rob Purnell — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:09:30 +0000

I get this questions a lot, so I figure it’s time to try to answer it. Why it’s called hard money is another story. Hard money lending is also sometimes called private lending, equity lending, or trust deed investing. (I use these terms interchangeably.) In its simplest form it is generally short-term, low-leverage loans with ...

How To Invest In Trust Deeds

Rob Purnell — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:30:53 +0000

In previous posts we’ve described what trust deed investing is and how it compares to other readily available investment options. Now we want to tackle exactly how one goes about investing in trust deeds. Well, I’m glad you asked. There are three basic methods of trust deed investing: Direct investment. Fractionalized investment. A pooled ...

Trust Deeds Investments Compared To Other Alternatives

Rob Purnell — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:20:07 +0000

Trust deed investing has been around for many generations, yet today it seems few people are familiar with how it works or how it compares to other investment options. The economic signals today are mixed and confusing, and investors are understandably unsure about what to do. Invest or sit on cash? Invest ...

Economic Recovery

Rob Purnell — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:00:38 +0000

A reality check on recent “good” news. Human optimism has driven civilization to extremely challenging locations. We humans are optimistic by nature. How else would civilization have spread to areas as extreme as the arctic north or the vast deserts of North Africa? Our optimism is in full force almost daily now as reporters and ...

Trust Deed Investing Overview

Rob Purnell — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 05:36:39 +0000

Trust deed investments offer a highly secure alternative to the traditional menu of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. After the stock market went into a tailspin last year a lot of money went into hiding in money market accounts and other cash equivalents. Why not? An annual yield of 1% is better than devastating ...

REO Investment Opportunities

Rob Purnell — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:00:27 +0000

REOs are attractive today but may be “fools” gold. REO investing can be lucrative but requires specialized knowledge and skills as well as a solid capital base. In the charred ashes of today’s economy there emerges incredible opportunities for investments, both long and short-term. Everyday I see great opportunities to lend money on real estate for ...

Alternative Investment Advice Doesn’t Push New Thinking

Rob Purnell — Mon, 04 May 2009 19:13:24 +0000

New investment strategies don’t stray far from traditional products. As I was catching up on my back issues of the Wall Street Journal I came across an article telling me that in this new economic environment investment advisers are embracing new tactics and turning their clients to alternative investments. (Advisers Ditch ‘Buy and Hold’ For ...

Guru Predicts Long Road to Real Estate Recovery

Rob Purnell — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:23:01 +0000

On Monday April 13th UC Berkeley’s Fischer Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics held it’s 14th annual conference in San Francisco. Keynote speaker and well known real estate guru Ken Rosen did not paint a rosy picture for a short term recovery. “The world is structurally changed and it’s going to take ...