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US Real Estate Is In Big Trouble

Posted by AGORACOM at 9:38 AM on Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

I’ve been relentless in my blog / twitter posts that – contrary to fluff predictions – US real estate was nowhere near a recovery.  Why? I don’t need charts, graphs and stats to tell me

  • Americans are either broke or sitting on their cash.
  • Americans don’t have access to credit
  • “Shadow” Inventories Aren’t Very Shadowy (my word)
  • Americans aren’t stupid and are not buying into US government fluff statistics

What I do need a chart for is to illustrate the proof is in the pudding.  US real estate continues to remain in trouble – and god help homeowners if the Fed doesn’t come through with QE3.

Courtesy of BusinessInsider.com

CNBC Reporting No QE3 … I Doubt It … The Real Danger Is A Delay In QE3

Posted by AGORACOM at 9:10 AM on Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

This CNBC guest and all the talking heads are making the case for no QE3. You should watch the video to understand their arguments and factor them into your decisions.

I personally find it hard to believe QE is coming to an end. Why? American small business continues to have no access to gazillions sitting in vaults of big banks, US housing is crashing (new home sales and existing home sales) and US consumer confidence is sitting at a 3-month low. If interest rates begin to rise from the lack of US bond purchases, things could get out of control pretty quickly.

DELAY TO QE3 IS MORE LIKELY … AND WOULD CAUSE HAVOC

The threat I do see comes from a delay in QE3. As things stand on the surface, Bernanke is going to find it difficult to get support for QE3 amongst other Fed Presidents. After all, the stock market is up and the White House is talking up a healthy jobs environment (bull). Moreover, inflation is on the rise even by a manipulated CPI view … how can Ben justify QE3?

He may not be able to. If not, look for the following effects:

  • Climbing interest rates
  • Stronger US Dollar
  • Plunging Stock Market
  • Plunging Exports
  • Plunging Real Estate
  • Plunging Consumer Confidence
  • Plunging Gold
  • …. QE3

Make no mistake about it, this is a real threat, unless you believe the true US economy (not the propaganda statistics) is ready to stand on its own two feet. I don’t see it.

QE2 comes to end on June 30th. The signals on QE3 will come loud and clear in the preceding two months, so be ready to act and adjust your portfolio accordingly.

UPDATE: This David Rosenberg Quote Via ZeroHedge Demonstrates Both The Risk Of A Delay AND Just How Fast The Markets Could Pull Back If QE3 Didn’t Materialize:

QE3 WILL COME BUT NOT AS EARLY AS MR. MARKET WOULD LIKE

Portfolio managers as a group are running their funds overweight equities by an average of 67% relative to their typical benchmarks. And polls show that one-third of them believe QE3 is coming this summer. We already know that this Bernanke-led Fed is willing to be extremely aggressive, but as we saw in 2010, the hurdle is high for quantitative easing. We need (i) signs of a double-dip, (ii) a stock market correction of at least 15%, and (iii) deflation, not inflation. How on earth will the Fed be able to do anything at all by then if headline inflation is running north of 4% and the other central banks of the world are either snuggling policy or moving in that direction ? unless the central bank really wants to trash the dollar. We are certainly not inflationists and still see deflation in credit, real wages and housing

2 Minute VIDEO: Inventing Something Is Not Enough – Lessons From History

Posted by AGORACOM at 8:31 AM on Monday, March 28th, 2011

This video is only 2 minutes long but for those of you thinking you have a great idea / invention, be advised that you are only 1/3 of the way there. If you don’t have the other two components lined up, you’re not going very far.

To be clear, I love entrepreneurs, so go for it. Just make sure you put all the right pieces together!

As with all posts in my “Life” category, I hope my children and their children find lessons like this to be valuable well after I am gone.

Michael Ignatieff Political Career Death Clock

Posted by AGORACOM at 3:36 AM on Sunday, March 27th, 2011

<a href=”http://www.countdownr.com” mce_href=”http://www.countdownr.com”>Countdownr</a>

IF YOU BELIEVE MICHAEL IGNATIEFF HAS FORCED CANADA INTO AN UNNECESSARY, POWER MOTIVATED ELECTION, THEN SHARE THIS POST WITH YOUR FACEBOOK AND/OR TWITTER NETWORK

UPDATE – MARCH 26, 2011:  Ignatieff Will Crumble Because Canada’s Economy Is The Envy Of The World

UPDATE – MAY 2, 2011 10:42 PM EST … CTV Calls Conservative Majority 18 Minutes Before 0:00:00:00 … Sorry I Was Off By 18 Minutes 🙂

Michael Ignatieff, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, has forced Canada into yet another election – our 4th in 7 years. He led opposition parties in toppling Canada’s Conservative Party government by passing a “non-confidence” motion on March 25th, after rejecting a March 22nd budget on the grounds the Conservative Government mismanaged the economy.

Except for 156 members of Parliament on Friday, few if any other Canadians agreed with Ignatieff et al.  Even staunch Liberal supporting friends of mine are quite pleased with the Conservative Party’s handling of the economy in a financial crisis riddled world where the United States, the U.K. and Europe are running too cold, while China runs too hot.

Our economy and our banks are the envy of the entire world. More than just lip service, the following excerpt is from Business Week:

Canada’s economy is the fastest growing with the lowest deficits among Group of Seven nations. The currency has been the strongest in the G-7 over the past two years. Government bonds have returned 5.1 percent over the past year as of March 24, compared with a 3.1 percent average for the G-7. Canada’s benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index has risen 17.4 percent over the past 12 months, compared with a 12.6 percent gain for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Yet, Ignatieff et al want Canadians to believe they could have somehow done it better.  To prove it, they are willing to see Canada without a government for 36 days and have taxpayers pay over $300 million for an election they don’t want.

Short of a catastrophic, unforeseen political event, Ignatieff is guaranteed to lose as things stand now and may even hand the Conservatives a majority government in the process.

Stay tuned for further updates and looking forward to your comments.

AGORACOM Wire – What Small-Cap Investors Are Reading Today

Posted by AGORACOM at 8:32 AM on Thursday, March 24th, 2011

8:20 AM EST

SKYPE VIDEO: AGORACOM Interviews Golden Hope Mines President, Frank Candido. Watch Video. Investors Applaud

Oremex Resources Hits .40 On 1.5M Shares … See George’s Post … We Own Oremex Shares

It’s War !!! … Takeover Battle For Capital Gold Getting Heated As Timmins Gold Sends Open Letter To Capital Gold Shareholders.

US Real Estate Crash … After Existing Home Prices Fell To 2002, New Homes Sales Crash … Exactly What George Has Been Predicting For Over A Year … Americans Aren’t Buying Fed Propoganda Anymore

TOP AGORACOM STORY YESTERDAY … Did JP Morgan Just Cheat On COMEX Silver Deliveries? …. If So, Is Silver Set To Explode? Watch Video

SILVER HUB … Given The Success Of Our Uranium HUB Launch Last Week, Check Out Our Silver HUB To Exchange Silver Ideas.  Also, A Complete List Of Silver HUBS on AGORACOM

Markets Are Green This Morning Markets Are Green This Morning

Skype Interview: Golden Hope Mines President, Frank Candido, Speaks With George Tsiolis

Posted by AGORACOM at 5:52 PM on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

I’m happy to present our latest installment of AGORACOM Via Satellite, in which we speak to management of small-cap companies that have just released important news and are given an opportunity to discuss their developments for the benefit of shareholders and prospective investors.

Our guest today is Frank Candido, President of Golden Hope Mines (GNH:TSXV) and we’re discussing the company’s Press Release / Corporate Update issued yesterday to the great satisfaction of his shareholders.  Frank’s energy and confidence is infectious, so whether you’re a shareholder or prospective shareholder, grab your coffee, sit back and hit play.

Moreover, as I have said all along, anytime an officer of a small-cap public company is willing to make himself available for a video interview about his company, it sends me a strong signal about his outlook.  This is Web 2.0  and Skype interviews posted on blogs, forums and YouTube don’t go away.

More information about Golden Hope Mines can be found on the GNH website, or the very busy Golden Hope Mines HUB on AGORACOM

Regards,
George

Silver About To Explode As JP Morgan Cheats On COMEX Silver Deliveries?

Posted by AGORACOM at 5:56 AM on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

The following video caught the attention of a prominent investor I follow online, so I watched and it makes a lot of sense.  If so, we may be about to see a massive “melt-up” in silver prices and accompanying junior silver companies.  As you all know, I am extremely bullish on Oremex Resources and hold shares.

Watch the video, let me know what you think.  You can post to comments below, or members can post on our Silver HUB. If you’re not a member, you can still post using your Facebook account.

UPDATE: Great Article On Seeking Alpha Exposing The Fast-Tracked JP Morgan Vault Approval.

Fire River Gold – Press Release Of The Week – 28.8 g/t (0.84 opt) gold over 13.7 m (44.9 ft)

Posted by AGORACOM at 1:15 AM on Friday, March 18th, 2011

The Japan disaster overshadowed any and all other news in the world on Monday and Tuesday, including Libya and Bahrain, so it was pretty easy to miss press releases coming out of TSX Venture companies.

One of those press releases came out of Fire River Gold (FAU:TSXV) (FVGCF:OTCQX) (FWR:FSE) and it was simply spectacular.  In fact, it is the press release of the week.  Here are the headline numbers, followed by the press release:

• 28.8 g/t (0.84 opt) gold over 13.7 m (44.9 ft) in hole N10U-038

o including 96.1 g/t (2.80 opt) gold over 0.9 m (2.9 ft)

o including 118.5 g/t (3.46 opt) gold plus 2.8% copper over 1.3 m (4.3 ft) at 3300 Zone

• 202.7 g/t (5.91 opt) Gold Over 1.0 m (3.6 ft) in hole N10U-040

o 8.6 g/t (0.25 opt) over 1.5 m (4.9 ft)

These results came out of the Company’s Nixon Fork Gold Mine In Alaska, which was acquired in September 2009.  From 1995 – 2007, the project produced approximately 175,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 39 grams per ton (1.14 opt).

GOLD PRODUCTION COMMENCING

As if the numbers on their own weren’t good enough, the company has announced that gold production is commencing in the summer of 2011 with a 200 tpd Mill and operating expenditures of $447/oz GOLD.

FULL PRESS RELEASE

March 14, 2011 Vancouver, Canada – Fire River Gold Corp (TSXV: FAU) (OTCQX: FVGCF) (FSE: FWR) (“FAU” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce results obtained from the 2010 28,000 metre drill program at the Nixon Fork Gold Mine situated in Alaska’s Tintina Gold Belt. The Company has received assay results of holes 36 through 40 (N10U-036 – N10U-040) from the lower extension 3000 and 3300 Zones.

New significant intercepts include N10U-038 returning grades of 28.8 g/t (0.84 opt) gold over 13.7 m (44.9 ft), including 96.1 g/t (2.80 opt) over 0.9 m (2.9 ft) and including 118.5 g/t (3.46 opt) over 1.3 m (4.3 ft) at lower extension 3300 Zone and intercept N10U-040 returning grades of 202.7 g/t (5.91 opt) Gold Over 1.0 m (3.6 ft) at lower extension 3000 Zone. A complete list of significant intercepts is provided in Table 1. The widths of the intercepts are approximate to the true width of the mineralized intercept.

The Company is once again encouraged with the results from the 2010 drill program, because it is exhibiting the potential to provide additional resources to the mill. Drill results are being used to guide the six-month operating plan for the mine start up.

All core from the 2010 program was logged at the Nixon Fork Mine camp. The core was then sawn in half, and half of the sample shipped to ALS Minerals, a certified analytical laboratory located in Reno Nevada and a subsidiary of ALS Laboratory Group.

Nixon Fork Gold Mine

The Nixon Fork Gold Mine was acquired in September 2009.  From 1995 – 2007, the project produced approximately 175,000 ounces of gold at an average grade of 39 grams per ton (1.14 opt). The mining and processing facilities at Nixon Fork are permitted and bonded. The deposit is a gold-rich copper silver skarn typical of other skarn systems found throughout the world. At Nixon Fork, the higher grades are found in steeply plunging pipe-like bodies which are oxidized to depths of up to 350 meters below the surface. Oxidization of the system has resulted both in secondary copper and gold, with high grades and a “nuggety” distribution.

The Qualified Person for this news release is Richard Goodwin, P.Eng, President & C.O.O for Fire River Gold.

About Fire River Gold Corp.

Fire River Gold Corp. is a near term production company with an experienced technical team focused on bringing its flagship project, the Nixon Fork Gold Mine, back into production in 2011. The Nixon Fork Gold Mine is a permitted and bonded mine which include a ~200 tpd processing plant with a gravity gold circuit, sulphide flotation circuit and a gold recovery system (CIL circuit) that is scheduled to be completed by Summer 2011. The mine also includes a fleet of surface & underground mining vehicles, a self-contained power plant, maintenance facilities, drilling equipment, an 85 person camp, office facilities and a 1.2 km long landing strip.

Fire River Gold Corp is a member of the International Metals Group.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I look forward to keeping you updated with our corporate developments.

Richard Goodwin

President & C.O.O

Canada Stockwatch – “The National Enquirer Of The Resource Industry” (James West)

Posted by AGORACOM at 11:46 AM on Thursday, March 17th, 2011

We have a lot of competitors in this space and I generally like them all … but to say I despise everything about Canada Stockwatch is an understatement.  Hence, why I took such pleasure in the following quote by James West, which came via this post on AGORACOM.

Golden Hope Mines Update

Another good company with lousy shareholders, Golden Hope suffers from negative press from the National Enquirer of the resource industry, Canada Stockwatch (currently the defendant in two libel suits by TSX listed companies), and newsletter writer Brent Cook ( he told subscribers to sell Colossus at$0.40….its now trading in the $7 – 8 range.). So fools with an audience can do immense damage. The company continues to methodically execute on its strategy of attempting to find the limits of the mineralized band that thus far extends along a potential 20 kilometres of strike – a strategy being emulated by Bowmore Exploration Ltd. (TSX.V:BOW), a TSX company with directors and management in common with Osisko Mining Corp. (TSX:OSK) It is worth noting that Osisko had a very hard time finding believers in its story on the Canadian Malartic mine potential. The stock bumped along below $0.50 from the period of 2002 to 2006 as people essentially laughed at CEO Sean Roosen and company. Similar stories are to be found throughout the history of mine and resource development. Frank J. Callaghan, who I met with on his Barkerville Gold story, himself the model of tenacity and a serial target of bad press. For all these folks, vindication comes in the form of success.

The confusion between the two is so prevalent that even clicking on their logos above creates confusion. Click on them to have some fun.

Regards,

George

AGORACOM Wire – What Small-Cap Investors Are Reading Today

Posted by AGORACOM at 9:01 AM on Thursday, March 17th, 2011

AGORACOM Wire – March 17th, 2011


Amazing Conversations Continue Taking Place on Our Uranium HUBMembers Definitely Viewing This As A Buying Opportunity And Sharing Their Best Ideas.

VIDEO: Volitility Is Bidding – April VIX Calls Are Being Bougt … In English … Traders Don’t Think This Roller Coaster Ride Is Done Yet 1:50 Video

WEBCAST For Pubco’s / IRO’s: Facebook Investor Relations Will Fail You – And We’ll Give It Away For Free To Prove It Watch George’s IR Conference Presentation.

Shareholder Revolt! Century Mining Members Want To Organize And Reject White Tiger Takeover. Yeah, We’ve Done That – Twice.
North American Radiation Fears Perspective: From 1951-1962, Americans Detonated 100 Nuclear Bombs Above Ground In Nevada – The Stock Market Went Straight Up
TSX Venture Tweets – Not On Twitter? No Problem … AGORACOM Has The Best Tweets By TSX Venture Companies In An Online Newspaper Format Take Me To TSX Venture Tweets