Yes, we are getting back and this time we are also will be venturing deeper into the China market.

In the recent years, the Chinese are getting richer as the economy continues to expand. The eastern part of China is flourishing and the standards of living has improved tremendously. With the rising land and labour cost, some industries are finding it worthwhile to venture westward even though shipping costs are slightly higher. 

Real estate price is also rising. Needless to say, the price of prime housing in Shanghai is as high as most of the other big cities around the world. As we venture westward, the real estate price has also been rising in recent years. Over at Kunshan昆山, a nice condominium of around could be going for as low as 400,000 RMB (slightly less than USD 60k)

The younger generation of Chinese are flocking to the eastern part of China to earn a living. They are a trendy group of big spenders who love to splurge on expensive and branded goods.

We found evidence of modern business man (or woman) everywhere, such as Chinese "Kiyosaki" investing and renting real estate. Rental in Kunshan (outskirt town of Jiangsu, near Shanghai) is about 1,800 RMB (USD257), for a 3 bedroom housing (120 sqm) in a safe and quiet location with nearby amenities. Others build business and sell. In one case, we knew a lady who built fashion stores and sold them off for a nice profit, before moving on to build another.

We will provide more updates on FindRich.com in future.

Jovi FindRich - reporting from Shanghai上海

It has been rocky over the past 2 weeks. Last week, we saw DJIA plunged 280 points on one day, and recovering another 240 points on the next. Everyone has been warning about volatility, and they mean it. Bernanke and President Bush's talk last Friday could have helped to improve the sentiments for the next few days. But we are not sure if the effects are this going to last, esp. when September seemed to be a bad month.

There are talks about some guy who bet millions of dollars in Puts for the first 2 weeks in Sep. CNBC also talks about September being a historically bad performing month.

We have been warned about sub-prime, correction, volatility, and now a cruel month in September. I am not a Bear advocates, but it pays to be careful. The best thing to do at this time is probably to remain nimble and not to hold long positions.

There were some still stuck with shares at the high price levels before the DJIA plunged. They should have cut loss earlier, recover 90% or more of the principal and trade over the last few weeks. It is great that there is a rebound now, esp. after last week's rally, but we are skeptical that this is going to be a lasting Bull.

If you are caught and still stuck with shares bought at a high price, consider using this rebound to close the loss gap and cut your loss appropriately. Since it was market correction, the price may not recover all the way up to the previous high before the major plunge in early August.

In stocks, you need to move with the big flow. If you are left behind, you will be out of action, while others who cut loss are back in the market.

Caveat Emptor

I will be sharing some more tactics which I saw in the SGX. Also bought some shares at NYSE, but the movements is too fast for me.

I am somewhat staunch supporter of Robert Kiyosaki. Ever since reading his first book on the cash flow quadrant, I have bought several other ebooks from him and his partners, and Cashflow 202 game.

In June 06, Robert Kiyosaki's article "Booms are made to go Bust" was published at Yahoo! here. Much were written in that article and frankly speaking, I did not really read and remember any part of it except for the title which says it all. Everybody loves a booming economy where they are making money, but many often forget that such booms are never forever. As I have often read about books about rich people, most of them make their real fortune starting from Bust rather than purely during the Booms.

When there is a decline of any sort, be it real estate or stocks market, that is the best time to pickup bargain investment and get the best leverage from the money earned during the earlier Booms.

When is the best time for money to leave the pocket? Bust
When is the best time to take back the money invested + Profits? Boom

It is easy to buy assets at a bargain price when others are getting rid of them in fear. And it is also easier to sell during Booms when everyone gets greedy and all the employees will be cash rich from the higher pays.

Easier said than done - this is true if you do not have the mindset of the rich. My own fault lies in being a great employee during my first 10 years after school. The mentality of being an employee with regular paychecks and leaving office each day just to spend money or stay at home to watch TV. If I had accumulated sufficient savings and equip myself with the current knowledge and desire, I believe that I could make my first million by age 40 or 45. By Roberts' definition, age 45 is a half-time, which also the age when he retired as a millionaire. 

In another video by Robert Kiyosaki, he talks about the real estate opportunity in the current decline in the US housing market. I personally agree that this is a great time to invest in the real estate as well. If you have lost money due to the decline, it is not his fault either. We should always thank him for reminding us when there is a great time to invest, and I just hoped that I had the resource to leverage when there is one here in Singapore.

In fact, just over the past 3 - 4 years, some of the landed property has increased in price significantly. Where a 3-storey terrace house could sell for more than a million during good times, they were going for less than S$800k just a few years back. Many celebrity in Singapore have also made a fortune selling their real estate investments and their news were published in the local newspapers.

On the other hand, should a recession arrive earlier than expected due to the recent turmoil, this could be a great time to sell off any property. Good times are meant to sell off investment, bad times are meant to put the money back in and grab more. If there is nothing to do, just sit back, read the newspapers and enjoy come coffee. I can't wait for this day.

Despite the recent injection of billions of dollars from the central banks around the world, the various stock markets have stabilised but not recovered to the previous level. As the saying goes, the bull climbs up the stairs and the bear jumps out of the window. Rather than expecting the stocks market to get back to its former glory, many analysts cautioned that the weeks ahead are not quite optimistic even while Fed is willing to commit more funds into the market.

While the Indexes are likely to move sideways, some of the stocks that have taken the fall together with the whole pack are gaining back slowly. Personally, I have lost some money in the recent fall. Fortunately, the situation has stabilized and another drastic decline within this week is unlikely. Rather than sitting back and licking wounds, perhaps it is time to pick up the sword again and take back some money.

My recent earnings in the Singapore Exchange:
LottVis:
Bought @ $0.305
Sold @ $0.340

Not much, but since the climb is up the ladder, there is much room and opportunity to regain and possibly take more profits than ever. On the other hand, the bear is always ready to jump out of the window anytime again. So it more important than ever to watch Fed's next move closely in the event of another bloodshed.

An interesting article talks about a new breed called "alterpreneur".

"Unlike entrepreneurs, who are inspired by the challenge of making money from their ideas, alterpreneurs are choosing to create the lifestyle they choose, working to live, not living to work. 

The alterpreneur values time with family and friends above a high-earning lifestyle and often starts a home business in order to improve their lifestyle and to be able to spend more time at home."

Read more...

Working to live would mean doing the things we like, but it may not necessarily mean that we are able to spend more time at home- unless what we like to do is home-based business.

Perhaps the alterpreneur is simply another word for home-based business owners. It has nothing to do with "improving lifestyle" generally because that is a broader term. And doing a home-based business does not always mean an "improved lifestyle" if cashflow is not managed correctly. There will be more stressful moments at home when you should be feeling comfortable. Its great to work at home if the cashflow and business runs well, but it also turns your comfortable home into the same battlefield you see at the office when things are not going your way. Good and bad.

Sometimes the only way to improve lifestyle to suit your needs, is to make more money faster. That is the only thing that matters, while where and how your do it, and who you are called, will not matter or make any difference to your lifestyle unless the cashflow is just right for it.