Here are the latest on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. Today’s focus is on Natural Gas Land, for retreats.
Precious Metals:
First off, there is this from John Rubino, at Seeking Alpha: Gold And Silver Futures Swing From Bearish To Bullish In Just 2 Weeks
Stock Markets:
On to this at Fortune magazine: Commentary: Four Reasons Investors Should Be Psyched for Next Year’s Market. Just keep in mind that Fortune is famous for being in the Perpetual Cheering Section, for the Dow. So view that commentary with suspicion.
Commodities:
Next, over at MarketWatch: How palladium and lumber defied the 2017 commodity slump
Economy and Finance:
Fed’s Kashkari says voted against rate rise on inflation, yield curve worries
Forex:
Sterling snaps 2-week losing streak on dollar weakness
Tangibles Investing (Natural Gas Land):
Finally, here is a useful piece recently published by the Penn State Extension. But it has applicability far beyond Pennsylvania: Natural Gas Exploration: A Landowner’s Guide to Leasing in Pennsylvania. As I’ve mentioned several times in the past, I consider a ranch on developed natural gas land to be just about the ultimate for a retreat in North America. Having a “home tap” supply of natural gas provides you with: Unlimited space heating, unlimited water heating, and unlimited fuel for a generator. Just imagine having a couple of large greenhouses and free fuel, for heating them in the winter months. Oh, and a heated swimming pool and hot tub, too.
Just be advised that most of the natural gas service companies no longer provide true home tap arrangements, for liability reasons. (Since natural gas under local wellhead pressure typically isn’t odorized for safety.) Therefore, when a property changes hands, the home tap arrangement is usually replaced by a “free unlimited refills from our propane truck” (or some such similar) arrangement. Only a few properties with truly grandfathered home tap contracts come up for sale each year. One way to avoid losing the gas grandfathering arrangement is to have the seller place the natural gas land in a trust, and then have the trust convey to you. (Rather than a typical deed conveyance.)
