Liberty

Eric: Another benefit of getting solar panels is they keep your house cooler (by providing shade to your roof -- the effect is bigger if there's empty space between the panels and the roof) and reduce the need for AC: http://ssi.ucsd.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=468:solar-panels-keep-ucsd-buildings-cool-july-18-2011&catid=8:newsflash&Itemid=20

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-22/why-buffett-bailed-on-india.html

That's my approach too. I'm renting, and will stay here until the market is a lot lower than it is now or the fundamentals change in some major way that make the valuations make sense (but I really don't see how that's possible other than with a big RE correction -- it's not like wages will suddenly start going up double digits to catch up and people's debts melt away without killing housing).

I don't short, but those looking at Canadian RE should probably have a look at this: http://www.cansofunds.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Canso-Px-The-Canadian-Housing-Market-July-2013-Revised-2.pdf

King Icahn is a good biography. It's a bit dated as it was written in the mid 90's but gives a good story of his career and life to that point. You can download its pdf file on the IEP - Icahn Enterprises thread. giofranchi Thanks, found it!

You might be interested in this if you haven't already seen it: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/07/pia-20130714.html

A lot of people go off-grid with lead-acid batteries. With advanced li-ion batteries like Tesla's, it wouldn't be that many. Of course, anyone going off grid should first make sure that their energy usage has been cut down as much as possible first (ie. energy efficient appliances, good house insulation, LED/CFL lighting, etc) to keep the need for batteries to a minimum. So if Eric doesn't go off-grid and keeps a grid tie, he could do with a lot fewer batteries and just get the extra power he needs on peak days from the grid yet get most of his power from batteries on normal days (I'm sure with historical data of his power usage he could do the math and figure out the optimal amount of battery storage for max ROI).

Thanks!

Good move, congrats to Paul!

Have you looked at SolarCity? Of course, it's probably better for you to buy the system outright since you have the capital... But maybe they offer something that could interest you.

If wonder if Sanjeev did another masterful option trade this time? ;)

Anyone has a good book on Icahn to recommend? I've never been too interested in the man, but maybe if I knew more about what he's done I would be..

Interesting paper on housing in Canada. The intro's a bit too cute, but good overview and lots of interesting charts and stats: http://www.cansofunds.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Canso-Px-The-Canadian-Housing-Market-July-2013-Revised-2.pdf

People tend to overestimate the range that they need. Unless you are one of those rare people who constantly drive very far without stopping much, 300 miles is already more than it might seem if you compare directly to a gas-car; by that I mean that electric cars are usually fully charged when you leave the house in the morning, so you always have a "full tank", while gas cars are only charged every X number of days, so you leave the house on many days with probably a lot less than 300 miles of potential range yet that's not a problem.

Don't feel too bad. Gas and diesel-powered vehicles have received all kinds of direct and indirect subsidies for decades, a lot more than electric cars are likely to ever get. Just the military costs of securing oil routes and oil producing countries around the world would probably pay for a Model S for everybody in the US...

300 miles, but it depends on conditions and many are getting more than that apparently. http://www.teslamotors.com/models/options

Wish I had been around for that. Lotsofcoke, any other recommendations for us? :D

Welcome back to the board, Lotsofcoke. I joined after you left, but it's nice to meet you and see that your legend was kept alive during your hiatus! :)

But I, somehow, some way, keep comin up with funky investment widsom like every single day... (that's Eric's line, not mine obviously)

You guys broke Eric, now he speaks in koans ;)

Thank you for your thoughtful perspective, Sanjeev!

Lots of interesting views on Fairfax. I'd be curious to hear what is Sanjeev's current thinking on FFH?

I think IV is going to be different things depending on how you define it (I know, that's a tautology). By that I mean: If for you IV is the intrinsic value that a being with perfect knowledge of the future would assign to a security, then it is fixed. If for you IV is the value that someone with imperfect knowledge would assign at a particular point in time, then it'll vary as new information is known and events change the business. Maybe there should be two names for these two things, but lots of people seem to be using IV to mean both.

The past few posts have been excellent, thanks everybody.

Happy birthday Sanjeev 8)