Once more, my thanks goes out to my weekly readers who have followed me and have given me the pleasure of helping them to better understand this market. I have learned just as much, if not more, than you have learned from me. We have developed many long-lasting friendships and a unique bond in a cutthroat business world where everyone is out for themselves. If not for you then this book would not exist, and I wouldn’t have the honor of spreading our word on an even larger scale. From the absolute bottom of my heart I can’t express my sincerity or my gratitude when I say thank you and that it is has been an absolute honor to help and speak with each of you.
While my readers are who made this possible, Seeking Alpha is the company that gave me the platform to write, educate, and then continue to learn more on a daily basis. I am thankful to all the editors that have worked with me and helped me to become a better writer, because back when I first started I had the knowledge but my writing was suspect at best. Mary Hunt and Yosef have always provided so much feedback and pushed me to think outside the box, and constantly prove that they are the absolute best in the industry. And of course no thanks to Seeking Alpha could be complete without mentioning the founder and CEO David Jackson whose knowledge and wisdom is second to none, and pushes others to become better themselves.
Throughout this book I mention on several occasions my experience working for the Department of Corrections at a halfway house. If not for this experience, and my education in psychology, I would not have the mindset that I possess today, as I would view the market in a different light. This was perhaps the most rewarding job I ever had, and although frustrating, the people who both resided and worked at the house were very instrumental in this book, although they don’t know, and a special thanks to Paul McNeal, a man that I considered to be more of a mentor or brother than a friend.
Those who know me best will tell you that I am very family oriented, am always loyal to my friends, and have never known a stranger. There are many close friends and family that played a special part in this book, so many that I could never acknowledge everyone. Jeannie Stone, who saw and read it first, spent countless hours making sure that the topics of this book were understandable and readable. I give a most special thank you to Jeannie Stone, a very patient woman who should be acknowledged for the countless hours she spent on this project.
To my oldest friend, Chris Morgan, who participated with all the illustrations and the cover of this book, I say thank you. My mother-in-law, Sherrie Dawahare, also worked on the structure of the book, sometimes without sleep. A huge thank you goes out to these very special people in my life.
Other important thanks include: My mother, who always keeps me grounded and is optimistic regardless of the situation; my grandmother, who has unconditional love and is always faithful regardless of the situation; and my wife, who gives so much more than she takes and is always supportive and pushes me to become a better person. Finally, my agent, Sam Fleishman, and the McGraw-Hill team for bringing this book to life, especially Mary Glenn and Cheryl Ringer.