The owner of SanJuan.com is looking to sell this fantastic geographic domain name.

San Juan is the capital of Puerto Rico and has close to 450,000 citizens. It is a popular tourist destination, with hundreds of hotels and attractions. Many of the largest Caribbean cruise lines have a port of call in San Juan. In 2004, San Juan played host to 4.9 million tourists, a number which has certainly grown since then. The capital city boasts the most luxurious hotels in Puerto Rico, and some of the nicest resorts in the Caribbean.

As I said in an earlier post today, there may be only one time you are able to acquire a premium domain name like this one. Once the new owner begins developing this gem, the price will increase exponentially, if it’s ever on the market again. I’ve worked with the owner before, and he is known to be a reasonable seller. If you are interested, drop me a note and I will put you in touch.

PS: Speak with your accountant for confirmation but I would imagine all “research” done in San Juan would be tax deductible!

I was reading the UDRP decision that was filed for the domain name Michelman.com by Michelman, Inc.  The owner of the domain name registered it in 1997, and in the response, his attorney stated the domain name was registered “for a website containing commentary concerning the issue of abortion rights.” The complainant argued that the “Respondent has never made any use of the disputed domain name, legitimate or otherwise.”

The WIPO panel eventually ruled in favor of the complainant, and the panel stated, “Ten years’ nonuse without a demonstrable right or legitimate interest clearly amounts to use in bad faith consistent with the reasoning of Telstra.”

With that said, I have a question about the reference to “nonuse.” What exactly does the term “nonuse” constitute? Does nonuse always mean that a domain name isn’t or wasn’t developed?  I think this term is a bit of a grey area that I don’t fully understand.

I know of several domain names that may technically look like they aren’t being used, but behind the scenes, the domain name is the backbone for comprehensive email address systems.  If a domain owner wishes to use his domain name simply for the vanity email addresses he would have access to, does this decision mean that he must build out an expensive website just to eliminate the appearance of nonuse?

I believe the definition of “nonuse” should be more clearly defined, because at the present time, I am not sure I understand what it means. To me, a domain name may be “used” even if it doesn’t appear to be so.

It seems that everyone wants to get into the domain investment business. All it takes is internet access, a good idea and around $8.00 and you can buy yourself a great domain name! Shoot - you don’t even need a great idea to register a domain name. Come on, everyone has a few of those alcohol-induced purchases, right?

The point is that it’s very easy for people to register domain names and become involved in the domain business. One thing I’ve noticed is the diverse backgrounds of people I know in the domain industry. There are marketers, lawyers, doctors, techies, professors, salesmen…etc. The list of professions is deep, to say the least. This is because the domain industry spans every single profession and industry, allowing those with a strong background in a particular field to have an advantage over others.

Take my friend Ben for example. He’s a finance guy who knows that business well. After many discussions about the domain industry, my friend decided to get his feet wet and register a few domain names that jive with his finance background. Although he won’t be able to retire on most of the names he purchased, he did acquire some pretty good names in YuanInvestment.com (Yuan is the Chinese currency), MarginInvesting.com, and YenInvestment.com (BTW, if you are interested in acquiring these, drop me a line!).

Although he may not even realize it until reading this post, I think the most valuable domain name that he owns is his own first/last name in the .com. He is now in control of his name on the Internet, which will be important once he really makes a name for himself. Ben is a smart guy. When the domain industry really comes from under the radar, Ben will probably be managing billions of dollars, and he will have a leg up on everyone else. Shoot, maybe Ben will be the financier that helps propel the domain business forward.

While some people may complain that its almost impossible to find a true premium generic domain name at a “good” price these days, I believe there are still great deals to be had.

Like the saying goes, sometimes it’s necessary to overpay today to find a good deal tomorrow. I believe there are three reasons to overpay:

1. Create goodwill with a domain owner/seller to buy the next name (the really desirable name) from him for a fair price. Most sellers prefer to deal with trustworthy, quick paying clients that they know rather than trying to establish a new relationship with someone else.
2. Acquire a group of domain names in the same vertical or a set of similar names that add value to each other. If a person owns the singular and plural of a name (Deal.com & Deals.com), the value of both can be enhanced as a set. Likewise, owning several extension (.com/.net/.org/.info) of the same domain name can increase the value, too.
3. Ensure that the offer meets the seller’s needs in order to secure the name. If the seller isn’t inclined to sell for market value, it may take a considerably larger sum to convince the owner to sell.

Frequently, a person only has one chance to buy a domain name before someone else acquires it for a development project. Once a domain name is developed into a website, the name may be impossible to acquire. To avoid this, sometimes a buyer has to jump on an opportunity as soon as it presents itself, or the name may not be on the market again.

If the ideal domain name is available to acquire, now might be the time to do what it takes to secure it. Otherwise, it may be a source of regret down the road.