At this stage in the game, you can safely assume that 99.9% of the good names have already been registered and that you’re not going to become the next Rockefeller by going out and hand registering a bunch of names. I learned this the hard way. Don’t make the same mistake. The renewal fees will kill you.

If you have $1,000 to invest in domain names, it is always better to take your time and buy just one or two really great domain names for $1,000 than to hand register 125 names for $8 each. From then on, you’ll be on the hook for $1,000 per year to renew your 125 names instead of just $8 or $16 per year to renew your one or two great domains.

Since so many domainers are overextended right now, if you have a little bit of cash, you can buy some great domains in the $500 – $1,000 range from domain investors in the aftermarket or at auctions. The only time you should hand register a domain is if you are 100% sure you’ll develop it.