# Confused on buying power for short positions

**URL:** <https://forums.collective2.com/t/confused-on-buying-power-for-short-positions/2931>\
**Category:** C2\
**Created:** [November 8, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://forums.collective2.com/t/confused-on-buying-power-for-short-positions/2931 "2010-11-08T12:58:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![DaveStrandberg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@DaveStrandberg](https://forums.collective2.com/u/DaveStrandberg)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://forums.collective2.com/t/confused-on-buying-power-for-short-positions/2931/1 "2010-11-08T12:58:54Z")

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Ideally, I would like my system to operate as follows:  
  
  
  
Assume:  
  
  
  
1) System will go long and short the QQQQ  
  
2) Starting amount of $10,000.  
  
3) Use maximum buying power _without_ leverage 90% of the time  
  
4) Occasionally, use max. leverage  
  
  
  
The problem is that after initially opening a short position (in the QQQQ) of $10,000, the buying power in the model account status (even after updating the #s) does not show $10,000 as I would expect given 100% leverage.  
  
  
  
Also, if I go ahead and open another short position using the ‘buying power’ that is displayed in the model account status (say $5000), then after the position is opened, the buying power does NOT go to zero as would be expected and thus, apparently, I could open ANOTHER short position using the new ‘buying power’ (say, $2500).  
  
  
  
This is confusing and I am hoping someone can clarify the proper way to use buying power when opening long short positions in an ETF such as the QQQQ.  
  
  
  
Thank you