Sheree,

Many names are held more or less on speculation. If you have names you really like that have been claimed but not used don't fail to check back later.

You can get expiration dates by using whois.net. That can help. I have a domain name that I think is very good. It had been taken but not used (parked) when I first checked. I watched and was lucky enough to grab it as soon as it expired and before anyone else claimed it.

You can often buy names and and some people hold them for that reason. I suppose that may be OK sometimes but I always figured that if I tried that the price might be more than I wanted to pay and get even higher if they found someone was asking.

I don't have a strong opinion on the use of hyphens although I lean toward a somewhat negative feeling about them unless they are in certain natural combinations.

James