Peaks vs. Trough for Santa Barbara Real Estate Condos

January 28, 2011

Yesterday I looked at the Peak vs. Trough numbers for Home Estate/PUDs today we look at condos for Santa Barbara Real Estate. The peak for that part of the market was October ’05 when the median sales price was $754,500 while the trough was January ’10 when it fell to $375,000. This was a 48.4% swing.

Then I took a look at Peaks vs. Current which at the time was September ’10. At that point the median sales price for the month was $460,000. So, from the peak of 754,500 to the trough of $375,000 was a change of 50.3% swing.

Finally I looked at the Trough vs. Current numbers. With a trough of $375,000 in January ’10 and a current price of $460,000 that means that the market had come up 22.7% from the bottom.

Again, I would warn again placing too much store in any one month’s numbers because for the year the peak of $754,500 was wrung up the median sales price for the year was $675,000 which was a 10.5% differential. And for the year that the trough of $375,...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Real Estate 

Lifecare Enabled Retirement Community Housing for Senior Living in India

January 28, 2011

Senior living solutions is a topic being discussed by many and is relevant in today’s society. “Lifecare Enabled Retirement Community” is a new variant and is considered to be a sustainable solution for the issue. An emerging concept in Senior Living. Mrs. Annamma John, a 74 year old retired government officer moved out of her own house 12 years back when both her sons were securely settled in the US and middle east when she was widowed at the age of 62.

It was a very difficult decision for the family to take as there is a definite stigma attached to old age homes. She was not going to a usual old age home where older persons were lined up in a dormitory and who have to follow strict time table laid by the management or the charitable NGO. It was also not a place where older persons where found abandoned by their family and the society and where older persons had to live the rest of their life at the mercy of others.

Even though she was going to a ‘Five star’ se...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Real Estate 

U.S. Must Take Tougher Stand on Chinese Mercantilism

January 28, 2011

While the U.S. and China do share many common interests, their respective goals are entirely divergent, Robert J. Samuelson writes in The Washington Post.

Preparing for what is sure to be a multi-polar world in the near future, the U.S. has sought out trade that is beneficial to all. China, on the other hand, has sought to advance its own agenda at the expense of its so-called partners.

“Naturally, the United States opposes this sort of system, but that’s where we’re headed. Clashing goals have trumped shared interests,” Samuelson writes.

And that is the direction the U.S. and the rest of the world are moving because America insists on treating China with kid gloves instead of developing the more bare knuckle stances necessary to protect American interests.

American officials need to stop treading so lightly around China, and be more assertive. The first area in which that needs to be done is in China’s mercantilist trade practices, mainly ...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Finance 

Investing For An Era Of Stagflation

January 28, 2011

A stagnant economy, high unemployment and rising inflation. The word for this combination of events is called stagflation.

Last seen in the 1970′s, economic stagflation began with a huge rise in oil prices, and continued as central banks used an excess of stimulative monetary policy to counteract the resulting recession.

Stagflation was the economic buzzword during the Presidency of the last liberal Democrat with a majority in Congress. Jimmy Carter was also going to bring change to the nefarious practices of government inside the belt way of Washington D.C.. He campaigned on the slogan “A Leader, For A Change” and won.

Four years later, there was eighteen percent inflation and interest rates around twenty p...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Finance 

Immigrant Investor Visa Attracts Foreign Investments

January 28, 2011

With the Immigration Act of 1990, the Congress of the United States of America was able to create the immigrant investor visa. Since then, many foreign investors have been attracted to investing their money into businesses in the United States. It is a win-win situation for all parties involved – investors are able to enjoy profit and a good life in the US, and the US economy continues to flourish as a result of the job creation and sustenance of existing businesses and regional centers.

The immigrantinvestorvisa, otherwise known as the EB5 or 5th employment based visa preference, was devised by the United States Congress in 1990 as a part of that year’s Immigration Act.

Investors hoping to expand their investments into potential assets overseas may come to the United States of America and invest at least one million dollars in a pre-existing business or a government approved regional center. The government allows the one million dollar inv...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under General, Immigration 

Evangelicals and Obama: Unlikely Immigration Reform Partners

January 28, 2011

President Obama’s much anticipated speech on immigration began with a much unexpected introduction by Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Church near Chicago and one of the nation’s largest congregations.

Hybels also oversees the Willow Creek Association, an influential evangelical network. So why would a conservative evangelical pastor introduce Obama when evangelicals and the president disagree on so many issues? The answer lies embedded in the underlying threads that surround the immigration reform debate.

While the immigration reform continues to polarize communities and divide our country, it also has fostered a constructive conversation and relationship between conservative evangelicals and Obama. In addition to Hybels, other evangelical leaders who attended the president’s speech a...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Immigration 

Important Daily News You Need to Know, Today’s Issue: U.S. Jobs

January 28, 2011

As the American economy continues to falter, workers are shouldering the brunt of the burden. Wages have been cut, hours have been taken in, and benefits are being delayed or held up. It used to be that working in the U.S. brought with it certain distinctions and protections that you could find nowhere else. Now, many Americans are being forced to settle for positions they would have rejected just years or months ago.

According to CNNMoney.com, the few jobs that are returning to the work pool are very different from the ones that left when the financial crash sent our already broken economy into a tailspin.

Unemployment remains near 10 percent in the United States and will likely remain there for months or even years. In the mean time the American worker is expected to make due with temporary work, no benefits, and part-time jobs to make up for everything they have lost.

Some sectors of the economy, led by a select group of elites, are raking in huge profits. The m...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Immigration 

Review: Outside the Ordinary World by Dori Ostermiller

January 28, 2011

Title: Outside the Ordinary World
Author: Ostermiller, Dori
Length: 374 pages
Genre: Fiction, General
Publisher / Year: MIRA Books / 2010
To Be Released: July 27th, 2010
Source: From the publisher at Book Expo America
Rating: 3.5/5
Why I Read It: I picked it up at BEA at Alix’s urging.
Date Read: 05/06/10

 With this book Ostermiller takes a look at fate and destiny and the importance of family. The book is told by Sylvia and alternates between the early 1970′s and the early 2000′s. It explores the parallels between her life and her mothers.

In her teens, Sylvia had to keep the secret of her mother’s affair from her distant and abusive father. While he grew farthe...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Entertainment 

Review: Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

January 28, 2011

Synopisis…

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. Long divided as a terrifying battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown to himself and to those around him. After he was taken in by the Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was- or his true identity. Indeed, the fallen Brother Darius has returned, but with a different face and a very different destiny. As a vicious personal vendetta takes John into the hea...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Entertainment 

Using the Search Engines to Make You Money

January 28, 2011

Using the search engines to help make you money can be nearly as easy as finding the right keywords to drive traffic to your site. Search engine optimization (SEO) can increase your website’s visibility, making it easier for potential clients to find you; however, it must be done right. This article will describe SEO in greater detail.

To make money using internet marketing, your target market needs to be able to find your web site easily. Search engines can help consumers find the products and services they are looking for, however, if your company does not pull up in search engine queries, potential customers may never see you. As a result, search engines are currently the primary navigation point for all internet users, and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) increases traffic to these sites. Because of this, investing in SEO can provide a profitable rate of return.

What is Sea...

Written by Jo & Ray · Filed Under Marketing 

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