Author: josh
Good morning. What’s it like doing business in the Middle East right now? The Strait of Hormuz has closed again, a lasting U.S.-Iran peace deal remains elusive, and global airline profits have been cut in half this year, according to IATA, which blames high fuel costs and war-related disruptions in the Middle East. Visitor arrivals to the region dropped 14% in the first quarter. You could be forgiven for thinking things look dire. But that’s not the case, argues Johannes Hummer, the Dubai-based CEO of Freedom Telecom International, an arm of Freedom Holding Corp., which helps telecom operators embed fintech…
Daron Acemoglu has a number for everything. The MIT economist — who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2024 for his work on institutions and prosperity — estimates that roughly 0.55% in total factor productivity gains is what AI will actually deliver over the next decade, a fraction of Wall Street’s euphoric projections. He estimates only about 5% of tasks will be profitably automated in the near term, equivalent to a 1% or 1.5% increase in GDP. And when asked how much of the current AI discourse he finds intellectually serious, he doesn’t hesitate: about 20%. “I…
Universities and colleges across the country have been dealing with a ticking time bomb since the Great Recession, and a growing number of them are saying that it’s about to go off, next semester. A series of announcements over the past month by the highest offices of U.S. universities read like an obituary to a higher learning model that no longer works for either students or the institutions tasked with teaching. And that obituary has been authored in slow motion by the declining birth rate of the last two decades. “Enrollment volatility is widespread, unpredictable and the ‘new normal’ for…
Key takeaways San Francisco, Anaheim, and Los Angeles are the most expensive cities in the U.S., where median earners need to spend over 60% of their income on housing. The majority of the most expensive places to live are located on the coasts—led by California, which accounts for seven of the top ten priciest cities. House prices skyrocketed during the pandemic and have only recently started to level out, straining budgets and putting a lid on demand in many places. Buying a house today is a pipe dream for many Americans. Monthly housing payments have hovered near record highs for…
Do you need a real estate LLC, and should you form one before or after buying a rental property? This is a very common rookie question, and liability protection is one of the most misunderstood topics in real estate investing. But not to worry—today we’re setting the record straight and showing you how to build bulletproof protection for you and your assets!Welcome back to another Rookie Reply! Does a rental property have to make positive cash flow for it to be considered a “good” deal? If you’re using the house hacking strategy, maybe not! In today’s episode, we’ll share exactly…
The housing market is doing what nobody expected—and none of the mainstream media is covering it. Trends are forming that most Americans thought were impossible in this type of economy, greatly impacting home prices, days on market, and buyers’ negotiating power. If you know the truth, you can take advantage. If you don’t, you’ll miss what’s actually happening behind the scenes. This is our June 2026 housing market update!It could be the most encouraging sign for the housing market in years—prices haven’t crashed, Americans are actually buying more homes, and many traditionally hot markets are seeing complete buyer control. It’s…
FIFA will collect an estimated $8.9 billion from the 2026 World Cup while the 11 U.S. cities hosting it could face a collective shortfall of upwards of $250 million. And that’s thanks to FIFA’s restructuring of how it runs the World Cup. For most of the tournament’s history, a World Cup was run by a local organizing committee that absorbed the costs and shared in the upside. For the first time in World Cup history, that’s not the case. In the 2026 edition, FIFA is operating the tournament itself, dealing directly with host cities rather than through national federations. Under…
Inheriting a home can be both a financial opportunity and an emotional responsibility. For many executors and heirs, one of the first decisions is whether to invest time and money into repairs or sell the property as-is. While updating a home can sometimes increase its value, there are situations where an as-is sale may be the faster, simpler, and more cost-effective option. Whether you’re handling a probate property in Sacramento, CA, or settling an estate in Tampa, FL, understanding when an as-is sale makes sense can help you make an informed decision during an already challenging time. What is a…
Online listings are often the first step in the homebuying process, and photos can shape a buyer’s impression within seconds. While professional photography can highlight a home’s best features, it can also reveal important details about its condition, layout, and upkeep. Knowing what to look for when viewing house photos can help you spot potential concerns before scheduling a showing. From missing rooms to heavily edited images, the photos in a listing often tell a larger story than sellers may realize. Whether you’re purchasing a house in Richmond, VA, or a condo in Brooklyn, NY, understanding how to evaluate listing…
In This Article Amid the glut of shiny new amenity-filled rental communities, one type of home is disappearing from the investment landscape: the starter rental. However, savvy small investors are uniquely positioned to capitalize on the shortfall and bring them back, boosting their cash flow in the process. Modest one-to-three-bedroom ranch houses, SROs, studio apartments, or the top floors of owner-occupied duplexes have long served as affordable landing pads for college grads, new immigrants, or arrivals to a city starting their first job. Those days appear to be over. As rents have increased, the entry-level house that was often shared…