Author: josh
Now that the U.S. has seized a Venezuelan oil tanker and President Donald Trump has declared an oil blockade, the results could “devastate” Venezuela’s struggling economy and put further pressure on President Nicolás Maduro and possible regime change, according to geopolitical and energy analysts. The big question is how far the U.S. will take the sanctioned oil tanker blockade—Trump’s social media announcement was scant on details—and for how long, because it is unlikely Maduro would willingly step down in the near future, said Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin America Energy Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.…
The idea of “portable mortgages” — loans that homeowners can transfer from one property to another — is gaining national attention as policymakers consider new tools to ease the country’s housing affordability and mobility challenges. In late 2025, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), led by Director Bill Pulte, said it is “actively evaluating” the feasibility and risks of mortgage portability. This proposal was one of three floated to the public in late 2025, alongside 50-year mortgages and crypto-backed mortgages. Portable mortgages are common in Canada but have been virtually nonexistent in the U.S., where mortgages are tied to individual…
In This Article This article is presented by TurboTenant. I started my career as an accountant and lasted about six months before I knew I was not made to sit at a desk all day. I then took on a more active role as a property manager and was given the task of managing a 40-unit apartment complex. The worst part was that I knew nothing about property management. I was thrown into the office with little guidance—that is, if you consider a stack of boxes left from the last property manager guidance. There was a drawer full of keys.…
Several months ago, Ford CEO Jim Farley said ending the nearly two-decade-long EV tax credit would halve America’s electric vehicle market. Now, his company is facing its own reality check. Ford said this week it would cease production for the original electric F-150 Lightning, which was once touted as a breakthrough for the industry, and shift some of its existing workforce to producing a hybrid version of the pickup with a gas-powered generator called an EREV‚ or an extended range electric vehicle. The automaker said it would be taking a $19.5 billion charge in 2026 as a result of this…
In This Article This article is presented by Lennar Investor Marketplace. Once upon a spreadsheet, new construction homes were the fancy properties: shiny, flawless, and out of reach for the budget-conscious investor. But what most investors don’t know is that these new homes aren’t always more expensive today. In many markets right now, brand-new homes are going head-to-head with older resale properties on price. When you factor in the benefits of a new home (minimal maintenance, energy efficiency, loyal tenants, and builder perks), new builds come out ahead. For beginner and intermediate investors focusing on long-term rentals, investing in new…
Getting pre-approved is one of the most important first steps in the homebuying process—but many buyers hesitate because they’re worried it will hurt their credit. Whether you’re buying a house in Los Angeles, CA or Austin, TX, understanding how credit inquiries work can help you start your search with confidence. The truth is that a mortgage pre-approval can affect your credit score, but usually only by a small amount and for a short period of time. In most cases, the benefits of being pre-approved far outweigh the minor, temporary credit dip. This Redfin article explains how pre-approval affects your credit…
A sweeping Reuters investigation has put a price tag on Meta’s tolerance for ad fraud: billions of dollars a year. For Rob Leathern, a former Meta executive who led the company’s business integrity operations until 2019, the findings expose a stark tension between revenue growth and consumer harm.The report, published Monday, found that Meta generated roughly $18 billion in advertising revenue from China in 2024, around 10% of its global revenue, even as internal documents showed that nearly one-fifth of that (about $3 billion) came from ads tied to scams, illegal gambling, pornography, and other prohibited activity. Meta internally labeled…
In This Article This article is presented by Express Capital Financing. If you spend enough time around real estate investors, you start to notice there are two types of people entering 2026. The first group is still whispering to itself that rates are “definitely” going back to 3%. They’re convinced the economic stars will align, Jerome Powell will have a spiritual breakthrough, and mortgages will magically become cheaper again. These are the same people who think Blockbuster might return if we all “manifest” hard enough. The second group? They’re building wealth regardless of what interest rates are doing. They’re refinancing,…
While most would stay, the share of real estate agents who say they would toss their Realtor membership if allowed is not small. Here’s how some brokerages are planning to respond, and what arguments agents might find convincing, according to Intel’s latest industry survey.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, one of the top contenders to replace Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair, downplayed any role that President Donald Trump’s opinion would have in setting interest rates.That’s despite Trump repeatedly insisting that he ought to have some say on monetary policy. Most recently, he said Friday his voice should be heard because “I’ve made a lot of money.”In an interview Sunday on CBS’ Face the Nation, Hassett said Trump has “very strong and well founded views” but pointed out that the Fed is independent, with the chairman tasked with driving consensus among other policymakers…