Showing posts with label real estate investing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label real estate investing. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Top 10 States People Are Fleeing
New York, Illinois and Louisiana are expected to lose more residents than they gain this year.
Jenna Goudreau
Forbes
"We're seeing one of the lowest mobility rates in a century," says Nathaniel Karp, chief economist for banking firm BBVA Compass. Karp says the recession has forced many people to stay put because they are unable to sell their homes, cannot find jobs or are unwilling to relocate for work if it means sacrificing a partner's stable position.
The slowdown makes the question of who's moving and why even more significant than in years past. Using 2010 projections by Moody's Economy.com, Forbes ranked the states in which people are leaving faster than they are arriving. Economists report several overlapping trends that may be forcing people out of certain states as much as they are pulling them toward others.
In Pictures: Top 10 States People Are Fleeing
At No.1 on our list, New York is expected to wave goodbye to 49,000 more people than it gains this year. The state has seen a steady loss of residents over the past five years, losing an average of 100,000 people per year. Karp explains that, because New York is a large state, it may report greater movement than others, but notes that population size is not the only reason residents are fleeing.
Buy 1 Get 2 Free at Botanic Choice Buy 1 Bottle and Get 2 FREE (select items), plus Free Shipping on $25+ Expires 12/31/2010
Fresh food that lasts from eFoods Direct (Ad)
Live Superfoods
It is time to Wake Up! You too, can join the "Global Political Awakening"!
Print this page
Forbes
"We're seeing one of the lowest mobility rates in a century," says Nathaniel Karp, chief economist for banking firm BBVA Compass. Karp says the recession has forced many people to stay put because they are unable to sell their homes, cannot find jobs or are unwilling to relocate for work if it means sacrificing a partner's stable position.
The slowdown makes the question of who's moving and why even more significant than in years past. Using 2010 projections by Moody's Economy.com, Forbes ranked the states in which people are leaving faster than they are arriving. Economists report several overlapping trends that may be forcing people out of certain states as much as they are pulling them toward others.
In Pictures: Top 10 States People Are Fleeing
At No.1 on our list, New York is expected to wave goodbye to 49,000 more people than it gains this year. The state has seen a steady loss of residents over the past five years, losing an average of 100,000 people per year. Karp explains that, because New York is a large state, it may report greater movement than others, but notes that population size is not the only reason residents are fleeing.
"In order to move, you need to be able to sell your home," says Karp. "The housing market [in New York] has not gone through the meltdown that other states have gone through."
While New York homeowners may have a slightly easier time selling their homes and moving to greener pastures, a competing trend is the number of unemployed renters who can no longer afford the high cost of living in and around New York City. Karp says the expensive lifestyle and high taxes may force the long-term unemployed to move on to more affordable regions.
The Prairie State came in at No. 2. Illinois is expected to lose 27,000 people this year, consistent with its average annual loss over the last five years. The losses are likely linked to the state's economy and tax structure. Job losses in manufacturing and industrial machinery are likely pushing people out of the state, Karp says, adding that state taxes have also been "an issue" for many residents.
Midwestern states, in fact, are well-represented in the top-10 list. Nebraska (No. 4), Kansas (No. 5) and North Dakota (No. 9) are among the many central states projected to lose residents in 2010.
Read Full Article
RELATED ARTICLE:
5 Best Countries to Escape America's Decline
10 Signs America is Becoming a Third World Country
While New York homeowners may have a slightly easier time selling their homes and moving to greener pastures, a competing trend is the number of unemployed renters who can no longer afford the high cost of living in and around New York City. Karp says the expensive lifestyle and high taxes may force the long-term unemployed to move on to more affordable regions.
The Prairie State came in at No. 2. Illinois is expected to lose 27,000 people this year, consistent with its average annual loss over the last five years. The losses are likely linked to the state's economy and tax structure. Job losses in manufacturing and industrial machinery are likely pushing people out of the state, Karp says, adding that state taxes have also been "an issue" for many residents.
Midwestern states, in fact, are well-represented in the top-10 list. Nebraska (No. 4), Kansas (No. 5) and North Dakota (No. 9) are among the many central states projected to lose residents in 2010.
Read Full Article
RELATED ARTICLE:
5 Best Countries to Escape America's Decline
10 Signs America is Becoming a Third World Country
Buy 1 Get 2 Free at Botanic Choice Buy 1 Bottle and Get 2 FREE (select items), plus Free Shipping on $25+ Expires 12/31/2010
Fresh food that lasts from eFoods Direct (Ad)
Live Superfoods
It is time to Wake Up! You too, can join the "Global Political Awakening"!Print this page
Monday, November 8, 2010
Get Out of the Stock Market and Into These Alternative Investments
Investing Answers
The S&P 500 is down more than -9% from five years ago. If you haven't already, maybe it's time to consider moving your money out of stocks, and into some of these alternative investments.
Gold
When inflation besets the economy and the dollar starts to lose its value, gold is traditionally the best proverbial mattress in which to stuff your cash. Between 1976 and 1980 inflation rose at a rapid +8.84% per year, a significant move by any standards. This means that if you had literally stuffed your cash in a mattress during this decade, it would have lost nearly -30% of its purchasing power!
On the other hand, the value of gold increased +369% during the same period (after correcting for inflation). As soon as investors regained confidence in the dollar, gold bullion quickly lost nearly -50% of its peak value. Still, investors who got in before the bubble made a handsome profit.
To compare, gold appreciated +109.3% from 2006 to 2010. This time the gain was due to increased uncertainty surrounding debt and equity markets alike. During the previous great spike in gold prices, it was more difficult to jump on the bandwagon, as the only way to gain exposure to the commodity was to own physical bullion. Today, it is easier to own gold through an investment in an ETF such asSPDR Gold Trust (NYSE: GLD) or via options and derivatives.
Real Estate
A key part of realizing the American Dream is home ownership. Leading up to the Great Recession of the late 2000s, politicians and lenders realized this and enacted policies that quickly drove up the percentage of Americans in homes. Well, as we are now well aware, these seemingly benevolent actions in effect distorted financial and real estate markets to the point of collapse. According to bankrate.com, the average 30 year fixed mortgage rate is currently 4.36%. Anyone who has ever bought a home knows that this is the perfect opportunity to refinance and lock in an incredibly low rate.
The question today is whether property values have hit rock bottom after a period of drastic revaluations.
Of course, there are several different ways to invest in real estate. If you have the capital, you can always buy properties and lease them out, but this can quickly become strenuous and time consuming. If you aren't retired or looking for a new career, another real estate investment vehicle is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). A REIT is a corporation investing in real estate that doesn't have to account for corporate tax, but in exchange is mandated to distribute 90% of income to investors. Essentially, it is a mutual fund investing in real estate rather than securities. And just like securities, REITs can be publicly traded, allowing any investor to put some real estate in their portfolio. [Interested in REITs, but don't know where to start? Check out our recent article, Lock In High Yields with 5 Historically Strong REITs.]
Read Full List
RELATED ARTICLES:
The question today is whether property values have hit rock bottom after a period of drastic revaluations.
Of course, there are several different ways to invest in real estate. If you have the capital, you can always buy properties and lease them out, but this can quickly become strenuous and time consuming. If you aren't retired or looking for a new career, another real estate investment vehicle is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). A REIT is a corporation investing in real estate that doesn't have to account for corporate tax, but in exchange is mandated to distribute 90% of income to investors. Essentially, it is a mutual fund investing in real estate rather than securities. And just like securities, REITs can be publicly traded, allowing any investor to put some real estate in their portfolio. [Interested in REITs, but don't know where to start? Check out our recent article, Lock In High Yields with 5 Historically Strong REITs.]
Read Full List
RELATED ARTICLES:
Fresh food that lasts from eFoods Direct (Ad)
Live Superfoods
It is time to Wake Up! You too, can join the "Global Political Awakening"!Print this page
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)