| Vulture investor gives advice on success at a turbulent time
David Dweck considers himself an optimist, rather than a vulture real estate investor. But, it seems possible to be both. The strategies of an investor who buys low and sells at just the right moments in real estate cycles show vultures probably are the most optimistic buyers in soft residential markets. South Florida's sluggish residential market is not likely to turn around before 2010 for new construction and condos, but resales may see some improvement in 2009, Dweck said, if tax and insurance issues are more favorable and we don't have a hurricane. "If you have staying power, this is a great time to buy," said Dweck, the founder and president of the Boca Real Estate Investment Club. "Like my friend says: 'Those who survive will thrive.' Many people are treading water now.
Manhattanville in a Global Context
As Jonathan Hollander argued in a recent piece (“Manhattanville's Forgotten Beneficiaries," Jan. 24), Manhattanville should not be simplified into a cheap morality play or a parochial battle between the community and the University. Only a global perspective that examines the conditions and trends fueling this development can explain what is occurring beyond emotional appeals to fight displacement. Gentrification is a global phenomenon and deserves to be studied in such a manner. Gentrification occurs when downtrodden urban neighborhoods, which are predominantly home to people of color and have previously been red-lined, denied investment, and starved of city services, suddenly find themselves awash with vast amounts of development. Real-estate speculators take advantage of depressed property values to reap fantastic profits as communities are redeveloped to house young professionals instead of the working class.
AC360°: Flirting with disaster
Overall, I would have to say, Asia is seen as the future here while there is a big, big question mark hanging over the U.S.Does any of this matter? I think it does.Davos brings together about 2,500 leaders from business, finance, government, the academy, journalism and the like. One can dismiss them as elites, but for better or for worse, elites do play a significant role in shaping the course of events.If you believe, as I do, that it is critical to the future of the globe that the U.S. become once again a power to whom others turn with respect and for leadership, we need to pull ourselves back up.We don't need to be the world's only superpower -- we have to respect the right of others to share join leadership -- but it will be a much more threatening world for our kids and grandkids if others rise and we continue on a downhill slope.
CuseMobile could battle brain drain
Imagine a motor home painted bright orange and emblazoned with the slogan "Syracuse, NY: A Great Place to Raise Kids." Or "Syracuse, NY: Where Dreams Come True." Or "Syracuse, NY: Where Global Warming Works." We can tweak the phrasing later. Now imagine this same eye-popping vehicle cruising New York's Times Square, San Francisco's Nob Hill or Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. In other words, imagine the "CuseMobile" in the most overpriced ZIP codes in North America - serving cheerful notice about a magical place where your housing dollar stretches farther, where hours-long commutes in bumper-to-bumper traffic don't exist, where public schools work, sort of, and where everybody - even Juli Boeheim - knows your name. By now, you've probably figured out that I recently attended the Syracuse RV Super Show at the state fairgrounds, and that I want an RV immediately.
Parkway design a model of compromise
In a Dec. 18 letter to the editor ("Road plan orphans park's west side"), a citizen voiced concern about several elements of the Shelby Farms Parkway that should be addressed. A 17-member advisory board, appointed by county Mayor A C Wharton, included business leaders, developers and traffic engineers, as well as representatives of the Wolf River Conservancy, the Sierra Club, Friends of Shelby Farms Park and park users. This board prioritized preservation of parkland, safety and recreational access along and across the parkway. .
Cullman area seems to buck national real estate trend
The reality of realty is not as bleak locally as recent national news headlines suggest, according to area real estate professionals who say the Cullman housing market is strong."It's been a little slow, but it's not nearly what the national media makes us think that it is," said Cindy Dyer of Crye-Leike Realty Inc. in Cullman.The cover of the Sept. 24 edition of Time suggested otherwise. The magazine posed this question: "Will the real estate bust cause a recession?" Less than a month earlier, in the magazine's Aug. 27 issue, the cover promoted a story on "How Wall Street caused the housing mess."According to the Sept. 24 article, the average home sits on the market for 9.6 months, more than twice the time it took to sell a house two years ago.However, Rita Tucker, broker and co-owner of Alabama First Realty, said this is hardly the case in Cullman.
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