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I should skip through my Engineering undergraduate degree, and go straight into the Computer Science academia, as this programming and education blog is listed as the top computer science in canada accoding to Google. Beating out University of Toronto, University of Waterloo and 25 million other websites!
In fact, http://compsci.ca/ has made it's way onto the first page of a much more general computer science canada list. It is the only website on that first page that is not a University. Is that a hint? Well starting a University is way too far-fetched, though I do enjoy teaching programming.
In Spring 2007 (my next co-op work term) I hope of getting a position as a TA for one of the programming courses at the University of Waterloo. I have talked to a couple of people who have done this already, and they both say it's an amazing experience. Bonus points for actually enjoying this sort of stuff. As I keep on saying – you've got to do what you love. Google sure seems to pick up on that.
Very nice Tony. It's really great that CompSci.ca has something more to add to it's already amazing community. Keep it going!
Very cool Tony. My only question is, why are you in Mechatronics and not in CS? Not that it matters really, but you obviously have something going with programming/CS. Of course, I say all this with very little knowledge of what Mechatronics courses actually cover. Chances are you see much of the same content. Come to think of it, CS has a 'Digital Hardware' stream, are you guys related to that?
On another note… I completely agree on TA positions. I've applied (holding my fingers crossed) to a number of CS grad schools and TA-ing is one thing I'm definitely looking forward to. Not the marking stuff, the communication with the students and the actual presentations! That is, assuming I get in.
At times I don't even know myself. I was accepted into both, but Mechatronics sounded cooler than CS at the time. We do just about the entire Engineering field – Mechanical, Electrical, Systems and, of course, Software. This includes Real-Time OS course this Fall.
Thank you for the feedback on the TA position, and good luck with your pursuit!
Excellent. It's always good to see people enthusiastic about teaching. Especially in CS.
Nice, finally on the first page! Good work
Also, if you want for your side thingy, 250×50 pics!
(I was bored and I was looking at the side logos, I liked the 9Rule one, too bad I can't get it right XD)
Yes, I do read this blog.
You know the reason why the CompSci blog comes out first in Google than the other Comp Sci university web sites? It's because it's a blog, and apparently in Google's search engine, blogs get a higher PageRank than other web sites, due to the many referrals and links generated to and from blogs compared to web sites. So, this blog essentially has inflated its PageRank. This also goes to show you that when you're searching for something, you still have to put the correct keywords in order for Google to give you what you're looking for.
We're not at that stage of semantic search where we say what we are looking for, and the search engine returns back something close to what we want. This is where the semantic web people and researchers are trying to do this but they're wrestling with what's the right ontology and stuff.
By the way, this is a great blog, it's too bad I didn't notice this earlier. All university CS programs should link to this blog, in fact, it's through blogging, that people understand the real nature of the content, and not some biased figures. I'm teaching an undergrad course about Computer Science, and I want non-CS students to understand what Computer Science is and not be intimidated by programming, how it's a tool and how to understand the computer and how it functions in society. Not just the technical elements but also the social and economic elements as well. Because computers are fueling the digital economy.
@GadgetMan – blogging format does inherit some advantages for ranking, but this is still just an individual page, and same rules apply overall. Anyways, thank you for stopping by and commenting. You're spot on with the ideas behind your computer science course! I hope it to be successful.
Haha maybe I'll get my tutorial site up there and then we can have Waterloo vs. Guelph I have a bunch of friends in CompSci @ Waterloo and say its a great program. It's funny most of the classes we take are exactly the same.
Heh, Adam – Waterloo vs Guelph SEO challenge! You're right, most of the classes we take are the same, but professors, and other students make up a different school environment that might or might not affect the outcome of the program. I think I'm in the best computer science program in Canada, but it might be the best just for me.
See I feel the same way (I feel my schools better) and it'll never change. But hey I think one thing we can agree with is we probably have the two best CompSci schools in Canada .
I'd horribly loose the SEO challenge (I've been blogging for about 3 months)….I need to learn more
I'm just finishing my workterm, and I've spend it with another developer who has done most of his Computer Science degree at Guelph (although graduated from the University of Toronto) – really great guy, writes good code too! So it kind of re-enforces my notion that a University is meant to be a personal trip for the experience, not an exact set of memorized knowledge. If you feel like your school is the best – kudos, you'll come out ahead of the guy next to you!
Not to de-rail the topic, but have you gotten my email from yesterday?


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$13.00 Multiple Eyes
Walters Gardens, Inc. (R) 1987
Plant: 40 in. (102 cm) diameter, 38 in. (97 cm) high; upright;
Leaf: 14.00 in. (35 cm) long, 7.00 in. (17 cm) wide; 7 to 8 pairs of veins; bluish gray; creamy white to creamy yellow margin;
Scape: 40 to 48 in. (102 cm) long;
[Sport of H. 'Krossa Regal']
Still in the process of leafing out in the early spring, this becomes more regal during the season every year!
2003 Hosta of the Year.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
About the Product
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text:
One of the original participants of IOTA's decentralized data marketplace, engineering and electronics monolith Bosch, has just upped the tempo with the 12th-largestcryptocurrency by market capitalization, explaining how its newfangled Internet of Things (IoT) device will play a vital role in the economy of the so-called "ambitious cryptocurrency."
According to a post Monday by the IOT-focused arm of the German multinational, Bosch Connectivity, their Cross Domain Development Kit (XDK)—a "universal programmable sensor device" leveraging an armada of sensors to measure various ambient data including humidity, noise and light levels, and acceleration—will be now for the first time be able to simultaneously collect, upload, and sell data on IOTA's decentralized data marketplace in fully open-source code.
Bosch Bullish on Data, Sees IOTA as Part of the Picture
Since being unveiled as a pilot program in November 2017, the Data Marketplace has been catapulted to become one of the MIOTA token's prospective powerhouse usage cases—facilitating the purchase and on-selling of IoT data—a commodity the IOTA foundation maintains within years will become the "fuel of the future" collected by more than 75 billion devices.
Bosch, which reported $87 billion in revenues last year and has for decades nestled comfortably in the Fortune 500, seems to be equally bullish on the prospect of having a finger in the pie that is the fledgling, but burgeoning data economy.
Anticipating 20 billion connected devices by 2020, Bosch explained that it felt an affinity for IOTA's vision of an "open and decentralized data lake that is accessible to any compensating party," and closely mirrored the comments of the team behind the Berlin-based DAG, explaining:
Currently, data is mostly limited to the control of a few entities and not available for the broad masses. Therefore, not everyone can develop new use cases or business areas. Especially at this time when data is becoming increasingly important, IOTA presents a counterpart to the status quo with their Data Marketplace.
The German engineering heavyweight went on to shed light on how its flagship XDK IoTnode could double down on this shared vision—citing a number of potential use cases including data-monitored audit trails, and monitoring a machine's operational status—visible to all stakeholders on IOTA's Tangle.
Author: Jonnie Emsley
Image Credit


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Scott Skorupa, M.D.
Undergraduate:University of Florida
Medical School: University of Florida College of Medicine
Residency: Diagnostic Radiology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Fellowship:Body Imaging/MRI from Emory University Hospital
Board Certification: American Board of Radiology
Specialties:Body Imaging, Nuclear/PET Imaging
Learn More
Dr. Skorupa joined RAH in July of 2000 after completing his residency in Diagnostic Radiology from Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Clinical Fellow in Body Imaging/MRI at Emory University Hospital. Dr. Skorupa received Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Florida in 1990 and Alpha Omega Alpha from the University Of Florida College Of Medicine in 1993.


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Smart's ForTwo is already heralded for having renewed interest in the ultimate city car. As a petrol, it burns an efficient 36 mpg. As an electric, it could have a long enough range to make it the ultimate in urban personal transport.
Even small car manufacturer Smart is jumping on the electric bandwagon. Their highly-efficient, and really tiny, Smart ForTwo, which gets 36 mpg as a petrol, will be made into an EV.
This is not some far off dream, either. Smart plans to bring the electric ForTwo into showrooms within a year, with customer delivery of a limited edition taking place after June 2010. The vehicles are already being tested in London.
Full production of a lithium-ion powered Smart car will take place beginning in 2010. It is likely that the company will continue to produce these vehicles at their manufacturing facilities in France. Range of the vehicle is not yet available.
Daimler, the parent company of Smart, has also bought large stakes in companies that produce batteries and electric charging systems. Through these ventures, they will work with governments throughout Germany and Italy. Rome, Milan, Pisa, and Berlin will all get test runs of the electric Smart ForTwo, as well as the beginnings of an infrastructure to allow faster charging of the vehicles.
Despite the sour economy, sales of the Smart ForTwo increased from November to December 2008. They sold 25,000 in the States over the course of the year.


text: I get a miserable 9k at stock - CPU bottlekneck anyone? This is on a VIA chipset as well, so stable overclocks don't exist, and the maximum benchable is only 14%. Sigh. If you believe 3d mark 06 my PC is less tan 20% better since I won the 9800 (old card 9600GT), but I'm happy to report that it's much more noticeable in games.


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Tags: Fast Company
Eight takeaways for newsrooms to integrate augmented, virtual or mixed reality into the workplaceRJI invited five journalists from across the globe to participate in a two-day discussion around immersive video storytelling, Sept. 17–18. They came to teach, test and try the newest in technology surrounding augmented, virtual and mixed reality.
October 3, 2018
Immersive technology event speakersThese speakers will appear at the RJI Innovation Series event on immersive technologies.
September 13, 2018
Immersive technology event brings industry professionals to Missouri classroomsRather than just hearing case studies about what newsrooms are doing with immersive technologies, University of Missouri students will get to interact with professionals in the classroom during an upcoming event.
September 13, 2018
Futures Lab UpdateDo you know which stories are getting the most traction in social media? Or how audience members in an online event could talk to each other?
Futures Lab update #113: Audience engagement help from CrowdTangle and Shindig
July 8, 2015
Futures Lab UpdateHow are software tools helping news organizations spot stories happening in real-time, as well as in the future?
RJI Futures Lab update #82: Mining online data with Vocativ, Banjo and Zapaday
November 5, 2014
Futures Lab UpdateAre audio versions of text stories another potential revenue stream? And how did WNYC's mobile app incorporate personalized playlists?
Futures Lab update #73: Text to audio; and WNYC's personalized playlists
September 2, 2014
Futures Lab UpdateCan you connect with your audience in 6 seconds or less? And what can we learn from the world's most innovative companies?...
Futures Lab update #8: Vine, InfoActive, and lessons from innovative companies
May 7, 2013
Futures Lab UpdateWhich future trends are likely to affect your newsroom? And what are consumer brands doing that newsrooms could learn from...
Futures Lab update #6: Visions of the future of news
April 23, 2013


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2018 67 SUZUKI CELERIO 1.0 CITY 5d 67 BHPVERY LOW MILEAGE - ONLY 1,544 MILES FROM NEW
- 1544 miles
- £TBC 6m Tax
- TBC CO² (g/km)
- Petrol
- £TBC 12m Tax
- Manual
- 65.7 Avg. MPG
- Ins. Group: 7
- Details
- Features
- Finance
- Gallery
- Price£5,999
- Fuel TypePetrol
- Body StyleHatchback
- Engine Size998
- Number of Doors5
- Exterior ColourWhite
- Registered28/02/2018
- TransmissionManual
- Mileage1544 miles *
- Owners2
- EmissionsTBC CO² (g/km)
- Road Fund£TBC 6m Tax
- Road Fund£TBC 12m Tax
- Max Power67 bhp
- Max Torque66 lbft
- Max Speed97 mph
- 0-60 Time13.5 secs
- MPG Extra76.4 mpg
- MPG Combined65.7 mpg
- MPG Urban55.4 mpg
For more info on this vehicle call our showroom on 01522 542765
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the above information but errors may occur. Please check with a salesperson.
For more info on this vehicle call our Lincoln showroom on 01522 542765, or visit us on Matilda Road, Lincoln, LN6 7BN
For more info on this vehicle call our Hykeham showroom on 01522 695603, or visit us on Station Road, North Hykeham, LN6 9AT
+ £49 ADMIN FEE. 14" Alloy Wheels, ABS Brakes, Adjustable Steering Column/Wheel - Rake, Air Bag Driver, Air Bag Passenger, Air Bag Side - Curtain, Air Bag Side - Driver/Passenger, Carpet mats, Child Locks, Clock - Digital, Colour Coding - Body, Computer - Driver Information System, Cup Holder, DAB Radio/CD/MP3, Electric Windows - Front, Folding Split Rear Seats, Full Service History, Locking Wheel Nuts, Main Agent Service History, Park Distance Control, Power Assisted Steering, Power Socket, Rev Counter, Seat - ISOFIX Anchorage Point - Rear, Seat Height Adjustment - Driver, Seating Capacity - Five Seats, Seats Split Rear 60/40, Tyre Pressure Control, USB port, Wash/Wipe - Rear
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the above information but errors may occur. Please check with a salesperson.
The following documents are available for this vehicle:


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This cute and funny birthday card would be perfect if your goal is to make your mother happy on her special day. It features an adorable squirrel that looks as if he is studying a globe of the world. So when your mother reads, "you mean the world to me", it will give her a little laugh and brighten her day! This birthday card wishes your mother a terrific birthday and a fantastic year! She will love it!
Butterflies symbolize transformation and new life. Their beauty reminds us that love and happiness always surround us. Send good wishes for a happy year to your Mom, on her birthday, with this special birthday card. Let her know how blessed you feel to have her in your life.
This beautiful birthday card will make every mom feel "brilliant" as she celebrates another year, surrounded by all the people she holds most dear. Shimmering tone of gold stand out against a rich red background. At the center is a heartfelt message: "May your smile shine as bright as the candles on your cake!" It's such a wonderful way to let her know that, whatever she's wishing for, you hope it comes true.
There are few people in a world as amazing as moms. Adaptable. Self-sacrificing. Able to function on very little sleep. It's only fair that mothers get birthdays just as amazing as they are. Send your mother a bushel of good cheer and well wishes to jump-start her birthday. Let her know just how much you look up to her with this gorgeous birthday card.
She's made you breakfast. Helped you learn how to drive. Taught you how to wear lipstick. Instructed you on how to bake. Showed you the rewards of a career. She's your mother, and she's the most incredible person you know. For her birthday, help her bask in her awesomeness. Send her love and pride and awe because your mother deserves it all. Tell your mother happy birthday the best way you can - with this birthday card.
Make your mother a happy woman with this colorful birthday card! Birthdays are the best celebrations, focusing a bunch of positive energy on a single person. Make sure your mother feels your love by sending her this card full of birthday wishes. Send her your thoughts, wish her the best day possible, and let her know that she will always have a large part of your heart.
Wish your mother a day of happiness and fun for her birthday! Together you've explored everything from new recipes to fantasy lands. Fill your mother's birthday with that same spirit of adventure. Kindle the old belief that anything is possible and the world is full of fun things. After all, birthdays are fun days! But they would be sad days without this birthday card from you!
Mothers. They give us so much more than life. They give us security. Belonging. Purpose. Love. On her birthday this year, wish your mother all that she's gifted you. Show her how much you love her, how much she's a part of your idea of family. Wish her more than happy birthday, wish your mother a day she will always treasure.
Sometimes it's mind-boggling how awesome mothers are. This year, show your mother just how amazing you think she is with this shimmering birthday card! Filled with love, your mother will adore this card. It's sure to fill her day with joy and allow her to carry you in her heart the entire time. Give your mother the best birthday and the best year by sending this birthday card!
This great birthday card features an adorable cat that is surrounded by what he would consider the finer things in life, and he is certainly enjoying his day! Your mother deserves the same! This birthday card will let her know that she should be surrounded by only the best during her birthday celebration, and that she should have a great day! Your mother will adore this cute and funny birthday card!
Make your mother's heart melt this year on her birthday! You would not have made it very far without your mother, for she's kept you warm and your heart full. On her birthday, return the favor. Send her a card, this birthday card, that will warm her inside and out. Tell her how much you love her, how much her support meant, and that you will always be around to help her when she needs it. Give your mother the gift of love for her birthday.
It was with a blue-eyed stare you stole your mother's heart. As infants we bond with our mothers, and that relationship only grows and strengthens as we age. Celebrate your connection on her birthday. Tell your mother how wonderful she is - give her enough birthday wishes to last the next 365 days until you can gift her more. Let her know exactly how much she means to you. Tell your mother "happy birthday" with this kitten birthday card.
Send this funny birthday card to your mother to wish her an enjoyable day of relaxation! She will certainly appreciate it. The cute dog is having a great day relaxing on the couch, eating popcorn and watching a movie. Something your mother should be doing on her birthday! This greeting card will also thank her for being such a caring and loving mother. Send this little dog over to your mother right away to wish her a happy birthday.


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The Roanoke Times recently published the story of Brian Raub, a developer of travel-related websites and the creator of Lakelubbers.com, a site dedicate to reviewing vacation-destination lakes across the world.
Raub had discovered that a company based in India had produced some 11 apps, each selling for 99 cents in the Apple App Store, that were scraping content from his site and republishing it wholesale. All without permission, attribution or any kind of revenue share.
When Raub approached Apple with the problem, they asked Raub to work it out with the company involved directly. However, the company, often responding in broken English, denied the copying even though it was clear and refused to remove the apps or his work.
Apple eventually removed the 11 apps at issue only to have the company upload 20 more, each representing a different state. Apple, so far has not removed those apps though it is unclear if Raub has filed a DMCA takedown notice.
The story caused a bit of a blowback in the mainstream tech press, especially on Apple sites, with journalists talking about Apple's copyright infringement problem and the repackaging of content into paid apps.
However, this problem isn't anything new. Countless apps make use of website content and there's a very good chance that, if you have a popular website, your content may already be featured in an app.
Easy Apps, Easy Content
Creating an app has never been easier. In addition to the barriers of entry being lower than ever, there are services such as Apps Geyser and iBuildApp that will enable you to create an app from your site either for a small fee or a revenue share.
However, there is little, if any, checking being done to see if the content the apps are pulling is owned by the app creator. As a result, many apps pull content from websites without their permission.
Often times this is fairly innocuous. If you search for "TechCrunch" in the Apple App Store, you'll first find the official app but then you'll see several "News" apps that basically pull the RSS feed of TechCrunch along with similar sites to make a news feed, much like a pre-loaded RSS reader.
These apps aren't republishing content, there's full attribution and the sites that use truncated RSS feeds likely see a decent amount of mobile traffic from it. While it would be nice if these apps obtained permission, they are at least in a symbiotic relationship with the sites they pull from.
But then there are apps like the one Raub found. Since LakeLubbers does not offer an RSS feed, the content was either copied or automatically scraped from Raub's site directly and then pasted into the apps directly without attribution.
It is unclear how many apps like this there are. These apps aren't trivial to search for because they, usually, won't list the source of their content, instead attempting to make it appear like they created it, and there's no easy way to search for text, images or video inside apps being sold.
The only way to find the content, as Raub found, is to look for suspicious apps and download them, often at cost, to find out where the content came from.
But Raub is almost certainly not the only one impacted and the Apple App Store is not the only app store involved. Plagiarism and copyright infringement, including of Web-based content is a much broader issue.
The Broader Problem
We've all heard tales of copyright infringing apps in app stores.
In May of this year, Microsoft was called out for a "cesspool" of infringing apps that allowed users to illegally stream movies and TV shows. Two months prior, Lilith Games sued uCool for copyright infringement in its mobile game "Heroes Charge", which was featured both in the Apple App Store and the Google Play store.
In short, the Raub's case is just the latest in a long line of copyright problems in app stores that goes back years, as shown by the 2010 battle over AppVault, which was pulled from the Apple App Store after allegations it was a rip off of a similar app.
The issue is that, as the barriers to producing mobile apps have lowered and the amount of revenue flowing into them has increased, the checks and balances against copyright infringement have not increased either.
Though, in 2011, Apple added copyright infringement to the reasons it gives when rejecting apps, its clear from Raub's case that the App Store review process isn't able to completely weed out copyright infringing apps.
And the truth is there probably isn't a way. Much as with online courses, it's unfeasible to ensure that all of the text, images, video, audio and code in an app is original or authorized, especially when more than 1,000 apps are submitted every day.
Still, this doesn't mean that Apple, Google and Microsoft should give up on stopping copyright infringing apps. Instead, they need to work on improving their policies to discourage infringement and encourage innovation.
Fixing (or at Least Addressing) the Problem
As with online courses, tracking copyright infringement in apps is going to be a challenge, however, the stores can do a great deal to discourage the submission of copyright infringing apps including:
- Ban Copyright Infringers: This one sounds simple, but the company in Raud's case submitted 11 infringing apps that were removed and then were allowed to submit 20 more. Even if Raud never filed a DMCA, clearly this company was a repeat infringer and needed to have their access to submitting apps cut.
- Look for Warning Signs: According to Apple, copyright infringement is not a common reason for apps to be rejected. However, app stores have numbers and statistics on the apps that are and can likely find warning signs that an app needs extra review for possible infringement.
- No Ill Gotten Gains: When an app is confirmed to be copyright infringing, through whatever process the store has, there needs to be an assurance that the infringer will not be able to keep their ill-gotten gains. This can be difficult since app stores pay developers on a regular basis, but finding ways to ensure infringers can't profit from their misdeeds is the biggest step one can take to limiting the number who submit infringing apps.
To be clear, these steps won't eliminate copyright infringement in app stores. However, as I stated in the previous article about online courses, if you want a community that respects copyright and creates original work, you need to strongly discourage infringement as well as encourage novelty.
In short, if you don't clamp down on copyright infringement, you're going to find yourself in a community that's filled with infringers, making it difficult for the original creators to find an audience.
Bottom Line
The frightening part is that this problem is only going to grow. As ad blockers are introduced to mobile browsers and the barriers to releasing an app keep dropping, more and more content creators are going to turn to apps to supplement their income. With them will come a small but growing number of plagiarists an infringers.
However, without action, the numbers of infringers will continue to grow unchecked and given how prolific copyright infringers can be (it's a lot faster to produce apps when you don't have to create original content) they can easily drown out legitimate publishers.
Raul's story is a warning for both creators and the companies that run app stores: Apps are not just the future of content, but the future of copyright infringement. Creators need to be ready to protect their content and app store owners need to be prepared to keep the infringers at bay.
The next challenge has just begun and it will be interesting to see how all sides respond.


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Schrijf je in op onze nieuwsbrief
BRUSSELS - The 'Black Neighbourhoods' project is a result of the writing residence of the Flemish-Dutch organisation deBuren. While the authors were walking through Paris, they were both attracted to Château Rouge, an African neighbourhood immediately behind Montmartre. The positive sides but also the struggles of the neighborhood with gentrification and crime, reminded them of that other African neighbourhood, much closer to home: Matonge in Brussels. That was the start of a long search for the history, identity and future of black neighbourhoods in Europe.
BRUSSELS - The five Flemish universities have made considerable progress in the area of gender equality in recent years. Yet at this rate it would take until 2050 before there is gender balance among academic staff. Only slightly more than one in four professors in Flanders is female - while there is no shortage of highly educated women.
BELGIUM/SPAIN - In the hot summer of 1996, the square in front of the Cathedral of Oviedo is full of people saying goodbye to their cycling hero 'El Tarangu'. Jose Manuel Fuente, only 50 years old, is buried. But seven years later, he sits opposite another cycling icon Lucien van Impe, eating mussels in the Flemish town of Geraardsbergen. Lucien looks him in the eye and does not know what he is seeing. Has his old rival really staged his death? Or is something else going on here? One thing is certain, someone is lying. But who? And above all, why?
ETHIOPIA/UK - Fisseha was born in Eritrea and grew up in Ethiopia. After his father passed away, his uncle takes care of him. Tensions break out in the region and Fisseha and his uncle are no longer safe because of their beliefs.
KINSHASHA - In the maternity clinics in Kinshasa, hundreds of mothers and their newborn children are locked up. Weeks, months, sometimes even years. Reason: they cannot pay hospital bills after childbirth. The report "Gasthuis Gevangenis" (Hospital prison) investigates this phenomenon and goes in search of the underlying cause of this problem.
THAILAND - In a small village in Thailand, Pomm takes care of Europeans with Alzheimer's. Separated from her children, she helps Elisabeth during the final stages of her life, as a new patient arrives from Switzerland.
IMIDER, MOROCCO - Imider is a very small community, but a world record has set it on the map. Here, in the South Moroccan Atlas Mountains, under a colorful Berber flag, the longest sit-in in the world is ongoing.
IRAN - The Iranians are caught between two fires today. On the one hand they suffer the American sanctions, on the other hand there are many domestic issues to overcome. During the "Nowruz" period, we investigated this stifling position with various teams across Iran. The story about Nowruz transcends borders and identities.
BELGIUM - As a child, journalist Brecht Castel lost his father after suicide. Twenty years later he is left with questions. Questions that not only concern himself, because in Flanders an average of three people get out of life every day.
ANTWERP - Documents that Apache and Le Vif were able to look into show how Erik Van der Paal - the protegee of N-VA chairman and mayor of Antwerp, Bart De Wever - and his Dutch companion Marc Schaling extracted millions of euros from Land Invest for six years. All this time, the project developer could count on political support for controversial building projects in Antwerp.


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2017 Holger Koch Pinot Noir Herrenstück Baden
What's that?
Holger Koch and his wife Gabriele Engesser stand for an incredibly clear, cool and elegant wine style. Their wines never have too much fruit, are never too fatty, but are always balanced and unagitated at the highest level. The Kochs have a good 8 hectares of the best sites on the Kaiserstuhl and are proven Burgundy specialists. They attach great importance to healthy vineyards, for which Holger and his father Hubert also invest many extra hours in the vineyard. This slim and animating Spätburgunder comes from the vineyard terraces of the Bickensohler Herrenstück.
And how does it taste?
Raspberry, blackberry, mint, clove and cinnamon. Elegant and balanced.
Bottled by: Weingut Holger Koch, Mannwerk 4, D-79235 Vogtsburg-Bickensohl, Germany
Hints: Illustration may differ from original in shape and colour. No liability is assumed for the above information. Only the information on the respective product packaging is binding. Please check these in individual cases.
Pinot Noir | Product from Germany
Contains Sulphites
This product contains on average:
|Nutrition Facts
|per 100g
|13,0% vol


text:
Anime Information
Gakuen Babysitters
Type: SUB
Plot Summary: After their parents are killed in a plane crash, Ryuuichi and his younger brother Kotarou are taken in by the chairman, who they never met before, of an elite academy. Ryuuichi becomes the school daycare's new babysitter.
Genre: Slice of Life , Shoujo , School , Comedy
Released: 2018
Status: Completed
Gakuen Babysitters SUB in High Quality
Leave a comment!


text:
KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The man killed in a tragic crash at K-7 and Parallel Parkway Thursday has been identified as a retired Kansas fire captain.
Captain Paul Scott, 68, was a 29 year veteran of Consolidated Fire District No. 2. He was from Tonganoxie, Kan.
"Consolidated Fire District No. 2 deeply saddened to announce the death of a retired captain," the district said in a statement.
Scott started his career in 1969 and retired in 1998.
"Paul was a great asset to this department and the citizens of the fire district. He was an outstanding firefighter, officer and mentor. He was the kind of officer one should aspire to be; confident, knowledgeable personable and respected. Our prayers go out to Paul's family in this time of mourning. Paul will be missed by many," the district said.
Scott was sitting at a stoplight at K-7 and Parallel Parkway when a white SUV, traveling at a high rate of speed, traveling westbound on Parallel struck the back of Scott's vehicle. Scott's vehicle then was pushed into a fast-moving SUV and box truck and was crushed.
The driver of the white SUV was taken to the hospital.
No one has been cited in the crash.


text:
This niche is VERY inviting …
As we often say, real estate is NOT an asset class. There are MANY different niches you can invest in to earn big profits … both capital gains and cash flow.
And we've been watching an exciting niche which is starting to attract the attention of alert investors …
"Value-add investors are finding this sector ripe with opportunity, offering strong returns and having very little competition."
– National Real Estate Investor, 5/6/19
Sound inviting? It is!
It's rehabbing resort properties.
If you're a fan of the long-running TV show Hotel Impossible featuring Anthony Melchiorri, you know there are a LOT of hotels out there … and many aren't run very well.
In fact, some fail and are sitting empty and dilapidated … waiting to be resurrected by an enterprising real estate entrepreneur.
So there's a LOT of value-add opportunity in these often potentially beautiful properties.
And the opportunity isn't limited to a particular geography … these opportunities are available in a variety of markets.
In fact, we recently enjoyed interviewing an experienced resort rehabber in New Jersey (yes, there's even resort opportunity in New Jersey!)
We also got the inside scoop on a fascinating resort rehab project in Orlando, Florida.
The message is clear … there's big opportunity in resort property … and it's not just money.
Think about it …
Most investors don't get excited about spending the night or a romantic weekend in their Section 8 rental home, C-class apartment, or mobile home park.
There's nothing wrong with any of those. They're all great for cash flow. But when you can get cash flow PLUS lifestyle benefits too? That's double prizes.
Imagine taking a tax-deductible trip to check in on your beautiful resort property … walking a lush vineyard or relaxing on the beach … and enjoying a fine meal while watching a gorgeous sunset.
Of course, before you get to enjoy all the amenities … there's work to be done.
And fixing up an entire resort … well, that's a heavy lift even for the most seasoned house-flipper.
But who says YOU need to do all the work? Or ANY of it?
What if there's a way for you to get in on the action without putting on your work boots and safety glasses?
There is.
One way is to let someone else "fatten the cow" … then you buy in to "milk it" for cash flow over the long-haul. Listen to this episode to learn more about this approach.
If you're accredited, then there's a whole world of investment opportunities available to you … including investing passively into an experienced resort rehabber's project.
Of course, if you're super-ambitious and industrious … you can become an active resort-property re-habber. Because it's capital intensive, it's an ideal activity to syndicate.
If you choose the active route … here are some things to think about.
One way to learn the business is to go to work or volunteer with an active resort re-habber.
But before you go that far, it's probably smart to start with just talking to some folks in the business to see if it's the right niche for you.
Fortunately, we'll have an active resort property rehabber … along with a whole bunch of other really interesting niche investors … at our next Secrets of Successful Syndication seminar. So if this all sounds interesting, make plans to join us.
But whether you choose active, passive, or syndication … take a look at the opportunities for profit and lifestyle in the resort property investing niche.
Resort properties are a great way to earn rental income from affluent people who would probably never rent their home from you.
Until next time … good investing!
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Opportunity Zones Update – Defer, Reduce, and Even Eliminate Taxes
Everybody is talking about Opportunity Zones … and they should be. They can be a great opportunity (just like the name says)!
But many investors have found themselves scratching their heads. How exactly does someone take full advantage of Opportunity Zones?
Recently released guidelines are giving investors and syndicators much needed clarity for moving forward … and making the most of their Opportunity Zone investments.
We sat down with attorney Mauricio Rauld to discuss how Opportunity Zones can help investors like you defer, reduce, or even completely eliminate capital gains taxes.
In this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ show, hear from:
- Your zoned-in host, Robert Helms
- His zoned-out co-host, Russell Gray
- The "Anti Lawyer" attorney, Mauricio Rauld
Broadcasting since 1997 with over 300 episodes on iTunes!
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Zoning in on Opportunity Zones
The wait is finally over.
The rules for investing in Opportunity Zones … and the potential tax breaks that come from it … are out.
In case you haven't heard, Opportunity Zones are basically a capitalist version of wealth redistribution. They provide tax incentives to get rich people to voluntarily put their money where the government wants it to be.
Opportunity Zones exist in every state and in Puerto Rico. These areas tend to be blighted with some issues … they need some gentrification.
Each governor in the United States was taxed with the job of figuring out what areas in their states needed the most help … and where private enterprise could step up, do the work, and get benefits.
We're not legal experts … but we know someone who is.
Mauricio Rauld is known around here as the "Anti Lawyer" … but he is actually a practicing lawyer who helps people primarily with syndications.
Since we first learned about Opportunity Zones last year, Mauricio has spent his time discovering the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of these types of investments.
The good side of Opportunity Zones
Let's start with the good.
Opportunity Zones offer huge tax benefits … four in particular.
The first is that you get to defer the tax from whatever capital gains you're investment is coming out of.
For example, if you have a piece of real estate … or any other asset, like precious metals, stocks, bonds, even your collectible car … you can take those gains and reinvest within 180 days into a qualified Opportunity Zone fund and defer the tax.
You aren't deferring the tax indefinitely like a 1031 … but you will get to defer for at least the next seven years … until December 31, 2026.
The second benefit is that if you hold onto your new investment for a period of five years, you get a 10 percent discount on the capital gains you would have paid on the original investment.
Benefit number three kicks in if you hold onto your investment for seven years. Now, you'll qualify for a 15 percent discount on your capital gains.
The biggest benefit of all … number four on our list … applies after holding your asset for a decade. After 10 years or more, the entire gain from your investment is tax free.
It's all about taking an appreciated asset, putting it into an Opportunity Zone fund, and not paying taxes right away. The longer you wait … the less tax you pay.
One important thing to highlight once again is that the money you place into these Opportunity Zones doesn't have to be in real estate to begin with.
A lot of the money we foresee coming into Opportunity Zones hasn't historically been in real estate. They're in other types of investments where there are big gains to be paid … like the stock market or precious metals.
As always, talk to your tax professional before making any decisions … but if you are sitting on a big tax gain, Opportunity Zones could be an attractive option.
Another positive … there is very little government interference and regulation on this project.
It's a self-certification … meaning that whoever is putting together the fund simply checks a box on the first year tax returns to certify that it qualifies as an Opportunity Zone.
During your holding period, the government will check with you every so often to ensure you comply with program … but it won't be dealing with the SCC or going through an approval and registration process.
The bad side of Opportunity Zones
There are some downsides … the bad … of getting into Opportunity Zones … and really it isn't so much "bad" as it is things to consider fully before diving in.
The first is a rush for time.
In order to fully gain the benefits … to get seven years under your belt before December 31, 2026 … you need to make the investment before the end of 2019.
That means you will need to liquidate your asset and invest in a fund pretty quickly to get the 15 percent discount.
If you don't make that deadline, you can always go for the 10 percent … and either way you should want to hold the investment for 10 years or more to make it tax free. If that's your plan, there is less of a rush.
The other important consideration is the substantial improvement requirement.
This requirement means that if you buy a price of property you must put the same amount of money that you purchased the property for into renovations. The government wants you to improve the property.
This requirement only applies to vertical construction … meaning the buildings, not the land.
So, if you buy a property for $1 million and 20 percent of that is in the land with 80 percent in the building … then you only need to invest $800,000 in improvements.
There are a few exceptions to this rule. If you purchase a piece of property that has been vacant for the last five years … the substantial improvement requirement doesn't apply.
Remember, the whole idea behind Opportunity Zones is for folks to put private capital to work in revitalizing these areas.
The other important requirement for your property to qualify is that it must involve an active trade or business. This is still a bit of a gray area … but we expect more guidance from the Treasury Department soon.
The ugly side of Opportunity Zones
Mauricio says that when it comes to "the ugly" of Opportunity Zones … a lot of personal opinion comes into play.
Much of the work Mauricio does is with syndicators, and there are pros and cons for them in this type of investment
Syndicators can promote Opportunity Zones as a great chance for investors because of the extensive tax benefits.
But syndicators themselves don't get the tax benefit for the carried interest.
If this is a traditional syndication, the syndicator will get a cut for sweat equity … let's say 20 percent.
The investors get 80 percent AND all the tax benefits … but the syndicator will have to pay taxes on the 20 percent they made. They can't defer that.
This could be ugly … because as a passive investor you want an incentive for your syndicator who is running the project to be excited about the deal.
But on the other hand, most syndicators aren't going after these deals for tax benefits for themselves. Instead they see them as an opportunity to court capital from a completely new and different source.
Someone who has been in the stock market or private equity or in precious metals that has avoided selling because they didn't want to pay tax can now work with syndicators in real estate and find a win-win situation.
Another ugly truth … you can't get into Opportunity Zones alone.
You have to put together a fund … some kind of entity. It doesn't have to be a syndication … but it has to be a partnership. You need at least two people to get started.
Mauricio also cautions investors to be aware of artificial demand.
Opportunity Zones are designed so that people are investing in areas that they wouldn't have originally invested in. You've got to make sure the investment still stands on its own merits.
Because it is an artificial demand, you could be potentially overpaying for the property in the long run. At some point you could be paying so much more that the tax benefits may not make sense.
Talk to an expert
Think Opportunity Zones might be the right opportunity for you? Talk to your tax professional.
At the end of the day, it's a tax matter. There are forms to check and rules to follow. You want a tax expert to keep you on track.
And you'll need an attorney to help you put together a fund, make sure it is structured properly, and ensure the investment itself is eligible.
There are no guarantees in investing … but doing your due diligence gives you the best chance at success.
More From The Real Estate Guys™…
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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training, and resources to help real estate investors succeed.
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Using Market Metrics to Spot Trends and Opportunities
Markets are always in motion.
Population, economic growth, demographics … these factors and more affect the supply and demand for every property you own.
Without understanding market metrics, investing is like reaching into a lake and hoping you pull out a fish.
But WITH market metrics … the savvy investor can spot trends and opportunities … and bag a winning catch!
Listen in as we explore how to make market metrics work for you.
In this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ show, hear from:
- Your metric-master host, Robert Helms
- His laugh-master co-host, Russell Gray
Broadcasting since 1997 with over 300 episodes on iTunes!
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Crystal balls aren't real, but market metrics are
Every market is different.
Every city … every neighborhood … even every street has unique attributes of real estate.
When we look at real estate, we're dealing with many different kinds of markets … niche markets, geographic markets, and demographic markets.
Real estate isn't a typical asset class. Every deal is unique.
You can choose to throw a dart at the map and buy a property … or you can study market metrics and identify trends.
Most of the information readily available to investors isn't local … it's national or state data.
As an investor, you need to learn to take that higher-level data, look at both sides of the equation, and break down what it means for you.
We don't have a magical crystal ball … but we do know that we can spot important trends if we pay attention to key metrics … and so can you!
Deciphering national statistics
Let's start by talking about days a property stays on the market.
The National Association of Realtors recently announced that residential properties remained on the market for an average of 36 days in March 2019 … which was down from 44 days in February 2019.
What does this mean for the newbie real estate investor trying to figure out if this is a seller's market or a buyer's market?
This is the perfect example of national statistics that give a false impression when you focus on the market at a local level.
Someone in the Bay Area may think that 30 days on the market is forever … but to someone else from Kansas, that seems like selling in record speed!
Remember to dig deeper and look at both sides of the equation. Think about what other factors could be creating this metric.
Imagine that fewer people were listing their homes … that would mean that there were fewer houses available.
If there are fewer houses available but the same number of buyers … then the number of days spent on the market is going to go down.
On the other hand, if there are more sellers than buyers … then homes are going to spend more time on the market.
Three crucial metrics for real estate
Depending on the information you're after, you pay need to attention to different metrics.
To get a good amount of information, you need a big statistical set.
That's why most of the data that you read is going to be relating to a bigger group of properties than really affects your market and your property every day.
News pundits often talk about average home price and median home price. These are two different things with very different meanings.
If you have a list of 101 sales that happened last month, the sale in the middle of the list … number 51 … is the median price.
So, if you have the numbers two, five, and seven … the median is five.
And if you have the numbers two, five, and fourteen … the median is STILL five. Median price is NOT the same as the average price.
Another important metric to understand is net in migration.
People are always moving in and moving out of markets. Net in migration means a market where more people are entering than leaving.
More people means more demand for schools, services, shopping, and … housing!
It may seem like a rudimentary concept … but it is essential. If people are leaving a market, demand goes down and so do prices.
Dallas, Texas, is the perfect example of putting a market with net in migration to work for investors.
After the 2008 financial crisis, investors were forced to look at markets differently … and up until this time, Dallas had been boring.
The market had the least appreciation of markets on our radar … but after 2008, stability started to look really, really good.
Dallas had a winning combination of affordability, low income tax, vibrant infrastructure, and diverse economy.
The energy sector was a huge player … and it was one of the few industries that remained solid after 2008. As people moved in for jobs, demand grew.
Now, a decade later, we look at the net in migration, and Dallas has an additional one million residents since we first started looking into the market.
Look to the future
Some of these concepts may seem basic … but in real estate, it's easy to fall asleep at the wheel. Real estate really does move slowly.
But when you see the headlines, you may feel like the wind is changing fast … and you need to act or be swept away.
Don't panic. You have time to get in position, study a market, and build relationships.
Keep your focus on the basics … supply, demand, and capacity to pay. Every metric impacts these basic principles of real estate investing.
We can all look at the past and act on what we learn here in the present … but we need to look forward too.
As investors, we ultimately have to take our best educated guess. Market metrics give us the information we need to do our due diligence and act in the best way we know how.
More From The Real Estate Guys™…
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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training, and resources to help real estate investors succeed.
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The Avengers Endgame and YOUR real estate investing …
You probably know The Avengers Endgame is the culmination of a 22-film decade-long extravaganza of EPIC story-telling.
What you may not know is how many great real estate investing lessons surround The Avengers Endgame.
Here are just a few … and don't worry, there are no spoilers!
Lesson 1: Businesses and their jobs will move to seek a better environment.
The Avengers Endgame was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Atlanta, Georgia … and NOT in Hollywood, California.
The Pinewood Studios website says Georgia is "the number one filming location in the world" according to this industry report by Film LA.
One of the reasons is " … the highly competitive nature of tax credits …"
Over five years ago, the Los Angeles Daily News reported this trend …
Why TV, Film Production is Running Away from Hollywood
" … they're running away from here … primarily due to tax incentives offered in … states with rich tax credits such as Georgia …"
But it's not just taxes, though they're a BIG part.
As New York discovered when Amazon abruptly backed out of plans to bring 25,000 jobs to Long Island city for their much sought after HQ2 …
" … it came down to a long-term environment that Amazon did not care to work in …"
And they're not talking weather. It's the political environment.
So while YOU may or may not agree with Amazon's or Disney's politics or business practices … it's important to remember how the businesses feel.
Learn to look at markets the way employers do … even if you disagree.
Lesson 2: Get rich in a niche.
This is where LOCAL knowledge really helps.
As you might guess, creating a blockbuster film like The Avengers Endgame requires hundreds … perhaps thousands … of talented, highly-paid people.
While some workers are local to the studio, many come to town temporarily during production … which can last months.
These folks aren't going to live in a hotel room or a trailer all that time, which means they need nice, local housing. But they aren't buying. They're renting.
Some investors we know figured this out … and developed an entire business model catering to the unique temporary housing needs of the film producers.
"What? You didn't see that coming?"
– Hawkeye to Quicksilver in The Avengers – Age of Ultron
We learned about it during an Atlanta field trip years ago … and it made perfect sense then … and it still does.
After all, when a producer is driving hard and fast to execute on a high-stakes timeline to get a 9-figure film over the line …
… they're deploying a LOT of capital really fast … and they need to get things off their checklist quickly.
Focus on the REAL needs of your customer and you don't need to compete on price.
Lesson 3: Primary drivers create secondary and tertiary jobs.
Even if you're unable to get into the primary path of cash, there's still a lot of opportunity to get in on the action … a little downstream.
When money is being drawn into a geography by a large enterprise or industry … the money flows through the primary driver to the locals.
So even though not all real estate investors are renting directly to members of The Avengers Endgame production team …
… there are plenty of employees of secondary local vendors who are also being paid out of the fat production budget.
Of course, it's not just The Avengers Endgame budget, which is temporary.
The real driver is the CONSISTENT stream of production budgets drawn to Pinewood Studios.
But whether you're deriving rental income directly tied to those production budgets via primary and secondary employees … there's yet a third tier.
Even your tenants who don't get paid directly from the production are working for the restaurants, shops, and other local businesses who serve those who are.
Just remember … it all starts with the PRIMARY drivers.
Pay attention to primary drivers and the rest will usually follow.
Lesson 4: Always begin with the end in mind.
You may recognize this adage as one of The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey. It's a powerful concept.
The Avengers Endgame is the capstone of a world-class case study in what "beginning with the end in mind" looks like in the real world.
Every film over a decade painstakingly added new characters and story-lines carefully woven together into a powerful tapestry of cinematography.
It's a testament to thinking ahead.
Of course, there's probably been many course adjustments along the way … as talent, opportunity, and even adversity, all manifested on the road to success.
In that regard, The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a lot like life and investing.
Yet very few folks we know are thinking that far ahead. But perhaps they should be.
In the Create Your Future Goals Retreat, one important outcome is to define your personal mission, vision, values and most important goals … for ALL areas of your life.
With clarity of vision, you can make better small decisions about how you want to live and fund a life you'll be pleased with when you put you head on the pillow for that very last time.
Take time to plan a happy ending for YOUR endgame.
Lesson 5: Big dreams take time to build.
In the 22 films from Iron Man to The Avengers Endgame, Marvel Studios patiently constructed an entire "cinematic universe".
It made the concept of a trilogy seem tiny. It was (and is) a BIG vision … and it took over a decade to develop.
In real estate, whether you're assembling a powerful portfolio of properties or building a mega-million-dollar master planned development, it takes time and consistency to get it done.
Most people can't think that big … and still pay attention to details at the same time. And many that do, can't stay the course.
But when you do, you have a chance to accomplish something extraordinary.
Think big. Plan small. Stay the course.
Lesson 6: Together Everyone Achieve More.
TEAM is a huge theme both inside and outside The Avengers Endgame story line.
From the first Avengers film, where a self-absorbed Tony Stark transforms into someone willing to make the ultimate sacrifice …
… to the violently divisive Captain America – Civil War and The Avengers – Age of Ultron where division nearly destroys the team …
… The Avengers discover time and again their best chance for success is teamwork.
Of course, out in the real world, it took teams of writers, directors, actors, special effects, stunt people, production and marketing staff …
… all working together with diverse skills, backgrounds, personalities and perspectives …
… to make The Avengers Endgame the BIGGEST box-office success in history.
If you have aspirations to build a great real estate investing business or portfolio … ESPECIALLY if you're syndicating, you'll need a team.
Build a great team.
Finally, to paraphrase Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow when she unleashed The Hulk to smash the baddies … Go be an investing hero.
Until next time … good investing!
More From The Real Estate Guys™…
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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training, and resources to help real estate investors succeed.
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Agriculture Investing – An Opportunity to Diversify Globally
Everyone needs a place to live … and everyone needs to eat.
Food is the original wealth. The world's population is growing … and there are more mouths to feed every day!
Investors don't have to limit themselves to properties with assets like houses, commercial buildings, or shopping malls.
You can harvest dollars from land that doesn't have anything to do with tenants … and has everything to do with crops.
Agriculture investing is one of the most enduring and common sense investments there is.
Learn firsthand how money CAN grow on trees from a well-seasoned expert in international agricultural investing.
In this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ show, hear from:
- Your food-for-thought host, Robert Helms
- His food-loving co-host, Russell Gray
- Expert agricultural investor, David Smith
Broadcasting since 1997 with over 300 episodes on iTunes!
When you give us a positive review on iTunes you help us continue to bring you high caliber guests and attract new listeners. It's easy and takes just a minute! (Don't know how? Follow these instructions).
Digging into agriculture investing
We live in a big world with lots of mouths to feed … that means lots of crops … and lots of ways to profit.
In the past, agriculture investing was a difficult business to get in to on a small scale. If you didn't have huge capital to buy huge plots of land … you were hugely out of luck.
But in the last several years, we've seen lots of folks who have figured out a way to let mom and pop play alongside them.
When it comes to investing in agriculture real estate, the pizza theory comes into play … fitting since we're focusing on food.
Someone buys a large pizza. They take it to a party, cut it into slices, and sell each slice for a little bit of a markup.
At the end of the day, the person who brought the pizza makes a little bit of profit for their effort … and everybody gets to have a slice of something they might not be able to afford on their own.
In agriculture, somebody buys a large parcel of farmland and puts all the operations and distribution channels in place.
Then, they divvy up a slice of the deal for a small markup to give many small investors the chance to play in that space. We see this as a great opportunity.
Everyone needs to eat
Crops come in all sizes, shapes, and degrees of durability … not to mention that different regions of the world have different opportunities.
In real estate, we often talk about getting the market right. Buying an investment property in the wrong market can get you into trouble.
But with crops, it's not exactly the same.
It doesn't really matter where the hungry mouths are … and it doesn't matter where the food is grown.
Wherever the best farmland is … that's where you want to buy. With today's shipping technologies, you can get the food wherever it needs to go.
Another perk of agricultural investment? It is a staple. It meets a basic human need … just like housing.
Everyone needs a place to live … and everyone needs to eat.
And the population … the number of consumers demanding food … is steadily GROWING.
Crops and cash flow in Paraguay
David Smith is an experienced investor. He started in real estate, and for the last several years, he has been involved in agriculture in Latin America.
After many years living and working in real estate in Latin America, David knew he needed to diversify.
After some due diligence, David decided to invest in agriculture.
"I was so interested in the business model," David says. "It was a passive, turnkey investment not subject to the whims of the market. I really liked the security of it."
David landed in Paraguay … a big farming country a bit off the radar … and invested in oranges.
Why oranges?
David says one of the biggest things that struck him about this particular crop was its durability. It also has a great distribution area.
Paraguay imports about 85 percent of all the citrus products consumed in the country.
"We can't even meet the demand in Paraguay, let alone try to export yet," David says.
Today, David is expanding to new segments of citrus fruits like lemons, limes, and sweet limes … ingredients that are important in the local diet.
Paraguay is traditionally a row crop producer … foods like soybeans, wheat, corn, and chia. It imports citrus from Brazil and buys greenhouse vegetables from Argentina.
Looking for ways to provide foods locally that are traditionally imported can open up lucrative niche opportunities in agriculture.
By providing a local alternative to imported foods, David provides a cheaper option for local grocers while creating income for his investors.
Going bigger with greenhouses
Like any investment niche, creative solutions can pay off … literally.
In Paraguay, one of the biggest challenges to growing vegetable is the heat.
"Paraguay gets very hot … and when I say very hot, I'm talking Tucson hot. It can be 120, 130, even 140 degrees in many locations," David says.
The vegetables grown locally under normal farming conditions don't grow very well. Their growth is stunted, their colors aren't as bright, and they don't taste as good as imported vegetables.
That's where GREENHOUSES come into play.
By growing high-use … and typically high-priced … vegetables in greenhouses, David and his team can provide a local, tasty, and affordable solution to consumers.
This also provides a unique opportunity for investors. Instead of investing in land, individuals can purchase a greenhouse.
Each greenhouse is approximately 26,000 square feet … that's a good amount of space for growing some green.
Greenhouses are also a popular investment because of their quick returns. Most investors will receive a return after just one year of making their investment.
"It's a very stable business that runs 24/7," David says.
And it's a business that you don't have to worry about managing. David and his team employ expert staff members that specialize in growing each crop.
These employees are even more motivated to provide extra levels of care, because they share in the profits.
"We offer them bonuses based upon produce amount, not net profit. In turn, they really put a loving touch into their work," David says.
Determine if agriculture investment is right for you
Most Americans haven't invested overseas.
There are a lot of reasons for this … but one of the biggest is not understanding how things operate on the ground in a different country.
That's why having a local team managing the day-to-day of your investment is so powerful … especially in a niche like agriculture.
Just like any other investment opportunity, it's important to do your due diligence.
David and his team help investors get a feel for agriculture by providing informative tours of their operation in Paraguay … and he also prepared a new, informative special report Citrus Fruits in Paraguay – Investments that Grow Naturally.
Whether or not this particular opportunity is right for you, expanding your thinking to a bigger picture of real estate than just houses and hotels is important … and can yield lucrative results!
More From The Real Estate Guys™…
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Live from the 17th Annual Summit at Sea
Ten amazing days … over 200 people … studying, sharing, learning, growing, and partying … that's the Investor Summit at Sea!
For 17 years, the Summit at Sea has been the highlight of our year … and we're excited to share a piece of it with YOU.
We've gathered some of real estate's most successful investors, entrepreneurs, niche experts, and thought leaders to share their insights and key takeaways from the 2019 Summit.
Listen in and learn what these pros discovered … and how it could help you make smarter investment decisions.
In this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ show, hear from:
- Your sailing host, Robert Helms
- His flailing co-host, Russell Gray
- Author and seasteading expert, Joe Quirk
- Rich Dad, Poor Dad best-selling author, Robert Kiyosaki
- The Apartment King, Brad Sumrok
- Marketing mastermind, Kyle Wilson
- The Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms
- And SO MANY MORE!
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This is the Investor Summit at Sea
The annual Investor Summit at Sea is always a highlight of our year.
It's a concentrated amount of time with some of real estate's smartest people … all from different walks of life, different perspectives, and even different countries.
Every year, we learn to ask better questions … clarify our thinking … and do things differently.
Opportunities like the Summit at Sea are rare. In a short time frame, investors become friends, work out problems, and do some business.
We'd love EVERY one of our listeners to join us on the high seas … but we'd need a bigger boat!
So, we've brought together some of our fabulous faculty members to share their insights and key takeaways from the 2019 Summit at Sea.
A first glimpse at seasteading
Joe Quirk was a last minute addition to our faculty this year … and we're so glad he came.
Joe's real estate niche is seasteading … that's right … homesteading the high seas.
It's a novel idea. Joe says that … considering nearly half the world's surface is unclaimed by any existing nation state … the technology is at hand to create startup countries on the ocean.
"It's sort of a Silicon Valley sensibility brought to the problem of governance," Joe says.
Instead of trying to change things from the inside, you create startups and do things better.
The first seastead has been floating off the coast of Thailand since early 2019 … and living there costs less than the average American home.
Joe and his team are ready to scale up … and scale up quickly. But he needs partners with real estate smarts to make it happen.
"We have marine engineers, economists, scientists, and medical experts. We have almost everyone we need, but we don't have people that know how to structure and sell these things," Joe says.
We view seasteading as a fascinating new frontier in real estate … and we'll have more with Joe in the coming weeks.
Look at deals through a new lens
It's Robert Kiyosaki's sixth Summit at Sea … and we couldn't be happier to welcome him back.
"I come to learn as well as to teach," Robert says. "The Summit at Sea is basically immersion learning for real estate."
Our port excursion this year was Grand Cayman. This area has undergone an interesting transition over the last few years.
Typically, people think of Grand Cayman as the place where rich people want to hide their money … but it is so much more!
Robert says he learned that how you look at a deal can really change the opportunities you see.
In the case of Grand Cayman, Robert had always looked at the market from the point of view of an investor … but he learned that sometimes it pays to try looking at a market from a developer's point of view instead.
Through this lens, he could see that Grand Cayman is becoming a target for families. As the economic gap between rich and poor widens on other islands … crime rates are rising.
But Grand Cayman has the lowest crime rate in the Caribbean.
That fact coupled with high standards of living make it attractive to a new housing demographic … not just people looking for a tax shelter.
"There's a deal of a lifetime every minute if you can see it," Robert says.
Expand your team, increase your success
The Apartment King, Brad Sumrok, joins us for his third Summit at Sea.
Brad has made apartments his bread and butter … but that doesn't mean he is done learning and growing.
"I keep expanding my team every time I'm here," Brad says.
There's no better way to grow your team than by spending a week and a half on a ship with 200 other people who specialize in a variety of asset classes.
So much of investment success is leveraging other people's experience.
Last year, Brad says he connected with our good friend CPA Tom Wheelwright … and this year Tom saved Brad seven figures in taxes!
That's a take away Brad took directly to the bank … and by surrounding yourself with smart people, you can do the same.
Master your marketing one step at a time
We've known Kyle Wilson for many years. He is a familiar face on the Summit at Sea … and always has great ideas for how to better market your real estate business.
"So many people are in the real estate business. They're good at real estate. They're good at finding markets and putting together teams, but not always solid in their marketing position," Kyle says.
It's easy to overcomplicate marketing. At the end of the day, marketing is simply connecting the dots for your customers.
Kyle says the key for real estate investors is to act in a strategic way. Don't just throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and hope it sticks.
And remember that so much of real estate investing is built on relationships. Never let what seems like a good tactic get in the way of a good relationship.
Kyle is leaving the Summit with a list of ideas and action items … but cautions investors to take things one step at a time.
"You can't do it all. Pick the one thing that's screaming at you that will make the biggest difference and start there," Kyle says.
A wealth of amazing opportunities
If anyone understands the benefits of an opportunity like the Investor Summit at Sea, it's the Godfather of Real Estate himself … Bob Helms!
We've been hosting these cruise ship conferences for 17 years … and Bob has been with us every time.
With 40 years of real estate experience, Bob has seen amazing changes in the way investors make money and grow their opportunities.
"As I look at the group that is here with us today and the diversity of things they are involved in, I can't help but have a big grin on my face," Bob says. "The opportunities out there are amazing."
Bob says his advice to investors is to educate themselves on different locations and asset classes. Find the niche that is right for you … and start building a winning team!
Get on the advance notice list for next year's Summit at Sea by visiting our website … and listen in to the full episode to hear from even more experts and ideas from our week on the waves.
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Finding profits under the radar …
You've probably heard the popular adage, "Get rich in a niche!"
But what does that really mean? And how do you do it?
The premise is when you work or invest in something with a high barrier to entry, or that few strong players know about, you face less competition and can therefore enjoy better profits.
Makes sense.
The challenge is finding and mastering the niche. And common sense says a profitable niche doesn't stay secret for long. So when you find one, it's wise tomove quickly and capitalize ahead of the crowd.
Of course, all that sounds good on the chalkboard. But how do you make it work in the real world?
We look for clues in the news … and this headline caught our attention …
Sovereign Wealth Funds, Private Equity Step Up MOB Acquisitions
For the unfamiliar, MOB stands for Medical Office Building.
Obviously, MOB is a niche, and sovereign funds and private equity are BIG players … with big research budgets and smart analysts.
So watching what big players are doing is one way to identify a hot niche. Then you look for a niche within a niche where Main Street investors can play.
But first, let's look at why the big boys like MOB …
" … increasingly view medical office space as a core property type with strong fundamentals."
" … demand for space continues to grow amid an aging population in need of more medical services …"
"This particular sector of commercial real estate benefits from one of the largest and fastest-growing components of the U.S. economy: healthcare … "
That "aging population" they're referring to are the baby-boomers. This huge demographic wave is sometimes called "the silver tsunami" because of its economic size and impact.
It's something we've been following closely … including which industries and geographies stand to benefit.
But if the big boys are already in the space, is it too late? Or is there still opportunity for Main Street investors?
We think there is. And clues in the article support the thesis …
" … risks facing medical office investors … tenants are increasingly facing reimbursement pressures from insurers and government payors such as Medicare and Medicaid … "
"… medical office facilities do not offer tenant diversification … tenants are exposed to the healthcare sector, unlike conventional office buildings …"
" … a shift of providing high-quality care … [in] alternative settings …"
So let's consider how these clues might fit together to spell opportunity …
First, it's not MOBs that big money is excited about. It's the demographic and industry that the properties support. It's about elderly people and healthcare.
The properties are actually a problem because they're specialty use. A medical building is typically only suited to medical uses. That can be risky.
So, even though medical buildings appear strong for the long haul, it's still a one-trick pony. If the sector cools, you're trapped in a property that's not of much use for anything else. Yikes.
Next, the tenants of MOBs are healthcare providers whose income is largely derived from insurance and government reimbursements, which are facing downward pricing pressure.
Savvy landlords always look past the tenant to the tenant's ultimate source of income.
In this case, "commodity" healthcare providers are getting squeezed by stingy insurance companies and social services. Not good.
Lastly, the article reports a "shifting preference" by tenants (healthcare providers) towards "providing high quality care [in] alternative settings …"
Now THIS is interesting!
It seems those providers being squeezed are moving towards sub-niches where there's more profit.
In fact, people we know in healthcare say a popular strategy for combating the declining margins of "commodity" healthcare …
(commodity healthcare are the kinds of services major insurers and government programs aim their cost-cutting strategies on)
… is to focus on boutique services for affluent clients who pay by cash or through private insurance.
That's a clue.
How can Main Street real estate investors play?
Since we've already identified the demographic (boomers) and economic sector (healthcare), let's focus on the property. After all, we're real estate guys.
We're looking for a property well-suited to a boutique healthcare for an affluent, self-paying, or privately insured sub-demographic.
Of course, Main Street real estate investors aren't healthcare professionals.
So we either need to find tenants who are, or find a simple healthcare service we can deliver through readily out-sourced operators.
And we'll need to pick a property type that works well for the healthcare service … but also other things, so we don't get trapped in a single-purpose property.
Sounds like a tall order …
Or maybe the answer is right in front of you … or next door … or down the street.
Single-family homes!
But not just ANY single-family homes … residential assisted living homes.
This is an exciting sub-niche of the healthcare real estate niche that checks a lot of boxes …
First, your tenants are the parents of boomers (today) … and will soon be the boomers themselves. That's a substantial long-term pipeline of tenants.
Plus, boomers are the most affluent demographic right now … and paying for Mom or Dad's care is a TOP budgetary priority.
It's always good to be at the front of the line for getting paid.
Also, care fees (rent) are often paid out of a combination of the parents' estate, private long-term care insurance policies, or incomes and assets of the adult children.
So when you're in what our residential assisted living guru Gene Guarino calls "the sweet spot" … you're not dependent on government reimbursements.
Residential assisted living homes are boutique, high-quality, "alternative setting" healthcare … which, as the article points out, is the trend.
Another investing adage is, "The trend is your friend".
Next, residential assisted living homes are NOT big, single-purpose commercial buildings well-suited only for use as a medical facility.
Residential assisted living homes are operated in single-family houses located in regular residential neighborhoods.
No special zoning. No commercial location.
So if for some reason the bottom falls out of the sector … the home can be rented to a residential occupant (albeit at a much lesser rent), or simply sold on the open market to an owner-occupant.
In other words, you've got multiple exit strategies. You aren't trapped by your niche. This mitigates one of the major risks the big boys fear.
But perhaps one of the greatest advantages in the sub-niche of residential assisted living homes is the ability to QUICKLY right-size to changing market conditions.
Big-box commercial properties are all-or-nothing propositions. That's another worry for the big guys.
When you have a 120-bed medical facility and profits get squeezed or things slow down, you still have 120-bed facility … and all the fixed costs which come along with it.
There's no throttling capacity up or down based on demand.
But when you own ten 12-bed homes and things pick up a little … you simply add one more home to your collection and increase capacity to 132 beds.
Compared to a big-box, the properties are easy to find, set up, and get optimized. You can catch an "up" wave sooner and ride longer.
Even better, if things slow down, you simply consolidate your residents into fewer homes … and sell or rent out the excess properties individually.
Again, there a multiple exit-strategies, and when it comes to real estate, single-family homes are arguably the most liquid. A big-box? Not so much.
This is HUGE in terms of maintaining profit margins … even in a declining market.
Think about it …
A big-box can't cut facility overhead. They either own the whole property or they don't. It's all or nothing.
So the only way preserve margins when occupancy is down is to cut back on staffing, care, and amenities. Not good for the resident under care, nor the staff or brand.
Meanwhile, the residential assisted living home operator has an advantage …
While the big-box cuts services, the more nimble RAL operator can right-size and maintain or even improve services … and attract an unfair share of residents in a competitive market.
Big check. And who doesn't like big checks?
But whether or not residential assisted living is for you … (though it probably will be some day … we all get old) …
… there are still great lessons to glean about strategic sub-niche investing to find profits under the radar (at least temporarily) of the big players.
Until next time … good investing!
More From The Real Estate Guys™…
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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training, and resources to help real estate investors succeed.
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Profitable Niches – Residential Assisted Living Homes
The Silver Tsunami is coming. That's right. It's no secret Baby Boomers are retiring and entering a new phase of life, and looking for an alternative to traditional assisted living facilities.
In the third episode in our Profitable Niches series, we explore the world of residential assisted living homes.
We chat with leading national expert and President of Residential Assisted Living (RAL) Academy, Gene Guarino, about this compelling investment opportunity, and four of his students who are successfully investing in this space.
In this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ show you'll hear from:
- Your happy-to-assist host, Robert Helms
- His in-need-of-assistance co-host, Russell Gray
- RAL Academy President Gene Guarino
- A few of Gene's star students, Sherry Ellingson and Rocky McKay, Loe Hornbuckle, and CJ Matthews
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An explosive demographic with specific needs
So much of real estate is about understanding specific demographics and their needs. All around the world, and especially in the United States, there is a massive population that has created business opportunities through every season of their lives … baby boomers.
Baby boomers are retiring in droves, and they aren't too far away from not being able to live independently anymore. Unlike generations before them, boomers (in general) are adamant about not living in an institution or hospital. They want to live in a home and have a social life.
That's what makes residential assisted living homes such a fascinating investment niche. This specific demographic and a unique financial model means more CASH FLOW than a typical single-family home investment.
Gene Guarino is the leading expert in this investment niche. As president of the Residential Assisted Living (RAL) Academy, he teaches investors everything they need to know to get started.
"It all starts with education. Get educated first. If you don't, you'll most likely go out, make mistakes, and bang your head against the wall," Gene says.
We're all about education for effective action. So, we sat down with a few of Gene's star students to learn about their experiences and what advice they have for other investors.
Building your brand from the ground up
Sherry Ellingson and Rocky McKay are business partners who attended Gene's class several years ago.
"We kept hearing about senior living," Sherry says. "We both have parents who are going to be entering into this category before long, and after taking a look at some of the current options in our area we thought, 'You know, we could do this a little bit better.'"
Rocky and Sherry first acquired an existing assisted living facility that needed some updating. The property is 10 beds with jack-and-jill baths and lots of places for residents to be able to visit with friends and family. The goal is to have residents feel at home and have a happy, safe place to make their own.
How do they attract tenants? Case workers from hospitals and rehab centers refer potential residents and their families to placement agents who find out what they are looking for in an assisted living facility.
Then, the agents take them on tours and show refer them to various home options. That's why a good reputation is so important.
"The reputation of a home is attached to the owner, so your focus should really be on creating your own reputation and brand from the ground up," Sherry says.
"The demand for a good home is extremely high, and as we provide such an essential service for our residents, it feels like we are doing the right thing," Rocky adds.
For investors just starting in the niche, Sherry and Rocky recommend looking for an existing home and remodeling it into a residential assisted living home. They also suggest having a fixed rent rate with everything included so families can set their budget and not worry about hidden fees.
And don't forget that there is benefit in adding more properties. More residents means the ability to buy supplies in bulk and save even more money on operation costs. Sherry and Rocky hope to have a couple hundred operating homes in the next several years.
Raising capital and expanding your network
After going through the RAL Academy course, Loe Hornbuckle found his passion. Since then, he has opened 40 beds in residential assisted living homes and is in the process of developing an 80-bed facility made up of five homes on six acres as a planned community.
"I look at residential assisted living as a tool to keep people out of nursing homes or institutional environments that may not be right for them," Loe says. "There are a lot of people who are placed inappropriately in those settings."
Even though he was passionate about the type of investment he was making, Loe says he still had a lot to learn when it came to raising capital.
"The first time I raised capital, I put out my business plan, and at the end of the first day my wife found me in the fetal position on the floor. It was harder than I thought it would be," Loe says.
Proper education changed this for Loe. He learned you have to build a network to effectively raise capital. He suggests that RAL investors attend events and conferences so they can meet the many people out there who are willing to help them along the way.
"Your network is everything. When you build your network, you have the power to step into good business like residential assisted living," Loe says.
Syndication and working smarter
As a self-proclaimed real estate addict, CJ Matthews was looking for an investment with good cash flow and without a huge amount of ongoing work. After hearing Gene speak on RAL homes, she knew she had found the perfect niche.
"With residential assisted living, you do the work to set everything up, and then you become the business owner. At that point, someone else can actually run the day-to-day business for you," CJ says.
The biggest advice CJ offers to potential RAL investors is to learn about and apply effective syndication.
"Before learning to syndicate, going out and asking for money felt risky or scary to me, but after I attended the Secrets of Syndication seminar, I knew what I needed to do," CJ says.
When it comes to working with partners, CJ recommends choosing people who have skill sets you don't. That way you can work synergistically and accelerate your success. And don't forget this particular investment niche requires a special touch.
"This space isn't for everyone. You need to love real estate, love making money, love putting in work on the front end, and most importantly have a heart. If you aren't willing to care about these people and making the last years of their lives happy, then this may not be the investment for you," CJ says.
Interested in learning more about investing in residential assisted living? Listen in to the show to hear more from Gene and his students. You can also email us at [email protected], and don't forget that Gene will be cruising with us on our Investor Summit at Sea™. We'd love to see you there!
Listen to other episodes in our Profitable Niches series (like Stacking up Profits with Self Storage or Making Money with Mobile Homes) to step off the beaten path and learn more about other lucrative, but as-yet unexploited asset classes.
More From The Real Estate Guys™…
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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources to help real estate investors succeed.
10/4/09: A Bird's Eye View of Opportunities in Lodging & Hospitality
"Get rich in a niche" is a classic piece of advice for almost any profession. Specialists almost always make more money than generalists. On today's show, The Real Estate Guys discuss one of the most unique niches in real estate niche: lodging and hospitality.
Joining in the conversation are:
- Host Robert Helms
- Co-host Russell Gray
- Six decade investor "The Godfather of Real Estate", Bob Helms
- Special Guest: Ed Watkins – 35 year industry veteran and Editor of Lodging Hospitality Magazine
The dialog was lively and informative as The Guys discussed:
- An Overview of the Resort Market Today
- New Trends in the Hospitality Industry
- Boutique vs. Lifestyle Hotels
- The Outlook for Condo-Hotel and Fractional Product
- Opportunities for the Investor in the Resort Space
While the hotel business is flat and financing is almost non-existent, we discovered the picture is quite different in the boutique space.
We also contrasted the condo-hotel model (think City Center in Las Vegas) to the concept of "fractional" ownership. We've heard great things about fractional structures and Ed was able to share some interesting and valuable perspectives. There's no substitute for 35 years at the center of an industry when it comes to being aware of cycles, distinguishing between fads and sustainable trends, and having one's thumb on the pulse of a niche market.
We closed, as always, asking where the opportunities are for today's investor and Ed gave us some great ideas to think about!
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text: these are blooming NOW? -------------------------------------------------- From: "James Waddick" <email@example.com> Sent: Monday, August 22, 2011 3:39 PM To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <email@example.com> Subject: [pbs] What's blooming now ... week of Aug 21st, 2011 >>Some more Lycoris are blooming now. L. sprengeri is now in full bloom, > > Dear Friends, > Like Jim S, my Lycoris are going strong again. Still have L. > squamigera, longituba, chinensis and sprengeri. L. anhuiensis got > blown over in the same storm that knocked me off line all weekend. > DARN!! Various hybrids abound, too. > > New this week are L. incarnata and a strange pale > orange/tangerine beauty pictured at > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/… > This is so unlike anything else I grow. > > And the first shoots are showing of L. caldwellii, the last > of the spring foliage types. > > IF any of the fall foliage species manage to bloom I expect L > radiata in a week or two, maybe others. Generally these do not do > very well here. > > Noticed a few blooms in a pot of Habreanthus martinezii from > an older PBS Bulb offer, I think. Pale pink and like a mini Lycoris. > > We've had enough rain this week to bring flowers to pots of > Zephyranthes candida, citrina and a couple others. None of the rain > lilies are hardy here. > > And a few late Crinum linger on. Their gigantic 6 foot plus > long foliage is a wonder of the temperate garden. Wow. > > Off topic: last night brought the first flower of the huge > night blooming cereus (Hylocereus undatus). Over 10 in across, pure > white and about as exotic as any flower gets. Dazzling and worth > staying up late to see in all its glory. > > See what next week brings - more excitement. Best > Jim > -- > Dr. James W. Waddick > 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. > Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 > USA > Ph. 816-746-1949 > Zone 5 Record low -23F > Summer 100F + > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > firstname.lastname@example.com > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php > http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/ >