Housing market

Mass housing developer Ovialand Inc. said sales picked up last year, as it rolled out more projects alongside plans to list on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) despite worries of a slowdown in the property sector. For the full-year 2022, revenues jumped 62 percent to P1.35 billion compared to P833 million in the previous year, the company said on Tuesday. “To pursue further growth prospects, we have begun preparatory work for our public listing this year. Indeed, we aim for 2023 to be a period where Ovialand will mark grand, new chapters in its history,” Pammy Olivares-Vital, president and CEO of Ovialand, said in the statement. The developer announced the turnover of 614 house and lot units in 2022—higher by nearly 40 percent from 2021. These were located in Laguna, Quezon and Batangas provinces south of Metro Manila. “Ovialand’s financial results for 2022 reflect the continued demand of a new generation of Filipino homebuyers for our unique products. We are a company … [Read more...] about Mass housing developer Ovialand books sales growth

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin War is coming, and soon. That’s the warning from those with the inside skinny in Washington D.C., Reuters reports . The risks of China invading Taiwan are “very high,” The risks of China invading Taiwan are “very high,” said Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. His comments were based on those of experienced general Mike Minihan. His comments were based on those of experienced general Mike Minihan. “I hope he’s wrong ... I think he is right, though,” McCaul was quoted as saying by Reuters. If military conflict is inevitable then investors need to prepare. The obvious first choice is to look at the defense stocks such as those held in the iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF. It’s up 27% over the last two years versus 8% for the S&P 500. At least part of that gain will have been due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, the continued uptrend also likely … [Read more...] about A Top Republican Warns High Risk Of China-Taiwan War. Here’s How To Invest If It Happens

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Only in 10 of the 50 largest U.S. cities can two full-time workers earning minimum wage comfortably afford a typical two-bedroom rental. Nationally, four minimum-wage workers would have to double up in both bedrooms to not stretch their budgets, finds a new Zillow analysis shining a light on the impact of the country's housing shortage. In cities where there are higher-than-average rents – but the minimum wage is also higher – workers tend to fare better. It takes 2.5 full-time workers on average spending 30% of their income to pay two-bedroom rent in cities with minimum wage set beyond the federal level. “This is perhaps the only context in which San Francisco is more affordable than San Antonio,” said Zillow senior economist Nicole Bachaud. “Renters have been squeezed by record-fast rent growth while incomes haven’t kept up. That's true for those making minimum wage, but especially so where the minimum wage hasn't … [Read more...] about Here’s Why Renters Need To Work More Hours To Afford Rent

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Kevin McCarthy's quest to become Speaker of the House ended after 15 votes with many concessions granted to the hardline, America first, Freedom Caucus within the GOP House delegation that prevented his unchallenged ascent. The extent of these concessions took weeks to emerge and drew controversy. Notably, Marjorie “Jewish space lasers” Taylor Greene received seats on the powerful Homeland Security and Oversight committees . Some of the extremists who prevented McCarthy's smooth election and embarrassed the GOP have now arrived at the House’s Energy and Commerce Committee and its subcommittees, and everyone should be worried. The Energy and Commerce Committee is at the forefront of all policy issues powering America’s economy including energy, technology, and Healthcare . The new 118th Congress also marks the change of the Subcommittee on Energy to the Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security … [Read more...] about McCarthy’s Concessions May Endanger Biden’s Energy Policy

Bull runs have their ups and downs, too. (Photo: Isaw Company via Pexels) I love taking trips to Uttarakhand. A lot of people often look for a different kind of trip there, but it’s not the kind you can mention on Tripadvisor. Joshimath a holy town in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. If Joshimath were a person, it would be Jerome Powell. Because poor old Jerome has been repeatedly telling the markets: “We are sinking and there are no lifeboats. And you’re on board the inflation Titanic.” The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has released satellite images of Joshimath and a preliminary report on land subsidence which shows that the entire town may sink. Luckily in India you can pray to the Gods to sink everyone else except your own community. Scientists are still studying the cracks that have appeared in the houses and roads due to land subsidence in the town. … [Read more...] about Funnycontrol | Joshimath and that sinking feeling

Grand Central Terminal, New York, United States. (Photo: David Vives via Pexels) New York City (NYC) is a collection of diverse neighbourhoods scattered among the city’s five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Each neighbourhood of NYC has its own distinctive lifestyle and culture. From attractions such as the Statue of Liberty , the Empire State Building and Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) and the Brooklyn Bridge , the city is bursting with landmarks of historical and cultural importance. Furthermore, when it comes to eating and partying, NYC is where trends are born. As the most populous city in the United States with over 8.5 million people, the city that never sleeps can be a bit overwhelming for first-time travellers. Bookmark this itinerary to experience everything that NYC offers: Things to do The streets of NYC are never boring. No matter the season or time of day, there’s always something … [Read more...] about Insider’s guide to New York City

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin For many organizations January is a time of renewal—setting goals, welcoming new team members, establishing a fresh start, etc. But unfortunately, January can also trigger anxiety and discomfort for many organizations as they scramble to prepare for what may feel like an obligatory pivot into unfamiliar territory—Black history. As a result, many organizations miss an important opportunity to acknowledge and honor Black history and culture and instead awkwardly stumble through a series of disjointed events that feel like afterthoughts and tragically reinforce the absence of any holistic, sustained commitment to antiracism. If your organization is like many—scrambling to assemble Black History month (BHM) programming in the days, hours, minutes before the month begins—please consider these all too common yet tragic missteps. Sin #1 Waiting until the last minute Companies regularly plan conferences months, even a year, in … [Read more...] about The 7 Deadly Sins Of Corporate Black History Month Programming

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Katie is Chief Product Officer at Adjust , a mobile marketing analytics platform trusted by growth-driven marketers around the world. According to management consulting firm Korn Ferry , the global talent shortage is expected to reach $85.2 million by 2030, with companies around the world standing to lose over $8 trillion in lost revenue due to a lack of skilled workers. The main cause is that most organizations’ operations are supported by software despite an overwhelming lack of software developers and engineers. There are a number of ways businesses are overcoming this obstacle. One is by hiring short-term contractual software engineers or freelance developers. But the alternative option—and one that is growing in popularity—is by paving the way for citizen developers. What Are Citizen Developers? According to Gartner , “A citizen developer is an employee who creates application capabilities for … [Read more...] about The Rise Of The Citizen Developer To Accelerate Business Efficiency

A sovereign wealth fund (SWF) will be helpful for the Philippines’ development efforts especially if it has flexibility in funding sources and is insulated from politics, according to United States-based nonprofit Milken Institute. Milken Institute said that a well-structured SWF with strong governance would help attract foreign investment, increase the return on investment of national savings, and promote growth and social development. The Marcos administration had approached the nonprofit group last year to help work out the suitable type of SWF. On Jan. 31, the US think tank released its report “Best Practices of Sovereign Wealth Funds: The Case for the Philippines,” which recommended how to structure the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF). “The creation of the MIF will give the Philippines the opportunity to strengthen their economy, allowing for long-term investments in the nation’s infrastructure,” said Caitlin MacLean, Milken Institute senior director of innovative … [Read more...] about Insulate Maharlika Fund from politics, says US think tank

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin It’s that time of year again. The ebb and flow of retail reliably takes us from Christmas, through to clearance sales and to the next full price moment in the trading calendar, February 14. But what is ‘This Thing Called Love’ ? A simple four letter word that is firmly embedded in the zeitgeist. A quick search acknowledges that it is one of the most popular words in song titles. It ‘Lifts Us Up Where We Belong’, ‘It Is a Many Splendored Thing’, and according to Beyonce… we are crazy when in it. The Beatles used the word a staggering 613 times in their lyrics. Yet when a word refer to so many things, from the consumer loving their McDonalds value meal to the wealth of emotion tied into the way we feel about ourselves and others, it can be a difficult to pin down exactly what it means. Unlike English, the Greek language, rather helpfully distinguishes four kinds of love. I’ve simplified for the purposes of … [Read more...] about Love To Love: The Business Of Valentines Day