Tasha Gerrard | Trump named Time Person of the Year

Time magazine has named Donald Trump its Person of the Year -- calling him "President of the Divided States of America."

"I don't think that we have ever seen one person, operating in such an unconventional way, have an impact on the events of the year," said Time editor Nancy Gibbs.

She called this year's choice "one of the more straightforward years." Trump beat runner-up Hillary Clinton for the distinction, which Gibbs said is given to the newsmaker who has the biggest influence on world events, for better or worse.

Placing third was "the hackers," to cover people who breached the records of major government organizations, politicians, celebrities and everyday citizens.

The short list also included President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, scientists.

The announcement was revealed on NBC's "Today" show. Speaking on the show via phone, Trump called the title a "very, very great honor."
The magazine has been selecting the year's most influential person, group or idea since 1927. Its choices have included nearly every U.S. president, Adolf Hitler, Ayatollah Khomeini, Mahatma Gandhi and Pope Francis, along with groups like the "Ebola fighters." The title was changed in 1982 to "Machine of the Year" for the computer.
In its 90-year history, Time has named only four individual women: American socialite Wallis Simpson, whose marriage to King Edward VIII caused a constitutional crisis, Queen Elizabeth II, President Corazon Aquino of the Philippines, and last year's choice, German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Other women have been named as part of a group or class of people..Read More...

 

Tasha Gerrard | Bond Markets' $1-Trillion 'Trumpflation' Wipeout A Bad Sign For Canadian Housing

Canada’s housing market could soon be suffering from a new condition, one that a TD Bank economist is calling “Trumpflation.”

But "Trumpflation" wouldn't mean rising house prices — it would mean higher mortgage rates, leading to worse times for the housing market.

U.S. stock markets soared in the days after Donald Trump’s electoral victory, betting that his administration will be good for business.

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But the bond markets made a different bet — that Trump’s plans for massive infrastructure spending and tax cuts will cause inflation to rise. Inflation is bad for bond markets, so the bond market tanked last week, wiping out $1 trillion of investors’ money.

The wipe-out was such a jolt to the markets that some analysts on Monday were predicting the end of a 30-year-long bond market bull run.

“Bond markets have interpreted a Trump win as one that will make inflation if not great again then at least rise again,” TD Bank senior economist Leslie Preston wrote in a recent client note.

But she noted Trump’s economic plans are not a done deal.

“Markets may be getting a bit ahead of themselves, as it very much remains to be seen whether this ‘Trumpflation’ will pan out.”

Still, the same “Trumpflation” phenomenon that’s brutalizing the bond markets could also hit Canada’s housing markets, because some mortgages in Canada are linked to U.S. bond yields, and because changes in Canadian bond yields tend to follow trends in the U.S. Read More....

Tasha Gerrard | Tips to Buy Overseas Property Safely

Hire an independent lawyer

Many people seek the help of real estate agents, which is not a very good start. No matter how smart, experienced, informative and well-mannered an agent tends to be, never fall for it. Generally get an separate lawyer, who will signify you all over the whole buying process. If you are displayed by the lawyer, it means you are well-protected from making any expensive errors down the road.

Get help from a financial professional

Sort out your economic priorities that would help you allot a suitable budget to purchase the property. Get a provisional mortgage if you have programs to borrow money apart from what you plan to pay from your pocket. Ask your financial professional to suggest a long term repayment plan that would be feasible for you as the lending requirements and the asking for costs may change during those years.

Hire an international exchange specialist

If you borrow money overseas, but earn at home, you have to make sure that the rate variations would not affect the value of your property. The difference in the value of foreign exchange could take the property out of your hands as it goes beyond your budget. Talk about with a foreign exchange specialist and understand your risks and have a proper concurrent plan to handle distressing situations.

Double-check the agent credentials

Apart from hiring a separate lawyer, choose a professional overseas real estate agent to assist you through the process. Place your focus on the agency rather than the residence you want to buy. Query them in all possible ways to make sure the company or the agent is possibly the right personal to do organization. No matter what they claim, make sure everything is true, to the last bit. Don't trust reel reviews, read real client recommendations. Ask them to offer their "Terms of business" on paper prior to signing a formal contract with them.

 Learn to get the most out of your investment

When you buy a property overseas as an investment, you must understand that you can have big profits only with risks. Make a thorough stock of the risk to reward ratio to help you cope up with the risks and to reap much better benefits out of your financial commitment when everything goes well.

Choosing the Right Real Estate Location for Your Business

               

Choosing the perfect location for your business can be a hassle. There are many variables and factors to think about when opening a new business location and the process of finding a building that houses many of your needs already may be a hassle. You would recommend that your find a professional property locator to help in your search. Commercial property locators will be able to search locations all over the entire city in order to look out the exact location for your organization.

When looking for commercial real property there are several considerations to pay attention to. One of the main concerns should be the overall structural integrity and protection of the building. Purchasing a commercial real estate property with bad poor developing materials and structural issues can cause you hefty repair costs and state inspection visits, Tasha Gerrard would recommend you call an inspector to come out and inspect any piece of commercial real property you are looking into prior to making any final purchase choices.

Depending on your needs you may want to look into office space rental properties that can provide you with the proper space to operate your business. Office space rental are generally more cost-effective than buying a professional real estate property and often times can provide you with the exact facilities that a commercial building can.

If you are having problems locating a good location for your operation look into services that help you find office space that will be able to suit your needs. There are also retail choices available if you're in that market. Find retail space by contacting local real estate agents that have information of the area in which you are planning to open your new place. Often times they will be able to give you tips on consumer behavior in the area and how you should present yourself to potential clients.

Extensively scout the area in which you are preparing to open your business before you purchase any property to make sure that you are catering to the type of customers who frequent the area. Follow all local and state mandates that regulate what you need to become legally operable. Consider hiring a cleaning support to prepare your new location for its starting day.