Free Republic

Casey Lartigue Jr., co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center, compiled these statements from interviews with refugees studying in TNKR. Eun-bin, female, escaped to South Korea in 2012 There have already been so many changes when it comes to the summit, so I will just wait and see what will happen. I haven't really thought about being scared, but now that you are asking, I suppose I should be concerned about the way things could turn out. If there is change in North Korea, then I think the architecture and real estate businesses will be hot. There...

The complaint cites an "institutional bait and switch" because the original plan was for a federal entity to take possession of the land and build an Obama Presidential 'Library', which would be 'publicly owned and controlled'...... That was the bait used to obtain priceless open park land that would be taken away from the citizens of Chicago.... The switch came when the presidential library plan was sidelined, and in its place was instituted a "presidential center" that would be under the control of a private foundation, with Barack Obama 'himself in a position to shape the center's planning, mission, and...

A humble circa-1900 cottage is the cheapest single-family home on the market in San Francisco right now, and a local historian says it could be a relic from the former Ingleside horse racetrack built in 1895. The cottage at 459 Ralston St. in Merced Heights sits on a generous 3,332 square-foot-lot and is listed for $649,000 (though most SF homes have been selling over asking price lately). "It's the lot that's the value in this property," says listing agent Robert Tao of Sequoia Real Estate. "Normally, the lots in the area are 2,500 square feet."

On Monday April 23, the Guardian in England published a lengthy article about Fox News host Sean Hannity’s major investments in real estate – to the tune of almost $90 million. The information reportedly grew out of the recent government raid on President Trump’s attorney Michael Cohen and the seizure of a pickup truck’s worth of documents, recordings, cell phone, and computer equipment from Cohen’s office, home, and hotel room. In a court proceeding on April 16, it was revealed that Hannity was Cohen’s “third client.” The Guardian article was titled “Michael Cohen case shines light on Sean Hannity's...

FAISALABAD, Pakistan — The father of Imran Awan — an IT aide to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz who investigators concluded made “unauthorized access” to House servers — transferred a USB drive to a Pakistani senator and former head of a Pakistani intelligence agency, the father’s ex-business partner, Rashid Minhas, alleged. Minhas told The Daily Caller News Foundation that Imran Awan’s father, Haji Ashraf Awan, was giving data to Pakistani official Rehman Malik, and that Imran bragged he had the power to “change the U.S. president.” Asked for how he knew this, he said that on one occasion in 2008 when...

In a series of statements, Hannity said Cohen never represented him "in any matter," though he "occasionally had brief discussions with him about legal questions about which I wanted his input and perspective." Hannity later added that he "did not ask Michael Cohen to bring this proceeding on my behalf, I have no personal interest in this proceeding, and, in fact, asked that my de minimis discussions with Michael Cohen, which dealt almost exclusively about real estate, not be made a part of this proceeding." On his radio show that day, Hannity said "I might have handed him 10 bucks"...

(Newser) – It's certainly not the prettiest house on the block. But a burned-out home on a 5,800-square-foot lot in Silicon Valley could be yours if you have $800,000 to spare and act fast. "This is what it's worth," realtor Holly Barr tells KTVU of the San Jose home, which Fortune reports was destroyed by fire more than two years ago. She expects it to sell in a few days, noting 10 potential buyers reached out in the hours after photos of the home were posted to Facebook Tuesday. Despite its appearance—with a gaping hole in the roof, no siding,...

Looking to buy a home in Sacramento, Calif.? Well, if you support President Donald Trump, at least one homeowner reportedly says she doesn't want to sell her home to you. The homeowner made the condition clear to her Realtor, Elizabeth Weintraub, according to Sacramento's KOVR-TV. Weintraub relayed the woman’s request to the station, noting it could be difficult to screen potential buyers based on politics. "We can ask somebody how they voted, but they don't have to tell us," she said.

The “Oracle of Omaha” is climbing the broker ranks. At least his company is. Warren Buffett’s residential brokerage HomeServices of America has grown to become the second-largest real estate brokerage in the country, according to a new ranking from Real Trends. Buffett’s company trails only Realogy Holding’s NRT unit. Under the Berkshire Hathaway banner, HomeServices closed $125.4 billion in transaction volume in 2017. It represented 328,355 “sides,” meaning either the buyer or seller side, reflecting a 34 percent jump from the year before, Bloomberg reported. NRT led the pack with 346,942 sides and a transaction volume of $178.2 billion. Rounding...

Twice a year, Jaime Bremnes, 35, a fifth-generation resident of Garden City and the president of its Welcoming Club, arranges a cocktail party for new residents in this affluent village of around 22,600, part of the town of Hempstead in Nassau County. The organization has running and walking clubs, toddler play groups and gourmet and book clubs in addition to the parties for newcomers, which are held at members’ homes. “We aim to introduce neighbors to one another so they may become friends and part of the community,” said Dr. Bremnes, a dentist, who moved back from Manhattan four years...

The California Legislature passed many bills this past session that were signed into law which gave the government greater control of the housing market. This is a perfect example of invasive government creating a problem, blaming others for the problem and then creating even more rules to destroy the market even further. The cost of housing in California is certainly a problem. The Business Insider identified that 18 of the top 25 most-costly housing markets in the U.S. are in California, with all of the top 10 being in the state. In a recent study by UC Berkeley, 56% of...

According to Forbes recent list of the world's billionaires, President Donald Trump lost more than $400 million during 2017 and is now worth $3.1 billion. Forbes cited the dropping value of Trump Tower in New York City due to the rise of e-commerce as a major factor ...

Forecasting the direction of real estate prices requires the same disciplined approach as for other goods and services. Here are three reasons why commercial real estate supply exceeds market demands, and the implications for your clients and their REIT investments.Commercial real estate continues to be touted by analysts and media pundits as a sound investment. Since I have been one of the few consistent dissenters from this euphoric optimism, now is a good time to briefly review what I have been saying over the past few years.In my article on commercial office markets published here three years ago, I pointed...

Since the allegations about Donald Trump’s business connections to Russia started to fly last year in the middle of his presidential campaign, the fog of political war has made it difficult to tell the real from the shadow. Except for one very visible landmark: a sprawling, rococo seaside mansion in Palm Beach that Trump himself liked to boast about as an example of his real-estate acumen. “What do I have to do with Russia?” he replied to reporters’ questions at a press conference in Doral last summer. “You know the closest I came to Russia, I bought a house a...

Trump Sold a $40 Million Estate to a Russian Oligarch for $100 Million—and a Democratic Senator Wants to Know Why A Democratic Senator wants the Treasury Department to hand over records relating to President Donald Trump’s sale of a Palm Beach estate which he bought for $41 million to a Russian oligarch for $95 million only four years later. "It is imperative that Congress follow the money and conduct a thorough investigation into any potential money laundering or other illicit financial dealings between the president, his associates, and Russia," wrote Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, reported ABC Friday.

Texans notoriously love their tacos – and one Texas REALTOR is taking advantage of that fact. Nicole Lopez-Cummins with Intero Real Estate Services is getting attention after she offered $250 worth of free tacos to anyone who buys a home she was selling in Cypress, TX. Unfortunately for us, one lucky homeowner jumped on the chance to swim in taco heaven and will close on the house at the end of February. So how did one come up with this genius idea? Lopez-Cummins explained that Intero Real Estate Services is a marketing company first and a real estate company second....

PALISADE, Colo. - A new study shows that if you have a marijuana shop down the street from your home, it may actually be boosting your houses resale value. When it comes to marijuana, many say it's a topic of discussion nationwide. However, it also hits close to home. The town of Palisade opened its first recreational marijuana shop back in September of 2017. Those in favor say having these shops in our area may have its perks.

Wealthy exodus to escape new tax rules worries California Democrats By Adam Ashton aashton@sacbee.com January 18, 2018 12:33 PM Updated 10 hours 36 minutes ago The Republican-backed federal tax bill flipped the tables on a never-ending question for California politicians: Will high taxes lead the state’s wealthiest residents to flee the Golden State for the comparable tax havens of Florida, Nevada and Texas? Republicans reliably raise that alarm when Democrats advocate for tax increases, like the 2012 and 2016 ballot initiatives that levied a new income tax on very high-earning residents. But now, with the federal tax bill cutting off...

An 18th-century stone home along the Hudson river - reputed to have been the temporary office of first President George Washington - has sold for the full asking price of $1.6 million. The house in Snedens Landing, NY, was used by Washington when his soldiers were guarding ferries around the Palisades cliffs from British troops. It was more recently lived in for 60 years by landscape designed and photographer Judy Tomkins, who died aged 90 last year. The 2,400-square-foot property was originally built in the 1780s, and sits on nearly 1 acre of beautifully landscaped surroundings.

This year, America’s overall infrastructure was awarded a D+ grade, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ “Infrastructure Report Card.” Arizona’s infrastructure may be relatively newer by comparison but it is starting to show signs of wear and tear as indicated by the C grade that it received from ASEC. While the state of Arizona’s infrastructure may not be in as dire of shape as other urban areas, the need for new and repaired infrastructure is widely talked about, especially at Valley Partnership. For 30 years now, Valley Partnership has been the rational voice at the table whenever important...