Category: Case Attorney

Biden’s proposal would let conservationists lease public land much as drillers and ranchers do

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BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Biden administration wants to put conserving vast government-owned lands on equal footing with oil drilling, livestock grazing and other interests, according to a top administration official who defended the idea against criticism that it would interfere with industry.

The proposal would allow conservationists and others to lease federally owned land to restore it, much the same way oil companies buy leases to drill and ranchers pay to graze cattle. Companies could also buy conservation leases, such as oil drillers who want to offset damage to public lands by restoring acreage elsewhere.

Tracy Stone-Manning, director of the Bureau of Land Management, said in an interview with The Associated Press that the proposed changes would address rising pressure from climate change and development. While the bureau previously issued leases for conservation in limited cases, it has never had a dedicated program for it, he said.

FILE - Tracy Stone-Manning listens during a confirmation hearing for her to be the director of...
FILE – Tracy Stone-Manning listens during a confirmation hearing for her to be the director of the Bureau of Land Management, during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 8, 2021. Stone-Manning says a pending Biden administration rule to sell conservation leases on federal lands would not exclude other uses
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LETTER: Saanich ignores the encroaching properties of municipal land

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Across Saanich, dozens, if not hundreds, of properties encroach upon municipal property and, despite current CAO Brent Reems’ assurances (report to council, April 2018), little is being done to prevent it. Thousands of square feet of public property, worth millions of dollars, upon which no taxes are being paid, have been illegally appropriated by homeowners for their sole use and enjoyment. People who know how to manipulate the system are obtaining permits for fences and hedges at the expense of the majority.

In 2020, the Saanich Engineering Department issued a boulevard permit, contrary to policy and for which there is no charge, for a fence. Granting the homeowners a strip of property worth roughly $16,000 and with the consent of the Bylaw Department. In just the last year I have appealed to the Bylaw Department to enforce infractions in clear violation of bylaws dealing with encroachments on roughly 2,000 square feet of municipal property, yet Brent Reems maintains the municipality’s policy of discretionary enforcement and nothing has happened.

While many of these encroachments endanger public health and safety by forcing pedestrians to walk on roadways [an illegal act in itself, MVA part 3, section 182(2)] the municipality regularly turns a

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Brace for a Wave of Commercial Real-Estate Defaults

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  • Billionaire investor Howard Marks sounded the alarm on the commercial real-estate sector.
  • The Oaktree Capital co-founder warned of mortgage defaults that could add stress to the US financial system.
  • “We’re very likely to see mortgage defaults in the headlines, and at a minimum, this may spook lenders,” Marks said.

Billionaire investor Howard Marks raises the alarm on commercial real estate in what he labels as “one of the biggest worries” US banks face today.

In a Monday memo, the Oaktree Capital Management co-founder warned of a wave of mortgage defaults that could add stress to the US banking sector.

“We’re very likely to see mortgage defaults in the headlines, and at a minimum, this may spook lenders, throw sand into the gears of the financing and refinancing processes, and further contribute to a sense of heightened risk,” Marks said.

“Developments along these lines certainly have the potential to add to whatever additional distress materializes in the months ahead,” he added.

The commercial real-estate market has become investors’ newest concern thanks to higher interest rates, tighter lending

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The Most Affordable Beach Towns for Homebuyers in 2023, According to Realtor.com

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The results range from spots in Connecticut to California.

<p>Getty Images/Barry Winiker</p>

Getty Images/Barry Winiker

It’s time to start daydreaming about a coastal lifestyle, because Realtor.com just released a list of the most affordable beach towns of 2023. Beach homes are often associated with wealth and luxury—and understandably so, as beach towns and cities account for some of the most expensive real estate in the country. However, there are some beach towns where the cost of buying a home is on par or even lower than the national average. For reference, as of 2022, the average home price in the US was $348,079 (which is up 29 percent since 2020)—and the median home price for the majority of the towns on Realtor.com’s list is lower than that.

In order to compile the list, the data team at Realtor.com, including data journalist Evan Wyloge, started with a federal listing of beaches and their locations. The team then aggregated Realtor.com listing data for every home put on the market in the past year located within a 1-mile radius of each beach and selected the most affordable beach towns by price per square foot. (The most affordable on the list comes in at $144 per square

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Does the Google Pixel 7a have wireless charging?

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The Pixel 7a has landed, and it does quite a few things better than its predecessor. While it still has the 6.1-inch OLED display as last year’s Pixel 6a, the Pixel 7a bumps the refresh rate up to 90Hz from the original 60Hz. You also have the newer Google Tensor G2 chip inside, plus a huge jump to 64MP on the main camera compared to the 12.2MP camera on the Pixel 6a.

But what about wireless charging? The Pixel 6a did not have wireless charging capabilities, so did Google learn its lesson by adding that feature to its next budget-friendly phone?

Yes, the Google Pixel 7a has wireless charging

Google Pixel 7a in Snow in hand angled
Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

Almost all of the best smartphones these days have wireless charging, so it was a little surprising that the Pixel 6a did not — though it was likely due to its low price. However, Google fixed this with the Pixel 7a by including wireless charging this time (as well as bumping the price up to $499 instead of $449).

However, like all wireless charging, don’t expect it to be super fast — the Google Pixel 7a caps out at 7.5W wireless charging speeds.

It’s important to

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Green New Deal Boosts Appeal of New Build Investments

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Investing in new-build property has traditionally been a popular form of property investment due to the range of benefits it can offer – this has seen many investors purchase off-plan (before the house is completed) as a means of maximizing their potential gains.

The push towards making homes energy efficient in recent years has heightened the incentive to invest in new-build properties, as tenants wish to keep their energy bills down. As a result, this has seen increased demand for such properties.

In turn, new-build properties also tend to boast higher EPC (energy performance certificate) ratings of an A or B compared to the current UK housing stock which averages out at an D.

With recent government regulations expected to make all homes in the private rented sector a C rating minimum, it can be said that new-build investors will save significant figures in not having to perform extensive maintenance required in boosting their EPC rating.

It is also worth highlighting that 72% of renters aged 18 to 34 always check the energy rating of a home before renting, with many adding that they would not choose to live in a property with an EPC rating of D or below.

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Canada’s housing prices to keep climbing, says Royal LePage

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Royal LePage is forecasting that the average price of a home in Canada will increase 4.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to the same quarter in 2022. This revised forecast anticipates an earlier-than-expected boost in activity in major housing markets across Canada.

The projection is included in the real estate company’s house price survey released Thursday, which drew from national property data as well as statistics collected from 62 of Canada’s largest real estate markets.

“Coming out of a correction, it is common to underestimate the speed at which the market will turn itself around,” Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage, said in a press release. “As market activity is rebounding faster than anticipated, we are looking ahead with a sense of cautious optimism. While we do not expect huge price gains this year, some sense of normalcy is returning to the market.”

The average price of a home in Canada reached its peak in February 2022. Over the course of a year, the national average fell 18.9 per cent, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. According to Soper, the housing market’s “inevitable correction” was triggered by the Bank of Canada’s aggressive interest

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Journal Club 05-05-23 – Passive Income MD

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Here’s Journal Club 05-05-23! Every week, I hold a JOURNAL CLUB. After filtering through the articles on the web, I present a few that impacted my life this week. Be safe and stay well!

  • When pursuing Financial Independence or planning for early retirement, most people tend to focus on accumulating wealth, but rarely do they think about ways to access that nest egg. Would you agree? Do you have a plan for how you’d be accessing your assets in retirement? In case you’re looking for some ideas, the Physician on FIRE has valuable guidance for you in the post – Retirement Spending: Which Accounts Come First?
  • Saving for college has always been a tremendous undertaking for most parents, and it only seems to worsen each year. If you’re a parent, you may have already opened a 529 plan for your child. But did you know there are several other creative ways you could implement to save for college? Curious to learn more? The Financial Samurai shares more about it in the article – The Different Ways To Pay For College: My Surprising Blind Spot.
  • Investing in short-term rentals or vacation rentals has grown exponentially in the past few years.
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Prince Harry lands back in LA just 16 hours after coronation

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LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex leaves Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 6, 2023 in London, England. The Coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other Commonwealth realms takes place at Westminster Abbey today. Charles acceded to the throne on September 8, 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. (Photo by Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince Harry leaves Westminster Abbey following the coronation ceremony of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. (Getty Images)

Prince Harry has landed back in California just 16 hours after his father’s coronation.

The Duke of Sussex caught a British Airways flight shortly after King Charles’ service finished and arrived at Los Angeles International Airport at about 7.30pm local time (3.30am UK).

This was just 16-and-a-half hours after the coronation commenced at 11am on Saturday.

British Airways flight attendants confirmed to the PA news agency that Harry had been on the flight but said they were not permitted to discuss his trip.

Watch: Prince Harry departs coronation service at Westminster Abbey

The duke was reuniting with his son after Prince Archie turned four on Saturday, spending the day with his mother, the Duchess of Sussex, at their US home.

Harry’s appearance at the coronation marked his first public appearance alongside the royals since he lambasted his family in his controversial memoir Spare.

His book contained claims his father put his own interests above Harry’s and was jealous of his wife.

There was also the incendiary claim his brother, the Prince of Wales, physically attacked Harry during an argument about Meghan.

TOPSHOT - Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex looks on as Britain's King Charles III leaves Westminster Abbey after the Coronation Ceremonies in central London on May 6, 2023. - The set-piece coronation is the first in Britain in 70 years, and only the second in history to be televised. Charles will be the 40th reigning monarch to be crowned at the central London church since King William I in 1066. Outside the UK, he is also king of 14 other Commonwealth countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. (Photo by Ben Stansall / POOL / AFP) (Photo by BEN STANSALL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The

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