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Books > Money & Finance > Property & real estate
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were created by Congress to serve the American Dream of homeownership. By the end of the century, they had become extremely profitable and powerful companies, instrumental in putting millions of Americans in their homes. So why does the government now want them dead?In 2008, the U.S. Treasury put Fannie and Freddie into a life-support state known as "conservatorship" to prevent their failure--and worldwide economic chaos. The two companies, which were always controversial, have become a battleground. Today, Fannie and Freddie are profitable again but still in conservatorship. Their profits are being redirected toward reducing the federal deficit, which leaves them with no buffer should they suffer losses again. China and Japan are big owners of Fannie and Freddie securities, and they want to ensure the safety of their investments--which helps explain why the government is at an impasse about what to do. But the current state of limbo is unsustainable.Based on comprehensive reporting and dozens of interviews, Shaky Ground by bestselling author Bethany McLean, chronicles the story of Fannie and Freddie seven years after the meltdown, and tells us why homeownership finance is now one of the biggest unsolved issues in today's global
The challenges of affordable housing are manifold. However this presents an opportunity to private investors, real estate companies, and developers. With the growing global trend for impact-based investments, many institutional investors have begun to consider the merits of this asset class. This book examines not only the profitability of these assets, but also whether these assets rely on government subsidy. It discusses why investors have become more interested in this product and which investment criteria influence the financial performance of these assets. The authors employed a mixed method approach to collect data at two tiers, first through surveys and afterwards through interviews of 8 firms (3 publicly listed companies, 3 private equity companies, 1 foundation, and 1 state bank) across Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Investment criteria are analyzed using inferential statistics, specifically the Hierarchical Algorithm Cluster Analysis. The financial characteristics of the companies are examined and compared using descriptive statistics and the qualitative interview output is explored using the thematic Latent Coding Analysis. Furthermore, the book explains how the bond-like nature of affordable housing is a profitable impact investment option, and how this strategy is particularly worthwhile for institutional investors. It also describes that profitability of affordable housing products is not dependent on subsidy. Still, affordable housing products supported by government incentives in the United Kingdom and United States are most attractive. The book illustrates six important investment strategies identified by veterans in this field to have an influence on the financial feasibility of affordable housing products.
Wealth owners are responsible for more than just assets The Destructive Power of Family Wealth offers thoughtful, holistic planning to ensure that your wealth remains a positive force for your family. While today's families have become global and the world has become smaller and more mobile, we have not yet become immune to the problems wealth poses to the family unit. This book provides authoritative guidance on family wealth management, with an emphasis on both family and wealth. Global taxation regimes, changing bank secrecy laws, asset protection and other critical issues are examined in depth to assist wealth owners in planning, and the discussion includes details on the essential tools that aid in the execution of any wealth management strategy. More than a simple financial planning guide, this book also delves into the psychology of wealth, and the effect it has on different family members; wealth destroys families every day, and smart management means maintaining the health of the family as much as it means maintaining and expanding wealth. Family wealth brings advantages, but it also carries a potential for destruction. Wealth owners have a responsibility to their families and to themselves, and this book provides the critical guidance you need to get it right, whether you are part of a wealth-owning family or are an advisor to wealth-owning families. * Learn how careful planning can prevent family strife * Protect assets from risks ranging from divorce to political upheaval * Explore the many tools that facilitate secure wealth management * Discover how changing global regulations affect wealth * Understand how private banks and other advisors work * Uncover challenges faced by the wealth management industry * Find out how to work with advisors and to manage costs while ensuring efficient and effective outcomes Families at all levels of wealth are vulnerable to shifting economic climates, evolving regulatory issues, asset threats and more. Any amount of wealth is enough to shatter a family, but deeply intentional planning based on thoughtful consideration is the key to keeping destructive forces at bay. The Destructive Power of Family Wealth provides expert guidance and a fresh perspective to help you maintain both family and wealth. For those in the wealth management industry and for other advisors to wealth-owning families, The Destructive Power of Family Wealth contains insight on the needs of today's wealth-owning families, ways in which the tools of wealth planning address those needs and guidance on what it takes to be a successful, trusted family advisor.
Volumes 17 and 18 provide a scholarly edition of all the 185 charters from the period before the Norman Conquest that survive from the archiepiscopal cathedral of Christ Church Canterbury. Many of the charters exist in variant versions, and these are assessed for their authenticity. More of the Christ Church charters are preserved on single sheets of parchment from every century down to the eleventh than have survived from any other English church. Christ Church, indeed, has more authentic original charters, including many from the seventh, eighth and especially the ninth centuries, which are so rare elsewhere. There are also forgeries - at least from the beginning of the ninth century - which were produced over a longer period than those from other churches. So these volumes provide an essential foundation for Anglo-Saxon diplomatic. But in view of Canterbury's importance, as the first English bishopric and metropolitan see, the documents edited here (together with the critical commentaries and the Introduction) provide essential evidence for English political, ecclesiastical, social and economic history over more than four centuries, for the development of the English landscape, and (since many of the charters are in Old English) also for the development of the English language. For any scholar interested in the evidence for England before the Norman Conquest, these volumes are a source of fundamental importance.
The twelfth edition of this essential valuation textbook reflects the changes in the regulatory and statutory framework for property valuations that have occurred since 2013, as well as presenting the tried and tested principles and practices of real estate valuation. The twelfth edition is up to date as of June 2018 with the latest regulations, statutes and case law, including the RICS Valuation - Global Standards 2017. Its comprehensive coverage of the legal, economic and technical aspects of valuation make this book a core text for most university and college real estate programmes, and it provides students and practitioners with current and relevant guidance on the preparation of valuations for statutory purposes. Throughout the text, the author team of experienced valuers presents examples of the application of these principles to the everyday problems met in practice. This new edition continues to be of excellent value to both students and practitioners alike as it provides the reader with a clear understanding of the methods and techniques of valuation.
In the 10th Anniversary edition of this No.1 Best Selling property book, experienced property investor Simon Zutshi will share with you some of the secrets behind his Property Mastermind Programme, so that you can learn how to build a property portfolio and replace your income, using other people's time, money and experience. The book is designed to open your mind and stimulate your thinking to make you aware of some of the current possibilities available to you in the world of property investing. It is packed full of inspirational case studies to help build your personal belief of what you could achieve, in a relatively short amount of time, by investing in property. Although this book is focused on investing in the UK property market, the concept of finding and helping motivated sellers to reach an ethical win/win solution, works in every property market all over the world. You can build your personal wealth whilst helping other people solve their property problems.
This book aims to provide insight into the "soft" side of real estate research and the interesting results and implications of the real estate research outside the traditional realm of investment/financial aspects. The book also attempts to answer what constitutes the so-called "soft-side" of real estate research if we shift our focus from the usual financial returns and investment analysis. It also attempts to address whether there is such thing as an alternative real estate research paradigm. The book also argues that research in real estate should not only be limited to land and property market performance analyses as this may greatly impair the potential research implications of various real estate studies. The book argues that such analyses take on a very myopic view of real estate research. This book will interest many who wish to learn more about the alternative aspect of real estate research which is more than just about investment analysis.
Over the last decade, Australian governments have introduced a series of land reforms in communities on Indigenous land. This book is the first in-depth study of these significant and far reaching reforms. It explains how the reforms came about, what they do and their consequences for Indigenous landowners and community residents. It also revisits the rationale for their introduction and discusses the significant gap between public debate about the reforms and their actual impact. Drawing on international research, the book describes how it is necessary to move beyond the concepts of communal and individual ownership in order to understand the true significance of the reforms. The book's fresh perspective on land reform and careful assessment of key land reform theories will be of interest to scholars of indigenous land rights, land law, indigenous studies and aboriginal culture not only in Australia but also in any other country with an interest in indigenous land rights.
Individual foreign investment in residential real estate by new middle-class and super-rich investors is re-emerging as a key issue in academic, policy and public debates around the world. At its most abstract, global real estate is increasingly thought of as a liquid asset class that is targeted by foreign individual investors who are seeking to diversify their investment portfolios. But foreign investors are also motivated by intergenerational familial security, transnational migration strategies and short-term educational plans, which are all closely entwined with global real estate investment. Government and local public responses to the latest manifestation of global real estate investment have taken different forms. These range from pro-foreign investment, primarily justified on geopolitical and macro-economic grounds, to anti-foreign investment for reasons such as mitigating public dissent and protecting the local housing market. Within this changing geopolitical context, this book offers a diverse range of case studies from Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia, Australia and Korea. It will be of interest to academics, policymakers and university students who are interested in the globalisation of local real estate. The chapters in this book were originally published in the International Journal of Housing Policy.
Real Estate and Urban Development in South America uncovers how investors are navigating South American real estate markets in commercial, residential and infrastructure development. A preferred location for real estate development during the colonial era, in recent decades South America has been seen as high-risk for global real estate investors. This book explores the strengths and weaknesses of real estate markets in the region, concluding that with careful implementation of the correct development strategies, the region can once again take its place at the centre stage of global real estate investment. Comparing the economics and market maturity of South American countries in turn, the authors draw out the particular contexts in which investors and developers operate in mature and emerging markets. Bridging the gap between theory and practice, analysis of local development policies, legislation, valuation methods and taxation is supplemented with case studies from key players in the region's major cities. The first full overview of real estate markets in South America, this book will be an essential guide for investors, policy makers, academics and students with an interest in this this rapidly evolving region.
This book reviews the history of China's land market reforms, evaluates the current situation and presents outlooks for the future in a way that is accessible to a wide audience of decision makers, nongovernmental organizations, and academics. It is one of the few records of this kind available in English. Most of the chapters are based on the proceedings of sessions sponsored by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy at the World Planning Congress held in Shanghai, China in July 2001.
Food, water and society: what is managed by whom, and with what impacts? Our food supply chains are at risk. Water resources-sometimes scarce, often damaged, and always under-valued-are among the major reasons why food and water security rank high every year in the World Economic Forum's major global risk analysis. A stable and sustainable food system is critical to society's survival. This Handbook shows that keeping the food system stable comes at the expense of the environment, especially of water resources and those who consume and manage them. The way the food system operates reflects hard political realities. Rather than pay for the environmental costs of sustainable production, society expects food at ever lower prices. Governments reflect their electorates in this regard. Given that farm production may account for as little as 10% of the food value chain in wealthy economies, it is striking that governments have been unwilling (or unable) to put in place the essential laws and accountability that would enable famers to ensure both production and stewardship. Corporate food traders, food manufacturers, and retailers on the other hand operate in markets that make profits and pay taxes. But these corporations are not contractually bound to utilize highly nutritious, sustainably produced food commodities. The articles in this Oxford Handbook have been written by water and food system scientists and professionals, including farmers, rarely heard voices who understand the problems of food producers, food manufacturers, and regulating markets and public policy. The articles address the blind spots of society and its public policymakers, demonstrating the importance of informing society about the consequences of its food preferences and the heroic challenges it is beginning to face. The damage we are doing to our water and soil ecosystems is as important as the damage we do to the atmosphere. Impressed by the technical and organizational advances of the past two centuries, the contributors featured in this book also take note of where economic inefficiencies and cultural deadlock in a 4,000 year old system are putting our critical food supply chains at risk.
Russian novels, poetry and ballet put the country squarely in the European family of cultures and yet there is something different about this country, especially in terms of its political culture. What makes Russia different? Maxim Trudolyubov uses private property as a lens to highlight the most important features that distinguish Russia as a political culture. In many Western societies, private property has acted as the private individual's bulwark against the state; in Russia, by contrast, it has mostly been used by the authorities as a governance tool. Nineteenth-century Russian liberals did not consider property rights to be one of the civil causes worthy of defending. Property was associated with serfdom, and even after the emancipation of the serfs the institution of property was still seen as an attribute of retrograde aristocracy and oppressive government. It was something to be destroyed - and indeed it was, in 1917. Ironically, it was the Soviet Union that, with the arrival of mass housing in the 1960s, gave the concept of private ownership a good name. After forced collectivization and mass urbanization, people were yearning for a space of their own. The collapse of the Soviet ideology allowed property to be called property, but not all properties were equal. You could own a flat but not an oil company, which could be property on paper but not in reality. This is why most Russian entrepreneurs register their businesses in offshore jurisdictions and park their money abroad. This fresh and highly original perspective on Russian history will be of great interest to anyone who wants to understand Russia today.
This up-to-date reference on property investment highlights the problems with existing techniques of property valuation and appraisal and identifies possible ways forward for both research and practice.
Updated with chapters on ventilating and exhausting systems and HVAC systems, this third edition of a bestseller covers the range of HVAC systems. The coverages is into components and controls for air, water, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning and readers will learn why one component or system may be chosen over another. New information is included on occupancy comfort, process function, thermodynamics, heat transfer, building envelope conditioned space, heating and cooling load calculations, air duct fundamentals, water pipe fundamentals, variable flow water systems, refrigeration components, piping fundamentals, central plant water chiller optimization, and the latest heat recovery technologies.
Despite the continued research and debate on sustainable practices in the built environment, the property development industry is failing to adequately respond and adopt more rigorous measurement techniques and sustainable approaches. The tendency to either ignore or accept without question perpetuates poor decision making and undermines the credibility of the industry. This book provides readers with a framework to evaluate the merits, or otherwise, of key issues involved in profiting from sustainable property development. "Developing Property Sustainably "pulls together the current received wisdom and knowledge relating to sustainable commercial property development with original research by the authors to provide a clear and practical overview of the sustainable property development process as well as a critical appraisal of the problems faced by global built environment stakeholders. The book presents a logical chapter structure appropriate for use on undergraduate and postgraduate modules and courses in real estate development, property and urban development as well as a number of built environment programmes. Part 1 examines the dimensions of developing property in the context of sustainability. Part 2 covers the evaluation of, commitment to, and the sustainability of property development. Part 3 describes the planning, construction and procurement stages of development, whilst part 4 looks at the occupation of, retrofit of, and lifecycle sustainability in property development. Throughout the text illustrative case studies are used to demonstrate how sustainable property development theory is applied in practice around the world. Comments, from leading practitioners and experts, useful pedagogical features and a companion website combine to provide the reader with a holistic understanding of all the issues involved in the delivery of sustainable property development from inception to occupation and beyond.
This book provides organizations with a guide to planning, developing, and implementing an energy reduction and management program. It is specially designed to achieve energy reduction deployment including top management for all employees and onsite contractors. Energy reduction deployment (ERD) can be implemented by itself and render significant savings; however, for even greater savings, this book shows how to implement energy centered management systems (ECMS) which can be in congruence with ISO 50001. This book assists in the hunt for energy waste and is designed to thoroughly cover ECMS plus addresses what additions are necessary to have ECMS conform to ISO 50001 Energy Management System (EnMS). It provides a checklist and information on how to perform an internal audit or self-inspection and discusses how to create an energy awareness organization culture.
Some 7.3 billion people currently live on the planet. Of these, 3.4 billion live in rural areas. In just a few regions-Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa-less than 50 per cent of poverty is now located in rural areas. But for the rest of the world's regions between 55 per cent and 80 per cent of the poor continue to live in the countryside. Progress is being made, but much of the knowhow needed is not disseminated outside of a small coterie of professionals who work in the area. With urban development attracting a great deal of attention lately, poorer rural areas deserve the same and new knowledge for empowerment of rural communities is urgently needed. This book provides an overview of current thinking and practices that have emerged over the last thirty years for uplifting rural communities in developing economies. Drawing on a body of knowledge across a spectrum of relevant disciplines, this book provides a range of innovative ideas for rural planning, housing and infrastructure development. Governments in many emerging economies, where rural poverty is often most acute, have attempted to improve livelihoods. Approaches and techniques that have been used for urban development are often not applicable to rural communities. Studies show that money allocated for rural development is often not effectively spent due to distance, lack of infrastructure, lack of education, poverty and other factors. Meanwhile, the gap in development between the city and country continues to grow, sometimes leading to social and political instability, in both developing and developed countries. This book seeks to provide a guidebook for meeting such challenges. Through in-depth enquiry of global practices and thinking about rural development, and selected case studies, the authors argue that careful consideration must be given to incorporating issues of resilience, resourcefulness and the involvement of communities at grassroots levels in realising the transformation of rural settlements into Smart Villages.
In recent years, various tributaries of psychoanalytic and developmental theory have flowed into our dawning understanding of the role of early sensory and affective experiences in the construction of our personal worlds. In Patterns: Building Blocks of Experience, Marilyn Charles shows how such primary experiences coalesce into patterns, those essential units of meaning that capture the unique subjectivity of each individual. Frequently "known" by their prosody or affective melody, patterns come to have profound meanings that we utilize in constructing basic notions of self and other. Through pattern, Charles holds, we approach elusive meanings through dimensions of shape, contour, and affective resonance. Such patterned understandings, in turn, become a mode of interchange through which we touch one another in ways that go beyond the overtly physical. Analytic patients, Charles finds, have often led early lives too full of "noise" to use their early sensory and affective experiences constructively. Such patients tend to live out patterns that operate unconsciously and have become literally incomprehensible. Analytic communication, by drawing explicit attention to such patterned experience, provides new images that intrude on ingrained patterns of thinking about the self and other. Out of the productive clash of analytically co-constructed images and the invariant patterns of the past emerge new conceptions of what the patient may choose to be in the present moment. Through it all, Charles displays an admirable willingness to sit in difficult spaces and to work through troubling therapeutic impasses from the inside out, rather than from some point of ostensible safety. This finely textured and richly evocative study, which grows out of Charles' extensive clinical work with artists, writers, and musicians, is a signal contribution to developmental theory, clinical theory, and the psychology of creativity.
Mining is a capital-intensive industry, and involves long lead times to develop projects that demand a structured approach, from mine exploration to exit. This book provides mine developers, investors, owners, shareholders, and mineral policymakers a comprehensive game plan to raise capital for the development of new mining projects or to bolster operational mines. The author, an experienced mining capital consultant, shows how mine developers and mine owners can secure capital in any phase of the commodity price cycle, at any site, and at any project stage. The book follows a proven and structured approach that enables mine developers and owners to successfully raise capital for their projects. With the aid of case studies and practical methods, the reader will learn the essentials on topics ranging from developing and marketing a business case for investment, to the types and sources of mining capital for different project stages, as well as the structure and significance of due diligence. The author presents actual mining projects and their funding plans, transaction structures and term sheets for capital. The mining projects discussed represent various project stages, commodities, and parts of the globe, offering a comprehensive reference guide for mine developers, investors and promoters alike.
Canadians in greater numbers than ever before are turning to real estate to build wealth. The Authentic Canadian real Estate (ACRE) system is the first of its kind to show average Canadians how to profit from investing in residential real estate. In real Estate Investing in Canada, you will discover how to cut through the hype and emotion of any real estate market and accurately assess the inherent risks and rewards. Whether you are buying your first property or your 100th, this book provides new-found tools, strategies and confidence to help you achieve your investment goals. WHAT CANADIAN INVESTORS SAY ABOUT REAL ESTATE INVESTING IN CANADA AND DONR. CAMPBELL: "This is a great book. The information in just one of the chapters alone saved me over $28,000." - Michael Millenaar "Full of practical Canadian content and presented in an organized and respectful system. It directly addresses how to get the money and financing you need to purchase real estate and achieve your goals." - Tamara MacLaren "One of Don Campbell's great gifts is his near-genius ability to take something that appears complex and break it down into a simple step-by-step system that anyone can follow. I am convinced that everyone will thoroughly enjoy, and more important, benefit financially, by reading this book." - Russell Westcott "The power of Real Estate Investing in Canada lies in the super simple, market-proven system that it offers you. It makes real estate dreams possible for any Canadian. If you are serious about learning the truth, cutting through the hype and being successful, this is your real estate bible " - Valden Palm, MisterRRSP.com. The markets across the country are continually shifting and you must keep on top of the latest information. So, as a bonus, every registered reader of Real Estate Investing in Canada will have proprietary access to critical forms and ongoing market research at www.reaestateinvestingcanada.com
Federal executive branch agencies hold an extensive real property portfolio that includes nearly 900,000 buildings and structures, and 41 million acres of land world-wide. These assets have been acquired over a period of decades to help agencies fulfil their diverse missions. The government's portfolio encompasses properties with a range of uses, including barracks, health clinics, warehouses, laboratories, national parks, boat docks and offices. As agencies' missions change over time, so do their real property needs, thereby rendering some assets less useful or unneeded altogether. This book begins with an explanation of the real property disposal process and then discusses some of the factors that have made disposition inefficient and costly. Discussed also are real property legislation introduced in the 111th Congress that would address these problems and policy options for enhancing both the disposal process and congressional oversight.
The role of real estate in our cities is crucial to building sustainable and resilient urban futures. Smart Urban Regeneration brings together institutional, planning and real estate insights into an innovative regeneration framework for academics, students and property professionals. Starting by identifying key urban issues within the historical urban and planning backdrop, the book goes on to explore future visions, the role of institutions and key mechanisms for smart urban regeneration. Throughout the book, international case studies and discussion questions help to draw out global implications for urban stakeholders. Real estate professionals face a real challenge to build visionary developments which resonate locally yet mitigate climate change and curb sprawl, and foster biodiversity. By avoiding the dangers of speculative excess on one side and complacency on the other, Smart Urban Regeneration shows how transformation aspirations can be achieved sustainably. Academics, students and professionals who are involved in real estate, urban planning, property investment, community development and sustainability will find this book an essential guide to smart urban regeneration investment.
This book provides an overview of the basic concepts of quality, indoor lighting, and explains concepts like visual comfort, visual interest, and integrated design as they relate to the practice of lighting design. Energy-efficient lighting technologies, including LED lighting and digital control systems, and design strategies that increase visual comfort and productivity are discussed in plain language, and examined in a straightforward way to give the reader, whether an architect, interior designer, engineer, building trades professional, or student a broad understanding of the art and science of energy-efficient quality lighting. |
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