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Jackals And Vultures: A General Get Me Out Of Here Response

It’s Friday desk clearing time for this blogger. “Some buyers may look for deals, thinking all sellers are desperate to sell. But if this isn’t you, there’s no reason to cave or whittle down your home’s price. ‘Regardless of the events, there will always be buyers who will write a lowball offer,’ says Ressie Krabacher, a residential broker in Chicago. You’ll want to at least be open to all offers on your home, even if they aren’t as high as you’d like. ‘As a seller, if buyers in your area have decided to put the brakes on their home searches, you may want to entertain offers that you hadn’t previously considered, especially if you need to sell quickly,’ says Danielle Hale, chief economist at realtor.com®.”

“Former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rich Cordray warned that in an absence of the CFPB’s aggressive actions, bad actors could emerge. ‘Consumers will be harassed by debt collectors, consumers won’t have credit reports that are inaccurate, that don’t reflect the true creditworthiness,’ he explained. ‘And the most immediate to me [is] if mortgage servicers are allowed to have leeway and they don’t answer the calls, they don’t follow through… and people won’t get the relief on their mortgages. They will fall into foreclosure they will lose their house.'”

“The Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing economic downturn is already reminding some Houston realtors of the Great Recession. ‘Zombie foreclosure is just a fancy way of referring to a house in foreclosure that is sitting vacant, and has been sitting vacant for some time,’ says Mark Bloom with Networth Realty. ‘You are seeing foreclosures start to uptick, and you are seeing an increase in the number of houses that are sitting vacant in neighborhoods.’ Vulture investors a.k.a. ‘zombie hunters’ often circle. ‘These properties in many instances, if not most, are going to sell to an investor or some kind of a hunter for these types of properties,’ says Bloom.”

“Local real estate experts say there’s no doubt Central Texas’ 10-year hot streak for housing has come to an abrupt, unanticipated and shell-shocking halt, dashing hopes for early spring’s usual peak home-selling season. ‘There have been so many deals that have fallen apart, mostly due to the job situation,’ said real estate agent Clayton Bullock. ‘People who have lost jobs or been furloughed or had their salaries cut, can no longer get financing. I’m hearing about it all over town, and in all price points.’ Austin real estate broker Derrick Jones said he is also seeing sellers reduce prices. ‘In a normal market, you would see a price reduction because the home is overpriced,’ Jones said. ‘Now, you’re seeing price reductions because you’re trying to draw attention to your listing, because traffic is very slow.'”

“California house sales plunged 11.5% in March from February levels, the first double-digit, month-to-month drop in more than nine years and the largest since August 2007, the California Association of Realtors reported. And since the outbreak didn’t fully hit the local economy until the middle of the month, April sales and price figures are likely to show even deeper declines. ‘The fast deterioration of the economy, the steep decline of the financial market and record-setting job losses have not been factored into March’s closed sales, but will become obvious in coming months,’ said said CAR Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young.”

“Some Long Island homeowners said they were surprised to learn that if they get a loan reprieve, they would be required to make up the missed payments in a lump sum at the end of the forbearance period. Tony Giametta, 64, who lives with his wife in Oceanside, said was ‘taken aback,’ he said, to learn that if he were to miss any payments due to the pandemic, all the missed payments would be due in a lump sum in August. ‘When I heard that I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me, how can you even pass that off as a relief program?,’ said Giametta, a retiree. ‘I’m not looking for a handout, nobody’s looking for that, but at least work with the people.'”

“‘We’re not really thinking about how we’re going to get them to catch up or resume making mortgage payments down the road. And that’s going to be problematic,’ said Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance. Two-thirds of mortgage loans are bundled into securities and sold to investors who are guaranteed timely payment of principal and interest, Cecala said. It can be difficult to get large groups of investors — typically hedge funds and institutional investors — to agree to give homeowners a break, he said.”

“Even before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Nassau and Suffolk county homeowners faced some of the highest levels of housing distress in the country, a new report shows. In Suffolk County, the typical resident would need to pay 55% of their annual income to afford a home valued at $415,000, the median sale price in the first three months of 2020. Nassau County residents needed an even higher share – 65% — of their income to afford a median-priced home valued at $535,000, Attom reported. ‘If we’re talking about individuals that were paying roughly 45% of their actual income towards their mortgage and their income has been decimated… there’s no way for people to make those payments,’ said Gwen O’Shea, chief executive of the Community Development Corp. of Long Island in Centereach.”

“One million Canadians lost their jobs in just one week in March. Millions more have applied for the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit, or CERB. That overhang of debt could make Canadians less likely to spend in the coming months. As a result, people could change their approach toward savings and spending after this crisis, according to researcher David Rosenberg. ‘Because the one thing that we found out is that nobody had any cash on hand. So the old saying about saving up for a rainy day. Well all of a sudden, we had not just a rainy day. We had a hurricane and there is no cash to draw from.'”

“Italy, Spain, Portugal and France — historically our locations of choice for second and holiday homes — have been among the nations hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Luca Dondi, chief executive of the research institute Nomisma in Bologna says that this loss isn’t likely to be matched by a reduction of prices. ‘It’s a cultural barrier — Italians won’t sell at a discount,’ he says. Dondi concedes that homeowners in financial distress may be forced to sell their properties quickly, enabling lucky buyers to secure a good deal.”

“Which perhaps explains why a bargain-hunter from Austria wasn’t well received when earlier this month he asked an estate agency in Italy for a 55 per cent discount on a country home in Tuscany. The agency declined his offer, saying that it didn’t deal with ‘jackals and vultures.’ ‘This type of buyer is seen as callous and has been criticised by the Italian press,’ says Gemma Bruce of the Italian estate agency Casa & Country. ‘However, to some sellers, who now find themselves in dire need of selling, these offers could be a lifeline.'”

“Economists have predicted a world of pain for property owners: house prices dropping by double digit percentages and a rental market that doesn’t look much better. New Zealand Property Investors’ Federation President Sharon Cullwick said she had also given this stark warning to fellow investors: ‘Make a decision now on whether you can afford to keep your investments,’ Cullwick said. Property manager David Faulkner said many landlords were in denial about the extent to which incomes, rents, Airbnb demand, and house prices would be affected by Covid-19. Some had even suggested domestic tourism demand would take the place of international demand.”

“‘I won’t say they’re delusional but they haven’t grasped what’s happening yet,’ Faulkner said. In Queenstown, one company experienced a steady stream of tenants coming into its office the day after the borders closed. They handed in their keys and walked out. ‘Queenstown literally became like Greymouth overnight. You know, it was that bad.'”

“Confidence in the Australian housing market has collapsed, with a Westpac consumer survey recording the single biggest monthly fall in its 47-year history. ‘The GFC low took 18 months to get to, 18 months of constant deterioration. Whereas this happened in a month,’ said Westpac chief economist Bill Evans. ‘That qualifies for the term of collapse most definitely.'”

“With the dramatic downturn in the economy due to the shutdown of entire industries and subsequent mass job losses, Australians’ sentiment around the time to buy property and house price expectations had taken a steep fall. ‘This one is out of the box. It’s probably indicating prices are too high in this current environment,’ he said. ‘You’ve got the double whammy … this time you’ve got both moving down, which is a general ‘get me out of here response’”

“Companies invested billions of dollars in algorithms that were built to snap up real estate bargains and put cash offers on the table while homeowners avoided the fuss and expense of repairs, stagings, showings, and often prolonged appraisal and escrow periods. Zillow’s chief executive officer Rich Barton sounded positively evangelical about the prospects last year. ‘Fundamentally, we are following consumers who have been Uberized and have grown to expect magic to happen with a simple push of a button,’ he said. ‘…The time for real estate is now.'”

“Over the past few years, venture capital dollars have flooded into the space. Today, competitors include Opendoor, Offerpad and Knock, among others. Opendoor, which was founded in 2014 on the premise of iBuying, had raised over $4 billion as of last month, according to PitchBook. Zillow’s initial plan was to purchase 5,000 homes a month. Today, amid the coronavirus pandemic, it isn’t buying any. Redfin, which last year did just under a third of its revenue in iBuying, said it was the first to pause that business in mid-March, citing unpredictable economic conditions. Within a week, iBuying ground to a virtual halt industrywide.”

“Redfin’s chief executive Glenn Kelman said that there is likely to always be a place for an instant offer in the market, though he is hopeful the pandemic will rationalize unsustainable competition in the industry. ‘There was a time that there was so much venture money pouring in here that people were selling dollars for 95 cents,’ he said.”

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This Post Has 171 Comments

  1. I haven’t had time to respond to all the emails from potential investors but I have them all saved and read. I will get back to everyone. Anyone with cash that is considering the foreclosure market can contact me or keep reading this space as we navigate the fast changing foreclosure landscape. The virus merely accelerated and compressed what was already happening with this bubble, and there will be fortunes made and early retirements earned.

    1. Sold my property in Gilroy May 2018 , moved into my boat in Moss Landing . Have been waiting and reading your website and waiting some more . Most of my money in bank cd till August . Have been very very interested in the real estate information you have provided (for free) .
      You are appreciated for helping me to decide to sell property and be
      patient while waiting for opertunities . Wow ! You also have
      knowledge / experience with foreclosures . Maybe my turn now to
      reciprocate (and not just lunch at Phil’s Seafood)

      1. “…there will be fortune$ made and early retirement$ earned.”

        “Eye’m a tellin’ ya Mr. Dillion, that Ben Jones, he’s a might good $traight.$hooter!”

      2. Your patience will be rewarded Evan! Hard to say when we will see a bottom but im in the same boat, although not living in one 😉

        “Maybe my turn now to
        reciprocate (and not just lunch at Phil’s Seafood)”

        I enjoy eating at Phil’s, part of the reward of not being a slave to homeloanership.

    2. “The virus merely accelerated and compressed what was already happening with this bubble, and there will be fortunes made and early retirements earned.”

      – Yes, the pandemic just moved up the timeline a little. Housing bubble 2.0, stock market bubble, the everything bubble (fill-in-the-blank asset bubble courtesy of the Fed and other central bank policies) was already popping. The third major asset bubble in 20 years. That’s normal. The Fed is the arsonist, while claiming to be part of the fire brigade. With friends like that, who needs enemies!

      “How did you go bankrupt?”
      Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”       – Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

      – On the flip side, there will also be fortunes unmade and late retirements earned.

      – Not currently in the market for RRE, but that perspective can change depending on prevailing conditions. Right now, my timeline is looking out a few years for a number of reasons.

      – Thanks again Ben for documenting this (slow-motion or otherwise) train wreck for posterity.

      1. Excellent & timely in$ert! 🤺🥉

        “How did you go bankrupt?”
        Two ways. Gradually, then $uddenly.”

        Truth 💣 … 💸💸💸💸💸💸

    3. My guess is that the real bargains won’t start rolling until after the first forbearance payments are due. Then give it about 60 days or so for foreclosure to kick in. Trying for a short sale would be an exercise in “We’re not giving it away!”
      So, May 1 – we need to accept the forbearance
      Aug 1 – oops we owe a balloon payment.
      Stall for about 60 days or so.
      Bank gets serious maybe 60 days more.
      Roughly, Xmas for those that have cash to spend.

      2. My guess is that the real bargains won’t start rolling until after the first forbearance payments are due.

        The question then is how much forbearance will be granted. So far it’s three months. Will it be extended?

        1. It’s going to depend on who your middle man is. If you got your mortgage from a real bank, they will be likely bailed and out afford to forbear. We saw this after 2008, with squatters putting off the banks for years. If your mortgage is a non-bank, get some boxes.

          1. If your mortgage is a non-bank, get some boxes.

            If your house sets a new low comp then you’ve done us all a favor. Unfortunately for you in the sausage versus eggs parable about commitment level you’re the pig.

    4. I have cash and have been waiting for this next crash to buy real estate. I’ve followed your blog off and on for awhile. Do you have a lot of experience buying foreclosures since the last crash? I bought a book last year about buying foreclosures, but it didn’t seem geared toward buying in crashes, like how to find out when they have court step auctions. And how it works.

      1. I’m not a foreclosure purchase specialist. I know a few folks who literally “bought on the courthouse steps” last time, and to my recollection, the main thing they did was to line up cash and have it on hand before shopping. But Ben can certainly advise better than I on this process.

        If you want to do a traditional purchase, my main suggestion is to wait until around 2025 if you want to get the best possible deals.

  3. ‘There was a time that there was so much venture money pouring in here that people were selling dollars for 95 cents’

    We are only a few months from the wework debacle. That’s how fast this thing fell in on itself. Billions of Yellen bucks going to money heaven every day now.

    1. “…only a few months from the wework debacle…”

      And right behind is Airbnb and “luxury student housing”.

    2. It was only two months ago that people were arguing over plastic straws. Ah, those were the days…

      1. arguing over plastic straws

        And penalizing shoppers for not using reusable shopping bags that now can’t be used.

        1. That’s probably my favorite thing about the ‘rona so far. My wife totally bought into the idea that plastic bags were killing the planet and her expensive reusable bags (that were never in the right place at the right time but always managed to be in the way) were going to save it. I get my laughs where I can…

          1. expensive reusable bags

            My husband has had at least half a dozen Sprouts Farmers Market totes and a great Trader Joe’s tote “disappear” while shopping.

  4. ‘Even before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Nassau and Suffolk county homeowners faced some of the highest levels of housing distress in the country, a new report shows. In Suffolk County, the typical resident would need to pay 55% of their annual income to afford a home valued at $415,000, the median sale price in the first three months of 2020. Nassau County residents needed an even higher share – 65% — of their income to afford a median-priced home valued at $535,000, Attom reported. ‘If we’re talking about individuals that were paying roughly 45% of their actual income towards their mortgage and their income has been decimated… there’s no way for people to make those payments’

    This is why nothing can stop what’s happening. Prices are just too high. We’ve watched the world sleep walk into this situation over the years and suddenly – DONG!

  5. ‘When I heard that I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me, how can you even pass that off as a relief program?..I’m not looking for a handout, nobody’s looking for that’

    I beg to differ Tony, you and lots of other are looking for a handout. I’ll follow up on that this weekend.

    1. Didn’t that guy say he was a retiree? Why does he need help? The nice thing about fixed incomes is that they don’t go down.

      2. Fixed incomes might not go down, but with the Fed’s deranged money-printing, their purchasing power most certainly does.

  6. ‘one company experienced a steady stream of tenants coming into its office the day after the borders closed. They handed in their keys and walked out. ‘Queenstown literally became like Greymouth overnight’

    It died in the arse.

  7. ‘Local real estate experts say there’s no doubt Central Texas’ 10-year hot streak for housing has come to an abrupt, unanticipated and shell-shocking halt, dashing hopes for early spring’s usual peak home-selling season. ‘There have been so many deals that have fallen apart, mostly due to the job situation,’ said real estate agent Clayton Bullock. ‘People who have lost jobs or been furloughed or had their salaries cut, can no longer get financing. I’m hearing about it all over town, and in all price points.’ Austin real estate broker Derrick Jones said he is also seeing sellers reduce prices. ‘In a normal market, you would see a price reduction because the home is overpriced,’ Jones said. ‘Now, you’re seeing price reductions because you’re trying to draw attention to your listing, because traffic is very slow’

    Wa happened to my shortage Austin?

    1. ‘In a normal market, you would see a price reduction because the home is overpriced,’ Jones said. ‘Now, you’re seeing price reductions because you’re trying to draw attention to your listing, because traffic is very slow’

      It’s the same issue, really. The market is repricing your house to align with current conditions.

    2. “Central Texa$’ 10-year hot $treak for hou$ing ha$ come to an abrupt, unanticipated and $hell-$hocking halt, da$hing hope$ for early $pring’s u$ual peak home-$elling $eason.”

      x11 $$$$$$$$$$’$ in x1 $hort.$entence … kinda poetic.

      “She wrote a long letter, on a short piece of paper.”

      The Traveling Wilburys

  8. ‘Zombie foreclosure is just a fancy way of referring to a house in foreclosure that is sitting vacant, and has been sitting vacant for some time…You are seeing foreclosures start to uptick, and you are seeing an increase in the number of houses that are sitting vacant in neighborhoods’

    Zombie shacks are a REIC statistic. Shadow inventory is a conspiracy theory.

    1. I’m seeing a lot of pre-foreclosures pop up around Northern California. But when I look at the details, some of them bought at what I would have considered more reasonable prices after the housing crash. Yet they are months or over a year past due.

      https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/843-D-St-Lincoln-CA-95648/188062012_zpid/ This home sold just a couple years ago, and it looks like they stopped making payments last year already. What? Even at these wonderful low interest rates, people can’t afford it?

      https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/605-Widgeon-Ct-Lincoln-CA-95648/54665267_zpid/ And did someone get their home refinanced a few years ago, but we’re already several months behind on making payments before this corona virus hit?

      https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2114-Omega-Dr-Lincoln-CA-95648/68561406_zpid/ Here someone bought close to the bottom, and middle 2019, in the middle of the supposed hottest economy, they were already months behind payments. Why didn’t they just sell?

  9. ‘Former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rich Cordray warned that in an absence of the CFPB’s aggressive actions, bad actors could emerge. ‘Consumers will be harassed by debt collectors, consumers won’t have credit reports that are inaccurate, that don’t reflect the true creditworthiness,’ he explained. ‘And the most immediate to me [is] if mortgage servicers are allowed to have leeway and they don’t answer the calls, they don’t follow through… and people won’t get the relief on their mortgages. They will fall into foreclosure they will lose their house’

    Senator Running Deer made this unpossible.

    1. You’re kicking ass and taking names these days….. Aside from all the crow and CraterTaters flying out of the kitchen.

      1. All it takes is work. I’ve been reading articles before the sun comes up til after it sets recently.

    2. ‘Former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Rich Cordray warned that in an absence of the CFPB’s aggressive actions, bad actors could emerge.’

      – “aggressive actions” – Please! LOLZ!

  10. “California house sales plunged 11.5% in March from February levels, the first double-digit, month-to-month drop in more than nine years and the largest since August 2007, the California Association of Realtors reported. And since the outbreak didn’t fully hit the local economy until the middle of the month, April sales and price figures are likely to show even deeper declines. ‘The fast deterioration of the economy, the steep decline of the financial market and record-setting job losses have not been factored into March’s closed sales, but will become obvious in coming months,’ said said CAR Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young.”

    Next month’s monthly drop will dwarf this one, as California’s Stay at Home measures did not go into effect until the evening of March 19, meaning that they were only in effect for (31-19)/31 = 39% of the month, while April’s quarantine period will last the entire month of April and beyond.

      1. “What’s the average time-to-closing lag?”

        – Not sure if this answer’s your question or not, but here you go.

        – From the horse’s (mouth?):

        https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/pending-home-sales
        Pending Home Sales
        “The Pending Home Sales Index (PHS), a leading indicator of housing activity, measures housing contract activity, and is based on signed real estate contracts for existing single-family homes, condos, and co-ops. Because a home goes under contract a month or two before it is sold, the Pending Home Sales Index generally leads Existing-Home Sales by a month or two.“

  11. Eye always find it fa$cinating that “they” tell a $8.05 employee, that their .10 cent pay rai$e i$ “the be$test’$” we can do @ this time! & sorry, we is also eliminating $ick.day$.

    ENTERTAINMENT$:

    AMC $hares $kyrocket on plan$ to offer $500 million$ in new debt$ to help it with$tand prolonged closure$.

    CNBC / PUBLISHED FRI, APR 17 2020 / By Sarah Whitten

    Currently, AMC has suspended all operations through the end of June and is, effectively, generating no revenue.

    The company doesn’t expect to continue dividend payments or make any share repurchases this year in order to pre$erve more ca$h.

    Additionally, it is working with landlord$ to defer rent payment$ and has furloughed all dome$tic theater-level employee$.

    Many corporate-level employee$ have seen their $alaries cut.
    (-$10?)

    KEY POINT$:

    AMC Entertainment announced late Thursday that it intends to raise $500 million in new debt in order to improve its balance sheet.

    The company believes it has enough liquidity to withstand the closure of its movie theaters until a partial reopening ahead of Thanksgiving after the debt offering.

    Currently, AMC has suspended all operations through the end of June.

    Shares of AMC Entertainment, the largest theater chain in the U.S., vaulted up more than 30% on Friday after the company said a new debt offering will allow it to withstand the closure of its movie theaters until a partial reopening ahead of Thanksgiving.

    On Thursday, the company said it intends to raise $500 million in new debt in order to improve its balance sheet. The funds from the senior notes offering will have to be repaid in 2025, the company said.

    Since January, $hares of AMC have $lumped more than 56%.

    2. “…funds from the senior notes offering will have to be repaid in 2025…”

      Do people even want to go to a movie theater anymore, (with the possible exception of large 70mm or IMAX equipped venues, which *can* be a completely different experience)?

      Who wants to pay $12 for a ticket, $8 for a bag of popcorn to sit in a sticky seat with other patrons more absorbed in their cellphones than the movie that is preceded by at least 20 minutes of commercials, trailers, and junk PSA announcements?

      1. Dude, average IQ is down 15-20 points in this country over the last ~40 years. People pay big bucks to do just about anything – and I do mean anything. Think bread and circuses, or buffets and monster truck rallies if you prefer.

        Just as soon as they have a few bucks in their hand they’ll be chasing the next shiny object that catches their eye, guaran-damn-teed.

        1. average IQ is down 15-20 points

          You know things are really bad when average intelligence is 20% below average. I hope the people figuring these maths are above average, but I’m not sure.

          2. What happened to the “over the last ~40 years” part of the quote? What if in 1980 the average IQ was X and today the average IQ, measured with the same tests, is X – (15 to 20)? Where’s the funny math?

  12. ‘Two-thirds of mortgage loans are bundled into securities and sold to investors who are guaranteed timely payment of principal and interest, Cecala said. It can be difficult to get large groups of investors — typically hedge funds and institutional investors — to agree to give homeowners a break’

    Especially when they diced and spliced the securities, meaning haircuts would be uneven. Hey, that’s exactly what happened last decade!

  13. ‘It’s a cultural barrier — Italians won’t sell at a discount’

    You stand your ground Luca, don’t give it away!

    ‘Dondi concedes that homeowners in financial distress may be forced to sell their properties quickly’

    Haven’t we read about shacks in Italy being sold for one US peso?

    1. ‘Within a week, iBuying ground to a virtual halt industrywide’

      This is another situation where reality doesn’t jive with reporting. Recently I posted an article saying “Zillows strategy only works in an up market”. But they were losing tens of million$ a month in this supposedly up market. Maybe it wasn’t up after all and they were just selling dollars for 95 cents?

    2. Haven’t we read about shacks in Italy being sold for one US peso?

      How do you say “Oil City” in Italian.

      I saw some stories about those shacks. Centuries old ruins in rustic small towns in the middle of nowhere. I’m sure that it might seem idyllic at first; but any money spent making them inhabitable is cash poured down the drain; and I’ll bet the locals will never warm up to the “rich outsiders” and will probably shun them. You won’t get invited to any wine tasting parties.

      1. “You won’t get invited to any wine tasting parties.”

        You will if you can speak Italian. Or at least try. 😀

          1. Is there a definition for that? Intraxenophobia?

            I think it’s mostly a North-South thing. My family hails from Sicily. Upon checking into a hotel in Assisi and seeing my last name, the front desk clerk jokingly (I think) asked me if I had a knife. He knew exactly where my surname originated and this was common to many places I visited.

            Outside of that, during my travels there, most people were cordial, especially when I attempted my broken Italian and especially with women wanting to try their English. 😀

            I witnessed several tourists being shot down (directions, placing orders, etc) whereas I was given a chance when attempting to speak the language. I suspect that it’s because Italy is so heavily trafficked by tourists. So going even a little beyond “grat-zee” (ugh) seems to go a long way with locals.

      2. the locals will never warm up to the “rich outsiders” and will probably shun them

        Unless they’re a blonde and redhead duo. 😉

  14. $peakin’ of jackal$ & Vulure$ inc., looks a like thee.hou$e is gonna have to wear bandana mask$ as you $it down & let’$ them rob$ you @ point.blank.

    Travel:

    Vega$ Ca$ino Executive$ Discu$$ Reopening With Dealer$ in Mask$

    Bloomberg / By Christopher Palmeri
    April 15, 2020

    Talks are said to include testing facilities near the $trip

    Casino executives from rival companies are informally discussing what Las Vegas will look like when one of the largest U.$. touri$t destination$ reopens to guest$.

    The deliberations have included potentially allowing small businesses off of the famous Strip to open first, so that locals could get back to work, according to people familiar with the talks.

    The executives have also discussed opening facilities nearby so that all casino workers — and perhaps even tourists — could get tested for the coronavirus.

    The city, the largest gambling market in the U.S., would open its giant casinos with as little as one-third of their rooms available. Entrances would be limited, and guests’ temperatures would be checked with noninvasive methods. Ca$ino employee$ would wear masks and gloves, and gambler$ would sit at least a chair apart at blackjack table$.

    We’re asking the companies to have more cleaning everywhere — the rooms, casino, special teams to work with new chemicals,” Geoconda Argüello-Kline, secretary-treasurer of Culinary Workers Union Local 226, said last week. The casinos “have to have more people, so the people can have the area more clean.”

    (Oh, just blow yer nose, & gets to cleaning the urinals)

    1. “We’re asking the companies to have more cleaning everywhere — the rooms, casino, special teams to work with new chemicals”.

      The rooms?

      Watch this and you may never want to stay at another hotel:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObnO8vy7Q_k

      Could be worse (China):
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn8pCD9ClMU

      These sort of Hotel-horror videos are all over the internet. It is my opinion that the individuals actually doing the daily room cleaning (hotel maids) will prove to be less than conducive in the fight against COVID-19.

      They could actually help spread it.

    2. “We’re asking the companies to have more cleaning everywhere ”

      I’m seeing this bullsh!t a lot lately. They STILL think that this virus transfers like colds or flu, from contaminated surfaces. They do NOT understand that this virus is droplet airborne; that is, you are infected by breathing in droplets. You could walk through a casino not touching anything, and still get infected just from someone saying Hi.

  15. Is all the excitement over an incipient COVID-19 vaccine overlooking the scenario of a mutant strain developing somewhere over the millions of cases worldwide for which a vaccine would be ineffective?

    2. Is “clinging to potential” a tried and tested investment strategy for the bovine herd to follow?

      The Financial Times
      US stocks join global rally in coronavirus crisis rebound
      Investors look past bleak Chinese economic data and cling to potential for virus remedy
      Myles McCormick and Tommy Stubbington in London and Hudson Lockett in Hong Kong an hour ago

      US stocks joined a global rally on Friday as investors shrugged off a historic contraction in China’s economy and bet that aggressive efforts by global authorities to control the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic may be effective in ending weeks of chaos in markets.

      In the US, the S&P 500 stocks index was 1.7 per cent higher at lunchtime, extending a sharp rebound that has led to the benchmark index bouncing back more than 30 per cent from its mid-March lows.

      The Nasdaq 100, which tracks the biggest companies on the Nasdaq Composite, on Thursday flipped into positive territory for the year, after adding 30 per cent in the four weeks. It was flat on Friday.
      …

    3. A couple of reasons for my skepticism about the feasibility of discovering a coronavirus vaccine in the near future:

      1) The common cold is caused by a coronavirus and has been a human scourge back to antiquity. Is there a vaccine for it yet?

      2) AIDS is caused by a virus and has been infecting humans since the 1980s. Is there a vaccine yet?

      My impression is that virus vaccines can be difficult to develop.

      1. The professor gets it! What about the seasonal flu vaccines? How effective are they each year? But we all know it’s a big bidness.

        1. But we all know it’s a big bidness.

          Meh, they cost $25 a pop. Most people spend far more at Starbucks in a week or two.

          Their effectiveness is a crap shoot. If they target the wrong strain they’re effectively useless.

        2. I was a bookkeeper for a surgeon once. I asked him if flu vaccines worked. He replied there was no way of knowing.

          1. That’s absolutely true, at least if there’s no effort to test their effectiveness. It could easily be done by comparing flu incidence rates among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. If such an effort exists, I’ve never heard of it.

            Speaking for myself, I had the flu in 1997 and many previous years when I was not vaccinated. After three days in bed with 103 degrees F fever, I got religion and have been vaccinated every year since. Have only had a few mild cases until this year, when I was up every night on and off for a couple of weeks with a dry cough. Waiting for the antibody tests to become available for retrospective COVID-19 testing.

          2. From the CDC’s website. Take it for what it’s worth:

            CDC conducts studies each year to determine how well the influenza (flu) vaccine protects against flu illness. While vaccine effectiveness (VE) can vary, recent studies show that flu vaccination reduces the risk of flu illness by between 40% and 60% among the overall population during seasons when most circulating flu viruses are well-matched to the flu vaccine.

            AND

            During years when the flu vaccine is not well matched to circulating influenza viruses, it is possible that little or no benefit from flu vaccination may be observed.

          3. The most effective thing in reducing flu infections in my house was having the children graduate from school and leave.

      3. Yous can believe “it’s just.a.common.cold!”

        Yous can believe it’s a fevers& chills “ordinary” mutating “this.years” pig.gut.flu. bug.

        Yous can believe it’$ a deeth.👾.knobs&handles.lung.tissue.chewin’.invisible.killa.germs!

        @ age 63, ol’ Hwy50 is a goin’ fishin’, but 👀’s keepin’ a sharp lookout for this critter: 👾 1st, & rattler’s🐍, & mountain 🦁’a & hungry 🐻’s & ticks 🐞 & scorpions 🦂, & black widows 🕷🕸, & fire.ants🐜, & killa.bees 🐝, … poisonous 🦄❄, & silent killa🔋🚘’s, & $helter.$hack.$ales.varmit$!

        (That’s my short list.)

        Oh, almost fogot: & 🍂🌿poison oak!

  16. What could possibly go wrong with country’s letting globalists offshore their medical manufacturing base to China, then having to count on Chinese-made equipment, with its legendary quality and reliability – NOT! – when yet another pandemic spreads around the globe.

    https://gulfnews.com/world/europe/uk-paid-20-million-for-new-coronavirus-tests-but-they-didnt-work-1.1587061473386

    London: The two Chinese companies were offering a risky proposition: 2 million home test kits said to detect antibodies for the coronavirus for at least $20 million, take it or leave it.

    The asking price was high, the technology was unproven, and the money had to be paid upfront. And the buyer would be required to pick up the crate loads of test kits from a facility in China.

    Yet British officials took the deal, according to a senior civil servant involved. Under growing public criticism for their slow and unsteady response to the coronavirus crisis, British officials confidently began promising tests would be available at pharmacies in as little as two weeks.

    “As simple as a pregnancy test,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson gushed March 19 at a news conference. “It has the potential to be a total game changer.”

    There was one problem, however. The tests did not work.

  17. “Some buyers may look for deals, thinking all sellers are desperate to sell. But if this isn’t you, there’s no reason to cave or whittle down your home’s price.

    And less, of course, you actually want to sell your shack, rather than chase the market down.

  18. ‘Regardless of the events, there will always be buyers who will write a lowball offer,’ says Ressie Krabacher, a residential broker in Chicago.

    Those “lowball” offers are the new market value, Ressie.

  19. ‘And the most immediate to me [is] if mortgage servicers are allowed to have leeway and they don’t answer the calls, they don’t follow through… and people won’t get the relief on their mortgages. They will fall into foreclosure they will lose their house.’”

    Boo f**king hoo. When you sign on Mr. Banker’s dotted line, you’re signing a contract. Break the terms of the contract for whatever reason, and the lender gets to reclaim its shack. Rules of the game, losers.

  20. <em.Tony Giametta, 64, who lives with his wife in Oceanside, said was ‘taken aback,’ he said, to learn that if he were to miss any payments due to the pandemic, all the missed payments would be due in a lump sum in August.

    Are you mentally retarded, Tony?

  21. Two-thirds of mortgage loans are bundled into securities and sold to investors who are guaranteed timely payment of principal and interest, Cecala said.

    “Investors” (bagholders) are about to find out just how much financial sector “guarantees” are worth.

  22. Even before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Nassau and Suffolk county homeowners faced some of the highest levels of housing distress in the country, a new report shows.

    B…b…but the REIC shills on CNBC said Everything was Awesome before coronavirus showed up. Could it be that our “Greatest Economy Ever” was a sham?

    1. “Greate$t eCONomy Ever!”

      Bugs: “eh, eye thinks yous on to them doc.” 🥕 munch, munch

  23. That overhang of debt could make Canadians less likely to spend in the coming months.

    Ya think?

  24. ‘Because the one thing that we found out is that nobody had any cash on hand.

    (Raises hand) I do. I’ve got plenty, as a matter of fact, because I never spend more than I earn and am debt-free in my humble rental abode.

  25. The agency declined his offer, saying that it didn’t deal with ‘jackals and vultures.’

    Months from now, as their losses mount, they’re going to regret not recognizing “the jackals and vultures” were as good as it gets.

  26. In Queenstown, one company experienced a steady stream of tenants coming into its office the day after the borders closed. They handed in their keys and walked out.

    Looks like it’s time for some serious rent reductions, greedheads.

  27. Property manager David Faulkner said many landlords were in denial about the extent to which incomes, rents, Airbnb demand, and house prices would be affected by Covid-19.

    Oh my. How the worm has turned.

  28. “Tony Giametta, 64, who lives with his wife in Oceanside, said was ‘taken aback,’ he said, to learn that if he were to miss any payments due to the pandemic, all the missed payments would be due in a lump sum in August. ‘When I heard that I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me, how can you even pass that off as a relief program?,’ said Giametta, a retiree. ‘I’m not looking for a handout, nobody’s looking for that, but at least work with the people.’”

    Hi, I’m Tony and I am 64 and I am retired and I have a mortgage and I recently experienced the emotion of being “taken aback”.

    One would think that after all of these years of having making it through life and enduring the hard knocks that life now and then has thrown at me I should learned a few things on the journey, but I didn’t learn enough because, in addition to all the other things I have mentioned about myself, I am also a total idiot.

  29. Heeheehe, maybee you i$ just the fella that can Help! him Mr. Banker!

    ($ounds like a po$$ible 🎈payment$ dotted.line$ candidate/victim?)

  30. Justa wonderin…. are there still people living rent free in a foreclosed house from 10 years ago? I wonder how many will do that this time around, or will they leave on the first notice?

    1. 6 months or so ago this guy on Youtube (Why the 2008 Housing Crisis Recovery Is Just an Illusion (w/ Keith Jurow), 25 minutes) was claiming that there were still a bunch of people in houses they hadn’t made payments on in many years. It’s a good video, I’ll reply with a link but you can look it up if the link doesn’t go through.

        1. That [is] a good clip. Some time ago I stripped the audio from that clip into an mp3 file that I can listen to with my podcast app over bluetooth headphones and do something useful at the same time.

      2. When you ain’t got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose.

        I’m not sure I’d be investing in rental properties right now. The anger at everyone who seems to represent the better off may grow so great that nobody is willing to pay, and no government is willing to evict those who don’t.

    2. Guess that depends on the state and how many foreclosures the banks have to deal with. In the last bust some folks in California lived for years rent free in their foreclosed homes.

  31. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.14.20062463v1

    COVID-19 Antibody Seroprevalence in Santa Clara County, California

    Background Addressing COVID-19 is a pressing health and social concern. To date, many epidemic projections and policies addressing COVID-19 have been designed without seroprevalence data to inform epidemic parameters. We measured the seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Santa Clara County. Methods On 4/3-4/4, 2020, we tested county residents for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 using a lateral flow immunoassay. Participants were recruited using Facebook ads targeting a representative sample of the county by demographic and geographic characteristics. We report the prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in a sample of 3,330 people, adjusting for zip code, sex, and race/ethnicity. We also adjust for test performance characteristics using 3 different estimates: (i) the test manufacturer’s data, (ii) a sample of 37 positive and 30 negative controls tested at Stanford, and (iii) a combination of both. Results The unadjusted prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in Santa Clara County was 1.5% (exact binomial 95CI 1.11-1.97%), and the population-weighted prevalence was 2.81% (95CI 2.24-3.37%). Under the three scenarios for test performance characteristics, the population prevalence of COVID-19 in Santa Clara ranged from 2.49% (95CI 1.80-3.17%) to 4.16% (2.58-5.70%). These prevalence estimates represent a range between 48,000 and 81,000 people infected in Santa Clara County by early April, 50-85-fold more than the number of confirmed cases. Conclusions The population prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Santa Clara County implies that the infection is much more widespread than indicated by the number of confirmed cases. Population prevalence estimates can now be used to calibrate epidemic and mortality projections.

    1. “These prevalence estimates represent a range between 48,000 and 81,000 people infected in Santa Clara County by early April, 50-85-fold more than the number of confirmed cases.”

      Ahem…

      2. Ahem…

        Does this mean that there are more people infected in Santa Clara County than live there?

          3. “Too many number$ flying by the$e day$.”

            Agreed!

            (It’$ only $6+ Trillion$ + “UNLIMITED” + (0%) a$ in Zero … Ea$y.Pea$y!)

            “We don’t need$ no $tinkin’ “Over.$ight$!” … mi$.u$e axoh!”

            Here’$ thee.$hort.ver$ion:

            💰💲💰💲💰💲💰💲💰💲💰💲💰💲💰💲💰💲💰💲💰💲💰💲=

            🙈🙉🙊

        2. Prof Bear believes that he suffered a mild case, never tested.

          I’m hoping that the researchers also recorded any co-morbidities in the subjects (obesity, medications, etc). I also hope they asked the questions: Did you seek a test, did you possibly think you had it, or are you SURE you had it? They’re qualitative, but they at could provide at least an estimate of the number of totally asymptomatic cases and very very mild cases.

  32. This stonk market business is funny stuff since the 18K “low”:

    Good news (that likely won’t be realized for months) -> market up
    Bad news -> “Well, that’s already priced in. Stocks are still on sale!” -> market up

      1. It’s a tug.a.war now between RFD.tv facts & Ra$h.limp.baugh$ “🎤📢 it’s just the common.cold folks!”

        Poor Ra$h, the pill$ 💊 he takes now are probably knot blue.

      2. This is what Obama wanted.

        Take away the guns (Amendment #2) and take away the religion (Amendment #1). Obama and Bill Gates want you to starve and die. Bill Kristol wants your sons to die for Israel and for you to starve and die.

        #BoycottAmazon
        #GlobalistsGonnaGlobe

        1. “… Obama … ”

          Today: April 17th 2020

          Eye thinks yer suffering from 8 year$ of Hussein.derangement.syndromes

          $ad.

        2. “Take away the guns (Amendment #2)”:

          (As.of.today) … Eye still have me’$ American made Henry 44 caliber rifle & my black powder 44 caliber “Joesy.Wales” spit.in.yer.eye revolvers

          “and take away the religion (Amendment #1)” :

          (As.of.today) …Eye’m still a amish.taoist (philosophical) knot Taoi$t.Amish (religiou$)

          & Eye believe when “thee.🍊.jesus” him$elf, personally & publicly announced:

          “Eye, “Don.thee.CON”, truly believes that barraky.HUSSEIN.Oh,bammy, is a citizen of these United.States.of.America!

          Thank you & good.bye

        3. “Obama endorses Biden, “See you on the campaign$ trail.”

          Do YOU have a “loyal” employee ( that YOU hired) that’s worked well for YOU Fed x8 year$ in a “high.profile$” po$ition?

          Would you $upport their highest aspiration$?

          Or, like this poor fella:
          “eye’s take a bullet in the brain for thee.🍊.jesus” … M. Cohen,

          & prefer to $ave.yer.political.$kin & proceed to “Throw them under.yer.political.bu$” ?

          Deci$ion$, deci$ion$ ….

    5. Certain are you that it is knot truck drivers visiting “girlfriends” @ state truck stops?

  35. Facebook AD

    “With the exception of two recessions, the Great Recession from 2007-2009, & the Gulf War recession from 1990-1991, no other recessions have impacted the U.S. housing market, according to Freddie Mac Home Price Index data collected from 1975 to 2018.”

      1. The other thing is that the 1992-2020 period includes the greatest Housing Bubble in recorded history.

      2. “I’m sceptical about a lack of housing price declines in the 1980-1982 episode.”

        With home loan$ in 1981 @ 15.5%?

        Yep, eye was that 1980’s $helter.$hack.$ucker.

        They $lapped me on my 24 year old strong back & gave Hwy50 congratulation$ to my wi$e deci$ion!

        Loan: $24,786.00 1981 U$ Dollars

        Oh, my!

        1. That’s awesome…and terrifying.

          Do you recall if shack prices dropped anywhere from 1980 through 1986? I recall Ben reporting that it was more or less of a depression in the oil patch, but maybe real estate nonetheless steadily went up.

          1. Honestly, eye was havin’ me 1$t child born, working “full.time” + & going to college, eye only remembers Raygun.Ronnie saving students (with the Marines assisting) in Grenada, the shuttle blowing up, the birth of my 1$t born daughter, & a older guy in his tennis outfit, crying in a pay phone in Corona.del.mar, CA to his brother about the lo$$es he was a $uffering that x1 day!

            Then 13 years a.later what$ happen$? … 2000 Dot.com Carnage$!

            Made a “True.Believer$” outta me!

            Jimmay.Booo.yah has been nothing but a $ource of information $ince.

  36. It looks like false negatives may be the bigger problem in case counts.

    Health News
    ‘False Negatives’ in COVID-19 Testing: If You Have Symptoms, Assume You Have the Disease
    Written by Elizabeth Pratt on April 13, 2020 – Fact checked by Dana K. Cassell New
    Experts say the “false negatives” in COVID-19 tests probably occur due to insufficient collecting of samples, not the laboratory examination itself.
    Getty Images
    – Early research indicates that a common test for COVID-19 may produce “false negatives” up to 30 percent of the time.
    – Experts say the inaccuracies are probably caused by the collection of samples, not the actual laboratory testing.
    – They say that people who have COVID-19 symptoms should assume they have the illness even if they test negative to avoid further spreading the virus.

    As more people are tested for COVID-19, experts are warning the results might not be 100 percent accurate.

    Preliminary research from China that is yet to be peer reviewed suggests the most common form of COVID-19 test produces “false negatives” up to 30 percent of the time.

    “The issue with the tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus is that there has not been time to test them rigorously before deploying them in the field,” Dr. Gary L. LeRoy, FAAFP, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, told Healthline.

    “Most polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and antibody tests have years of laboratory testing before they are used. We just don’t have that kind of time,” LeRoy said. “The major concern for false negatives is someone who tests negative, thinking they are not infected, could unknowingly spread the virus into the community.”
    …

    1. Dear Professor, you is like a “mixed chart” + Venn diagrams integrated as fusion.compilations of a rap math.master, i.e., yous kinda “scattered”!

      Which is that you “Believes”?:

      1. 🎤📢 “it’s the common.cold folks!”

      = (Blow yer nose & get$ back to work!)

      2. It’s the common “this.years” mutated pig.gut.flu bug! (ok, from China)

      = (call in $ick, mi$$ work, suffer with “fevers&chills” but get back to “get.er.done$” full employment a$ap!)

      3. It’s a deeth.👾.knobs&handles.lung.tissue.chewin’.invisible.killa.germs!

      = Stay in a safe place, send digital “air.hugs.&xx’s to the one’s ya love, enjoy the fireplace, & 🍷(or, “what.ever”), enjoy the wi$dom of bloggers @ Mr.Ben Jones HB.B ll blogshere, & contemplate who might expose YOU to the “deeth.👾.killa & otherwise live.fer.another.day!

      1. Think of it as a game of COVID-19 roulette, with one real bullet and one rubber bullet spread over ten chambers of a novel, mutant revolver. Eight chances out of ten you get a mild or asymptomatic case, don’t bother to visit the doctor or get tested, and chalk it up to the common cold or seasonal flu, if you even notice symptoms. With one out of ten chance, it’s the rubber bullet of a severe case, but you survive. One chance in ten, you are SOL and soon to be six feet under.

        It’s an excellent survival strategy for the CCP coronavirus, as without rigorous and scientifically designed testing, it can continue to spread through the community through undetected, untested mild cases.

        1. yer squimmin’ … & fudgin’ & tryin’ to bee “thee.Art.full.Doger”

          Ya had x3 choices, ya have x1 decision$:

          How.tough.is.it dear Professor?

          Choose.

          2. Maybe my example wasn’t clear. The severity varies randomly from person to person. If I had it, it was version 2. And I only took 1 1/2 sick days.

            Ali Wentworth Says George Stephanopoulos Has Been a ‘Rockstar’ Caretaker Amid COVID-19 Fight
            By Zach Seemayer‍ 10:47 PM PDT, April 14, 2020

            One day after leaving her 16-day self-isolation while battling COVID-19, Ali Wentworth joined husband George Stephanopoulos for a virtual appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday.

            Wentworth and Stephanopoulos spoke with Kimmel video via video chat, and the pair opened up about their struggle with the coronavirus. Wentworth also gushed about how much her husband helped her get through the worst of it.

            According to Wentworth — who dealt with a raging fever and painful body aches, among other symptoms — Stephanopoulos had a natural aptitude for caring of her.

            “He instinctively knew when I needed my temperature taken,” she shared. “He didn’t have to bathe me or anything, but he brought me food and chicken soup, and lemonade. He was actually a rockstar.”

            As it turns out, Stephanopoulos also tested positive for the coronavirus, but remained largely asymptomatic.

            “I never had a fever, never had a cough, never had shortness of breath, no chills,” the Good Morning America anchor recalled, adding that the only symptoms he’s dealt with are one night of minor lower back pain and a loss of his sense of smell for one day.
            …

        3. Remember the transmission method: breathing in an infected person’s cloud of droplets (with a few cases from contaminated surfaces). With masks and social distancing, you cut off most of that transmission method.

          In Maryland, we’re on lock down and mandatory masks. Give it a month. I think we’re going to see a decrease in cases and in case severity.

  37. Imagine an Alzheimer’s patient with his own SWAT team.

    MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle wonders if Joe Biden should create ‘his own shadow government, shadow cabinet, shadow SWAT Team’ to counteract Trump’s COVID19 pressers [video]

    Posted at 2:01 pm on April 15, 2020 by Sarah D.

    https://twitchy.com/sarahd-313035/2020/04/15/msnbcs-stephanie-ruhle-wonders-if-joe-biden-should-create-his-own-shadow-government-shadow-cabinet-shadow-swat-team-to-counteract-trumps-covid19-pressers-video/

        2. “Is it just me or are his lips an unnatural color?”

          That’s probably your primordial reproductive selection algorithm deep in the cerebellum, not cognitive, but you “know” he’s not in contention.

      1. “We haven’t run out of politicians with crazy ideas yet”

        Another POV:

        We haven’t run out of CRA$Y😱 repubican politician$ with idea$ yet.

        🙈🙉🙊

  38. “How is this not sedition?”

    Why don’t we ask these fellas?

    Portland Oregon:

    Oregon standoff timeline: 41 days of the Malheur refuge occupation and the aftermath

    Jan 09, 2019

    “Sedition, crime against the state. Though sedition may have the same ultimate effect as treason, it is generally limited to the offense of organizing or encouraging opposition to government in a manner (such as in speech or writing) that falls short of the more dangerous offenses constituting treason.”

    (+ they carried automatic military weapons pointed @ American citizens employed by the Oregon State & local county & local sheriff & U.S. government.)

    Badges? We don’t need NO e stinkin’ badges!

      1. How is this not sedition?

        A country on the brink of civil war is ill equipped to handle any sort of emergency.

        1. “A country on the brink of civil war is ill equipped to handle any sort of emergency.”

          Which country are you talking about?

        2. “A country on the brink of civil war is ill equipped to handle any sort of emergency”

          That’$ what “thee.$outh” (new.Private$.Nation$!) should thunk ’bout$ before they encountered the effect$ of the northern “Anaconda” strategie$!

          Go Abe!

      2. “$traw man a$ide”

        It’s hard for you to looks 👀’$ @ what is Wright in front yer eyes & say: “thee.🍊.Jesus is kinda.somewhat.sorta naked!”

        ?
        $ad.

  39. For those who believe COVID-19 is no worse than the seasonal flu, have a close look at the chart comparing U.S. death rates to various common causes:

    One chart shows how many Americans are dying from the coronavirus each week compared with other common causes of death like heart disease, cancer, and the flu
    Tyler Sonnemaker and Olivia Reaney
    11 hours ago
    Healthcare workers wheel a body outside Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, on April 2.
    REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid
    – More than 13,000 Americans died last week from COVID-19, surpassing past weekly averages for other common causes of death like heart disease and cancer.
    – The US has reported more coronavirus cases and deaths than any other country: As of Friday morning, more than 667,000 people had gotten sick and more than 32,000 people had died.
    – Models are now predicting fewer deaths than before — about 60,000 by August — but experts have warned that the number could rise again if social-distancing measures don’t remain in place.
    …

    1. surpassing past weekly averages for other common causes

      Such a comparison will be much more interesting when the “data” are from the same periods of time. Then we can have some clue if, as some claim, the CCP virus cures cancer, pneumonia, heart disease and traffic deaths.

  40. No, the Ra$h.limp.baugh$ radio broadca$t told everyone that :

    Oh, look there’s the “no.birth.certificate” evil Hussien.O’bammy, draping “thee.medal.of.honor ” … (Sorry, knot on Ra$h.limpaughs.neck! $ad)

    But on this American (yes. He’s white! From Alabama!)

    Anniston/Gadsden Real-Time News

    Alabama Medal of Honor recipient Bennie Adkins dies of coronaviru$ at age 86

    Adkins had been hospitalized in critical condition at East Alabama Medical Center after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in late March.

    President Barack Obama awarded Adkins the Medal of Honor in 2014, almost 50 years after his heroic actions in the jungles of Vietnam. He received the nation’s highest military honor for valor during 48 hours of close-combat fighting against enemy forces near Camp A Shau, Vietman on March 9-12, 1966. The Medal of Honor proclamation recognized Adkins for “fighting with mortars, machine guns, recoilless rifles, small arms, and hand grenades” killing between 135 and 175 enemy soldiers while sustaining 18 different wounds.

    After his stint as a Green Beret, Adkins established the Bennie Adkins foundation, which awards education scholarships to Special Forces soldiers.

    Why would a “darkie.from.Kenya” bee allowed to honor a “hero.white.dude” from the deep.South?

    Why, shut.me.mouth!

  42. “In Suffolk County, the typical resident would need to pay 55% of their annual income to afford a home valued at $415,000, the median sale price in the first three months of 2020. Nassau County residents needed an even higher share – 65% — of their income to afford a median-priced home valued at $535,000, Attom reported. ‘”

    So there you have it. There has to be a 50 percent price reduction to get back to the historically typical 25 to 30 percent of the mortgage.

    Same here in Brooklyn, on the other end of Long Island. Even if you assume that NYC has become much more attractive relative to the suburbs (something that may be reversing), a 50 percent decrease in the typical 1,500 square foot, 105-year-old row house without parking on my street would mean a cost of more than $1 million. That’s how insane things got. It has really killed this city.

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