There Are Absolutely Some Still Hoping For 2021
A report from WINK in Florida. “In Immokalee, Habitat for Humanity is working to fill vacant homes in the new Kaicasa neighborhood. About 40% of the homes are complete, but many remain unoccupied. The Kaicasa community is expected to include 280 homes once complete. Currently, Habitat’s main focus is on filling the homes that are already built. ‘This is such a large community, we have the opportunity to really scale up and build more homes. And so that’s what we had projected. But what we found was that we didn’t have the same kind of applicant uptick that we expected. We expected that folks working in Ave Maria, folks working in Immokalee, working on Marco Island, would really see this as a great opportunity,’ said Lisa Lefkow, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Collier County. Habitat for Humanity recently adjusted the income levels for their program, potentially allowing more families to qualify. They encourage those who previously applied and were just above the limit to check again and consider applying.”
Fox 13 Tampa Bay. “Nine months after Hurricanes Helene and Milton battered Florida, families like the Kvockas are still displaced. Neil and Nicholle Kvocka bought more than $1 million in property insurance for their waterfront Ruskin home—yet they’re living in a camper with their two teenagers. Citizens paid nothing. Flood insurance paid $104,000—not nearly enough to rebuild the home based on assessments the Kcovkas received from contractors. That payout is now frozen by their mortgage company, pending resolution. FOX 13’s Craig Patrick asked the Kvockas why they don’t just sell. Nicholle responded, ‘Our neighbors are selling for less than we owe. We can’t afford to rebuild.'”
“Before the storms, their home was valued at $1.3 million. Now, real estate models put it closer to $400,000. They still owe nearly $100,000 on the camper loan. Their mortgage is in forbearance. They continue to pay for home insurance on a house they can’t live in. ‘They don’t pay out. And if they do, it’s nickels and dimes for something we paid top dollar for,’ said Neil.”
From Market Watch. “Sales of existing homes fell 2.7% in June from the previous month, according to the NAR, dropping to a 3.93 million pace. Home prices fell 4.3% from a year ago in Austin, and fell 3.4% in Tampa and 2.6% in Miami, the company noted. ‘When we see price decreases, it is likely due to competition in the market. It is crucial that homes are priced right, which may mean just at or slightly below what the market analysis suggests,’ Heather Brown, an Austin-based real-estate agent with Re/Max Fine Properties, told MarketWatch. ‘Some buyers are canceling deals because another home pops up in the same price range that they like better, or because they discover a flaw and get nervous it’ll cost too much to fix,’ Crystal Zschirnt, a Dallas-based real-estate agent with Redfin, said in the analysis. ‘I’ve also heard of some buyers backing out because they’re hoping home prices or mortgage rates are going to plummet soon, even though that’s unlikely,’ she added.”
7 San Diego in California. “The city of San Diego is about to get some new guidelines when it comes to accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. ‘We do not have homeownership opportunities. We don’t have starter home opportunities. And if you’re placing such strict limitations on the largest lot sizes across San Diego, you’re also limiting those homeownership opportunities for youth,’ said supporter Nicole Lillie. ‘You’re taking it away. I mean the developers are overpaying for that whole lot and now that single-family could have moved in there is not. Also, the adjacent homeowners are now moving out because those people don’t want to live next to these monstrosities,’ said opponent, Angela Guzy.”
The Globe and Mail. “Toronto-area home buyers are emerging from the paralysis that gripped the market during the opening days of the U.S.-Canada trade war in the early spring. Suzanne Lewis, real estate agent with Bosley Real Estate, says buyers are undoubtedly driving the decisions during the quieter summer months. For those homeowners who do decide to list, Ms. Lewis pulls out the data from recent sales in the area. If the last five similar properties sold for $1-million, it’s not realistic to hope for $1.4-million. ‘You don’t have to convince the buyer it’s worth $1.4-million – you have to convince the lender. You’re probably not even going to close.’ If the sellers are too out of sync, she doesn’t take on the listing. ‘Sometimes we’re not on the same page – we’re not even in the same book.'”
“She points to one Riverdale house which sold around the $3-million mark roughly three years ago. The same house just changed hands again for $2.5-million, she says. Some homeowners – particularly in the downsizing category – have decided to hold off listing until prices regain the level recorded a few years ago. ‘There are absolutely some still hoping for 2021,’ she says. While transactions have perked up, Simson Chu, real estate agent with Chestnut Park Real Estate says, many buyers continue to hold back because they don’t know how much lower the market will go. Mr. Chu recently had discussions with a pair of buyers who are interested in his listing for a detached four-bedroom house in Markham, Ont.”
“The property at 32 Arbour Dr., listed with an asking price of $1,868,888, appealed to the buyers, but their finances took a hit when they sold their property in Hong Kong for less than they were expecting. Now they are unable to submit an offer. ‘That’s reality. That just happened,’ he says. Mr. Chu sometimes advises homeowners to hold off listing now if they have that option – especially while many potential buyers are spending time in Europe or at the cottage. Mr. Chu recommends that condo owners delay listing until that segment regains some momentum. Sellers who do want to go ahead must be willing to list at a price that’s irresistible or they must offer a property that’s irreplaceable, he says. ‘If you can hold off and not panic, it might be the best thing to do when there’s turmoil,’ Mr. Chu says. ‘We’re not day traders.'”
From ABC News. “New rental data from property analysts Cotality, formerly CoreLogic, has shown Canberra is the fourth most expensive Australian capital city in which to rent. Three years ago it was the most expensive. Real Estate Institute of the ACT Chief Executive Maria Edwards said recent changes in Canberra’s rental market were due to supply and demand, as well as government policy. She said that was coupled with negative net interstate migration and lowering overseas migration. She said many landlords were under financial stress. ‘Most of our agents have reported significant numbers of landlords selling off. There’s also been a real slow down in the sales prices of apartments because there are so many available,’ Ms Edwards said. ‘So, there are actually owners who have bought apartments 10 years ago who will not make a profit if they sell now. It’s probably never been more affordable to buy an apartment.'”
Radio New Zealand. “Construction companies are struggling to stay afloat as orders dry up amid tough economic times, with some slashing quotes by as much as 50 percent to get whatever work they can. Latest data from the Building Research Association of New Zealand showed that liquidations in the construction sector rose 37 percent in February year on year. Amid the sharp rise in closures, some Chinese construction firms had resorted in cutting quote prices and squeezing already tight margins to stay in business.”
“Henry Wang, a former carpenter who had worked in the construction industry for eight years and now ran his own business, said pay rates for carpentry work had dropped sharply compared to the industry’s recent peak. ‘The market was booming from 2020 to 2022,’ Wang said. ‘At that time, a carpenter could earn around $150 to $160 per square meter on a residential build. However, now payments have fallen by as much as 40 to 50 percent. We used to work from 7am to 6pm – sometimes even until 7pm – including Saturdays when business was really busy. But gradually, the company could only guarantee three days of work a week By the end of 2023, they started cutting staff because there simply wasn’t any work left.'”
“He estimated that between 60 and 80 percent of the workers at his former company were made redundant. He eventually left as well, citing a lack of available work. Wang said the downturn had triggered a destructive price war in the industry, which he found deeply concerning. ‘There isn’t much work out there,’ he said. ‘A lot of companies are dropping their quote prices. Some are even slashing them by half just to win clients and stay in business. All I can do is hang in there and try to survive these next two years.’ Gareth Kiernan, chief forecaster at Infometrics said net migration shifts had also contributed to the softening of the housing market. ‘There was an undersupply of housing, particularly in Auckland,’ he said. ‘Potentially, over the next year or so, we could be starting to move into a position with the housing market rather than being undersupplied to actually oversupplied.'”
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‘There was an undersupply of housing, particularly in Auckland,’ he said. ‘Potentially, over the next year or so, we could be starting to move into a position with the housing market rather than being undersupplied to actually oversupplied’
The song remains the same: shortage, Shortage!, GLUT!!
‘The property at 32 Arbour Dr., listed with an asking price of $1,868,888, appealed to the buyers, but their finances took a hit when they sold their property in Hong Kong for less than they were expecting. Now they are unable to submit an offer. ‘That’s reality. That just happened’
Hong Kong is sinking like a turd in a well too Simson. Which brings up an interesting fact. Hong Kong is probably still the most expensive residential real estate on the planet, and Auckland and Toronto both briefly were. How the mighty have fallen.
Something really interesting is happening that is worth keeping an eye on. Las Vegas visitation is down 67% for July. A local news station had their news chick tell everyone ‘don’t worry, Las Vegas is NOT dying’ which of course means it is. Most of them are still quoting the year over year stat which is still 6% but July is off 67%! The youtubers are on it and the place is empty. One can’t help but wonder how much USAid money was being disposed of in Vegas. Or how many illegals were partying there with their free money. We are about to see some real tears. Where are our Vegas posters? The Sahara just became the first to eliminate the resort fee…it’s serious.
I haven’t visited that hive of scum and villainy in decades.
67%? IN July?
i saw the 6% YOY somewhere, but I had no seen the 67% drop. That would seem to be awful noticeable.
People are doing videos of it being as empty as during pandemic, it’s weird. If it keeps up very long things will get interesting fast. No free money to pass out this time.
I live within an 90-minute drive of National Harbor, Charlestown Races and Slots, and Maryland Live. All have slots and table games, and I’m sure there are some buffets and shows. We don’t need Vegas for anything any more.
I don’t think it’s USAID. They were only $50 billion and there’s only so much they could backstop.
I don’t mean USAID specifically funding Vegas but if you think about most charities they are scams to enrich the management right? So if you think about all those programs, where does the money really go? The people receiving the money are going on vacations. All of those lefty sinners probably spent a lot of time in sin city gambling their ill gotten gains away. Why wouldn’t they?
It’s an awfully large sudden drop in attendance. Realistically there are a bunch of layers. One is foreign which I saw was 13% of it. I figure USAID and fed gov employees in general are a good sized chunk.
“I’ve also heard of some buyers backing out because they’re hoping home prices or mortgage rates are going to plummet soon, even though that’s unlikely”
It ain’t hope sweetie. And if you maintain that attitude you can kiss that commish goodbye.
I’m guessing a lot of those would-be buyers are are walking away do so after feeling an unsettling sensation around their nether regions as the Big Green Weenie & BOHICA time await their signature on Mr. Banker’s line which is dotted.
Hope’s got nothing to do with it. Even Stevie Wonder can read the writing on the wall. Each month’s data confirms anew that Housing Bubble 2.0 is bursting, and the wipeout of Yellen Bux “value” from shacks is going to be stupendous. Got popcorn?
“It is crucial that homes are priced right, which may mean just at or slightly below what the market analysis suggests”
It’s not that hard. Find three or four recent comps and price your house 5 to 10 percent below that. Or chase the market all the way down. The choice is yours.
Glad that I at least have a choice!
Realtors are liars.
Some slumlord investor will likely purchase this 56 year old mobile home and rent it out for $800.00 bucks or so a month. I wouldn’t want the headaches and drama that come with trying to manage this property. I wouldn’t even offer a dollar for a property in that area.
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/5517-1-2-Pipeline-Rd-Pensacola-FL-32505/44660609_zpid/
It’s always bad news when the realtor pictures don’t show any of the inside.* That means there’s either a squatter tenant or the place is trash beyond repair, probably both.
$34K is good price for a third of an acre with utilities, but if the neighborhood is that bad, then don’t bother.
————–
*Similarly, it’s bad news when the main thumbnail picture is of some gleaming kitchen instead of the front elevation. Then you know it’s a flip.
Back in the early 1990s, my future BiL invited me to join his Habit for Humanity crew that was refurbing a row house in inner-city Baltimore. I was already conservative at that point, but that experience further opened my eyes to why the ghetto isn’t just a place, it’s the people who live there. Galactic sense of entitlement & victimization, dissolute and irresponsible lifestyles, parasitism of the worst kind, with a municipal government that was a reflection of its lowlife voters. The fresh-faced young volunteers trying to “help” them were casting pearls to swine. Never again will I waste my time & energy trying to help those who refuse to help themselves.
I did work on one house with Habitat in my rural town and we made a fine renovation of an old house. The recipient family destroyed the place in less than two years.
“…why the ghetto isn’t just a place, it’s the people who live there. Galactic sense of entitlement & victimization, dissolute and irresponsible lifestyles, parasitism of the worst kind, with a municipal government that was a reflection of its lowlife voters.”
This could have been a book review of, “The Bonfire of the Vanities,” by Tom Wolfe. It’s a great read that I had to set down in my lap numerous times in order to laugh out loud.
Yeah ,that whole do-good program is well past it’s use-by date….
A similar sentiment is all over X now. Sounds like a lot of people are DONE. As in, “We’ve already set you up. If you can’t maintain, that’s your problem.”
OMG this, x10,000
“someone should do X”
how about you do X?
“someone should do X
so X never gets done
so entitled. it’s a complete waste of time trying to help. The houses get instantly trashed. They didn’t earn it, so they don’t care.
Nicholle responded, ‘Our neighbors are selling for less than we owe. We can’t afford to rebuild.’”
That’s quite a pickle to be in, Nicholle with an extra “l.” But at least you weren’t throwing away money on rent.
‘They don’t pay out. And if they do, it’s nickels and dimes for something we paid top dollar for,’ said Neil.”
Gosh, Neil. Maybe instead of “investing” in a shack, you should start yer own insurance company.
“Before the storms, their home was valued at $1.3 million. Now, real estate models put it closer to $400,000.”
“And if they do, it’s nickels and dimes for something we paid top dollar for,’ said Neil.”
This article is misleading. It makes it sound as though they paid big money for a fancy house, when in fact they paid $335,000 for a 1385 sq ft house in November 2020. They put it on the market for $1.5 million in Nov. 2023, which was when the ‘Zestimate’ jumped from $533,000 to 1.5 million. According to the write up, the upgrades were a boat-lift, she-shed/mancave (140sq ft), Tiki bar, an expanded driveway, Tesla charger and updated bathrooms.
The Redfin Estimate for the same time was $476,000, with the highest being in the mid 700s during 2024 and a one month spike to $1.2 million in September 2024.
There’s a reason the money is frozen. They put a whole $6,000 down when they bought and refinanced a year later, taking out an extra $70,000.
Additionally, the Zillow write up said they paid $2300 a year for flood insurance. Does that really provide for $1 million in coverage?
The standard National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy has a maximum coverage limit of $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents (personal belongings) for residential properties.
Today, that only works for remote areas of flyover country.
Today, that only works for remote areas of flyover country.
You can add private flood insurance if you are concerned about flooding. However, the tax payers are subsidizing that insurance and it is much more expensive.
are
just waking up
are = aren’t
‘When we see price decreases, it is likely due to competition in the market.
Wrong, REIC shills. It’s because shacks are insanely overvalued. With mortgage rates pushing 7%, shack prices need to fall by at least half to reflect the current median income & worsening economic insecurity.
If the sellers are too out of sync, she doesn’t take on the listing. ‘Sometimes we’re not on the same page – we’re not even in the same book.’”
Realtors refusing to accept listings from delusional entitled greedheads who still think it’s 2022 should hurry things along. Most of the FSBO shacks in my AO are ludicrously overpriced for the current market. But you stick to yer guns, greedheads – Shirley a buyer will be along any day now to offer “what muh shack is worth.”
Some homeowners – particularly in the downsizing category – have decided to hold off listing until prices regain the level recorded a few years ago.
By all means, greedheads, hold off on listing until prices again hit scamdemic-level highs. Meanwhile, the real economy is in a freefall, the $USD has lost nearly 11% of its value in just the last six months, the bond vigilantes are constraining the Fed’s ability to be more “accommodative” with its Keynesian monetary fraud, and society seems to be coming apart at the seams. But Shirley the Spring Miracle Revival will show up for real in 2026, and your patience & greed will be rewarded!!
Yup, the house-as-nest-egg strategy. In a way, you can’t blame them. At retirement age, you are no longer adding to your money pile, so you get really anxious at the size of your pile. If you have to cut your house price by $100K, well, that’s like the S&P crashing.
If they are in a hurry to sell and downsize, they would have to sell their house a little lower than they want. But at the same time, the smaller house they would move into would probably be priced higher because downsized homes are in more demand. They would lose on both ends.
Mr. Chu recommends that condo owners delay listing until that segment regains some momentum.
I’m no economics major like AOC, but the data and current trends provide no basis whatsoever for believing the condo segment is going to regain momentum. The trajectory is downward & the velocity of the crater is accelerating. But trust Mr. Chu – he’s a real estate professional!
Lisa Lefkow, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Collier County
She’s a “Reverend” and takes $200K salary from Habitat. Helping people to make a fortune!
Compassion, Inc. rackets are lucrative for the well-connected.
Ever notice how “compassion” and “empathy” and “be kind” always translates into “gimme all your stuff?”
All of those blubbering FedGov workers being DOGEed from their cushy jobs invariably talk about their great commitment to “making a difference” or “having an impact.” WIth taxpayers footing the bill, naturally. Nothing stops these do-gooders from using their own resources for whatever “compassion” they wish to provide.
Well, I’m a blubbering Fed worker. Our product is prevention, which of course is hard to quantify. I don’t do touchie feelies like having an impact. More like making sure things are maintained and don’t fall apart.
More like making sure things are maintained and don’t fall apart.
No idea what that means. I had the impression you were working in a laboratory
“More like making sure things are maintained and don’t fall apart.”
Okay, list five things…
I think some of these Habitat big wigs are flippers/developers that buy property to make $$$ but if a deal goes bad the property gets transferred to habitat. Lot next door to me was bought during the plandemic lockdown, 660k for 2/3 of an acre by the “former” head of the local habitat chapter. Grading, septic and water lines probably cost another 200k. Of course labor and material costs exploded around that time and the property got subsequently “bought” by habitat. Lots been sitting idle ever since, must be 3 years now. Same story for a much bigger lot down the street, which required more work due to the steep grade near the road access. Work still being done on that. Looks like just another scummy “non profit” gambling with other people’s money.
‘If you can hold off and not panic, it might be the best thing to do when there’s turmoil,’ Mr. Chu says. ‘
He who panics first, panics best. This is as good as it gets, greedheads. The real cratering hasn’t even begun yet, but it’s coming. Fundamentals, unlike realtors, don’t lie.
‘A lot of companies are dropping their quote prices. Some are even slashing them by half just to win clients and stay in business. All I can do is hang in there and try to survive these next two years.’
Maybe the culling in the construction sector means we’ll see a return to the days when homebuyers could count on shacks that were well-constructed by skilled carpenters & craftsmen to exacting specifications and using quality materials and fixtures.
“Across the state, there has been no significant improvement in infrastructure over the last five years, according to the latest “report card” from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
Colorado received a cumulative grade of “C-,” the same as the last study the ASCE conducted in 2020.
The researchers acknowledge that money is being spent on the problem, just not enough.
There were four recommendations to raise the grade of roads.
One suggestion is that communities continue to lower speed limits on all roads that tend to see frequent crashes. Other recommendations include optimizing existing road capacity, increasing multimodal infrastructure such as bus stops and bike lanes, and exploring more diverse funding options.”
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/american-society-of-civil-engineers-gives-colorado-a-c-for-infrastructure
More diverse funding options?
If you call it a “fee” and not a tax then it’s not raising taxes, per TABOR.
More diverse funding options?
Tolls. I-25 is being widened between Dumver and Fort Collins. To use the extra lane you have to pay a toll.
They’ve got that on I-95 around DC. Express Lane.
It isn’t cheap, but I imagine an easy choice if you’re a government employee on an expense account.
Also there are express lanes on I-495 (The Beltway) and I-66 in VA. They’ve been jawboning about express lanes on I-270 in MD for years but 270 would need a lot more redesign and construction to accommodate new lanes.
“The researchers acknowledge that money is being spent on the problem, just not enough.”
Israel’s needs come first, but the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) are reluctant to address that issue.
I think Colorado’s road funding is limited more by TABOR than anything else. And every time they put a prop on the ballot to raise taxes and spend more money on roads, voters say no.
Fuel taxes are where the bulk of funding comes from, especially federal when crossings involve highways, railroads or waterways.
over 1/3 of all road transit funds raised by gas taxes are WASTED on stupid stuff like bus lanes, government transit, bike lanes, etc
put that 1/3rd back into roads and the problem magically fixes itself.
stupid stuff like bus lanes, government transit, bike lane
Which often make traffic congestion worse, as a lane is often sacrificed to make room for a bike lane.
“One suggestion is that communities continue to lower speed limits”
Right, blame it on the drivers now. While you’re at it, put up speed cameras every mile too. That will bring in some revenue.
Corrupt cops have been caught using DUI checkpoints to shake down sober motorists. TN State Police alone charged more than 600 completely sober drivers with DUI based on bogus “roadside sobriety tests.” I recently installed a dashcam in my car because I distrust the po-po more than I do the criminals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7dWEL0Puq4&t=28s
Publicly-traded homebuilders ramping up price cuts on insanely-overvalued, shoddily-constructed, defect-ridden newbuild shacks & hideous stack houses doesn’t tempt me in the least.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/newly-built-homes-are-cheaper-than-previously-owned-homes-as-builders-ramp-up-price-cuts-0afbe07e?mod=home_ln
Screech’s heavy use of tranquilizers would help explain while she kept going down like a sack of potatoes, as well as some of her more bizarre behavior when running for president. I’ll always be grateful to Trump for sparing us this unhinged Deep State harpie in the White House.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14933957/Hillary-Clinton-tranquilizers-obama-trump-russia-probe.html
“It also claimed that Clinton – who then was serving as Obama’s secretary of state -had her government aides hold secret meetings with religious leaders where they were offered ‘significant increases in funding’ from the State Department in return for their political support in the election.”
There’s so much corruption in this country. Sickening!
State Department — sounds like USAID again?
Yep, that’s right!
Hillary Clinton gets chucked into a van like a side of beef:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QOCPGMtbuiU&pp=ygUZaGlsbGFyeSBzaWRlIG9mIGJlZWYgOS8xMQ%3D%3D
It takes a village to keep Crooked Hillary upright.
She was probably filling her diaper too!
This is my all-time favorite video.
Why building a home in San Diego has become nearly impossible
We talk a lot about the housing crisis in San Diego, but here’s the truth: policies are making it worse.
One of the biggest barriers is something called Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) — a state mandate, supported by my colleagues at the Board of Supervisors, that forces homebuilders to pay massive fees if people living in their new homes might drive “too much.”
It sounds bureaucratic, and it is.
These rules punish builders who want to construct homes in rural or suburban communities — places where land is more affordable and families could actually live.
If you want to build a home in places like Ramona, Alpine, or Valley Center, you’re hit with VMT mitigation fees that can range from $10,000 to $22,000 per mile. That’s per mile of driving. That’s a cost that gets passed directly to homebuyers and renters.
It’s no wonder San Diego is one of the most expensive places to live in the country.
Here’s what’s happened because of VMT: New housing in rural areas has dropped from a projected 18,000 units to less than 6,000.
Projects are stuck in court or tied up in red tape.
Affordable housing is nearly impossible to build. More people are being forced out of San Diego — or out of the dream of homeownership entirely. It’s time to stop punishing people for wanting to build a home, raise a family, and live the American Dream.
https://www.times-advocate.com/articles/why-building-a-home-in-san-diego-has-become-nearly-impossible/
Proposed Section 8 Cuts Make Developers Hit The Brakes
A 43% cut in federal low-income housing programs proposed by the Trump administration has prompted lenders and developers to pull back or cancel affordable housing projects already in motion.
Federal housing assistance programs like Section 8, which provides rental assistance for more than 5 million low-income Americans, are facing a $27B reduction, and some local housing agencies are starting to shift their lending in anticipation.
New York’s housing development department indefinitely postponed its July round for delivering Section 8 subsidies in the face of limited federal backing, according to The Wall Street Journal. Developers, in turn, pulled proposed communities off the books.
Operational revenue from Section 8 is crucial for affordable housing projects. Without it, landlords and developers would have a hard time paying off debt and maintaining upkeep of their buildings.
Affordable housing lenders are already cautious, and program cuts would only increase their wariness, SDS Capital Group CEO Deborah La Franchi told the WSJ.
The pullback would put $50B of Fannie and Freddie multifamily loans bought from 2018 to 2023 at risk of default.
States like California and New York, where it is particularly expensive to build, maintain and rent properties, make up the biggest share of federally financed loans and would be impacted the most. More than 430,000 units in California and 350,000 in New York use federal rental subsidies.
HUD’s Section 8 cuts are an effort to fix public housing fraud and bloated spending, according to Secretary Scott Turner, who said the program is intended to provide temporary assistance to low-income individuals.
To make federal assistance shorter-term, the department has proposed a two-year limit for federal assistance programs. If that is implemented, 1.4 million families could lose their vouchers and public housing assistance.
https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/affordable-housing/proposed-section-8-cuts-make-developers-hit-the-brakes-130252
Waiting For A Rate Cut, Alexandria Weathers Tough Time For Lab Leasing
Executives at Alexandria Real Estate Equities focused on the future, highlighted by a record-setting lease signed earlier this month, during an earnings call that revealed deepening losses for the country’s biggest biotech REIT.
ARE has fared better than many of its cohorts amid record-high vacancy in lab properties across the country, including in hubs like Boston, but posted a $109.6M loss for the second quarter, marking the third straight quarter of declining net income. Occupancy at its properties ticked down and leasing slowed.
In addition to the space glut that’s still depressing the national lab leasing market — JLL research found there’s a 9-to-1 imbalance in supply and demand in major markets — there are demand issues due to financing challenges.
In Boston, 565K SF of supply was delivered in the market completely vacant in Q2, and an additional 300K of unleased space is expected by year’s end, CEO Peter Moglia said. In San Francisco, 700K SF of new supply, roughly one-third leased, is expected to be completed in the next six months.
And in San Diego, 120K SF of space remains to be delivered in the back half of the year, also all unleased. That suggests the glut of space will remain relatively steady, though the preleasing figures suggest tenants aren’t signing.
During its Q1 call, ARE said it would face 3.7M SF of lease expirations in 2025 and predicted 461K SF of new space coming online for a total of just under 4.2M SF.
https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/life-sciences/for-alexandria-record-setting-life-sciences-lease-blunts-tough-q2-earnings-130258
Office Value Plunge Opens Door For New Conversion Play: Self-Storage
For decades, a four-story brick building in the Glenforest neighborhood of Raleigh, North Carolina, served as a call center for AT&T.
But next month, it will open as a self-storage facility for people to keep old newspaper clippings, couches and teddy bears.
The project is Tourbineau Real Estate Partners’ first office-to-self-storage conversion, and the company is on the precipice of taking that model national, with six more in the pipeline — focusing on urban districts with vacant office space.
“We’ve seen, anecdotally, a lot of these urban governments and community groups finally understand that these buildings aren’t really going to become anything else,” said Tourbineau Chief Investment Officer Ben Wong.
“I think what self-storage represents is an invaluable future use with a specific demand need that we can see coming from demographic data and from supply,” Avison Young Vice President Joe French, who heads the brokerage’s mid-Atlantic “Office to Anything” team, told Bisnow.
Two types of office-to-self-storage repositionings are occurring: demolitions for ground-up self-storage buildings and conversions that keep the old building intact.
But both options are only viable because of the deteriorating values in the office sector for older and less desirable properties. Nationwide, office prices had fallen 23% over the last three years as of April, according to MSCI.
There is a reason the go-to solution for an office conversion is apartment units or hotel rooms: the income those uses can generate justifies the cost of purchasing the land, entitling it and building it out.
But self-storage rents are typically much lower than office rents, meaning the ultimate property value will be lower.
“So the only reason that you could be able to do that is because the starting point of the office purchase is very, very low,” Wong said.
In addition to its Raleigh project, Tourbineau has acquired three office buildings in Oklahoma City, San Francisco and Seattle for self-storage conversion, and it has three more under contract in Silver Spring, Maryland, Honolulu and Sacramento, California.
It is a national play for a reason, Wong said: The opportunities are few and far between.
“There might be only one in a market every once in a while that actually could pencil,” he said.
One of the big hurdles is that communities need self-storage but don’t want it in their backyards. Neighbors would rather have a new grocery store or mall.
“Developers like us and investors like us especially have to make a bet that we can convince the county or sometimes the neighborhood or city council,” Wong said. “It just depends who you have to convince to allow us to do so. And the way we’ve had success so far is we’ve convinced them that there’s no alternative.”
Montgomery County Councilmember Andrew Friedson, who co-sponsored the zoning amendment, confirmed to Bisnow that it was intended to move that specific project forward.
“On the one hand, self-storage is not the most attractive reuse of an office building for an urban setting where you want vibrancy and you want street activation. … But in certain circumstances, to adaptively reuse and convert a vacant office that is a scourge on the community into something that is more productive and provides a public benefit by providing space to local nonprofits, there are opportunities for win-wins,” Friedson said.
Tourbineau has promised similar community benefits for its other planned self-storage conversions. In Seattle, it has promised to incorporate artwork on the ground floor, and in San Francisco, it is building out its ground-floor space for use by a local ethnic community group.
“There’s this general feeling in these areas that generally don’t allow self-storage that if we’re going to allow you to do this, you can do it on the upper floors,” Wong said. “We want the ground level to stay or be activated in some level so that average people walking around still feel like this is an activated property.”
https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/office/not-all-vacant-office-can-become-apartments-self-storage-is-helping-fill-in-the-gaps-130269
‘keep old newspaper clippings, couches and teddy bears’
‘keep old newspaper clippings, couches and teddy bears’
Hoarders
Never understood self storage for more than a couple months. At what point is what you have inside worth less than what you’ve paid for it to collect dust?
Hoarders don’t think that way.
This is how they’re able to convert office space to something else without instally a bunch of plumbing or worrying about natural light, like you would need to for storing pesky humans.
Los Angeles Office Development Petering Out, No New Starts In Q2
The greater Los Angeles office market had just 1.7M SF of office space under construction as of the second quarter, and there were no new starts in the same period, according to data from CBRE.
Greater Los Angeles is expected to see just 516K SF of office completions this year, a low the region hasn’t reached since the period just after the Global Financial Crisis, from 2011 to 2014. Construction completions fell to about 244K SF in 2011.
“It doesn’t make any sense to build a building, because you can buy buildings at a discount to replacement cost,” CBRE Vice Chair Stephen Somer said.
Greater LA’s overall vacancy rate in the second quarter was 24.1%, with negative net absorption of more than 596K SF, according to CBRE.
There are no scheduled office deliveries in the greater LA market from 2027 onward. What is under construction now is scheduled to be delivered in 2025 and 2026.
https://www.bisnow.com/los-angeles/news/office/los-angeles-office-under-construction-completions-130241
Sucks to be him.
https://www.msn.com/en-my/news/other/migrant-34-brought-to-us-as-a-child-accidentally-self-deports-after-missing-freeway-exit/ar-AA1J993d
Cry Me a River: The French Gourmet’s Turquoise Tower Blues
An extraordinary case of seller’s remorse surfaced last weekend when French Gourmet owner Michel Malecot posted an anguished statement about a boycott of his Pacific Beach businesses.
Malecot did not seem sorry that he sold his property to Los Angeles developer Kalonymous for $6.5 million. He claims he was taken by surprise when the buyer announced plans to build a 23-story tower on the site. But he offered no apology to the Pacific Beach community for the blight the project could cause.
The restaurateur expressed one regret. Loyal customers who are furious about the sale no longer walk through the doors of his French Gourmet Restaurant and his Froggy’s Bar next door. That is costing him a ton of money.
In a July 19 social media post, “A Letter from Michel to our French Gourmet Community,” Malecot said he had planned to close the restaurant early this year, but “due to the love for my profession and responsibility to my longtime faithful employees, I chose to keep the French Gourmet open for another year.”
It never occurred to him that his devoted French Gourmet Community wouldn’t be on board with that.
“The first six months of 2025 have been a financial disaster,” Malecot wrote, “and I am depleting my personal resources to keep the French Gourmet afloat. I understand the frustration of the community with the potential development. I am praying for a resolution that will be beneficial to the community and to all parties involved.”
And what might that resolution be? Maybe 20 stories instead of 23?
As San Diegans across the city are rising up against monstrous buildings, the Kalonymous project has stoked an unsurpassed level of public opprobrium. Even YIMBY politicians like Congressman Scott Peters and Mayor Todd Gloria are tripping over one another to condemn the development.
[When elected officials who have been the darlings of the building industry speak out against any large-scale project, that tells you which way the political winds are blowing.]
None of this would be happening if Malecot had thought carefully about what an offer of $6.5 million from a Los Angeles developer might entail.
He could shed light on that by divulging what exactly Kalonymous told him about its development plans. Did the company mislead him by promising a smaller project? Did he ask probing questions? Did he urge the developer to meet community members and hear their concerns?
Or did he just pocket the check?
It’s hard to fault Malecot for getting as much money for his retirement as he could. But decisions have consequences. Given his huge Kalonymous windfall, he should not expect the community to sympathize that he “is depleting [his] personal resources” because his angry clientele has abandoned him.
The restauteur ends his letter by imploring the community to come back: “I am respectfully asking that you show your support for what has been a gem in the neighborhood since 1989!”
The demise of the much-loved French Gourmet is a sad chapter in the history of Pacific Beach. But Malecot wrote it himself.
https://obrag.org/2025/07/cry-me-a-river-the-french-gourmets-turquoise-tower-blues/comment-page-1/
I am praying for a resolution that will be beneficial to the community and to all parties involved.”
Don’t think yer gonna pray yer way outta this one, Michel with a chick’s name.
Not sure who’s going to be buying overpriced condos & shacks in Canada, since there are no jobs – at least for Heritage K-dans.
https://x.com/ShaziGoalie/status/1948402968862007554
Condo sales in Toronto have fallen nearly to zero.
Doug Ford says Canada must be prepared to match Trump’s 35 per cent tariff
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is once again calling for “dollar-for-dollar” retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline to reach a new free trade agreement or face higher levies.
Ford made the comment prior to a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney and other premiers in Huntsville, Ont. on Tuesday morning.
The face-to-face gathering comes with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to impose a higher 35 per cent tariff on many Canadian goods as of Aug. 1.
Most Canadian goods not covered by an existing North American free trade pact currently face a 25 per cent tariff at the U.S. border that took effect earlier this year.
“If President Trump increases tariffs and this is my personal opinion, I don’t speak on behalf of COTF (Council of the Federation), we need to make sure we match tariff-by-tariff and dollar-for-dollar and hit him (Trump) back as hard as we possibly can,” Ford said. “There is one thing President Trump understands. It is strength. He doesn’t understand or appreciate weakness. He will roll over us like a cement roller if you show an ounce of weakness with the president in my opinion.”
“Donald Trump is very, very hard to deal with just because it is so fluid, it is constantly moving but we have a strong plan moving forward and let’s see what happens on Aug. 1,” he offered.
During his remarks earlier in the day, Ford stressed that it was his “personal opinion” that Canada should increase tariffs on the United States should no trade deal be reached by Aug. 1 and the higher 35 per cent levy on many goods take effect.
Ford said that while the premiers are all “hoping for the best,” they are also “prepared to do their part” to make sure Trump understands the importance of the trading relationship with Canada.
“When he (Trump) goes out there and says ‘I don’t need Canada’ well I guess he doesn’t need (Alberta) Premier (Danielle) Smith’s oil or (Saskatchewan) Premier (Scott) Moe’s potash or uranium or Ontario’s high-grade nickel,” Ford said. “These are just a fraction of the items where he needs us.”
Ford then added that he is committed to “onshoring everything we possibly can” in Ontario amid the trade uncertainty,” arguing that Ontario needs to send “a strong message” that “we don’t have to take a back seat to anyone in the world and we sure the heck don’t need to take a back seat to President Trump.”
“I am speaking for Ontario. We need to start producing (steel) I-beams here in Ontario. Toronto and the GTA has more cranes in the sky in a slow construction period than the top 10 cities in the U.S. and what do those cranes do, they carry U.S. I-beams or rebar,” he said. “Before this happened I didn’t realize we don’t make rebar or I-beams here but we are going to start making I-beams.”
https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/he-will-roll-over-us-like-a-cement-truck-doug-ford-says-canada-must-be-prepared-to-match-trumps-35-per-cent-tariff/
Toronto and the GTA has more cranes in the sky in a slow construction period than the top 10 cities in the U.S.
Adding to an already crushing glut.
Before this happened I didn’t realize we don’t make rebar
What kind of two bit operation is Canada? No rebar? Heck, the Mexicans have been making their own rebar for decades.
OH NOOOOOOOOOO. first Ozzy now Hulk:
https://www.tmz.com/2025/07/24/hulk-hogan-dead/
ICE raids second south Alabama school construction site, 11 arrested
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Federal officials arrested 11 construction workers Wednesday morning at the site of the new Loxley Elementary School in Baldwin County, marking the second immigration enforcement action at a public school construction site in south Alabama in less than a month.
The Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force made the arrests, according to a social media post on the FBI – Mobile’s Facebook page. The elementary school is expected to be completed in fall 2026.
Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler said in a statement the district is cooperating with federal investigators.
“Our contracts with our construction projects require compliance with federal law,” Tyler wrote. “At this time, we have no indication of any wrongdoing. We remain committed to transparency and accountability in all of our operations.”
Sharpe, Inc. is the general contractor on the Loxley Elementary School project, according to school officials. A message left for Sharpe Wednesday afternoon was not returned.
This is the second school construction site in south Alabama where ICE officials have made arrests in the past month. The first raid occurred on June 24, when federal officials arrested 36 people working at the Gulf Shores High School construction site. The FBI later confirmed that 20 of those arrested had a criminal history.
The general contractor on the Gulf Shores project, Rabren General Contractors, later told 1819 News the company was sorry for what happened.
“We have all of our subcontractors and trade partners sign immigration affidavits, but obviously, that is not enough to abide by all the laws of our great country. So, Rabren needs to do some things differently,” president and CEO Matt Rabren told the outlet in June.
School officials say they rely on contractors and subcontractors to follow federal and state employment law when hiring.
“Our superintendents are signing construction contracts, and we’re following state law and federal law,” School Superintendents of Alabama Executive Director Ryan Hollingsworth told Alabama Daily News.
Hollingsworth said superintendents expect general contractors — or subcontractors they hire — to ensure compliance with federal employment law.
State Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, said responsibility for compliance ultimately lies with the public entity.
“After the recent high-profile ICE actions on public construction sites, and regardless of where your contract assigns responsibility for ensuring compliance with federal immigration requirements, if you’re a public entity, you need to make sure your site is in compliance from here on out,” Elliott said. “The first couple may have been honest mistakes, but that’s not going to be a successful message moving forward. We overwhelmingly elected President Trump and he’s serious about deporting illegal aliens.”
https://aldailynews.com/ice-raids-second-south-alabama-school-construction-site-11-arrested/
“We have all of our subcontractors and trade partners sign immigration affidavits”
Is that a joke?
If you can hear the sh*tty tuba circus music, go arrest and deport them.
Playing sh*tty um-pah-pah music in public should be grounds for deportation on general principle.
ICE arrests two men during Emerald Coast Lawns raid in Navarre
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested two men during a raid in Navarre on July 22 at a lawn care business.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported agents arrested 36-year-old Crescencio Diaz-Diaz and 33-year-old Marcelo Perez-Santiz after raiding Emerald Coast Lawns.
“During the search, agents seized a fraudulent permanent resident card … and Social Security card bearing Diaz-Diaz’s name and photograph but another person’s identifying information, which Diaz-Diaz allegedly admitted he presented to Emerald Coast Lawns in order to gain employment,” a U.S. Attorney’s Office release said.
Diaz-Diaz is charged with possession and use of fraudulent employment authorization documents and illegal reentry of a removed alien. Perez-Santiz is charged only with illegal reentry of a removed alien, according to the release.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Diaz-Diaz was previously deported to Mexico in 2020. Perez-Santiz has allegedly been deported three different times in 2012.
Both face up to two years for their illegal reentry charge along with a $250,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
https://www.pnj.com/story/news/crime/2025/07/24/ice-raids-navarre-lawncare-business-and-arrests-two-men/85355250007/
Both face up to two years
There you go!
ICE announces arrest of more than 200 immigrants in 9-day operation across Denver metro
DENVER — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday announced it had arrested more than 200 immigrants during a 9-day operation that spanned the Denver metro area.
Between July 12 and July 20, the agency said it arrested 243 people who are “currently charged with or have been convicted of criminal offenses after illegally entering the United States.” Of those, 50 are reportedly subject to removal orders.
“This operation highlights our unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities,” said Robert Guadian, director of enforcement and removal operations for ICE’s Denver field office, in a statement. “By partnering with federal agencies, we have successfully apprehended individuals who pose a significant threat to public safety. We will continue to work diligently to combat crime and uphold the rule of law. Many of the criminal aliens ICE arrested during this operation had been previously released into the Denver metro area by local county jails — directly into the community — because of Colorado’s sanctuary laws that prevent Sheriffs from cooperating with ICE.”
In its announcement, ICE provided an “at-a-glance criminality,” outlining the number of people arrested for certain crimes:
DUI: 17
Theft (including burglary, robbery and motor vehicle theft): 8
Assault (including aggravated assault and domestic violence): 13
Drug offenses (including distribution of fentanyl): 9
Sex offenses (including sex assault and sexual exploitation of a minor): 5
Homicide (including murder and vehicular manslaughter): 2
Human trafficking: 1
Other crimes included “criminal impersonation, carrying a concealed weapon, false reporting, child cruelty, intimidation, hit-and-run, illegal entry and illegal reentry,” according to ICE
The agency said some of the people arrested are suspected or current members of gangs, including Los Zetas (1), Tren de Aragua (4), the Sinaloa Cartel (1) and “other organizations” (3).
https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/ice-announces-arrest-of-more-than-200-undocumented-immigrants-in-9-day-operation-across-denver-metro
Mayor Johnston wants these people in Denver.
Not enough. We need to be nabbing 10x this number. Maybe things will speed up better when we stop “dismissing” asylum cases and finally get the money cut off.
Suspect in Paramount immigration raid assault arrested at US-Mexico border
PARAMOUNT, Calif. (KABC) — The man who was caught on video throwing rocks at federal agents last month in Paramount has been arrested, authorities said.
The FBI said Elpidio Reyna, 39, of Compton was taken into custody Wednesday morning at the U.S.-Mexican border after negotiating his surrender.
Reyna reportedly fled to Mexico after the alleged assault on June 7, which was right when the immigration raids began in Los Angeles. He’s accused of injuring a federal official while damaging law enforcement vehicles on Alondra Boulevard.
The publicity led to Reyna’s arrest in the Mexican state of Sinaloa.
After agreeing to surrender, Reyna was arrested by FBI agents at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in San Diego County.
Reyna was taken to Los Angeles, where he was due to appear before a U.S. magistrate on Wednesday.
https://abc7.com/post/suspect-paramount-immigration-raid-assault-arrested-us-mexico-border/17267881/
Investigators: Man arrested by ICE in Albertville restaurant connected to illegal DMV operation in New York
ALBERTVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – An investigation into an alleged Chinese national and former employee of Chow King in Albertville, Xu Feng, is crossing state lines.
Feng, wanted on felony fraud charges in New York, was arrested last week after Homeland Security agents told Marshall County deputies he was working at the popular Albertville restaurant.
ICE agents determined that Feng, along with six of his coworkers, is here in the U.S. illegally. Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims says Feng fled to Alabama following his connection with a fraudulent driving school in New York called T&E.
“T&E utilized social media and strategic advertising to target exploited members of the Chinese community, and guaranteed individuals driver’s licenses regardless of their immigration status, language, and even their ability to operate a vehicle,” George Ioannidis, of Homeland Security Investigations, said.
Operation “Road Test” revealed, in exchange for cash, the Queens-based driving school would provide you with a real New York driver’s license.
Feng’s connection to the driving school, as well as how long he has been in Albertville, is still unclear at this time, but investigators from the Richmond, New York DA’s office tell WAFF 48 that members of the organization would take driving tests for clients, even with DMV employees being paid off.
Officials say this has resulted in numerous people in New York, sometimes undocumented immigrants, with driver’s licenses.
“Countless individuals are now driving on our roads without ever having demonstrated the basic skills necessary to do it safely,” Richmond County DA Michael McMahon said.
Investigators say 14 individuals were indicted in the operation, including Feng, and three DMV employees from Queens. Feng is now awaiting extradition to New York.
https://www.waff.com/2025/07/24/investigators-man-arrested-by-ice-albertville-restaurant-connected-illegal-dmv-operation-new-york/
“Countless individuals are now driving on our roads without ever having demonstrated the basic skills necessary to do it safely”
Muh Resistance wants this.
And here I thought they were only targeting brown people. I guess not. Now let’s go after some Irish visa-overstays, if only for the engagement on X.
ICE Nabs Indian Citizen With History Of Crime In America
SEATTLE, WA — Manjot Singh, a 25-year-old Indian citizen with a lengthy criminal record in the US, has been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Singh’s prior arrests, totaling at least six, include charges such as robbery, theft, DUI and criminal impersonation.
The arrest was the result of a coordinated operation between ICE, Homeland Security Investigations in Seattle, and U.S. Border Patrol. Singh is currently held in ICE detention pending deportation proceedings, reflecting the agency’s ongoing efforts to remove individuals with repeated criminal offenses from the country.
In a statement posted on X, ICE confirmed: “Manjot Singh, 25, is an Indian citizen with a history of multiple arrests by local law enforcement, including robbery, theft, DUI, and criminal impersonation. He remains in ICE custody awaiting removal.”
Rosario Pete Vasquez, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Blaine Sector in Washington, also posted on social media that Singh had been residing in the United States unlawfully prior to his arrest.
https://indiawest.com/ice-nabs-indian-citizen-with-history-of-crime-in-america/
Illegal Alien Busted for DUI Is Arrested by ICE, House Dem Calls It an ‘Abduction’
When federal immigration agents took an illegal immigrant into custody outside Consuelo’s Taqueria in Manchester this week, they considered it a simple arrest.
But to one New Hampshire House Democrat, it was something entirely different: an “abduction.”
“I was horrified by the video of ICE agents abducting a man outside Manchester District Court,” state Rep. Heath Howard (D-Strafford) wrote on Twitter/X, “This inhumane treatment must stop.”
Howard was responding to a video posted on social media showing Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents quietly taking a cooperative suspect into custody. The suspect has since been identified as Jose Davila, a Peruvian national who had been arrested on drunk driving charges.
The incident, reportedly filmed by a local progressive activist, shows ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations agents detaining a man outside the courthouse. The person behind the camera asks for his name and where he’s originally from.
The video was later shared on Facebook by Sebastian Fuentes, Political Director of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. (He has since restricted who can access the video.)
“ICE is taking people right here in NH,” Fuentes wrote. MANCHESTER is not an exception. Jose Davila from Peru. He has a family, loved ones waiting for him.”
Whether those loved ones are in New Hampshire or Peru, Fuentes did not make clear.
Several members of law enforcement reached out to NHJournal on background to point out Howard’s post and his use of the word “abduction” to describe a lawful arrest.
“American citizens get arrested every day; are they all being ‘kidnapped’ by law enforcement?” one complained.
GOP state Sen. Victoria Sullivan, who represents Manchester, also objected to the Strafford Democrat’s comments.
“I watched the video. The officers involved were calm and respectful when carrying out their duties,” Sullivan said. “I would ask if they consider any person being handcuffed and taken to jail ‘abducted?’ Because that was the process I saw.”
Sullivan’s fellow state senator, Daryl Abbas (R- Salem), says Howard’s comments left him confused.
“The term ‘abduction’ is used when a person is kidnapped. I don’t even understand what Democrats are advocating for,” Abbas said. “They want to live in a country that doesn’t enforce its own laws.”
State Rep. Joe Sweeney (R-Salem) serves with Howard in the House.
“Let’s be clear — ICE didn’t ‘abduct’ anyone. When someone is charged with drunk driving and is in this country illegally, they’ve broken multiple laws,” Sweeney said. “If someone drives drunk, endangering families and children in our communities, and they’re here illegally, I expect law enforcement to act, and they did.”
Asked by NHJournal why he considered Monday’s arrest an “abduction” and how it is different from arrests of American citizens, Howard declined to respond. Fuentes also declined to respond to a request for comment.
Polls show the majority of voters back the GOP’s position on illegal immigration enforcement. Results from a CBS News poll released in June found Americans solidly support Trump’s policy of deporting illegal aliens, 54 to 46 percent.
Meanwhile, an NHJournal/Praecones Analytica survey released earlier this month found a plurality of Granite Staters support the state’s new ban on sanctuary city policies (42 to 20 percent).
“This is exactly the kind of cooperation I envisioned,” said Rep. Ross Berry (R-Weare), who helped push through the sanctuary city ban.
“When someone is charged with a crime or is in this country illegally, law enforcement agencies should be working together to uphold the law, not ignoring each other. The message should be crystal clear: If you’re in this country illegally, New Hampshire is not your safe haven. We will cooperate with ICE and work to remove you,” Berry added.
“If you’re looking for a state that will turn a blind eye, try Massachusetts – they’ll welcome you with open arms.”
https://nhjournal.com/illegal-alien-busted-for-dui-is-arrested-by-ice-house-dem-calls-it-an-abduction/
“If you’re looking for a state that will turn a blind eye, try Massachusetts”
Vote Blue No Matter Who!
ICE agents nab ‘depraved criminal’ off NYC streets
NEW YORK (PIX11) — United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested a man in New York City on Wednesday who they claim is a criminal illegal alien from Honduras.
The man, whom the Department of Homeland Security has identified as Jorge Alberto Mejia Herrera, had been previously convicted of sex acts on a child, officials say.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin sent the following statement to PIX11 News:
“On July 22, ICE arrested Jorge Alberto Mejia Herrera, a criminal illegal alien from Honduras. This depraved criminal illegal alien, was previously convicted in New York for forcible sexual conduct and two or more sexual acts on a child. On May 10, the NYPD released Herrera under the city’s disastrous sanctuary policies. Thanks to our brave ICE law enforcement, this sicko is off the streets and will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”
https://pix11.com/news/local-news/ice-agents-nab-depraved-criminal-off-nyc-streets/
“previously convicted of sex acts on a child”
If Heels Up Harris got installed in the White House, they’d be awarding this guy with a medal.
William Kristol wants Whitey dead, and a million more of these chomos imported into the country.
Immigration arrests in California soar under second Trump term
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Last week’s operation at a Sacramento Home Depot appeared to open the door for immigration officials to escalate the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation scheme in Northern California, which until recently had largely escaped the White House’s focus on the South State.
Trump’s growing popularity in California, and his administration’s approach of challenging, if not outright ignoring, existing immigration policies have motivated the administration to hit the Golden State harder than it did the first time Trump took over the White House.
“Trump has become more emboldened,” said Manuel Barajas, a Sacramento State sociology professor, comparing Trump’s first administration to his second. This time around, he has amplified his powers in Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court. Barajas described President Trump’s style as “cruel theatrics” that “play to his base’s anger.”
In June 2024, ICE data showed 412 arrests across California. One year later, that number increased more than five times in June 2025 with 2,527 arrests — a 513.3% increase. Data from May 2024 showed 531 arrests statewide while May 2025 data showed 1,173 arrests — a 120.9% increase.
Anthony Rendon, the Democratic state Assembly Speaker during Trump’s first term, said he did not expect the administration to continue abiding by court decisions limiting their conduct.
“I’m often surprised that Trump even pays attention to court rulings. It’s shocking to me, and I don’t think it’ll last much longer,” he said. “I think the idea of traditional protections and separation of powers and balance of powers, and the sort of Republican ideals of a republic comprised of individual states, I think all that, to an extent, is out the window.”
Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol chief agent who led the Sacramento raid, said in a video that his agency would continue to “secure the homeland” and defy state laws protecting immigrants from deportation, because there was “no such thing as sanctuary.”
Almost half of the people targeted for arrest in 2025 either have only pending criminal charges or were arrested based on “other immigration violators.” Some 52.6% of California arrests in 2025 involved those with a criminal conviction, according to data.
That matters little to officials targeting people for arrest, according to Xavier Becerra, the former state Attorney General now running for governor. Federal law enforcement has now essentially “acquiesced to the Trump campaign to do deportations,” he said. “Justice is coming too late for a lot of folks.”
Bovino blamed a 2017 law limiting the state’s cooperation with federal immigration officials for allowing “aggravated felons, child rapists, standing in front of big box stores, walking our streets with impunity” in an interview with Fox 11.
Barajas, the Sac State professor, said that while immigration in California has spiked in recent years, the underlying reason is not solely the political tensions between the president and California’s governor.
“[California] is being targeted, not just because of Gavin Newsom,” he said. “But California is the wealthiest state in the nation … and they’re seeing the demographic changes, and in their minds, it’s a threat to see California becoming more diversified.”
When it comes to immigration enforcement, Barajas believes that anti-immigration actions have been on the rise for the past several decades. “It doesn’t matter who’s president. The nation has always been less welcoming to those who are more distant from the hierarchies — white, male, middle class, upper class.”
Despite immigration being an ongoing focus across presidential administrations, from Obama to Biden to Trump, he pointed to the Trump administration’s particularly dramatic approach. “The other ones were probably being more anti-immigrant, but they were not making a show out of it.”
Roger Salazar, a California Democratic strategist, said the administration had “learned a lesson” from their last term, when they had adhered to legal norms, like respecting court decisions.
“I think what the Trump administration is doing this time is saying, ‘Look, we don’t care. We’re going to push the boundaries,’” he said. “Whether they reach the legal limit or go beyond it, ‘We’re going to push beyond it or go as hard as we can, and we’ll see who stops us.’”
Part of what has emboldened Trump is the increase in support he has received not just from a national electorate shifting to the right, but also from within the Golden State itself.
In addition to help from Bovino, Trump appointees and fellow MAGA devotees Harmeet Dhillon and Bill Essayli have used their perches within the Department of Justice to initiate investigations into state agencies and policies.
Essayli, a former state lawmaker turned Los Angeles federal prosecutor, and Dhillon, a former conservative San Francisco attorney who now leads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, sued California earlier this month over a decade-old state law allowing transgender athletes to participate in school sports.
Both have cheered the administration’s increased immigration raids, both in Los Angeles and statewide. Essayli said last week that local sheriffs had “no choice” in complying with DOJ officials’ request that sheriffs transfer migrants detained in local jails: “This is a good thing.”
Given California’s limited options in combating federal power, Rendon said any opposition has to be “grassroots” at the local level. “I went to one protest. I saw politicians standing up on stage and giving speeches, and I left. I mean, that’s not what we need at this point. It has to be people engaging in civil disobedience,” he said. “It has to be people not adhering to what masked paramilitary fascists are telling them to do. It’s 1789 now. I think it’s at that level now.”
https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/state-and-regional/immigration-arrests-in-california-soar-under-second-trump-term/article_5229edaa-c3b7-44bc-95c9-1033f480d9e8.html
‘But California is the wealthiest state in the nation’
This sh$thole is the poorest state in the union and has been for over 20 years.
Barajas described President Trump’s style as “cruel theatrics” that “play to his base’s anger.”
Gee, maybe if you guys hadn’t installed a conveyor belt at the border and brought in over 10 million unvetted foreigners, then maybe there wouldn’t be an “angry base”. But no, you had to see how far you could push it and now you are complaining about a backlash, a “backlash” that is only demanding that current laws be enforced.
I went to one protest. I saw politicians standing up on stage and giving speeches, and I left. I mean, that’s not what we need at this point. It has to be people engaging in civil disobedience
Without rent-a-mobs I don’t see any form of “civil disobedience” in California.
Another example of Californian stupidity. What will tearing up something or gluing yer hand to the road accomplish? Here’s what you do: elect a president and congress that will open the borders and let them stay. But I don’t think people are in the mood for anymore of that.
“It’s 1789 now. I think it’s at that level now.”
As Jason Aldean sang: try that in a small town, because FAFO.
During the Mostly Peaceful Protests, the Soros Scum brought their road show to Ft. Collins, CO, presumably because of the “progressives” in City Hall. However, when they ventured into the suburbs, they found out in a hurry that FAFO was a thing once they didn’t have top cover from “woke” police & Soros DAs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpWjm0jbBqw
What a pleasure to watch.
his administration’s approach of challenging, if not outright ignoring, existing immigration policies
The “existing” immigration policies are now HIS immigration policies, ya globalist roob. And what he is really doing is ignoring the ignoring, so to speak.
legal norms, like respecting court decisions.
Which decisions? The decisions of those judges who “dismiss” cases at yearly check-ins? Or the court decisions of the SUPREME court?
National crackdown on illegal immigration hits closer to home with raids across Gulf Coast
PENSACOLA, Fla. — Nationwide immigration enforcement officers are on the lookout for undocumented immigrants.
Now, the crackdown is hitting closer to home. Tuesday, WEAR News told you about an ICE raid at a lawn care company in Navarre.
Wednesday morning a new elementary school in Loxley on County Road 64 is the latest site of an ICE raid along the Gulf Coast.
Officers arrived to the scene in unmarked cars, detaining 11 people at the school. Worker Irv Ballonoff says his fellow employees tried to escape before being taken into custody.
“They start running out to the fields. But then the four wheelers came out into the fields, and people are running out in the fields,” Ballonoff said. “And they start running back to the school, but that’s the only place they can hide. Start jumping in the roofs. They’re climbing around in the attics and stuff.”
Baldwin County Public Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler shared a statement saying the school district is working with federal investigators.
“We have no indication of any wrongdoing,” said Tyler. “We remain committed to transparency and accountability in all of our operations.”
Sheriff Bob Johnson says at least two of the people detained are now in the Santa Rosa County Jail.
“When ICE brings them to us, we hold them for ICE,” Johnson said. “And then I imagine what will happen is they’ll have their day in federal court in Pensacola. And then they’ll determine what they’re gonna do with them after that.”
“It’s the federal government, so you know, you just don’t know,” he said. “It could be really quick or it could take a while.”
Johnson says there are a total of three inmates under ICE holds. He says the county jail also houses federal prisoners. He says an increase in ICE inmates could put the jail at capacity.
“We have a total of 802 beds and right now we’re at like 672, so that’s not a lot of space left,” said Johnson. “So depending on how much ICE does in the area, we’ll get to the point where we’re going to be full in the future.”
https://mynbc15.com/news/local/national-crackdown-on-illegal-immigration-hits-closer-to-home-with-raids-across-gulf-coast
‘They start running out to the fields. But then the four wheelers came out into the fields, and people are running out in the fields’
I wish they had some video of that!
Susan Shelley: The unintended consequences of ‘sanctuary’
Last week, ABC News’ Martha Raddatz interviewed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and asked her, “When you look at the raids and the deportations, just tell me who you think should be deported. Is it just people who have been convicted of crimes? You have, what, almost a million undocumented workers in Los Angeles? What should happen to those people?”
For reference, the population of the city of Los Angeles is about 3.8 million. So that would mean the undocumented workforce is equivalent to one-fourth of the population.
Mayor Bass answered Raddatz’s question by first erasing the distinction between legal and illegal immigration. “We are a city of immigrants, we have entire sectors of our economy that are dependent on immigrant labor,” she said. “We have to get the fire areas rebuilt. We are not going to get our city rebuilt without immigrant labor.” Then she talked about “the fear that sets in when raids occur, when people are snatched off the street.”
Los Angeles is a “sanctuary city” and the Department of Homeland Security has vowed to prioritize “sanctuary cities” for enforcement. “Border czar” Tom Homan has repeatedly made the point that if cities and counties refuse to allow federal officers in their jails to take custody of illegal immigrants who have ICE detainers or removal orders, then federal officers will have to go out into the community to arrest them, putting many other people at risk.
It’s the “sanctuary” laws, state and local, that are responsible for the “raids” and fear that people will be “snatched off the street.” Who voted for laws that protect criminals from law enforcement, and why?
In the beginning, there was Special Order 40, an LAPD policy signed by Police Chief Daryl Gates in November 1979. The order stated that “undocumented alien status in itself” was “not a matter for police action.” It cited the need for “a high degree of cooperation” from “substantial numbers of people from different ethnic and sociological backgrounds migrating to this City.” Because of their status, the order said, undocumented immigrants were “often more vulnerable to victimization.” The purpose of the policy was to ensure that victims and witnesses were not afraid to talk to the police, not to shield criminals from federal law enforcement officers.
Six years later, in November 1985, then-City Councilman Mike Woo backed a sanctuary city resolution that would codify and extend the protection beyond an LAPD policy to all city departments. Although it applied only to refugees, the measure was fiercely opposed. It squeaked to passage, 8-6.
Two months later, with City Councilman Ernani Bernardi planning a city ballot measure to let voters decide the issue, the City Council voted 11-1 to repeal the sanctuary resolution and then voted unanimously to approve essentially the same measure, but without the word “sanctuary.”
Later that year, President Reagan signed a new law that extended amnesty to many undocumented immigrants and also required tighter border security. The border security didn’t happen, and eight years later, 59 percent of California voters said “Yes” to Proposition 187, denying non-emergency public services to undocumented immigrants. It was later overturned by a federal district court.
By 2016, a first-time candidate was filling arenas by giving speeches in which he promised to build a wall on the southern border.
Soon after President Donald Trump was sworn into office, California enacted the California Values Act of 2017, enshrining “sanctuary” policies in state law. In February 2019, the Los Angeles City Council passed a new resolution declaring L.A. to be a “sanctuary city.” And when President Trump was elected the second time in November 2024, the City Council immediately adopted another “sanctuary” ordinance that prohibited city personnel or resources from being used to help enforce immigration law.
Now the mayor of Los Angeles says the city can’t function without an illegal immigrant workforce, and criminals are being released from incarceration into the community under “sanctuary” laws.
The immigration and refugee policies of the 1970s and 1980s were tangled up with Cold War politics. Today, “sanctuary” is a pillar of domestic politics. But one thing remains constant: when voters have been asked, they have not agreed to it.
https://www.dailynews.com/2025/07/23/susan-shelley-the-unintended-consequences-of-sanctuary-policies/
“The border security didn’t happen”
GOP Chambers of Commerce made sure it didn’t. Start arresting the EMPLOYERS and confiscate all their assets.
Going after employers & the people who rent to illegals would be far more effective than building a wall they can go over, under, or through. Only one state, Idaho, criminalizes renting to illegals, and that law was passed only this year.
It’s federal law, and it’s been in affect for a long time, they just ignore it.
They don’t even have to pass a law, they just have to enforce it.
‘Let’s be clear — ICE didn’t ‘abduct’ anyone. When someone is charged with drunk driving and is in this country illegally, they’ve broken multiple laws’
10,000 people die in the US every year because of drunk drivers.
ICE needs to fast-track the deportation of any illegals caught driving under the influence or without insurance.
Meanwhile, the hits keep coming.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/23/weekly-mortgage-application-volume.html
Would You Spot The Difference? (York Region Real Estate Market Update)
Team Sessa Real Estate
22 minutes ago VAUGHAN
In this episode, we discuss how two similar renovations could be vastly different and it’s important to know what you’re looking at because you could be paying a premium for lesser quality. We also look at the current Vaughan Home Prices, Richmond Hill Home Prices & Markham Home Prices and real estate market trends for the week ending July 16, 2025.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NELXmzvFo-M
10:27.
‘This is such a large community, we have the opportunity to really scale up and build more homes. And so that’s what we had projected. But what we found was that we didn’t have the same kind of applicant uptick that we expected. We expected that folks working in Ave Maria, folks working in Immokalee, working on Marco Island, would really see this as a great opportunity’
Wa happened to my shortage Lisa?
That payout is now frozen by their mortgage company, pending resolution. FOX 13’s Craig Patrick asked the Kvockas why they don’t just sell. Nicholle responded, ‘Our neighbors are selling for less than we owe. We can’t afford to rebuild’
It was still cheaper than renting Nicholle.
China’s Real Estate Bubble not only Burst It Full on COLLAPSED!
China Fact Chasers
8 hours ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk601r_UsqQ
17 minutes. Blowing up brand new towers.
Home prices “are hitting all-time highs, but sales are stuck at the cyclical low levels, [and] we believe it is due to elevated mortgage rates,” Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors, said in a press call Wednesday. “Housing demand at the current pace is not picking up,” Yun said. “We have 7 million more Americans working. … That should imply higher demand,” he said. However, sales activity remains low, highlighting the persistent affordability crisis.’
All Time High Larry.
‘She points to one Riverdale house which sold around the $3-million mark roughly three years ago. The same house just changed hands again for $2.5-million’
A mighty a$$ pounding.
‘So, there are actually owners who have bought apartments 10 years ago who will not make a profit if they sell now. It’s probably never been more affordable to buy an apartment’
Example 10,000 of this shithole saying it’s red hotcakes everywhere, except those poor bashtards.
Tulsi Gabbard Responds To James Clapper’s Denial
Tulsi Gabbard
59 minutes ago
Tulsi Gabbard Responds To James Clapper’s Denial.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vVKPdrS1hY
9:20.