Louise

The biggest risks remain technical execution timelines, regulatory approval for global operations, capital intensity, and whether real customer demand will match these optimistic growth rates

Florida has way more active new construction and a ton of investor/2nd home inventory. Remove condos and new builds, and the picture changes

@JamesP728 This amount of money is clearly not enough to buy BTC, buying ETH would be a better option, as ETH is currently at a low price

So I have just over £40k in my Cash ISA, this is money I have saved up for a house deposit The likelihood is I won’t be buying a house for 1-2 years so…. Do I invest this money or leave it sitting as cash? All feedback welcome, thanks!

@Jassmini2 Two children scribbled all over our front door with chalk, and they created some really great artwork that was easy to clean up. And yet you posted such a long post accusing them? You're truly pathetic

This policy sounds nice for 'protecting children,' but will it actually work? Kids will just use VPNs and jump to unregulated apps. You should be more concerned about deporting those immigrants and giving real criminals proper sentences

Overall, I had a great weekend

Leverage in real estate amplifies returns but requires positive cash flow after debt service, taxes, maintenance, and voids. In supply constrained markets with population inflows, rental demand supports coverage ratios above 1.2x. However, rising rates or regulatory changes can erode margins. Key fundamentals: select properties where market rents exceed 1.5% monthly of purchase price post expenses, maintain 20-30% equity buffer, and focus on locations with employment growth and limited new supply. Tenant payments build equity over time, but vacancy, repairs, and interest rate resets must be stress-tested for 2-3% higher rates. Long term compounding works when net operating income grows with inflation and demographics

@REIMakayla The 70% rule is non negotiable. Buy at the right price or you're just working for minimum wage with massive headaches. Agent commissions and holding costs kill most flips

HGTV said you can make $80,000 flipping a house They left out $37,000 in costs they never show on camera Every episode: buy for $150,000, renovate for $50,000, sell for $280,000, "profit: $80,000!!!" Everyone at home does the math on their couch and thinks they should quit their job I've flipped 80+ houses. That math is a lie. Not an exaggeration. A lie Here's what a flip actually costs that HGTV will never put on a chyron because it would ruin the fantasy: AGENT COMMISSION: 5-6% of sale price. On a $280,000 sale that's $14,000-$16,800. This is the biggest cost they never mention. You're paying someone $16,000 to list your house on a website and hold 3 open houses. Unless you sell it yourself (FSBO), which has its own costs and headaches, this money is gone CLOSING COSTS ON THE PURCHASE: 1-3%. Title insurance, attorney fees, recording fees, transfer taxes. On a $150,000 purchase that's $1,500-$4,500 CLOSING COSTS ON THE SALE: 1-2%. More title fees, more transfer taxes, more attorney fees. Another $2,800-$5,600 on a $280,000 sale HOLDING COSTS: The entire time you own the property and can't sell it, you're paying property taxes, homeowners insurance, utilities, lawn care, and loan interest. For a 4-month renovation on a $150,000 house that's $6,000-$10,000. Longer renovations = higher costs. Unexpected delays = bleeding money every day THE SURPRISE BEHIND THE WALL: every flip has at least one. Mold behind the shower tile. Knob-and-tube wiring that has to be replaced. A joist somebody cut for plumbing that's now sagging. Water damage under the subfloor you couldn't see until you pulled up the carpet. Budget 15-20% over your renovation estimate or you'll run out of money before you finish. On a $50,000 renovation that's $7,500-$10,000 in surprises PERMITS: $500-$3,000 depending on scope and municipality Now let's redo the HGTV math with real numbers: Purchase: $150,000 Renovation budget: $50,000 Renovation surprises (15%): $7,500 Closing costs to buy: $3,000 Holding costs (4 months): $8,000 Closing costs to sell: $4,200 Agent commission: $16,800 Total actual cost: $239,500 Sale price: $280,000 Actual profit: $40,500 Not $80,000. $40,500. Half of what they said And that's if NOTHING else goes wrong. No contractor delays. No permit issues. No buyer's inspection killing the deal at the last minute. No market shift during the 4 months you're holding. No second round of surprises after you open the second bathroom wall If the renovation takes 6 months instead of 4, your holding costs jump to $12,000-$15,000. Profit drops to $35,000. If the surprises are worse than expected and renovation hits $65,000 instead of $57,500, profit drops to $28,000. If the market softens 3% during your hold period and you sell for $272,000 instead of $280,000, you're at $20,000 profit on 6 months of work $20,000 for 6 months of managing contractors, visiting the jobsite every other day, dealing with permits, sweating over the appraisal, staging the house, negotiating with buyers, and waking up at 3am wondering if the foundation inspector missed something That's $3,333 per month before taxes. After self-employment tax and income tax, you're clearing about $13,000. Many full-time jobs pay more with less stress and a dental plan I'm not saying don't flip houses. I flip 35 a year. I love it. But I make money because I buy at 60-65% of after-repair value, I stick to cosmetic renovations, I know my exact costs on every line item, and I've done it enough times to know what $4,200 in paint and $6,800 in flooring buys me at appraisal time The people who lose money flipping houses aren't unlucky. They watched HGTV, ran the fake math, bought a house at 85% of ARV, and discovered the real cost structure after they were already in too deep to walk away The 70% rule: don't pay more than 70% of after-repair value minus repair costs. If a house will be worth $280,000 after renovation and the reno costs $50,000, your max purchase price is ($280,000 x 0.70) - $50,000 = $146,000. Not $150,000. Not "close enough." $146,000 or you walk Every dollar above that line comes directly out of your profit. The people on HGTV are buying at 80-85% of ARV. That's why they need a TV show. The margins on their deals don't work without the production company subsidizing the renovation budget Stop getting investing advice from a network that also airs Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives

@BoredElonMusk As long as you donate money, you won't be criticized by others

Quick question. What is the absolute richest I can be in America without anyone lecturing me about having too much?

I feel the same anger every time I hear this on TV. Pensioners paid National Insurance for decades, thinking it was their future security, not some optional benefit. Why always attack them first instead of reforming the system for those who’ve never paid in? It’s heartbreaking seeing hardworking older people struggle while money flows elsewhere. We need real change, not more broken promises

Enjoy life, enjoy the weekend! 🥂

@DissentFu Why have you never thought about how to improve your financial plan? Do you think you can get rich just by working?

I am 52 years old. I have been working since I was 15 years old. I have no savings, no retirement, and will never own a home before I die. And there is now a trillionaire.

The numbers are painful when you add up the interest and ongoing costs. Still, compared to renting the same place for 25+ years, at least you end up with an asset you can sell or pass on. In some countries it's much cheaper to own outright, but the UK system definitely favours the banks long term

@itsolelehmann The question is whether those cost savings reach consumers or stay as profits, especially with housing, healthcare, and rent still high. If jobs are automated faster than new ones appear, one paycheck may not solve it

Jeff Bezos just bet $12 billion that you'll be able to support your whole family on a single paycheck again. his reasoning: AI will let companies make more stuff with fewer people and less money. and when something gets cheaper and easier to produce, and lots of companies can do it, they compete and the price drops. it's why a flatscreen TV that cost $2,000 a decade ago is $300 today. bezos thinks AI will do that to almost everything you buy. in his words, it raises "the basket of goods people can afford." your paycheck buys more without anyone handing you a raise. the problem: look at which prices have actually dropped. so far, AI has only made *digital* things cheap, like code and content. but the stuff that really eats your paycheck is *physical*. rent, cars, medicine. cheaper code doesn't lower your rent. that's exactly what bezos just spent $12B on. Prometheus, his new company, is building AI tools that help engineers design and manufacture physical products faster things like cars, machines, and medicine. the goal is to make building physical things as fast and cheap as writing software. if it works, 1 income starts covering what used to take 2. which is when his prediction kicks in: "perhaps one of those earners will choose not to be in the job market, so they'll become a one-earner household." or "some people who are working overtime will stop working overtime, because they don't want to." one paycheck covering a whole family again, like the 1950s.

It's obvious: genuine British small businesses get crushed by HMRC, high business rates, and red tape. These shops thrive because they're not really running on customer revenue, they're cleaning criminal cash. The government cracks down hard on honest entrepreneurs but turns a blind eye here. Time to enforce the rules equally

Can someone explain to me: How are all these barber, vape, tourist tat shops managing to pay: Corporation tax Business rates prime location retail rent Despite having less than five customers a day? Make it make sense.

Two hearts, one beautiful promise by the sea Watching you say “I do” under that breathtaking canopy of flowers was unforgettable. May your love grow deeper with every passing year

As a Czech who has lived in the UK for many years, I see both sides clearly. The UK state pension is indeed one of the lowest in Western Europe, around £12,500 a year feels very modest, especially after 40–50 years of contributions. In the Czech Republic, the average pension is lower in absolute terms, but the cost of living (especially housing and energy) is also much cheaper, and many pensioners own their flats outright from the old system What surprises me here in Britain is how expensive everything has become while wages and pensions haven’t kept up in real terms. The Triple Lock protects dignity for those who built this country, but I agree with the original post, the real problem is massive government waste, bureaucracy, and failed projects, not pensioners. Cutting support for people who paid in for decades while money disappears elsewhere feels unfair Both countries have ageing populations and pension pressures, but the UK could learn from more balanced continental systems, decent basic pension + strong encouragement for private saving, combined with much tighter control on public spending. Pensioners deserve respect, not to be the first target when the Treasury needs cash

To all Czech fans: don’t be sad, be proud. We scored first against a strong Korea side and showed we belong here One match doesn’t define us. We have heart, quality and history on our side Rest up, recharge, and let’s go smash the next two games! Czechia forever 🇨🇿❤️

If this is your first home and you can afford the payments comfortably, buying now gets you “in the game.” You build equity, lock in today’s rate, and benefit from inflation. Even if values flatten for a few years, you still have a place to live instead of paying rent that only goes up Worst case: you sell in 5-7 years and break even or small loss. Best case: strong appreciation + paid down mortgage

Me da mucho miedo comprar alguna vivienda ahora, fulimnarme 400k y de aquí a 10 años todo explote y resulta que haya palmado 200k más de lo que debería...

I see this as a great opportunity for patient buyers in 2026-2027. Prices are normalizing, inventory is slowly rising, and rates may ease later this year. The best deals will go to those with cash or strong financing who can negotiate motivated sellers