Property Tax

Private properties which are leased are viewed as speculation resources and consequently are charged at a higher rate than proprietor involved properties. 

This duty structure makes the local charge framework more reformist by guaranteeing that higher-esteem properties would be dependent upon higher expense rates. 

The above charge rates apply to non-proprietor involved properties with the exception of those in the avoidance list indicated by IRAS. 

These sorts of properties will keep on being charge at 10% 

Punishment on Late Payment of Property Tax 

In Singapore, charges are expected on the 31st of January consistently and 30 days from the bill date, to settle their assessments. 

Also, in the event that you pay late, there will be a punishment of 5% on the neglected expenses. In any case, you are given the option to request or request the waiver of the late expense waiver. What's more, such might be viewed as when you cover your late expense, or on the off chance that you have been acceptable at paying for as far back as two years. 

In the event that the sum hasn't been settled even with the last notification of installment, the charging foundation may demand the add up to be deducted from your financial balance. This is done through the GIRO installment framework in Singapore or the General Interbank Recurring Order. 

In any case, this is set by the proprietor or payer on the web. 

Duty Exemption 

In Singapore, there are a couple of kinds of properties which are qualified for an expense exclusion. These incorporate, properties which are being utilized as spots of love, magnanimous purposes, for training or tutoring, and those which advance social improvement in the country.

The Antares

However, in the event of some unforeseen issue, do realize that The Antares is for all intents and purposes nearby to two schools: Canossa Convent (155 meters away), and MacPherson Primary (215 meters away). At the point when your youngster grows up, MacPherson Secondary is only 610 meters away (around a six-minute walk). 

Geylang Methodist Primary and Secondary schools are likewise inside the one-kilometer span (around 870 meters); somewhat awfully far to walk, however close enough to assist with enrolment. 

(For families who end up being intrigued, three-bedder units are for the most part around $1.9 million at 1,152 sq. ft.) 

The blended response to The Antares could likewise be on the grounds that the Mattar Road region is described by maturing HDB pads, and there's a conceded absence of… all things considered, imperativeness nearby. Yet, given the city periphery area, it's reasonable for anticipate that rejuvenation efforts should kick in eventually. 

However, set to the side these issues, and what you have is an available condominium close to a MRT station.

Parc Greenwich EC

Parc Greenwich Condo Developer, Frasers Property is a global organization that creates, claims and deals with an assorted land portfolio. It is recorded on SGX Singapore and the Group has more than S$30 billion of resources, covering private, retail, business and business parks in Southeast Asia, Australia, Europe and China. 

Parc Greenwich EC Location. Parc Greenwich is very much associated with the significant street, Yio Chu Kang Road and to the CTE turnpike. You can arrive at both Buangkok and Yio Chu Kang MRT in under 10 min. Or on the other hand you can essentially stroll to Fernvale LRT station. For families, Parc Greenwich will be incredible for your children with the numerous grade schools nearby. You will likewise be directly at the doorstep of Greenwich V shopping center.

One-North Eden

One-North Eden Developer, TID Pte Ltd is a joint venture between Hong Leong Group and Mitsui Fudosan. This is a powerful partnership that bonded Singapore's home-grown MNC, Hong Leong Group and one of Japan's leading real estate companies, Mitsui Fudosan, producing many impressive developments.

One-North Eden Location. One-North Eden is situated very closely to The Star Vista and Rochester Mall. For food choices, you can head to Holland Village Market and Food Centre for delicious and affordable meals. Beside the many local schools in the area, there are also many international schools like Anglo-Chinese International School and Tanglin Trust School.

Build your Real Estate Brand

Building your image in the land field is significant. Do you have an expert logo? How well does your image pass on your message to your customers? Have you felt free to do other significant business related things like setting up your central goal or making a marketable strategy? 

These are immensely significant as they give the premise of your image. Experience and higher top-quality architects on destinations like 99Designs, Logo Bee and others where you can make an expert brand that will help you better appeal to a bigger gathering of people in your segment.

LIV @ MB

LIV @ MB is created on the land space from the en coalition offer of Katong Park Towers. Arranged in the mainstream District 15, LIV @ MB has helpful admittance to a wide exhibit of shopping centers, food outlets, sports offices in Kallang and Marine Parade, for example, Parkland Green, East Coast Park, Parkway Parade, I12 Katong and Kallang Wave. 

LIV @ MB Condo is a 4-min leave the future Katong Park MRT Station (Thomson-East Coast Line) expected to finish in 2023 and 4 prevents away from the Marina Bay Financial Center (MBFC). It is likewise all around connected with significant interstates. It is only a 12 min drive to CBD and a 16 min drive to Changi Airport.

The Atelier Condo

The Atelier is new freehold condo launch in an excellent prime location of District 9. It is right at the doorstep of Newton MRT station which can go into both the North South MRT Line and Downtown MRT line. It is great for children applying to enter primary school, being close to many popular choices.

The Atelier Condo Showroom is at a very strategic location for families looking for popular primary schools. Both Anglo Chinese School (ACS Junior) and St. Joseph’s Institution (SJI Junior) are within 1km. Singapore Chinese Girl's Primary School (SCGS) is also within 2km of The Atelier. You will enjoy maximum convenience for shopping and work too, being able to drive to Orchard in 8 min and to CBD in 15 min.

Provence Residence Condo

Provence Residence is strategically placed between 2 MRT stations. You can stroll to both Canberra MRT and Sembawang MRT. Two shopping centers, Canberra Plaza and Sembawang Shopping Center are likewise inside strolling distance. For kids enrolling for elementary schools, Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School and Sembawang Primary School are close to Provence Residence. 

Provence Residence Condo is new dispatch Executive Condo (EC) intending to dispatch in March 2021. You will be close to the second CBD (Central Business District) in Jurong. The energizing Bukit Canberra, a games and local area center point will be opening before long right at the doorstep of Provence Residence. It will have best in class offices, incorporating a polyclinic, food focus, old consideration community, indoor games corridor and 3km of running ways.

Phoenix Residences Condo

Phoenix Residences Condo is created on the previous site of Phoenix Heights. It is a tranquil area with a great deal of greenery in general. Phoenix Residences is alluringly evaluated, regardless of being close to the MRT station. It is only a short drive from Jurong East District, which will be one of the primary future business zones of Singapore. There are likewise many overhauling projects close by in Choa Chu Kang and Senja, expected to finish by 2022. 

Phoenix Residences Developer, OKP Holdings Limited is a main structural designing and framework improvement organization established in 1966, which have since stretched out into property advancement and speculation. A portion of their past activities are Amber Skye and Lakelife EC, and they are right now building up The Essence in Sembawang. OKP Holdings is recorded on Singapore Exchange since Jul 2002. In August 2010, they likewise made it to Forbes Asia's "Best Under A Billion" list, its yearly positioning of the Top 200 firms in the Asia-Pacific area. 

Phoenix Residences Location. Phoenix Residences has a remarkable area of being in a peaceful and private area but then is inside strolling distance of a MRT station. Bukit Panjang MRT is on the Downtown line which connects straightforwardly to the city and the CBD. You can likewise stroll to a few stores and shopping centers in the territory. There are additionally a lot of essential and optional schools inside 2 km of Phoenix Residences. In the event that you drive, you can arrive at both the CBD and Orchard Shopping Belt in less than 30 min.

Clavon condo

Parents can send their children to reputable schools like Nan Hua High School and ACS (Barker Road) nearby. There are also abundant green spaces in this area for relaxation. Just head to West Coast Park or Singapore Botanics Gardens.

It is also an excellent place for students, from primary all the way to tertiary education. With both Clementi 448 Food Centre and Ayer Rajah Food Centre just round the corner, you will be spolit for food choices.

Clavon is a superb condominium to consider if you want to stay in a popular mature estate like Clementi. It is within walking distance to the MRT station and it is just one MRT station away to Jurong East where it will be the future second CBD. 

Clavon Location. Clavon condo is ideally located to have great connectivity by both public and private transport. You can simply walk to Clementi MRT and connect to the major MRT lines. Driving will be a breeze as well, entering into the expressway, AYE immediately and then into PIE in another 5 min. 

Email Marketing

Online mobile media is an extraordinary method to share accommodating data and associate with real estate customers and individuals in your locale on a more close to home level. Pick a few stages where you can post routinely. You can begin by sharing photographs of properties, giving accommodating tips to purchasers and dealers, and data about your locale. 

Email marketing isn't just about gathering email locations and pushing your administrations. Use email as another road to support connections and offer some benefit to customers. It very well might be best for you to fragment your email list and convey customized content. For instance, the individuals who pursued a first-time home property purchaser's guide can get data focused on the individuals who are as of now hoping to purchase. While the individuals who have just purchased a home with you can get data about network analytics and general mortgage holder tips. This keeps them connected so they'll call or email you again whenever they plan on moving.

Real Estate Mobile marketing

 Did you realize that 65% of Americans own cell phones? Did you realize that 70% of versatile pursuits trigger an activity inside 60 minutes? 

Versatile isn't only the future; it has reformed business. Real Estate Mobile marketing are a key specialized instrument for most purchasers in the US and developing numbers around the world. 

A We Are Social examination shows that half the total populace has a cell phone and there are 9 new cell phone clients added each second. Isn't excessively stunning? 

That is the reason portable promoting is an unquestionable requirement for both online business and physical business visionaries. 

All in all, what is versatile advertising? Focusing on advertising efforts to cell phone clients. On the off chance that you don't do it, get ready to miss out to your rivals. 

Promoters have just gotten on. In 2013, 22.1% of computerized search promotion dollars were spent on versatile. That offer is required to arrive at 59.6% by 2017… and that is only for the US! 

Furthermore, shouldn't something be said about email marketing? As per Marketing Sherpa, versatile email open rates are improving, as the outline underneath shows: 

That makes versatile showcasing a vital strategy to develop your business. The wonderful piece of versatile advertising is that it functions admirably and a few organizations are now sharing their information.

Interest Driven Marketing & Analytics

 The eventual fate of advertising is interest driven marketing

Advanced MARKETING IS INCREASINGLY CROWDED 

In the event that consideration is the new money, there essentially isn't sufficient of it to go around. Navigate rates are in the drain, adblock use is sans developing reach on social isn't free any longer, and natural pursuit traffic is declining. Indeed, even incredible substance advertisers are thinking that its hard to rival the reams of top notch client produced content on the Web. 

It's where a 0.1% change rate is considered "acceptable" in numerous specific situations. 

So, advertisers are being overwhelmed, overlooked, and obstructed. Or on the other hand in any event, they are compelled to pay a high premium for a low volume of snaps. In this serious climate, advertisers must think about new procedures for development. 

With the authentic spotlight on paid and procured media, possessed media has seen moderately little development. Numerous instruments exist to computerize the robotic parts of arriving at your current clients, yet barely any utilization information to improve the probability that any given message will overcome. 

The following period of computerized showcasing will zero in less on paid media reach, where rivalry is high and separation is low, and more on claimed media personalisation, where rivalry is low and separation is high. 

THE OVERLOOKED ADVANTAGES OF OWNED MEDIA 

Assume your companion John messages inquiring as to whether you'd prefer to watch the new Star Wars film tomorrow. You see the email, understood it, and answer in an opportune way. John has recently achieved a troublesome accomplishment in the cutting edge world: he broke through to you. 

He didn't utilize an inventive group, he didn't A/B test, and his spending plan was zero. He didn't edit his duplicate. However his open rate is 100%, his transformation rate is 75%, and he is safe to spam channels and positioning calculations. His opposition is essentially non-existent. 

For what reason is John's promoting system so viable, modest, and apparently easy? He has many things going for him: a solid relationship, authorization to contact you, heaps of (information on who you are personally), and an extraordinary AI calculation (the human mind.) 

In the event that advertisers could copy these "human" points of interest in a claimed media setting, they would be well en route to dispatching a powerful mission. 

"Having customized discussions with every client over various channels is presently an unquestionable requirement." 

— Forbes, 2016 

Premium BASED MARKETING: A DEFINITION 

Premium based advertising is the multi-channel commitment of your clients with independently customized messages and encounters, fueled by large information and keen machines. It obscures the lines between client care and promoting, joining the scope of missions with the customized hint of coordinated collaboration. 

Fundamentally, it must give the client the feeling that: 

they are managing a solitary substance, not a separated assortment of elements, and; 

the substance knows something about them personally, in view of past associations 

It's the email offer that addresses your pastimes and interests, the instant message that welcomes you to an opportune and intriguing occasion, and the client support rep who makes customized suggestions. 

Most organizations try to revenue based promoting, if deliberately, however generally not all have had the option to accomplish it. 

Programming AND DATA MAKES THE BUSINESS CASE WORK 

At the point when advertisers impart inauthentically and as once huge mob, it's typically because of the hidden financial aspects instead of an inclination for spam. 

There are two basic factors that drive the personalisation business case: the size of your client base, and the estimation of every client. Organizations with only a couple clients, or with truly important clients, can bear to customize utilizing human exertion. Independent ventures and extravagance brands are genuine instances of each. 

However, as the quantity of clients develops and the estimation of every client diminishes, the financial aspects abandon quality to amount. Client achievement gets measurable in nature. Retail banks, supermarkets, media communications organizations, and other standard shopper brands will in general fall into this class. 

Luckily, programming and information offer an occasion to bring the superior customized insight of extravagance brands and private ventures to the standard by making it limitlessly less expensive to actualize and robotize. 

Incorporating INTEREST-BASED MARKETING 

A business that needs to exploit revenue based promoting needs a couple of things: 

a current client base 

claimed media channels where they have authorization to connect 

the capacity to recollect singular client activities 

AI to get human-like experiences from those activities 

the capacity to associate the experiences to client contact focuses and crusades 

examination to show how's everything functioning, and improve with time 

Most organizations as of now have set up things 1 through 3: they have clients, they can contact them, and they spare probably a portion of the information. 

In any case, it's the finish that brings the genuine worth: what does this information enlighten me regarding my clients, and how might I influence it in my advertising? 

Aim HQ is a client science organization that has specific innovation to "finish the swing" and computerize the way toward utilizing client information to drive revenue based showcasing. We are effectively working with significant organizations in media communications, retail, and money. 

IN CLOSING 

Advertisers of things to come will put less in paid promotions and imaginative groups, and more on programming that encourages them comprehend their clients as individuals. 

This will empower them to convey exclusively custom-made messages and customized discussions through claimed channels, staying away from the profoundly serious universes of publicizing and online media.

Social Media Management Tool

 As a real estate agent, you know that time is money. Spending too much time on ineffective marketing will, with some certainty, end up costing you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

69% of real estate agents are using Facebook to move real estate according to the National Association of Realtors. If you aren’t on social yet, then you need to get started before you get left behind.

You need tools that are cost-effective and save you time. Thankfully, when it comes to managing your social media channels, Hootsuite has you covered. It helps you work smarter, not longer.

Put simply, Hootsuite is a social media management tool. It lets you schedule social media posts for any time during the day or in the future. You can connect Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and more.

To get started, you can begin with just one or two social networks. Most people start with Facebook and Twitter. By starting off with a couple of channels, you can avoid stretching yourself too thin.

Spend an hour or so at the beginning of each week building your content and scheduling it inside Hootsuite so that you have new posts steadily hitting your account through the week.

New Mercedes-Benz CLA coupe will stand out from the crowd

Mercedes-Benz turns the sex-appeal thermostat from lukewarm to steaming hot with the shapely new CLA. As before, the compact four-door coupe is designed to seduce but Stuttgart’s second attempt is classier, curvier and more charismatic.

The completely new model, due to reach Australia in the third quarter of this year, is sure to be a more effective customer magnet for Mercedes-Benz than the first-generation CLA launched in 2013.

In Europe, half the people who bought the CLA previously drove something from another brand. And three out of four of these first-time buyers chose another Mercedes-Benz as their next car.

It’s been a big success in Australia, racking up almost 15,000 sales so far, and a big hit worldwide, with combined sales of the four-door and five-door Shooting Brake wagon totalling 750,000.

The new Shooting Brake due out later this year will not be sold in Australia. Slow-selling diesel versions of the CLA will also be dropped, according to Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman Jerry Stamoulis.

First of the new line to arrive, about August, will be the CLA200. This front-drive model features the same lacklustre engine and gearbox team of turbo 1.3-litre four and seven-speed double-clutch auto as the A200 hatch launched last year. Expect prices to begin from about $56,000, an increase of roughly $3000.

It will be swiftly followed into showrooms by the CLA250, with a lively turbo 2.0-litre four, seven-speed double-clutch auto, and all-wheel drive. High performance AMG variants join the line-up later still.

The new CLA is a larger car than before, growing about 50mm wider and longer compared to the current model, though height is almost the same. Its axles, front and rear, put more distance between the wheels than in Mercedes-Benz’s other compact models.

There’s more elbow room inside the enlarged new CLA, in front and behind. Front seat headroom increases, too, but the swoopy roofline means the rear seat remains squeezy for tall types. The cargo compartment is slightly smaller but a much wider boot opening makes the space easier to use.

Inside is a skilful fusion of style and tech. With the same widescreen instrument and infotainment display as the new A-Class hatch and a similar layout, the cabin of the CLA is as seductive as its exterior.

The tech isn’t bad either. With the Alps looming ahead at one stage of the international launch test drive in southern Germany, we decide the view calls for music.

Saying “Hey Mercedes” to first activate the car’s MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User eXperience) set-up, my co-driver requests “The Lonely Goatherd” from The Sound of Music. Seconds later we’re yodelling along.

When it comes to providing driving entertainment, the new CLA isn’t so adept. The 165kW engine of the popular-in-Australia 250 version is energetic enough but the transmission is a constant pain.

The CLA gets the brand’s new digital screen layout.
The CLA gets the brand’s new digital screen layout.Source:Supplied

Gear changes tend to be jerky, especially in slow-moving traffic when pressure on the accelerator pedal is light. It’s easy to make things worse; switch to Sport mode and the seven-speed double-clutch holds low gears too long and this reluctance to upshift quickly becomes annoying.

Another problem noted during the German test drive was the proclivity of the car’s collision-avoidance tech for false alarms — not only warning beeps but sudden and sharp braking. This is technology with great lifesaving potential but the CLA’s set-up needs extra work to make sure it acts only when really needed.

All the CLA250s available for testing at the launch came with adaptive damping. Comfort mode delivers a floaty feel. Too soft. Sport is firmer, reducing comfort. Slightly too hard.

The non-adaptive AMG “lowered comfort” suspension that will be standard on the CLA in Australia needs to hit the Goldilocks zone in between.

So the new CLA highlights the talent of the Mercedes-Benz design department but isn’t a great example of the company’s engineering expertise. Having grown longer and wider, the compact coupe is now close in size to the C-Class sedan.

For similar money to the new CLA250, a C200 or C300 will deliver proper Mercedes-Benz polish when it comes to the driving experience. There’s another big difference, and it’s an important one — the C-Class sedan isn’t styled for seduction.

Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4MATIC Coupe

Price: $70,000 (est)

Safety: Not yet rated

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo, 165kW/350Nm

Thirst: 6.7L/100km

0-100km/h: 6.3 secs

Hungary games

In our globalised age, brand homeland is not a reliable indicator of where something is made. Mercedes-Benz is German as can be but the new CLA isn’t made there. Instead, it’s built in Kecskeme, Hungary.

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe Review

Having arrived on the market in 2015 as the replacement for the GLK-Class, the Mercedes-Benz GLC has quickly become one of the most successful models in the carmaker’s SUV lineup.

In early 2019, the first generation GLC received its first facelift for the regular SUV body-style. With this new model still not available on the market, the Germans introduced in March 2019 the facelift for the coupe variant of the GLC as well.

Described as “a vehicle for individualists who attach maximum importance to extraordinary looks, the greatest possible freedom and pioneering technology,” the GLC coupe brings a revised exterior and interior, new driving assistance technologies and new engines.

1 Exterior design & Features

The exterior changes made to the model are subtle, yet noticeable. At the front, the air intakes have been modified, and the standard-fit LED High Performance headlamps and contoured diamond radiator grille reshaped.

At the rear, the main changes are the new look of the rear diffuser with underride guard and tailpipe trims and the redesigned full-LED tail lamps.

Look at from the side, the GLC coupe retained the same distinctive shape, with a dropping roofline leading into the rounded rear window. What looks a bit different are the A-pillars, which have a more pronounced slope making the roof of the car look a bit lower.

2 Interior design, features and passenger space

The interior of the GLC coupe sports, as per Mercedes-Benz, “flawless luxury and user-friendly controls.”

The design chosen features clear lines, with flowing surfaces linking the various elements together. In the center of the car, a large, one-piece console panel extends from the center air vents to the armrest.

The single piece of the interior that was significantly overhauled is the multifunction steering wheel, which will be made available in two new versions.

Also, a brand new interior color has been created for the GLC, magma grey.

3 Gadgets

The GLC coupe carries over all of the gadgets deployed in the regular version, including the deployment of the MBUX infotainment system.

The free-standing screen of the infotainment system will be available in two sizes, 7 or 10.25 inches, while the instrument cluster relies on a 12.3-inch screen. Both screens of the infotainment can be tailored in one of three modes, Classic, Sport and Progressive.

MBUX features in the GLC an Augmented Video feature that shows images captured by a camera located in front of the rear-view mirror. The information sent back to the driver directly on the multimedia display includes traffic signs information about where to make a turn, house numbers or names.

4 Performance

When it launches later this year, the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC coupe will be available with five engines, two gasoline and three diesel. More units will be added at later dates.

All the engines to be deployed in the beginning are four-cylinder. The gasoline ones are enhanced by Mercedes’ EQ Boost mild-hybrid system. Regardless of fuel, all units work in conjunction with the 4MATIC system.

The gasoline lineup comprises the GLC 200 that develops 197 hp and the GLC 300 good for 258 hp. Diesel fans are treated with the GLC 200 d, GLC 220 d and GLC 300 d with respective outputs of 163, 194 and 245 horsepower.

Fuel consumption ranges from 5.8 l/100 km (40.5 mpg) on the GLC 300 d to 7.4-7.1 l/100 km (31.7 – 33 mpg) on the gasoline engines.

5 Safety

Most of the safety features deployed on the current generation GLC coupe made it into the facelift as well, enhanced by the deployment of additional systems.

These new features include an exit-warning function, emergency-corridor function, and tail-end-of-traffic-jam function, among others. Also new is Trailer Manoeuvring Assist.

For the first time, the SUV is equipped with the Dynamic Body Control suspension with infinitely adjustable dampers for the front and rear axle.

6 Conclusion
Presently, the Mercedes-Benz lineup of SUV comprises seven models: the GLA, GLC, GLC Coupé, GLE, GLE Coupé, GLS, G-Class. Since the introduction of the first Mercedes car for this segment, the carmaker sold around five million SUVs.

The rather young GLC nameplate had, of course, an important contribution to reaching that number, and the launch the facelifted and upgraded variants for both the regular SUV and the coupe can do nothing but help future sales.

Just Before The Great Recession, Mountains Of Unsold Goods Piled Up In U.S. Warehouses – And Now It Is Happening Again

When economic conditions initially begin to slow down, businesses continue to order goods like they normally would but those goods don’t sell as quickly as they previously did.  As a result, inventory levels begin to rise, and that is precisely what is happening right now.  In fact, the U.S. inventory to sales ratio has risen sharply for five months in a row.  This is mirroring the pattern that we witnessed just prior to the financial crisis of 2008, and it is exactly what we would expect to see if a new recession was now beginning.  In recent weeks, I have been sharing number after number that indicates that a serious economic slowdown is upon us, and many believe that what is coming will eventually be even worse than what we experienced in 2008.

And even though I write about this stuff every day, I was stunned by how rapidly inventory levels have been rising recently.  The following numbers come from Peter Schiff’s website…

This comes on the heels of the largest gain in wholesale inventories in more than five years in December.

Inventories rose 7.7% from a year ago in January. Meanwhile, sales only rose by 2.7%. Overall, total inventories were $669.9 billion at the end of January, up 1.2% from the revised December level.

The increase in durable goods inventories at the wholesale level was even starker. These inventories were up 11.7% from January a year ago, and are up 17% from January two years ago, hitting $415 billion, the highest ever.

Businesses don’t like to have excess inventory, because carrying excess inventory is expensive and cuts into profits.  So they try very hard to manage their inventories efficiently, but if the economy slows down unexpectedly that can catch them off guard…

There are few indications of economic slowing that are more convincing than an unwanted build in inventories — and that apparently is what’s underway in the wholesale sector.

When inventory levels get too high, businesses often start reducing the amount of stuff they are ordering from manufacturers.

So we would expect the numbers to indicate that manufacturing output is down, and that is precisely what we have witnessed over the last couple of months…

U.S. manufacturing output fell for a second straight month in February and factory activity in New York state hit nearly a two-year low this month, offering further evidence of a sharp slowdown in economic growth early in the first quarter.

If manufacturers are making and sending less stuff to businesses, and if businesses are selling less stuff to their customers, then we would expect to see less stuff moved around the U.S. by truck, rail and air.

And wouldn’t you know it, the numbers also tell us that this has been happening too.  The following comes from Wolf Richter…

Now it’s the third month in a row, and the red flag is getting more visible and a little harder to ignore about the goods-based economy: Freight shipment volume in the US across all modes of transportation – truck, rail, air, and barge – in February fell 2.1% from February a year ago, according to the Cass Freight Index, released today. The three months in a row of year-over-year declines are the first such declines since the transportation recession of 2015 and 2016.

So there you have it.  Anyone that tries to tell you that the U.S. economy is “booming” is simply not being accurate.

And when you throw in the fact that we just witnessed one of the worst disasters for U.S. agriculture in all of U.S. history, it is easy to understand why the economic outlook for the remainder of 2019 is rather bleak.  One agribusiness company just announced that it will have “a negative pretax operating profit impact of $50 million to $60 million for the first quarter” as a result of all the flooding…

Already suffering from low crop prices and the U.S.-China trade war, Mother Nature has delivered yet another blow to the beleaguered American farmer. Growers in the heartland this year have seen arctic cold blasts, been blanketed by snow and just in the last week were inundated by floods. Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., one of the world’s biggest agribusinesses, said Monday that it expects weather disruptions to have a negative pretax operating profit impact of $50 million to $60 million for the first quarter.

Korth said he fears the worst for local farmers, citing a friend who lost 85 cows to flooding and another who sells seeds and has already seen order cancellations.

“It’s going to put a lot of people out of business,” Korth said. “It’s just a terrible deal.”

Unfortunately, the flooding in the middle portion of the country is just getting started.  According to the National Weather Service, we are going to see more catastrophic flooding for the next two months.

As you can see, the elements for a “perfect storm” are definitely coming together, and I encourage everyone to get prepared for rough times ahead.

But many people are not that concerned about a new crisis, because they remember that global central banks were able to pull us out of the fire last time around.

Unfortunately, they may not be able to do it this time.  Just consider the words of the deputy director of the IMF…

Major financial institutions may be powerless to prevent the next global economic downturn from tuning into a full-blow recession, the International Monetary Fund has warned.

In a speech on the future of the eurozone, the IMF’s deputy director David Lipton, warned of the depleted power of central banks and governments to combat another sharp economic shock.

“The bottom line is this: the tools used to confront the global financial crisis may not be available or may not be as potent next time” he said.

But I am sure that global central banks will try to patch the system back together again, and at certain moments it may even look like they are having some success.

In the end, however, they will not be able to stop the “Bubble To End All Bubbles” from completely bursting.

It has taken decades of exceedingly foolish decisions to get us to this point, and there is simply no way that we can avoid the day of reckoning that is coming.

Thousands pack showroom at Treasure at Tampines’ opening weekend

SINGAPORE — Close to 7,000 visitors thronged the showroom of what is touted to be the largest private condominium launched in Singapore, with over 2,200 units set to go on sale.

Launched on Friday (March 15), Treasure at Tampines sits on top of the former Tampines Court, a Housing and Urban Development Company (HUDC) property which was sold en bloc for S$970 million in August 2017.


Developed jointly by Sim Lian Group and Sim Lian Holdings, the condominium spans 650,000 square feet (sq ft) and has a 99-year lease starting from Nov 29 last year. It is expected to be ready for buyers to move in by 2023.

The condominium comprises one- to five-bedroom units, with sizes ranging from 463 sq ft to 1,722 sq ft. With an indicative price of S$585,000 for a one-bedroom unit and at least S$1.88 million for a five-bedder, its developer said the condominium is priced at about S$1,280 psf on average.


ZACD Group executive director Nicholas Mak said the pricing is “quite reasonable” as it is within the range of a new 99-year leasehold private condominium in that area.

Among some of the interested home buyers TODAY spoke to while visiting the showroom, a few have already set their minds on purchasing a unit.

Mr Triston Tan, 47, said he has already submitted a cheque to indicate his interest in a two-bedroom unit which he intends to acquire as an investment.

The equipment engineer and his wife, Ms Catherine Teo, 47, live in a five-room Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat in Tampines and have no intention to sell it.

This means they would have to pay a 12 per cent Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD), which is imposed on buyers getting a second residential property.

Mr Tan said they will have to bear with it since they made the decision to invest, although they are concerned about servicing the mortgage loan in the future.

“We have to plan properly. We don’t want to keep topping up cash, and (our) commitments (in) other (areas have) to come down,” he added.

The ABSD rate was previously 7 per cent before it was increased to the current rate as part of the cooling measures imposed in July last year. 

Married couples who sold off their first property within six months of purchasing a completed property or receiving the Temporary Occupation Permit for uncompleted units are however eligible for a ABSD remission. 

Another showroom visitor, Melvin Goh, 37, is also looking to submit his cheque on Monday for a one-bedroom unit he intends to get as a form of investment.

He lives in a five-room HDB unit in Tampines and said that there is “no choice” but to pay the ABSD.

Other visitors adopted a “wait-and-see approach” and said they would look at other launches in the eastern region.

One of them is Mrs Vinita Malekar, 47, who lives with her husband in a five-room HDB flat in Bedok and is looking to upgrade.

Having to come up with the ABSD upfront poses a problem, Mr Chandra Malekar, 54, said, and so the couple is shopping around for a smaller unit than they were aiming for.

“Definitely we want to go for a bigger house, a four-bedroom. But the cost also goes higher right? It definitely puts a strain on us,” said the housewife.

Mdm June Tan, 63, is also looking to buy a second property in the eastern region as an investment. The retiree lives in a three-bedroom freehold condominium in Geylang, which she is looking to move from after her husband died last year.

She is looking to buy the next property under her 21-year-old daughter’s name, as she can then avoid paying the 12 per cent tax. The current condo in Geylang is in Mdm Tan's sole name and her daughter has no property to her name.

ABSD is not refunded for singles even after they have sold off their first property within six months of purchasing a completed property or receiving the Temporary Occupation Permit. 

“Isn’t the law very weird? Just because my husband died, I cannot get back my 12 per cent?... I didn’t ask for my husband to pass away,” Mdm Tan said.

Creative ZEN Stone 1GB

Rumors had been rife in the online community of a new digital audio player (DAP) from Creative and that this mysterious product will be locking horns with Apple’s iPod shuffle. True enough, what you are looking at now is Creative's response to Apple's effort and what a tiny player it is.

Solid as Stone?

The feather light (18.5g) and compact ZEN Stone is clearly inspired by small smooth pebbles often found in ZEN gardens (how poetic), but despite its name, the ZEN Stone is not built as what its name suggests. Because of its glossy exterior, there is always a concern of scratching the ZEN Stone with sharp items such as keys and coins in your pocket and what not. However, as we found, its glossy surface is tough enough to take on the rigors of everyday use. Size wise, the ZEN Stone is delightfully small and light, so much so it's easy to forget that it's sitting in your pocket – not to forget it can also be quite easily misplaced.

Follow the Path

The ZEN Stone has a simple interface: forward, rewind, play/pause and volume controls are all clustered together right smack in the middle of the player. Along its side profile is a handy switch that scrolls through folders alphabetically, randomizes your songs and sets the player to repeat every music file it supports. Since folders are supported, songs can be sorted in a pseudo genre/playlist fashion, giving you some form of control over the songs you want.

Loading the ZEN Stone up is a simple Plug and Play process (through a Mini USB port), exactly in the same way as you would with a flash drive. In fact, there is not a single trace of driver or software in the box. The only software that Creative thought you might need is the Creative Media Lite CD ripping software, and guess what, it's available as a free download on Creative's website - sweet.

True to its simple styling and interface, the ZEN Stone is a joy to use. If you know how to copy files into a flash drive, you'll know how to operate the ZEN Stone. There is however, a short but noticeable playback lag from the time the player is unplugged till it starts playing, but that's just us nitpicking, really. The ZEN Stone supports MP3 and WMA formats.

Being a Creative product, the ZEN Stone sure did not disappoint where its bread and butter (audio quality) was concerned. Some of you might find the audio output to carry a bit too much bass, although that being said, we could find no distortions or hissing whatsoever. When it came down to battery life, the ZEN Stone easily clocked 10hrs of playback time.

Solid Accessories

Creative has always furnished their new DAPs with accompanying accessories at launch and it isn't any different this time around. To that end, Creative offers no less then three kinds of protective skins, each serving its own purpose. Upon closer inspection of these protective silicon skins (and armbands), we were impressed that they were all very well made with no excess silicon or rough edges in sight.

Our Thoughts

Although nothing revolutionary, the ZEN Stone pretty much satisfies users in ways the iPod shuffle would. Compared to the latter however, it does carry a slight edge by having a universally compatible mini-USB port, unlike the iPod shuffle which requires an external dock running via a propriety jack. Looks and performance aside, the one big point that really allows the ZEN Stone to take the cake is its incredible retail price of just US$45 (~S$69). You could skip a ZEN Stone on water and still afford a replacement all for the price of one Apple iPod shuffle - not bad for a reply wouldn't you say?

Oslo: Charging electric cars no longer free of charge

Electric car drivers in the capital of Norway must now pay for charging. Oslo has started the conversion of about 1,300 public charging points in the city to be able to charge a fee. The aim is not so much to cash in but to keep EVs from parking for free without charging.

Starting immediately, Oslo will charge ten crowns (approx. 1 euro) per hour during the day and five NOK per hour at night. At the same time, there are also plans to increase the number of charging stations to 2,000 by the end of the year.

Christina Bu of Norway’s electric car association, Norsk Elbilforening, has welcomed the step. She told the Norwegian Aftenposten that “we need to ensure rotation and that people only park at charging stations when they’re charging”.

With EV charging infrastructure lacking behind actual sales of electric cars, charging is increasingly becoming a problem, particularly in densely populated urban areas. We hear reports of incidences of electric car drivers using the free parking opportunity at a charge column without charging from people in various markets.

The (luxury) problem may further intensify as more and more electric car clubs go live. 250 Renault Zoe have just been made available in Oslo this winter, and while the new service is supposed to help alleviate public transport and supported by train operator NSB, these EVs will have to charge as well.

In Norway, almost every second vehicle registered is currently an EV. According to this CAM study, the market percentage of electric vehicles in Norway in the first three quarters of 2018 climbed from 37% to 46.7% compared to the previous year. From a European perspective and counting only passenger electric cars, Norway continues to be miles ahead of its neighbouring countries. The country had an EV share of 31,2% in 2018 according to this count.