Category Archives: Pandemic

Wall Street Driving Up Rents and Housing Prices

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The government has estimated that the nation is short about 4 million homes, and that number is likely growing.

A good examples of just how wild the housing market has become in Florida, look no further than the city of St. Augustine. A property has been on the market for thirty days with a disgustingly steep price considering the home’s exceptionally run-down (think ugly shabby) condition.

Asking price $349K on Zillow

This house is listed as a “Major fixer upper!!! Property to be sold AS-IS” on Zillow. It’s a 448-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bath home that has definitely seen better days. The asking price is a whopping $349,000.

With housing in such short supply, Wall Street saw an opportunity, and began buying modest, single-family houses. Once bought, they rent them out. In places like Jacksonville, Atlanta, Charlotte, investors are buying almost 30% of the homes that are available for regular home buyers.

These Wall Street companies come in and buy a home, paying at or above market price for the home. And then, they set a market rent, charging 30%-40% higher rent than the previous owner asked.

References:

  1. https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2022/03/24/want-to-buy-a-fixer-upper-in-st-augustine-this-1-bedroom-house-is-for-sale-for-349000/
  2. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/112-Moore-St-Saint-Augustine-FL-32084/47777206_zpid/

Think Before You Click

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#ThinkB4UClick

The global pandemic has tested the online security resilience and vigilance of people world-wide, while at the same time the pandemic is pushing more and more individuals to conduct their daily personal and work lives online.

Unfortunately, cyber criminals have sought opportunities to create havoc and financial gain in the midst of the chaos caused by the pandemic.

Since our lives have shifted into the digital dimension, educating the online user on cyber security has become more important than ever before.

As a result, cyber security has become increasingly important domestically and globally. But we must all remember that cyber security begins with a few basic steps such as: being vigilant, changing your password often and most important… think before you click on or open a link.

Tips for Securing Your Digital Accounts

Like keeping our doors locked to keep our homes safe from burglars, keeping our online accounts secure is vital to help protect ourselves from cyber criminals – and passwords are the key.

Here are some tips to help you keep your accounts safe online.

1. Choose strong passwords

The stronger your password is, the more difficult it is to hack your account.

Create passwords that are at least 15 characters long and include a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols if allowed.

A good way to do this is to create a passphrase – use a sentence that includes unusual words, or words from different languages.

In addition, always use unique passwords for all your online accounts.

2. Use a password manager

A password manager is a convenient way to take care of your passwords.

Several very good password managers are free and easy to use. It will create strong passwords for you and keep them secure.

If you’d prefer not to use a password manager, write your passwords into a notebook and keep it in a secure place away from your computer.

3. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication (like 2FA) provides an extra layer of security to help protect your accounts.

It is an electronic authentication method where you need to present two or more pieces of evidence (factors) to confirm your identity and access your account, for example a password and a code that is sent to your mobile phone. Your account cannot be accessed without entering this code.

4. Do all of the above!

For extra security, use a password manager that will create strong passwords for you and enable multi-factor authentication when available for your best chance to keep your accounts secure.

References:

  1. https://cybersecuritymonth.eu/resources/top-tips-for-securing-your-accounts/