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☆ Bernadine Strik, Whose Insights Helped Blueberries Thrive, Dies at 60
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Daniel E. Slotnik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Bernadine Strik, a horticulture professor at Oregon State University whose innovative cultivation strategies shook up the American blueberry industry, died on April 14 at a hospital in Corvallis, Ore. She was 60. The cause was complications of ovarian cancer, said her husband, Neil Bell. Modern farming is as much science as labor, and Dr. Strik, whose career at Oregon State began in 1987, brought a skeptical, scientific approach to blueberry cultivation. “She was able to connect with the growers,” Scott Lukas, who took on Oregon State’s endowed professorship for Northwest berry production after Dr. Strik retired in 2021, said in a phone interview. She could view research “from that down-to-earth perspective,” he added, “and be a human about it and not get lost in the science.”

☆ Sofia Richie and new husband Elliot Grainge just bought a $27 million mansion. Take a look inside.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Gabbi Shaw | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sofia Richie and Elliot Grainge just purchased a $26.9 million home in Brentwood, California. The video also shows the formal dining room, multiple living and sitting rooms, the master bedroom, and the open entryway. The property, as Kelly explained in the comments of his TikTok video, is actually two lots. The Agency represented Richie and Grainge as they bought the home from entertainment-industry executive Jeremy Zimmer, according to the New York Post. Elliot Grainge and Sofia Richie.

☆ How Singapore's giant sovereign wealth fund is investing in generative AI technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Alistair Barr | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

As CEO of GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, he must keep the country's savings growing ahead of inflation. AI retoolingThe 2 investors were most animated when discussing the recent explosion of generative AI technology, including large language models. Chris Emanuel, head of the Technology Investment Group at GIC, Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GICThere's already a generative AI startup feeding frenzy among venture capital funds. Secondary market actionFinally, GIC is keen on doing more in the secondary market, where private stakes in startups and VC funds change hands. That means general partners, the people running VC funds, already know GIC and are more comfortable dealing with the organization, Lim explained.

☆ London stocks fall on caution ahead of U.S. inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Shashwat Chauhan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The blue-chip FTSE 100 (.FTSE) fell 0.3% after a holiday on Monday for the official coronation of King Charles over the weekend, while the FTSE 250 midcap index (.FTMC) was down 0.7%. "Travel stocks have had a really nice run for the last few days," said Christopher Peters, trading floor manager at Accendo Markets. "From mid-April, we've seen a decline in oil prices. That has an effect on costs for the airlines and travel stocks." Energy stocks (.FTNMX601010) dipped 1.2%, as oil prices relinquished some of the strong gains of the previous two sessions ahead of U.S. inflation data due on Wednesday.

☆ A real estate investor who built a $2.7 million portfolio in 4 years shares how he made over $180,000 from his biggest housing flip to date — and pinpoints the hidden costs to avoid when flipping home
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Lisa Kailai Han | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Real estate investor Dan Rivers, who owns a 16-unit portfolio worth $2.7 million, also flips homes. In addition to his rental income, Rivers also has another nearly $1 million invested with a number of different real estate syndicates. In fact, flipping homes has been a big part of Rivers' success in real estate investing. Getting started in flipping homesRivers first became interested in flipping homes in 2019, while working as a real estate agent. Luckily, Rivers' real estate commission cushioned the loss by a couple grand, bringing his total loss down to over $2,000.

☆ China may have to bail out one of its poorest provinces
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hong Kong CNN —One of China’s poorest and most indebted provinces has admitted defeat in trying to sort out its finances and is appealing to Beijing for help to avert default. Guizhou, located in a mountainous region of southwest China, has hired a top state-owned distressed debt fund, China Cinda Asset Management, to resolve its “urgent” problems. China’s local governments are struggling with trillions of dollars of debt, after three years of strict pandemic controls and a real estate crash drained their coffers. The Pingtang Bridge links two cities in southwest China's Guizhou province. In China, most local government liabilities are composed of “hidden debt” issued by their financing arms.

Alexa Bartell Jefferson County Sheriff's OfficeKarol-Chik allegedly told investigators that he felt “a hint of guilt” after seeing the victim’s car. After circling back, Karol-Chik told investigators Koenig slowed down so that Kwak could take a picture of the car. The court documents said Karol-Chik told investigators the suspects felt “excited” when the rocks hit cars. The friend told investigators that Koenig participated in “destructive behavior” and liked “causing ‘chaos,’” the affidavits said. Karol-Chik told investigators he and Kwak “both collected rocks, and that all three of them threw rocks at moving cars,” the affidavits said.

☆ Home Maintenance Inflation Is Real
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Michael Kolomatsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Unfortunately for homeowners, the cost of maintenance is going up. The costs were reported directly by consumers or service professionals and were limited in the study to maintenance work, such as repairs to appliances and HVAC systems, landscaping and window washing. Nationally, the average annual maintenance cost of single-family homes during the first quarter of 2023 was $6,409, up about 9 percent year over year. Townhouse costs rose about 4 percent and condo costs rose less than 2 percent. Price drops near the other end of the spectrum were found in Columbus, Ohio, where the annual maintenance cost fell 16 percent, to $4,783, and in Greenville, S.C., where it fell 10 percent, to $5,353.

☆ A real-estate investor who estimates his properties have appreciated over 60% in value explains exactly what he's looking for in a property — and how he finds great deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Part-time real estate investor Atif Afzal says his properties have gone up in value by more than 60%. He invests in Monroe, New York, which is about 50 miles north of New York City. Atif Afzal bought his first property in Monroe, New York in 2019. What he's looking for in an investment propertyAfzal has a few specific requirements when he's looking at investment opportunities. It helps that he's worked with the same realtor since day one, he said, since she's aware of exactly what types of properties he's looking for.

☆ How Tupperware went from American kitchen icon to the brink of collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Tupperware was developed by Earl Tupper, who founded a plastics manufacturing company in Leominster, Massachusetts, during the Great Depression. TupperwareTupper was born in New Hampshire in 1907. While he wasn't a great student, he spent a lot of his early life sketching out inventions in a notebook, such as a comb with a belt clip and a fish-powered boat, according to PBS's "American Experience." His inventions didn't lead to financial success, so Tupper started a landscaping business to support himself and, later, his wife and children, per "American Experience." Then, during the Great Depression, he started working in the plastics industry and eventually founded his own company in Leominster, which was a manufacturing hub at the time.

☆ Real-estate investor Anne Curry has built a 311-unit portfolio since obtaining her first rental property in 1997. She shares the no-money-down strategy she used to scale up— and how she eventually wor
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Anne Curry started her real-estate investing journey in 1997. She laid out for Insider in detail the method she used to scale up, starting with hard-money lenders. By the time they were ready to move out, the property had just about doubled in value to $124,000, Curry said. According to property tax documents viewed by Insider, she now owns a 59-unit property, a 30-unit property, an 14-unit property, and two 12-unit properties, as well as several smaller multifamily properties. Curry said the property was a good deal because big commercial real-estate investing firms weren't interested because it was considered affordable housing.

☆ A 37-year-old immigrant who started with 'zero credit' and couldn't get a mortgage when he moved to New York explains how he built a 4-property portfolio that's helped him achieve financial independen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

When Atif Afzal moved to the US in 2018, he didn't have a credit score and had to start from scratch. His lack of credit became a problem when he wanted to buy a home, so he saved up to buy it in cash. When Atif Afzal moved from India to upstate New York in 2018, he didn't have a credit score. Unable to secure a mortgage, he decided to buy his first property with cash. When he first decided to buy property, "my priority was selecting an awesome location," he said.

☆ HR exec was making $165k per year —then switched to a gardening career, earning $15 an hour. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jantsch, 30, is a "Former Head of People turned gardener," according to her LinkedIn profile. She told followers she previously made $165,000 per year in HR, but now makes $15 per hour at a plant nursery. And, Jantsch justifies her $15 per hour pay at the nursery as an investment to learn from the best in the field. Market needAccording to Jantsch, her journey into gardening started in 2021 when she moved to Boise and noticed a lack of landscapers who understood drought-tolerant gardens. "I've been feeling so restless and unsure with my tech career, and your journey is really motivating to see," one commenter wrote.

☆ I built an ADU in my backyard that brings in $3,000 a month. Now I urge other California homeowners to do the same.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Joyce Higashi is a San Jose native who built an ADU in her backyard in 2020 for $230,000. She leases the unit out to traveling nurses for three months at a time and charges $3,000 per month. That's when I decided to put an ADU in my backyard — back before ADUs were even remotely popular in California. Courtesy of AboduThrough ADU builder Abodu, I had a 500-square foot one-bedroom ADU built in my backyard. Now, I rent the ADU out for $3,000 a month to traveling nurses for three months at a time.

☆ Former HR exec: I left my job making $165k per year to earn $15 an hour as a gardener. Here are the three reasons why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jantsch, 30, is a "Former Head of People turned gardener," according to her LinkedIn profile. She told followers she previously made $165,000 per year in HR, but now makes $15 per hour at a plant nursery. She listed three key reasons for the switch and invited followers along via Instagram on her journey to become a gardener in Boise, Idaho. And, Jantsch justifies her $15 per hour pay at the nursery as an investment to learn from the best in the field. "I've been feeling so restless and unsure with my tech career, and your journey is really motivating to see," one commenter wrote.

☆ A 27-Year-Old Home Flipper Rehabbed Rundown 3 Homes — See Inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Aj Latrace | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Crenshaw purchased this house in Harker Heights — which neighbors Killeen and is about an hour north of Austin — for $188,000 and sold it for $232,000 after renovations. He said he just broke even on this project. Crenshaw said "the energy was terrible" during his first walkthrough of this house. He cleaned up the landscaping, top, and painted the garage door a dark color, bottom. John Crenshaw

☆ Phoenix residents are killing their lawns to save water, and the results are more attractive and cheaper than traditional grass
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Adrianna Nine | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Homeowners in Phoenix are at the forefront of the anti-lawn movement in the Southwest. The anti-lawn movement encourages people to replace their greenery with sustainable alternatives. The city is helping residents transform their lawns into sustainable, attractive, low-maintenance ecosystems. Desert residents are uniquely poised to recognize the environmental harms associated with conventional lawns and lean into more climate-friendly landscaping. Within the past decade, Phoenicians have become a catalyst for the growing anti-lawn movement.

☆ Late oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens' massive Texas ranch just sold at a $60 million price cut after 5 years on the market — take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Madeline Stone | Libertina Brandt | Marielle Descalsota | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

After languishing on the market for years, late oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens' massive Texas ranch has finally found a buyer. Mesa Vista RanchIn 2017, the late oil magnate listed his ranch in the Texas Panhandle, northeast of Amarillo, for $250 million. Five years later, the estate was sold — but for $60 million less than its listed price. But on January 14, 2020, the property received a $30 million price cut, reported Mansion Global. In late November, Pickens' estate finally sold, but at a further reduced price, Jay Rosser, a longtime representative for Pickens, told Insider.

☆ Nike temporarily closed a celebrated Portland store because of ongoing theft
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The store has been a point of pride for Nike and the Northeast Portland community since it opened. The Portland Nike store closure comes as large retailers are warning about the proliferation of stolen goods on online marketplaces like Amazon, Craigslist, eBay and Facebook. In November, KGW, the Portland NBC affiliate, said the Nike store reported 437 shoplifting cases to police since 2019, second only to a Portland Target store, which had 650. Matthew Kish/InsiderThe now-closed Portland store has been a point of pride for Nike, its employees, and the Northeast Portland community since it opened in June 1984. While the Nike store is at least temporarily closed, it hasn't been abandoned.

☆ Four-time NBA champion Steph Curry joins his rich neighbors in opposing much-needed new housing near their Bay Area backyards
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Steph and Ayesha Curry penned a letter opposing a townhouse development near their home in Atherton, California. "This is a tough thing for a community like Atherton to change," Atherton City Manager George Rodericks told NBC. Since 1969, California law has required cities to update their housing and land use needs, known as "Housing Elements," every eight years to ensure enough affordable housing is available to residents. Cities who fail to comply with the deadline could lose grant funding and face lawsuits from the state Attorney General. Cities spanning from San Francisco to Los Angeles have had their plans approved by state regulators, with many plans including efforts to increase density on developable land.

☆ You Don’t Have to Be Complicit in Our Culture of Destruction
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

Photo illustration by Bráulio Amado Talk You Don’t Have to Be Complicit in Our Culture of Destruction“People feel a kind of longing for a belonging to the natural world,” says the author and scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer. I am deeply aware of the fact that my view of the natural world is colored by my home place. But I don’t think that’s the same as romanticizing nature. Of course the natural world is full of forces that are so-called destructive. The story that we have to illuminate is that we don’t have to be complicit with destruction.

☆ They Poured Their Savings Into Homes That Were Never Built
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Isabelle Qian | Agnes Chang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

We talked to four people who emptied their life savings and took out huge loans for homes that have not been completed. “It was a simple dream — to have a home, a family,” Mr. Tang said. Mr. Tang, who works in a restaurant, sold a small place he had out in the countryside. “When I think about the unfinished apartment, it’s as if I’m falling from heaven to hell, ” Mr. Tang said. Homeowners atop one of the unfinished apartment towers call for construction to fully resume.

Now that I do, I've found I think differently about spending money, today and in the future. I'm determined not to spend over $100 because it would mean dipping into the money I've set aside for emergencies, vacations, my husband's birthday dinner, and so on. You're making our financial decisions without understanding how much money we need, and I'm making our spending decisions without understanding how much money we have." Upper-middle-class people don't need to be thrifty with their kids' back-to-school shopping." I don't need a $40 basket tote for the beach if we can't afford to take a vacation to the beach this year.

☆ A financially independent millennial predicts that 2023 will be the year of 'the creator millionaire.' He says he's taking advantage of the creator economy while it lasts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Kathleen Elkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Digital content creators and people with online businesses will do particularly well, he predicts. For the next couple of years, Sabatier predicts that digital content creators and people with online businesses will do particularly well. "I think that 2023 will be the year of the creator economy, and that 'the crypto millionaire' is going to be replaced by 'the creator millionaire.'" I think it's really going to be the golden age of the online creator." "There's a real feast or famine component to taking advantage of money making opportunities online right now."

Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application. Note that credit card lenders may use many different variations of credit score models when considering your application. Review: Citi Double Cash card reviewBest credit cards for home improvement frequently asked questions (FAQ)What is the best credit card for home improvement? There really is no "best" credit card for home renovation that covers every situation. You can almost always pay for home renovations with a credit card — however, the above scenarios we've examined are pricey.

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