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They have bought more property since then. It, also, has gone up in value.
Two law enforcement investors knew the good and bad areas of town. They earned respectable money. They had seen how honest people build wealth. One of their mentors recommended that they work with us. They interviewed some of our worthy competitors, and then they hired an ACI buyer broker team who showed them all the properties they wanted to see. We found them a building in an improving area.
Mary was almost desperate. Her husband had died and she was not comfortable running the income property without him. She hired an agent from a bigger firm, but he was not able to produce offers close to his fantasy list price. She called us and asked us to sell the building when the other agent’s listing expired.
We did a complete valuation on her property and told her the truth about what the market would pay for it. Within the first six weeks Mary had three offers. She was able to sell for all cash at a price that she had given up on. The buyers approved the physical inspection and proceeded with the purchase without any delays. Mary was happy to sell the building “as-is” without any major repairs. She moved forward with her life without the burden of managing this building.
Josh and Ruth had some rental homes. The residences were OK, but the cash flow was disappointing. We showed them how to improve their cash flow and gain more depreciation.
They learned they could sell the houses near replacement cost and buy apartments at a significant discount. Josh and Ruth realized that $500,000 in apartments can generate up to 50 percent more rent than $500,000 in rental houses. Moving equity into apartments met their goal to increase income. We were able to structure the transaction in a way that helped them to avoid paying gains on the profit from the sale of the rental homes. We guided them through the process of focusing on the final goal: higher income and more security.
Josh and Ruth moved their equity into a foreclosed apartment building and hired a part-time maintenance person to maintain the apartments. They have a more secure financial future because their income is more diversified by collecting income from more tenants. They also have more income, of which a large portion is sheltered by the extra depreciation.
This story is a common one. There are hundreds of families who can benefit from this strategy. Contact us for more information or read the full article.
Mike and Bonnie had about 30 units in a working class area. Their cash flow was good. A smart broker told them that they were working too hard and that their equity was lazy, almost retired.
Mike and Bonnie hired ACI to sell their units for a fair price. The strong market brought them a few offers and they accepted one. As soon as they had their building in escrow and the deal looked strong, they started looking for their replacement property. They knew the tax law allowed them limited time to identify their next purchase if they wanted to defer the income on their gain. Within a matter of weeks, they had considered more than a dozen larger and newer properties in their preferred areas. We wrote several offers on properties that could meet their needs. When the dust settled, Mike and Bonnie went under contract to buy about 45 units in a far better zip code.
Within six months of the close of escrow on their new purchase, they had raised the rents 15%; currently, they expect to increase the rents about five percent more before the end of the year. They now have better cash flow, are in a better area, and have more wealth. In fact, the system has worked so well, they are currently disposing of two smaller properties so that they can trade up into more units.
Mrs. Smythe had done quite well with her income property. Yet she had been collecting Social Security for more than a decade and wanted to reduce her management issues. A wise advisor sent her to us.
We were able to help her move her equity, with no immediate tax consequence. We considered looking for apartments in better zip codes, but after further discussion, that was not the right solution. We invited her and her adult son to talk more deeply about the family goals. It became apparent that safety was most important, and good income was second. Dramatically higher income was not worth the additional work or risk.
We discussed several options. She considered paying the taxes and putting the money into corporate bonds. The best alternative was to move her equity into well-secured commercial rental properties, which had no management responsibilities. We helped them locate and evaluate many different low-risk commercial income properties. They became familiar with NNN investments. They had the means of satisfying the higher down payment which these type of investments usually require. Within a few weeks, they selected a building leased by a national firm. The tenant paid all the taxes, insurance, repairs and maintenance. Mrs. Smythe literally only signs and deposit the rent check — the tenant does all the rest.
In this particular case, we were approached before we closed escrow, asking if Mrs. Smythe would sell the property for $100,000 more than she is paying for it. She declined. Both she and her son have been well pleased with the income and the peace of mind that they receive.
Please contact us to learn more about triple net (NNN) investments.
TELMISARTAN helps lower blood pressure to normal levels. It controls high blood pressure, but it is not a cure. High blood pressure can damage your kidneys, and may lead to a stroke or heart failure. Telmisartan helps prevent these things from happening.
Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water. This medicine can be taken with or without food. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed.
Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including nonprescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.
Visit your doctor or health care professional for regular checks on your progress. Check your blood pressure as directed. Ask your doctor or health care professional what your blood pressure should be and when you should contact him or her. Call your doctor or health care professional if you notice an irregular or fast heart beat.
Women should inform their doctor if they wish to become pregnant or think they might be pregnant. There is a potential for serious side effects to an unborn child, particularly in the second or third trimester. Talk to your health care professional or pharmacist for more information.
Avoid salt substitutes unless you are told otherwise by your doctor or health care professional.
Do not treat yourself for coughs, colds, or pain while you are taking this medicine without asking your doctor or health care professional for advice. Some ingredients may increase your blood pressure.
Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Tablets should not be removed from the blisters until right before use. Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
AMC Networks Earnings Beat Estimates, CEO Says 'Walking Dead' Franchise "Will Have a Long Life"
AMC Networks on Thursday reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings amid higher distribution and advertising revenue as management touted the outlook for hit show The Walking Dead, which is currently in its seventh season and which has been a big topic of debate among Wall Street analysts.
AMC Networks shares were up 13.6 percent in early Thursday trading at $65.30 as investors cheered the upside earnings surprise.
In the company's earnings report, he had similarly said: "The Walking Dead remains the No. 1 show on television by a wide margin and is a powerful example of programming that we own and distribute that commands a loyal audience, attracts advertising revenue, and has significant ancillary revenues that will benefit our business for years to come. With a rapidly expanding studio business, we now have a growing portfolio of shows that we own that provide this kind of opportunity for our business."
Asked about the studio business on the call, Sapan said: "The company is becoming and has become more of a studio,” rather than “only a channel operator.” He said that has allowed its shows to play on its own channels in the U.S. and internationally, then go to Hulu or Netflix in a later window in the U.S. and be sold to other distributors in foreign markets where the company has no channels.
AMC Networks so far has not produced shows only for other companies and has no plans to do so, but could consider such a production approach longer-term if the financial returns and strategic benefits make sense, said Sapan.
Asked about the company's channel portfolio, Sapan said its quality and pricing counts more than the number of channels at a time when some peers may have to close down weaker channels, according to analysts. "We have been of the mind for some time that quality matters, brands matter, content matters, engagement matters," said Sapan. "And you don’t get a free lunch for showing up with 22 channels." He added that his team felt that "a day of reckoning would come” for some peers.
While the company felt SundanceTV and BBC America, in which it bought a stake, are well-defined channels, overall, he said, "we have already skinnied our offering down.” And AMC Networks channels should still get higher carriage fees, he reiterated. “Collectively, they are underpriced," said Sapan.
The cable networks company on Thursday posted a profit of $14 million for the latest quarter, or earnings per share of 20 cents, compared with $90 million in the year-ago period, or $1.23. The company in the latest quarter took non-cash impairment charges of $68 million related to AMC Networks International-DMC, its Amsterdam-based media logistics facility.
Adjusted for charges, earnings reached $92 million, or $1.30 per share, compared with $102 million, or $1.39 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2015. The decrease in adjusted earnings per share was "primarily related to the increase in adjusted operating income more than offset by an increase in miscellaneous expense." Wall Street analysts had on average expected earnings of $1.27 per share. Estimates had come down a bit after Sapan in December said that advertising was looking softer than anticipated.
A 9.2 percent increase in quarterly operating income and 9.2 percent adjusted operating income at the company's U.S. networks, which include AMC, IFC and SundanceTV, reflected higher revenue, offset by an increase in operating expenses. "The increase in operating expenses was primarily attributable to higher programming expenses, partially offset by a decrease in marketing expenses," the company said. "Programming expenses included charges of $5 million in the current-year period related to the write-off of programming assets, as compared to charges of $16 million in the prior year period." The company didn't immediately say which show or shows the write-off was for.
U.S. advertising revenue rose 3.1 percent despite lower ratings in the quarter for the first half of season seven of The Walking Dead. U.S. distribution revenue jumped 15.6 percent.
"2016 was a successful year for our company both financially and operationally, driven by our disciplined and focused strategy of investing in high-quality content and creating brands that have strong, growing, passionate and engaged audiences," said Sapan.
He continued: "We are embracing changing viewing habits by making strategic investments in streaming services that fit well with our programming and the audiences at our network brands. As we look ahead in 2017, we see a number of attractive growth opportunities for our businesses and remain committed to delivering meaningful value to our shareholders.
Michael Morris, an analyst with Guggenheim Partners, said in a note previewing the results: "Season 7 of The Walking Dead premiered in late October, and though the show started strong, by the mid-season finale ratings were declining in excess of 20 percent on a year-over-year basis, worse than the 15 percent decline built into our estimates."
He lowered his fourth-quarter U.S. networks advertising growth estimate for the fourth quarter to 0.5 percent from 6.0 percent "given The Walking Dead's recent ratings trends." Said Morris: "This is consistent with management commentary provided in December. We expect the show to remain in production — and popular with consumers — for the next several years, and as such we anticipate related ancillary revenue (from digital and international partners) to remain intact."
But, he warned, "Investor concern around the company's key Walking Dead franchise continues to weigh on shares. We continue to believe that market value under-appreciates the company’s ability to develop and monetize compelling programming. However, we do not see a clear path to investor realization and thus remain cautious in our target valuation multiple."
Sapan on Thursday also touted the ratings performance of the company's networks. And he said that AMC will this year air such returning series as Humans, Better Call Saul and Preacher, plus new shows like The Terror and The Son.
SUQQU's new series is widely anticipated as it has been every season. I couldn’t contain my excitement for the 2019 spring makeup series "Crepuscular Rays" that’s launching on Jan. 18. Inspired by the natural phenomenon of mysterious natural light, the new collection introduces new cosmetic products such as the liquid blush and eyeliner for the first time in addition with the variety of spring-inspired colours. This time, we bring you a full-colour testing of all the new products first hand (excluding the nail polishes).
First of all, the brand's ultra-popular quad eyeshadow palette, "SUQQU DESIGNING COLOR EYES". SUQQU has always put in the effort from naming its products down to its packaging to coincide with asian beauty and artistic direction. For starteers they’ve launched two new eyeshadow quads: surrounding shades of cherry red and mint green in ‘12 Genkouakane’ and limited edition ‘124 Toukiyou’ in bright yellow and icy blue gives a bright and clean impression.
The eye shadows have a very fine pearl finish with strong pigmentation. The colour matching of the two eye shadow quads is suitable for creating a romantic spring look.
For “SUQQU GLOW TOUCH EYES” liquid eyeshadows, 3 new colours have been added to the lineup: ‘06 Kiramomo’, limited edition ‘104 Kibudou’ and‘105 Aitou’.
All 3 colours are in vibrant metallics, pigmented, with just the right amount of liquid consistency that doesn’t drip.
"SUQQU COLOR INK LIQUID EYELINER" is a completely new product. It claims to deliver smooth application, is smudge proof, and easy to remove. There are 6 shades in total: ‘01 black’, ‘02 brown’, ‘03 red’, ‘04 navy’, ‘101 green (limited)’, and ‘102 gold (limited)’.
All 6 shades can be easily incorporated daily, and the the tip of the brush gives you smooth precision. Colours ‘02 Brown’, ‘04 Navy Blue’ and ‘102 Shine Gold’ have a metallic finish.
Another new additional product, “SUQQU SHIMMER LIQUID BLUSH” with a total of 5 shades: ‘01 Usumomokurumi’, ‘02 Tsubaimomo’, ‘03 Mitsukoushi’, ‘101 Jakuzakura (limited edition)’. The formula combines small traces of pearl shimmer and four kinds of moisturizing beauty oil extracts from jojoba, olive, macadamia, and sunflower creates an unearthly natural glow to the skin.
The five colours are perfect for spring and shade ‘101 Jakuzakura (limited edition)’ contain large traces of pearl shimmer compared to the others. All shades can be easily coordinated for daily use.
Lastly, the “SUQQU STAIN LIP LACQUER" new limited edition product line developed with an emphasis on vibrancy that’s lightweight and comfortable on the lips. "101 Kiniji ", "102 Urushiame", "103 Himeichigo", "104 Touhi", and "105 Hakuake".
The formula is moisturizing and as it claims, is bold in pigment. Shades "101 Kiniji " and "105 Hakuake" have an obvious pearl finishing in comparison to the others.
Horror author and game designer Richard Dansky (Firefly Rain, Worlds of Their Own) has offered up a new monster for the Halloween Horror collection here at Flames Rising.
The House Spider does not feed on blood, or flesh, or anything so messy and gory as that. It lives in the dwelling places of the timid, the fearful, the cluttered and the cautious. It finds them by their tell-tale signs, their overloaded bookshelves and their disorganized collections, their piles of papers and dimly lit rooms, and there it settles, invisibly. In olden days, many lived in reading rooms, on top of green-shaded desk lamps or in the rare empty spaces on bookshelves. These days, they settle more beneath the computer desk, or near the television, or in amongst the video game consoles and their surrounding debris.
House Spiders are, to most, invisible. They make themselves known, slowly, by the effects of their presence. A house burdened with one feels stuffy. Oppressive. Close, even. And yet the denizens, the ones who invited the House Spider in without even knowing it, find themselves ever more reluctant to leave it.
It’s not their fault, of course; it’s the House Spider’s. Each day, it attaches another invisibly glistening thread to their backs, one that only stretches so far. To go beyond the tether is to invite unease, gradually shading into discomfort, nervousness, and ultimately, outright terror. Soon the victim begins making excuses not to go outside; canceling engagements, refusing invitations, even calling for delivery rather than set out on the simplest chores. All the while, the House Spider feeds on their ambition, on their spirit and energy. It draws this out of them, bit by bit, line by line, thread by thread.
And when it has attached enough threads to them, it reels them in.
It doesn’t kill them, oh no. It never does that. It just keeps them, and tends them, and never, ever lets them go.
Richard Dansky is an author, game writer, and game designer. The author of five novels, including the critically acclaimed Firefly Rain, he serves as the Manager of Design for Red Storm Entertainment and the Central Clancy Writer for Ubisoft. A veteran of the original World of Darkness, Richard worked on well over a hundred books for White Wolf. He’s also contributed to video games ranging from Cold Fear to Splinter Cell: Double Agent, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Austin Game Developers’ Conference. You can find Richard online at www.richarddansky.com.
Jeff Preston is a Freelance Illustrator who has been doing concept art and quality interior art and a few covers since the early 21st century. His first gig was for Key20 for a Halloween Special in 2002 with a deadline of four hours. Since then, Jeff has been producing art under deadlines consistently, building a reputation as the go-to guy for artwork to order, with no guff, and always on-time!
Visit www.team-preston.com for a look at his gallery and upcoming projects.
Very poignant, Richard. I like.
Glad you liked it, folks!
Arena goes with experience -- and a few question marks in Gold Cup knockout phase.
If a team’s play can be as memorable as it is forgettable, the U.S. did just that in winning -- barely -- Group B of the 2017 Gold Cup.
Panama’s improved quality has been evident for most of this decade and both Martinique and Nicaragua deployed three or four players quite capable of matching their American counterparts. Those teams also were not composed mostly of second-choice players with little or no experience playing together in a competitive match. The Americans were supposed to better and they were in the second and third games though certainly not dominant.
It is a source of disappointment that the U.S. didn’t do enough to blot out those foes’ strengths and overpower their weaknesses, yet head coach Bruce Arena chose his first-round squad to test players individually and observe their collective effectiveness. The first round was about observation and evaluation. Like the extensive weeding necessary to clean up an overgrown backyard, the process is not pretty even if the end product looks nice.
The attack may not have oozed flow and beauty, but in three games it did generate 21 shots on goal, and stick seven goals in the net even while squandering a pair of penalty kicks. Doing the math can be deceptive.
It took only eight shots against Martinique, but all three on goal wound up in the net. And the two goals by Jordan Morris that followed a scrapper from Omar Gonzalezwere among the best of the U.S. seven. The Americans didn’t react well to Martinique attacks that wiped out a two-goal lead but they did strike back right away to get the 3-2 victory.
Arena’s six changes raised a lot of questions, but the intriguing case is that of Morris. Dom Dwyer and Kelyn Rowe obviously did well enough to rate consideration when Hexagonal play resumes in September, but Morris has been struggling for Seattle this season. He had apparently slid down the depth chart before tucking home an Eric Lichaj near-post cross from a tight angle and racing onto a return pass from Gyasi Zardes and booming it high into the net two minutes after Martinique had equalized.
Juan Agudelo didn’t play in the warm-up game against Ghana but played in all three group matches, including a start against Martinique. He brings something different to the squad than does Dwyer, playing the target role unlike either Altidore or Dwyer. Similarly, Arena has kept on Corona, who played well against Ghana, struggled in the Panama game, and on Saturday notched his first U.S. goal in more than four years before failing to convert a penalty kick.
Good and bad, memorable and forgettable. This is what perhaps a dozen players gave Arena and his coaching staff in the first round. Still think coaching a national team is no big deal?
Dwyer’s emergence shortly after obtaining U.S. citizenship has ratcheted up the competition at forward.
It’s impossible to gauge how much Arena considers a player’s club situation when he makes his roster decisions; he’s taken Clint Dempsey away from the Sounders, who play two games this week. Dwyer and Rowe didn’t disappoint but Arena has options he considers superior and it’s hard to argue with Dempsey, who is within one of Landon Donovan’s U.S. record 57 goals, or Altidore, third on the all-time list with 37. They have been rising to the occasion for about a decade.
This is must-win time. Sentiment and romanticism can wait. Arena cannot call his European-based players and wants to win the competition, and for whatever reason he didn’t consider Benny Feilhaber and Sacha Kljestan as essential options. If the Americans stumble short of the title those exclusions, as well as the departures of Dwyer and Rowe, will trigger the most reaction.
Obviously, he regards Dempsey and Seattle teammate Morris essential to winning the Gold Cup and not midfielder Cristian Roldan, who showed signs of nerves in his debut against Martinique before settling into the environment. Roldan is 22 and the U.S. is well-equipped in central midfield. More opportunities will come his way.
Retaining Kellyn Acosta and Dax McCarty while also summoning Michael Bradley and Darlington Nagbe opens up many possible midfield combinations. Nagbe adds dribbling skills and speed, both essential elements as competition toughens. Decisions would have been different if Alejandro Bedoya didn’t leave the team to attend the birth of his second child; he unhinged Martinique, and against Nicaragua assisted on the first two goals and played a significant role in the third.
Those botched PKs by Dwyer and Corona necessitated the late heroics of centerback Matt Miazga, who punctuated a very solid showing against Nicaragua by heading home Graham Zusi’s free kick -- awarded for a foul on Agudelo -- with the crucial goal in the 88th minute. Said goal earned top spot in the group and a match against Group C wild-card El Salvador rather than Costa Rica, which instead plays Panama Wednesday in Philadelphia right before the USA match.
With all eight defenders retained, Arena has given himself the most extensive range of options in case of injuries and/or suspensions, and he’s also building depth for the last four games of the Hexagonal. The Hex resumes Sept. 1 against Costa Rica, which the Americans could meet in the semis. Lichaj looks like a contender to back up DeAndre Yedlin at right back and he has also played on the left.
A rough outing for Matt Hedges against Martinique has not prompted his departure; Arena may not give him any minutes in the remaining games but closely observe how he handles himself in training. Same, too, for Zardes, whose maddening propensity for heavy touches and bull-headed decisions is offset by flank speed and quality balls such as the one he measured and weighted perfectly for Morris.
The departure of Brad Guzan, starting a new phase of his career with Atlanta United, is significant. He has far more experience than Bill Hamid, who got his third cap against Nicaragua, and Jesse Gonzalez, whose switch of allegiance from Mexico was approved just two weeks ago. They'll back up Tim Howard in a pre-planned shuttle of keepers, a bit of a gamble for Arena. He'll go into a knockout round banking on Howard and two backups with a grand total of three caps.
At every position, Arena is looking for competition. There are a few openings in the first XI, and slots 12-20 are very much in play. In the past year, players such as Nagbe and Jorge Villafana have solidified spots high on the depth chart. For the next 11 months, Arena wants the same dynamic across the board.
33 comments about "Arena goes with experience -- and a few question marks in Gold Cup knockout phase.".
Right Winger, July 17, 2017 at 7:34 a.m.
Altidore? Tell me the last time he rose to the occasion. His time has passed. Period.
Ric Fonseca replied, July 17, 2017 at 3:10 p.m.
I couldn't agree more! To soften his departure from the NT, give him a developmental team.
Joe Linzner, July 17, 2017 at 9:52 a.m.
I simply cannot understand Leadlegs Altidore getting the nod. What is it that coaches see in that guy? His scores are gimmes. Once in a blue moon, he earns a goal. Sickening!
Fire Paul Gardner Now, July 17, 2017 at 10:20 a.m.
Bashing Altidore appears to be a tradition among USMNT fans. Too bad. He's not perfect but we can do a lot worse. Other than maybe Bobby Wood, which US striker is better?
Wooden Ships replied, July 17, 2017 at 12:44 p.m.
Give me Wood, his work rate alone is a difference maker in keeping the ball in the middle third.
Ric Fonseca replied, July 17, 2017 at 3:13 p.m.
Come now guys, Jazzy has reached and way past his prime! All he does is charges into the box like a bull in a china shop. Like I said above, retire him and give him an MLS Developmental team!!!
Fire Paul Gardner Now replied, July 19, 2017 at 9:47 a.m.
More irrational hatred of Altidore. Yes, Wood is better but Bruce is not calling in European based players at this stage. That's why guys like Pulisic, Cameron, Yedling, Johnson etc. are not here either.
ROBERT BOND, July 17, 2017 at 10:44 a.m.
John Lander, July 17, 2017 at 11:33 a.m.

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