With investors currently looking for the best way to deal with the inconsistencies of the current economic landscape, caution seems to be the law of the land across markets. As such, investors are choosing to focus on projects generating actual value instead of their potential, status, or connections. This means that at this time, a startup with a positive balance sheet has a unique opportunity to beat unicorns when it comes to raising pre-IPO funding.

Surprisingly, Venture Capitalists in the crypto ecosystem seem to have remained more cool-headed than their stock counterparts. It is well known by now that Andreessen Horowitz raised a $4.5 billion crypto fund. However, other Crypto investors have also achieved the same, with Sequoia raising $500 million back in May and Binance lab doing the same in early June.

What all of these funds have in common is their heavy focus on Web3 projects, a continuation of a trend that has been going on for several months. The popularity of Web3 in the tech world has been so overwhelming that tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon have been unable to deal with it. Despite having been the mecca for tech employees for more than a decade, these companies have seen an exodus of top talent looking to work in Web3.

While Web3 is only one of the niches driving the pre-IPO deal flow in the blockchain space, its relevance is of special significance. This is especially true due to the criticism Web3 has received from figures like Jack Dorsey, Aaron Levie, Stephen Diehl, and Molly White. Despite this criticism, investors like Marc Andreessen are extremely bullish on Web 3, going as far as saying:

“The easiest way to think about it is: When you get something like this, this sort of collective effect that has a movement behind it and is attracting many of the world’s smartest people to work on it… basically the criticisms end up playing out differently than the critics think. These critics make a long list of all the problems but these genius engineers and entrepreneurs look at that list of problems as a list of opportunities.”

The question “Where Is the Pre-IPO Deal Flow?” was the main topic of one of the panels at Grit Daily House earlier this month. Karim Nurani, Chief Strategy Officer at Linqto; Evan Greenberg Co-Founder of Blockchain Beach; and Marc Weill, Senior Advisor at Two Sigma Ventures, sat to share the unique environment that has emerged with the latest market winter.

If you missed the chance to attend Grit Daily House in person and to hear what these panelists have to say about this topic, worry not. You will be able to watch the panel in the video below and find our other panels on Grit Daily’s official YouTube Channel.

The post Crypto Startup Funding Is Still Going Strong, but Where Is the Pre-IPO Deal Flow? appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Stock Market Activity Tied to Good News Surrounding COVID-19 Pandemic

Today’s surge in AMC’s stock price seemed to be driven by the news that Texas will not be extending their shelter-in-place protocols. The last big jump in AMC’s stock price was on April 17th when it went up by 31%. That surge was prompted by similar circumstances.

On April 16th, news broke that a University of Chicago clinical trial testing the efficacy of a potential COVID-19 treatment yielded promising results. The reports of rapid recoveries had many hoping that the pandemic will be brought under control sooner rather than later.

Another big piece of news that broke on the 16th was President Trump’s announcement of the plan to re-open the economy in phases. States could begin “Phase One” once they have met the “gating criteria”. Movie theaters are one of the businesses that would be allowed to re-open in “Phase One”.

Both of the aforementioned pieces of news that broke late on April 16th led to a big stock market rally on April 17th. AMC’s stock skyrocketed so dramatically that day because the rally was compounded by news that the company issued $500 million in first-lien notes to help them stay afloat during the pandemic. Those promissory notes were issued with a stipulation that the debt be repaid by 2025.

Does This Mean AMC is in the Clear?

In spite of AMC’s good performance on the market, the company’s future is still uncertain. Even though some states are moving forward with plans to re-open their economy, AMC has made it clear that they will not be opening immediately.

In order for the theaters to re-open, they need to have movies to show. The on-demand release of Trolls and the delay of No Time To Die are prime examples of how Hollywood is handling the COVID-19 pandemic. While Christopher Nolan’s Tenet and the Mulan remake are both sticking to their current release dates, the theaters cannot open solely for two movies. The staggered re-opening of the country makes it difficult for Hollywood executives to plan the rest of 2020’s box office.

AMC acknowledged their predicament in a statement, “To be able to open, we also need a line of sight into a regular schedule of new theatrical blockbusters that get people truly excited about returning to their favorite movie theaters … While we expect to open our theaters in the weeks ahead of these new blockbusters, utilizing creative programming of immensely popular previously released films, we would be wise to do so only directly in advance of the release of major new movie titles.”

It remains to be seen how AMC will handle its re-opening. The company will have to coordinate its return to operations with the stabilization of new Hollywood releases, and it will have to do that while observing health guidelines. That is an extremely precarious position to be in for a company that until recently did not expect to make it past July.

The post AMC Stock Skyrockets, but Why? appeared first on Grit Daily News.

I looked first at what was available close to home. Home, at that time, was Ireland. And the moment turned out to be a good one. I was able to buy without much money down. (You don’t need to be wealthy to get started in real estate investment if you know what you’re doing.) I got in just ahead of a big spike in real estate values, and I did well on my buys in Ireland.

But from 2005, the Irish real estate market started to get frothy. Silly-high prices were being paid for houses that were frankly average. Ordinary buyers had to put themselves into major mortgage debt just to afford a standard three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in a regular town.

The market in Ireland stopped making sense to me as a place to put my money. By 2007, the real estate market had stalled, before crashing in 2008 and 2009. But I still wanted to invest in real estate. I knew if I got in at the right moment of a market trajectory, I could buy for below true value, and profit as prices rose.

I had two choices. I could wait until that market moment came back to Ireland. Or I could start looking overseas for markets that were just like the Ireland of the late 1990s, before its boom kicked off.

I chose to look overseas…and I’ve made more profit than I ever could have expected to if I’d stayed in my home country. And you could, too.

You don’t need to be wealthy to get started in real estate.

“You’re Going Where?!”

Back in 2004, I told my parents that I was taking a trip to Panama. They were, to put it mildly, skeptical. They knew two things about it: It had a famous canal and lots of jungle. I knew one thing they didn’t: that Panama was on the cusp of the same kind of rise in real estate values that I’d seen and acted on a few years previously in Ireland.

Panama City, at the time, was transforming…from a sleepy city to an economic powerhouse that would become a major regional hub like Singapore. And I was there to invest…to get ahead of the trends that would hand me profits.

Profit I did. I invested in Panama. I agreed to a price of $147,630 for a luxury, city center condo. I bought pre-construction and paid only 5% down. I made four further payments of 5% during construction. Shortly after the condo was finished, I sold it for $220,000. My profits: $72,370.

When I sold my Panama condo, ordinary apartments and houses back in Dublin, Ireland, were selling for $465,000 or more.

I like to invest in the early days of a growth trajectory, and that’s where Panama was. On the other hand, Ireland was at the tail end of its boom. In Ireland, there was always the risk of getting caught with an overvalued piece of real estate when the market turned or sales stopped. And that’s exactly what happened.

In 2007, crisis hit Europe—and hit Ireland particularly badly. Real estate investors who hadn’t gotten out in time watched the value of their investments plummet.

Meanwhile, I was thousands of miles away, in Brazil. Again, it proved to be a smart move. While all across Europe there was a run on banks and, in Ireland particularly, much of the public was panicking, I was standing on a sun-drenched beach in northeast Brazil. The sand under my feet was warm and the salt air carried a pleasant breeze. It was easy to forget what was happening back home.

I wasn’t in Brazil to sight-see. I was there to lock down a condo—one that I could see big profit potential in.

While Europe was in economic turmoil, in northeast Brazil an exploding middle class, industry growth, and rapid infrastructure development were all combining to create an incredible buy-ing moment.

I bought a beachside condo for 180,000 Brazilian reais. I was able to secure that condo with a small down payment of 1% of the condo’s value—the equivalent of just $736. I paid little monthly payments of 1% for the next two-and-a-half years.

The weekend I bought my condo, the whole condo community sold out. And before the condo was even completed, a buyer offered me 250,000 Brazilian reais. I sold, for a gross profit of $43,500. At a time when the real estate market in Ireland was in freefall…

That’s one of the advantages of investing in real estate overseas. Because you’re diversified outside your home market, you’re better equipped to withstand the natural boom and bust cycles your friends and family may fall prey to.

But that’s far from the only advantage.

Luxury Like This Doesn’t Usually Come Cheap…

I like to golf. It’s one of the things I miss sometimes when I’m on the road—getting the time to hit a few balls at my leisure with friends or family. Ireland has some fantastic, world-class golf courses. That’s not the case in many of the countries on my beat. Their courses simply don’t make the grade for a dedicated golfer like me.

One course, though, has bucked that trend. It’s a Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Los Cabos, Mexico. It’s an oceanside course with some holes perched on cliffs. It’s breathtaking—and a challenging play, even for serious golfers.

Los Cabos, if you’re not familiar with it, is pretty fancy. Located on the southern-most tip of the Baja California peninsula, it’s one of the most high-end and glamorous destinations on my beat. For decades, only the very rich owned homes here. The “ordinary rich” pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for the chance to stay in a time-share in Los Cabos for one or two weeks a year.

Yet in the community with that Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course, I made another investment. I bought a condo there—as did Real Estate Trend Alert members, thanks to a special deal and pricing I’d negotiated. I locked it down in December 2014, when RETA members-only pricing for these condos was $336,156. Less than four years later, I’m sitting on six-figure gains…and am getting ready to rent my place out. I could target more than $40,000 gross a year in short-term rental income.

Double your investment in five to seven years.

These condos are set in a sumptuous resort with all the bells and whistles: that top-flight golf course with awesome beach and ocean views; a luxury clubhouse steps away; massive, ocean-view pools; three miles of beach; and high-end restaurants and hotels. These are multi-million-dollar luxury surroundings…and I got them for a tiny fraction of what you would usually expect to pay for a home of this quality.

That’s the beauty of being willing to look abroad for your real estate investment buys. You get to buy a lot for a little price tag (and get bragging rights at the next family barbecue or office Christmas party).

With an investment in real estate, you have an asset you can enjoy, like a condo in Spain. ©Steenie Harvey

But Isn’t It Difficult?

A lot of people imagine that there’s some big mystery to buying overseas, or that it’s not legal for a foreigner to buy.

If you’ve looked at countries close to home, you’d be forgiven for thinking buying abroad is a minefield.

In some countries in Southeast Asia, restrictions are placed on what foreigners can buy. In Thailand, for example, foreigners face restrictions when buying real estate. But generally, buying overseas is simple and straightforward—I say that as someone who has done it many times.

And it’s easy for members of my Real Estate Trend Alert members: I find, negotiate, and research the deals. Then I serve them up on a platter to RETA members.

If you’re thinking of what to do with your money, whether it’s a lot or a little, your answer may lie outside your home borders.

You don’t need to be a financial expert to profit time and time again on the right real estate buy…nor do you need to be super wealthy. I’ve found deals recently where you could buy with just a small investment—such as lots in a best-in-class community in Costa Rica with pricing from just $20,000. You didn’t even need to pay that amount upfront. You could have gotten in with just $4,000 down, and then made payments of $302 a month over five years. From that lot, I expect big capital appreciation. By the time you make your last payment in five years’ time, I figure your lot could be worth $55,000.

Those kinds of gains aren’t an anomaly, either. On all my recommendations overseas, I typically expect that a buyer will double the investment in five to seven years, if not sooner.

Profiting from real estate is some-thing that everyone can do. You just have to be open to possibilities—one of which is investing overseas. It’s something I’m sure glad I considered…and that I know you will be, too.

The article Explore a World of Profit Just Outside Your Borders by Ronan McMahon first appeared on International Living.

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The coronavirus that originated from a market in Wuhan, China (medically named 2019-nCoV), has triggered a massive international response. The highly contagious nature of the disease, and lack of medications, are forcing some drastic measures. In addition to imposing strict preventative measures, the Chinese government is dedicating a 1000 bed hospital to combating the virus.

This disease has struck at a time that is a perfect storm for a pandemic. The Lunar New Year holiday has been called the largest annual human migration in the world. This movement of masses of people through dense cities and public transportation makes it much easier for the disease to spread even more rapidly.

Major Attractions Shut Down, Travel Restrictions Imposed

In an effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak, China has taken several proactive steps. Attractions and locations which see dense foot traffic have been forced to close.

The Shanghai Disney Resort has been closed by Disney Corp “in response to the prevention and control of the disease outbreak.” They made this decision in spite of announcing several events to celebrate the Lunar New Year, creating their “Year of the Mouse” events.

The Chinese government has also forced the closure of thousands of movie theaters across the nation. These decisions will have a financial impact for all parties involved, but do seem prudent considering the nature of the disease. Typically, the holiday sees the Chinese box office rake in over $1 billion.

Several cultural sites and tourist attractions have been closed in China as well. The Forbidden City, portions of The Great Wall, and the National Museum of China have all been closed to the public.

35 Million Chinese citizens are facing travel restrictions due to 14 cities across the nation being locked down. The Chinese ministry of travel has also ordered travel agencies to stop sales of packages and tours. The Chinese civil aviation authorities and state rail operator stated that all canceled trips will be refunded.

International Outbreak

China’s Xinhua News reports that early symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, headaches, fatigue, or problems with digestive and nervous systems, as well as the initial fever and cough. Primarily, the virus is known to mimic the symptoms of pneumonia.

As of Sunday, over 2,000 people have been infected and 56 have died. Asia has been hit the hardest by this disease, but it has spread rapidly around the globe. Hong Kong has declared a state of emergency after five cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed on the island. The Hong Kong government has extended the Lunar New Year break for schools and universities, keeping them out of session until February 17th.

There are five confirmed cases in the United States, one in Washington, Illinois, and Arizona, and two in California. Dozens of people across US are being tested. The disease has also made it as far as France and Canada, with three confirmed cases in the former and one presumptive case in the latter. There are four cases in Japan, eight in Thailand, four in Malaysia, four in Singapore, three in South Korea, and two in Vietnam.

In one of the more noteworthy cases, the World Health Organization reported a human-to-human case in Vietnam after the patient’s father visited him from Wuhan. In spite of the coronavirus outbreak, WHO has not declared a world health emergency.

Preventative Measures You Can Take

The virus has no known antibiotics at the moment. Most treatments focus on managing symptoms and supporting the respiratory system. You can take precautions by avoiding densely populated areas and washing your hands thoroughly and often. The CDC also suggested that people avoid all non-essential travel.

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Gentrification occurs in areas where disinvestment in real estate provides outsiders with profitable opportunities for redeveloping. This creates social and economic pressure in those individuals who inhabit such areas, which coerces them to move out. Regardless as to why they live there, (emotional attachment, historic value, economic opportunity, etc.), the natives aren’t likely to keep up with gentrification. Some didn’t even have a choice at all. Nevertheless, gentrification does have a process, as identified in Phillip Clay’s Neighborhood Renewal.

#1 — The Risk Takers

In the beginning, there was nothing. And then God said, “let there be a group of risk takers.” And I don’t know what God thought of it. It’s usually a small group; they invest in properties in already urban areas for their own personal use. Not terrible, since these are people (usually artists) who have the time to engage in such remodeling projects. And since these properties are already vacantly free on the market, no displacement happens. Again, harmless.

#2 — And They Don’t Stop Coming

In the second stage, a similar group comes in and does the exact same thing. While the first group does it discreetly, however, real estate agents are included with the second group. These people make little events and promotional activities while entrepreneurs renovate properties for the sake of resale and rental. These vacant properties are simply showcased over a greater area for anybody to have access to. And when you thought things were getting bad, this is when the urban area starts getting attention from public agencies.

#3 — The Media

After step one and step two have been executed, the media sets its sight on the neighborhood. Therefore, they turn it into a center of attention. While the first wave of outsiders continues to be influencers, at this stage they have brought along creative developers into the mix as well. With the volume of work increasing, the changes in the neighborhood are more noticeable by the time the media has stepped in.

Unfortunately, money is an incredible motivator. Therefore, house prices will begin to escalate. More and more people are moving out of their neighborhoods by this stage, especially if the newest codes are strictly enforced. This is also the part where landlords choose to take advantage of the new neighborhood by transitioning the best maintained properties into the world of the middle class. In addition, the pioneers of this movement start advertising the neighborhood to other middle-class people for the sake of asking for public resources. Tensions, as of now, are through the roof.

#4 — Goodbye, Bodega

By this time, a huge amount of middle-class people has entered the vicinity that was, once upon a time, a regular neighborhood. They belong to the business and managerial branch of the spectrum. It is in this stage that the unthinkable happens: accommodation. In order to accommodate high demand in the area, non-residential buildings are tuned into condominium units.

In addition, in order to accommodate the middle class, retail businesses and food service establishments are created to keep the money in the neighborhood and appease the growing business middle class. In order to keep up, rents keep increasing, causing more displacement for both the original renters and homeowners. By the end, the neighborhood has replaced its people with the the “middle-class.”

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