Prosecutor opens with Zimmerman's obscenity

SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? George Zimmerman's defense attorneys said in opening statements that the neighborhood watch volunteer fatally shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense.

Defense attorney Don West told jurors Monday that Zimmerman was being viciously attacked when he shot the 17-year-old Miami-area teen.

West outlined the defense case moments after a prosecutor said in his opening statements that Zimmerman was profiling Martin shortly before he confronted the teen last year.

Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming self-defense.

The case attracted worldwide attention following protests that erupted when Zimmerman wasn't arrested for 44 days after the shooting.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/prosecutor-opens-zimmermans-obscenity-135419217.html

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Resilience in the wake of Superstorm Sandy

Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
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Contact: Eric Young
young-eric@norc.org
703-217-6814
NORC at the University of Chicago

Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey reveals new information about the importance of social and community bonds in recovery from a disaster like Superstorm Sandy

Chicago, June 24, 2013The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has released results of a major survey exploring resilience of people and neighborhoods directly affected by Superstorm Sandy.

The study reveals the importance of social factors such as neighborhood bonds and social supports in coping with the storm and its aftermath.

Striking landfall in the United States on October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy affected large areas of coastal New York and New Jersey, devastated communities, killed more than 130 people, and caused tens of billions of dollars in property damage.

"The impact of the storm is being felt to this day as the long process of recovery continues," said Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC Center. "Our survey data powerfully illustrate how important the help of friends, family, and neighbors can be in getting people back on their feet after natural disasters. These crucial social bonds are often overlooked as policy discussions tend to focus on the role that official institutions have in fostering resilience."

With funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted a national survey of 2,025 individuals including an oversample of 1,007 interviews with residents in the NY and NJ region affected by Superstorm Sandy.

The survey had two central objectives:

1. To systematically measure the impact of the storm on individuals and neighborhoods and to assess the level of recovery six months after the storm.
2. To learn how neighborhood characteristics and social factors relate to recovery and resilience.

Critical findings of the survey include:

• The most important sources of help before, during, and after the storm were friends, family, and neighbors, with first responders seen as equally important in the affected regions.
• Organized charities such as The Salvation Army, and food banks as well as relief organizations like the Red Cross were seen as very helpful and important in the wake of the storm in the regions most affected by the storm.
• By contrast State and federal governments and utility companies were seen as significantly less helpful by those in the affected region.
• Residents of the region affected by Sandy report extensive impacts beyond the physical damage, including prolonged effects on daily living and social relationships, with many individuals and neighborhoods continuing to struggle.
• The storm brought out the best in neighbors, with reports of many people sharing access to power, food and water, and providing shelter. Just seven percent report that the storm brought out the worst in their neighbors.
• Americans supported the victims, with 54 percent of Americans donating food, money, clothing or other items to help, with 63 percent of people in the affected regions doing the same.
• About two-thirds of Americans support government assistance in rebuilding, with a smaller majority supporting buyouts in areas susceptible to natural disasters.
• In areas affected by the storm, people relied heavily on both face to face communication and on technology, with cellphones cited as the most common way to communicate during the storm. Email and Facebook were used by about one-third of residents and Twitter by a small percentage.
• In the most severely hit areas, 80 percent of people relied on face to face communications, followed by cellphone, landlines, email, Facebook, and Twitter.

"Superstorm Sandy tested the resilience of New York and New Jersey," said Dr. Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation. "As the region works to rebuild and to better prepare for future storms, the results of this poll can inform our thinking and planning in a way that will ensure greater resilience. The poll shows that family, neighborhood and community are vital components of responding to shocks and stresses and bouncing back stronger."

About the Survey

The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Survey Research titled "Resilience in the Wake of Superstorm Sandy" was conducted from April 9 through June 2, 2013. The affected region was defined as 16 counties in New York and New Jersey which all received a FEMA impact rating of "very high" based on a composite indicator of wind, storm surge, and rain. The overall margin of error for the national sample was +/- 4.0 percent.

###

Additional information, including the Associated Press stories and the survey's complete topline findings, can be found on the AP-NORC Center's website at http://www.apnorc.org.

NORC at the University of Chicago is an independent research organization headquartered in downtown Chicago with additional offices in the University of Chicago campus, the D.C. Metro area, Atlanta, Boston, and San Francisco. NORC also supports a nationwide field staff as well as international research operations. With clients throughout the world, NORC collaborates with government agencies, foundations, education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to provide data and analysis that support informed decision making in key areas including health, education, crime, justice, energy, security and the environment. NORC's more than 70 years of leadership and experience in data collection, analysis, and disseminationcoupled with deep subject matter expertiseprovides the foundation for effective solutions to issues confronting society.

The Associated Press (AP) is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from the AP. Founded in 1846, the AP today is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering. The AP considers itself to be the backbone of the world's information system, serving thousands of daily newspaper, radio, television, and online customers with coverage in text, photos, graphics, audio and video.

The Rockefeller Foundation aims to achieve equitable growth by expanding opportunity for more people in more places worldwide, and to build resilience by helping them prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. Throughout its 100 year history, The Rockefeller Foundation has enhanced the impact of innovative thinkers and actors working to change the world by providing the resources, networks, convening power, and technologies to move them from idea to impact. In today's dynamic and interconnected world, The Rockefeller Foundation has a unique ability to address the emerging challenges facing humankind through innovation, intervention and influence in order to shape agendas and inform decision making.

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Eric Young
young-eric@norc.org
703-217-6814
NORC at the University of Chicago

Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey reveals new information about the importance of social and community bonds in recovery from a disaster like Superstorm Sandy

Chicago, June 24, 2013The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has released results of a major survey exploring resilience of people and neighborhoods directly affected by Superstorm Sandy.

The study reveals the importance of social factors such as neighborhood bonds and social supports in coping with the storm and its aftermath.

Striking landfall in the United States on October 29, 2012, Superstorm Sandy affected large areas of coastal New York and New Jersey, devastated communities, killed more than 130 people, and caused tens of billions of dollars in property damage.

"The impact of the storm is being felt to this day as the long process of recovery continues," said Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC Center. "Our survey data powerfully illustrate how important the help of friends, family, and neighbors can be in getting people back on their feet after natural disasters. These crucial social bonds are often overlooked as policy discussions tend to focus on the role that official institutions have in fostering resilience."

With funding from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted a national survey of 2,025 individuals including an oversample of 1,007 interviews with residents in the NY and NJ region affected by Superstorm Sandy.

The survey had two central objectives:

1. To systematically measure the impact of the storm on individuals and neighborhoods and to assess the level of recovery six months after the storm.
2. To learn how neighborhood characteristics and social factors relate to recovery and resilience.

Critical findings of the survey include:

• The most important sources of help before, during, and after the storm were friends, family, and neighbors, with first responders seen as equally important in the affected regions.
• Organized charities such as The Salvation Army, and food banks as well as relief organizations like the Red Cross were seen as very helpful and important in the wake of the storm in the regions most affected by the storm.
• By contrast State and federal governments and utility companies were seen as significantly less helpful by those in the affected region.
• Residents of the region affected by Sandy report extensive impacts beyond the physical damage, including prolonged effects on daily living and social relationships, with many individuals and neighborhoods continuing to struggle.
• The storm brought out the best in neighbors, with reports of many people sharing access to power, food and water, and providing shelter. Just seven percent report that the storm brought out the worst in their neighbors.
• Americans supported the victims, with 54 percent of Americans donating food, money, clothing or other items to help, with 63 percent of people in the affected regions doing the same.
• About two-thirds of Americans support government assistance in rebuilding, with a smaller majority supporting buyouts in areas susceptible to natural disasters.
• In areas affected by the storm, people relied heavily on both face to face communication and on technology, with cellphones cited as the most common way to communicate during the storm. Email and Facebook were used by about one-third of residents and Twitter by a small percentage.
• In the most severely hit areas, 80 percent of people relied on face to face communications, followed by cellphone, landlines, email, Facebook, and Twitter.

"Superstorm Sandy tested the resilience of New York and New Jersey," said Dr. Judith Rodin, president of the Rockefeller Foundation. "As the region works to rebuild and to better prepare for future storms, the results of this poll can inform our thinking and planning in a way that will ensure greater resilience. The poll shows that family, neighborhood and community are vital components of responding to shocks and stresses and bouncing back stronger."

About the Survey

The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Survey Research titled "Resilience in the Wake of Superstorm Sandy" was conducted from April 9 through June 2, 2013. The affected region was defined as 16 counties in New York and New Jersey which all received a FEMA impact rating of "very high" based on a composite indicator of wind, storm surge, and rain. The overall margin of error for the national sample was +/- 4.0 percent.

###

Additional information, including the Associated Press stories and the survey's complete topline findings, can be found on the AP-NORC Center's website at http://www.apnorc.org.

NORC at the University of Chicago is an independent research organization headquartered in downtown Chicago with additional offices in the University of Chicago campus, the D.C. Metro area, Atlanta, Boston, and San Francisco. NORC also supports a nationwide field staff as well as international research operations. With clients throughout the world, NORC collaborates with government agencies, foundations, education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to provide data and analysis that support informed decision making in key areas including health, education, crime, justice, energy, security and the environment. NORC's more than 70 years of leadership and experience in data collection, analysis, and disseminationcoupled with deep subject matter expertiseprovides the foundation for effective solutions to issues confronting society.

The Associated Press (AP) is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. On any given day, more than half the world's population sees news from the AP. Founded in 1846, the AP today is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering. The AP considers itself to be the backbone of the world's information system, serving thousands of daily newspaper, radio, television, and online customers with coverage in text, photos, graphics, audio and video.

The Rockefeller Foundation aims to achieve equitable growth by expanding opportunity for more people in more places worldwide, and to build resilience by helping them prepare for, withstand, and emerge stronger from acute shocks and chronic stresses. Throughout its 100 year history, The Rockefeller Foundation has enhanced the impact of innovative thinkers and actors working to change the world by providing the resources, networks, convening power, and technologies to move them from idea to impact. In today's dynamic and interconnected world, The Rockefeller Foundation has a unique ability to address the emerging challenges facing humankind through innovation, intervention and influence in order to shape agendas and inform decision making.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/natu-rit062413.php

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The Board Game Family Castle Panic The Wizard's Tower ...

Small expansion with a lot more Panic stuffed inside!

Castle Panic is one of our favorite cooperative board games. The first time we played it, we knew we were hooked. Right from the start of the game, you can see why it?s named ?Panic? because monsters are very quickly closing in on your castle walls and you can sense the doom.

Everyone we?ve played it with has enjoyed it as well. Working together to fight off the marauding monsters is a lot of fun. And it does take a lot of teamwork to win the game.

So when the expansion Castle Panic The Wizard?s Tower came out, we were anxious to get a copy to add to the fun.

Love the Monster Draw Bag!

What the draw of The Wizard?s Tower?
The Wizard?s Tower expansion adds a ton of stuff. There are 10 new cards to add to the Castle card deck. There?s a whole new deck of cards ? the Wizard deck ? with 22 cards that all add special abilities. There are Flame tokens that can both damage monsters as well as weaken your castle walls and towers. There?s a Wizard?s Tower (how appropriate) that replaces one of the castle towers. And there are a ton of new monsters and new monster types that increase the Panic a ton.

And let?s not forget the Draw Bag!
Using a draw bag for the monster tokens is a whole lot nicer than having all the monster tokens face down on the table to draw from. And a black bag with beady eyes is the perfect addition to the game.

Does The Wizard?s Tower add to the fun?
If you like facing almost insurmountable odds, then yes, The Wizard?s Tower expansion adds a lot of fun to the game. The additional monsters and elements added to the game sure do increase the tension. It also increases the amount of things you need to keep track of.

Burning castle walls and the Wizard?s Tower.

When playing with The Wizard?s Tower expansion, we make sure to keep the added reference cards and rulebook handy because there are so many things that are added.

First the simple additions?

The Actual Wizard?s Tower
This is an easy addition to the game. Just replace one of the regular towers with the special Wizard?s Tower. As long as that tower is still standing, players can use the Wizard Deck to draw from. Once that tower is destroyed however, that deck of cards can?t be used (players can still use any wizard cards still in their hand).

The Wizard Deck and New Castle Cards
The cards in the Wizards Deck add some cool abilities like damaging a monster anywhere on the board, catching monsters on fire, all players drawing up to full hand, or even getting monsters to attack each other.

Plenty of cards to help in the battle ahead.

During the Discard and Draw phase, players can discard a card to draw a card from the Wizard deck. It?s tempting to get a lot of wizard cards because of their abilities, but to fight a balanced fight, players will need to keep a good stock of regular castle cards as well. A tricky balance.

Of course the 10 new castle cards are pretty cool to have at your disposal as well. Some of the new abilities include changing the color of a hit card, changing the range, adding a double strike, knocking monsters back, having another player play a hit card, and a appropriately named card ?Never Lose Hope? where you immediately discard as many cards as you want and draw that many castle cards.

Now on to the tough additions?

So many new types of monsters to be wary of.

The Dastardly Monsters
If you?ve thought the original game was too easy, then this will be what you?re looking for. Now there are a ton of new monster types to battle ? including monsters that can fly!

There are also 6 new Mega Boss Monsters that are very tough to take down. Mega Boss Monsters have abilities that are in effect as long as the monster is in play. And some have special movement and damage rules. Which would you like to go up against ? Basilisk, Chimera, Dragon, Hydra, Necromancer, or the Warlock? Oh, and you should know that the Dragon and Chimera breath fire ? watch out for ranged fireballs! (The only saving grace here is that only 3 are randomly selected at the start to be in the game.)

Mega Boss Monsters and their Harbinger tokens.

Because they?re so powerful, up to 5 hits to destroy, their monster token has more points on it. So instead of placing the monster token itself in the monster token draw bag, there are Harbinger tokens that have the standard 3-point shape. Each of the Harbinger tokens has the name of the Mega Boss that it represents printed on it. That way, when a player reaches in the bag, they don?t know if they?re drawing a regular monster token or a special monster. When they draw a Harbinger token, the Mega Boss monster token that is named on the Harbinger token is placed on the board to start its onslaught.

But the Mega Bosses aren?t all. There are 13 other new types of monsters in the game!
Now there are Centaurs, Cyclops, Gargoyles, Imps, Ogres, and more! And they all love to wreck havoc in new ways.

For example, one of the added monster tokens is the Doppelganger. It isn?t moved, hit, or slayed. It just sits there until another monster is destroyed. When the next monster is destroyed, the Doppelganger token is replaced with the token of the recently destroyed monster as if that monster were just drawn from the bag and placed. So with a Doppelganger on the board be careful what you kill next because it will come back to haunt you.

See why it?s important to keep the reference cards and rulebook handy to know what you?re up against.

The downside of having so many new monster types and special abilities is that the game slows down. Sure they?re cool to add, but because they?re all so unique it takes a long while to get familiar with everything going on.

But they sure all add a lot of Panic!

Sorting it all out
Another thing we love about The Wizard?s Tower expansion is that all the new items have a cool Wizard Hat Icon on them. This makes it so helpful for sorting all the items at the end of a game. That way if we?re tired of getting destroyed so much, we can pull those out and just play with a ?regular? level of panic for a while.

Final Thoughts
Castle Panic The Wizard?s Tower expansion adds a ton of new elements to the game. While it?s played the same as the original, all the new monsters and cards add a lot more to think about. You?ll definitely be glad that you?re working together as a team to fight your way through all this new panic.

We?d also recommend not introducing The Wizard?s Tower to new players. The base game is just great for new players. Adding in the expansion elements in a game with new players is just way too much to take in.

We like having the expansion and being able to challenge ourselves as much as we?d like. If we want more panic, we?ll add it all in. If we?d like not so much panic, but do want some more variety we?ll simply choose to play with a portion of the expansion elements.

One thing we all agree on ? Castle Panic is a great cooperative board game and we highly recommend it.

Summary of Added Components

• 1 Wizard?s Tower
• 10 Castle Cards
• 22 Wizard Cards
• 49 Monster Tokens
• 12 Flame Tokens
• 6 Reference Cards
• Monster Draw Bag

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Source: http://www.theboardgamefamily.com/2013/06/castle-panic-wizards-tower-expansion-review/

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WikiLeaks: Snowden requested legal help to safety

LONDON (AP) ? Anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks says it is providing legal help to wanted former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.

It says Snowden is bound for an unnamed "democratic nation via a safe route for the purpose of asylum," and that he is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisors from WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks said in its statement Sunday that Snowden requested the group "use its legal expertise and experience to secure his safety."

Hong Kong's government confirmed earlier that Snowden has left the territory, where he had been hiding for several weeks since he revealed information on highly classified spy programs.

Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency is citing an unidentified Aeroflot official as saying Snowden would fly from Moscow to Cuba on Monday and then on to Caracas, Venezuela.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wikileaks-snowden-requested-legal-help-safety-122358140.html

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Rivers receding in Calgary, 3 dead in floods

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) ? The two rivers that converge on the western Canadian city of Calgary are starting to recede after floods devastated much of southern Alberta province, causing at least three deaths and forcing thousands to evacuate.

The flooding forced authorities to evacuate Calgary's entire downtown and hit some of the city's iconic structures hard. The Saddledome, home to the National Hockey League's Calgary Flames, was flooded up to the 10th row, leaving the dressing rooms submerged.

Bruce Burrell, director of the city's emergency management agency, said Saturday they are seeing improvements in the rivers. Dan Limacher, director of water services for the city, said the Elbow river is expected to recede by about 60 percent over the next two days, while the larger Bow river will recede by about 25 percent.

Overflowing rivers on Thursday and Friday washed out roads and bridges, soaked homes and turned streets into dirt-brown waterways around southern Alberta. Police have said two bodies have been recovered and third was in an area that made it too dangerous to recover.

Alberta Premier Alison Redford has warned that communities downstream of Calgary had not yet felt the full force of the floodwaters. Medicine Hat, downstream from Calgary, was under a mandatory evacuation order affecting 10,000 residents.

As the sun rose in Calgary on Saturday morning it wasn't raining. Burrell said some of the 75,000 flood evacuees from more than 24 neighborhoods will be allowed back into their homes. He said the goal is to allow people from portions of six communities back into their homes on Saturday. Residents in a portion of one of those neighborhoods ? the high ground portion of Discovery Ridge ?have already been allowed back.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said late Friday the downtown area was still without power and remained off limits.

"It is extremely unlikely that people will be able to return to those buildings before the middle of next week," he said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a Calgary resident, said he never imagined there would be a flood of this magnitude in this part of Canada.

"This is incredible. I've seen a little bit of flooding in Calgary before. I don't think any of us have seen anything like this before. The magnitude is just extraordinary," he said.

"We're all very concerned that if gets much more than this it could have real impact on infrastructure and other services longer term, so we're hoping things will subside a bit."

Twenty-five neighborhoods in the city, with an estimated 75,000 residents, were evacuated due to floodwaters in Calgary, a city of more than a million people that hosted the 1988 Winter Olympics and is the center of Canada's oil industry. About 1,500 people have gone to emergency shelters while the rest have found shelter with family or friends, Nenshi said.

About 350,000 people work in downtown Calgary on a typical day. However, officials said very few people had to be moved out, since many heeded warnings and did not go to work Friday.

A spokesman for Canada's defense minister said 1,300 soldiers from a base in Edmonton were being deployed to the flood zone.

Police were asking residents who were forced to leave the nearby High River area to register at an evacuation shelter. The Town of High River remained under a mandatory evacuation order.

Schools and court trials were canceled. Transit service in the city's core was shut down.

Residents were left to wander and wade through streets waist-deep in water.

Newlyweds Scott and Marilyn Crowson were ordered out of their central Calgary condominium late Friday as rising waters filled their parking garage and ruptured a nearby gas line. "That's just one building but every building is like this," he said. "For the most part, people are taking it in stride."

Scott Crowson, a kayaker, estimated the Bow River, usually about four feet (1.2 meters) deep, is running at a depth of 15 feet (4.5 meters).

"It's moving very, very fast," he said of the normally placid stream spanned by now-closed bridges. "I've never seen it so big and so high."

It had been a rainy week throughout much of Alberta, but on Thursday the Bow River Basin was battered with up to four inches (10 centimeters) of rain. Environment Canada's forecast called for more rain in the area, but in much smaller amounts.

Calgary was not alone in its weather-related woes. Flashpoints of chaos spread from towns in the Rockies south to Lethbridge.

___

Associated Press writer Rob Gillies and Charmaine Noronha contributed from Toronto. AP writer Jeremy Hainsworth contributed from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rivers-receding-calgary-3-dead-floods-152008579.html

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Girls Youth Basketball at Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center - Jun ...

Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center is free for the first week it's open. No membership is required?through Saturday, June 22.

Please join us for Girls Youth Basketball, an opportunity for young girls to familiarize themselves with the sport and practice the fundamentals involved with the game.? The program will be held in the Gymnasium.?

Source: http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2013/06/22/girls-youth-basketball-at-gertrude-ederle-recreation-center

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Pelosi booed by activists after criticizing leaker Edward Snowden (Los Angeles Times)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/314566317?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Miley Cyrus, Chris Brown Named Worst Celebrity Role Models

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/06/miley-cyrus-chris-brown-named-worst-celebrity-role-models/

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Self directed IRA for real estate investing - Connected Investors

June 19, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

As previously mentioned, FLP?s (Family Limited Partnership) and land trusts are two great way to invest in the real estate market while keeping your company protected from predators.? Two other options when it comes to creating an investment company are C-Corps and S-Corps.? They have some similar qualities, but, when it comes to the liabilities [...]

June 17, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

We are not giving legal advice in this post. What if you could have a company that holds the assets, but doesn?t bear the liability?? Consider purchasing your properties under a land trust. According to Wikipedia, a land trust is, ?an agreement whereby one party (the trustee) agrees to hold ownership of a piece of [...]

June 15, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

We spoke about the importance of knowing the best way to set up your business in previous blog posts. Choosing the type of business you are going to utilize (FLP, S-Corp, C-Corp, etc.) is one of the, if not the most important decision you will make when starting your real estate ventures.? FLP?s can help [...]

June 14, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

An S-Corp is considered a flow-through entity.? The liability flows down to the investors, and the profits are taxes on a personal level.? This is why the S-Corp is designed more for the business that is making only a small profit, or, is experiencing a loss.? If the company is experiencing a loss, the investor [...]

June 13, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

If you hold and rent real estate, this article could offer massive insight on one possible way to structure your company.? We are not giving legal advice, just questions for you to ask you asset protection attorney Keeping in mind the risks associated with opening your business as a sole proprietorship, consider using this scenario [...]

June 12, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Just as with clothing, shoes, and most anything else, when it comes to the different types of entities you can use for your business, it is not one size fits all.? At Connected Investors, we understand that each individual business is different and that they all have different needs and goals.? As the largest group [...]

May 14, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article by Bob Bluhm, Real Estate Attorney and Asset Protection specialist. ? Here are a few of the biggest mistakes real estate investors make. First, owning real estate assets in your own name?. shame on you!? As attorney for over 25 years, the biggest mistake I see real estate investors make is to own investment [...]

May 9, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

DISCLAIMER:? NO PERSONAL TITLE SEARCH CAN OR SHOULD REPLACE GETTING A TITLE SEARCH AND TITLE INSURANCE FROM A REPUTABLE ATTORNEY OR TITLE COMPANY.? THIS INFORMATION IS STRICTLY FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES AND TO DETERMINE IF A DEAL IS WORTH TAKING TO THE NEXT STAGE!! Comment below with any questions: Below is a listing of all of [...]

May 7, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

April 2, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Ross Hamilton here the CEO of Connected Investors. I am so glad you?ve joined the Connected Investors network. This is a place where you will learn a tremendous amount, make important contacts, and contribute to helping other real estate investors find success. Now that you are in our community, it is the perfect time for [...]

March 26, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

? Put your baseball bats away!? The days of printing out a document, signing it, and faxing it are officially over. There will be no more messing with ink, scanners, or killing trees thanks to HelloSign.? HelloSing allows you to sign and send, or request signatures though PDF?s for free. As of the date this [...]

February 26, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

?Press Play: Free Google Traffic Provided By Connected Investors. ? ? Comments commentsPowered by Facebook Comments

February 17, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

None of us can hope ever to get anywhere, or be of any real use to ourselves, to our fellow real estate investors, or our country unless we have strength of character, courage, and the maturity to accept responsibility. I noticed an illustration of just this point when I read a story of a gentleman [...]

February 5, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Ken Wade of Housing Alerts Provides a look inside what is really happening. The media and special interest groups are painting the recent real estate downturn as the ?event of the century? that has never ever happened and from which we will never ever recover. That makes for good headlines, but is it the truth? [...]

February 4, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Lessons from a real estate investor:? We asked an active Connected Investor, Chris Wetzel, about his first real estate investment: My wife and I started out as any eager real estate investor would by reading every book we could get our hands on and attending numerous real estate seminars. One of the hardest parts of [...]

January 29, 2013 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Real Estate Investor Dan Auito provides two Free Books to Connected Investors Members I hope you enjoy all the benefits and camaraderie you find here at Connected Investors, Ross is a dedicated real estate investor who continues to do great things for others in this space. As a friend of Ross and a member of [...]

November 6, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Zillow?($28.15?-6.22%), the online real estate marketplace, made famous by offering their version of an appraisal called a Zestimate, has become a dominating force in the real estate world. It was recently announced that Zillow will now be listing pre-foreclosures to their search. People refer to Pre-foreclosures as: ?Individuals who are 30-60-90 day?s late on their [...]

November 5, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Over the last few weeks, as I have my cup of coffee and flip through the Wall Street Journal I couldn?t help but notice all of the positive headlines about investing in real estate. ?Real estate has become the ?Come-back-kid? that everyone wants to see succeed. Regardless?of the validity of these headlines, these headlines are [...]

November 3, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

?Branding is just another word for advertising,? Ken says opening today?s show.? Then, he launches into dozens of methods, places, and tools you can use for free to put your name and business out there.? If you are not telling everyone you meet what you do, you are not open for business.? If you spend [...]

October 30, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Watch what the ?Sharks? had to say about ReVestor. NOTE ? Sorry the video is not available today.? We will notify you when it is back up. Billy of ReVestor starts to pitch 21 minutes in. Make sure to let us know what you think, Comment below. When real estate investing and technology meet head-to-head [...]

October 30, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article and interview summary by Connected Investor,? Dana. Connect and transact with investors like Dana, Ken and hundreds of thousands more, inside Connected Investors? The world?s largest social network of real estate investors. Ken advises us how to find the quickest deals and the fastest way to put money in our pockets by investing in [...]

October 30, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article by Connected Investor: Dana Connect with investors like Joel, Dana and 100?s of thousands more inside Connected Investors, the world?s largest network of investors. If you did not catch the first interview with Joel Block, you may not know to what the work syndication refers in a real estate context.? Simply put, a group [...]

October 12, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

One of the strongest statements that investors are betting on a real estate recovery surfaced today.? A company called Realology Holdings corp recently went public. This company owns and franchises Centruy 21, Sotheby?s International and other large real estate brokerages.? The IPO was a huge success and prices continue to climb as much as 27%. [...]

October 7, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

How a slow down in venture capital will cause a drop in luxury home prices in and around Silicon Valley. A bulk of Silicon Valley?s wealth comes from web based companies. What do the owners and early employees do after an IPO or a sale? ?Most move their earnings into there first or next big [...]

October 4, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

There is a monster investor playing in the single family home market, Blackstone group LP. Since 2012 this group has purchased more than 6500 foreclosed homes and has spent more than 1 billion dollars doing so.? There are no signs of this company slowing down, as they have Secured an additional 13.3 billion dollars. This [...]

October 2, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Want to learn how to become a real estate mogul in your town? ?Are you looking to build an empire though real estate investing? Do you understand that there has never been a better time to invest in real estate than right now? ?Are you aware that the ?1%ers? are buying up every piece of [...]

September 27, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

As a real estate property investor you will constantly seesaw between two things.? Finding money to invest and finding real estate to invest in.? Right now many smart investors are investing in undervalued property. The focus of Connected Investors is to be the marketplace where you can find properties to purchase and advertise your investment [...]

September 20, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article by Connected Investor, Dana.? Connect with Dana, Ken and 100+ real estate investors (Including asset managers) by becoming a Connected Investor. Click here. ?Always use your strengths to fund your weaknesses,? says Ken Sheppard.? ?If your strength is relationships, use your relationships to make some money to use for real estate investing.? Asset managers [...]

September 20, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article by Connected Investor Dana.? Become a Connected Investor to interact and transact with real investors like Dana. Fear is an awesome and natural feeling that helps to keep us out of real danger.? Today, most of us do not live with the day-to-day life and death existence our ancestors faced.? It seems our fear [...]

September 18, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article by Connected Investors Dana.? Connect with Dana, Richard and 100,000+ other investors click here Richard ?Dick Dollar? Alderdice is a successful and seasoned real estate mortgage broker and investor based in California.? In Ken?s interview, Dick talks about what his thoughts are on the real estate?market today,?mortgages, underwriting, notes structuring?and the mortgage market. In [...]

September 18, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article by Connected Investor Dana.? Connect with Dana, Michael and 100?s of thousands of investors and investments, Click here. Hawaii Investor Michael Mazzell tells us how he got started investing in real estate while being a ?W2er?.? He got started buying, fixing and flipping a foreclosure property.? He speaks of being ?happily unemployed? for 10 [...]

September 13, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Chicago attorney Pat Jones serves clients of a fairly large firm with a strong presence in St. Louis and Chicago.? Mr. Jones came to investing in real estate via the bankruptcy and foreclosure aspect of real estate law. When you listen to the free real estate training below, the host, Ken draws out Mr. Jones? [...]

September 12, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Ken has over 30 years of successful real estate investing experience.? He honed his investor skills by raising money, structuring contract terms and bringing other people?s intellectual property into existence.?? His widely-varied background, from window washer to accountant, to motion picture financier, has one underlying theme?the art of the deal.? He is uniquely situated to [...]

September 12, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Answer by Connected Investor Steve Dutton in Wilmington NC. Connect with Steve and hundreds of thousands of active real estate investors and buyers around the country inside Connected Investors, the world?s largest network of real estate buyers .??Click here. ? Steve?s suggestions: 1. To attract buyers for your rehabbed property, there are some free things [...]

September 11, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article by Connected Investor? Dana. Connect with Dana a BILLION in investment properties and over 100,000 other real estate investors, click here. The free real estate investing training below answers a few key questions: How can snakes, roaches, rats and other creepy crawlers get you quality property leads? Should you take a property manager to [...]

September 11, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Free real estate training article provided by Connected Investors? Dana. Not a Connected Investor yet? Connected Investors is the largest network of investors in the world.? Click here and sign up The free real estate training below provided by Ken presents the varying perspectives which may be of help when dealing with banks.? He describes [...]

September 10, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Free real estate investing article by Connected Investors.. Dana. Sign up to Connected Investors, the world?s largest network of real estate investors.? Click here. In the below free real estate investing training, Ken interviews his favorite investor friendly real estate agent, Gelia Crayton.? In this case, we can forgive the preferential status as the agent [...]

September 10, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Fee real estate investing article by Connected Investors?. Rich Dusek ? Dusek Network, Inc. Not a Connected Investor? Join the largest network of investors in the world and connect with investors like Rich and gain access to investment properties in Detroit and all across America.? Click here to see more and join Employment of engineers, [...]

September 9, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article by Connected Investor, Dana.?? Not a Connected Investor yet? Connected Investors is the largest network of investors in the world. Click here to sign up. Learn how to negotiate with Sellers from the Buyer? side of the deal. Negotiations begin the moment a seller chooses to read your offer.? In many cases, this will [...]

September 8, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Are you a Connected Investor?? Gain access to thousands of underground investment properties and interact with the world?s largest network of investors in the world.? Click here to see more and sign up. Article by Connected Investor, Dana. Learn how to buy foreclosed properties directly from the seller. In the free real estate training below [...]

September 6, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Free real estate article by Connected Investor? Dana. Ken shares his very first deal and how he got started in real estate investing.? His young listeners will not remember how we looked up reverse phone numbers in the days before Google, or when AOL sent internet sign-up CDs to our porch mailboxes in the good [...]

September 5, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article by Connected Investor member, Dana. The radio show below, hosted by successful real estate investor, Ken Sheppard, describes the step-by-step de-construction of a complex, non-performing, blanket mortgage*, his projected exit strategy, how he has negotiated the needs and wants of each involved party, and the projected profits to be split between them.? In his [...]

August 30, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Things You Should Know About Buying an Investment Property Article by Connected Investor Marge. Sign up for Connected Investors. Buying real estate can be beneficial for many reasons. For investors, the purchase of investment real estate will mean both rental and capital profit. For homeowners, they gain a valuable place to live. The advice in [...]

August 30, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Article by Connected Investor Marge. Buying Property Like A Professional Real Estate Investor Can Be Simple Buying investment real estate can be beneficial for many reasons For investors, the purchase of real estate will mean both rental and capital profit. For homeowners, they gain a valuable place to live. The advice in this article will [...]

August 27, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

An addendum is a change to a contract. Supplement or addition to a transaction of any kind.? Real estate investors might add addendum based off repairs necessary , finance obtaining , zoning restrictions, etc. Real Life examples of ?Addendum? found inside Connected Investors Arizona Real Estate contract needed Need help and input Need help structuring [...]

August 26, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

To figure out your total acquisition cost on each property you must keep records of all costs including but not limited to:? Purchase price of property, marketing cost, gas, agent fees, etc.? If the selling price of a property was $200,000 and the fees to buy it totaled $5700, the total acquisition cost of the [...]

August 22, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

An Acceleration clause is a loan stipulation that gives the lender the right to call the entire loan amount due immediately if the borrower?s payments fall behind. A similar term is a ?Balloon? payment. Real life examples: 1) Balloon payment coming due 2) Note for sale with a balloon payment 3) Commercial sale with balloon [...]

August 21, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

As a real estate investor you will only really have two main challenges: 1) Where to get money. 2) Where to spend money. If you get good at the above two things, you WILL be a real estate millionaire many times over.? Seems like a tall order? but at the same time not really.? You [...]

August 21, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

Acceleration depreciation is a bookkeeping method that allows a real estate investor to quickly depreciate their properties and lower tax liability for the current tax year.? Being a real estate investor has many many tax related benefits. Real world examples: Cost Segregation and depreciation Normal depreciation Comments commentsPowered by Facebook Comments

August 19, 2012 By ConnectedInvestors.com

When dealing with abatement in real estate it means a reduction in tax, rent, or utility rates, usually offered as an incentive by landlords or local governments. ?Are you a landlord? Comments commentsPowered by Facebook Comments

Source: http://blog.connectedinvestors.com/self-directed-ira/

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