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paddysnuffles · 3 months

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Does what's happening in Palestine fit the steps for genocide? (Spoiler: Yes): Part 1/2

A lot of people have been taking issue with calling what Israel has been doing to Palestine a genocide, so I thought we’d go over the 10 steps experts say take place before/during a genocide and see if Israel’s actions qualify.

To be clear: I’m NOT saying that all Jewish people are complicit in Israel’s actions nor that they all agree with it. Jewish people are no more monolithic than any other group and people should be judged based on their personal beliefs and actions, not as a group. In fact, most Jews outside Israel have been speaking out AGAINST Israel's actions.

I’ll be using the Montreal Holocaust Museum’s resource on the ten stages of genocide and will link to sources for all the claims that I make (if I forget to link anything by all means remind me to fix it).

Step 1: Classification

Groups in a position of power will categorize people according to ethnicity, race, religion or nationality employing an us versus them mentality.

According to Pew Research, slightly more than half of Israelis think that Arab Israelis should be expelled from the country.

Step 2: Symbolisation

People are identified as Jews, Roma or Tutsis, etc., and made to stand out from others with certain colours or symbolic articles of clothing.

Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have different colours of IDs from those of people in East Jerusalem and Israel to set them apart (those in the west have green IDs, those in the east have blue IDs.)

Step 3: Discrimination

A dominant group uses laws, customs, and political power to deny the rights of other groups. The powerless group may not be granted full civil rights or even citizenship.

In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians must have their IDs for internal travel, due to the checkpoints interspersed within the territory. This system has drawn comparisons to laws in apartheid South Africa designed by whites to control the movement of blacks and mixed-race people and to keep them in inferior positions.

It is illegal for a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank to travel to Gaza and Jerusalem unless they have a special travel permit from Israel. Likewise, Palestinians in Gaza are forbidden from going to Jerusalem and the West Bank unless the Israeli military issues them a permit.

“Israeli law had different military orders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” Elayyan said. “Each territory was administered by a different Israeli military commander. The point of that was to maintain the division between the two territories, to make them easier to control.”

Step 4: Dehumanisation

The diminished value of the discriminated group is communicated through propaganda. Parallels are drawn with animals, insects or diseases.

The Prime Minister of Israel tweeted from his official account that Palestinians are “the children of darkness” and implied that they were animals by saying that Israelis are fighting for “the way of humanity” whereas Palestinians are fighting for “the law of the jungle”.

Step 5: Organisation

“A state, its army or militia design genocidal killing plans.”

This one is harder to discuss because we don’t have access to that kind of government information. That being said, however, 300 rifles were handed out tto Israeli civilians.

Make of that what you will.

Step 6: Polarisation

Propaganda is employed to amplify the differences between groups. Interactions between groups are prohibited, and the moderate members of the group in power are killed.

The Israeli government employs a tactic it calls “hasbara” in the news it puts out.

Hasbara has its roots in earlier concepts of propaganda, agitprop, and censorship. Like them, it is communication calculated to influence cognition and behavior by manipulating perceptions of a cause or position with one-sided arguments, prejudicial substance, and emotional appeals. Unlike its progenitors, however, hasbara does not seek merely to burnish or tarnish national images of concern to it or to supply information favorable to its theses. It also seeks actively to inculcate canons of political correctness in domestic and foreign media and audiences that will promote self-censorship by them. It strives thereby to decrease the willingness of audiences to consider information linked to politically unacceptable viewpoints, individuals, and groups and to inhibit the circulation of adverse information in social networks.

The “Hasbara Handbook” explains many standard techniques of propaganda and deceptive rhetoric. It rehearses specific arguments and counter-arguments and outlines a program of training for advocacy and rebuttal. It also stresses the importance of labeling or “name-calling” – the linking of a person or idea to a negative symbol. The handbook places itself in a larger context. It commends the work of “CAMERA” – the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America – an organization notorious for the viciousness of its efforts to blacken the reputations of those who criticize Israel or advance accounts of events that deviate from the official Israeli narrative by branding them as “anti-Semitic” or “self-hating Jews.”

#free gaza #gaza strip #gaza genocide #i stand with palestine #palestine #free palesitne #israel #genocide #steps to genocide #holocaust museum #israel palestine war #i'm just saying

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disaster-bay-leaf · 3 years

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Ok so these were the cutest~ (ㆁωㆁ)

4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 19, 22, 23, 28, 33, 34, 46, 47, 52, 59, 60, 63, 66, 83, 87, 88, 93, 99

I kno I listed like....all of them lmao but feel free to answer whichever you want and ofc you can ask me in return Baybe ( ◜‿◝ )♡

uHUHUHUHU much content for me to answer, im happy bebe 💜💜💜✨

4 - how do you take your coffee/tea?

hm coffee either Very Black No Sugar (for the sleep deprived me) or iced latte three sugars and theres no in between

and as for tea its All Black Teas That Exist, cinnamon-flavoured especially (but basically all teas that come to mind when u think “autumn”), and rooibos!!! okay basically the only oke i dont like is any type of green tea (which is sad because they look cool but my tastebuds said ✨no✨)

6 - do you keep plants?

honestly id l o v e too because i love plants but,,, im kinda horrible at taking care of them though still way better than the majority of my family (research helps) so the only plant i own is kinda a small-palm-tree-looking thing in a bigass glass jar that i saved from my mother’s plant-destructing hands and its mostly doing well (the ends of its leaves are starting to be yellow tho and im worried:((( )

7 - do you name your plants?

yes!!! though the current one was named by my sister and its called “pickett” after fantastic beasts shsjjsj

9 - do you like singing/humming to yourself?

oh god oh dude you have n o idea

i have absolutely n o singing voice but its something i do constantly to give my brain the right amount of stimuli so basically i listen to music 24/7 and hum to myself 99% of that time

12 - whats your favourite planet?

oh i actually didnt think about this for so long but either pluto (hes a planet screw nasa) or saturn (RINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) or venus (girls,,,and libra,,,)

19 - do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw in it?

okay im gonna be completely honest with yall and say that my every single try at keeping a journal failed spectacularly and i lost motivation after like a few months so my only journals rn are my fancy fake-leather-bound calendar to note tests and assessments into, a kinda roughed up notebook that i uses for noting down poems or scribbling or passing notes in class, and a kinda fancy bullet journal notebook that i used as a book of shadows for a while but since my fountain pen died i didnt touch it

22 - are you a morning person?

n o

i am so not a morning person but i wish i could be because honestly dawns are beautiful

but as it is rn im either sleep deprived all the time and loathe every second of being in an awake state or (if i have a few days of schoolbreak) my biological clock moves forward a few hours and i sleep 2am-10am

23 - whats your favourite thing to do on lazy days with zero obligations?

except for the fact that i dont remember the last time it happened, i would probably spend it drawing outside, watching anime with my sister and riding a bike around the forest

28 - sunrise or sunset?

i love sunrises because its so peaceful and everyone is asleep but also i subconsciously immediately correlate them with waiting for a train to take me to school (because thats basically the only time i see them) so its a bittersweet love especially with my fucked up biological clock

but sunsets are really really pretty too and i see them more often so i cant choose

33 - whats your fave pastry?

and isnt that a millior-dollar question dhsjjsjsj

either cinnamon rolls (i absolutely adore them) or that one specific type of cupcake-shaped-thing made out of shortcrust/bread/whatever its called and filled with vanilla pudding

34 - tell us about a stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?

awwww this is cute

okay so basically my two favourite stuffed animals (i still have them, they sit in my wardrobe) were two teddy bears (like maybe 20cm high each of them) and one was pure brown and the other was silver-brown and they had stereotypical polish male names “Waldek” (read. Valdek) and Stefan (i think tho im not sure if i remember correctly, my memory is a feeble thing sometimes

46 - tell us the worst pun you can think of

what dog would never bite you? a hot dog *badumtss*

47 - what food do you think should be banned from the universe?

huh a year ago id say pineapple pizza but i guess i dont hate pineapples that much anymore (tho putting them on pizza is still an abomination) but i think that if id ever want to get rid of anything it would be parsley, i hate that freakin herb (does it count as food tho)

52 - what are your favourite memes of the year so far?

the ever given for sure shsjshjsjsjsjjsj

but bullying tramp stamps is gold and pure tumblr energy too

as for fandom memes: im in love with all keeping-up-with-the-todorokis variations and the fact that the entire bsd fandom looked at fukuchi and said “biTCH” and thats one of the only things we’re unanimous about

59 - whats your favourite myth?

i always liked the kora/persephone myth (though demeter is an overbearing parent to the nth power), loki and thor crossdressing at a party to get mjolnir back, atalanta because shes a queen and id politely ask her to kick my ass, and cassandra because she deserved better, and theres a l o t more because alas i was a mythology nerd but this post is long enough for me not to make this section 20 times longer sjjsjsjsjsjks

but there are a lot of slavic myths that are very cool too, though we dont know that much about them as about the greeks for example

60 - do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?

o o o o h yeah i do like poetry because to create such a beautifully sounding thing with only words someone has to be a genius

some of my favs are: some works of nakahara chuuya (thank u bsd for introducing me to this man’s beautiful imagery in his works i swear to god the descriptions do it for me) (also his poem about having hangovers is a mood like i feel you buddy), the raven by ea poe (i know everyone likes it but hOLY DAMN THE INTER/INTRAVERSE RHYMES ARE LIKE,,, BREATHTAKING) (and aso im a slut for gothic horror), and many more but also That One Poem From Welcome To Nightvale about reaching the island in the west,,, only perfect vibes from it

63 - are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organised or kinda leave them be?

okay heres the thing. for anyone else both my playlist library and my bookshelf would be considered pure chaos of a mad man b u t they actually have a highly focused system which means that i sort them based on their vibes, lovability and (in case of books) their age and whether or not theyre a part of a series so i would say my bookshelf is rather organised (when a quarter of it isnt occupying my desk that is) and my music is more organised than not but sometimes it gets out of control and i have to sort it entirely again

66 - what would your ideal flower crown look like?

either entirely constructed of simple white daisies, entirely constructed of only white roses, or something that probably would win a “how many different coloured flowers can one fit in a flower crown” competition

or something purple (maybe not belladonna)

83 - whats some of your favourite album art?

god i dont know if it counts but hozier’s wasteland baby is probably one of my absolute favourites and no one shall beat that

“thrifted youth” (dalynn) and “standard deviation” (danny schmidt) have very aesthetic covers too

also the iconic p!atd too weird to live, too rare to die! album cover,,, its just iconic what can i say

and last but not least matt meason’s pink-and-black album covers (though bank on the funeral is really pretty too but like,,, “who killed matt meason” d o e s it for me and so does the 2017 tribulation single)

87 - what are some movies that you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?

this is such a hard question because im not a really cinematography-oriented gal but i suppose that (at the risk of not going deep enough into the cinema world):

- the princess bride

- inception

- night at the museum

- SPIRITED AWAY

- forrest gump

- truman show

- E.T. (i cried okay)

- the lord of the rings (because damn me if this isnt one impressive adaptation)

- parasite

and one more personal recommendation: “ready or not” with samara weaving because goddamn i dont usually watch this genre but holy s h i t is it good

93 - whats the hairstyle you wear the most?

honestly just plain hair down (because having curly hair is a menace), split in the middle when i have longer hair and split on one side when its short

also low ponytails or half-up-half-down when im exercising, or double french braids when my hair doesnt cooperate enough to look presentable in any other form

99 - list some songs that resonate with your soul whenever you hear them

this is difficult because my music taste is a goddamn rollercoaster on a good day, but heres some:

- me and the sky from “come from away” musical (this is sort of a test song for my mental stability, if i cry i aint stable)

- dancing after death by matt meason (okay most songs by matt meason except for like,,, hallucinogenics maybe)

- tears and rain by james blunt

- i will follow you into the dark by death cab for cutie

- almost home by mxmtoon

- anything by hozier really but shrike especially

- payphone, the cover by alex g (i cried to this song so many times)

- burning pile by mother mother (can i roast all my problems please)

- long way from home and cleopatra by the lumineers

- autoclave by the mountain goats

oooh that was c o o o o o o o l as fuck thank you sm so much bebe (and sorry for the long post @everyone else)

#smadhuman being pure af #bay answers #long post #very long post #ask #asks

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chisimage · 4 years

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Borders have become invisible borders, situated everywhere and nowhere.

Author/ Chi Chu

Under globalisation, which is one presentation of modernity, it seems natural to have free movement of people without borders. In this era, the transformation of transportation, technologies and cultures has enhanced people’s ability to think beyond borders and to cross them frequently (Urry 2007). Also, globalisation has created a transnational network between different nation-states and ethnic groups. However, reflecting on the concepts of contemporary nation-states and ethnic groups through modernity, ‘crossover’ is a crucial challenge under the hegemony and biopower of borders. The observation is that ‘the process of migration racialises Other and reconstructs colonisation’ (Rodriguez 2018) as insiders and outsiders are defined. The critical dilemma is ‘the visible and invisible border’, which presents how the hegemony and power of nation-states and ethnic groups not only enhances the distinction or disparity in territory and races, but also embodies the invisible borders affecting peoples’ bodies, movements and rights — a dehumanised treatment. Hence, this writing will attempt to argue ‘borders have become invisible borders, situated everywhere and nowhere’. The first part will discuss the definition of the border. Secondly, through several cases in Israel-Palestine and Europe, it will re-examine how the migration policies and biopower (Foucault,1978) of nation-states or supranational unions create visible and invisible borders in terms of movements, residence and citizenships. As a result, those policies lead to the imprison of migrants’ bodies and the denial of their sovereignty and create ‘particularistic conceptions’ (Dvir, et al. 2019) in society. Before addressing the conclusion, it also will discuss ‘border thinking’, as a transposition method, to reflect the possibility of decoloniality.

It is important to define and discuss what a border is. A border is a line that divides or divided one country or place from another (Cambridge Dictionary 2019). As Anderson (1997) states, the borders between nation-states are fundamental to politics, since without borders society and politics are difficult to dominate. Therefore, the formation of borders refers to the interests, unique power and identity of a nation-state. In response, Delaney (2008) mentions that borders between territories create not only interiors and exteriors but also distinctions between citizens and foreigners. Hence, borders represent the power to distinguish between self and others. As Malkki (1992) states, the world is represented by a collection of ‘countries’ on most world maps and rooted by different ethnic groups in every proper place, and therefore, one country structured by ideologies of nationalism cannot, at the same time, be another country.

However, a question that follows is what other reasons are there for this kind of distinction of groups beyond the geographical border? According to Barth (1969) in Ethnic Groups and Boundaries, a group is defined by the excludability and belongingness between individual groups. Groups usually emphasise specific cultural characteristics to confine the boundaries of ‘our group/self’. It means that groups’ boundaries tend to create distinctions with others and these boundaries are social boundaries instead of geographical borders. Nevertheless, cultures and society are not reflected bythe geographical space of nation-states (Gupta and Ferguson 1992). It means that space is neutral, and is inscribed by cultural differences, historical memories and social institutions. Furthermore, ‘the views of transnationalists point out that peoples interpenetrate in each other across the world, which makes the relationship between boundaries, nationalism and emergent identities be problematic’ (Shami 1996:18).

Not only do visible and invisible borders divide the land, peoples and nation-states, but the associated restrictions imprison people’s bodies and individual sovereignty. The significant observation is that the intersectionality of racism and capitalism generates migrant policy which is ‘a biopolitical tool of governance’ (Rodriguez 2018:21). Two examples of migration will now be examined, firstly, in Israel/Palestine and, secondly, in Europe, to present the intersectionality between the restriction of ‘movement’ and the challenge of ‘living/ surviving’ through the visible and invisible border.

I: Daily basis in Palestine

Currently, between the territories of Israel and Palestine West Bank, tens of thousands of migrants cross checkpoints and the separation barrier every day, which produces geographic fragments in Palestine and Palestinians’ life. Therefore, this part of the essay will discuss visible/ invisible borders under colonialization through Puar’s (2017) writing on ’will not let die’ and other individual experiences in Palestine.

During my travels, the most memorable encounter while crossing the border between Israel and Palestine was of the checkpoints and separation wall. Borders classify the land and peoples through the rule of migration because ‘migration policy is as a biopolitical tool of governance’ (Rodriguez 2018:21). Hence, the territorial configuration and policies of the nation-state affect people’s movement and generate the distinction between insiders and outsiders, and, consequently, privileges specific ethnic groups. To dominate outsiders, the encoded identity of the nation-state tends to be an existent contradiction of globalisation and mobility, and a cause of ethnic cleavage. One observed instance is that Palestinians classified by differently coloured identity cards have unequal rights. ‘I desire to revisit Jerusalem, but it is still tough’, Palestinian M (2018) — who has a Green ID — said to me. The geographical border between Israel and Palestine controls or leads to the deportation of Palestinians with Green ID cards, resulting in the imprisonment of individuals without freedom of movement. Even though individual movement ought to be a universal right, deportation is a tool used by nation-states to control mobility and people’s movement and reaffirm the formation and reproduction of citizens and outsiders (Anderson, et al. 2011). Another example is that over decades, as a result of separation and a loss of sovereignty due to manipulation and domination, restricted time and distance have caused disable mobility. It means that ‘space is shrunken, as people are held in place, rarely able to move far’ (Puar 2017:136). Therefore, visible (physical) borders, such as the separation wall and coded identity cards, have restricted on people’s movement and bodies and unequally classified rights for different ethnic groups.

As Rodriguez (2018) states, the process of racialising the Other through migration reconstructs colonisation. The norm of citizenship is also a form of expanding control at the border and building the national ideology among citizens. It evokes a discussion about the differentiation of citizenship and race, considering insiders and outsiders. Hence, an essential question arises: who has the rights of habitation as a citizen? Whether in Israel or the Palestinian territories, inspections are frequently forced on Palestinians, who are suspected of being illegal residents without documents. ‘You never know when the police will knock on the door, check your refrigerator and your identity card, suspect your right to live in Jerusalem and ask you to leave only because of the Palestinian identity’, said Palestinian I (2018). ‘In this holy place, identity documents are more important than religious credentials’, said Palestinian O (2019). It means that you will be erased from the population register once an identity card is lost. A place or house is a territory and an ‘assembly of space, power, meaning and experience’ (Delaney 2008:7). External interference forces Palestinians to unroot their sense of belonging from their meaningful place, which was historical Palestine. This has been an attempt to dominate Palestinians in terms of demography, citizenship and geopolitics by Israel. Thus, over decades, this situation has continuously happened in Palestine or among Palestinians, resulting in a significant binary, i.e. the ideas of citizens (insiders) and outsiders (migrants), embedded within social relations and melded by the perennial implications of colonial power (Rodriguez 2018:35). Unequal citizenship causes the imprisonment of the body because of a loss of home.

Moreover, for Puar (2017:52), ‘the injure of Palestinians by Israel is for stunting, physical, psychological, and cognitive injuries but not for death. It means that this biopolitical tactic attempts to make feeble any future resistance’. This kind of tactic implemented by settler colonialism damages the support system of a colonised or occupied country and results in the permanent disability of a nation. It means that Palestine has no sovereignty itself and the lives of Palestinians are defined as ‘the deployment and manifestation of power’ (Mbembe 2005; cited in Berlant 2007:755). Nevertheless, because of the maximised exploitation by a coloniser or occupier, to survive or promote the ideology of individuals and society, the status of the half-living and the imprisoned body tend to resist and rebel through political propaganda, violent activities and demonstrations. Those actions are still ongoing against biopolitics, inequality and visible/ invisible borders.

II: Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Europe

‘A better life’ (Utopia) is an essential motivation for migrants and refugees. In recent decades, migrants have left their motherlands because of conflicts and economic factors to seek better opportunities in Europe. Therefore, currently, over two million migrants, including refugees, have brought the European migrant crisis (Dvir, et 2019:208). Malkki states that refugees fall into the narrow slits between borders, between societies and between cultures (cited in Shami 1996:7). Hence, the second instance examined in this essay will present migrants’ individual experiences regarding the crossing of ‘visible’ and ‘invisible’ borders in terms of geography and culture ,and features ethnography from Andersson (2014), Pai (2018) and others.

The governments or nation-states are necessary for capturing the overall picture of the so-called European migration crisis. After World War II, the discourse of universal human rights was created, became the mainframe of politics and resulted in the formulation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Olick 2007:123). However, in present-day Europe, there is a contradiction between the concept of free movement for migrants and refugees, and the impact of exclusionary policies due to the European migration crisis. First, the reason for exclusion is inflamed by the migrant crisis. There is an article on Al Jazeera, Why Al Jazeera will not say Mediterranean ‘migrants’ written by journalist Barry Malone in 2015, which mentions that the terms ‘migrants’ and ‘a swarm of people’ refer to refugees in a harmful way and cause panic within the public. This language provokes a series of controversy and the notion that Europe is being overrun and plundered (Pai 2018:47). Moreover, another reason for exclusivism is that racialism and anti-terrorism play critical roles in classifying migrants and enhance anti-immigration in mainstream migration policy in Europe. For instance, “in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders, who is the head of the Freedom Party (PVV) has said Europe should close its borders, described the arrival of refugees as an ‘Islamic invasion’, and called Moroccan migrants ‘scum’” (Cited in Ibid:11). Hence, inflammatory and exclusivism distinct internal and external, and, consequently, the fundamental human right of free movement is dominated and exploited by western priorities. Migrants and refugees are not permitted freedom.

Besides anti-immigrant, vested interests profiteer from migrants through transnational institutions or agents/brokers. Individual migrants become a lucrative proposition (Ibid:iii). Aspects of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), such as the ‘hotspot approach’ and outsourcing system, have led to malpractice, profiteering and exploitation of migrants and refugees. Several asylum seekers have not received allowances and counselling because the shelters have kept money and prefer not to spend any funds. The initial purpose of shelters has reversed, and they have become exploitation institutions. Also, the hotspot approach for frontier countries, based on the Dublin Regulation, is an identification system that uses the fingerprints of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. However, there are attempts by migrants to avoid providing their fingerprints and seek asylum in non-frontier countries. Consequently, according to EU policy, frontier countries can force migrants to provide fingerprints through military force. It means that migrant policy as a biopolitical power governs migrants’ movements and survival.

Furthermore, agents and brokers have the chance to gain profits from those migrants who hope to obtain asylum in other countries and evade military arrest. In Syrian M’s experience in 2015 as an asylum seeker from Syria, he paid the necessary amount to agents in order to arrive and seek asylum in Germany. Compared to M, even though most migrants have the right to residence or seek asylum, they are still marked as irregular migrants and encounter deportation because of migration policies which enact the biopower of nation-states and political institutions. As Andersson (2014) highlights, ‘the making of the illegal migrant depends on the much more piecemeal endeavour of policing, assisting, and observing such travellers in Europe’s vast borderlands. Accordingly, capital and the power of nation-states or supranational unions dominate the borders and migrants.

Due to the disparity between reality and the imagined ‘better life’, the gate of civilised Europe seems not so civilised. Alberto Biondo said, ‘we abandoned the idea of freedom and be “controlled” by politics (Pai 2018:265). Therefore, the factual crisis is the disrespect towards the human right of free movement. The migration system and policies have classified peoples and embodied ‘the invisible borders on travellers’ body and the site of enforcement’ (Khosravi 2007). As mentioned above, those instances reveal the current situation, such as the exclusivism and exploitation, encountered by migrants and refugees as they seek asylum and travel in Europe. This means that free movement in Europe is based on current exclusivism and Europe is an illusory utopia for migrants and refugees. Consequently, migration policies cause the formulation of colonialism and racialism and invisible borders in society.

Despite the situations of migrants mentioned above, asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants will have opportunities to obtain relevant ‘integration courses’ and engage in local society (Hindy 2018). In response to the migrant crisis, many countries have implemented integration initiatives through several educational programs for different ethnic groups to accelerate their assimilation, eliminate the differences of individual ethnic groups and cultivate cultural diversity. For instance, in 2016 the German government announced a new policy requesting every migrant to take integration programmes on German language, history, law, and cultural norms (Ibid). This policy is based on inclusivism, and as Gupta and Ferguson (1992:35) state, “‘multiculturalism’ is a feeble recognition of the fact that an attempt to subsume this plurality of cultures within the framework of national identity”.

However, the invisible borders between individual cultures and ethnic groups are the hardest to eliminate. The first reason for this is that the essence of the ‘integration programmes’ is enhanced from top to bottom, not by spontaneous individuals. It means that those migrants will confront the end of subsidies if they do not engage the integration programs. Despite this, the programmes attempt to help migrants obtain job opportunities and engage in the German market, but there is a tendency that this market-oriented and top-to-bottom approach will likely cause resentment rather than ‘integration’ (Pai 2018:197). Moreover, the second reason is that migrants, including refugees, displaced and stateless peoples, are perhaps the first to live out reality in its most complete form when they have encountered “a generalised condition of homelessness’ (Said 1979; Cited in Malkki 1992:25). This means that there are some difficulties when integrating completely into a local society for those peoples and becoming part of a multicultural society. Hence, multiculturalism seems hard to achieve and becomes a slogan for hiding hate speech about migrants, resulting in significant controversy caused by the opposing perspectives of migration policy (inclusion of migration) and the entire society (exclusion and self-protection by locals against migrants). Also, popular and scholarly ‘generic’ representations have made the Middle East a region synonymous with conflict and war, and associated with media images of the refugee victims and terrorist perpetrators of violence (Shami 1996:9). The slogan ‘We are the people!’ (Wir sind das Volk!), which was a central slogan against the ‘Berlin Wall’ in 1989, is abused by German right-wingers to question current migration policy and accelerate hatred in German society (Huggler 2014).

A series of dissenting public voices against migration policy has caused many migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to encounter the ‘slow death’ until disappearance, which takes the form of replacement, deportation, administrative clearance or voluntary departure. ‘all this nibble at the being of the colonized tends to make life something appearing to a fragmentary death (Fanon, Cited in Puar 2017:127). It also means that nation-states, even supranational unions, tend to be unable to deal with the number of displaced people, even via integration programmes, leading to a migrant/ refugee crisis in reality. In Syrian M’s experience, after finishing the integration project, he still has pretended himself as a local and stopped praying to Allah and speaking in Arabic, and even shaves his beard because of Islamophobia. Therefore, through those actions, migrants escape racism, discrimination and exploitation and to obtain temporary rights and silence of life. This leads to the exacerbated distinction and invisible borders between different ethnic groups.

Overall, the cases mentioned above show how colonisation, inequalities and exclusivism through visible and invisible borders embody geographical distinctions and the hierarchy of ethnic groups and result in the hierarchy of citizenships, national antagonism and social differentiation. Migrants shaped by coloniality and biopower live in the border and on the border, resulting in a loss of sovereignty. The bodies and actions of migrants are incarcerated by social consciousness, and ‘the body has become the site of inscription for the politics of immigration — biopolitics of otherness’ Fassin (2001:4). Therefore, biopolitics cause the imprisonment of migrants’ bodies, and ‘crossover’ is still an essential challenge restricted by borders (colonialism). However, ‘border thinking’ (Anzaldúa 1999) is an approach that can potentially locate decolonisation and decoloniality, even though it is difficult to eliminate the concepts of nation-state or borders. Border thinking attempts to decentre the original core and re-centre peripheral visions to reverse the structure, which is related to the relationship between borders and people, including the identity of the nation-state and ethnic groups. The retransformation from bottom to top is a long process. Also, the empathy of equal human rights is critical for everyone to change colonialization and eliminate invisible borders. In short, decoloniality is a tool of reflexion and an option for rethinking how the institutions of the nation-state impact on borders and colonialism.

Reference

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Anderson, M. 1996. Frontiers: Territory and State Formation in the Modern World. UK: Polity Press.

Andersson, R. 2014. Hunter and Prey: Patrolling Clandestine Migration in the Euro-African Borderlands. Anthropological Quarterly, 87:1, 119–149.

Anzaldúa, G. 1987. Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books.

Barth, F. 1969. Ethnic Groups and Boundarie. UK: George Alien & Unwi.

Berlant. L. 2007. Slow Death (Sovereignty, Obesity, Lateral Agency). Critical Inquiry, 33:4, 754–780.

Cambridge Dictionary 2019. border. (available on-line https://dictionary.cambridge.org/, accessed 19 Dec. 2019).

Delaney 2005. Territory: A short introduction. US: Wiley-Blackwell.

Dvir, Y., Morris, P. & Yemini, M. (2018). What kind of citizenship for whom? The ‘refugee crisis’ and the European Union’s conceptions of citizenship. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 17:2, 208–219.

Fassin, D. 2001. The biopolitics of Otherness: Undocumented foreigners and racial discrimination in French public debate. Anthropology Today, 17:1, 3–7.

Foucault, M. 1978. The History of Sexuality (Volume I: An Introduction) (trans. R. Hurley). NY: Pantheon Books.

Gupta, A. and Ferguson, J. 1992. Beyond Culture: Space, Identity and the Politics of Difference. Cultural Anthropology,7:1, 6–23.

Hindy, L. 2018. Germany’s Syrian Refugee Integration Experiment (available on-linehttps://tcf.org/content/report/germanys-syrian-refugee-integration-experiment/?agreed=1, accessed 19 Dec. 2019).

Huggler, J. 2014. Germans take to the streets to protest against ‘Islamisation’ (available on-linehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/11281103/Germans-take-to-the-streets-to-protest-against-Islamisation.html, accessed 19 Dec. 2019).

Khosravi, S. 2007. “The ‘illegal’ traveller: an auto-ethnography of borders”. Social Anthropology/Anthropologie Sociale, 15:3, 321–334.

Malkki, L. 1992. National Geographic: The Rooting of Peoples and the Territorialization of National Identity among Scholars and Refugees. Cultural Anthropology, 7:1, 24–44.

Malone, B. 2015. Why Al Jazeera will not say Mediterranean ‘migrants’ (available on-line: https://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/editors-blog/2015/08/al-jazeera-mediterranean-migrants-150820082226309.html, accessed 19 Dec. 2019).

Olick, Jeffrey K. 2007. The politics of regret : collective memory in the age of atrocity. New York: Routledge.

Pai, H-H 2018. Bordered Lives: How Europe Fails Refugees and Migrants. UK: New Internationalist.

Puar, J. 2017. The Right to Maim. Durham: Duke University Press.

Rodriguez, E.C. 2018. The Coloniality of Migration and the “Refugee Crisis”: On the Asylum-Migration Nexus, the Transatlantic White European Settler Colonialism-Migration and Racial Capitalism. Refuge, 34:1, 16–28.

Shami, S. 1996. Transnationalism and Refugee Studies: Rethinking Forced Migration and Identity. Journal of Refugee Studies, 9:1, 3–26.

Urry, J. 2007. Mobilities. Cambridge: Polity.

zeitzeugen-portal 2011. 1989: “Wir sind das Volk” — Leipzig im Oktober (available on-linehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OjCesZRf_I, accessed 19 Dec. 2019).

#migration #essay

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yogapantsuk-blog · 7 years

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For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://variety.com/2016/tv/reviews/tv-review-american-housewife-katy-mixon-abc-1201878141/

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rebeccahpedersen · 7 years

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How Do You Evaluate A Multi-Plex For Investment?

TorontoRealtyBlog

Well first of all, if you’re looking at buying a multiplex for investment – good on you, you’ve clearly done something right!

But believe it or not, there’s serious competition for multiplexes – those properties with 3-or-more dwellings.

Cap rates are down, demand is high, and investors are accepting lower returns in order to get into the market.

Let me outline nine criteria that a would-be investor must consider, at the bare minimum, for any multiplex purchase…

Should I outline these in order?

Sure, I could try.

And by try, I mean that every investor has a different set of criteria, and my #4 might be somebody else’s #7.

Of course, you might have a #10, #11, and #12 to add to the list.

And all the while, many of these points go hand-and-hand.

So let me start from the top, where I find most of my clients see it…

–

1) Yield

This should be at the top of the list, no?

Some people would put #2 on the list, but I don’t think that’s smart in this market.

When you buy a stock, what are you looking for?

Well, I suppose that’s a terrible example, since everybody wants to watch the stock go up, up, and up, and they’re looking at the appreciation potential, with the “buy low, sell high” mentality.

But in the good ole days, investors were looking for dividends!

How much is the stock paying you to own it? You’re a shareholder; you own a portion of the company, so how much of the company’s profit are you receiving?

Times have changed, both in terms of the stock market, and the real estate market.

Ask the man on the street, and he’s looking to buy a stock for $10, and sell it for $15. But ask the pension funds, and they’re looking for a steady, consistent, predictable, safe return. They’re the savviest of investors, and they’re looking for a 6% return in perpetuity.

When it comes to investing in real estate, my personal belief is that if you forecast a zero percent appreciation, and the investment makes sense to you based on yield, then the investment will pay out and exceed your expectations.

There’s that old adage in real estate: “When is the best time to sell a piece of real estate?”

The answer: “Never.”

Life happens, situations change, and more often than not, even a long-term investor will need or want to sell.

But on a long-enough time horizon, the appreciation is the icing on the cake, and where the investor makes, by far, the most money.

But at the onset, the short and immediate-term numbers have to make sense.

What does that mean? What kind of numbers are we looking at in this market?

I see multi-unit dwellings selling at 3% cap rates, and I can’t make sense of it.

When I got into real estate 5.5-6% cap rates on multi-unit properties were the norm. Over time, those figures have dropped, and it’s up to the investor to decide what works.

2) Appreciation Potential

I suppose the “yield” section was just the preamble for some people.

Every time I talk about yield, and give the example of the dividend-paying-stock, people tell me, “This isn’t 1880; you’re not buying paper-shares of the Great Pacific.”

Fair point. Times change.

But I’m conservative by nature, and when it comes to buying multi-unit dwellings for long-term investing, I would argue until I’m blue in the face that you have to consider appreciation potential after yield.

Over the last few years, it’s been easy to refute my argument.

I’ve told this story before, so you long-time readers might remember it…

Back in 2010, I had an investor-client in from Los Angeles, who was looking at purchasing a couple of 4-5 unit dwellings.

He was primarily concerned with yield, and the financing ability of the properties (which we’ll explore below), and truly believed, despite his desire to buy, that prices in Toronto were likely headed for a dip.

We found a property in Queen West that was perfect, and hit on several of the other points listed below as well.

It was around a 5.25% cap rate at the list price, and although it would be slightly cash-flow negative each month based on his downpayment, he was willing to consider it.

The property didn’t have an “offer night” as is the custom today, but it still received four offers, and sold for $100,000 over the list price.

My client told me, “This makes no sense. This is simply the greater fool theory; whoever is buying this property, is expecting to sell it to somebody else down the line for more.”

He wasn’t wrong, logically.

But in practice, he was proven tragically incorrect.

That property, listed at $1.2M, that sold for $1.3M, recently sold for over $2M.

Now tell me again – what’s more important: yield or appreciation potential?

And am I naive to say “appreciation is just icing on the cake?”

3) Location

How can you have any list about real estate evaluation criteria without location?

Location is all part and parcel of the overall evaluation.

Some investors would choose a superior location over a better return, and I wouldn’t disagree.

Earlier this year, I sent a client the listing for a turnkey 4-plex in Mimico, with a rare 4.8% cap rate, what I perceived to be below-market rents, and a copy of the inspection – which looked fantastic.

My client responded with a 3-word email: “It’s in Mimico.”

Enough said.

I liked the income, I liked potential for more income, and I loved the condition of the property. But he would have rather had a property with a 3.5% cap rate, steps to Trinity-Bellwoods, and at the risk of sounding cliche, “To each, their own.”

Toronto is a rapidly-growing city, both in terms of the population and the urban sprawl, but also in the eyes of the world.

For investors thinking long-term, the best appreciation will undoubtedly be found with those properties that are closest to the city centre, as is the case with every world-class city. But those properties will have substantially lower yields.

It’s up to the buyer to decide where the best value, for he or she, ultimately lays.

4) Condition

Have you ever looked at the “financials” for an income-property listed on MLS?

It’s hilarious.

You’re lucky if you get property taxes, water, and gas. Sellers and listing agents love to pretend like electricity and insurance don’t exist. They’ll be really quick to tell you about the $25 per month the property generates in basement coin-laundry, but they’ll n-e-v-e-r detail the overall cost of ongoing maintenance, upkeep, and repairs.

Part of the reason why many Toronto real estate investors have turned toward condos in the past few years (aside from the lower cost) is because of the maintenance of an 80-year-old 4-plex. You can do the most thorough of home inspections, and find the property is in A++ shape, but you’ll still be opening your wallet for something, every few months.

As with everything else above, the condition of the property has to be taken into consideration with the other criteria. You might be willing to pay more, and accept a lower yield, for a true “turnkey” income property. Or you might decide to pay less, do the work yourself, and hope to add value.

Of course, you can always combine this with #5…

5) Market Rents

Just a brief point to make here, but an important one.

Many properties are being sold with tenants attached, who are leasing at rents well below fair market value.

If properties are sold based on capitalization rates, those rates are taking current rents into consideration, and those rents are below FMV, then it goes without saying that the property is under-valued.

Yes, it can be difficult to get a tenant out so you can raise the rent, and it’s going to become tougher thanks to the Ontario Fair Housing Plan. But tenants don’t stay forever.

And if you have a property that needs work and has below market rents, when the tenants vacate, you can put work into the property to increase the rents, and add value at the same time.

6) Size & Scope

What do you for a living?

What’s your personal life like?

Tell me about your family…

Now tell me if you would be able to manage a 5-unit property that’s a 45-minute drive in traffic, with whatever knowledge, skill, and capability you currently possess.

Buying a 5-plex is one thing, but managing it is another.

There’s the ongoing maintenance and upkeep, the supervising of tenants, the collection (and chasing…) of rents, and the search for new tenants.

Savvy investors know how to make the property, and the tenants, work for them. Many landlords will offer a tenant a nominal sum (start with the basement tenant and $30…) to take out the garbage every week. Many landlords will “allow” the tenants to paint, provided it’s in a neutral colour, and done well. I put “allow” in quotes, of course, because it’s value-add for the landlord to have a fresh coat of paint, and yet many tenants believe it’s a privilege.

Some investors do this full time – they buy, manage, and maintain multi-unit dwellings. They have the time, and the experience, to do so.

Other investors have no clue what they’re doing, and they either know that in advance, or find out very quickly!

The fee to manage a property varies drastically, but you’re looking at 5% of gross rents as a starter. If you can’t handle the size and scope of the property, then factor that cost into your initial financial analysis.

7) Ability To Finance

There’s no hard-and-fast rule on this, but most mortgage brokers will tell you:

4-Units – residential financing

5-Units – there might be a lender out there that will provide residential financing

6-Units – this is commercial, without a doubt

I’ve had clients in the past purchase 5-unit properties and obtain residential financing, but lending criteria changes like the direction of the wind. More often than not, it depends on which lender you’re talking to, and which underwriter is handling the file. I’ve seen the 5-unit properties fall into a serious grey area over the years, as some underwriters will lend with residential criteria, and some won’t.

And keep in mind – we’re talking about downpayment and rate!

To buy a 3-plex, you simply need to meet the minimum downpayment criteria (used to be 5%, now it’s 20% for a “second property” subject to some exceptions), and you can obtain a current residential rate, ie. a 5-year, fixed-rate of 2.49%.

When you get into 6-plex and above, you may be required to put down 35%, and the rates could be into the 4-6% range. Yes, that’s a wide range, but as I said – it depends on your mortgage broker, and which lenders and underwriters they’re talking to.

Going from a 4-unit property, with a 20% down payment, and 2.49% interest rates, to 6-unit property, and a 35% down payment, with a 4.49% interest rate, can be tough to swallow.

But keep in mind, not all “investors” are taking on debt. Some are buying in cash, some take on debt because it’s cheap (ie. 4.49% is less than their rate of expected return in other investment vehicles), and thus it’s not really a “problem” per se for those looking to buy 6-plexes and up.

You might also argue the yield is better as you climb in the number of units. Clearly a duplex offers a lower rate of return than a 6-plex, not only because there’s more demand, but because it’s cheaper, easier to afford for the average investor, and thus the price gets bid up.

Ultimately the ability to finance will come into play for an overwhelming majority of investors, and so you might actually start with this.

8) Tenants

Wow, we’re really starting to see how all of these points are intertwined.

The size and scope of the property, combined with the location, combined with the market rents, will ultimately dictate what type of tenants you’ve got.

An investor-client of mine once told me, “Basement apartments aren’t worth the hassle.”

I asked what he meant, and he said, “They’re not worth the $600 they bring in each month.”

Now, this was a long time ago, hence the $600 figure. Maybe the hassle has been lessened over the years as rents have increased.

But he elaborated in saying, “Ask yourself – what kind of person rents a sh!tty basement apartment for $600 per month? The lowest common denominator of society, that THAT is now one of my partners in my financial endeavor.”

Sensitivities aside, he might not be wrong.

I’m sure some of the most wonderful people in the world have rented basement apartments, but on the whole, the person looking for the absolutely lowest-priced rental in the city does so not out of desire, but out of necessity.

This client went on to tell me that most of the tenants he’s had renting basements have been troublesome, sometimes in terms of their character and how they treat the unit, but primarily in terms of their ability to service the rent.

Personally, I think if you’re an investor running multi-unit dwellings, there’s a learning curve, and you’ll figure out how to deal with tenants – at every rent level. And with basement apartments going for $800, $900, or $1,000 in the city, who can turn that kind of money down?

Ultimately, the type of property you have, plus the location, will determine what kind of tenants you get.

And if you’re looking at a property that is tenanted, you want to know everything you can about the tenants in place.

I’ve seen some really sharp listing agents put together info packages on the tenants themselves – their income, occupation, FICO scores, duration of tenancy, and frequency of payments. That goes a long way toward marketing the property to investors.

9) Proximity To Transit

Perhaps this falls into the “location” category, but having already flushed that out, I think this deserves its own point.

Transit in Toronto is just God-awful, as we all know.

And without generalizing too much here, dare I say that many people who rent, also take transit.

The market rent will be affected by the proximity to transit, the yield will be affected by the market rent, and once again, we see how these points are intertwined.

You could suggest that proximity to parks, schools, retail, etc. bear consideration, but I don’t put them anywhere near the level of importance as transit. This is my generalization – about renters taking transit, and you can disagree if you want to. But I’m speaking from experience, with what my clients see out there.

–

You’re probably looking for a point #10, but this list isn’t meant to be well-rounded; it’s meant to point out the most important criteria when evaluating a multiplex for investment.

Somewhere within these points lays a happy medium for the investor.

And as we know, every investor is different.

The post How Do You Evaluate A Multi-Plex For Investment? appeared first on Toronto Real Estate Property Sales & Investments | Toronto Realty Blog by David Fleming.

Originated from http://ift.tt/2slZ4bE

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monteirodavid · 7 years

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Trekking tour in the Pyrenees, Aigüestortes National Park, Spain

Moderate/Challenging Level – level 3 in 5 max 7 days of moderate hiking, 6 nights in mountain huts + 2 optional nights in Barcelona (hotels) Tours in 2017: 1st Jul 2017 – Reservation Deadline: 15th May 2017 or gather your group and select your own schedule

Check our photo gallery from previous tours (click on one photo to enlarge): [wpbgallery id=1337]

David MOnteiro

Aigüestortes National Park (Spanish Pyrenees)

Aiguestortes National Park is located in the central area of the Spanish Pyrenees and is the only national park in Catalonia.

Its territory is divided between the municipalities of Vall d’Aran, Pallars Sobirá, Alta Ribagorça and Pallars Jussà, about 200 km’s West of Andorra.

Was created in 1955 and today covers an area of approximately 40,000 hectares also considering the peripheral protected areas.

Is a natural space of great beauty where both water and granite appears in their maximum splendor in surprising combinations.

With a high concentration of ridges often around 3,000 m high, as is the Punta Alta (3,015 m) and the Contraix (2,960 m), you will find a high contrast with the deep green valleys where streams flow with crystal clear waters.

The trail

The trail is approximately 75 km long and is divided into 7 journeys/days.

Is a 7 days long loop trail which goes through hills and valleys where you will find crystal clear water lakes that reflects the silhouettes of impressive granitic mountains.

The average elevation of the route lies on the quota of 2,500 m, sometimes reaching very close to 3,000 m.

During the course the hike you will have the opportunity to visit 8 mountain refuges among which 6 we will use to spend the night and dine.

The use of mountain huts allows you to do not have to carry excessive weight in your backpacks because there you will find very good food, shower and a place to sleep. More than that, these huts are also a meeting point for travelers from various points of the globe and the talking and exchange of experiences creates unforgettable moments.

The comfortable pace and moderate distances make this an accessible hike to most trekkers, even with little experience.

The map image above gives you an idea of the trail we will walk where the each colour corresponds to each journey/day.

The 1st and 8th nights will be spent in hotel on the outskirts of Barcelona Airport. The remaining nights will be spent in mountain huts in Aiguestortes National Park, in the Spanish Pyrenees.

In each hut is possible to sleep and they will provide dinner, breakfast and the lunch for the next day.

Questions & Answers

How does it works?

You can join me for a pre set tour or gather your own group and establish your own schedule.

Reservation forms and respective payment will be received until Reservation Deadline.

Reservations are only considered effective with the respective payment.

I will provide all required information’s in order to help client’s to prepare their travel.

Clients will be meet at the Barcelona Airport upon their arrival and, at the end of the tour, they will be taken to the airport as well. Different arrangements (ex: pick up and drop off at a certain hotel) can be agreed case-by-case.

Accommodations and meals

The included six nights will be spent in mountain huts during the trekking tour.

Extra/optional nights in Barcelona, or any other location, can be agreed. Please contact us for more details.

In the mountain huts you will find a place to sleep, ward style, where you will get a mattress, a pillow and blankets. We suggest you to bring your own light sleeping bag.

In these huts you will be served with very good meals. You can have both breakfast and dinner in the hut and lunch is provided early in the morning, picnic style for you to carry in your backpack.

From Day 1 dinner to Day 7 lunch you will have all three meals per day included in the base price.

Luggage and backpack

Each client has a volume/weight luggage quota of 60 liters and/or 30Kg.

During the walk you will carry your backpack with only what you will need for the duration of the hike.

Your remaining luggage can be left in the town’s lockers.

Clothing, footwear and other individual items

We will be glad to provide you all the information you may need to help you to better prepare your travel.

Transfers during the tour

There will be a logistical support vehicle allocated to the tour.

The transfer Barcelona/Tour/Barcelona is included in the price.

Detailed Program

The Detailed Program is part of the documentation that the participant receives when the tour is confirmed.

Plane flights

You can purchase directly your plane flights.

Please bear in mind: last minute reservations can result in increased costs and booking difficulties.

Mountain huts

There are many kinds of mountain huts and the experiences we have had in some places are not necessarily equal to the experiences we will have in Aigüestortes National Park.

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In the context of mountain huts at an European level, we will find a set of huts with very good conditions, very good management and very well attended.

Some are stone and masonry construction, with wooden interior for greater comfort level and most of them providing warm water for showers.

With capacities to between 20 and 70 people, depending on their size, they offer a set of miscellaneous services not losing their mountaineer charisma.

Each hut has its own management so you can find small differences in the rules. These rules are extremely important when so many different people get together in small places.

The photographs here used can give an idea of the appearance of some of the huts used during this tour. To those that do not have previous experiences using mountain huts, this is an excellent opportunity to start.

We can provide you all informative support to help you to in the preparation of your travel.

Those who already have other experiences will be probably pleased with the conditions they will find here.

Tours in 2017

Tour Dates / Reservation Deadline 1st Jul to 7th Jul 2017 / 15th May 2017 or gather your group and select the schedule with lower prices, ask me :)

Price and reservations

Tour Base Price: 700€

Includes: Accommodation (6 nights in mountain huts during the tour), breakfasts from Day 2 to Day 7, lunches/picnic from Day 2 to Day 7, dinners from Day 1 to Day 6 – all provided by the mountain huts. Vegetarian options must be informed upon reservation.

Does not includes: plane tickets and everything else that is not expressly mentioned as included in this information page.

Single room supplement: not available because there is not such possibility in the mountain huts where we will stay.

Reservation value and procedure: 350,00€ – Remaining amount paid in full until 90 days before tour’s first day.

All above mentioned prices includes guide, insurance and VAT plus usage of the equipment if needed and if that is stated in the specific information of the event.

Cancellation

The costs of cancellation are as follows:

90 days before 1st Tour Day – 0% of reservation

89-60 days before 1st Tour Day – 25% of reservation

59-45 days before 1st Tour Day – 50% of reservation

44-30 days before 1st Tour Day – 75% of reservation

29 days or less before 1st Tour Day – 100% of reservation

To cancel your reservation it is mandatory that an e-mail is sent from the same e-mail address used for the reservation.

The amount will be transferred back to the same account used to the reservation.

Informations and reservations

Email – [email protected]

Cell Phone: +351 914 794 553 (also in WhatsApp)

Skype: monteiro.david

Legal information

“Iberactive” is a registered trademark of the Travel Agency Iberhills – Eventos e Viagens, Unipessoal Lda Rua Professor Mira Fernandes, Lt 1543 – 5Dto 1900-383 Lisboa Portugal

Tax Identification Number (VAT number): 513 891 099

Bank Account: Novo Banco SA (Lisbon, Portugal) IBAN: PT50 007 0000 0031 3261 0162 3 SWIFT / BIC: BESCPTPL

Also payable via PayPal

Operating with the following licenses: RNAVT: 6246 and RNAAT 338/2016 of the Portuguese Tourism Authorities Certified as “Turismo de Natureza” by ICNF

July 2017 – Trekking tour in the Pyrenees, Aigüestortes National Park, Spain Trekking tour in the Pyrenees, Aigüestortes National Park, Spain Moderate/Challenging Level - level 3 in 5 max…

#Trekking tour Pyrenees #trekking tour Spain #walking Pyrenees #walking Spain

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rebeccahpedersen · 7 years

Text

How Do You Evaluate A Multi-Plex For Investment?

TorontoRealtyBlog

Well first of all, if you’re looking at buying a multiplex for investment – good on you, you’ve clearly done something right!

But believe it or not, there’s serious competition for multiplexes – those properties with 3-or-more dwellings.

Cap rates are down, demand is high, and investors are accepting lower returns in order to get into the market.

Let me outline nine criteria that a would-be investor must consider, at the bare minimum, for any multiplex purchase…

Should I outline these in order?

Sure, I could try.

And by try, I mean that every investor has a different set of criteria, and my #4 might be somebody else’s #7.

Of course, you might have a #10, #11, and #12 to add to the list.

And all the while, many of these points go hand-and-hand.

So let me start from the top, where I find most of my clients see it…

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1) Yield

This should be at the top of the list, no?

Some people would put #2 on the list, but I don’t think that’s smart in this market.

When you buy a stock, what are you looking for?

But in the good ole days, investors were looking for dividends!

How much is the stock paying you to own it? You’re a shareholder; you own a portion of the company, so how much of the company’s profit are you receiving?

Times have changed, both in terms of the stock market, and the real estate market.

There’s that old adage in real estate: “When is the best time to sell a piece of real estate?”

The answer: “Never.”

Life happens, situations change, and more often than not, even a long-term investor will need or want to sell.

But on a long-enough time horizon, the appreciation is the icing on the cake, and where the investor makes, by far, the most money.

But at the onset, the short and immediate-term numbers have to make sense.

What does that mean? What kind of numbers are we looking at in this market?

I see multi-unit dwellings selling at 3% cap rates, and I can’t make sense of it.

When I got into real estate 5.5-6% cap rates on multi-unit properties were the norm. Over time, those figures have dropped, and it’s up to the investor to decide what works.

2) Appreciation Potential

I suppose the “yield” section was just the preamble for some people.

Every time I talk about yield, and give the example of the dividend-paying-stock, people tell me, “This isn’t 1880; you’re not buying paper-shares of the Great Pacific.”

Fair point. Times change.

Over the last few years, it’s been easy to refute my argument.

I’ve told this story before, so you long-time readers might remember it…

Back in 2010, I had an investor-client in from Los Angeles, who was looking at purchasing a couple of 4-5 unit dwellings.

We found a property in Queen West that was perfect, and hit on several of the other points listed below as well.

It was around a 5.25% cap rate at the list price, and although it would be slightly cash-flow negative each month based on his downpayment, he was willing to consider it.

The property didn’t have an “offer night” as is the custom today, but it still received four offers, and sold for $100,000 over the list price.

My client told me, “This makes no sense. This is simply the greater fool theory; whoever is buying this property, is expecting to sell it to somebody else down the line for more.”

He wasn’t wrong, logically.

But in practice, he was proven tragically incorrect.

That property, listed at $1.2M, that sold for $1.3M, recently sold for over $2M.

Now tell me again – what’s more important: yield or appreciation potential?

And am I naive to say “appreciation is just icing on the cake?”

3) Location

How can you have any list about real estate evaluation criteria without location?

Location is all part and parcel of the overall evaluation.

Some investors would choose a superior location over a better return, and I wouldn’t disagree.

My client responded with a 3-word email: “It’s in Mimico.”

Enough said.

Toronto is a rapidly-growing city, both in terms of the population and the urban sprawl, but also in the eyes of the world.

It’s up to the buyer to decide where the best value, for he or she, ultimately lays.

4) Condition

Have you ever looked at the “financials” for an income-property listed on MLS?

It’s hilarious.

Of course, you can always combine this with #5…

5) Market Rents

Just a brief point to make here, but an important one.

Many properties are being sold with tenants attached, who are leasing at rents well below fair market value.

Yes, it can be difficult to get a tenant out so you can raise the rent, and it’s going to become tougher thanks to the Ontario Fair Housing Plan. But tenants don’t stay forever.

And if you have a property that needs work and has below market rents, when the tenants vacate, you can put work into the property to increase the rents, and add value at the same time.

6) Size & Scope

What do you for a living?

What’s your personal life like?

Tell me about your family…

Now tell me if you would be able to manage a 5-unit property that’s a 45-minute drive in traffic, with whatever knowledge, skill, and capability you currently possess.

Buying a 5-plex is one thing, but managing it is another.

There’s the ongoing maintenance and upkeep, the supervising of tenants, the collection (and chasing…) of rents, and the search for new tenants.

Some investors do this full time – they buy, manage, and maintain multi-unit dwellings. They have the time, and the experience, to do so.

Other investors have no clue what they’re doing, and they either know that in advance, or find out very quickly!

7) Ability To Finance

There’s no hard-and-fast rule on this, but most mortgage brokers will tell you:

4-Units – residential financing

5-Units – there might be a lender out there that will provide residential financing

6-Units – this is commercial, without a doubt

And keep in mind – we’re talking about downpayment and rate!

Going from a 4-unit property, with a 20% down payment, and 2.49% interest rates, to 6-unit property, and a 35% down payment, with a 4.49% interest rate, can be tough to swallow.

Ultimately the ability to finance will come into play for an overwhelming majority of investors, and so you might actually start with this.

8) Tenants

Wow, we’re really starting to see how all of these points are intertwined.

The size and scope of the property, combined with the location, combined with the market rents, will ultimately dictate what type of tenants you’ve got.

An investor-client of mine once told me, “Basement apartments aren’t worth the hassle.”

I asked what he meant, and he said, “They’re not worth the $600 they bring in each month.”

Now, this was a long time ago, hence the $600 figure. Maybe the hassle has been lessened over the years as rents have increased.

Sensitivities aside, he might not be wrong.

Ultimately, the type of property you have, plus the location, will determine what kind of tenants you get.

And if you’re looking at a property that is tenanted, you want to know everything you can about the tenants in place.

9) Proximity To Transit

Perhaps this falls into the “location” category, but having already flushed that out, I think this deserves its own point.

Transit in Toronto is just God-awful, as we all know.

And without generalizing too much here, dare I say that many people who rent, also take transit.

The market rent will be affected by the proximity to transit, the yield will be affected by the market rent, and once again, we see how these points are intertwined.

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You’re probably looking for a point #10, but this list isn’t meant to be well-rounded; it’s meant to point out the most important criteria when evaluating a multiplex for investment.

Somewhere within these points lays a happy medium for the investor.

And as we know, every investor is different.

The post How Do You Evaluate A Multi-Plex For Investment? appeared first on Toronto Real Estate Property Sales & Investments | Toronto Realty Blog by David Fleming.

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