201 Street » Finance

Face Foreclosure Directly

Brody — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:52:56 +0000

All across the United States, homeowners are dealing with the stress of impending foreclosures. Brooklyn, New York residents are feeling the pinch, just as are the residents in Pasadena, California. It is something that weighs on so many minds, the minds of hard working American people. Sometimes, when something is difficult to deal with or to think about, people will tend to ‘stick their heads in the sand’ and just hope that the problem will go away.

This is not the best strategy for anything, much less the possibility of loosing one’s house, their home. The best way to attend to it, is to attend to it. When notices are received in the mail, and when that is combined with the knowledge that one is behind on their mortgage payment, some people will tend to ignore the mail, ignore the phone. Contact the lender, be upfront and pro-active. Ignoring the problem does not mean it will go away, and to be honest, one really isn’t ignoring it. It will remain on one’s mind.

So it is best just to open the mail, best to just pick up the phone and dial and deal with the issue directly. As soon as one realizes that a payment on the mortgage just can not be met, call the lender. Lenders are not the bad guys. They do not want their clients to loose their homes. Often times they do have programs that will ease stress, and still allow one to keep their home. They have a variety of options that are intended to keep one in their house, not take it away.

Each U.S. state has different laws and regulations, it is always good to know your rights, to be up on the laws of your state, and to read and re-read the loan documents, so that you know exactly what your options are, what they would be. If one is not aware of the laws in one’s home state, simply contact the State Government Housing Office. They will have answers to the questions one may have regarding the laws of the state on mortgages and foreclosure. These are trying times for many American citizens, but it isn’t the end of the world. There are options and there are people that are there to help.

Face Foreclosure Directly is a post from: 201 Street

Who is Steve Barbarich?

Brody — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:29:25 +0000

Steve Barbarich is an inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist who took it to be his responsibility to solve a problem he saw in the retail market for portable spa Jacuzzis.

As with buying anything online, consumers have to be weary of when they put in their credit card information. With the way identity theft is these days, consumers can never be too careful. Whether you are buying a pair of shoes or looking into buying a hot tub, like Steve, you need to verify the retailer that you are buying from.

So Barbarich decided that he would do something about his predicament. Instead of waiting around for someone to open a business for this service, he decided he would do it on his own. He founded choosedirecthottubs.com after doing his best to find a hot tub from a retailer that was already on the market.

In his previous endeavor he found customer service to be lax and a problem he wanted to solve. So he made sure that his new business put a priority on achieving excellent customer service. And really that is what keeps people coming back for more when it comes to buying off an online retailer. When you have a problem with an item, say a bra you bought on the Victoria’s Secret website they are quick to make you happy and turn around the product that you really want. So you are more likely to buy from that company again, or recommend it to your friends.

Barbarich believes that customer service should not be what goes out the window when it comes to the business of e-commerce. Just because you are not dealing with customers face to face, does not mean that they do not deserve an amazing customer service experience.

Barbarich will continue to offer his luxury products with top notch customer service.

Who is Steve Barbarich? is a post from: 201 Street

Women Finding Employment in Mauritius

Brody — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:00:51 +0000

In recent years there has been a rapid growth of employable jobs in the export manufacturing industries of Mauritius. Despite the highest level of male unemployment, women have acquired the majority of the jobs. A study the country presents an example of sex segregation and it is debatable whether women are or not taken advantage of by this very segregation. Using female labor in the export industries seems to be all encompassing and is wide spread in the developing countries and is often a part of the international search for cheap labor by intensive industries. Not to exclude the Mauritius Luxury Hotel business in this, but the study rarely sites this business.

Out of 500,00 persons in employment in Mauritius, over 200,00 are women. They are mostly employed in low skilled and low paying jobs. Only 5 percent of the senior positions are held by women. Limited economic opportunities for women affect the type of employment they can find. Industrial employers in Mauritius prefer female laborers because because they are restricted to occupations with low wages and little opportunity for advancement, plus the employers find that women make better employees than males. The reason for women accepting these lower wages is the status of women in Mauritius is low. Another survey of top employers was taken to determine the degree of awareness and the level of supportiveness of women’s issues. Findings revealed the supportiveness is relatively high, but actions, policies and practices are strikingly insensitive to women’s issues. Defying the current developing status of the country’s economy. Even though the country distinguishes itself from the negativity of several Third World states that have developed advanced action plans in the area of gender discrimination.

The question arise in the case of women factory workers in Mauritius: will employer’s preference for female workers, reasons stated above, lead to, in the long run, to a greater equality and an improvement in their status or will they forever be exploited as the weaker socioeconomic group? It’s too early to tell or make any conclusions. But the evolution of the female plight in Mauritius suggest improvement.

Women Finding Employment in Mauritius is a post from: 201 Street

Auction Houses of New York City

Brody — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:41:15 +0000

Since November 2008, New York City’s two venerable auction houses, Sotheby’s and Christie’s, have incurred losses estimated in the millions when artworks failed to sell for the guaranteed price or simply failed to sell altogether. Sotheby’s reported a loss of more than fifty thousand dollars, and stock in the company plummeted. Christie’s is a privately owned company; therefore, the state of their finances is harder to gauge, but results of more recent auctions are not promising. Last month, the Sotheby’s auction, one of the most important of the year featuring famous works from the modern, contemporary and Impressionist collections, had both houses’ sellers and auctioneers holding their breath.

Just six months ago, sellers were traveling to the city, staying in the best New York City hotel, and selling rare pieces by artists such as Degas and Giacometti, prompted by assurances and incentives offered from the auction houses of Christie’s and Sotheby’s. That which had been treasured was easily parted with for the right price. And those prices were astronomical. For now, art sales in New York City have dropped as a result of the depressed economy, and many collectors are simply holding on to the expensive and famous works that they own. Owners are not willing to part with the pieces for the fraction of their worth that buyers are willing to pay.

Meanwhile, catalogs of what will be up for sale are a mere shadow of they were five years ago. With respect to art that is available for purchase, prices are being kept low in hopes of attracting those looking for a “bargain” Francis Bacon or Pablo Picasso work. Low prices lead to continued activity, creating a sort of illusion of market viability. Dealers have been observing the auction houses, watching for clues and taking note of which contemporary artists are selling well. Now, many are sticking to tried and true famous artists, just waiting for the market, and the economy, to recover.

Auction Houses of New York City is a post from: 201 Street

Peter Tong at Pacha

Brody — Sat, 16 May 2009 09:06:59 +0000

Peter Tong was born in England in 1960. He attended the King’s School in Kent and developed his love for music early in life. His first interest was in percussion and drumming, though it quickly evolved into DJ work. When he was only 15 he performed his first public show by DJing for his friend’s wedding. He also began his career as a promoter while still in school. He and a few of his friends would book shows for local bands at concert halls. After he finished school he established a mobile disco that operated out of a transit van before starting his own club, Family Function. He continued his work as a promoter and worked with the then unknown Culture Club .

Tong is internationally known and has worked in nightclubs across the globe. He is a prominent local Ibiza figure and is most known for his DJ work at the club Pacha. He was a major attraction and brought great crowds for Pure Pacha nights. Tourists would visit the island and stay in Ibiza town hotel to see him perform. In 2008 he was a major element in the founding of the International Music Summit in Ibiza.

Tong has had a diverse career that has included work as a writer and editor. He worked as a staff writer for Blues and Soul magazine for a year and was then promoted to features editor. He left the magazine in 1983 when he became an A&R manager for London Records. While he was there he became exposed to Chicago’s emerging house music sound and was greatly interested and influenced by it. In 1986 he organized a compilation album, The House Sound of Chicago, Volume One, to expose this new sound to a greater audience. It was the first British release of this style of music. Tong also had a guest appearance, playing himself, in a film that dealt with a DJ who had to cope with becoming deaf. The film was made in 2004 and titled It’s All Gone Pete Tong. It refers to cockney slang phrase meaning “wrong.”

Peter Tong at Pacha is a post from: 201 Street

Mauritius Currency Weakening

Brody — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:26:49 +0000

Exporters on the island nation of Mauritius have begun hoarding dollars in anticipation of a weakening of the Mauritian rupee. The central bank is expected to cut interest rates in order to stimulate the economy. The rupee fell as much as 4.9 percent to close at 34.1570 per dollar. The rupee has declined a total of seven percent already this year.

The Mauritian economy is dependent on tourism for the influx of foreign currency. The exporting of clothing, sugar, and textiles bring in additional foreign currency. With the global economy in a free fall, these cornerstones are no longer reliable. Reservations at luxury Mauritius hotels is falling and recessions in the US, Japan, and Europe are hurting the demand for exports.

The latest figures indicate that the country’s rate of economic expansion will fall from over five percent in 2008 to two percent in 2009. Analysts feel that this downgraded forecast by the International Monetary Fund is a sign that some sort of stimulus package will be needed in this island paradise. And that package will probably include a significant cut in the interest rate.

The Bank of Mauritius has already dropped its rate by one percent (the second time in less than two months). It’s anticipated that the benchmark Mauritian rate will be lowered by 50 basis points when policymakers gather on March 26th.

Mauritius Currency Weakening is a post from: 201 Street

Committing a friend or loved one to rehab

Brody — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:09:59 +0000

Drug rehab is a very serious matter. Whether it’s a friend, loved one, or relative the decision to commit this person to long term drug rehab is a life changing experience. Getting somebody to realize that they need help is no easy task. These discussions are often met with denial from the person needing help. It’s very difficult to see you have a problem although it may be very apparent to others around you. Often times the addiction directly affects those the addict care about most, but these are also the ones that are most positively affected by the recovery of the former addict.
The hardest thing to do is often convince the person that attending alcohol or drug rehab is the best thing for them. This is no easy task considering everybody always believes they know the best thing for themselves. Staging an intervention is often the way many individuals are told by those they love that they need to attend rehab. This can go either one of two ways. The individual will acknowledge those concerned and agree to go to drug or alcohol rehab or they will get upset and turn down opportunities to get help. Either way this is a positive experience as even if the individual does not agree to go to drug rehab, they will at least have it on their mind and know how much their loved ones care about them.

Committing a friend or loved one to rehab is a post from: 201 Street

Team Building Programs Increase Productivity

Brody — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:46:19 +0000

My boss asked me to come into her office to chat a few weeks ago. She asked me how I thought morale was and if everyone was being productive. I told her that everyone seemed happy enough and that I wasn’t hearing a lot of complaints but that since it will be a while before we have another holiday and three day weekend, they seemed to be bored and in need of corporate team building, to break up the day-to-day routine.

She thanked me and a week or so later she announced that we were all to take a leadership training course. She said the reason for this was two-fold. First, she knows that sitting in front of a computer day after day gets old and she knows that the only days off in the next few months are personal days.

The course was a big success. Not only did we all learn a lot but morale picked up and everyone was smiling. Our boss seemed very human in the eyes of everyone in her department because she seemed like she understood what it’s like to be one of us. Now everyone’s productivity has increased because of the team building programs and I’m up for a promotion since the boss appreciated my honesty and opinion.

Team Building Programs Increase Productivity is a post from: 201 Street

US Banks To Take $60bn Commercial Real Estate Loss

Brody — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:44:26 +0000

The US banking sector could incur mark-to-market losses of as much as $60bn this year on commercial real estate and other exotic mortgage loans, types of debt financing that represent the highest risk to banks’ earnings and capital, according to research from Goldman Sachs. Read more

US Banks To Take $60bn Commercial Real Estate Loss is a post from: 201 Street