Latest news with #Ayala
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Buying a Home? In This Economy? 6 Ways To Find Affordable Rentals Instead
It's hard for many Americans who are struggling to afford groceries and gas to imagine buying a home in the current U.S. economy. Whiplashing tariff prices, many months of inflation struggles and persistently high home prices and mortgage rates are not making for the friendliest homebuying environment. Find Out: Read Next: With the average home value around $367,000 in the U.S., according to Zillow, (and that's on the vastly low end for West Coast and East Coast states), the fact is that many Americans may need to keep renting. What are the best ways to find affordable rentals, however? Real estate experts offered some tips. Jonathan Ayala, a licensed real estate agent and founder of Hudson Condos, agreed that while finding affordable rentals in today's market is not easy, 'but with a smart strategy, it may still be possible to land a good deal.' Ayala said you can't think small when you look for a rental; you need to 'cast a wide net.' He recommended using both digital tools and personal connections. 'I would recommend using multiple platforms — Zillow, and Facebook Marketplace, HotPads — or by getting involved in local community groups online.' Learn More: The key to finding a rental is to find a good rental agent, according to Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO and broker at Echo Fine Properties, but 'that is much harder than it sounds,' he said. The problem is that agents are more motivated by the commissions associated with homebuying than renting. The commissions an agent will earn on rentals 'is so low that it basically buys a nice lunch, but not much more for the agent,' Lichtenstein said. Additionally, agents are wary of prospective renters being fickle or working with multiple agents. Without a sense of commitment, they may be reluctant. 'Once the agent realizes that the customer is working with multiple agents, most just drop off because it isn't worth it for the little pay they are getting.' The best search engine for a good rental may be the people you know, Ayala said. 'Friends, colleagues, and even social media followers. Let them know what you want.' He suggested that it's common for affordable rentals to change hands through word-of-mouth and other informal communication before they're ever posted online. Word of mouth works best when you tell everyone you know that you are looking and offer finder's fees to friends who connect you with good landlords, according to Eli Pasternak, a real estate agent and founder of Liberty House Buying Group. 'I suggest checking with local coffee shops, gyms and community centers because they often have bulletin boards with rental listings.' Pasternak has also found that his clients have better success searching on their own than using agencies. Not only do brokers add fees that increase your total cost by 10% to 15%, who better than the potential renter knows what you're looking for. One of his clients found his rental through Facebook neighborhood groups where landlords post directly. Ayala also suggested that sometimes if you aren't finding what you seek, you may need broaden your search location range. 'By searching just outside the most high-demand areas, renters can save significantly. A few extra minutes commuting can mean hundreds of dollars saved a month,' he said. No matter how you go about seeking a rental, there are some general red flags to watch for. Ayala pointed out that things like 'vague descriptions, missing photographs, or listings that invoke the presence of additional 'fees' with little specificity' could be sketchy. He also warned to be wary of listings that seem to be offering a much lower rate than the area calls for. 'They can be bait-and-switch ploys,' he said. Pasternak added, 'I tell my clients to watch for ads that do not show the actual address or require application fees before viewing the property.' If you're not sure that the rental you find is appropriately priced, Lichtenstein said look for 'comparables' — check that other similar apartments or homes are priced in the same range. Lichtenstein said that the rental market may be better right now than it has been for a while because 'inventory is piling up.' Sellers who can't make a sale or are delaying selling, are renting instead, 'making this a good time to be a tenant.' More From GOBankingRates 8 Common Mistakes Retirees Make With Their Social Security Checks Mark Cuban Says Trump's Executive Order To Lower Medication Costs Has a 'Real Shot' -- Here's Why This article originally appeared on Buying a Home? In This Economy? 6 Ways To Find Affordable Rentals Instead Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The American ‘revenge travel' surge is over. Fear and uncertainty are big factors
Francisco Ayala and his wife have canceled the cruise they planned to take to see the Northern Lights this year. The reasons are complicated. Ayala is a natural-born US citizen, and his wife is a naturalized citizen. But given reports of people — even with legal status — being detained and questioned at US borders, Ayala said taking a trip out of the country for fun doesn't seem worth the potential risk. Ayala also sees another problem: the economy. 'The writing is on the wall … The moment I saw the market volatility, I'm like, 'Yep, this is not going to be good.'' Travel advisers are seeing the impact of that uncertainty. More than 80% of the 460 advisers surveyed recently by TravelAge West were 'very' or 'somewhat' concerned about the impact of a possible economic downturn on their business, and more than half were 'very' concerned about the impact of government policies. Their clients' top concern was economic uncertainty, followed by worries about the treatment of Americans abroad, safety and security, fears of cost increases due to tariffs, immigration and border policies, and travel restrictions. 'You can't just take one angle and say, 'Oh, the economy is having an issue. So let's find something less expensive,'' said Beci Mahnken, CEO of MEI-Travel. Other clients say, ''I don't want to travel to the United States,' or 'I don't want to travel outside the United States.' … It's like a rock tunnel, going and going.' One shaft of light at the end of that tunnel could be savings on last-minute summer trips as travelers increasingly take a wait-and-see stance with their plans. Mahnken first saw signs of trouble in early April, when US stocks plunged over fears of a chaotic trade war. Mahnken and her travel agency staff started getting phone calls from clients, calling to cancel vacations they had booked or seeking refundable trips. She said they were fearful because their 401(k)s and other investments had taken a dive. That uncertainty, she says, made them pause on discretionary spending like a summer trip. Until that moment, Mahnken said, the frenzy of heightened 'revenge travel' activity that started after pandemic restrictions lifted had not slowed over the course of four years. 'We were still on this incredible high,' Mahnken said. 'And then … it almost hit a brick wall.' Flight analytics firm Cirium pulled flight booking data from online travel agencies from the end of January through early May, when people typically book summer trips. That data, which Cirium shared with CNN, indicates that bookings for travel in June, July and August are down nearly 10% when looking at flights from major US airports to favorite European destinations, compared to the same period last year. Flights booked in the opposite direction from Europe to the US are down 12% in the same period. That substantial drop is unusual, according to Jeremy Bowen, CEO of Cirium. 'We don't often see it as wholesale as this and over such a short period of time. Really, that Q1 booking is really quite substantially lower since the beginning of the year,' said Bowen. Data on US travelers booking summer trips to Asia is a bit more mixed, with increased bookings to destinations like Hong Kong and Tokyo, but decreases in flights booked to other major cities in the region. Domestic travel in the US also seems to be down by about 5%, using the same search parameters. 'Potentially people are waiting to see,' Bowen said. The drop hasn't been steady. Mahnken said once the stock market stabilized, her clients started feeling a little bit more comfortable with spending more. But it's what Mahnken calls a 'bouncing ball' that could change again tomorrow. Mahnken, who has been in the travel industry since before 9/11, remembers how travelers behaved after terrorist attacks, during the 2008 recession and post-Covid. But the challenge this time, she says, is a combination of those experiences, including economic unpredictability and geopolitical forces. Deloitte's 2025 summer travel survey shows Americans still plan to travel this season. In fact, Deloitte data released on May 20 shows a 5% increase in Americans planning to take leisure trips this summer, but they may be taking cheaper trips than ones planned just months ago. That could mean more road trips, rather than dealing with flights that would have to be canceled in case the whole trip is scrapped, Mahnken said. That's especially true for anyone concerned about their job stability, or people worried they might have to scale back on discretionary spending if markets take another tumble. 'We have people (who) are tending to now book closer in, rather than booking farther out, because … they feel more comfortable with their situation over the next four to six months, as opposed to the next eight to 12, which is a normal booking window for big vacations,' she said. For Ayala, this environment means being strategic about which trips are worth taking. 'I actually don't believe that we're going to have a full-blown recession,' Ayala said. 'But we are definitely going to have a slowing down of the economy, at least … If you can save yourself a hassle and save yourself the money, this would be the year to do it.' He and his wife canceled their cruise to Alaska, departing from a Canadian port, after seeing several European nations issue warnings to their citizens about potential problems entering the United States. But they still plan to attend two weddings in Mexico this year because they are important family events. Still, Ayala said he fears being profiled coming back from those trips just because of his name, even if there is no malice on the side of the border agent. He said he feels that on paper, agents could see a Hispanic name and become overzealous in questioning him. 'I do dread the return. I do think that there is a non-zero chance that I will have to call my employer and say, 'Hey, guess what? I'm not coming into work because I couldn't get back,'' he said. 'But it is an important life event. This one is worth the risk, whereas just traveling for pleasure is not.' The difference in the way people are booking summer travel, and where they're going, could create opportunities for people looking for a last-minute deal. Tiffany Funk, co-founder of a travel points optimization site, said people with loyalty points should use them, because they're worth more now than they will be in the future. Funk said people can be surprised at how much farther points will take them internationally than on domestic trips. But she said there are some interesting trends domestically, partly because some Canadians have canceled their trips. 'There's actually some deals to be had in places like New England and the coast of Maine, where typically you would have had to book in some cases years ago, in order to secure availability there. But we're seeing some good deals there,' Funk said. 'Florida, you have the Gulf Coast, where you can get some pretty decent pricing on very popular family-friendly destinations that are usually just horrifically expensive for summer vacations,' she said. Mahnken said as cruise lines continue to launch megaships that were in production long before the current economic turbulence, they will need to fill rooms. She also points out the unusual number of theme park discounts out this season. 'I am seeing a lot of cruise lines do incredibly good sales for their closer-in [dates],' she said. 'Theme parks … we're seeing them put out a lot of marketing and a lot of monetary offers during what's usually a high-season time.'
See - Sada Elbalad
15-05-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Israelis Attack Israeli National Security Minister and His Wife in Jerusalem Streets
Amir Hagag The wife of Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was slapped on Thursday after religious Jews from the Neturei Karta group attacked the minister and his wife, Ayala, during a visit to the town of Beit Shemesh (Beit Shemesh), west of occupied Jerusalem. Israel's Channel 7 reported that Ben-Gvir and his wife stopped after seeing drawings of Palestinian flags. A group of protesters, identified as members or supporters of the hardline anti-Zionist Neturei Karta group, gathered at the scene. The protesters chanted, "Zionist," "Murderer," "You support compulsory military service," and "Get out." The channel reported that tensions escalated when one of the women in the group assaulted Ayala Ben-Gvir. The minister's office stated that Ayala responded by slapping the woman in self-defense. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Americans are divided over DEI programs on college campuses, an AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON — As President Donald Trump seeks to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices on college campuses, a new poll suggests that while the concept of DEI is divisive, some of the initiatives being affected by his administration's guidance are less controversial. The poll, conducted earlier this month by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found about 4 in 10 Americans 'strongly' or 'somewhat' favor DEI programs in colleges and universities, while about 3 in 10 oppose those initiatives and about 3 in 10 are neutral. Support is higher for courses on racism and scholarships for students of color, among other services designed to help students from underrepresented groups. The findings underscore that while 'DEI' has become a politically toxic and unpopular term for many Americans, some components of DEI programs have much less opposition. This is especially true among Republicans. While about 6 in 10 Republicans oppose DEI programs broadly, their opposition softens for many of their most common elements. Just under half of Republicans oppose courses that teach about racism. About one-third oppose scholarships for students from underrepresented groups. And roughly 3 in 10 oppose clubs and mentorship services for those students. About 7 in 10 Democrats, by contrast, favor DEI programs on college campuses, with similar shares supporting courses that teach about racism and scholarships or extracurricular support services for students from underrepresented groups. Some of this tension may stem from differing perspectives on what DEI means. 'I'm dead set against DEI,' says poll respondent Robert Ayala, an 81-year-old registered independent who leans Republican. His understanding of DEI is 'giving someone a free ride' or hiring people based on their skin color, as opposed to their skill set. But Ayala says he fully supports scholarships and mentoring to help disadvantaged students. Ayala, who has Mexican ancestry, grew up poor in rural South Dakota, faced prejudice as a child and lacked career direction. 'If I was offered a scholarship or training or had somebody to guide me, I might have found my way faster,' says Ayala, who spent 22 years in the Navy, then went into contracting and is now retired near Palm Springs, California. Trump, a Republican, has signed multiple executive orders to eliminate diversity practices in the federal government, private companies and in education, calling them 'illegal' and 'immoral.' He has threatened to cut federal funding to campuses that defy him. Some of his orders are being challenged in court. On campuses, students of color say colleges responding to the new guidance have cut back scholarships, diversity offices and mentors that made them feel welcome on predominantly white campuses. 'Everybody should have the same opportunities as everybody else,' says Stanley Roberts, 61, a registered Republican near Knoxville, Tennessee. He is 'somewhat' opposed to the idea of DEI and is 'on the fence' about courses that teach about racism because he thinks dwelling on the past creates division. 'What happened 200 years ago or 1,000 years ago shouldn't have happened,' he says, 'but if everybody would quit talking about it, it would be a whole lot less of a problem.' The poll shows that white adults are more likely than Black and Hispanic adults to oppose DEI programs. Black adults are more likely than U.S. adults overall to favor courses that teach about racism. 'I know this sounds cliché to say, but the reason I favor teaching about racism is so history doesn't repeat itself,' says Nicole Martin, 34, a Black social worker in Idaho Falls, Idaho. 'I hear a lot of, 'Oh, just get over it.' But I think, 'OK you don't want to talk about slavery. But we're still talking about the Holocaust and that's OK.'' The poll found that women are more likely than men to say they support DEI programs on college campuses, as well as support services for students from underrepresented groups. 'Without DEI, I am not sure there are many chances for understanding other people's experiences,' says Regina Cuddeback, 27, a Democrat in Cortland, New York, who says her support for DEI depends on the context. Cuddeback does not think race should factor into college admissions but DEI programs on campuses are 'completely fine,' and she does not think the federal government should have a say in the courses colleges offer. 'Students have a right to take the classes they want to take,' says Cuddeback, who is white and a registered Democrat. 'For a college to remove a class and say you don't get to learn a certain subject anymore would be pretty abysmal.'
San Francisco Chronicle
15-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Americans are divided over DEI programs on college campuses, an AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump seeks to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices on college campuses, a new poll suggests that while the concept of DEI is divisive, some of the initiatives being affected by his administration's guidance are less controversial. The poll, conducted earlier this month by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found about 4 in 10 Americans 'strongly' or 'somewhat" favor DEI programs in colleges and universities, while about 3 in 10 oppose those initiatives and about 3 in 10 are neutral. Support is higher for courses on racism and scholarships for students of color, among other services designed to help students from underrepresented groups. The findings underscore that while 'DEI' has become a politically toxic and unpopular term for many Americans, some components of DEI programs have much less opposition. This is especially true among Republicans. While about 6 in 10 Republicans oppose DEI programs broadly, their opposition softens for many of their most common elements. Just under half of Republicans oppose courses that teach about racism. About one-third oppose scholarships for students from underrepresented groups. And roughly 3 in 10 oppose clubs and mentorship services for those students. About 7 in 10 Democrats, by contrast, favor DEI programs on college campuses, with similar shares supporting courses that teach about racism and scholarships or extracurricular support services for students from underrepresented groups. Some of this tension may stem from differing perspectives on what DEI means. 'I'm dead set against DEI,' says poll respondent Robert Ayala, an 81-year-old registered independent who leans Republican. His understanding of DEI is 'giving someone a free ride' or hiring people based on their skin color, as opposed to their skill set. But Ayala says he fully supports scholarships and mentoring to help disadvantaged students. Ayala, who has Mexican ancestry, grew up poor in rural South Dakota, faced prejudice as a child and lacked career direction. 'If I was offered a scholarship or training or had somebody to guide me, I might have found my way faster,' says Ayala, who spent 22 years in the Navy, then went into contracting and is now retired near Palm Springs, California. Trump, a Republican, has signed multiple executive orders to eliminate diversity practices in the federal government, private companies and in education, calling them 'illegal' and 'immoral.' He has threatened to cut federal funding to campuses that defy him. Some of his orders are being challenged in court. On campuses, students of color say colleges responding to the new guidance have cut back scholarships, diversity offices and mentors that made them feel welcome on predominantly white campuses. 'Everybody should have the same opportunities as everybody else,' says Stanley Roberts, 61, a registered Republican near Knoxville, Tennessee. He is 'somewhat' opposed to the idea of DEI and is 'on the fence' about courses that teach about racism because he thinks dwelling on the past creates division. 'What happened 200 years ago or 1,000 years ago shouldn't have happened," he says, "but if everybody would quit talking about it, it would be a whole lot less of a problem.' White adults are more likely to oppose DEI programs The poll shows that white adults are more likely than Black and Hispanic adults to oppose DEI programs. Black adults are more likely than U.S. adults overall to favor courses that teach about racism. 'I know this sounds cliché to say, but the reason I favor teaching about racism is so history doesn't repeat itself,' says Nicole Martin, 34, a Black social worker in Idaho Falls, Idaho. 'I hear a lot of, 'Oh, just get over it.' But I think, 'OK you don't want to talk about slavery. But we're still talking about the Holocaust and that's OK.'' The poll found that women are more likely than men to say they support DEI programs on college campuses, as well as support services for students from underrepresented groups. 'Without DEI, I am not sure there are many chances for understanding other people's experiences,' says Regina Cuddeback, 27, a Democrat in Cortland, New York, who says her support for DEI depends on the context. Cuddeback does not think race should factor into college admissions but DEI programs on campuses are 'completely fine,' and she does not think the federal government should have a say in the courses colleges offer. 'Students have a right to take the classes they want to take,' says Cuddeback, who is white and a registered Democrat. 'For a college to remove a class and say you don't get to learn a certain subject anymore would be pretty abysmal.' ___ ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,175 adults was conducted May 1-5, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4 percentage points. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
