Latest news with #Dibble
NZ Herald
20 hours ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Commercial property versus residential: Scott O'Neill shares insights
Interviewing him on The Prosperity Project podcast made it seem as though investing in commercial property is an absolute no-brainer and it was tempting to conclude I should immediately sell out of residential to get in while the going's good. But then, he co-owns a business that shows people how to invest in commercial property, so I wondered whether I should be taking it with a pinch more salt. I didn't think he was wrong or misleading me about commercial property's virtues, but I thought – surely it's not as simple as that?! Capital gains Commercial property is a good alternative to residential property, O'Neill said on the podcast, because 'the 30, 40 years of [residential] growth might not be as good over the next 20 or 30 years'. ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner agrees that 'there is no way we can repeat the real gains in house prices seen over the last 20-30 years. Who would be buying them? No one could afford them'. However, does that necessarily mean commercial property would be any different? It's a little more complex to answer that (or, after researching this, I'd argue – a lot more complex!) 'It can be like comparing apples and oranges – you can do it, but you might not necessarily be providing the right comparison,' the head of research and strategic consulting at JLL New Zealand, Chris Dibble, says. Residential prices 'can be more sentiment-driven, versus commercial/industrial sectors being more income-focused' Dibble says, plus there are fewer commercial transactions to compare, there are different valuation methods, lease agreements, and the outlook can differ by sector. Rental returns But it's not just about capital gains. 'It's about growth and cashflow,' O'Neill told me on The Prosperity Project, and the yields are much better than residential. 'You know, 6 or 7% net sounds a lot better than 2% net.' It certainly does – and JLL's data show net commercial yields in New Zealand can range from 5% to 8.38% – depending on the region and whether it's office, industrial or CBD retail. In residential, the median gross yield is 4.52%, according to Opes data, but that's gross – ie before you factor in costs like rates, insurance, maintenance and property managers (which are covered by the tenant in commercial leases) so the net yield for residential could easily be 2%. However, Dibble says: 'The reason those returns are higher is about the risk and return – for example, as you can imagine, capital expenses like recladding or reroofing commercial premises tends to be a lot more expensive than for a residential property.' Lending Those higher returns in commercial can unlock more lending, O'Neill told me. 'If you've got equity and they [the bank] say no more lending for residential, you can actually still keep going in commercial, assuming the asset you're buying has enough income to cover its interest rate.' Mortgage broker and founder of Squirrel, John Bolton (who is a commercial property investor himself), says that does make commercial property particularly appealing to some types of investors. 'Where it can be attractive is for older borrowers who may have large amounts on term deposit with the bank, so they have lots of equity and can generate a good return without having to factor in their income.' However, Bolton says that lending approach can be both a blessing and a curse. 'They [the bank] expect the income on the property to be more than 1.3 times the debt servicing cost – but can go up to 1.8 times. It typically means you can't borrow more than 40-50% of the property's value, you need much more equity. With commercial loans, you also have an annual review. If the valuation has gone down, if you've got a vacant property, or a property with issues, the bank can ask you to pay back some of the lending.' 'I love commercial property,' Bolton says, 'but it definitely carries significantly more risk than residential. It's not somewhere to go if you're a highly geared investor.' A point on which he and O'Neill agree. Interest rates I asked Scott O'Neill whether commercial investors are subject to much higher interest rates than residential investors. He told me: 'It might be half a per cent higher than your normal residential rate.' That differential varies, according to Bolton, but in some circumstances can be lower than residential rates. 'Commercial properties are risk-graded, so it does depend on the type of property. Bigger commercial loans can have rates that are better than residential loans, but smaller commercial investors tend to get 1-2% above residential rates.' The episode with O'Neill is well worth a listen (I know, I would say that) but I'm now a little less gung-ho about commercial property being my next investment than I was immediately after talking to him. There's a lot to consider, and while O'Neill's suggestion that commercial property is a lot less politically exposed is an excellent point, I think I'll remain a vilified residential property investor, for now. Listen to the full episode of The Prosperity Project for more. The podcast is hosted by Nadine Higgins, an experienced broadcaster and a financial adviser at Enable Me. You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are released every Monday.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Albert Lea High School principal accepts new job in Northfield
Jun. 3—Albert Lea High School Principal Chris Dibble has accepted a position as the high school principal of Northfield Public Schools, Board Chairman Dave Klatt announced Monday during the school board work session. Dibble started with the district in 2016 as dean of students and became principal of Southwest Middle School in 2018 before transitioning to his current role at the high school in 2021. Dibble said he is most proud of remaining focused on students as the district transitioned through multiple leaders and said he thinks he has been able to open lines of communication between administration and staff to focus on student needs. He said he also thinks he has built relationships with students, staff and community members during his time as a leader. Under his leadership, the high school has received levels 1 and 2 certification in the High Reliability Schools framework, giving the staff direction and a focus on data-driven strategies that give students the best environment for school. They have also rebuilt safety protocols and worked closely with the city and county to support students both in and out of the school building. "As a team, we are always pushing to try new ideas and plans that will enhance the students' experience each and every day," he said. "We know there is work to be done and we listen to the feedback we receive from parents about bullying, cell phones, social media and chemical use." As he leaves the district, he said he knows there are people already here who will continue the journey that has led to a team dynamic at the high school. "We have a great staff, students who do great work and a community that supports their children," he said. "There are wheels in motion that will carry ALHS forward as the leadership change happens." In an email sent out to parents, he said he plans to continue relationships with many people who helped shape the middle and high schools during his time. "I wish the Albert Lea Area Schools and the Albert Lea community nothing but the best as I begin my next professional journey," he said in the email. "My family and I thank you for your support and look forward to catching up with you whenever our paths cross again." Klatt said he spoke with interim Superintendent David Krenz and incoming Superintendent Steven Heil about a rough timeline to replace the position, and Klatt said they hope to have the job posted by Friday, with candidates screened at the end of June and first part of July. They hope to set up interviews by July 7. He also mentioned surveys they are planning to send out surrounding the position.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
University of Montevallo increasing patrol following knife confrontation on campus
MONTEVALLO, Ala. (WIAT) — University of Montevallo Police report a student was sitting in their car in the Carmichael Library parking lot when an unknown man came up to their door, opened it and confronted them around midnight Tuesday. 'There's been nothing like that that's ever happened,' said University of Montevallo Freshman Kyson Dibble. Dibble said he was feet away from the altercation walking back to his dorm. 'I didn't really see anything crazy and that's what's scary about it,' said Dibble. Thousands flock to Talladega, bringing millions in business University of Montevallo student Ashlynn Romines said she was walking around campus Tuesday night as well, saying she was surprised, as safety hasn't been a concern for her. 'That's why it was kind of a shock when I got back to my room around 12 a.m. I saw the message from police saying this incident had happened and I was shocked because I was over there on the other side of campus,' said Romines. According to the University of Montevallo Police, the man pulled out a knife, but no one was stabbed. Police said the man dropped the knife and fled the parking lot. The student was taken to the hospital and eventually released back to campus. The university has declared it an isolated incident. REAL ID enforcement starts May 7 'I'm hoping that it doesn't happen again. I'm hoping that it was just an isolated incident. I hope that since campus is so small it's going to be easy to patrol it. I've always felt safe on campus,' said Dibble. The university said they are increasing patrol in the area as a result. With no arrest made at the time of this reporting, Romines said she is on alert in hopes the person is caught. 'I already don't walk at night by myself, but I do have a Taser so I might need to start bringing that around now that I've heard that something has happened and it can happen again,' said Romines. UMPD said they are still investigating this incident. If you have any information, you are encouraged to call the number 205-665-6155. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Breaking the silence: 'It becomes such an obsession'
Apr. 23—With around-the-clock phone use, the noise never turns off Editor's note: This is the second in an ongoing series about youth mental health. The series will culminate with a Screen-Free Week for the whole community May 4-10. A survey conducted last fall of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 by the Pew Research Center found that most teens use social media and nearly half said they are online almost constantly. This number is up from 24% a decade ago, though it has stayed consistent over the last few years. The social media use has gotten so concerning that the U.S. Surgeon General in 2023 issued an advisory about social media and youth mental health, which stated "while social media may have benefits for some children and adolescents, there are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health." The advisory stated that because adolescence is a vulnerable period of brain development, social media exposure during this period warrants additional scrutiny. YouTube topped the list of the online platforms asked about in the 2024 survey, with nine in 10 teens reporting using the site. Roughly six in 10 said they use TikTok and Instagram and 55% use Snapchat. The use of Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) has declined significantly in the past decade, with only 32% of teens saying they use Facebook and 17% saying they use X. The survey also found that when asked about access to the internet at home, 95% of the teens said they have access to a smartphone, while 88% said they have access to a desktop or laptop computer, 83% have access to a gaming console and 70% a tablet. That is right in line with what Albert Lea High School Principal Chris Dibble said he sees at his school. He estimated 95% of the students at the high school having cell phones and most of the time you can't walk around the building between classes and not see a phone in a student's hand. Dibble said when he started in the education field 28 years ago as a teacher at Alden-Conger Schools, he has always been a huge proponent of technology. He has helped outfit the schools he has been at over the years and was even a technology and integration specialist at one point, putting iPads into the hands of students. "I saw the benefits of technology when we were allowed to provide guidance on when they can be used," he said. But then the forward-facing cameras came out on cell phones in 2010, and it became more of a distraction, he said. He said while he is still a big proponent of technology and recognizes that it will still be a big part of education moving into the future, he noted it is important for students to know what appropriate use of technology looks like. Dibble said the software in cell phones has been built to condition its users, and with every notification the user receives, the user gets a rush. "That builds up in the body and in the brain to where you're almost expecting the next one," he said. When you're in the classroom, this means not being able to concentrate or be engaged in what you're learning because you're concentrating on what's happening on your phone in your pocket. And he said it has gotten to the point where youth don't have the ability to stop that reaction. "If there's a buzz or a ding, the brain is conditioned to check it ... It becomes such an obsession," Dibble said. Sarah Scherger, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea and Austin, said cell phones are contributing to what she described as tremendous mental health concerns being seen at younger and younger ages, including depression and anxiety. While these diagnoses can sometimes be exacerbated by things happening in school, social media chronically being on can also play a factor. Whether it's texting or Snapchat, the youth are not able to get away from their friends — and those who aren't kids to them. The situation is made worse for these youth's mental health when they aren't able to get a good night's sleep. Scherger, who has been at the Mayo location for 13 years, said studies have shown that electronic devices are being given to children at younger and younger ages. As the mother of a middle schooler herself, who she says has a cell phone, she would advocate for children to not have phones in schools, or if possible, to only use them in communal areas in the halls. She recommended parents who have children with devices to make sure they have access to them and to regularly check them. She encouraged parents to guide their children in positive internet use and to encourage them to use their devices in communal areas in the home. "There's a lot of stuff that happens with kids on those social media apps behind the closed door in the home," she said. "As parents, we don't necessarily know." She said because the parents of youth were also not raised in the 24/7 era of the current world themselves, she recognized that oftentimes they are learning right along with their children. And as soon as they feel like they have a handle on one app, then the youth stop using that app and move on to another. Megan Wilson, detective with the Albert Lea Police Department, said more and more of their cases involving youth include evidence that started on cell phones. Whether it's fights among groups, or any other crime, many originated or were documented through messages, pictures or videos on phones. "Cell phones are very integrated into our investigations," she said. She said they get a large number of what she called "child sex abuse material" cases, which is essentially child pornography, in which teens are sending nude images or explicit videos to each other. Whether consensual or not, it is still a crime when under the age of 18. They also see teens meeting new friends online through different apps, and they have had cases where the youth believed they were meeting another juvenile and then when they went to meet up with that person, it was actually an adult pretending to be a child. There are also cases of sex extortion, in which a youth is convinced to send images of themselves and another individual tells them if they don't pay a certain amount of money or send more images that they'll leak the original picture they sent to social media or send it to their parents. Nationwide, she said there have been children who have harmed themselves because they don't know how to get out of those situations. She advised parents to refer to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website, which has an area on its page dedicated to cyber security and resources for parents and internet safety. She, too, encouraged parents to have open access with their child or teen's phones, to take note of what the apps are on their phone and then to research those apps, as well as parental controls for them. She said she and School Resource Officer David Huse give presentations about internet safety at Southwest Middle School to help youth learn more as they are having more access to phones. Up next: What cell phone policies are in place in area schools? Is there legislation being considered to change cell phone use in schools? Read the first part in the series: Breaking the Silence: In today's society, many youth in the area are struggling
