Latest news with #suburbs
New York Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Year in the Life (and Mind) of a Precocious Teenager
PAN, by Michael Clune Nicholas, a restive 15-year-old recently diagnosed with a panic disorder, stares out a school window one February morning and observes: 'The sun had lost its winter quality. In winter the sunlight stands apart from things. When the winter sun touches the brick of the path, it's like a hand touching a cheek. But when the spring sun touches brick, it goes into it.' Then, having offered this lush, near-supernatural vision in granular detail, Nicholas tears off a scrap of notebook paper, writes 'SPRING HAS STARTED,' wads it up and chucks it at his classroom crush. This is the rhythm of Michael Clune's first novel, 'Pan' — a steady oscillation between deliciously observed, ferociously strange fragments of consciousness and the social kabuki of the tragicomic teenage bildungsroman. Nicholas lives with his father in the placid suburbs of Chicago. He's preternaturally smart and obsessed with social standing at his Catholic high school. When he starts getting panic attacks, he's advised by a doctor to treat them by breathing into brown paper bags. He tries it, to mixed results. 'They're medical bags,' Nicholas explains to a skeptical nun who thinks he's going to steal things in them. He and his best friend, Ty, take up with Tod, a popular kid — 'he appeared to be possessed by a level of coolness that was totally unique in our high school' — with access to weed. They start going to Tod's barn, where most of the story takes place, and get stoned with Tod's older brother, Ian, and Nicholas's crush, Sarah. The characters trade half-baked argle-bargle ('Do you want to know the secret of how to get solid mind?'), discuss classics ('Maybe daylight is the rock … Sissyfuss's rock') and participate in bizarre rituals set up by Ian, who becomes something of a deranged cult leader. Nicholas's stoner-savant voice ('Bach is like math class for feelings') sometimes swerves into a register well beyond any teenager's ('As the days passed, my consciousness developed a queer economy'). This can be jarring, especially since Clune has so elegantly set up a narrative playground where we can reasonably believe Nicholas is stumbling into Bach, Baudelaire, Camus and Wilde. Reading his experience of these raptures is invigorating and often hilarious. It's not all high art either; Nicholas and Sarah love Boston's 'More Than a Feeling' with an effervescent lack of irony. There are a handful of instances, however, when readers may feel the snag of Wait a minute, that's not Nicholas talking — that's Michael Clune. I was reminded of Robert Hayden's poem 'Those Winter Sundays,' in which we feel the presence of a fully mature author in a scene taking place in his youth. The tacit temporal delta allows the author an idiom ('love's austere and lonely offices') that he wouldn't have had at such a young age. Like 'Those Winter Sundays,' 'Pan' is written in the past tense, but I can recall only two overt acknowledgments of this gulf, one when Nicholas describes the emptiness of his father's walls: 'In reality there probably was something on the walls, but I can't see it from the angle I'm looking at it, coming from the future.' The other happens at the very end of the book, in a two-sentence coda. Still, when we're really in Nicholas's mind, we never want to leave. He loves 'Salome' but says of Wilde's other plays: 'They were about rich English people who ate cucumber sandwiches and did things like threaten to leave the room.' When he feels a panic attack coming on, Nicholas begins reading the first book at his side, a paperback edition of 'Ivanhoe.' As long as Nicholas stays in the story, he can keep the attacks at bay. Unfortunately, he finishes the novel: 'At 4:35 a.m. 'Ivanhoe' ended. I put down the book. … Then I walked downstairs and told Dad that I was having a heart attack.' I used to teach middle and high school, and I remember acutely how often people condescended to my students' feelings, using phrases like 'it's just a phase' or 'puppy love' to describe the emotional realities of human beings at an age when they're most self-conscious, most emotionally volatile, most skinless. Clune understands that at any given stage of our lives, we are yoked to unprecedented subjectivities. Nicholas can't experience suffering outside his own any more than I can experience the pain of childbirth right now. This means compassion is a function of imagination, and watching Nicholas's empathy come robustly alive and calibrate itself against his panic and his parents' divorce, against art and friendship and sex, is thrilling. 'Pan,' named after the Greek god who Nicholas suspects is provoking his panic attacks, is a novel of the racing, wasted, disordered mind: Don't expect much in the way of big narrative twists. This is simply one year in the life of a precocious suburban kid. The juice here is watching Clune's little cyclones of thought, vortical whooshes around art, drugs, sex and analysis. (There is a scene with a therapist and biofeedback monitor that I will never forget.) Clune has previously published excellent works of nonfiction, including 'White Out,' about time and the author's heroin addiction, and 'Gamelife,' a brilliant and strange sequence of essays exploring video games as a metaphysical foil. In his fiction debut, he is writing in the tradition of Proust, Sebald, Jenny Offill, Teju Cole and Nicholson Baker, writers whose eccentricities manifest in singular voices that are propulsive enough without pyrotechnic narratives. Like a great painter, Clune can show us the mind, the world, with just a few well-placed verbs: 'The afternoon wore 'Gilligan's Island' colors … like '60s television, bleeding out a little over the edges of shapes. Like dead people remembering earth.' I could have read 300 pages of just this — Nicholas looking out the window and describing what he saw — and felt that I'd gotten my money's worth. PAN | By Michael Clune | Penguin Press | 323 pp. | $29
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Should You Use Crypto To Purchase a Home? 4 Methods and Their Risks
If you're a fan of crypto, perhaps you've been thinking about the various ways to incorporate it into your financial life. Perhaps you've seen headlines claiming crypto mortgages are on the rise as the new way to buy some homes. Learn More: Read Next: However, before you set out to grab your next house with crypto, there are some precautions to keep in mind. Here's what financial experts told GOBankingRates about certain methods and their risks when using crypto to purchase a home. Convert-To-Cash Method Andrew Lokenauth, a money expert from Be Fluent in Finance, said the most straightforward method he's used with clients is converting crypto to cash first. 'I just helped a client last March sell $600,000 in bitcoin for their dream house in the suburbs,' he said. 'The thing is, most sellers still want good old-fashioned dollars, and this approach causes the least headaches with lenders.' Trending Now: Crypto-Backed Loans 'Let me tell you about a client who tried using a crypto-backed loan,' Lokenauth said. 'The market tanked right before closing, and they got hit with a massive margin call — lost about $75,000 in collateral. Not fun explaining that one to their partner.' Smart-Contract Escrows You may also want to take a look at escrow and mortgage opportunities that use crypto in the purchase of a home, but may offer some risk protection. 'It's possible to leverage your crypto for real estate purchases by using smart-contract escrows or stablecoin-pegged mortgages, which automate payments and reduce counterparty risk,' according to Chad Willardson, founder and president of Pacific Capital and City Treasurer of Corona, California. 'Tokenized property platforms allow fractional ownership, softening volatility by spreading exposure across multiple investors.' However, per Willardson, crypto's price swings remain a major risk — buyers should hedge with stablecoins or convert to fiat at closing. Blended Financing According to Willardson, regulatory ambiguity can slow or derail transactions, so work with title companies experienced in digital assets. 'As an alternative, consider blended financing: part traditional mortgage and part crypto loan to balance innovation with stability,' Willardson said. More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 The 10 Most Reliable SUVs of 2025 The New Retirement Problem Boomers Are Facing This article originally appeared on Should You Use Crypto To Purchase a Home? 4 Methods and Their Risks Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Should You Use Crypto To Purchase a Home? 4 Methods and Their Risks
If you're a fan of crypto, perhaps you've been thinking about the various ways to incorporate it into your financial life. Perhaps you've seen headlines claiming crypto mortgages are on the rise as the new way to buy some homes. Learn More: Read Next: However, before you set out to grab your next house with crypto, there are some precautions to keep in mind. Here's what financial experts told GOBankingRates about certain methods and their risks when using crypto to purchase a home. Convert-To-Cash Method Andrew Lokenauth, a money expert from Be Fluent in Finance, said the most straightforward method he's used with clients is converting crypto to cash first. 'I just helped a client last March sell $600,000 in bitcoin for their dream house in the suburbs,' he said. 'The thing is, most sellers still want good old-fashioned dollars, and this approach causes the least headaches with lenders.' Trending Now: Crypto-Backed Loans 'Let me tell you about a client who tried using a crypto-backed loan,' Lokenauth said. 'The market tanked right before closing, and they got hit with a massive margin call — lost about $75,000 in collateral. Not fun explaining that one to their partner.' Smart-Contract Escrows You may also want to take a look at escrow and mortgage opportunities that use crypto in the purchase of a home, but may offer some risk protection. 'It's possible to leverage your crypto for real estate purchases by using smart-contract escrows or stablecoin-pegged mortgages, which automate payments and reduce counterparty risk,' according to Chad Willardson, founder and president of Pacific Capital and City Treasurer of Corona, California. 'Tokenized property platforms allow fractional ownership, softening volatility by spreading exposure across multiple investors.' However, per Willardson, crypto's price swings remain a major risk — buyers should hedge with stablecoins or convert to fiat at closing. Blended Financing According to Willardson, regulatory ambiguity can slow or derail transactions, so work with title companies experienced in digital assets. 'As an alternative, consider blended financing: part traditional mortgage and part crypto loan to balance innovation with stability,' Willardson said. More From GOBankingRates 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025 7 Tax Loopholes the Rich Use To Pay Less and Build More Wealth How Much Money Is Needed To Be Considered Middle Class in Your State? This article originally appeared on Should You Use Crypto To Purchase a Home? 4 Methods and Their Risks
Daily Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
Aussie property hotspots: Where homes sell in days
Is your house destined to gather dust on the market? Or will it be snapped up faster than you can say 'sold!'? New Ray White data reveals the Aussie suburbs where properties are flying off the shelves – and the ones where sellers are facing a long, hard slog. Forget the national average of 31 days. In some parts of Australia, homes are practically selling themselves while you sleep. Perth: Australia's speed demon If you're after a quick sale, Perth is the place to be. Houses in the WA capital are selling in a median of just 13 days, making it the fastest-selling capital in the country. While that's up slightly from nine days last year, it's still a decade low. The numbers are pretty remarkable: a whopping 76 per cent of Perth suburbs see properties sold within two weeks, and another 21 per cent within a month. That means a staggering 97 per cent of Perth suburbs are turning over properties in under 30 days. The market has well and truly flipped in favour of sellers, with Perth claiming eight of the top 10 fastest-selling suburbs nationwide. MORE NEWS Where rents have almost doubled in 10 years The shocking secret landlords are ignoring Hemsworth who? Underdog beach towns the next Byron Bay Brisbane: Hot on Perth's heels Brisbane comes in as the second-fastest capital, with a median of 21 days on the market. Almost one in five suburbs (19 per cent) are selling within 14 days, and nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) within a month. Overall, 83 per cent of Brisbane suburbs are experiencing healthy selling conditions. Adelaide: The market barometer If you want a snapshot of the average Aussie market, look to Adelaide. Over the past decade, Adelaide has consistently mirrored national trends, making it a reliable indicator of overall market performance. Adelaide's median selling time has remained remarkably stable at around 32 days for the past three years, closely aligning with the national average. It's neither blazing fast nor painfully slow. MORE NEWS: Aussies banking on inheritance to escape financial doom Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart: The slow lane? Things are taking a little longer in Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart, with all three cities seeing an increase in median days on market. Sydney has slowed from around 25 to 30 days a decade ago to 34 days currently. However, even in the Harbour City's pricey market, some suburbs are bucking the trend. Bow Bowing, Fairlight, and Werrington County are all seeing sales within 7 to 9 days. Melbourne's median of 36 days places it among the slower-selling capitals. ]However, the trend suggests a return to normal, with the 10-year median hovering around 30 days (excluding a pre-pandemic peak). Hobart has seen the wildest swings, plummeting to single-digit selling times in the mid-to-late 2010s before climbing back to 35 days – essentially back where it started. Despite this, suburbs like Seven Mile Beach are still achieving lightning-fast sales, sharing the top spot as Australia's fastest-selling suburb at just six days. Canberra and Darwin: Consistently the slowest Canberra and Darwin have consistently been the slowest of all capital cities over the past decade. While Canberra's current median of 47 days might raise eyebrows, the data reveals a unique selling pattern. A whopping 68 per cent of suburbs sell within 31 to 60 days, suggesting a methodical market driven by the city's large public sector workforce. Darwin remains the slowest overall, but its current median of 54 days is actually a decade low, down from peaks of over 70 days. What does it all mean? Ultimately, how quickly your house sells depends on a whole range of factors, from location and property type to pricing and presentation. But understanding the trends in your local market is a crucial first step.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Renters Are Taking Over the Suburbs
Suburbs are traditionally a refuge for people who can't afford to own a home in a big city. But according to a new study, renters are beginning to dominate even the suburbs, leading developers to turn their attention away from urban centers. 'Once homeownership strongholds, suburbs are ceding ground to the new housing reality: The renter-dominated suburb,' the report stated. Using U.S. Census Bureau data from the 20 largest U.S. metros and surrounding suburbs with a population of more than 10,000, researchers at Point2Homes found that the number of renter households in these areas grew to roughly six million by 2023, up by 231,000 from 2018. Among the roughly 1,500 suburbs included, 203 were renter majorities in 2023, which was actually down from a peak of 222 in 2018. Still, renter households more than doubled over this five-year period in 15 major suburbs, which explains the overall increase nationwide. In fact, according to the study, the number of rental homes in the suburbs of five major cities grew faster than in the cities themselves: Dallas, Minneapolis, Boston, Tampa, Fla., and Baltimore. Three suburbs had a nearly 100 percent rental share, but market conditions had little to do with it: Rentals prevailed because they served the short-term housing needs of adjacent military bases: Fort Meade, Md.; Camp Pendleton South, Calif.; and Fort Lewis, Wash. But the following six suburbs, when ranking by renter share, all topped 80 percent: Cudahy, Calif. (Los Angeles), University, Fla. (Tampa), Clarkston, Ga. (Atlanta), Addison, Texas (Dallas), Harrison, N.J. (New York City), and Webster, Texas (Houston). Much of the growth reflects a surge in the build-to-rent industry, which reached an all-time high in 2024, according to Point2Homes, with 39,000 new single-family rentals completed. That was a 16 percent increase over 2023, and much more than the roughly 6,000 or 7,000 that typically came to market during prepandemic years. Where renters rule A study identified major suburbs associated with the 20 largest U.S. metro areas and ranked them by their share of renter households. SHARE OF RENTER HOUSEHOLDS SHARE OF RENTER HOUSEHOLDS SUBURB (LARGER METRO AREA) SUBURB (LARGER METRO AREA) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Fort Meade, Md. Camp Pendleton South, Calif. Fort Lewis, Wash. Cudahy, Calif. University, Fla. Clarkston, Ga. Addison, Texas Harrison, N.J. 99% 99% 98% 88% 86% 84% 82% 81% 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15 16. Webster, Texas Union City, N.J. West Hollywood, Calif. Bell Gardens, Calif. West New York, N.J. College Park, Ga. Langley Park, Md. McNair, Va. 81% 80% 80% 79% 78% 78% 78% 78% (Baltimore) (San Diego) (Seattle) (Los Angeles) (Tampa, Fla.) (Atlanta) (Dallas) (New York) (Houston) (New York) (Los Angeles) (Los Angeles) (New York) (Atlanta) (Washington, D.C.) (Washington, D.C.) SHARE OF RENTER HOUSEHOLDS SUBURB (LARGER METRO AREA) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. Fort Meade, Md. Camp Pendleton South, Calif. Fort Lewis, Wash. Cudahy, Calif. University, Fla. Clarkston, Ga. Addison, Texas Harrison, N.J. Webster, Texas Union City, N.J. West Hollywood, Calif. Bell Gardens, Calif. West New York, N.J. College Park, Ga. Langley Park, Md. McNair, Va. 99% 99% 98% 88% 86% 84% 82% 81% 81% 80% 80% 79% 78% 78% 78% 78% (Baltimore) (San Diego) (Seattle) (Los Angeles) (Tampa, Fla.) (Atlanta) (Dallas) (New York) (Houston) (New York) (Los Angeles) (Los Angeles) (New York) (Atlanta) (Washington, D.C.) (Washington, D.C.) Source: Point2Homes By The New York Times
