The US housing market is going through some strange times.
Even though mortgage interest rates have risen rapidly as the Federal Reserve tries to cool inflation, house prices have continued to rocket.
The median US home price rose by 13.4 per cent from a year earlier to a record high of $416,000 in June, the National Association of Realtors said this week.
Monthly mortgage payments are now as much as 50 per cent more than they were a year ago, meaning that for millions of Americans, dreams of home ownership are harder to realise.
All of this has led to a jump in rental prices in many areas across the country, as would-be buyers remain stuck in an overcrowded rental market.
A recent report by Rent.com said many states had average rents soar over the past year, particularly in the Sun Belt, which comprises the southern US.
Leading the way up is Austin, Texas, the progressive capital of the Lone Star State that has seen an influx of high-paying tech companies setting up shop in recent years.
Rents for one-bedroom dwellings have more than doubled since last year, rising to $3,257 on average a month.
That's the largest jump seen in any city across the US, with the next biggest increase in Jersey City, New Jersey, where the 51.6 per cent increase means a one-bedroom apartment now goes for $4,421 monthly.
New York City is still the priciest place to rent. A one-bed now costs $5,812 on average, up 41 per cent.
Overall though, Rent.com noted, rental prices across America as a whole have generally stabilised and the cost for two-bedroom units have actually decreased by about 13 per cent.
The Dallas suburb of McKinney had prices drop 50 per cent, the biggest decrease reported. Rent there for a one-bedroom is now just $681.
Bloomberg last week reported that rents rose in the US last month at the fastest pace since 1986, helping to spur overall inflation to a fresh four-decade high.
But rent growth may be peaking as affordability concerns mount, and a surge in construction of new units is poised to start adding to the inventory.
In pictures: Dubai property apartment prices - July 2022
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Jumeirah: Dh2,079 per square foot — up 1.8 per cent in June, up 3.6 per cent in May, up 3.5 per cent in April. The National -

APARTMENT PRICES: Downtown Dubai rose by 0.3 per cent month-on-month in June, 0.5 per cent in May and are at Dh2,050 per square foot (they were up 0.7 per cent in April). Reuters -

The Palm Jumeirah: Dh1,913 per square foot — down 4.2 per cent in June, up 4.2 per cent in May, up 4 per cent in April. Antonie Robertson / The National -

DIFC: Dh1,679 per square foot — down 0.5 per cent in June, up 2.5 per cent in May, up 1.2 per cent in April. Jeff Topping / The National -

Mohammed bin Rashid City: Dh1,531 per square foot — up 1.9 per cent in June, up 2.3 per cent in May, down 0.2 per cent in April. Satish Kumar / The National -

Dubai Hills: Dh1,511 per square foot — up 1.6 per cent, up 2.7 per cent in May, up 0.3 per cent in April. Photo: Emaar Malls Management -

Business Bay: Dh1,489 per square foot — down 2.2 per cent in June, up 1.3 per cent in May, up 1.7 per cent in April. Sarah Dea / The National -

Jumeirah Beach Residence: Dh1,412 per square foot — down 2.8 per cent in June, down 1.0 per cent in May, down 2.2 per cent in April. Photo: LuxuryProperty.com -

Dubai Marina: Dh1,386 per square foot — up 1.8 per cent in June, down 0.3 per cent in May, down 0.7 per cent in April. Victor Besa / The National -

The Greens and The Views: Dh1,082 per square foot — up 1.2 per cent in June, down 2.5 per cent in May, down 0.6 per cent in April. Sarah Dea / The National -

Jumeirah Lakes Towers: Dh1,004 per square foot — down 0.9 per cent in June, up 3.1 per cent in May, down 1.1 per cent in April. Antonie Robertson / The National -

Damac Hills: Dh1,002 per square foot — up 0.4 per cent in June, up 2.1 per cent in May, down 0.7 per cent in April. Pawan Singh / The National -

Jumeirah Village Circle: Dh911 per square foot — up 1.2 per cent in June, up 0.4 per cent in May, up 0.1 per cent in April. Razan Alzayani / The National -

Town Square: Dh846 per square foot — down 1.9 per cent in June, up 0.4 per cent in May, down 1.9 per cent in April. -

Motor City: Dh653 per square foot — down 2.5 per cent in June, up 0.8 per cent in May, down 0.7 per cent in April. -

Dubai Silicon Oasis: Dh601 per square foot — up 3.6 per cent in June, down 2.9 per cent in May, down 0.7 per cent in April. Chris Whiteoak / The National -

Dubai Sports City: Dh606 per square foot — up 3.0 per cent in June, down 3.9 per cent in May, down 1.1 per cent in April. Reem Mohammed / The National -

Discovery Gardens: Dh515 per square foot — down 1.8 per cent in June, up 0.3 per cent in May, down 2.2 per cent in April. Pawan Singh / The National -

International City: Dh442 per square foot — up 0.9 per cent in June, down 0.5 per cent in May, down 0.6 per cent in April. Antonie Robertson / The National
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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The specs
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
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MATCH INFO
Al Jazira 3 (O Abdulrahman 43', Kenno 82', Mabkhout 90 4')
Al Ain 1 (Laba 39')
Red cards: Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain)
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Transgender report
Opinions on Lebanon
Kareem Shaheen: Lebanon is being forced to relive its traumas
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Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
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