Gunner
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Gunner
MemberJanuary 17, 2025 at 10:43 pm in reply to: Mortgage-Housing and Real Estate News for Thursday January 16 th 2025Most Migrated States within the United States- Both Corporates and Citizens
Regarding migration patterns, some states have central economic factors, politics, and other factors contributing to the loss of a large part of the population. This is why, as of 2025, these states are leading in the number of outflowing citizens and businesses:
California
Why Did The Transfers Happen:
Overvaluation:
- Many citizens who reside in California cannot purchase homes due to the breathtaking housing expenses.
Tax:
- Both income and corporate taxes that are available in California are some of the highest compared to other states in America.
Life Quality Concerns:
- The combination of wildfires, droughts, traffic jams, and further increases in homelessness encourage people to consider relocating to California.
Increase in Remote Working Options
- The coming era of remote working allows people to migrate to areas with significantly less expense and more area.
New York
Why Did The Transfers Happen:
Excessive Taxes:
- New York’s property and income taxes are excessive, so citizens and corporations move to tax-friendly states.
Living Expenses:
- New York City is extremely expensive, particularly for housing, utilities, and primary requirements.
Urban Overpopulation:
- Due to the recent global health crises, many of the population is now more inclined to move to rural or barely suburban areas.
Political Environment:
- Some express disappointment towards policies and other standard regulations the state proposes.
Illinois
Reasons for Moving Out:
Economic Instability:
- Illinois has some crippling debts like state debt and pension, which causes some serious financial problems.
High Taxes:
- Income and property taxes rank Illinois amongst the top states in the country.
Crime Rates:
- The public safety issue in the city limits, particularly Chicago, contributes to these rates.
Weather:
- Cold winters force people to move to nicer states.
New Jersey
Reasons for Moving Out:
High Property Taxes:
- New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the country, making it increasingly expensive for individuals and businesses to pay them.
Cost of Living:
- Many things, including housing, cost more than an average citizen can afford.
Job Opportunities Elsewhere:
- Other bordering states like Pennsylvania and Delaware have lower costs and better jobs than us.
Massachusetts
Reasons for Moving Out:
Housing Costs:
- A limited housing supply increases the price of homes and rent.
Tax Burden:
- These high state taxes drive away some people and businesses.
Weather:
- Lengthy, cold winters have resulted in people moving to warmer states.
Connecticut
Reasons for Moving Out:
Economic Challenges:
- The economy is not growing, and few employment opportunities exist, so many younger people move to more active states.
High Taxes:
Property and estate taxes are among the most reported when people leave the state.
Aging Population:
- Older people move to states like Florida or Texas without taxes.
Push factors and pull factors drive the migration of people and businesses.
These factors include the following:
- A High Cost of living is crucial; housing, utilities, and taxes make life unaffordable for many.
- Tax Burden placed on constituents is a factor; high income, property, and corporate taxes are major deterrents.
Quality of life issues always remain present; concerns about crime, natural disasters, and urban density lead to people leaving for greener pastures.
Economic Instability is ever present in these people’s lives; states with significant financial challenges face population outflows as residents seek a more resourced country.
Political climate dissatisfaction is also prevalent; unhappiness with local authorities and policies is negative.
Pull Factors
- Lowering the Cost of living is a symptom.
- The construction of affordable housing and easy access to even retirement draws retirees and young families offering low rates.
- Governments are offering Favorable tax policies that relax restrictions.
- Texas, Florida, and Tennessee, which do not have state income taxes, are among the top ten.
- Warmer climates are both an attraction and a symptom.
- Milder weather is one reason why people south of the country prefer migrating.
- The economic boom in these states is contagious.
- Business-friendly laws combined with an expanding job market attract fresh talent.
- Improved quality of life drastically changes within these towns.
- The safer the communities are, the less congestion and open spaces with added amenities become a huge draw.
Would you like us to provide detailed information on which states are receiving the most migrants and how they compare to those mentioned above?
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Gunner
MemberJanuary 17, 2025 at 10:28 pm in reply to: Headline News for Thursday January 16th 2025Your message is heartfelt and compassionate. Here’s how it might look:
A Message of Sympathy and Support
I want to express my deepest sympathy and unwavering support to everyone affected by the recent fire in Pacific Palisades. My thoughts are with those who have suffered the loss of their homes, belongings, and, most tragically, their loved ones.
This is an incredibly challenging time for the entire community, and I want to assure you that you are not alone. Together, we can face these difficulties and begin the journey of rebuilding and healing.
Please take care of yourselves and look out for one another as we navigate this difficult period. Let us unite in unity and compassion if we can lend a helping hand or provide assistance.
Would you like this adapted further for any specific purpose, such as sharing it on social media, with your community, or within a newsletter?
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Barron William Trump Biography
Barron William Trump, Donald Trump’s youngest child, was born on March 20, 2006, in NYC. He has four older half-siblings:
- Donald Jr.
- Ivanka
- Eric
- Tiffany.
Barron grew up in a Trump Tower penthouse unit that his family owned. Due to the Trump family’s political status, he experienced an affluent lifestyle and was always privileged.
Education
He attended Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York City. After his father was elected as the 45th President of the United States in January 2017, Barron and his mother shifted from New York to the White House in June. He now attends St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, WDC.
After Donald’s presidency term ended in January 2021, the family relocated to the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Barron shifted to Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, where he finished his schooling in 2024. He is multilingual and fluent in his mother’s native language, Slovenian.
Recent Developments
According to the latest updates, Barron has returned to New York City and started studying at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
His father, Donald Trump, confirmed this scenario. Because of Barron’s father’s attempted assassination and the family’s notoriety, campus security is heavily involved when Barron is attending onsite classes.
Interests
During his father’s presidential candidacy, Barron was not actively visible to the press. He is said to have an inclination towards soccer and is known for being analytical and intelligent. Additionally, he is quite eye-catching because of his 6-foot-9 stature.
Family Relations
Barron, the youngest Trump offspring, relates very well to his parents. Melania, his mother, is extremely cautious of her son, which is good regarding Barron’s ledge of privacy from the family’s dignity. While Barron’s half-siblings are quite established in politics and business, he has made none of these aspirations public.
Public Statement
Barron remains largely out of publicity, and due to the nature of his father’s work, he has limited media exposure. Because of his father’s work, Barron is hardly seen in the public eye and does not share any accounts on social media.
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Richard Rawlings is a multidisciplinary American businessman born on March 30, 1969, in Fort Worth, Texas. With the support of his father, who worked multiple jobs, Richard was passionate about automobiles from a young age. In fact, by age 14, he had already purchased his first car.
After completing his education at Eastern Hills High School, he began building his portfolio in law enforcement, firefighting, and paramedic services, most notable of all—creating Lincoln Press in 1999, an advertising and printing company.
In 2002, Gas Monkey Garage began in Dallas, Texas, where the primary focus was customizing and restoring classic cars. Gaining international recognition in 2012 by featuring in Discovery Channel’s reality series Fast N’ Loud’ propelled the garage to prominence, showcasing Rawlings and his team hunting for forgotten classic cars across the country and transforming them into masterpieces.
Richard also impacted the entertainment and hospitality industries by introducing Gordon Ramsay-inspired dishes at Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill and performing live music at Gas Monkey Live.
Rawlings has worked with many influential people in the automobile industry who contributed to the growth of Gas Monkey Garage and the earlier seasons of “Fast N’ Loud.” Below are some of these associates.
Aaron Kaufman
- An exceptional mechanic, Kaufman was the head mechanic at Gas Monkey Garage.
- His talent and rapport with Rawlings on-screen made the show enjoyable.
- Kaufman left in 2017 to pursue other projects, including the Discovery Channel’s ‘Shifting Gears with Aaron Kaufman.’
Christie Brimberry
- As the office manager, Brimberry oversaw some administrative tasks at the Gas Monkey Garage and appeared on Fast N’ Loud.
- Her quirky character and the way she connected with Rawlings and the garage staff made her popular among viewers.
Mike Coy
- Coy specialized in paint and bodywork.
- His artistry was sought for the restoration jobs done in Gas Monkey Garage.
- His thoroughness helped to maintain the high standards of detail for which the garage is known.
Jason Aker
- As the shop foreman, Aker managed most major restoration work in the garage.
- His managerial skills and experience helped him complete projects on time while maintaining the desired quality.
Dennis Collins
- Collins is a long-time Rawlings friend and often appears on ‘Fast N’ Loud’ as a car dealer and collector.
- His vast information about classic automobiles and commerce aided him in clinching deals.
- Along with television and business, Rawlings has competed in diverse automotive activities, such as the world record of the Cannonball Run, only to engrave his name deeper within the car culture.
As of 2023, Richard Rawlings still has a powerful impact on the automobile business with his many companies, like Gas Monkey Garage. He is still a major name in auto restoration and entertainment.
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Agenda 2025: The Strategies Constructed by the United Nations Over the Next Ten Years, as its title defines, is about the needs and benefits that are currently accruing. This agenda tackles 17 sustainable development goals: eradication
- Eradicationcation of poverty
- Promotion of equality and justice
- Ensuringsponsible use of resources
- Counteringimate degradation
Their efforts target a disaster-free, safer, fairer, and greener world.
Please provide some practical examples of actions taken according to the initiatives under the sustainable development goals.
So, there are global initiatives to achieve sustainable development goals. Generally, there are specific examples such as:
Goal 1: End poverty. One initiative includes reducing illiteracy and increasing access to education, clean water, sanitation, and healthcare in third-world countries.
Goal 2: Zero hunger: Initiatives to be focused on include developing and enhancing sustainable agricultural systems, managing food wastage, and increasing the availability of healthy food for all.
Goal 3: Good health and well-being: Some of these initiatives involve providing aid to promote safe birth practices and health services to reduce mother and child deaths, control diseases, and provide medical attention with a package for all.
Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy: For example, increasing the existing renewable energies, improving energy efficiency, and increasing people’s access to modern energy sources.
Goal 13: Climate action, which covers a wider range of actions, e.g., emission reductions, promoting climate resilience, and fostering environmental stewardship, among other activities.
Goal 14: Life below water, which covers such activities as the preservation of the marine environment, combating illegal fishing, and optimal exploitation of ocean resources.
Goal 15: Life on land includes several activities, such as halting deforestation, engaging in non-deforesting forest management, and protecting biodiversity.
What challenges do you face in the execution of these initiatives?
Implementing these initiatives involves several factors, including more political will and commitment. Despite determining the course of action needed, political actors in certain nations. For example, the US, where the political machine has many competing interests, may need help signing up for specific sustainable development goals as there are many other priorities for the lass.
Financial constraints: Achieving these goals will necessitate sourcing a huge amount of money from governments, private sector companies, and individuals. This is more of a problem for the less developed countries.
Inequality and injustice: If these development goals are achieved, discrimination and suffering will be eradicated. However, fulfilling them will require transforming underlying socio-income disparities, both internal and external, within countries and between their regions.
Climate Change denial and inaction: Climate change, as we know, has been a trial in our modern age for quite some time. Only the lack of the interests of the world’s leaders poses such a barrier. However, some countries and some people, for whatever reason, ignore all of the evidence and the action being taken or nearly all of it, making things a little bit more difficult for everyone.
Technological limitations and capacity gaps: Some activities, such as advocating for climate change or improving wastewater infrastructure facilities, can only be carried out in certain world regions with the right technology and infrastructure. In addition, some stakeholder organizations may have internal capacity gaps that will inhibit the success of many initiatives.
Conflicts and instability: Political instability and conflicts in several regions disrupt the overall availability of the SDGs and tend to happen where development goals are needed most.
Resistance from vested interests: Other strategies parallel fossil fuel phase-out. Examples include sustainable agriculture, which is not welcomed by many scene shifters as firms or lobbies.
What could be the strategies that could reduce the identified financial resource limitation?
The essentials, such as adequate, safe financial sources, which accelerate the development of specific policies to ensure sustainable development, are quite constrained and might take various forms.
Increase public and private sector investments: The government, in the majority, is in a position to encourage the people, and corporations, too, need to do something that brings in funds for sustainable development projects, like giving some tax cuts, for example. Other government-funded aspects can also be raised. The government can also work with companies and NGOs to raise more funds.
Crowdfunding: Certain activities aimed at sustainability endeavors can be financed by” our screen scraping” by appealing to people over the net.
Debt swaps: These less developed countries may sign contracts with their creditors. Either bilateral or multilateral, that would let them exchange their debts for funds to invest in sustainable campaigns or programs such as poverty eradication.
Green bonds: The debts may be raised by the government or companies that intend to solicit aid for developmental purposes, and the development-oriented financiers subscribe.
Remittances: It is possible to frame policies and devise strategies that would harness the remittance flows of migrant workers to support activities in sustainable development within their home countries.
Minimize wastages and inefficiencies: There are diminishing returns on unnecessary expenditures. Foregone costs create additional resources to be channeled towards developing their countries and practices.
Increase aid and development assistance levels: To elevate the states of many third-world countries, donor states and international agencies must consider boosting the current allocation of funds for development assistance and foreign aid for sustainable major development activities.
What are some successful examples of crowdfunding for sustainable development projects?
Several donors implemented successful crowdfunding campaigns to support projects with sustainable development goals.
SolarSPELL: Based in the Mars Space Flight Facility in Arizona, USA, this project aimed to develop an educational tool that utilized a solar power source in remote and less developed regions. More than $ 87,000 was raised through crowdfunding.
One Acre Fund: This organization provides quality seeds and trains family farmers to embrace climate-smart agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. It has raised over 20 million dollars through crowdsourcing.
Solar Sisters: In this project, women in Nigeria are trained to sell solar lamps, “cell phone lamps,” and solar chargers in the communities. They have raised over $1.5 million through crowdfunding.
WaterCredit: This program is done in cooperation with a charitable organization, Water.org, which allows a low-income family in one of the third-world countries to borrow and comply with limited amounts in water and sanitation services. They have raised over $16 million through crowdsourcing.
Solar Suitcase: This is a de-scaled portable solar device for lighting and other health-related activities in areas without power distribution systems. It has raised over $2 million through crowdfunding.
Could you elaborate more on these projects, specifically how they have transformed the people’s lives in the targeted regions?
So far, these sustainable development projects have successfully created a positive impact in the areas of concern. For instance, With SolarSPELL, certain regions of the world, which were thought to be so far away that even irrigation or power could not reach such places, could receive educational materials. That brought about increased literacy rates and employment generation through vocational training.
One Acre Fund has been impressive in supporting smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. This has resulted in enhanced agricultural output and income per household. Hence, they need better food access and the ability to fulfill other basic needs like education and health.
Solar Sisters’ services were not limited to providing clean and affordable energy access. They also took the initiative to undertake women’s entrepreneurial training as an empowerment strategy to enhance home and community decision-making.
WaterCredit has engaged in increasing access to safe water supply and sanitation facilities, which has reduced waterborne diseases and improved health generally, especially for women and children who bear the burden of fetching water most of the time.
The Solar Suitcase has been revolutionary in providing high-level healthcare to far-placed areas without grid access. Healthcare practitioners can conduct emergency surgeries like cesarean sections and transfusions.
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Gunner
MemberAugust 18, 2024 at 9:51 pm in reply to: Quality Control Review in the Mortgage ProcessQuality Control in Mortgage Underwriting:
What is QC?
QC, or mortgage underwriting quality control, examines and reviews mortgage records to ensure they adhere to all regulatory, investor, and company rules. This process aims to identify and fix mistakes and omissions. Or possible fraudulent activities before funding or selling a loan on a secondary market.
Why QC Mortgage Underwriting After Clear to Close?
Clear to Close (CTC): The underwriter has approved the loan, and all conditions have been satisfied. The loan is ready to move forward to closing.
Post-CTC QC: Even after a loan is cleared to close, it can undergo a QC review. This review serves as a final check to ensure that the underwriting process was thorough, compliant, and error-free. It’s a critical step to avoid any issues arising during or after closing, especially if the loan is being sold to an investor who requires strict guidelines.
Reasons for QC After Clear to Close:
Regulatory Compliance: Ensures the loan complies with federal, state, and investor regulations.
Risk Management: Identifies potential risks or errors that might not have been caught during initial underwriting
Investor Requirements: Many investors require post-CTC QC for the loan to meet their purchase criteria
Fraud Prevention:
- Adding more layers of scrutiny helps catch any fraudulent activity that could put the whole credit facility at risk.
- QC mortgage underwriting after clear-to-close guarantees integrity and excellence within financing before completion.
- In this case, awareness protects lenders from making bad investments.
- At the same time, borrowers aren’t left disadvantaged by the lack of proper verification procedures followed by different stakeholders when processing loans before transferring ownership rights.
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Many things lead to a refinance mortgage rate other than credit score. A few of them are the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, which, if lowered, can get you a better rate:
Credit Score: Credit scores are the biggest factor in pricing mortgage rates.
The loan amount itself: Larger or smaller loans may impact rates.
Property type: Owner-occupant homes have the lowest rates. Investment properties and condos may have higher rates.
Loan term: Shorter terms generally offer lower rates.
Occupancy status: Primary residences typically have lower rates.
Debt-to-income (DTI) ratio: ng on mortgage rates. Lower debt-to-income ratios. Lower numbers result in better rates offered by lenders and better market conditions. Economic factors and interest rate trends also affect what lenders charge for lending money since they affect their overall risk.
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In this guide, we will cover the importance of getting preapproved when hunting for housing. Homebuyers need to realize that getting preapproved when house hunting is not an option but hands-down, given that they want a smooth house hunting and mortgage process.
Why Preapproval Is Important
Clarity of Budget: It’s possible to understand how much you can borrow through preapproval, helping you narrow your search to homes within that price range.
Stronger Offers: A seller may take your offer more seriously if it is accompanied by a preapproval letter, which shows that the buyer has the financial means to close on their transaction.
Quicker Closes: Most of the financial vetting is already completed during preapproval, which could speed up closing times.
Steps to Get Preapproved
Gather Financial Documents:
Income Verification: Paystubs, W2s, tax returns
Credit Information: Credit reports and scores from all three bureaus
Asset Information: Bank statements, retirement accounts, etc…
Choose a Lender:
Research different lenders and compare terms/rates
Consider multiple preapprovals from different lenders to compare offers.
Submit an Application:
Complete the application form to get preapproved accurately with honest information about income, debts, and assets.
Credit Check:
The lender makes a hard inquiry on the credit file, which assesses creditworthiness based on lending criteria used by this particular institution at the given period when such action was taken. It also includes checking data accuracy, etc.….
Lender Review:
The lender reviews the documents provided along with the credit report(s) obtained so far and determines the maximum amount they would be willing to lend under present circumstances, considering the applicant’s ability to repay debt, current financial position, etc.
Receive Preapproval Letter:
If approved, they will issue a letter stating the amount qualified to borrow (usually good for 60 -90 days).
Factors That Affect Preapproval Amount
Credit Score:
Higher scores usually result in better loan terms, such as lower interest rates or larger approval amounts.
Debt-to-Income Ratio(DTI):
- It is highly recommended borrowers have less than 43% DTI.
- However, borrowers can get mortgage loan approval with a debt-to-income ratio as high as 46.9% front-end and 56.9% back-end preferred by lenders (the amount of money debtors make divided into monthly payments) on FHA loans.
- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac allow up to a 50% back-end debt-to-income ratio on conventional loans.
- Conventional loans do not have a front-end debt-to-income ratio cap.
- USDA loans allow up to a 29% front-end and 41% back-end debt-to-income ratio cap.
- There is no debt-to-income ratio cap on VA loans.
- Borrowers can get approved/eligible per automated underwriting findings on VA loans with DTI higher than 60% if the borrower has a high residual income. No-QM loans cap a debt-to-income ratio of up to 50%.
- However, many non-QM loan programs have alternative ways of qualifying the borrower’s debt-to-income ratio and no-doc mortgage loan programs.
Employment History:
A longer, more stable work history shows reliability, which is helpful when trying to get preapproved for a home loan.
Down Payment:
Putting more money down at closing increases the chances of being preapproved for a larger loan amount and possibly even more favorable terms.
Tips for a Smooth Preapproval Process
Check Your Credit:
Request credit report(s) from all three bureaus and correct any errors found. These could lower your score, causing higher interest rates or denying you altogether.
Reduce Debt:
Pay off existing debts such as credit cards, student loans, etc.… This will decrease the DTI ratio, thus increasing the odds of getting preapproved.
Save Up for Down Payment:
Most lenders require a 20% down payment on conventional mortgages, so start saving now to avoid paying PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) and secure better overall loan terms.
Keep Financial Documents Organized:
Having all necessary paperwork ready when called upon saves time during review stages by making it easier for underwriter(s) to access needed information quickly, thus speeding up the entire process.
Getting preapproved for a mortgage is an important step in buying a house. It lets you know your budget, makes sellers take your offer more seriously, and can speed up the closing process. Gathering financial documents, choosing a lender wisely, and understanding what affects how much you can be approved for are steps that should be taken toward becoming preapproved.
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Top States Where Home Prices Could Drop in 2024 and 2025
Even though a collapse of the housing market across the country is not expected, some states and metro areas might see declining home prices due to various economic factors, market forces, and local conditions. The following are the top states and regions where housing prices may come under significant pressure:
California
Regions Affected: San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and other high-cost areas.
Reasons: High home prices, affordability problems, economic uncertainty, and out-migration are all likely to contribute to declines in these parts. Regions like the San Francisco Bay Area have historically been prone to price corrections due to their high cost of living and rapid price escalations in recent years.
Florida
Regions Affected: Coastal areas like North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, and Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach.
Reasons: These places saw strong increases in pricing during the COVID-19 pandemic and are also suffering from rising disaster insurance costs amid escalating climate risk perception, which has made them less desirable and, hence, should experience price drops.
Texas
Regions Affected: Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land.
Reasons: Austin had one of its most expensive years ever for buying houses last year at the very same time when many other cities were seeing their markets cool off significantly. This was mainly because none had grown so fast or became such popular destinations among Americans and foreign migrants. Everything seems overpriced, especially if we consider current interest rates being pushed up by Federal Reserve Board policy responding potentially negatively towards these markets due to their overheating conditions.
Nevada
Regions Affected: Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise.
Reasons: Las Vegas experienced some of the largest price increases recently. However, high living costs and economic uncertainty mean that prices could fall.
Arizona
Regions Affected: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler.
Reasons: Like in Vegas, we also notice fast-growing demand followed by excessive supply, leading to price drops within short periods. This is because people can’t afford them any longer. They were given affordability challenges created through previous rapid price escalations driven mainly by low-interest rates coupled with easy access mortgages during this period of economic recovery. This is more characterized than ever before: Americans spent less money on housing. This was primarily because they hadn’t saved much yet. So again, let’s see what happens next here too.
Factors Contributing To Possible Declines
High Mortgage Rates: Elevated mortgage rates reduce affordability, decreasing demand and leading to lower prices in the market.
Economic Uncertainty: Inflation and potential economic slowdowns add volatility to financial markets. Thereby causes fluctuations within them. This holds, especially those related directly or indirectly to real estate investments such as mortgage-backed securities. The performance of these investments may suffer due mostly to such events happening concurrently, i.e.. Inflationary pressures combined with background fears about recessionary tendencies arise out of a widespread belief among investors concerning possible bubble burstings within various sectors associated closely with the housing industry. Globally speaking, time will tell how things turn out exactly, but till then, let us hope everything goes according to plan. So far, so good!