fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Choose your Spiritual Teacher Wisely
By: Jasmine Soumana
Tags: Narcissism, Spiritual Teachers, Abuse, Advice, Spirituality

Power corrupts — even in Spirituality

One of my teachers always said: ‘The only way to see someone's true color is to give them power!’. And this applies to politics as it applies to spirituality.

On the yogic path, there are many deeply enlightening and valid insights one gain through dedicated practice. These usually come in small bits and pieces after years of discipline and focus. It’s like training, where you achieve certain milestones the further you go. You’ll get a certain skill set of understanding how the mind works at its core and how to control the mechanisms of perception — both your own and that of others.

Even psychic powers, also known as siddhis, are said to be attained through mastering the body and mind.

However, that does not mean that even advanced practitioners have reached the ultimate goal of enlightenment, everlasting peace, and selfless compassion. Along with the milestones, the egoic self still exists, and in some cases, it might even grow through the temptations that come with understanding people better than they understand themselves.

Ramana Maharishi said, “The greatest form of ego for an individual is to present himself as a teacher and become a guru.”

This is why the guru-disciple relationship is so delicate. Devoting yourself to someone who is spiritually more advanced than you automatically puts you at risk of being exploited by that other. Devotion needs trust.

Patrick Paul Garlinger: “ In a teacher and student relationship, differences in power render consent problematic and allow the teacher to manipulate the spiritual meaning of the sexual experience.”

For someone who has understood the mechanics of the mind, it is easy to play with the perception of someone who hasn’t. Gaslighting is a horrific way of manipulation, and in spiritual circles, where students make a conscious effort to overcome their mind — their safety system — this phenomenon becomes a whole lot creepier.

We’ve all heard of those cases of cult members coming forward after decades of abuse reporting that they didn’t resist the abuse simply because they weren’t aware of it for so long. The same goes for yoga communities, where victims of sexual abuse sometimes take years to defog their minds and even realize they had been abused.

So when it comes to the question, are there narcissists in the spiritual community? For sure! Simply because it is such a playground for someone who likes to have power over others. If you’ve come in contact with such an individual, it doesn’t mean everything has been a lie and spirituality is just a concept used by them to lure victims into their trap. Any powerful knowledge can be used for both healing and harmful purposes. The knowledge itself is always neutral.
Emotional Safety: How to Protect Yourself From Emotional Abuse
By: Allison Crady
Tags: Trauma, Creativity, Psychology, Abuse, Mental Health

Emotional Safety: How to Protect Yourself From Emotional Abuse

Do you regularly doubt or question yourself? Do you often feel inadequate? Have you stopped being creative altogether? You are not alone, and you are worthy of emotional safety.

Most have unprocessed trauma*, and many have hidden emotional abuse, over 10 million Americans each year (MentalHelp). *Trauma comes from a deeply distressing experience or experiences, and we all process differently.

Emotional abuse is a way to control using emotions to criticize, embarrass, shame, blame, manipulate.

Your pain is real, and it is physically damaging to your body and mental health (Elizabeth Hartney, psychologist). Emotional pain can often be worse than physical pain (Guy Winch, psychologist).

Having emotional and psychological* safety allows us to create authentically, perform our best at work, and become our fullest selves (HBR). *Emotional refers to feelings, while psychological is more about the mind. Experts often use the terms interchangeably.

Heart in the closet— Courtesy of the author, Allison Crady

I have been unknowingly emotionally abused for most of my life. I have spent a long time feeling small and lonely. I experienced yelling, dismissing, name-calling, gaslighting*, judging, and criticizing from people I trusted. It’s tough for me to feel good enough. *Gaslighting happens when someone makes you question your reality.

We need to know that when we express ourselves, we will be heard and respected. We need to create emotional safety in our personal and professional lives.

Emotional safety has become a priority for me. I have been doing trauma therapy, life coaching, connecting with support groups, and reading several books and articles. I am learning to honor my feelings, unravel limiting beliefs, and create a fuller sense of Self. I am excited to share with you my takeaways and to encourage you on your healing journey.
Stand Up
Tags: PTSD, Childhood, Cptsd, Abuse, Healing From Trauma

When I was fifteen about to be sixteen I needed to have surgery on my jaw. In this surgery they would be breaking my jaw and setting it back, afterwards I would be in the hospital for a week or two and my jaw would be wired shut for a month and a half. My surgery would keep me in the hospital for my sixteenth birthday.

My grandmother felt terrible about this, so she planned to take me, my twin brother, and my mother to Florida so that I could swim with dolphins, one of my life long dreams. She wanted me to have a have a beautiful memory to hold onto while I recovered my surgery.

So to Florida we went, our first big trip, I was so excited and happy. It was my first time going to the ocean and to also be swimming with dolphins well it was a dream come true.

The problem is my mom hates to see anyone happy she gets jealous I know this now, but back then I couldn’t understand why she was being so awful. She smoked in a hotel room you couldn’t smoke in, yelled at us for singing in the car, complained constantly. What really stuck with me though was one night we were in a hotel room about to go to bed. I was sharing a bed with my grandmother and I don’t remember what happened but she threw a controller at me so I sat up in bed while she went on a tiraid screaming and yelling about how horrible I was, everything I had done wrong, calling me names and at the end she said I was ruining HER vacation.

I wanted my grandma to help, to say something to my mother but she didn’t she just told me to lay back down as if I had done something wrong by sitting up. I spent the next twenty years laying back down.

I needed someone to help me, to show me how stand up. I needed someone to stand up for me tell her the vacation was for me, that I had done nothing wrong and she needed to sit the hell down. I was only a teenager I didn’t know how, I didn’t know what to do. I had never felt so out of place, so confused, so heartbroken. I knew then no one would ever help me, I thought then that I must be the problem because even my grandmother wouldn’t stand up for me. I thought I was crazy …
YouTube Monkey Abusers — 0. Terry — 2
By: Terry L. Cooper
Tags: Animal Rights, Peta, Animals, Thailand, Abuse

I’ve been tired today as I have not been sleeping well again. I have just enough energy as it turns out to turn up the heat on the YT animal abusers. I went down an internet rabbit hole earlier looking for paid work for writers. Forcechange.com is hiring writers. I perused their site and thought about filing a claim with them. Then I noticed something about PETA. I pulled up PETA and lo and behold.

Thailand is already in trouble for monkey abuse. Imagine that. This is of a different nature, however. Apparently, there has been a lot of noise in the media lately (where have I been?) about monkeys being used as slave labor to harvest coconuts. That means bipedal training which is detrimental to their overall health — especially hips, legs, and knees. They were neither born nor built to function in this manner.

There have been boycotts of Chaokoh coconut milk. Costco has already pulled it from their shelves as well as some grocery stores. I best as I can tell at this point everyone is still waiting for Walmart to ban the product as well. So more reading and digging and take a wild guess at what I ended up doing?

I contacted the Asian bureau of PETA.

Here’s a copy of the message that I sent to them. It’s specific as I wanted nothing left to the imagination when it came time to decide whether or not they will launch an investigation. TRIGGER WARNING.
Glass
By: Josie Elbiry
Tags: Fear, Mothers, Abuse, Writing Prompts, Family

Glass

Photo by Leo Broadbent on Unsplash

Thou art thy mother’s glass, and she in thee. William Shakespeare

My mother’s impatience and fury have come home to roost after seventy years of trauma, twenty years of which was wrought onto me. Here in December, with my sister’s house alight in cheer, our mom hobbles on a walker. It’s a sliding, grating sound that drives us both back into our childhood.

“Oh, no. Here she comes.”

In mid-October, I left my husband and kids in Lebanon. I came to Texas, ten thousand miles away, to stay with Kathy (my younger sister) to help care for our mom, whose alcoholism and drug abuse have rendered her feeble. Of late, I realize I serve as a buffer to keep Kathy (who is often in a drunken rage) from killing her. It is a pitched stress. I am tied to four horses.

Mom’s nose is now a beak as her skin has drooped to mottled meat under her chin. Her teeth are brown. One is abcessed. I want to bury her under the floor boards.

A week ago, she bitched that I didn’t press the button to make the coffee. Yesterday, she told me to SHUT UP. Her voice sounded exactly as it did when I was six, an anger resplendent with horrors past. I am made to be the child once again.

But I am not afraid of her anymore. Her darts no longer pierce me. I catch them without even looking - like Houdini or 007. I stand in the doorway, my feet planted into the floor. My screams are disembodied. I throw a phone charger at her face.

“You don’t get to have it your way anymore,” I seethe.

‘A singer can shatter glass with the proper high note, but the simplest way to break glass is simply to drop it on the floor.’

Anne Rice
Haunted
Tags: Survivor, Narcissist, Strength, Cptsd, Abuse

It’s like being haunted, these memories that pop up and bring instant confusion, sadness, and anger. I always remember this one time, I had to be five or six years old. I don’t know what caused her to do it, there is nothing that would have been a proper justification for it. It plays in my mind as if I’m watching a movie. There she was my mother dragging me down the hallway to my bedroom hitting and screaming at me. As she throws me on the bed I just remember holding my mickey mouse blanket while she beat the shit out of me. This was not a disciplinary tap on the bottom, this was rage, pure anger. This thirty year old mother taking out her frustrations out on a little girl. The most haunting part is I remember crying for my mom to help me, but it was my mom that was hurting me. I remember being embarrassed as my twin brother sat on his mickey blanket crying, watching this scene unfold. I grieve for myself for that child that had no control, no one to love her, no way out. I cry for her confusion and for her pain. You poor little thing you were perfect and didn’t deserve that. Your not a bad kid, she was a bad mother.
The Toxic Culture of Olympic Gymnastics for Young Women
By: Anne Litwin
Tags: Olympics, Athletes, Sports, Abuse, Coaching

I have always been outraged by stories of sexual and emotional abuse of young women athletes. I remember how vulnerable I was as an adolescent to the power of authority figures such as teachers, bosses, and landlords. The stories of the more than five hundred victims of sexual abuse by the team doctor of the USA Gymnastics organization, Lawrence G. Nassar, revealed in 2017 when eighteen of his victims filed a federal lawsuit raise huge questions about how Nassar was able to continue this abuse for decades without consequences. The answer seems to lie in the culture of Olympic sports that protects abusers of young athletes and encourages a toxic culture of abuse.

Since Nassar’s conviction for sex crimes, other instances of abuse of young Olympic athletes have come to light against coaches who are mentally, physically, and verbally abusive to young female athletes. In a recent article by Juliet Macur in the New York Times, several gymnasts have filed complaints against Mary Wright, a coach who, much to the distress of her victims, was recently named to the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame. One complainant against Wright, Hailee Hoffman, explains that as a former Stanford gymnast she was subject to years of emotional, physical, and verbal abuse by Wright. Four other gymnasts have since come forward with complaints against Wright that include

Being publicly ridiculed by the coach

Being called stupid, lazy, and fat

Being forced to train while injured, including, in one case, with two broken ankles

Other verbal abuse including berating, threatening, demeaning, and insulting comments

Other coaches have also recently been exposed as abusive, such as Maggie Haney, Sabrina Picou, and Qi Han, all elite coaches of Olympic gymnasts. The philosophy of coaching reflected in these stories of abuse is grounded in the belief that coaches must have absolute power over their athletes and they must scare their young athletes into obedience. Macur cites Morinari Watanabe, the president of the International Gymnastics Federation, as saying this mentality of coaching is “an antiquated and dangerous way of coaching.” In fact, Macur notes that “some mental health experts say the recurring verbal abuse, including berating, ridiculing, threatening, demeaning and insulting, can be as harmful to young people as physical abuse or sexual abuse. It has also been linked to depression.”

Nonetheless, the USA Gymnastics organization and the International Gymnastics Federation continue to be very slow in following up on complaints, taking complaints of abuse seriously, and in changing the culture of coaching. It is unconscionable that young athletes continue to be subjected to this type of treatment. Let us keep our eyes open and support change in the culture of gymnastic sports.
When Should I Tell Someone That I’ve Been Abused?
Tags: Relationships Love Dating, Stand Up Comedy, Healing From Abuse, Abuse

Dating a new person is scary because you have to let someone get to know you all over again. The mortifying ordeal of being known is complicated more by traumatic personal history, and deciding when to talk about it with a partner can feel like a catch-22.

Doing it early on means highlighting how this history still affects us outside of a triggering environment. We can also quickly weed out those who are unwilling to accept “baggage” and do not see us as people worthy of care.

It can feel like we allow others to inform their perception of us by our past and their personal feelings about our experience. So, it can be enticing to wait forever for the perfect moment to bring it up. Once they already know you well and you are secure. But this can lead to feeling hurt or abandoned if they react poorly in a moment when you are triggered.

It is tempting to think, “what if I just never tell them?”. “What is the worst that could happen if I choose to keep this private instead of tackling the seemingly insurmountable task of disclosure?” Do we owe it to ourselves to be upfront with partners and avoid the possible hurt of getting close to someone and being let down, or is that being defined by our trauma instead of by who we are as someone who lives WITH trauma?

There is no perfect moment. You can have someone see you do a stand-up comedy set where you talk about being a CSA victim twenty times, and they will still be offended that you never brought it up in casual conversation.

All we can do is not allow other people to feel entitled to our past. Being upset that you talked about it too early because it’s “a lot to put on someone” or saying that you would have told them earlier if you trusted them is a selfish response. There is no right or wrong answer to the question of when to open up to someone; there are only people who will prove that they deserve your trust and, in turn, put their trust in you to do what feels right with your own life.
Christmas Gaslight
By: Sage Bohemian
Tags: Domestic Violence, Abuse, Memoir, Mental Health, Memories

I stood in the frigid darkness, white banks of snow piled behind me, looking across the plowed, black asphalt of North Service Road at The 403 as cars sped back-and-forth. Earbuds pressed into my chilly ears, I listened to Björk’s impassioned music, embracing the pain and sorrow riveting my heart — without fully acknowledging myself.

I wanted, needed love.

For whatever reason, I don’t remember the feeling of being cold, though I remember that I was. I remember the strange fondness of constantly being chilly in the office where I worked all day as a temporary data entry clerk, needing to bundle under sweaters to stay warm. I remember enjoying the company of the girls in the office, being admired by the rough-hewn men for my work ethic, skill, and speed. They all wanted me to stay; the supervisor worked with Corporate to hire me permanently.

Unlike the man I would return to at the end of every day, they appreciated everything I did.

And I returned to stand there, night-after-night, awaiting the bus that would take me back to my residence, unwilling to ask the questions I felt in tune with the blinding emotion of Björk’s lyrics:

Why don’t you love me, as they do?

If you could see me here, would you think so poorly of me?

You see? I’m not worthless. Why can’t you love me, too?

Looking back, my incredible sadness is so blatant that I cannot understand how I didn’t realize it, then. Outside, I was one with the terribly bitter, black nights; yet, I longed, every night, to return inside to work despite the uncomfortably cool temperature — and was afraid, every morning, that someone within would learn that I was as awful and useless as he encouraged me to feel I was.
Children Placed in Foster Care to Known Pedophiles for Over 30 Years
By: Luna Laz
Tags: True Crime, Crime, Abuse, History, Justice

Helmut Kentler was a famous psychologist and one of the most important representatives of sexual education in Germany. He was an advocate for emancipatory youth work, and he earned his recognition working as an expert on child and adolescent sexuality. He was the head of the department for social pedagogy and adult education at Pedagogical Centre Berlin. Later, he was promoted to the departmental director of the institution. He received his doctorate in 1975 with the dissertation Parents learn sexual education and after that became professor for social education at the University of Hannover, where he stayed till his retirement.

When his experiment started, he was publicly promoting the decriminalization of sex between adults and children. As mentioned before, he thought the sexual contact between adults and children was harmless. Kentler claimed that kids and teenagers were more damaged by the prosecutions of their abusers than by sexual abuse.

Kentler’s theory was based on the assumption that children are sexual beings who should express their sexuality. He was convicted that parents shouldn’t stand in the way of their children’s sexual desire, and they should introduce their children to sexuality. If they don’t, their children could be sexually underdeveloped.

In his thesis, Parents learn sexual education he warned the parents to not make the drama of forced sexual contact between adult and children: “The wrong thing to do now would be for parents to lose their nerve, panic and run straight to the police. If the adult had been considerate and tender, the child could even have enjoyed sexual contact with him.”

Kentler was an advocate for the non-discriminatory and equal relationship between adults and children and didn’t see it as forbidden. He wrote in his brochure Zeig mal! in 1974: “If such relationships are not discriminated against by the environment, then the more the older one feels responsible for the younger ones, the more positive consequences for personality development can be expected.”
When You Set A Boundary.
By: Lisa Martens
Tags: Relationships, Trauma, Anxiety, Abuse, Mental Health

When You Set A Boundary.

Photo by Fleur Brebels on Unsplash

First, you have to recognize that you are not a punching bag, a human sacrifice. You don’t have to retain your purity for someone else…or even subscribe to their idea of purity.

This is a very hard part. You might look in the mirror and see someone who isn’t worth saving. Who should be miserable. Who should quit bitching, quit complaining. You might look in the mirror and tell yourself that you’re weak, and that the things people said about you were true all along.

You might feel so tired.

You might think that because you did things for people, they now have to do things for you…and then you might be disappointed when they don’t.

You might be afraid to vocalize your expectations, because then you’ll be laughed at. You might be afraid to be vulnerable, because so many times…you tried and were exploited.
GASLIGHTING 101 — when someone wants to delete your story
By: H. K. Brann
Tags: Gaslighting, Healing, Manipulation, Abuse

Gaslighting is an abuse. It can have a long-term impact on your emotional and psychological well-being. It is a sick, hurtful, and disrespectful form of manipulation. Its aim is to erase the story of abused people or even change the way they perceive reality.

It may include:

· Trivialisation and simplification

· Denial and rejection of the version of abused person

· Avoidance of that topic or the abused person

· Explaining how it really happened

· Fake empathy and understanding

· Ridiculing the other person

… and also presenting them to other people as emotionally unstable, stupid, or incompetent to judge and acknowledge what has happened to them.

How does gaslighting affect you?

It can be one person or many people around you, who try to ensure that your story will be omitted. You can be shocked and hurt by how easy it is for them.

They will pretend it never happened. Or in some cases, that it happened differently as you remember. This can make you question your judgment. You may start to doubt your memories and your sense of reality. It´s a disgusting mind-game.

Because of that, you may fear to express your emotions, thoughts, or opinions. It may cause you to shut down from the world and the people around you. It may silence you.

The difference between your and their versions of what happened can make you question your sanity. Or even you can internalize their version and start to believe that you really are overreacting, stupid, silly, and unimportant person who deserve to be treated like that.

Even if you don´t, you may feel hurt, lonely, powerless, hopeless, and unloved. You may have feelings of guilt and simultaneously feel disappointed by people who so carelessly and willingly turn their backs on you.

What kind of person does gaslighting?

Everybody sometimes tells a lie, avoids some topic, or simplify something hurtful to another person. To talk about gaslighting, it must be repeated for a longer period of time. The abuser rarely truly cares about the other person.

And, as in other types of abuse, the abuser is a coward with insufficient mental capacity to solve problems better, wisely, and effectively. Abuse is never the best option.

How to heal after gaslighting?

The first step is to understand the way they treat you was an abuse. Give yourself the permission to feel what you need to feel, to think what you need to think, and make clear to yourself what actually happened to you. It is valid. Even if there is no one to listen, now.

Stop to retreat yourself. You are a valid beautiful person. You are worthy of love, respect, and trust. So stand for yourself and be clear about that. You deserve a lot better treatment.

So no more “what if…” You gave that person enough space for change. This is how it is. Your abuser will most likely never admit the truth. Not to you. Nor to them.

Built new better boundaries and move on.
Neurology of Abuse and Isolation
By: Destani Rakowski
Tags: Isolation, Domestic Violence, Abuse, Therapy, Neuroscience

Neurology of Abuse and Isolation

PSA Domestic Violence — Bing video

What Is Domestic Abuse?

Domestic abuse, also called “domestic violence” or “intimate partner violence”, can be defined as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure, or wound someone. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. It can occur within a range of relationships including couples who are married, living together ,dating and family relations. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels.

Domestic abuse is typically manifested as a pattern of abusive behavior toward an intimate partner in a dating or family relationship, where the abuser exerts power and control over the victim.

Domestic abuse can be mental, physical, economic or sexual in nature. Incidents are rarely isolated, and usually escalate in frequency and severity. Domestic abuse may culminate in serious physical injury or death.

Domestic violence is a highly complex dynamic that utilizes various forms of abuse to gain control and power over the individual the Power & Control wheel is then particularly helpful tool in understanding the overall pattern of abusive and violent behaviors. Very often, one or more violent incidents may be accompanied by an array of these other types of abuse. They are less easily identified, yet firmly establish a pattern of intimidation and control.
YouTube Animal Abusers — 0. Terry — 1
By: Terry L. Cooper
Tags: Success, Animal Rights, Animals, Abuse, Justice

Let me start out by saying that I can be one of two personas. The nicest person in the world, or the biggest bitch in the world. It all depends on how you come at me. If you’re cool, we’re cool. If you’re an ass?

I hope there is a god you believe in because you’re going to need all the prayers you can get.

I can not STAND abuse and bullying on any level. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stuck my nose in because I overheard or saw something going down (or getting ready to) and I’ve intervened. “Not on my watch.” is my personal mantra.

Don’t ask me how I happened upon this one particular YT channel. It features the sweetest little baby monkey I’ve ever seen. He has the most darling personality. He just loves everybody and loves to love on anyone who comes in the room. He really is a doll baby. However…

His owners are douchebags. They had three channels one for each money (they have two) and I’m not sure what their aim was supposed to be for the third channel. They dress the animals up in clothes, make them work for food like they're in a circus, have snatched them out of the forest as infants, starve them, beat them, chain them, and yes they’re dumb enough to video it all and post it.

Too bad for them I showed up.

I had been posting comments on every single video on both channels telling them that the stupidity needed to stop and what corrective action they needed to take. Nothing.

Then I began to encourage the viewers to click on the video, stop the video (no need to pay them for watch hours), and hit the flag button, and report their asses. Commenters swore up and down that they had, multiple times, but YT had never done anything about it.

I located two URLs for PETA. I posted both links on both channels in the most recently published videos. I went back a few videos (they post 9 per day on each channel for a total of 18 videos) and flagged one that was especially egregious. It made me sick to my stomach. This is from someone who worked the 9/11 disaster via FEMA. Even in my personal life, I’ve literally had people die at my feet. Literally. So can you imagine how awful this video had to be to make me physically ill? Exactly.

Since then I’ve been checking in to see what they’re up to and guess what?

-The offending video has been pulled.

-Their third channel has disappeared.

-No new videos have been posted on the other two channels in the last 24 hours.

Apparently, my flag and report worked. I take great pride in that. Don’t come for the elderly, the sick, children, or animals. If you do, don’t do it where I’ll catch wind of it. I will make it my mission to bring you down.

People’s exhibit A your honor.
Why Did You Stay?
By: Estrella Ramirez
Tags: Women, Self, Healing, Abuse, This Happened To Me

December has been a hard month, especially since 2017.

It marked the height of the abuse and trauma within my marriage.

It was also the fifth time I tried to leave my husband.

On average, it takes a victim seven times to leave before staying away for good.

It was three days after Christmas and started off much like any other day — until I got out of the shower. Wiping the fog from the mirror, my reflection stared back at me. A bruised reflection I could no longer ignore.

It wasn’t the first time he had harmed me in a physical way, but it was the first time the bruise was somewhere I could see constantly. I’d had black and blue marks on my legs and pain in my back that lessened but never truly went away. Glass shards in my feet from when he smashed everything breakable around me, making it impossible to get away unscathed.

But this time was different and impossible to escape.

Every time I changed my clothes, every time I showered, every time I looked in the mirror, I saw it. Six days later, still purple and red, was the reminder that this hadn’t been all in my head.

Every time he told me I was overacting — I wasn’t.

Every time he said he was sorry — he never really was.

Every time he told me it wouldn’t happen again — it did.
Glad you invested in Real Estate Trust! A great story
By: Dr. Preeti Singh
Tags: Real Estate

Doctorate in Finance, Professor, Author, Interested in education, nature, environment, culture, yoga! Top writer in poetry. preetisingh15@gmail.com
Zillow might never be the one stop real estate solution we thought they would be
By: Ashley Blackmore
Tags: Business, Real Estate, Tech, Realtor

Zillow spends countless of dollars trying to override the real estate agent business. From their Zestimates to their easy user interface they have broken ground in what use to be a one-on-one transaction between real estate agents and clients. At the beginning of 2020 it felt like they were on the brink of completely forging their way into our marketplaces, what changed?

This year, with so many things being moved into the online marketplace and we shut our doors to traveling and businesses throughout the country. Real estate agents in many towns across the country were still deemed essential and able to continue to work.

The dynamic customer services and the ability to still access homes gave real estate agents a competitive advantage and allowed us to video through our listings to potential buyers. This year real estate agents have shattered performance records, closed more deals across the country than anticipated, and have regained momentum in an industry moving towards discount brokerages.

This concierge service is something that can never be replaced by online giants, and sight unseen purchases will never be the sole form of buying or selling in the home market world. People may be okay with the first few times viewing a home through video, but they will always want to open the door with a real estate professional in the town they are purchasing. This should be a glimpse of hope to real estate agents who felt seriously threatened by distractions vs. disruptors in the real estate marketplace throughout the last few years.
Team Front Range Keller Williams | About Us
By: Team Front Range Keller Williams
Tags: Real Estate, Real Estate News, Real Estate Agent

The Team Front Range real estate agency has extensive knowledge of Colorado real estate. They work hard to help clients through the process of buying and selling their homes. We are proud to be a part of list assist for multiple new home builders within the Front Range and are one of the highest producing teams in the Keller Williams Denver Market.

Headquartered in Aurora, CO with an Erie office, we can provide extensive connections to help you find homes for sale from Southlands and Green Valley Ranch to Frederick and Firestone. In addition to expertise in new homes for sale, if you need a real estate agent to sell your home you need to call Team Front Range.



Team Front Range Keller Williams

2821 S Parker Rd 10th Floor, Tower 2

Aurora, CO 80014

720–201–7630

https://www.teamfrontrangerealty.com/

Kris Ceretto, Team Front Range Keller Williams North

Summit Way

Erie, CO 80516

(720) 939–0558

https://www.teamfrontrangerealty.com/

Find Us Here!

Team Front Range Keller Williams

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Beware of Mainstream Financial Advice
By: Building Arks With Jason Clendenen
Tags: Investing, Money, Life Lessons, Real Estate, Self Improvement

The Calculation

Let’s say you buy a modest $250,000 house in a decent neighborhood. You put down the standard 20%, or $50,000, that you saved up over time. You get a 30-year mortgage fixed at a low-interest rate (say 3%). What is your return on investment?

The principal plus interest will be $843.21 per month. On top of this, you have to pay property tax and insurance. This can vary substantially by location, but in Texas (where I’m from), you could be looking at an additional $521 per month for taxes and $104 per month for insurance.

Basic monthly payments:

$843.21 principal and interest

$521 property tax escrow

$104 insurance escrow

$1,468 total payment

Let’s say your house appreciates at 3% per year; the value after 20 years could be expected to be $450,000. Also, after making payments for 20 years, your mortgage balance would be $87,000. This makes your equity approximately $363,000. Not bad, right?

But don’t forget, we are calculating this as an investment. So let’s look at the rate of return:

Amount invested = $50,000 down payment

Yearly cost = $17,600 in payments

Equity owned after 20 years = $363,000

Rate of return = -1%

Negative 1%? Wait, how did that happened? My equity has grown from $50,000 to $363,000. I made a killing, right? The problem is the payments. Over 20 years, you paid $352,000 to the bank to gain that equity.

$50,000 down payment plus $353,000 is $403,000. So you’ve put over $400,000 into this “asset,” but you now only have $363,000 in equity. You destroyed your wealth during this time by “investing” in your residence.

Photo by Jp Valery from Burst

In this example, your house would have to appreciate at almost 3.5% per year for 20 years for you to break even, which may or may not happen — and that is just breaking even! Of course, not all costs of homeownership are included in the above calculation, such as utilities, maintenance, yard work, or selling costs that bring the rate of return down further and make it harder to turn a profit.

The following article gives an overview of how to do these calculations if you want to get more involved:
Dubai property prices slip again in Q3 as UAE forecasts 6% economic blow in 2020
Tags: Real Estate, Dubai, Valustrat

Residential real estate prices in Dubai continued to fall but at a slower pace during the third quarter of 2020 as a result of oversupply and subdued demand, according to the UAE’s Central Bank.

Also Read : Dubai Residential Capital Values November 2020

CBUAE said in its quarterly economic review for Q3 that average property prices dropped by 0.9 percent year-on-year, citing data from Dubai Land Department.

Meanwhile, rents in Dubai continued their downward trend, decreasing by 6.9 percent on an annual basis in the third quarter.

The implied rental yield in Dubai moved to 6.6 percent in the third quarter, up from 6.3 percent in the previous quarter.

The coronavirus pandemic has increased pressure on Dubai’s property market, which for years has seen supply outstrip demand for new houses and apartments.

The CBUAE report also cited date from the REIDIN house price index to show the average price in Abu Dhabi increased by 0.9 percent in Q3 compared to the previous quarter.

Although prices showed a quarterly improvement, this was not enough to offset the negative momentum in earlier quarters, leading to an annual decline of 5.5 percent.

Rents in Abu Dhabi declined by 3.9 percent on an annual basis in Q3, after a 4.9 percent drop in the previous quarter.

The decline in rents by 0.4 percent compared to the increase in sale prices resulted in declining rental yield to 7 percent in Q3 compared to 7.1 percent in the second quarter.

CBUAE’s report also said that economic activity in the UAE recovered partially in the third quarter, albeit the bounce back “remained fragile”.

CBUAE projected real total GDP growth for 2020 to be around -6 percent, with the real non-hydrocarbon GDP projected to decline by around 5 percent.

For 2021, CBUAE forecast real total GDP to grow by 2.5 percent and non-hydrocarbon real GDP by 3.6 percent.

However, it added that the economic projections include exceptional uncertainty amid Covid-19 repercussions and are therefore subject to revisions.

The report also said that most banking indicators improved during the third quarter supported by the enhanced Targeted Economic Support Scheme (TESS) extended by the CBUAE to banks.

Deposits increased on a yearly basis by 5.8 percent while credit increased by 4.9 percent.

Read next : UAE Real Estate Market First Half 2020 Review
Cleveland Home Selling Machine
By: Brett Young
Tags: Success, Real Estate Investments, Discount, Real Estate, Selling

How is our Flat Fee Listing different than most others? We handle everything and we get properties SOLD! Same Listing less MONEY!

Call Brett 216–703–5740 Real Brokerage or go to SoldYourHomeFast.com…Watch this video and see our recent results! Check us out!
Why younger real estate agents are dominating the marketplace.
By: Ashley Blackmore
Tags: Realtor, Buying A House, Business, Selling A Home, Real Estate

When I got into real estate in my early 20’s I am fairly certain everyone in my family and friend circle thought I was crazy. There was a lot of competition in my small town of 56,000 people and “everyone knew the successful realtors”. But, I had passion in my heart and hustle on my mind. Within just two short years I was ranked very high globally.

Not only in my market, but in others across the country there are plenty of expired listings that did not sell. These sellers are completely defeated and are sick of real estate agents that have no idea how to online market telling them their home did not sell because it’s overpriced. Granted, that sometimes can be the case.

The world of social media is handled the best through the younger generation. The older generation of downsizers may not fully understand the power of social media, or even how to use it, but they know it’s needed to be successful. They are absolutely correct.

I was able to take expired listings and put them on social media, virtually stage the vacant ones, provide professional photography and videography, and create a lifestyle around the home I was selling. The key was… online exposure. A millennial that has a strong work ethic holds in their hands the power and ability to reach way more people than a print ad, or open house.

We are seeing throughout the country younger real estate agents dominating market places. There is no secret here, the power lays in social media marketing and home sellers and buyers are changing the ways from the good ole days of sphere of influence.
There are no rules
By: The Chateau Telless Cade
Tags: Real Estate Investments, Commercial Real Estate, Investors, Daymond John, Real Estate

I’ve been reading a lot lately. A lot of the great movers and thinkers of the world of all races and creeds. People who have established generational legacies that will long outlive them after their deaths.

There’s one commonality I’ve noticed.

They all operate as if there are no rules. They don’t ask for permission. They ask for forgiveness.

It’s a simple concept but huge when applied to business.

Don Peebles is a black multimillionaire real estate developer. He didn’t come from money. Didn’t have any inheritances or rich uncles or assets. His mom was a realtor. In building his real estate empire never wavered or inquired as to why he shouldn’t do something. He just did it and anytime there were obstacles his hurdled them. He used what he had to achieve his goals regardless.

Daymond John was selling his hats on the corner in Harlem. He did what he had to do. Didn’t ever consider that he needed permission.

Act as if there are no rules.
An Excellent Approach On How, When And Where You Should Invest
By: Mark Podolsky
Tags: Passive Income, The Land Geek, Real Estate Investments, Financial Investments, Real Estate

Todd Tressider is no stranger to The Art of Passive Income. On this week’s episode, Mark and Scott welcome him for the third time to the show.

Todd Tressider is an investment and entrepreneurial expert who has founded Financial Mentor, a platform that is used to educate business owners and investors about the wealth-building principles he learned from years as an entrepreneur in the investment management industry. He is recognized as a serial entrepreneur, building many businesses and retiring at the age of thirty-five from his position as a Hedge Fund Investment Manager who is responsible for a twenty-plus million dollar portfolio.

Todd holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California at Davis where he was apart of the Economics Honors Society and Dean’s List. He has raised a net worth from less than zero at the age of twenty-three to a self-made millionaire twelve years later, using the same personal finance and investment strategies that he taught on his website. He is still an active investor who earns consistent investment returns in both up and down markets.

Listen in as they discuss:

How to, when to, and where to invest

How to develop a passive income

The conventional financial planning model

The lifestyle model

The cash flow based model

Conventional annuity and assets

Differentiating between effective and ineffective advice

And, more!

Todd also speaks of his book that outlines his three simple models one of which approaches the idea of how much money do you need to retire.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Mark: My tip of the week is become more and more educated, go to FinancialMentor.com. There is so much wisdom on that site.

Scott: Check out this link lingvanex.com, it’s a phone call translator basically, you can download this app, dial in, and literally have a phone conversation and they will convert your language to their language like you’re having a translator on the line.

Todd: Check out my website FinancialMentor.com, and in terms of the tip of the week: be weary; this is a bubble we are in right now with all these assets rising do not get caught up and just be prudent, do not be standing naked when the tight floats out.

Isn’t it time to create passive income so you can work where you want, when you want and with whomever you want?
What you need to know about the Cleveland Real Estate Market
By: Brett Young
Tags: Success, Property, Income, Real Estate, Investment

What you need to know about the Cleveland Real Estate Market Brett Young ·Dec 26, 2020

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS VIDEO

This Video shows you how the real estate market is performing December 2020. Look at the numbers that can effect your real estate decisions. Here is the link to the video I mentioned…..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjNKCSD3Aa4&t=1s

or Email me @ Call Me I’m Brett 216–703–5740 Real Brokerage by56083@gmail.com
With apps like Fundrise and Republic, more people than ever invest in real estate with smaller…
By: Brandon Roopnarain
Tags: Investing, Income, Passive Income Streams, Real Estate, Vacation

With apps like Fundrise and Republic, more people than ever invest in real estate with smaller amounts of capital
A Step By Step Guide to Make Money on Your Vacation
By: Tom Handy
Tags: Investing, Money, Life Lessons, Real Estate, Self Improvement

Make taxes work for you and not against you

“In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Benjamin Franklin

As Ben Franklin said, there are only two things that are certain in life. Since I knew taxes were a pain, I did my best to learn how the rich make taxes work for them and not against them. No matter what a politician says, taxes are not going away. They may go lower one year over another. In the end, you still have to pay the I.R.S. or tax agency their share.

One year, I read how billionaire Warren Buffett paid less in taxes than his secretary. For Buffett, he owns several businesses and makes his charitable donations. The business and donations allow him to write off his taxes.

Too many people think the rich are using loopholes but the loopholes are available to everyone including you. You just have to take the extra steps, educate yourself and work with smart tax advisors.

If you use a popular tax company such as H and R Block, you most likely won’t get the best tax advice. If you think you can save money by doing your own taxes, you also are not getting the best advice. You need to hire a knowledgeable person to handle your taxes especially if you own a business. They do this full time so they know what tax changes are implemented each year. Then there are better tax advisors compared to others, so make sure you do your due diligence finding someone who is knowledgable to help you.

When I attended a Kiyosaki event in Dallas years ago, I attended a tax seminar. The organizer talked about how to save money on your taxes. At the end of his presentation, I bought the $1,000 course he offered, and it has made me ten times the purchase of the course.

Each year, I have found deductions to lower my tax bill. One of the main reasons is because of my investment in real estate and as a business owner.
I Built A $240,000 Real Estate Asset Portfolio In 7 Years After Getting Married — And This is How I Did It
By: Dennis De Silva
Tags: Retirement, Money, Personal Development, Finance, Real Estate

I Built A $240,000 Real Estate Asset Portfolio In 7 Years After Getting Married — And This is How I Did It

Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash

My first real estate purchase was unplanned in 2012 — I was out looking for a rental space for my pregnant wife — and I had zero plans to buy a property at that time.

Committing to a big purchase was just too much for me to stomach after three years of tying the knot.

It is a dream to own a house — and you need to assess if it is something you are willing to keep up to avoid a potential fall-out.

For a middle-class income earner like me, we need to leverage a mortgage loan to acquire a property.

If you are starting in life — it is hard to put yourself out there and be soaking into a lot of commitment.

So I am sharing tips on how I did it — and it is possible even if you have a 9–5 workweek.