John Adams predicted that Independence Day would be a huge celebration for many generations to come. In a letter he wrote to his wife, Abigail Adams, he declared the day should be filled with games, sports, parades, and laughter.
Americans consume about 150 million hot dogs on July 4th. The Nathan’s Famous 4th of July hot dog eating contest began over a century ago, in 1916. The original contest was four immigrants competing to determine who was the most patriotic.
There are approximately 16,000 Independence Day fireworks displays taking place each holiday, and the custom dates back to 1777 – one year after the Declaration of Independence was signed. The costs? Americans spend over $1 billion on fireworks every 4th of July.
And, Did you Know about these items?
68% of home sellers who used a real estate agent found their agents through a referral by friends or family, and just 53% used the agent they previously worked with to buy or sell a home. Did you know that I can help your friends and family locate a perfectly suited, super-professional, skilled, ethical COMPASS agent almost anywhere in the US?
In the Great Recession of 2007-2010 - one of the worst housing market crashes in history with significantly lower lending standards and much higher inventory levels - property values fell 37% over a period of 6 years. But 5 years later, the housing market had returned to its pre-recession peak and continued on to increase 59% in value over the next 5 years.
In June, the Los Angeles city council last week unanimously approved returning a proposal to increase the transfer-tax rate on the sale of LA residential and commercial properties of $5 - $10 million to 4%, while those valued at $10 million or more would be charged a 5.5% rate, both up from the current 0.45% rate. The money would go toward new housing units and services like down-payment assistance and eviction prevention.
Vienna, Copenhagen, Zurich, Calgary, Vancouver, Geneva, Frankfurt, Toronto, Amsterdam, Osaka, and Melbourne are the most livable cities in the world. Included in their measurements are: quality of stability/crime, healthcare, culture, infrastructure, and education.
The Wall Street Journal reports that total U.S. home equity increased almost 20% in the first quarter to $27.8 trillion, a record high, according to the Federal Reserve. Taking out equity from your home is more expensive now with higher interest rates.
Dutch start-up Lightyear has created the first production ready electric car, the Lightyear 0, that can self-charge, using the power of the sun. In fact, the company claims that the car can go for months without being charged, thanks to its curved solar panels on its roof and a 60kWh battery pack. The Lightyear 0 has a 388 mile range, and 44 miles of that generates completely from solar.
Green hydrogen is a zero-emissions fuel; when produced through electrolysis, the only “emission” is water. It is a practical and implementable solution that, by democratizing energy, decarbonizing heavy industry, and creating jobs globally, would help revolutionize the way we power our planet.
Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash
