The Largest Landlord in the US


Armstrong Economics Blog/Real Estate Re-Posted May 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Anyone familiar with the housing market conditions post-pandemic knows that cash buyers and institutions consistently outbid the average buyer. I know a realtor who has spoken primarily to consultants working on behalf of companies, and they’re willing to purchase properties over-market on a consistent basis. They know they can buy these properties and rent them out for a fraction of what they paid because they have the liquidity to do so. Currently, BlackRock is the largest landlord in America, with over $120 billion in residential real estate.

BlackRock has invested significantly in mortgage securities since the pandemic. The company insists that they are not purchasing single-family homes, meaning they’re not flipping homes to resell. “Our focus is on building single-family rental housing that can be managed and operated similar to multifamily properties with dedicated property management, leasing and amenities,” the company’s website states. “Additionally, BlackRock invests in multifamily properties, apartment complexes, and other residential real estate.”

The goal is to own as much land as possible so that the people can become perpetual renters. BlackRock also is part of the World Economic Forum and promises “sustainability” and “ESG integration,” and is a member of GRESB (formerly the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark). GRESB is the global standard for providing and acquiring real estate and infrastructure in a sustainable way.

BlackRock noted that “displacement” from the pandemic and other economic downturns will provide a great investment opportunity. “In the near-term, we expect dislocation and opportunity, yet there is greater dispersion between markets and sectors with logistics of storage, high-quality residential, and data centers having emerged as clear winners, while hotel, retail, and student housing will likely face a longer road to recovery.” They’ve been on top of the downturn in real estate since the beginning. This is not limited to the US as they have investments and branches worldwide.

BlackRock is one of many institutions purchasing land and real estate at a rapid pace. Invitation Homes, a BlackRock investor, owns over 80,000 single-family rentals in the US alone. Again, the goal is to profit off of rental income. This is another reason inventory is at a historic low and will remain tight since most institutions do not plan to sell the real estate they have acquired.

US City to Roll Out Guaranteed Basic Income


Armstrong Economics Blog/USA Current Events Re-Posted May 10, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The “Rise Up Cambridge: Cash Payments for Families with Kids” will provide low-income households with a monthly check for $500 to test guaranteed basic income. Those eligible are families with children who earn under 250% of the federal poverty level ($75K for a family of four). The 18-month program will not be based on a lottery like other guaranteed basic income rollouts, and anyone eligible may apply. The city has allotted $22 million for the initiative and expects around 2,000 families to apply.

The money to fund the program will primarily come from the American Rescue Plan, distributing our Federal tax dollars to others, and some independent donors will pitch in too. This program is only eligible for people with children under 21 and will not make a noticeable dent in the homeless population, nor will it help the elderly who live alone. That said, families with children already receive the most in Federal funds and if they’re living in high-cost Cambridge, chances are they’re receiving income elsewhere. The cost of living in Cambridge is 73% higher than the national average. The median rental price is around $4,277 per month, and the median home price is over $1.4 million.

“We want to stabilize as many households as possible and make sure that they have a chance to continue to stay in our city that, you know, is not easy to stay in,” Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui stated. A $500 payment in a high-cost city will never financially stabilize families. Instead, it will increase inflation and bypasses the middle class. Unlike traditional welfare programs, those eligible will receive direct deposit payments that they may spend as they see fit.

The American Rescue plan was not marketed as a guaranteed basic income initiative. Siddiqui is buying votes with Federal funds. The city is pricing out the middle class by providing handouts to those who cannot afford to live in an expensive city. Free money becomes like a drug and the people become hooked on receiving that monthly direct deposit. But, as with all drug, they will become dependent and will need more and more as the cost of living increases. This will only incentivize people to not work and vote for politicians who promise handouts at the expense of responsible taxpayers.

Powell on Bank Acquisitions


Armstrong Economics Blog/Banking Crisis Re-Posted May 9, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

After the FOMC decision, Jerome Powell stated during his Q&A that the Federal Reserve does not have a plan to consolidate banks. “I personally felt that having small, medium, and large were a great part of our banking system,” Powell stated, noting that they all serve different customers. Powell said it could have been a good outcome had one of the regional banks bought failed First Republic instead of JPMorgan Chase. However, the chairman noted that the FDIC mandates that banks be acquired using the least costly resolution option.

The FDIC says it does not give preference to bidders. How can a bank qualify? According to the FDIC website: “Bid lists are created for each acquisition opportunity based on potential acquirer’s qualifications and interests and characteristics of the failing bank such as capital ratios, regulatory ratings, assets and core deposits as reported on the most recent Call Report and geographic location of the bank. Each bid list is developed using several criteria sets to identify approved potential bidders for an acquisition opportunity, while considering factors that match likely approved bidders to an acquisition opportunity.”

Due to the recent banking failures, the FDIC has also created guidelines specifically for failed bank acquisitions:

“The FDIC markets troubled institutions to healthy insured depository institutions. The FDIC is statutorily required to resolve failed institutions using the least costly resolution option minimizing losses to the Deposit Insurance Fund. The FDIC's primary objective is to maintain financial system stability and public confidence. Returning assets to the private sector in an orderly manner at the best price is another key objective. The FDIC also tries to reduce the impact on the community.

Recapitalization before failure is the preferred method to resolve open troubled financial institutions. FDIC markets institutions in case a failing institution is not able to resolve its issues on its own. If an insured depository institution is unable to resolve its issues, the FDIC will implement its resolution process by which qualified bidders may seek to acquire the assets and assume the liabilities of the failing institution.”

Obviously, smaller banks will not have the ability to compete. All banks are struggling with liquidity issues, and mid-sized institutions will likely be unable to offer the “least costly resolution option.” Ideally, they want failing banks to be attained prior to failure, and only large institutions can provide that cushion. Nothing in the FDIC guidelines at the time of this writing currently limits what a large institution could acquire. The computer states that we will see more banking failures across the globe. Based on these guidelines in the US, it is reasonable to assume that large banks like JPMorgan Chase will benefit from future acquisitions and continue to grow. It is unclear whether banking monopolies are permitted under the 1890 Sherman Antitrust Act, but it remains to be seen what alternatives the system will have as more banks go under.

CBDC – The Real Target


Armstrong Economics Blog/Central Banks Re-Posted May 8, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

A lot of people somehow think that the move to Digital Currency is a completely new monetary system, It is targeted to eliminate cash transactions so everything is taxable and nothing can be hidden from our overlords. If we look at commerce in the United States during 2022, 82% of all transactions were digital – Debit cards (20 percent), credit cards (30 percent), and digital wallets 32 percent. That was e-commerce.

They are hunting down what they believe is 30% of all commerce and cash and lick their lips at the thought of having their hand in your pocket. Make no mistake about it. They know major upheaval threatens their power. Like Trudeau seizing accounts of anyone who donated to the Truckers, that is the agenda. Control all transactions and turn off anyone who they see as a threat.

The Insanity of Bitcoin & CBDC


Armstrong Economics Blog/Cryptocurrency Re-Posted May 8, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Just about every Bitcoin advocate says you are wrong and Bitcoin cannot be stopped. Yet, it seems they are dreaming. Here in Europe, we are already restrained by the maximum cash transaction is €1000. Do you maintain that cryptocurrency will be outlawed or seized?

HT

ANSWER: Yes. Here is  Lagarde on digital currency. She states this object is “control” everything you do. Europe is a Marxist Paradise. Everyone is an economic slave and whatever they earn belongs to the state – not them. The state will decide how much you are allowed to keep. I really do not understand these Bitcoin people. They put out all of these theories as if Bitcoin is the savior. These people are out to control EVERYTHING. Do you really think they will allow any cryptocurrency to survive?

I don’t think these people read the memo. Government is broke. They will default on all their debts. And the new monetary system they are planning is total control. LaGarde says they are “considered” no controls on 300-400 euros. “CONSIDERING” means as it stands now, there is 100% proposed control – period! They will be able to restrict what you are allowed to spend money on or even donate if donations will even be allowed.

These people would NEVER be hedge fund managers. The first question you must ask yourself is: What if I am wrong?

They have made up their mind, refuse to consider any other scenario, and in the process, they will have a very rude awakening. We are entering a period of COMPLETE TOTALITARIANISM as we move toward 2032. Governments are losing control in this Private Wave and they then fight back to survive like a cornered animal that will fight to the death.

That is the agenda! What do they not understand? They will impose capital controls. They always do. That will mean that they will have no intention of allowing people to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. They will most likely do that as well when it comes to gold.

The entire purpose of the CBDC is to impose COMPLETE capital controls. So how will you buy and sell anything that they deem to be a threat to their totalitarian world? That is what is coming. All the fools who voted for Biden and will again deserve the world these people are creating. They intend to make RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. In the process, the right to vote will vanish.

Trump won in 2016 and John Kerry called it “populism” not Democracy. They WILL terminate our right to vote in the years ahead because it will no longer be defined as democracy – but populism, which is any movement against the establishment.

Schwab is telling you that Democracy will be terminated. Pay attention. Listen carefully to the report by the FT and how the election of Trump scared the hell out of career politicians. They will never allow Trump to win in 2024. They will assassinate him if there is no other way. The propaganda was that the 2020 vote was real- that was a joke. The Deep State was not going to let Trump win and they control the vote counts.

FED NOW Launch July 2023


Armstrong Economics Blog/USD $ Re-Posted May 7, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION #1: why no information on CBDC. Need help fast. Feds are suppose to call in the dollar in July.
HELP
mk

COMMENT #1: This whole thing reminds me of the movie The Omen and we will be accepting the number of the beast and without it we will not be allowed to buy or sell. I don’t know about a person being the infamous anti-Christ, but it sure looks like the government is trying hard to fulfill that role.

SC

ANSWER: The FedNow is the system that will be for CBDC and the elimination of all paper money. However, they will not cancel the dollars in July – not just yet. This is why they are rushing 5G before testing to see if the radiation is harmful. This is all about total control and 100% tax collection. They will be able to turn off the ability to buy and sell categories as well as individuals.

I will do a private post on the timing for the end of paper money. That is coming. It is part of their authoritarianism into 2032.

As for the governments of the world being the anti-Christ, who knows? Perhaps they saw that movie and said that’s a great idea! The “eternal sea” has always been used to refer to politics. This is certainly justification for term limits. Once career politicians were created, that ended any hope of an honest government. Those who are not crooks, look down on us as the scum – hence hiring 87,000 IRS agents with guns.

As far as the number everyone knows the “666” of the anti-Christ, but strikingly, most do not know the number of the name the Jews gave to God – “Jehovah.” If we use the old Hebrew system we can find the number of God. Yod =10 , He = 5, and Vau = 6. Therefore, the name of God in Hebrew – He Vau He Yod equals 5 + 6 + 5 + 10 = 26. The number of the name assigned to God by the Jews is 26. Perhaps they should apply this system to entities rather than individuals.

I have been often asked by students of history that the list from which I derived the Economic Confidence Model was 224 years divided by 26 events yielding 8.6153846 which was a derivative of Pi, and was it based on this calculation of 26? It was not. There just so happened to be 26 events in that 224 period. Beyond that, who knows?

5.6.23: CPAC Hungary MSG, Fall of the CROWN, EPSTEIN, TUCKER, Title 42 PRAY!


By And We Know Posted originally on Rumble Streamed on: May 6, 1:42 pm EDT

The Great Reset King


Armstrong Economics Blog/Tyranny Re-Posted May 5, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

“There is a golden opportunity to seize something good from this crisis…global crises know no borders, and highlight how interdependent we are as one people sharing one planet,” the former Prince of Wales said during a World Economic Forum summit in January 2021. Ironic for the king of England to speak on an opportunity to “seize something.” This man has no idea what it means to live the life of a commoner and has riches beyond imagination, but he is asking US to sacrifice for THEM.

Charles has been one of the highest-profile global proponents for protecting the planet in recent decades, from writing books and making speeches about nature to working with business to mobilise private finance to combat global warming,” the WEF wrote on its website in September 2022. Charles spoke about “entire new markets based on sustainability” at the WEF meeting in 2020, and asked private industries to begin thinking about how they will transition to net zero emissions. “Sustainable” to these people means using fewer fossil fuels. Incredible how a man whose monarchy exudes opulence and luxury would tell the people to consume less.

The video above is from the WEF’s Davos meeting in 2020. “We have the ability to tag, track, and trace the supply chain in unprecedented ways,” the king commented. That means they also have the ability to tag, track, and trace you. “We cannot expect consumers to make sustainable choices,” he continued.

In 2019, the UK agreed to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The elites began encouraging the people to consume less by traveling less often, eating less, and consuming less. The U.K.’s Climate Change Committee demanded that people eat 20% less meat by 2030, and then drop that down by an additional 15% over the next 20 years. They even discussed the possibility of carbon pricing to tax the people for existing. The people would be forced to pay for the losses businesses incurred after developing green initiatives.

The WEF has bought nearly everyone in a position of power. Do you think King Charles really cares about green initiatives, the environment, or the people in general? He would not last a day in the life of a commoner. Do you think the coronation this weekend will be sustainable by any means? The Great Reset is all about relinquishing all power to those at the very 

Russia Did NOT Destroy Nord Stream


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted May 4, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Intelligence agencies backed by the mainstream media are still trying to blame Russia for the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines. A new BBC report claims that Russian ships and submarines were present when the blasts occurred. These “ghost ships” allegedly had their transmitters turned off, but they were not clever enough to encode their radio communications. The report admits that there is no conclusive evidence to pin the destruction on Moscow, but they’re seeking to create evidence.

Russia had no motive to destroy the pipeline that provided energy to the majority of Europe. The pipeline was Russia’s biggest tool of leverage, and they had the power to turn off the gas flow without destroying the entire thing. There is no possibility that Russia would have destroyed its biggest bargaining chip. There is a possibility, however, that Europe would have caved and continued purchasing Russian energy. Neocons like National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Victoria Nuland, the Undersecretary of State for Policy, and Secretary of State Tony Blinken openly stated that they did not approve of the pipelines and wanted them gone.

“If Russia invades, that means tanks and troops crossing the border of Ukraine again, then there will be, there will be no longer a Nord Stream 2,” Biden stated in February 2022 during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. “I promise you, we will be able to do it.”

It comes as no coincidence that politicians began thanking America after the explosions. Radek Sikorski, Poland’s former minister of national defense and EU Parliament member, posted an image on Twitter of the leak with the caption, “Thank you, USA.”

 Seymour Hersch won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the My Lai massacre in Vietnam and reported on the Nord Stream sabotage in detail.

“Last June, the Navy divers, operating under the cover of a widely publicized mid-summer NATO exercise known as BALTOPS 22, planted the remotely triggered explosives that, three months later, destroyed three of the four Nord Stream pipelines, according to a source with direct knowledge of the operational planning.

Two of the pipelines, which were known collectively as Nord Stream 1, had been providing Germany and much of Western Europe with cheap Russian natural gas for more than a decade. A second pair of pipelines, called Nord Stream 2, had been built but were not yet operational. Now, with Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian border and the bloodiest war in Europe since 1945 looming, President Joseph Biden saw the pipelines as a vehicle for Vladimir Putin to weaponize natural gas for his political and territorial ambitions.”

Furthermore, this tactic has been used in the past! In January 1982, Ronald Regan and the CIA planned to destroy the Soviet Union’s economy by using the technology available at the time to create a massive explosion. The US wanted to block Europe from importing Soviet Western gas amid the Cold War and was willing to take extreme measures. Thomas C. Reed, a former Air Force secretary who served in the National Security Council, wrote a book entitled “At the Abyss: An Insider’s History of the Cold War.”

“In order to disrupt the Soviet gas supply, its hard currency earnings from the West, and the internal Russian economy, the pipeline software that was to run the pumps, turbines, and valves was programmed to go haywire, after a decent interval, to reset pump speeds and valve settings to produce pressures far beyond those acceptable to pipeline joints and welds,” Reed writes. According to the Washington Post, Reed later commented that it was the “most monumental non-nuclear explosion and fire ever seen from space.”

The destruction of Nord Stream was an unauthorized act of war by the US, with the help of its Western alliance. Intelligence agencies are still attempting to pin the blame on Russia as a false flag, but their claims are invalid.