Archives 2018

If you are a big fan of athletic clothing then you’re probably familiar with the brand Lululemon. Lululemon is popular among many girls and women around the United States as stores are constantly popping up each and every year. To further their success, the brand has taken their in-store offerings and introduced them the world wide web. And boy, have they been successful.

According to Markets Insider, their e-commerce earnings gave them the boost they needed to beat their earnings for the fourth quarter of 2017. It’s also the reason analysts are extremely optimistic about the company’s prospects. Each year, the average United States consumer spends about $1,800 on e-commerce transactions.

Analysts projected the company to bring in $1.26 per share and $912.42 million in revenue. However, the retailer recently posted their earnings, which came out to $1.33 per share and a revenue of $928.80 million. Their e-commerce sales increased by 42% for the fourth quarter, which was already on top of the 12% increase from 2016. The company attributes their e-commerce boost largely to the relaunch of their website. The website was made to be easier for customers to shop on, and the appearance became more attractive. On Wednesday, March 28, the company saw a spike in their stock by 10%, just one day after releasing their earnings for 2017.

As a whole, the company plans to hit $4 billion in sales by 2020. This will include $1 billion from e-commerce, $1 billion from international sales, and $1 billion for men’s apparel sales. Many people, including some Wall Street analysts, believed this spike in their profit was bound to happen.

Wall Street analyst Credit Suisse’s Michael Binetti believes there are multiple reasons for the amp in sales. These reasons include the co-located men’s and women’s clothing stores, their continued e-commerce strength, and their increased capex investments. He has hopes for the company and raised his price target from $96 per share to $98. While many are optimistic, Jefferies analyst Randal Konik believes the company’s valuation is way too high. He placed a “hold” rating on Lululemon and made a price target of $82 per share.

The company plans to keep growing, so we will all just have to wait to see if they reach their goal.

Radon is a very dangerous radioactive gas. Colorless and odorless, it is a byproduct of the naturally occurring breakdown of uranium in rocks, soil, and water, so it is found all over the country. According to the Surgeon General, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today.

Radon does not get as much attention as carbon monoxide and asbestos, but it should. Norway-based tech company Airthings has picked up on that and created a device that tests for radon in real time. The Wave is a Wi-Fi enabled, battery powered indoor air quality monitor. It’s about the size of a smoke detector and is enabled with temperature, air pressure, humidity, volatile organic compounds, carbon dioxide, and radon detection sensors.

The hub connects to approximately 50 wireless devices found within a 300-foot range and features Ethernet, Bluetooth, and Airthings SmartLink connectivity. Its surface is pocked with small holes and features an LED ring light in the center that glows different colors to indicate the air quality. Its sensors are located near the bottom edge of the device.

The device comes with two AA batteries installed, so it’s ready to go once you pull the battery tab out. A voice from the device will tell you when it’s ready to be paired with your phone. Once it’s connected, you can mount the Wave to the wall just like a smoke detector and let it run. It takes about an hour to get your first radon reading.

Compared to standard short-term kits, there are advantages and pitfalls of the Wave. The device costs around $200, so it’s definitely not as economical. A typical radon-test kit costs $15 to $35, including the lab fees. Even at the higher end, you could test up to five rooms in your home for less than you could with the Wave, according to Tech Hive.

If you live in an area that is particularly prone to high radon levels, like mountainous areas, it may be a good idea to invest in the Wave to get updates on your air quality in real time. Otherwise, it may be smart to stick with a standard radon-test kit.

A private school in Arlington Texas is beginning to arm their administrators with firearms to help keep children in the school safe.

According to Fox 4 News, Pantego Christian Academy says they have had plans to arm their administrators with guns since before the shooting in Parkland, Florida. This plan came as a shock to many as teachers and private schools are not allowed to carry firearms on campus. However, teachers in public school districts are allowed to do so.

An estimated 87% of private schools in the United States have less than 300 students. However, Pantego Christian Academy has about 600 to 700 students. Fox News says the school has a campus in Mansfield and in Arlington. The president of the school, Dr. Jeff Potts, says he wants the public to be aware of the fact that at any given time, any of their administrators on their campuses may be carrying a concealed weapon. Potts alerted parents in February that this newly added security, known as the School Marshal Program, was in full effect. He spoke with Fox 4 News about the new security.

“We are arming select individuals who meet certain criteria. And they are administrative type people who are in close proximity to all of our classrooms,” Potts said. “It’s not Florida. It’s the culture today, and it’s something we felt led to do.”

Potts did say that any administrator who is walking around campus with a concealed weapon will be properly trained and undergo a psychiatric evaluation. He wants parents to know that the school is willing to do anything they can to help protect their students. Now, even though administrators will be carrying guns, teachers will not be allowed to do so. The school is going to follow the rules that state no teacher in a private school can carry a concealed weapon. They want to play by the rules while still making the extra safety efforts.

At this time, Potts says his school might be the only private school in North Texas to utilize the program.

In 2008, America was staring down the barrel of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The economy was in freefall. The subprime housing loan market bubble had burst with such ferocity that millions of families were affected, and many were left homeless, creditless, and without hope. Yet a mere 10 years later and the U.S. housing market is poised for a second consecutive record-breaking year, according to Boston Globe.

The recovery happened swiftly, and it just goes to show how resilient the real estate market is. Historically, growth in residential home values has outpaced both inflation and yearly wages, and at the end of 2017 they were 6% higher than the highest ever peak in 2006.

Why is the housing market so resilient? Ten years after the crash, let’s take a look back at what exactly happened in 2008 that brought it all tumbling down.

Construction Begins

Obviously, it costs a lot to build a new house. But where does the seemingly extreme cost come from? When we dig into this question we find some of the immediate expense, and what it doesn’t necessarily account for.

First, we need some raw materials. Some of these are renewable, some of them are not. In metal materials alone, the four most common in construction are aluminum, copper, carbon steel, and stainless steel. These need to be mined, fabricated, shipped and installed by contractors. Next, you have the wood, cement, and insulation. Plumbing and electricity follow, so ceramic, piping, wires, and circuitry are installed. In material alone, a house already becomes expensive.

Second, labor and machining costs are drastic. Digging the foundation of a new home, mixing and pouring cement, and framing all account for a significant chunk of change. But before all of this comes the less than efficient commissioning process. You, the interested real estate investor, want to build a residential home. You then employ a general contractor who in turn must go find an architect, engineer, laborers, landscapers, interior designers, and all the workers that are needed to build a house. The fact that they all work on a contract basis means the price stays high, and the level of organization often leaves something to be desired.

Because of all of these costs, the average price of building a new home in 2018 is $288,280. This is certainly one of the reasons why most real estate construction investments happen in the commercial sector. Yet no matter the cost or the risks, Americans are still building a lot of houses in 2018.

What happened in 2008?

Prices for homes crashed into oblivion while foreclosures happened left, right, and center. Currently, 0.5% (or one in 200) homes are foreclosed upon, and there are very strict state laws regarding giving the resident notice. In 2008, that number was one in every 54 homes. Why?

The abridged version is that banks were giving out adjustable rate mortgages like candy to people that could not afford them. Then, major financial institutions snapped up bundles of these junk loans. When the rates rose, people had no way of paying. This resulted in foreclosure, repossession, and sale at auction.

Except, no one could afford to buy the repossessed homes, causing the banks to also eat a huge loss. Bad news.

Today, though, the American residential housing market is alive and well. And even after the housing downturn, the U.S. construction market is the second-largest in the world, boasting a 210% market share. Mistakes were made, but real estate is in yet another period of growth. Though residential real estate might not be the best business investment, chances are if you buy a home today and can afford to pay for it, by the time you go to sell, it will be worth much more. At least, that’s what history would say.

Due to an overwhelming opioid crisis throughout the nation, people are looking for answers. There are many like Marine veteran Jeff Harris who simply do not want to take prescription painkillers. Harris was among one of the first to sign up when the Providence, Rhode Island VA hospital started offering acupuncture for chronic pain.

“I don’t like taking pain medication. I don’t like the way it makes me feel,” he said. Harris also didn’t want to risk getting addicted to heavy-duty prescription painkillers, as many do. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, roughly 11.5 million Americans from the ages 12 and up misused prescription pain medicine in 2016 alone.

For this reason, Americans are now using acupuncture more than ever before. According to government surveys, one in 67 United States adults say they get acupuncture treatment every year. This number is up from the last decade, where it sat at one in 91 adults. Even though insurance only covers about a quart of the costs, the numbers are still rising.

Emmeline Edwards from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, which is a federal research agency, says that the military recognizes the need for new pain management methods. Her agency is working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to spend $81 million on research projects. The agency aims to study the effectiveness of many other treatments for pain that do not rely on the use of drugs.

Insurance companies are starting to recognize this apparent issue, and coverage is now starting to expand. California, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Rhode Island pay for acupuncture through their Medicaid insurance programs, as long as the treatment is for pain. Massachusetts and Oregon also cover acupuncture as a treatment for substance abuse. Although some scientist question the effectiveness of acupuncture, many are desperate for another solution that does not involve addictive painkillers because they are afraid of the current opioid crisis and becoming another statistic.

If you live in an apartment, you’re probably familiar with the daily routine of turning your heat down just a little bit to help save you some money on your monthly bill. Heating is one of those things that can really add up if you’re not careful with how you use it.

While you have to be careful about how much heat you’re actually using, there are some alternatives out there to turning down your heat. The New York Times has compiled a list of different ways to keep your heating bill from skyrocketing.

Even though spring is on the horizon, it’s still cool enough outside where you feel the need to turn your heat up just a little bit to be comfortable. Instead of turning your heat up, the New York Times has some suggestions. First, they say that it’s very important to seal your windows and your doors. The smallest of crack in your window or door can actually let cool air in and hot air out. If you have the smallest draft, you’re still risking an extremely high heating bill. You can easily fix these issues by slipping a draft seal underneath the bottom of your door so that nothing can come in or out. You can also plug window cracks with clay rope caulking. These are super easy and inexpensive ways to keep costs low.

The New York Times also suggests putting down area rugs throughout your home. We’ve all experienced stepping on a cold floor after waking up first thing in the morning. It’s not a fun experience and can easily be prevented. Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to carpet your entire home, but a few rugs here and there will keep your feet warm and will actually add some insulation to your space. If you want to add extra insulation, put a rug pad underneath the rug!

While many people use space heaters to heat up an area, you can also use an air compressor. In fact, 80 to 90% of the electrical energy used by an air compressor is converted to heat.

Now, if you still do want to rely on your thermostat, make sure you only keep it on for a few hours at a time and keep it under 68 degrees. The Daily Evergreen suggests turning down the thermostat five degrees when you go to bed or when you plan on leaving your home for more than an hour at a time. It’s also important to make sure that you turn off your heat while you’re going on vacation. Forgetting to turn your heat off while you’re going to be gone for an extended period of time is a really easy mistake to make that will end up costing you a lot of money.

To save some money and to help keep yourself warm during the remainder of the colder season, take note of the steps above.

Along with the string of hurricanes in 2017 came flooding that just won’t seem to quit. The hurricanes may be over, but the flooding seems to be getting worse. This is not only a concern for homes that are in the water’s path, but it’s also a major issue for potential chemical spills.

The New York Times says that when the hurricanes left, the climate started to warm up. Because of this, there was a toxic spill in Baytown, Texas. Waters ended up flooding a chemical plant and released lye. A Florida fertilizer plant and an Ohio refinery saw the same kind of situation. The fear of this happening again is instilled in the minds of many.

At this point, any chemical plant near waterways in the impacted areas are at risk. A Climate Science Special Report says that flooding and climate change are going to get worse as the months go on. The heavy rainfall that many areas are experiencing is going to make the situation a lot worse.

The Times says that the location of these plants is due to a time when it was the easiest to transport goods to and from a certain area via a waterway. During that time, the flooding wasn’t much of a concern or a risk, so it didn’t stop anyone from building so close to the water.

Jeanne Herb, an environmental policy expert at Rutgers University, spoke to the Times regarding the rising water levels.

“Waterfronts are changing as a result of sea level rise,” she said. “More often than not, these are facilities are on the water for a reason. So how do we make sure that there are protections in place? That’s the big question.”

Back in 2015, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that required planners of buildings that were federally funded, roadways, and other infrastructure to make sure they built with flooding and rising water levels in mind. This would ensure that anything like a chemical plant would be protected against the dangers. However, when President Donald Trump took office, he rescinded the rules.

Every year, about 16,000 chemical spills are due to material transfers via trucks, tanks, and trains. However, this shouldn’t be the only concern. At this point, any companies looking to build in the near future need to be aware of potential risks and do what they can to take preventative measures.

Ah, winter. The holidays are fun and all, but in many parts of the country, dealing with freezing temperatures, snow, and ice gets old fast. This time of year often brings the need for home repairs to the forefront, like furnace issues, frozen pipes, and poor insulation. And then, of course, there’s your roof.

To put it plainly, a lack of roof maintenance can turn into a major issue once the snow starts to fall. A tiny bit of fluffy snow won’t hurt your home, but even half a foot of wet snow could cause damage. Six inches of wet snow is equal, in terms of weight, to 38 inches of dry snow. Letting the white stuff build up can lead to water leaks under your shingles, ice dams, or even roof collapse.

While roof collapse is certainly the most serious problem, ice dams can be disastrous, too. When snow melts and refreezes, it has no place to go — and that’s when ice dams form. Because ice dam formations can actually lead to both water leakage and eventual roof collapse, it’s key that these issues be removed before any long-term damage occurs.

Your best bet for snow and ice removal is to hire a professional. It’s a lot safer and you won’t risk damaging your home in the process. While professional snow removal doesn’t come cheap, many homeowners find it’s worth it. You still need to be careful when hiring professionals, though. The construction industry eliminated more than 40% of its workforce between 2006 and 2011, an action that impacted contractors, roofers, and other professionals. While good roofers may be easier to come by these days, there may be bad ones looking to take advantage. More demand means more opportunities. In Pennsylvania, there have been reports that some contractors are working illegally without state registration. This means there’s no guarantee that these roofers have insurance or are even qualified to do the job. And that leads homeowners vulnerable not only to financial fraud but to safety risks. To avoid this from happening to you, you should always check your contractor’s ratings on the Better Business Bureau website, ask for proof of insurance, and do a bit of Googling to look for bad reviews.

If you’re determined to DIY, there are some affordable options. Roof rakes cost anywhere from $30 to $50 a pop and can help remove heavy snow pile-ups. However, use them with caution; with very heavy snowfall, you could be removing a substantial amount of snow and may not know where it’ll land on your property. RoofMelt tablets can help, too. Just toss some on your roof and wait for the ice to melt. However, experts caution that homeowners should refrain from getting on their roofs themselves to remove the ice and snow, and that they should never put salt on the roof to melt the ice.

Overall, if you spot any cracks in your walls, spot a lot of ice buildup on your roofs or in your gutters, or are simply dealing with the aftermath of a big storm (typically, more than six inches of snow), call in the professionals. Saving a few bucks isn’t worth putting your safety or your home’s structural integrity at risk.

We are all familiar with driving under the influence. This commonly refers to driving after drinking or driving after consuming drugs. However, a new law in the State of Washington will now cost you for driving under the influence of something completely different.

The new law called driving under the influence of electronics, or E-DUI bans cell phone use or the use of another electronic device while a person is driving, at a stoplight, or stopped in traffic. The law went into effect back on July 23, 2017. Since the law came into play, 6475 distracted driver warnings have been issued across the state.

KOMO says until now, drivers have just been issued a warning. But, now if you’re caught using an electronic device while behind the wheel, you will be issued a ticket. While a normal DUI conviction can cost $20,000 or more, your first E-DUI ticket will cost the driver $136. if a driver is taking it again within five years of their first offense, the fine will go up to $234. In addition to the fines, all information regarding using electronic devices behind the wheels will be made available to insurance companies.

According to KEPR, hands-free devices will be restricted to a single touch. Washington State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste spoke with KOMO regarding driving while using devices.

“When you drive distracted, you are putting both yourself and other drivers in danger,” he said.”By eliminating distractions while driving, we will move closer to reaching the statewide Target Zero goal of no fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.”

Distracted driving fatalities increase to 32% from the years 2014 to 2015. This only applies to Washington State. Other types of distracted driving are also covered under this law. For example, say a driver runs a red light and a police officer is nearby to witness the action. If they run the light and did so due to things like putting on makeup or brushing their teeth while driving, they will be subject to a ticket. This ticket could set them back $99.

IndieDwell, a company based in Boise, Idaho, is repurposing abandoned shipping containers as homes for the eccentric consumer.

Since steel shipping containers typically have a 25-year lifespan when being used to transport goods, they are the perfect pre-packaged shell for affordable housing. Or that’s what IndieDwell CEO Scott Flynn believes.

“We want to change people’s perceptions,” U.S, News reports Flynn saying about the container’s aesthetic. “They have one idea of what it looks like, and we want to show them the reality is something different.”

The company currently has their sights set on building 60 homes each year and eventually graduating to 2,000 if, as they optimistically believe, the idea catches on.

These containers are not the only old shipment technology that’s getting a tune-up. An old steam engine locomotive will be coming home to Topeka, Kansas where it will be restored.

The Coalition for Sustainable Rail is raising funds to bring this old train home, assess the status of its engine which was built in 1937, and ultimately make the necessary repairs.

Topeka residents are excited, and consider the train a part of their history.

“I’m excited to keep it in Topeka,” U.S. News reports president of CSR, Davidson Ward saying . “It has some significant history with that town. It ran to Topeka many times during its career.”

Today, trains are largely used for commercial transportation of goods, as opposed to public transportation.

Rather ironically, one of the three most valuable items trains regularly transport is the automobile. The other two are electronics and machinery.

Like long-haul truckers, freight trains also need to be weighed for theft prevention assurances. Due to how railways are designed, however, weigh in motion systems are used, so the train does not need to stop for any reason.

Load cells are used in freight weigh stations and on railways, and they typically can measure the weight within a .03-1% margin of error. A number of other metrics are used to capture true weight for weigh in motion systems in addition to these.

The train coming home to Topeka has no need for these bells and whistles, except for the bell and whistle used to signal everybody to climb aboard.

As shipping and freight technology continues to advance, old locomotives could become a distant memory of the past. Or, as Flynn is doing with his shipment containers, they could take on a new life by being repurposed as something completely different.

The plan, for now, is to teach children and history buffs about the train, according to Bette Allen, President of Great Overland Station in Topeka.

“It’ll be exciting,” she said, imagining the sight of happy children learning about the train, “Just to stand up next to those wheels is something.”