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“Bob and I wanted to take a minute to thank you for all the help you gave us on our recent condo purchase in Delray Beach. We firm-ly believe that if it wasn't for all your help we never would have been able to purchase this property for the price we did. It was because of all your hard work that we were suc-cessful. Again, we want to thank you Veronica for everything you did to help us."

- Judy & Bob Dodd

In This Issue

Relocation Service

Barcelona Culinary

Capital

Social Media

Etiquette….should we

care?

National Association

of Realtors report.

Globalisation….what

does the world think

today?

Relocation…..worth getting assistance for that perfect fit?

Relocation Service So you’ve decided to relocate due to work, family, or just a sea-

change……but do you really know everything you need to make the right

choice? Our lifestyle and needs, are the most important considerations

when looking for a new home, so finding the home that ticks all the boxes

is only the start. Parks, schools, transport, gyms, shops, eating establish-

ments, are all part of the equation. Buying a home is one of the largest

financial transactions you can make. Making the right choice is certainly

worth considering very carefully, as making the wrong choice can end up

costing thousands of dollars, in either unplanned renovation, or loss in

having to sell prematurely. Aside from sorting out your finance options,

considering neighborhoods, demographics, sales history, taxes etc., are

all major concerns. Most people simply find the task of relocating a major

upheaval if things don’t go smoothly in finding the perfect fit. So why not

get expert assistance? It costs you nothing, but can save you thousands!

A relocation expert knows the answers you need to make this most im-

portant investment. In addition, a professional realtor works for you, to

negotiate the best option available in your price range. They also have

many contacts that are valuable to you, in connection with professional

and trade services you will need.

First things to consider with relocating. Do I have a solid grasp of the areas I’m looking in?

Do I know where the best deals are?

How do I find the answers I’m looking for?

PROJECT PEGASUS INTERNATIONAL Newsletter Dec / Jan 2017 Issue

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Barcelona Culinary Capital Barcelona is renowned as a city of great art and architecture, as well as great food. Blessed with amazing coastline, moderate climate and moun-tains it has everything to choose from. A bustling cruise port poised on the Mediterranean Sea, this amazing city - Gothic and Modernist - is world famous for it’s striking art and home to artists like Picasso, and the de-signer of magnificent buildings that adorn the city, the great architect An-tonio Gaudi. There are fascinating museums to be discovered in its laby-rinth of medieval streets. It is considered Spain’s most interesting city par-ticularly popular with “foodies” and aspiring gourmets. This elegant and exuberant cosmopolitan city boasts an array of creative restaurants, many with Michelin stars, along with innovative tapas bars and stylish wine-bars. The cuisine of Barcelona (and greater Catalonia, or Catalunya as it is known in Catalan) is wholeheartedly Mediterranean, with an emphasis on fish, olive oil, wine, and fresh produce…..the Mediterranean Diet which has long been championed as the healthiest in the world, provides the basics for some of the tastiest concoctions.

For many years now Barcelona has been considered a city of creativity and propelled onto the world culinary scene as a serious hotspot of inno-vative gastronomy. Exciting chefs, Michelin starred restaurants, creative caterers and artisan products are increasingly well-known abroad and highly respected. The art of design, that is so present in Barcelona, car-ries over into the innovative cuisine, and imaginative tapas are a work of art. With a wealth of fine restaurants where food is science and chefs like Ferran Adrià, and Jordi Cruz bring new heights to culinary artistry, it’s not hard to see why Barcelona is a foodie’s “Mecca” for those that appreciate creative cuisine. While for the more conservative, there are just as many new options to try, and also superb classic establishments serving the more traditional dishes. As if that was not enough, it is also home to one of the world's best food markets, the Boqueria, not forgetting the impres-sive Mercat de Santa Caterina.

Whatever your scene you will find it in modern and vibrant Barcelona, the city has everything from pulsating trendy night clubs, to culture and histo-ry you can immerse yourself in.

Social Media Etiquette….should we care?

Social media can be a great tool for business or to keep up with friend-ships. However it can also be a source for drama and contention if we don’t use it wisely. Not to mention a time stealer. Here is Forbes magazine 12 point list to consider before pressing that post button.

1. Should I target a specific audi-ence with this message?

2. Will anyone really care about this content besides me?

3. Will I offend anyone with this content? If so who and do I care?

4. Is this appropriate for a social portal, or would it best be commu-nicated another way?

5. How many times have I al-ready posted something today? Is it excessive?

6. Did I spell check?

7. Will I be okay with absolutely anyone seeing this?

8. Is this post too vague? Will everyone understand what I’m say-ing?

9. Am I using this as an emotion-al dumping ground?

10. Am I using too many abbrevia-tions in this post and sounding like a teenager?

11. Is this reactive communication or is it well thought-out?

12. Is this really something I want

to share, or is it just me venting?

Michelin Star Barcelona Chef Jordi Cruz

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FHA Mortgage Insurance Reduction.

Lower costs are coming for homebuyers seeking a Federal Housing Admin-istration -insured mort-gage.

FHA announced Jan 9, that they are cutting annu-al premiums for mortgage insurance from 0.85 per-cent to 0.60 percent, a move the National Associ-ation of Realtors® said breathes new life into the program.

“FHA mortgage products exist to serve an important mission: providing home-ownership opportunities to creditworthy borrowers who are overlooked by conventional lenders,” said NAR President Wil-liam E. Brown, a Realtor® from Alamo, California and founder of Investment Properties. “The high cost of mortgage insurance has unfortunately put those opportunities out of reach for many young, first-time- and lower-income borrowers. Now, we have a real opportunity to get back on track.”

FHA mortgages are im-portant for low- and mod-erate-income buyers in particular because a lower down payment is required than with many conven-tional mortgage options. Buyers with lower credit scores may find more fa-vorable treatment with an FHA loan than a conven-tional product as well. “HUD and FHA leaders are to be commended for recognizing the need we have before us,” Brown said. “Our work continues, but we’re encouraged by today’s announcement.”

More Pending Home Sales Finally Cross The Finishing Line

National Association of Realtors WASHINGTON (January 30, 2017) — Pending home sales picked up in De-cember as solid increases in the South and West offset weakening activity in the Northeast and Midwest, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, increased 1.6 percent to 109.0 in December from 107.3 in November. With last month's uptick in activity, the index is now 0.3 percent above last De-cember (108.7). Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says contract activity was mixed through-out the country in December but ultimately ended on a high note to close out 2016. "Pending sales rebounded last month as enough buyers fended off rising mortgage rates and alarmingly low inventory levels

1 to sign a contract," he said.

"The main storyline in the early months of 2017 will be if supply can meaning-fully increase to keep price growth at a moderate enough level for households to absorb higher borrowing costs. Sales will struggle to build on last year's strong pace if inventory conditions don't improve." According to Yun, a large portion of overall supply right now is at the upper end of the market. This is evident by looking at December data on the year-over-year change in single-family sales by price range. Last month, sales were up around 10 percent compared to December 2015 for homes sold at or above $250,000, while homes sold between $100,000 and $250,000 only increased 2.3 percent. Meanwhile, sales of homes under $100,000 were down 11.6 per-cent compared to a year ago.

"The dismal number of listings in the affordable price range is squeezing pro-spective first-time buyers the most," said Yun. "As a result, young households are missing out on the wealth gains most homeowners have accrued from the 41 percent cumulative rise in existing home prices since 2011."Existing-home sales are forecast to be around 5.54 million this year, an increase of 1.7 per-cent from 2016, which was the best year of sales since 2006. The national me-dian existing-home price in 2017 is expected to increase around 4 percent. In 2016, existing sales increased 3.8 percent and prices rose 5.2 percent. Yun expects housing starts – which for another year undershot overall demand – to jump to around 1.26 million units, an increase of 7.9 percent from 2016 (1.16 million).

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Globalisation…...what does the world think today? The term refers to the increasing integration of economies around the world, particularly through the movement of goods, services, and capital across borders. Sometimes also refers to the movement of people (labor) and knowledge (technology) across international borders. There are also broader cultural, political, and environmental dimensions of globalisation. Globalisation has also enabled increased levels of investment. It has made it easier for countries to attract short term and long term investment. Invest-ment by multinational companies can play a big role in improving the econo-mies of developing countries. It has also increased competition by foreign firms in developed countries, but many also oppose the idea of foreigners buying indigenous companies. Some are concerned that free movement of labour can cause excess pressure on housing and social services in some countries. However, others are also quick to point out, that the resources developed out of human interchange of ideas in the labour force, has far out-weighed the social concerns. Few can argue against the benefits of in-creased and expanded technological advances made possible by globalisa-tion. Most Asians do not see a problem. Asian attitudes towards culture and immi-gration are nuanced: the Philippines, Vietnam and India are overwhelmingly positive about the impact of immigration on society, but are at the same time skeptical of the benefits of multiculturalism. Many respondents from these countries tend to believe that “globalisation has mostly benefited the wealthy.” There is also concern that unchecked globalisation has contributed to the success of terrorism, largely based on its power of communication, transpor-tation, intelligence and finance, something that social media has played a huge role in. In his 1989 essay, “The End of History?” Francis Fukuyama, a political theorist, argued that the great intellectual debate about liberalism had ended, and that all countries would gravitate towards liberal democracy. Although he may still one day turn out to be right, given the current world climate of unrest due to difference in ideology, he may have to wait a while for his vision to become reality.

Globalisation - Much to Consider ProjectPegasusInternational.com

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