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Gran Colombia Gold Announces TSX Approval of Normal Course Issuer Bids for Its 2018 and 2020 Debentures; Provides Mid-Year Production Update and Q2 2016 Results Webcast Details July 19, 2016 TORONTO, ON --(Marketwired - July 19, 2016) - Gran Colombia Gold Corp. (TSX: GCM)(OTC PINK: TPRFF) announced today that it has received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") to commence normal course issuer bids for its Senior Unsecured Convertible Debentures due 2018 (the "2018 Debentures") and its Senior Secured Convertible Debentures due 2020 (the "2020 Debentures" and together the "Debentures"). The 2018 Debentures and 2020 Debentures currently trade on the TSX under the trading symbols GCM.DB.U and GCM.DB.V, respectively. Under the terms of the bids the Company will have the right to purchase for cancellation up to a maximum of US$6,633,471 aggregate principal amount of 2018 Debentures and a maximum of US$9,629,597 aggregate principal amount of 2020 Debentures through the facilities of the TSX or alternative Canadian trading systems. This amount represents approximately 10% of the public float of the 2018 Debentures and 2020 Debentures, respectively, issued and outstanding as of July 11, 2016, determined in accordance with the applicable rules of the TSX. As of the date hereof, the aggregate principal amount issued and outstanding 2018 Debentures is US$63,742,176 and 2020 Debentures is US$103,294,350. Management of the Company will determine the actual number of 2018 Debentures and 2020 Debentures that may be purchased and the timing of any such purchases, subject to compliance with applicable TSX rules. Daily purchases will be limited to US$17,154 principal amount of 2018 Debentures and US$12,279 principal amount of 2020 Debentures, other than block purchase exceptions. Purchases made pursuant to the bids will be made on the open market through the facilities of the TSX or other designated exchanges and published markets in Canada, and the price that the Company will pay for any such Debentures will be the market price at the time of the acquisition. The Company will not purchase Debentures when the market price per US$100 aggregate principal amount of Debentures exceeds US$100. The Company is proposing to commence the bid on July 21, 2016, and have it remain open until the earlier of July 20, 2017 or the date on which the Company has purchased the maximum number of Debentures permitted under each bid. The Company has not purchased any 2018 Debentures or 2020 Debentures during the previous 12 months. Under the terms of the indenture governing each of the Debentures, and as further described in such documents, the Company is required to set aside certain amounts of its excess free cash for repayment, repurchase or redemption of the Debentures. In accordance with each indenture, the Company is entitled and intends to use such funds for purchases of Debentures through the normal course issuer bids. The Company intends to make the bids because it believes: (i) that the 2018 Debentures and 2020 Debentures may be undervalued from time to time in relation to its current and future business prospects; (ii) that the purchase of Debentures though the bids is the best use of any excess free cash accumulated as per the terms of the indentures governing each of the Debentures and (iii) that Debentures may become available during the period of the bids at prices that would make the purchase of Debentures for cancellation an appropriate use of available funds and in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders. Production Update The Company also announced today that it produced a total of 38,229 ounces of gold in the second quarter of 2016, up 21% from the first quarter of this year and up 34% from the second quarter a year ago. This brings the total production for the first half of 2016 to 69,718 ounces of gold, up 33% over the first half of 2015. The Company remains on track with its production guidance for 2016 of a total of 120,000 to 138,000 ounces for the full year. > http://www.grancolombiagold.com/news-and-investors/press-releases/press-release-details/2016/Gran-Colombia-Gold-Announces-TSX-Approval-of-Normal-Course-Issuer-Bids-for-Its-2018-and-2020-Debentures-Provides-Mid-Year-Production-Update-and-Q2-2016-Results-Webcast-Details/default.aspx Prod.: Total- : Segovia: Other : Qtr.1 : 31,489: 25,999 : April : 12,053 : May- : 13,141 : 11,023 : 02,118 : 5mos : 56,682 : 46,976 : 09,706 : June-: 13,035 : 10,907 : 02,128 : 6mos : 69,717 : 57,883 : 11,834 : Qtr.2 : 38,229: 31,884 : 06,345 : Vs.Q1 +21.4%: +22.6% :

An AIM-listed company, with a large deposit of polyhalite material - for fertilizer UK:SXX / Sirius Minerals PLC (LSS) ... All : 3-yrs : 2-yrs : 6-mos / 10d : Last 22.34P Sirius Minerals, a publically listed company on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market, aims to be a world leading producer of multi-nutrient fertilizers. Our area of interest contains the largest, highest grade resource of polyhalite to be found anywhere in the world. Results confirmed that our area of interest contains a polyhalite resource of 2.66 billion metric tonnes, as defined according to the internationally recognised JORC code. This is just 7% of the Project area of interest and provides an asset excess of 100 years. Within the resource area, there is a JORC compliant Probable Mineral Reserve of 280 million tonnes of polyhalite. == > http://siriusminerals.com/our-project/the-deposit/ "Sirius Minerals is “closer than ever” to fulfilling its aspirations of building a world class mine in North Yorkshire, after it secured the final major approval for the project and its infrastructure. The AIM market favourite confirmed today that the UK government had given approval for harbour facilities on Teesside necessary for exporting the mine’s valuable polyhalite products (which will eventually be used is speciality fertilisers). Seemingly with lots to look forward to, Sirius chief executive Chris Fraser said: "Our team is currently actively engaged in the financing phase of the Project and I look forward to providing further updates in due course.” (by email - 7/21/2016 )

Victorious Trump seeks to heal party wounds(Jul 21, 2016)

Homes slump 'bottoms out' Dominique Nguy Jul 21, 2016 Morgan Stanley and Citibank believe the Hong Kong property market has bottomed out, forecasting that home prices will rise by 5-8 percent in the second half of this year due to low interest rates and the release of "suppressed demand." A report by Morgan Stanley said as the worry of an interest rate hike lessens and the unemployment rate remains at a relatively low level, it is predicted that the "suppressed demand" for flats may help lift the home price. The bank forecasts home prices going up by 5 percent in the second half. . . . Buggle Lau Ka-fai, chief analyst at Midland Realty, said the limited supply of local super-luxury flats will spur an increase in prices. Meanwhile in the primary market, Sino Land (0083) offloaded 22 flats of its new project in Sai Kung, Park Mediterranean, in the first hour of sales yesterday. Hang Seng Bank (0011) head of retail banking and wealth management Margaret Kwan Wing-han said there were only an average of 2,000 new mortgages per month in the first quarter, but there had been an average of around 6,000 per month in the second quarter. ==== MORE : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=171818 Sure. Why not. Property stocks bottomed some time ago, and are well off their lows. I bought HK-10 too soon last year at $26, and then saw a 25% drop all the way down to $19.46. But HK-10 is now back above $26, and my position is in profit, with $50,000+ in dividends collected. But I am lightening up now, since I do not expect this (temporary?) rally to last, and expect lower lows in the months and years to come - given the supply that is coming.

Homes slump 'bottoms out' Dominique Nguy Jul 21, 2016 Morgan Stanley and Citibank believe the Hong Kong property market has bottomed out, forecasting that home prices will rise by 5-8 percent in the second half of this year due to low interest rates and the release of "suppressed demand." A report by Morgan Stanley said as the worry of an interest rate hike lessens and the unemployment rate remains at a relatively low level, it is predicted that the "suppressed demand" for flats may help lift the home price. The bank forecasts home prices going up by 5 percent in the second half. . . . Buggle Lau Ka-fai, chief analyst at Midland Realty, said the limited supply of local super-luxury flats will spur an increase in prices. Meanwhile in the primary market, Sino Land (0083) offloaded 22 flats of its new project in Sai Kung, Park Mediterranean, in the first hour of sales yesterday. Hang Seng Bank (0011) head of retail banking and wealth management Margaret Kwan Wing-han said there were only an average of 2,000 new mortgages per month in the first quarter, but there had been an average of around 6,000 per month in the second quarter. ==== MORE : http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=171818 Sure. Why not. Property stocks bottomed some time ago, and are well off their lows. I bought HK-10 too soon last year at $26, and then saw a 25% drop all the way down to $19.46. But HK-10 is now back above $26, and my position is in profit, with $50,000+ in dividends collected. But I am lightening up now, since I do not expect this (temporary?) rally to last, and expect lower lows in the months and years to come - given the supply that is coming.

Unleash H3ll !? Hillary tried to stir up trouble in her recent statements at NAACP Ben Shapiro: The RNC opens, Hillary Clinton lies to the NAACP ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDxSCKSxr50

Diamond and Silk : "We are not afraid... we never had death threats" Diamond & Silk: Black Americans Are Jumping Off The Democrat Plantation Onto The Trump Train "We don;t need an Obama Phone. We can buy our own phones." "They are used to being handed the crumbs"

Hillary H3LL : A taste of things to come? "Hillary is the secretary of the status quo" ... as she aims to mind-control the country into supporting her ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE AT REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION: FLAG BURNING - FLAG BURNERS - SCARY George Soros is one of the largest donors to the Clinton Campaign He is also a big donor the Black Lives Matter. Many believe he is encouraging violence to push his agenda - a big part of that, would be to elect Hillary as President

Donald Jr has some real talent as a speaker I wonder if he will follow his father's example and become a politician FULL SPEECH: Donald Trump Jr. - AMERICA GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE! Republican National Convention Published on Jul 19, 2016 The Trump family could not avoid plagiarism chatter for the second straight day. Internet talk about the possibility of new stolen lines surfaced shortly after Donald Trump Jr. spoke at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. A "Daily Show" tweet showed similarities between sentences in Trump's speech and those in an article written by George Mason University law professor F.H. Buckley for The American Conservative outlet. But what appeared to be Buckley's Twitter account quickly responded, writing "except it wasn't stealing." He told Vox that he was the principal speechwriter for Trump Jr., adding "it's not an issue." == > http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/20/the-plagiarism-that-wasnt-donald-trump-jrs-speech-sparks-confusion.html

CLEVELAND : Buy Foreclosed Home for $1,000. Sell for $70,000. Repeat In 2014, a couple of Cleveland nonprofits teamed up with two for-profit partners and launched an experiment in urban renewal. Called the Slavic Village Recovery Project, the group started out with $450,000 from the two private-sector partners, Cleveland-based developer Forest City Enterprises and Community Blight Solutions, which sells a system to help secure vacant properties using polycarbonate sheets and polyethylene clamping. It started buying abandoned homes, fixing them up, and selling them for a small profit. The idea is to plow the sales revenue back into more neighborhood homes and—with a little luck—into neighborhoods across the beleaguered city. The group buys homes, often for less than $1,000, from the Cuyahoga Land Bank, a nonprofit that acquires homes through tax foreclosures or in bulk purchases from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage-finance giants. Then it does a basic renovation, making sure the plumbing and electrical systems work and putting a fresh polish on hardwood floors “The key is not how high can we sell homes, it’s about how efficiently can we do the rehab,” said Jeff Kipp, director of neighborhood marketing at Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, one of the nonprofit developers involved in the project. The group has sold 34 homes, with an additional 20 currently under renovation. Recently the homes have been selling for about $70,000, a modest amount that Kipp views as an achievement. Because there were very few transactions in Slavic Village after the housing bust, it can be hard to sell buyers on the neighborhood, and it's hard for buyers to convince banks to make mortgage loans. Ultimately, Kipp said, the group hopes to fix and flip about 500 homes and then try to export the model elsewhere. In Cleveland, plenty of neighborhoods could use the boost. The city’s median home price peaked at $85,900 in March 2006. By the next summer, Cleveland had four entries among the 21 U.S. zip codes with the most foreclosure filings. Slavic Village was first. In May, a full seven years into the nation’s economic recovery, the city’s median home price was $51,200. Even that figure, the second-lowest among the 150 largest U.S. cities, fails to convey the desperate condition of the local housing market, which includes thousands of homes that are effectively worthless—foreclosed, abandoned, and slated for demolition. From a strictly economic standpoint, many homes aren’t worth saving. Some are factory-built abodes constructed as short-term housing for local mill workers; they weren’t built to last a century. Others have been vacant for too long to fix up, or are in neighborhoods that would be better off starting from scratch. The county land bank has acquired 6,400 properties over the past seven years, said Bill Whitney, its chief operating officer. It has demolished 4,300 of them. Jeremy Grove, 26, a teacher at a public high school in downtown Cleveland, was lured to the neighborhood by affordable housing and a sense of community. He and his wife, Heather, a massage therapist, closed on a three-bedroom home recently rehabilitated by the program. The couple were attracted to the home’s old woodwork and modern amenities, and about 30 families from their church live in the neighborhood. A monthly mortgage payment of less than $500 didn’t hurt. “We plan on raising a family here,” Jeremy said. == > MORE: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-19/the-cleveland-play-buy-foreclosed-home-for-1-000-sell-for-70-000-repeat

maybe every potential First lady (including Bill) should be required to deliver the same speech Melania Trump Plagiarizes Michelle Obama’s Speech Yeah. It is funny BUT: + Neither of them wrote their own speeches + Most of these exact words have been used before by other potential First Ladies + English is the 12th or 17th language that Melania speaks - I like her better than the transgender individual in the White House - she looks the good and loyal spouse, while Michele looks like.... (enough said. Trump's friend, Joan Rivers said it better) I THINK: Every potential First Lady/First Man should be forced to deliver THE SAME speech. then we would see how inauthentic those same words would sound coming from Bill Clinton. The world would gag ! (here's a woman with Trump DNA): Tiffany Trump's Triumphant Debut in Support of Her Dad We expect a lot from Ivanka - but this is the younger daughter, from #2 wife. Her very first speech

WILL FOREIGN BUYERS SAVE Makati / BGC from a downturn? / 1 / D.O. The bearish case rests on a number of facts and assumptions... === Let's focus on ... SUPPLY is baked in the cake. And this shows us we may now be at the cliff's edge It is very very likely the projects under construction will get built. Sure, there may be some delays of months, even a year or two on some projects. But I think we can anticipate that 90%-100% of the projects which are scheduled for completion in the next 2-3 years will get built eventually. So what does that mean? Look carefully at the numbers, of flats coming: At Q4, 2015 Location: End2014/2015F: SUPPLY / 2016-F : +% : End S- / 2017F : + Pct. : End S- / 2018F / 2019F ======= Makati -- :: 18,337 / 1,000: 19,337 / 4,148: +21.5%: 23,485 / 2,962: +12.6%: 26,447 / 1,072 / 0,598 B.G.C. -- :: 19,427 / 2,779: 22,206 / 6,931: +31.2%: 29,137 / 4,125: +14.2%: 33,262 / 2,831 / 2,482 These are massive, massive increases. Can you contemplate what a jump of 36-50% in just two years means?. / 2 / E.C.B. I don't worry about the huge supply increases. There simply aren't enough life boats. Let's assume that there are 1pct relatively wealthy people in the developed world, - on 1 billion people that might be something like 10Million (people) USD millionaires+ in those countries. Only 2K are needed in my opinion to put a floor under the market, so that is only 0,0002pct of the wealthy people in the world. This thing could overheat very quickly. They don't need jobs -- they are wealthy enough ... there are many titanics now and very few good life boats. Even the stupid Chinese in Vancouver won't be safe as Canada also legislated bail in laws. If they bail you in, or they do a 30pct wealth tax on all your assets, you will lose far more than the 10pct value decline in high end PH real estate. Which is why i believe they will eventually move to the PH, because all those taxes are going to eat them alive. And if they are so stupid to do a wealth tax, then it is very likely they'll do it again, as the old people and the 1pct in the government are the true tax in the developed world. The biggest tax savings for the 1pct wealthy is to move to the PH. There is your demand. / 3 / D. O. So if I summarize your argument, it is this: the huge jump in supply does not matter because it will be absorbed by wealthy foreign buyers - because the Philippines is a wonderful, cheap safe haven - and it will appeal to wealthy foreign buyers, like the Chinese who have been buying aggressively in places like Vancouver. . . . + Chinese do not see Manila in the same way as Vancouver. Many have family ties in Canada, or have been educated there. They see Canada as a Western safe haven, but not the Philippines. / 4 / E.C.B. In my model we need only 0,0002 pct of the entire developed world's 1pct wealthy, and there are even other regions which look very appealing like Asean and India, which also have a strong interest in PH real estate. So the potential demand is huge. I don't know the exact details but PH has the largest overseas Chinese population I believe so there are clearly strong ties between the two powers. And most of your billionainers are etchnical Chinese, right? I guess that the CHina-PH link is much stronger than the China-Canada link. Let forget about the "stupid" Chinese who choose Vancouver as their destination or the Singaporeans who choose London as their buying place -- WOW that drop in the exchange value of CAD and GBP must have hurt them, but let's focus on the Japanese, the Americans, the Europeans, the Aseans, and each of them has a valid interest in buying today instead of tomorrow. Japan doesn't like a strong currency and is in perpetual QE... As for the USA, there is a second wave of buying vacation homes which starts at age 55 and peaks at age 65, so the birthrate peaked in 1961 in USA so it means that this wave is about to start right now.... As for the Europeans, -- I believe few Europeans will have the guts to buy in P - the same cycle only starts a few years later... As for the Singaporeans, I can see most PH projects are launched there, and congratulations for those courageous investors who invested a few years earlier in PH, because Singapore's real estate is trending down almost for 2 years now, and the buyer/dyer model indicates serios trouble. The only thing that could bring in more buyers would be to allow for immigration... As for the other Asean countries like Malaysia/Indonesia/even Thailand, I can only see that the PH currency is becoming much stronger against most of those currencies which really indicates sustained capital and investment flows into PH... / 5 / D.O. EVEN IF this was 100% accurate, and indicative of the strength of Foreign interest, Foreign buyers can only acquire up to 40% of the condos in a project. My information (from someone who knows Ayala well) is that their foreign buying is running something like 30% of their projects. So this alone, is not going to make the SUPPLY issue go away, is it? / 6 / E.C.B. ...in the case of an older foreigner and a somehow younger Filipina, I guess it is better estate planning that the Filipina assumes full ownership because in the case of death of her husband, estate taxes will be due, and older people usually do not care too much about money, -- but it might be very well possible that another 10 to 15pct of that building is indeed also fully foreigner financed but filipino titled due to better estate planning. Or the "rich" foreigner can always give the condo as a present to his finance. And I am convinced that many arrangements exist in that fashion that look like it is Filipino financed & owned, but in reality is still foreigner financed and occupied. So we're easily 55-60pct foreigner occupied/financed on most buildings in the prime locations... / 7 / D.O. Here's the thing - unless those foreign buyers LIVE IN the flats, or HOLD THEM EMPTY - the Supply will still weigh on the market, when they rent them out - this will add to Vacancies, and help to drive Rents lower. In my own experience (in Hong Kong) I have seen that it is primarily mainland Chinese buyers who hold empty flats. They use them like stores of wealth... My overall guess is that foreign buying with absorb maybe 1/3 of the flats for sale, and only one-half of those will be lived in by foreigners, or left empty. What foreigners will take out of the market is only 50% of 1/3, or maybe 16-17%. So let me adjust the raw figures show a jump of 36-50% in just two years: Let's assume Foreigners take 17% of the news supply. Then, At Q4, 2015 - here's the 83%: Location: End2014/2015F: SUPPLY/ 2016F/ 2017F/ 2016-2017 Makati - : : 18,337 / 1,000 : 19,337 / 3,443 / 2,458 / 5,901: + 30.5% in two years B.G.C. -- :: 19,427 / 2,779 : 22,206 / 5,753 / 3,424 / 9,177: + 41.3% ========= The Supply "problem" is still very large, and very real, at +30-41% in just two years. And remember, the foreign buyers will sell at some point in the future, pushing up the future supply of flats. . . . BTW, I am not in a state pf panic, and I will soon say why. Buy I wanted to first explore the supply problem is some detail. > EXCERPTS - from SSC discussion

Is Hillary Just "Obama Reheated" ? Sebastian Gorka “I’m really very disturbed about how we have people who say they are conservatives, or Republicans, or simply on the Right, and say now they’re going to campaign or vote for Hillary Clinton,” Gorka declared. “Let’s just boil it down to the bare essentials,” he continued. “I’ve met Mr. Trump on more than one occasion. I’ve talked to him about national security issues, and I am disturbed by his lack of background on these issues. Yes, he is a black hole at the moment.” He noted that as a businessman, there was no reason Trump would dwell on “the difference between Sunni and Shia, and really, you know, what you should be doing with North Korea or Russia.” There is time for Trump to master these issues, while Clinton has an appalling track record that cannot be excused by a lifelong focus on private-sector endeavors. “Compare that to his other competitor. Compare him to Hillary,” Gorka urged. “This is a woman who’s responsible for Libya, for Benghazi. This is a woman who should simply recuse herself from running for public office, or working in the government, because of her email server scandal. This is a person who could be blackmailed tomorrow.” Gorka said it was “absolutely clear” that Clinton’s illicit, insecure email server was vulnerable to foreign intelligence agencies, and that Clinton faced a “slam-dunk” indictment on at least twenty “felony charges” – absent political intervention, of course. . . . . . . Gorka also made the point that Clinton’s philosophy, bent even further to the Left by her primary challenge from Bernie Sanders, would make her “completely a third Obama term” as Commander-in-Chief. “She’s actually said on the campaign trail, ‘I refuse to use the phrase radical Islam,’” he noted. “That’s just Obama reheated. == > MORE: http://thegorkabriefing.com/the-political-scene/

TRUMP may name (or hint at) his cabinet at the Convention, says Roger Stone Roger Stone: Prediction For Cleveland GOP Convention, CFT Rally | (7.17.16) Damage control ? Here's Why Anti-Trump Karl Rove Came to RNC

... a Reuters report concerning the potential for Eurokali and Belaruskali getting together again to market their potash production. This along with the recent rise in corn, soybean and palm oil prices, at the very least, gives much optimism regarding fertilizer prices in general and potash specifically. Business | Mon Jul 11, 2016 Related: BUSINESS, DEALS New Uralkali shareholder wants to restore Russia-Belarus potash allianceMINSK | BY ANDREI MAKHOVSKY The logo of Russian potash producer Uralkali is pictured at the company's stand during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2016 (SPIEF 2016) in St. Petersburg, Russia, June 16, 2016. REUTERS/SERGEI KARPUKHIN/FILES The Belarussian businessman who last week acquired a 20 percent stake in Russian potash producer Uralkali said on Monday it would be in everyone's interest to restore an alliance between Uralkali and Belarus, the world's two biggest potash miners. Uralkali and the Belarussian Potash Company (BPC) used to cooperate with each other, helping to manage supplies and underpin prices. This arrangement broke down in 2013, triggering a fall in world potash prices. Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov's Onexim Group sold its 20 percent stake in Uralkali to Belarusian businessman Dmitri Lobyak last week. Speaking by phone to Reuters, Lobyak said "Everyone has a desire (to restore the alliance between Uralkali and BPC). This would be in everyone's interest." The share deal does not automatically mean the alliance is back on, because Lobyak does not control BPC, which is state-owned, and he has only a minority stake in Uralkali. In June, Belarus agreed to sell potash to India at the lowest price in a decade and about a third less than last year's level as global supplies of the crop nutrient exceed demand. At the time, Uralkali said that the price offered by Minsk was too low, while the managing director of Indian Potash Limited, the country's biggest importer, said he expected other potash miners to offer decade-low price after that deal. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said last month that his country might cooperate with Uralkali again.

Hillary's speech in Cincinnati - This woman is sca-ary ! (starts at about 15 minutes) Outnumbered 7/18/16 Full: Melania Trump, GOP Convention, Hillary Clinton Speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yttxw3WqyVs She wants to hold police accountable... and national guidelines on use of force. (Does she understand the real problem?) Maria agrees about the danger of Hillary We NEED Trump! Hillary is Scary! Sunday Morning Futures w/ Maria Bartiromo 7/17/16 Full https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pOmQFBKFzk

RUDY sick and tired of the defamation of Trump: "This is a good and decent man" Rudy Giuliani PISSED OFF! Passionate Speech at RNC 7/18/16 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8sGx5qn21s "What happened to (Obama's) there is no black America, there is no white America, there is only one America" "The only one who could not figure out it was an Islamic extremist attack... was Barack Obama"

The Hamptons Housing Market Is Getting Clobbered / 1 / Home sales in the Hamptons, a second-home hub for financiers, New York’s famed families, and actual famous people alike, has fallen to its lowest level in three years, as concerns over global markets in the first quarter of 2016 kept buyers at bay. The market was hit by a swift one-two punch at the start of the year: a slowdown in China and anemic oil prices caused the S&P 500 to suffer its weakest start to a year since 2009, and Wall Street bonuses—a major source of funding for high-end home purchases—took a blow, too. Hedge funds were coming off a dismal year and continued to bleed well into the first quarter, while lay-offs in the banking sector have continued apace. http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/04/hamptons-housing-market-wall-street / 2 / According to realtor Town & Country Real Estate, total sales volume in East Hampton fell 53% from a year ago to $44.7 million as the median sale price fell 54% to $2.38 million. In fact, a drop this steep has not been observed since the financial crisis. In Southampton, total sales fell 48% from the second quarter of 2015 to $45.3 million, with the median sale price falling 21 percent to $1.65 million, data showed. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-18/hamptons-housing-market-has-crashed-luxury-home-sales-drop-half-prices-plunge

Goodbye to the BUSH CRIME family? US election: Anti-Trump floor vote fails at convention BBC News-5 hours ago Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told ABC News "the Republican party has been awfully good to the Bushes and they're showing ... The O'Reilly Factor 7/18/16 | Donald Trump interview & Republican National Convention, Never Trumphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FwiVJr9iR8 Published on Jul 18, 2016The O'Reilly Factor 7/18/16 | Donald Trump interview & Republican National Convention, Never Trump Donald Trump phoned into The O'Reilly Factor while the Republican National Convention was underway. The presumptive GOP nominee outlined the themes of his upcoming speech on Thursday.

"TRUMP will bring focus, purpose, and change to Washington," says Paul Manaford Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace 7/17/16 | Trump's Campaign Manager Paul Manafort https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ljt0wUK4TG0 "Trump will deliver" in his acceptance speech on Thursday night, says Prebice "Hillary led Obama right down a horrible path," said Donald Trump

Hang Lung back over $26 My positions are back in profit - a small one - so I have decided to slim it down somewhat HK10 ... update : All-data : Last: $26.35 The other good news is that I collected a nice dividend earlier this year

VIX Emporium (5009 Baltimore, West Philly), Ink the Print Our products have been in this little gem for a year now. VIX Emporium is in a really pretty part of West Philly right on Baltimore Ave. It's located in Cedar Park, which is part of University City section of West Philadelphia. The name "VIX" is actually the roman numeral for their address, 5009. Clever. The owner, Emily, is super sweet and her shop is perfectly curated with local artists and other indie makers. == > http://www.press2focus.com/blog/2016/06/ink-the-print-in-vix-emporium-west-philly.html Another apartment building is University Plaza, formerly the Ivan, at 47th and Baltimore. == > MORE: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=131936

People need to see the bigger picture ... and through TRANSPORT (the trolley) The new developments (and new jobs!) at 30th St station, will be connected to neighborhood developments in West Philly like this one: What was once at 51st and Baltimore The 51st and Baltimore Avenue Redevelopment Area Plan ... includes the area in Philadelphia bounded by Catharine Street on the north, the Septa Regional Rail right of way and Willows Avenue on the south, 50th Street on the east, and 53rd Street on the west. This area lies along the Baltimore Avenue commercial corridor. Nearby points of interest include: Cedar and Malcolm X Parks, Cobbs Creek Shopping Center, and the 52nd Street Commercial Corridor. This plan has been created to guide redevelopment and rehabilitation of a deteriorated section of Baltimore Avenue between 50th and 53rd Streets and the primarily residential blocks that surround it. The major impetus for this plan is the adoption of the University Southwest District Plan by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission on June 11th 2013. In this district plan are several goals and objectives for the study area. The majority of implementable improvements focus on continuing the revitalization of Baltimore Avenue west past 50th Street, eliminating excess road space to provide a better pedestrian experience, and changes in zoning to reflect the current community’s needs and vision for its future. A planning staff survey of the neighborhood surrounding 51st and Baltimore Avenue reveals a legacy* industrial and residential neighborhood. While much of the area’s architecturally significant structures have deteriorated or been demolished, there still exist a number of architecturally significant homes, specifically near Cedar Park on the eastern boundary . . . Objectives The overall goal of the 51st and Baltimore Avenue Redevelopment Plan is to provide a framework for current and future redevelopment proposals. Clear planning policies for land use, zoning, and capital program investment will permit the full commercial and institutional development potential of the study area to be realized. The plan has three specific objectives: - to eliminate the blighting influences of vacancy and undesirable land use along Baltimore Avenue and the surrounding residential blocks by encouraging reinvestment and redevelopment. - to support the rezoning of legacy industrial and commercial parcels along Baltimore Avenue, and the surrounding blocks to uses better suited to the changing needs of the community. - to improve the pedestrian experience along Baltimore Avenue by beautifying and enhancing the public realm.

30th Street Station: Growing Philly's Future Expanding Center City across the River to University, will brighten Philly's future (I just bought my third house - it will be in West Philly, a short trolley ride from the 30th Street Station) === Planning For the Future of 30th Street Station June 20, 2016 To paraphrase Hannibal Smith, we love it when a plan comes together. In this case, we're referring to the 30th Street Station District Plan, released last week. This plan, as you might imagine, details a vision for 30th Street Station and its surrounding neighborhood over the coming decades. If everything set out in the plan actually comes to pass, this area is poised to experience an incredible transformation, the likes of which Philadelphia has never seen before. Conceptual drawing from the plan Starting with the station itself, it's expected that ridership will more than double in the next twenty-five yearsr. With that in mind, the plan calls for a number of improvements, including the reopening of the North Concourse for increased Amtrak service, the activation of the East Septa Mezzanine to increase Regional Rail service, improvement of the retail offerings in the station, and reopening the underground passageway that connects the station to the Market Frankford Line. A new bus terminal on Arch Street will thankfully make better sense of the chaotic bus to rail connections at 30th Street Station. Around the station, look for an expanded and improved Porch and a "West Bank" river trail that will hopefully get a new name by the time it actually happens. > http://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/west-philly/planning-for-the-future-of-30th-street-station

FORBES seems to have had it wrong back in 2013 Here's What The Philippine Bubble Deniers Are Getting Wrong - Forbes Nov 28, 2013 - Philippine bubble deniers are clueless about how credit bubbles work. ... infamously denied the existence of our housing and credit bubble in ... . . . When interest rates are at all-time lows, as they are in the Philippines, property demand and property buyers’ purchasing power is always higher than it is when interest rates are at more typical levels. It is very difficult to distinguish between fundamental demand and artificial demand that solely exists due to the availability of cheap credit. The problem is that cheap credit conditions do not last forever, and the eventual tightening of central banks’ monetary policies causes hot property markets to go bust, which reveals that a good portion of what was believed to be fundamental, organic demand was actually artificial demand. As far as relying on property developers’ testimonies as evidence against a property bubble, that is akin to letting the fox guard the hen house. Property developers have a clear vested interest in ensuring that credit stays ultra cheap so that property prices rise significantly and so that investors buy their properties. Property bubbles are a developer’s dream. . . . While I also noted that the Philippines’ credit-to-GDP ratio is one of the lowest in the region*, I expressed my concern that Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has been using this as an excuse to encourage consumers to engage in further debt-driven consumption to drive economic growth, which will eventually cause a household debt problem. My criticism is not that Philippine debt levels are too high right now, but a criticism of the private sector credit growth trajectory that the country is currently on, as well as their leaders’ belief in encouraging debt-driven consumption. ===== *Update - the Debt levels are still Low - 45.1% in 2015, Lower than 49.2% in 2013.