Pedro Martin

Just a game into the 2018 NBA playoffs and the Cavaliers already look to be on shaky ground. The loss to the Pacers in the first of their seven-game series was the first in Lebron James’ playoffs career and had Cleveland surrendering homecourt advantage to Indiana.  Image source: sbnation.com A lot of people didn’t expect this turn of events, for sure; almost every NBA expert saw a sweep, especially given how the team had run roughshod over opponents in the previous year. But is it now evident that Indiana is no push-over. Victor Oladipo and Lance Stephenson led the Pacers to a dominant wire-to-wire win. The Cavs didn’t take the lead at any point in the game.  What’s troubling for the Cavs’ campaign is that the anemic performance is not an aspect of youth and fresh legs, but of playoffs inexperience. Lebron got his now-regular triple-double, and Kevin Love’s game was fine, but the rest of the Cleveland cast seemed lost on the court. More importantly, th...

With but a few weeks left in the regular season and the Heat having cemented their place in the upcoming NBA post-season, fans of Miami’s pro basketball team are now looking to how the squad would fare. Just how good are the Heat this year, and can they go deep into the playoffs?  Image source: hothothoops.com Though positioning in the Eastern Conference isn’t etched in stone at this point, it’s safe to say that the lower four teams in the now-finalized eight (the Pistons have been eliminated) are keen on avoiding Lebron’s Cavaliers in the first round. As of this writing, the Pacers are on fifth place, with the Heat, Wizards, and Bucks taking the sixth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.  The win-loss records of these last three teams are very identical, and it makes perfect sense for their management to be watchful of Philadelphia’s campaign to rise to the third position (as of this writing, they just beat the Cavs to secure that spot). If the trend conti...

Following a slow year in its property market, South Florida is ripe for new investments particularly in the luxury segment of Miami or Fort Lauderdale, according to experts. It’s what they dub a “perfect storm”: prices are softened, developers and sellers alike are willing to offer up to 20 percent in reductions, and there’s lack of new construction that allows the the absorption of current oversupply. Image source: Pixabay.com Analysts of the South Florida real estate market are also highlighting a U.S. tax reform bill that could translate to huge savings for people willing to relocate to this part of the country, as well as an aging population that seeks out luxurious living and nice, retirement-friendly weather.  Miami prices for luxury offerings are expected to remain flat in 2018 due to the oversupply that needs to be tackled, leading to developers and sellers offering price incentives for moving both new and resale properties. Certain market factors could ...

This new year holds much promise for commercial real estate investors, especially as the industry adjusts to new tax laws and rises above the economic and political uncertainty of the past couple of years.  Image source: bisnow.com One thing to pay attention to is whether interest rates will go up or not. This is highly dependent on the pace of inflation; Last December saw an unexpected increase, and rate hikes are most likely if that trend continues. But if inflation maintains its sluggish progression as was the case for most of the past year, the Federal Reserve would find it hard to justify any additional hike. The bottom line is if interest rates don’t go up, the cost of borrowing and the value of properties will remain stable.  The latest U.S. tax changes will affect the stability of foreign lending in 2018. While these tax reforms do benefit businesses by allowing lower corporate taxes, they may have detrimental effects on commercial real estate lend...