Did You Know? The Oklahoma City Council (my stomping grounds) on Tuesday gave the green light to plans for a tower that will rise nearly 2,000 feet in Oklahoma’s capital city, dethroning One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan as the nation’s highest. (NY TIMES) Did You Know? These are the five most heard words from a recent book about what people say just before they die: - I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
- I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
- I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
- I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
- I wish that I had let myself be happier.
Did You Know? US Household net worth climbed $5.1 trillion, or 3.3%, in the first quarter of 2024 to $160.8 trillion, a Federal Reserve report showed yesterday. The value of equity holdings increased about $3.8 trillion, while the value of real estate held by households rose about $900 billion to a record high. Mortgage debt rose 2.1% as consumers and businesses borrowed more, even at higher rates. (Bloomberg) Did You Know? Contrary to some 'opinions' out there, a recent Gallup poll showed people in the US still think real estate is the best longterm investment: 36%! That's over 50% more than the 22% who favor stocks and 18% who favor gold. 13% favor a savings account and 4% like bonds.....just 3% like crypto. Did You Know? In 2019 less than 10 million U.S. families had more than $1 million in wealth. In 2022 it was 16 million. We increased the number of millionaire households by 60% in just 3 years, mainly self-made wealth. Only 21% of US millionaires have received any inheritance. There are 600,000 millennial millionaire households, and while the average millennial has 30% less wealth at the age of 35 than baby boomers did at the same age … the top 10% of millennials have 20% more wealth than the top baby boomers at the same age. Did You Know? 164,000 people fall off a ladder every year, 300 of these people die. Over half of these are men over 55…. Note to self, stay off ladders. Did You Know? Will A.I. resolve one of the most critical cost issues around construction: speed? Homeowners are experimenting with an explosion of new artificial intelligence applications to quickly visualize an array of layout and style ideas, coordinate with builders and designers and estimate costs. These new tools say they can help save time and money in the building and renovation process, which has traditionally been filled with seemingly endless decisions and an avalanche of paperwork that often result in longer projects and ballooning costs. (WSJ) Did You Know? The U.S. has more liquid investable wealth than any other country, with $67 trillion dollars available. Liquid wealth includes listed company holdings, cash holdings, and debt-free residential property holdings. (Henley) Did You Know? Property owners have long seen restaurants as risky tenants with a high rate of failure. Now, with Americans dining out more than ever, the restaurant business is emerging as the hottest corner of retail real estate. Food services accounted for more than 19% of all retail leases in 2023. The average household spent nearly 53% of its food budget on food away from home last year, a record-high proportion and up 10 percentage points from 2003, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department’s Economic Research Service. Total restaurant sales are on track to top $1.1 trillion this year, a 5.4% increase from 2023’s record-high level. (This statistic is nationally and not withstanding California restaurants where a McDonald Quarter Pounder meal is $15😳…. Not that I have been to McDonalds in the recent future) (WSJ) | 
