Redmi’s flagship K line is due for a refresh in the coming weeks, and today we have some scattered tidbits of information about it from various sources. First, Redmi’s Wang Teng teases the fact that the Redmi K80 series have been “greatly upgraded”, not just in terms of performance, but also in another area that he hasn’t yet revealed. In this mystery area, the K80 devices will be better than many devices from competing brands, which will be released first.
He also hints at the K80 family’s release date by saying that people who want to change their phones at the end of the year should wait for Redmi’s new flagships.
Redmi K70 Pro
According to prolific Chinese leakster Digital Chat Station, the Redmi K80 series will come with price hikes, and the Pro’s price will rise the most. That’s not great news, but on the other hand he also revealed that the K80 line’s top model will use Qualcomm’s next flagship chipset (which is looking more and more likely to be called Snapdragon 8 Elite), a 6,000 mAh battery, as well as 100W fast wired charging. So perhaps the price increases will be deemed worth it by a lot of people.
If you’ve read this far wondering why you’ve never heard of the Redmi K series before, it’s because it’s only sold in China under this name. Internationally, devices in this line often get rebranded as part of the Poco F series, and the news regarding price hikes certainly doesn’t bode well for the next Poco F models.
It’s an experience many of us know all too well: open up a food blogger’s recipe only to scroll past a mountain of content you don’t care about to actually reach the ingredients and method. Google is trialing a feature that could eliminate this step, even though it’s the result of the company’s own policies.
noticed a new button on the thumbnails for select recipes called Quick View. This button brings up the complete recipe without leaving the search results page. In their testing, a search for “chocolate chip cookie recipe” revealed this Quick View button for the site Preppy Kitchen.
“We’re always experimenting with different ways to connect our users with high-quality and helpful information,” Google rep Brianna Duff told Engadget about these Quick View recipes. “We have partnered with a limited number of creators to begin to explore new recipe experiences on Search that are both helpful for users and drive value to the web ecosystem. We don’t have anything to announce right now.” While Google does have agreements inked with the participating bloggers, the company declined to reveal any further details about the scope of this testing.
It’s quite a catch-22 Google has created when it comes to recipes online. Home cooks may find this Quick View feature appealing since so many food blogs front-load their posts with photos and personal stories before actually sharing the recipe. But it was Google’s own rules that pushed bloggers toward that approach in the first place, with longer posts generally indexing higher up in search results and thus getting more traffic. (And no offense to the food bloggers of the world, but the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you need is the one on the back of the chocolate chip bag.)
While this recipe feature is just an early trial, Google has been rolling out other tools aimed at keeping users on its own webpages and platforms. The in search are one of the latest (and ) ways the company is changing the rules of engagement for web content.
Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook and CEO of parent company Meta, has played a lot of Civilization on PC. In fact, he’s played so much that he claims to be the best player in the world, and would be shocked if anybody else could “beat” him in a match.
This Wacky Magical Girl Anime Is Studio Trigger-Coded To Perfection
“Priscilla looked at my Steam account the other day and she’s like ‘What?! You’ve played this for more than a thousand hours?’”
Zuckerberg then went on to claim that he wants to be the best in the world at Civilization, and suggested he’d even stream online and face other people to prove his skills.
“In terms of strategy games, the one that I’m more likely to want to be the best in the world at is Civilization,” said Zuckerberg. “I think at some point I should do like a Twitch stream of me playing with someone because I’m pretty convinced that I’m close to Grandmaster status. I’d be surprised if anyone in the world could beat me at that.”
It is interesting that Zuckerberg, in this hypothetical situation where he plays Civilization online against other people and streams it, decided to stream on Twitch and not Facebook. You know, the website he co-founded and owns. The social media site has spent years trying to get people to stream games on it.
Anyway, over on Reddit, the reactions to this have been about what you would expect. A few people have pointed out that they have more hours and have even suggested that a thousand hours in the strategy game isn’t that much, and said they could probably defeat Zuckerberg online.
I hope Zuckerberg actually does stream himself playing the game against random people and I hope they beat his ass and convince him that, no, he doesn’t know how to run the world or a country. Perhaps that will save us from a Zuckerberg presidential campaign in the future. Come on gamers, save us.
Celebrating 10 years of their underground record label, Cuttin’ Headz, The Martinez Brothers will headline he 15,000-capacity venue known as Drumsheds London. An evening featuring their signature underground style, Cuttin’ Headz’ showcase will prove to be a must-see event during London’s fall calendar. As the UK club scene continues to struggle, Drumsheds London has remained consistent in providing a top-notch experience of visuals, sound, and world-class talent.
Taking over the new venue created by Broadwick Live — the team responsible for Printworks, which is set for re-opening in 2026 — The Martinez Brothers will bring a special lineup of established veterans and up-and-coming artists within minimal tech house. AJ Christou, Jaden Thompson, Jesse Calosso back-to-back Jean Pierre, and Mason Collective will warm up the decks while the highly anticipated back-to-back set of The Martinez Brothers and PAWSA rounds out an incredible night. Tickets are still available for the event and can be purchased here.
In a profession increasingly full of angst and positioning and corrective policy, there are few ideas as easy to get behind as equity.
Equal. Equality. Equity. Equilibrium. Equate. These are all fine ideas—each tidy and whole, implying their own kind of justice while connotating the precision of mathematics. Level. Same. Twin. Each word has its own nuance, but one characteristic they share in common is access—a level, shared area with open pathways that are equidistant to mutually agreed-upon currencies.
When discussing equity, there are so many convenient handles–race, gender, language, poverty, access to technology, but there may be a larger view that we’re missing when we do so.
Equity is the idea and goal of fairness and inclusion to provide all students with the resources, opportunities, and support they need to succeed, regardless of their background, abilities, or socioeconomic status. Unlike equality, which treats everyone the same, equity recognizes that students come from diverse circumstances and may require different approaches and resources to achieve similar outcomes.
The Scale of Equity
There isn’t a more global issue—equity being perhaps the global issue of our time. United Nation statistics published last year in The Economist put it plainly. While progress is being made in sub-Saharan Africa in primary education, gender inequality is in fact widening among older children. The ratio of girls enrolled in primary school rose from 85 to 93 per 100 boys between 1999 and 2010, whereas it fell from 83 to 82 and from 67 to 63 at the secondary and tertiary levels. And elsewhere, in Chad and the Central African Republic, there is a flat-rate of less than 70 girls for every 100 boys.”
This is a starkly different conversation about equity than the one we might have in the United States, the UK, Canada, or Australia. We have the luxury of becoming choosier, and harsher on ourselves, as progress is made, i.e., let’s first make sure there are free, quality schools everywhere, and that children can all read and write, and then at some point down the line we can concern ourselves with iPads vs Androids, or the broadband access in our poorest communities.
It’s easy to miss the scale of this as an ‘issue’ because unlike assessment, curriculum, teacher pay, class sizes, educational technology, or any other persistently evergreen edu-choke point, equity never stops affecting. It’s both the center and periphery of everything because we’re always who we are, where we are.
The Cultural Effect
As a species, we express ourselves through differences. What makes ‘culture’ interesting is how it both recognizes the individual while simultaneously allowing them to disappear into the whole again. In culture, there is both identity and anonymity. There is a constant self–>group transaction that is based on both affection (inward expression) and image (outward expression). This transaction is then repeated across cultures, with completely different functions. Differences within and across cultures are differences nonetheless, but the individual can think while groups simply gather.
So this is a brutally narrow take on how people gather and cohort and manifest their vision of what it means to be human, but the point remains: As educators, we suffer that same reductionism when we see the masses the same way Nielsen does television ratings. Students aren’t demographics, and it’s murky at best to see how treating them that way has improved their lot or our shared progress.
While squinting and trying to narrow gaps, it’s too easy to lose the scale and product of our work. The segmenting of Mackenzie and Andrew into a group, and that group into a subgroup, and their understanding into data, and the knowledge we hope they come away with into standards we can teach with—this all becomes a tone—a posture dictates the terms of teaching and learning. Equity in the classroom is different than in the job market.
A subcorollary is that we all share equity and inequity, both in possession and effect. In “The Hidden Wound,” Wendell Berry writes, “It may be the most significant irony in our history that racism, by dividing the two races, has made them not separate but in a fundamental way inseparable, not independent but dependent on each other, incomplete without each other, each needing desperately to understand and make use of the experience of the other…. we are one body, and the division between us is the disease of one body, not of two.” This is both abstract and practical. We share both living space and social membership.
Somehow, though, public education, more so than any other industry or profession, is expected to aggregate these inherent disparities while transcending them. Our task?
Create a curriculum that provides a common language for knowledge without homogenizing the nuance of that knowledge
Design learning models that are inherently inclusive regardless of access to technology
Establish authentic functions for family members and communities who may speak a completely different language
As individuals, we work to separate ourselves—as children, often based on image, and as adults, often based on income, where we choose to live, what we drive, the smartphone we carry, and what we choose to do “for a living.” But each of these expressions of who we are–gender, native language, race, sexuality, socioeconomic level, and so many others–are also opportunities for disparity all work to undermine the function of education.
It’s easy to see equity in education as a matter of fairness, access, and inclusion, but that’s only the case if what’s being fairly accessed is a system of teaching and learning that is able to meet the needs of an increasingly global population—that means fluid, responsive, dynamic, neutral, and alive. For an industry that struggles to get every student reading on grade level, this may be a bit much. My gut reaction, then, is that this can only occur through the affectionate expression of the local—this student in this home in this community, with the school functioning as an extraordinary support system.
The equity is at the student level rather than the demographic level because demographics only exist in paperwork. For every student, there is commonness and there is difference; there is what’s shared (i.e., student needing knowledge), and there is distinction (e.g., poor, rural, white, black, male, female). This never stops. We can revise our schools, curriculum, pedagogy, and technology until it is inclusive, fair, and accessible to every student, but that’s been an ongoing effort that may represent a kind of basement for our goals.
But why not consider something more ambitious? New thinking about the terms and definitions of gender emphasize both the characteristics and the fluidity of any culture. If we insist on standardizing content, maybe we can avoid standardizing education. How many different answers are there to, “Why learn?” Fantastic! Let’s iterate ourselves until we can honor that.
The work before us, then, may not be to level an academic playing field for which there is no straight, but rather to create new terms for why we learn, how, and where—and then change the expectation for what we do with what we know.
Simply guaranteeing access and inclusion into a body of content-based is no longer sufficient if our goals stretch beyond academic. A modern definition for equity in education may be less about equal, fair, or even, and more about personalization–a body of knowledge, habits, and networks that help each student realize their own perfectly unique potential.
As for a definition for equity in education? How about, “eye-level access to curriculum, education models, and learning spaces that depend entirely on the native interests, knowledge demands, and human affections of learners individually.”
Or more briefly, “a fully-realized system of learning that starts and ends with the humanity of each student.”
A New Definition For Equity In Education; adapted image attribution flickr user helpingting and skotit;
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With creamy Tuscan flavors, these Marry Me Meatballs are an instant crowd favorite! It doesn’t get much better than Italian seasoned chicken meatballs nestled in a creamy, cheesy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
Quick & Easy to Prepare: Even though these Marry Me Meatballs taste like something from a fancy restaurant, they come together with very little effort in just over 30 minutes!
Bursting withFlavor: This dish has the most wonderful combination of tastes and textures. So good, it might even lead to a marriage proposal!
Versatile Serving Options: Customize this by adding in sautéed veggies like baby spinach or mushrooms.
A Family Favorite: This recipe is one that you’ll come back to again and again. Even picky kids will eat this up!
Ingredients You Need to Make Marry Me Meatballs
These meatballs have tender chicken and a rich sauce. It might look like a lot of ingredients, but they’re all pantry staples. And trust me, this is one recipe you’ll be so glad you tried. The Tuscan-inspired ‘Marry Me’ flavors are absolutely divine! Ready to get started? Scroll down to the recipe card for all the details.
Meatballs
Ground Chicken: You could use ground turkey, but I really love using ground chicken in this recipe.
Breadcrumbs: Use dried Italian bread crumbs to help bind the ingredients and add texture to the meatballs.
Egg: Adds structure and helps to bind the ground meat mixture together.
Italian Seasoning: Use store-bought or try my homemade Italian seasoning for the perfect Italian flavor.
Minced Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic for the best taste.
Onion Powder: Provides savory flavor without having to chop any onions.
Salt: To bring out and enhance all of the flavors.
Parmesan Cheese: For delicious nutty cheese flavor.
Olive Oil: For cooking the meatballs.
Marry Me Meatball Sauce
Butter: Provides a rich base for the sauce.
Garlic: A must in a good Italian cream sauce.
Flour: A small amount of flour will thicken the sauce.
Chicken Broth: Gives the sauce the perfect consistency while adding savory flavor.
Heavy Cream: Creates a smooth, velvety sauce. You can also use half and half as a lighter option, although the sauce won’t be quite as rich.
Parmesan Cheese: Grated parmesan adds a sharp, cheesy flavor.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: A signature ingredient for that ‘Marry Me’ flavor!
Dried Italian Seasoning: This is a blend of herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme.
Fresh Basil: Garnish with fresh basil for extra color and fresh herbs.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
This recipe is super simple, and dinner can be on the table in 35 minutes! Follow my instructions below to end up with the most tender, juicy chicken meatballs and a creamy, tangy sauce.
Meatballs
Combine Ingredients: In a mediumsized bowl, add the ground chicken, panko bread crumbs, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and parmesan cheese.
Mix: Using clean hands or a fork, mix until the ingredients are combined.
Form Balls: Roll into ten large meatballs or 18 small meatballs.
Cook: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the meatballs and cook until browned and cooked throughout. Transfer to a plate while you prepare the sauce.
Marry Me Sauce
Start the Sauce: Add the butter to the skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add in the flour and stir to make a paste.
Whisk: Whisk in the chicken broth, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese.
Season: Stir in the drained, sundried tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Thicken: Heat the sauce for a few minutes and simmer until it thickens.
Warm Meatballs: Return the meatballs to the skillet and spoon the sauce on top. Turn the heat to medium-low, and then continue to heat the meatballs and sauce together for about 5 minutes.
Serve: Garnish with freshly chopped basil leaves and serve your Marry Me meatballs over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Tips for Marry Me Meatballs
I have a few tips and variations you can try to get these meatballs to turn out perfect every time! I want you to love them!
Don’t Overwork the Meat: When shaping the meatballs, don’t overwork the meat or pack them too tightly! It works best to use your hands to mix and shape the meatballs.
Use Freshly-Grated Cheese: Although it’s easier to use bagged cheese, I recommend using freshly grated Parmesan! It has better flavor and will melt more evenly into the sauce.
These Marry Me Meatballs are so tender and moist that they’re great for lunch the next day. Here is how to store them and reheat them later so they stay fresher longer.
In the Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
In the Freezer: Store in a freezer bag or airtight container for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
ToReheat: Reheat these meatballs in a skillet over medium heat until warm. You can add a little extra chicken broth or cream if needed. You can also reheat these meatballs in the microwave until warmed through.
More Flavorful Meatball Recipes
What is it about meatballs that just make me happy? If I had to say, it would probably be the juicy tenderness and the amazing sauces that go with it! I love getting my protein in with them. Here are a few of my favorite meatball recipes for you to try.
In a medium-sized bowl add the ground chicken, panko bread crumbs, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder, parmesan cheese.
Using clean hands or a fork, mix until the ingredients are combined.
Roll into 10 large meatballs or 18 small meatballs.
In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook until browned and cooked throughout. Transfer to a plate while you prepare the sauce.
Marry Me Sauce
Returning to the skillet, add the butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add in the flour and stir to make a paste.
Whisk in the chicken broth, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese.
Stir in the drained sun-dried tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Heat the sauce for a few minutes until it starts to thicken.
Return the meatballs back to the skillet and spoon the sauce on top. Turn the heat to medium-low, and continue to heat the meatballs and sauce together for about 5 minutes.
Garnish with freshly chopped basil leaves and serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
In case you’re wondering if you’ve got the right blog, never fear… no, I don’t think there’s such a thing as healthy candy!
By “healthy” I mean “better than the alternatives.” This means they’re made from real food ingredients, without artificial dyes, additives, artificial sweeteners, and all the other junk found in typical candy. Plus you can even make your own “candy” that really is healthier.
I still prefer candy-free gifts or experiences whenever possible, even at Halloween. But thanks to companies making candy with better ingredients, our family can take part in neighborhood trick-or-treat festivities (without resorting to handing out seaweed snacks… although I happen to think those are also delicious!).
Wait… Is Healthy Candy Good for You?
Given the negative health effects of sugar… no, certainly not! Treats like hard candy and gummy candy with added sugar (and even ones labeled sugar-free) aren’t the healthiest.
I’ve taken some flack for my stance on sugar. (But hey, I can’t help what the science says.) There were quite a few years we even skipped parties and trick-or-treating altogether.
I’ve experimented with different approaches to Halloween (the ultimate candy-palooza) over the years. As my kids got older, I decided that rather than opt out, I could use Halloween as a chance for my kids to practice making good food choices.
Now that more companies are making better candy options (with ingredients I can actually recognize), I’ve been able to find some favorites that my kids love and I can live with. Mixing these in (sparingly) with plenty of non-candy alternatives makes for a fun, creative, and healthy Halloween that I think is better than the original tradition!
Healthier Candy (& Non-Candy) Alternatives for Trick-or-Treating
I usually make my own candy or chocolate candy bars when we’re going to have it, but that won’t fly for trick-or-treating. If you’re looking for healthier store-bought candy, here are the ones that passed the test for us.
Of course, you won’t find many of these in your local grocery store. I’ll often use my Thrive Market membership to stock up. The prices are low, it’s convenient, and I love the selection. Amazon is another good place to find them. I’ve even seen candy options with less sugar and more health benefits at local health food stores.
All of the following treats are individually wrapped for trick-or-treating. Bonus, the neighborhood kids will probably like them better than the junky stuff! You can help them satisfy their sweet tooth with healthier options.
Start With a Healthy Meal
First the good stuff, then the junk? This holds true at my house on Halloween. These are our favorite Halloween themed meals and snacks that are high protein and have healthy fat, and fiber. These low-sugar ingredients help fill everyone up and keep the sugar rush at bay.
Organic Spooky Fruit Snacks
These gummy packs get their color and flavor from real food ingredients like pear juice and carrot juice. A far cry from most store-bought candies, these gummy bears are organic and gluten-free.
Fruit Leather Strips
Remember these from the school lunch days? This version uses real fruit and skips the corn syrup. They’re also plant-based and vegan for those who don’t want the gelatin found in many gummy snacks (though I happen to like gelatin!).
Grain Free Crackers
Give kids a break from all the sweet treats with these yummy grain-free crackers. They’ll never know they’re nutritious to boot. These are also individually wrapped for easy trick-or-treat distribution. Be aware that they are made with almonds if you need to worry about nut allergies.
Popcorn Snack Packs
We don’t do popcorn often, but when we do we choose gluten-free and non-GMO. Kids and grown-ups alike will love the “buttery” goodness of coconut oil and a sprinkle of pink Himalayan salt. They’re also low-calorie at only 50 calories per bag.
Peanut Butter Cups (Without Peanut Butter)
No Halloween trick-or-treating list could be complete without peanut butter cups. These Dark Almond Butter Cups are a delicious alternative and (in my opinion) even better than the classic treat. If you need an allergen-friendly version that’s tree nut-free, soy-free, and dairy-free, then try these dark chocolate sunflower butter cups. They also come in a peppermint or milk chocolate flavor.
Torie & Howard Candy
These chewy fruit candies look exactly like the popular Starburst candies, but use organic ingredients and no artificial flavors or colors. Plus, their creative flavors will tempt even grown-ups: Meyer lemon & raspberry, pomegranate & nectarine, and blood orange & honey. They’re also high in the antioxidant vitamin C. Torie & Howard also offer hard candies in bulk that are non-GMO and organic.
Best Buy: Natural Lollipops
I know shopping for natural or organic products can mean a real bite out of the budget, but this time there’s no excuse. I saved the best for last with these natural Yum Earth lollipops… 250 organic and real-fruit flavored pops in a bag for less than 20 cents each!
Non-Candy Goodies for Trick-or-Treating
Again, I offer these only as occasional alternatives for special occasions where candy is unavoidable (like Halloween), not as weekly/daily foods for kids.
Other Healthy Halloween Snacks & Treats (Kids Like!)
One strategy to limit candy is to offer kids plenty of nutritious food before heading out to trick-or-treat. Rather than our usual dinner, we make some Halloween-themed appetizers to share. I make sure they’re heavy on protein and fiber (and low on sugar).
While there are a million ideas for healthy Halloween party food, I’ve only tried ones that are simple and easy to prepare. I’m not Martha Stewart, but I’m happy to report most of these turned out very well with little time and effort. In most cases, the kids were begging to take over and make them themselves (I let them!).
Here are some favorite Halloween party snacks and treats we’ve tried:
I also keep some homemade treats along with some non-candy prizes on hand for after trick-or-treating. The kids cash in some of their less ideal candy for fun Halloween jewelry, trinkets, or toys. They usually have no problem with this and in fact look forward to it.
Have a Happy Halloween!
The bottom line is, that sharing in community with our friends and neighbors is a top priority for us. These options are about as close to healthy candy as you can get, and they’ve made participating in trick-or-treating possible for our family. By providing some better alternatives to the usual Halloween candy-fest, I hope my kids will have a positive outlook on healthy eating and get to focus on just having fun!
What do you hand out at Halloween? Have you found candy with better ingredients? Please share!
Finding promising equity deals in today’s real estate market can feel like a needle in a haystack. Whether you’re an active or passive real estate investor, facing this challenge means it’s crucial to focus on making the most of your existing investments. By optimizing your current holdings, you can enhance their performance and ensure they align with your long-term goals—and put more money in your pocket along the way. Here’s a straightforward guide on how to do just that.
Understanding the Need for Optimization
When new real estate deals are hard to come by, it becomes crucial to focus on optimizing your existing portfolio. This is your chance to enhance the value and performance of the properties and deals you already own—especially commercial opportunities, where every dollar you can save or create can increase the exit valuation of the project.
However, the process of optimization doesn’t start with creating income and saving on expenses, but rather evaluating each property to ensure it aligns with your financial goals and adjusting it to fit current market conditions.
How to Optimize Your Current Holdings
Even if you’re a passive investor who is more hands-off, you can still gain significant value by following steps one and two and staying up to date with your operator on steps three and four.
1. Define your goals, risk, and timeline
Begin by articulating—or updating—your investment objectives. To make meaningful changes to your investments, ask yourself:
What are my investment goals? Am I aiming for capital preservation, diversification, consistent cash flow, long-term equity growth, or some combination of these?
Are my current investments aligned with my long-term objectives? How are my existing investments performing in relation to my long-term goals, and do they fit with my current strategy?
What do I want my portfolio to achieve in the next five to 10 years, and what level of risk am I willing to take to meet this timeline? Have I clearly defined what success looks like for my portfolio in the long term? Am I comfortable with the level of risk associated with achieving these goals within my desired time frame?
How am I tracking the performance of my investments? Am I regularly reviewing my investments to ensure they are on track, and am I making adjustments if needed?
These questions will help you evaluate whether your investments are meeting your goals and guide you in making necessary changes.
2. Reevaluate your portfolio based on your goals
With a clear understanding of your goals, risk tolerance, and timeline, it’s time to reassess your investments to ensure they still fit your strategy. Treat each property in your portfolio as if you were evaluating it for the first time. Here’s how to approach it.
Rate each property on a scale from one to four—four being the best—in these core areas. This will help you identify which investments are meeting your expectations and which might need changes or even replacement:
Capital Preservation: Is your investment protected from market downturns? The aim is to avoid losses and stay in the game during tough times.
Cash Flow: How is each property performing in terms of income? Consider ways to boost rental income, such as adjusting rents, upgrading amenities, or changing rental strategies.
Equity Growth: How does each property contribute to your overall equity growth? Look for properties that appreciate in value and enhance your portfolio’s worth.
Timeline: Are your investments aligned with your financial goals and plans for the future? Assess whether each property is on track to help you meet your long-term objectives.
Tax Benefits: Are you taking full advantage of tax deductions and benefits? Effective tax management can significantly improve returns.
Leverage: How is your use of borrowed funds impacting your investment strategy? Proper leverage can boost returns, but too much borrowing can increase risk.
Operator Performance: How effective is your property management team or investment partner? Efficient management is crucial for maintaining property value and ensuring tenant satisfaction.
If a property scores low in any key area—such as a one—consider whether it’s worth holding on to. If improvements aren’t feasible, it may be time to sell and reinvest that capital into better-performing opportunities. Or if the deal is a passive syndication, earmark those funds for reallocation—for example, moving that equity position into a debt position when the deal does cycle out.
Reevaluating your portfolio this way ensures that each investment aligns with your updated goals and helps you make informed decisions about keeping, replacing, and investing in new properties.
3. Deciding to sell
When deciding whether to sell a property, it’s crucial to see if it aligns with your investment goals. If it doesn’t, preparing it for sale might be the best move.
Start by making any necessary repairs and improving the property’s appearance. Enhancing curb appeal can make a big difference in attracting buyers. Also, consider updating your marketing strategy to highlight the property’s strengths and reach more potential buyers. Sometimes, raising rents can make the property seem more valuable to buyers.
For instance, I recently sold a short-term rental (STR). To prepare it for sale, I switched property management companies to boost its performance. Although it still didn’t hit my financial targets, the new buyer was drawn to it because it fit their needs for lifestyle and equity growth. They also valued the improvements I made to address the income issues.
The same approach can apply to single-family homes, multifamily properties, and other types of real estate: Making smart enhancements can help you sell a property more effectively.
4. Deciding to hold
If you choose to hold a deal, the first step is to assess whether your current strategy still aligns with your investment goals, real estate market conditions, and the local real estate market itself. If your existing strategy is no longer effective, it may be time to consider a change.
Ask yourself if the strategy needs adjustment or if moving to a different market might yield better returns. For example, if you’re using a long-term rental (LTR) strategy but market conditions favor midterm rentals (MTRs), it might be worth switching. Conversely, if STRs are no longer as profitable, transitioning back to LTRs or MTRs could be beneficial.
If your strategy is still effective or once you’ve made the necessary adjustments, focus on maximizing the property’s income using these strategies:
Adjust Rent Prices: Regularly update rent prices to keep them competitive with local market rates.
Upgrade Amenities: Invest in property upgrades to justify higher rents and attract better tenants.
Add Income Streams: Consider additional revenue sources like pet fees or rent, amenity fees, laundry income, storage income, etc.
While optimizing your income, it’s equally important to manage your expenses to maximize profitability:
Debt Management: Review your mortgage or loan terms to see if refinancing or restructuring could lower your payments and secure better rates.
Insurance: Assess your insurance coverage to ensure it’s adequate and cost-effective.
Taxes: Explore tax-saving strategies to reduce your tax liabilities, including possibly contesting your property taxes.
Property Management Fees: Negotiate management fees, if possible, without sacrificing service quality.
Other Contracts: Regularly review and negotiate contracts with vendors (lawn care, pest care, snow removal, etc.) and consultants (bookkeeping, tax, legal, etc.) to ensure you get the best value for the services provided.
Once you’ve optimized income and reduced expenses, establish systems to monitor performance and set a timeline for reevaluation:
Monitoring Systems: Implement regular tracking systems to monitor income, expenses, and overall property performance. These can include financial software or property management tools. A simple checklist reminding you when certain policies renew and contracts expire can be a great planning tool.
Reevaluation Timeline: Set a timeline for periodic reviews—such as every six months or annually—to assess the effectiveness of the changes and make further adjustments if needed. This may simply mean putting an appointment on your calendar!
By carefully evaluating your strategy, optimizing income, managing expenses, and implementing regular review systems, you can ensure that your property remains a valuable, productive part of your investment portfolio.
Final Thoughts
When finding new real estate deals is difficult, optimizing your existing holdings becomes a vital strategy for both active and passive investors. By understanding your financial goals, reevaluating each deal, and making strategic adjustments, you can enhance the performance of your portfolio and ensure it aligns with your long-term vision. This proactive approach will not only help you get the most out of your current investments but also prepare you for when new opportunities arise.
Reach Your Financial Goals, Faster
Connect with a real estate friendlyfinancial planner who can help you get started and build for the future.
Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.
NEW YORK (RNS) — Brooklyn Jews rose from their seats in the rotunda-shaped sanctuary of Congregation Beth Elohim on Sunday (Oct. 6) to recite the Mourner’s Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead. They then rose again to sing the Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem.
The memorial service, marking the anniversary of Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel, was one of hundreds of such gatherings both Sunday and Monday.
The evening service, which consisted of prayers, poetry and songs was put together by various Brooklyn-based Jewish congregations and it reflected the somber tone of loss and grief. More than 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 abducted by the militant group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 — marking what some have called one of the deadliest days in Jewish history.
The attack launched a wider, multifront war between Israel and the militant groups, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, that is ongoing and has resulted in the killing of nearly 42,000 Palestinians.
The Beth Elohim sanctuary was nearly full with people standing in the rear. In the center of the platform was a screen where a video was shown about the massacre in Kibbutz Be’eri where more than 100 members were killed.
“It’s good to be with community at a time like this when, like everybody here, I’m in so much pain about what’s happening in Israel,” said Deborah Nussbaum Cohen, a journalist who participated in the gathering. “I don’t really feel very hopeful, but no matter what it’s good to be with community.”
Oct. 7 is displayed as 7.10 at Congregation Beth Elohim during a memorial service, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Brooklyn, N.Y. (RNS photo/Genevieve Charles)
Nearly every synagogue, school and Jewish Community Center across the U.S. held memorial and commemoration gatherings. The Jewish Federations of North America, which over the past year have raised more than $850 million for Israel’s rebuilding, launched a website listing them all.
At the White House, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden were joined by Rabbi Aaron Alexander, a senior rabbi at Washington’s Adas Israel Congregation, for a yahrzeit candle-lighting ceremony Monday morning. Vice President Kamala Harris marked the anniversary at the Naval Observatory residence where she was set to plant a pomegranate tree. Former President Donald Trump was scheduled to hold an event with Jewish leaders at his Doral golf course in Miami.
While most memorials were devoted to mourning the lives of Israelis who died, some group services also mourned the lives of both Israeli Jews and Palestinians. The activist group If Not Now, which has been organizing to end U.S. military support for Israel, held memorial events in six U.S. cities under the banner “Every Life a Universe.”
No sites were more contentious over the past year than college campuses roiled by protests against Israel’s military assault in Gaza. Last academic year, more than 3,200 student arrests were made as campuses tried to quell anti-Israel protests and tent encampments. Some 60 colleges and universities are still under federal investigation over antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents.
President Joe Biden, center, standing with first lady Jill Biden, left, and Rabbi Aaron Alexander of the Adas Israel Congregation, participates in a memorial candle-lighting in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, to mark the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Hillel, the Jewish student campus organization at 700 institutions across North America, hosted hundreds of vigils for the victims of Oct. 7. Many also screened a Sheryl Sandberg documentary about sexual violence during the Hamas attack, “Screams Before Silence.”
Adam Lehman, president and CEO of Hillel International, said the organization was expecting anti-Israel protests on Oct. 7, but was prepared to deal with those.
“We’ve never seen anywhere near the amount of anti-Jewish discrimination, bias and anti-Israel demonization, trying to hold Hillel accountable for claims of genocide, baby killing and the like,” said Lehman.
Hillel has invested millions of dollars in upgrading security at Hillel sites. Last academic year, Lehman said, the organization served 180,000 students and young adults and expected to serve more than 200,000 in 2024-25. One of Hillel’s goals is also to inspire Jewish college students to “develop a meaningful and enduring relationship to Israel.” It is one of the providers of free 10-day educational trips to Israel known as Birthright.
“To the credit of Jewish students really everywhere, even in the face of sometimes substantial intimidation and harassing behavior, they have continued to show up at Hillel programs and experiences and have invested more than ever in Jewish communities,” Lehman said.
This illustration shows the Parker Solar Probe approaching perihelion: its closest approach to the Sun. It will achieve its closest approach ever on December 24, 2024, coming within just 4.43 solar diameters of the Sun’s photosphere. (Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Scientific Visualization Studio)
The Parker Solar Probe is about to undergo its seventh encounter with Venus on its journey towards the Sun. Here’s how fast it’ll go.
On September 30, 2024, the Parker Solar Probe reached its 21st perihelion: its closest approach to the Sun.
The science questions that are being answered by the Parker Solar Probe are fundamental to understanding the Sun, its corona, and the phenomenon of space weather. By the end of its mission, the Parker Solar Probe will have set a number of records and scientific firsts, including becoming the closest and fastest spacecraft ever with respect to the Sun. (Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio)
Presently, perihelion is only 7.87 million km (4.89 million miles) from the Sun’s surface.
This image and plot shows the Parker Solar Probe’s path and distance, with respect to the Sun, from its August 12, 2018 launch until its 21st perihelion, which it reached on September 30, 2024. (Credit: NASA/JHU/APL)
Its novel heat shield enables science operations under these extreme conditions.
The heat shield for the Parker Solar Probe, visible as the topmost structure here with a white alumina coating on the outer surface, is absolutely necessary for protecting the vital instruments inside from the otherwise catastrophic heat from the Sun. Once the heat shield fails, the entire probe is destined to fail within seconds. (Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Ed Whitman)
From closest approach, the Sun appears 28 times larger than terrestrial views.
