The Berkeley Blog

For the past 15 months, Americans have been locked up at home. Now that the floodgates have been opened and the country is getting back to normal, a rash of unacceptable behavior has occurred, whether in retail stores, sports arenas, or airplanes. Did all those months at home wipe our memories of how to behave in polite society? The headlines seem to think so. But as Mr. Rogers would say, look for the helpers. Amidst the poor

Like a freighter inching through the sea, time seemed to make no progression over the past year of living through Covid-19. A year ago, the country was in the midst of an unemployment peak that had not been felt since the Great Depression. People were scared to leave their houses, even for a quick trip to the grocery store. And there was seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel. Fast forward to today, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics just reported that the unemployment rate

Thanks to scientists around the globe, the Covid-19 vaccines have effectively lowered the number of cases and deaths in recent weeks. After nearly 15 long months of wearing masks and quarantine, this miraculous “shot heard ‘round the world” is ushering in a return to normalcy. With people returning to an in-person work environment, the real question surfaces: Can employers demand that you get vaccinated?

My name is Samuel Weintraub, and I am a senior at Shaker Heights High School. The school gave me the opportunity to go on senior project, which is where the school gives their students the opportunity to have real-world experience, whether it is shadowing, interning, working at your own job, or creating an art mural within the walls of the high school. In March 2020, I was in a car accident where I stopped at a red light, and I got hit into a car in front of me, totaling

In the developed world, we often take things for granted. And nothing fits into this category more clearly than the vaccine for Covid-19. Without the diligent work of scientists from around the globe, the entire world would still be amid personal and economic chaos. Although some people are not understanding the stark ramifications of not having a vaccine, the world is in much better economic and personal shape than before.

After a year like no other, restaurant owners and retailers are smiling big this week after the CDC lifted the mask mandate, which allows patrons to shop and eat without wearing a mask. Fourteen long months into the pandemic, this is a true glimmer of hope that Americans may return to life as they knew it. And for restaurant owners and retailers, the news is more than welcome.

In the pandemic’s aftermath, one unforeseen circumstance is that many businesses are struggling to find workers. Whether people are still worried about Covid-19, forced to stay home to care for people, or do not have the skills they need for certain jobs, many industries such as construction and food service are having trouble filling jobs.

For prospective home buyers, especially those who are trying to purchase their very first home, and for those over 55, buying a new home in 2021 is a difficult proposition. From bark-eating beetles to millennials coming of age to the ramifications of the pandemic, there are many elements working together to raise the prices of new construction.

Dubai is one of the most beautiful, opulent, glamorous, and influential cities in the world. And it continues to hone its craft despite a worldwide pandemic and drop in tourism. With the help of social media influencers as well as forward thinking government officials and business people, Dubai is slated to remain on the cutting edge.

With the technological advancements that bring the world together, it is hard to imagine that a country would want to set out on its own and leave all the other countries behind. But that is exactly what Great Britain did when Brexit took effect on January 1, 2021. In this global economy, nationalism breeds isolationism, and in the first 100 days that Brexit has been in effect, the economic ramifications of learning the European Union have definitely been felt.

A year ago, China was at the helm of the world’s economy, but because of a strong vaccination program and an additional March stimulus package, the United States is ready to shoulder the burden of getting the world’s economy back on track after the devastation of Covid-19. Though the lockdowns started similarly around the globe, the United States has set themselves apart from the rest of the world as the world exits the pandemic economy.

Historically, the forecast for the economic markets and how they would react were based on diplomatic relationships between countries. But if any lesson could be learned from the pandemic, it is that the world is more closely connected than ever before. Slight gains in the global economy seem to be a result of unemployment numbers improving slightly, more Covid-19 vaccines in play, and even something as random

One full year has passed since Covid-19 hit the shores of the United States, and along with the virus, unemployment has swept across the nation. For 52 straight weeks, one million people have been forced to seek unemployment assistance. This oppressive statistic represents a country full of individuals and families just trying to survive. Congress was forced to pass the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 just to keep the nation afloat.

After the appalling year for the oil industry brought about by the worldwide pandemic caused by COVID-19, experts are cautiously optimistic as they continue to roll through 2021. With the onslaught of vaccines and the desire to get back to normal life, all signs indicate an optimist attitude for the oil industry.

After an entire year of upheaval caused by Covid-19, companies like Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson have set our country on the path to health through their vaccinations. The vaccinations have been rolling out well, but there is a disparity in the distribution when it comes to rural America. Some parts of the country do not have proper access to medical facilities and pharmacies, and this is slowing down the process of vaccinating adults

Last March, workers packed up on the fly and headed home for what they thought would be a few weeks at home with the threat of Covid-19 looming. One full year later, the temporary thoughts of remote work have been replaced by the idea that working from home is here to stay, at least for a while. Because many large companies are continuing the remote work, companies and politicians are trying to create some policies and procedures to make remote learning

The pandemic has turned the nation upside down and changed the way of life for most Americans. Remarkably, the positive trends for multifamily investing have been holding strong. Over the last five years, investment into non-major markets has increased 13.9%. Aside from the fact that there are more metros to choose from, and therefore more quality investment opportunities, investors are realizing that there is more value to be found in smaller

Family Offices have one consistent goal: to help wealthy families preserve and grow their wealth across generations. Increasingly important to that goal is an allocation to real estate investments. The trend favoring exposure to real estate began a few years ago, but the pandemic is accelerating the situation. With plenty of dry powder and a long-range goal in mind, many family office investors are taking another look at real estate as a viable option for wealth management.

Over a year ago, China locked down Wuhan to save its citizens from SARS-CoV-2 and the ramifications and complications of the virus, however, there is another consequence of the virus to report. This time it is regarding economics, as The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development reported that China has taken the lead over the United States for new investments from overseas investors. This comes after a disastrous year for the United States

Commercial real estate experienced a year like no other in 2020. With workers at home, office buildings are sitting vacant. And with the high unemployment numbers, some rent is not getting paid at all, or people are asking for a forbearance. The traditional retail mall and the hospitality industries have been decimated. But there has been some good news: some commercial real estate has become a desirable commodity because of the expanding need for space in the

In addition to changing the way people live, work, and purchase everything from groceries to computers, the pandemic has had a profound impact on the mortgage rates. Although it seems counterintuitive, record low mortgages have been a real bright spot in an otherwise arduous journey and economy throughout 2020. But the low mortgage rates have swung the pendulum to high buyer demand, and that is just one reason it is likely

The world economy has always placed the dollar at the top of the currency pile. But because of China’s positive response to the global pandemic and the pandemic’s subsequent hit on the world financial markets, the yuan is rapidly gaining ground. “We are extremely bullish on emerging markets, which is fundamentally based on the view the Chinese economy will be strong in 2021 and that China has done a great job dealing with the virus,” John

Ten months into the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus, and clearly the effects are being felt all across the country, including in the commercial real estate business. The entire country has changed long-established habits of shopping in strip malls, going to work, and buying groceries in person. Underlying these lifestyle changes are the buildings themselves, in which people live, work, and shop (or used to). After nearly a year of coronavirus lifestyle

For many westerners, the idea that the United States will not continue as the leaders of the world economy is unthinkable. But recent reports from The Center for Economics and Business Research show that there will soon be a new sheriff in town. One major reason for this is the struggle with COVID-19 over the past 10 months. The economic fallout caused by the pandemic has led to forecasters predicting that China will overtake the economy of the United

What do New York City; Seattle; Pryor, Oklahoma; and Arlington, Virginia all have in common? These are the homes of the newest hot spot real estate buys for the big five tech companies: Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and Google. In a time when the country is dealing with lockdowns and the uncertain health protocols and the nation’s economic future, these technology powerhouses are getting ready to house the employees and tech of

This week the vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus which caused the COVID-19 pandemic, is being rolled out throughout the country. For ten months COVID-19 has spread throughout the world, killing 1.6 million people worldwide and 300,000 in the United States alone. The vaccine could not have come at a better time, as the holidays are upon us and millions are traveling. The first recipients of the vaccine will be frontline workers in the healthcare

All they had to do was ride out a few more weeks until graduation, and they would have the golden ticket: a diploma, a new job, the means to pay off student loans, and a steppingstone to the future of their dreams. But when the pandemic shut down the country early this spring, it took the hopes of the graduating class of 2020 with it. Many had already been hired, or were poised to land a job, with internship experience in hand. But the pandemic’s swinging hammer to the economy

Joe Biden knows what it is like to be part of the sandwich generation, stuck in the middle, with both aging parents and children to take care of. And when he takes office in a few short weeks, he wants to work to take the burden off those who are aging and those who are caring for them.

There is nothing more American than apple pie, baseball, and the dream of buying a new home. For many years, however, this dream of becoming a homeowner has been just out of reach for many citizens. Recently, the dream has become more attainable, and both buying and selling homes has increased.

There is no question that a catastrophic global event such as the coronavirus pandemic affects the world economy. With people stuck in their homes during the spring lockdown, buying and selling ground to a virtual halt. Big businesses hid their cash, families stopped spending, the hotel and travel industry was decimated.