Saturday, December 15, 2012

Europe expects Italy to speak only German


Italy’s government crisis
 
International media are widely covering the Italian crisis. The picture that comes out is a glowing image of political, financial and social uncertainty.
 
The scenario portrayed in the newspapers is not the best one. The banks are still reluctant to lend money. Businesses going bankrupt. Protests are planned across the country. Nobody knows when the elections will be held.
 
Being Italian I think we are in very troubled moment.
 
Luckily there is a “but”.
 
I would like to convince you to think in a different way. This blog’s mission isn’t that of supporting a certain political party, neither to back Italy to the detriment of other countries. My objective is You, my reader who by reading these words, You want to boost your income more and more, and I am here to help You in the creation of your wealth.
 
So the “but” is very simple.
 
 
The revealed scheme
 
In my precedent posts I have revealed some big investor’s trick. With their left arm they ditched Italy while with their right arm they had bought Italian TBonds. In less than 6 months these people made a 25% profit.
 
Now you have to consider how big is the Italian public debt...so you consider what kind of sky-high revenues they were able to make. 
 
The scheme is very simple. Through the help of the media I ditch a product (Italy) and in the meanwhile I buy at knockdown prices. Once I bought enough assets I stop my discrediting campaign and I wait for the market to normalize. Then I sell my assets. 
 
This scheme is totally risk-free because Italy wasn’t at risk before the crisis nor it was at risk after the crisis.  
 
A friend of mine who is a banker, used to say “knowledge is power”. He was right.
 
This is the time to invest in Italy. This is the best time to invest in Italy.
 
Why? Because Italy is strong.  
 
However now I would like to stimulate your brain with a question. Did you ever think to the reason why some publicly discredit Italy? 


Italy is a strong country that annoys some world big players
 
However Italy has also some faults that limit its economy a lot. These are Italy’s weak points that are usually criticized:

- Unstable system;

- Italian culture of kickbacks and stealing peanuts;
 
- Thinking small, parochialism. Everywhere there are opposite factions carrying atavic hate that is spread all over the country (think to the Palio di Siena’s contradas);

- Italy’s government is always in crisis;

- Government waste a filthy amount of money and newspapers publish detailed expense notes of public officials (champagne, caviar, lotteries, video-games, beauty salon...);

- Great private investments stuck by Bureaucracy;

- Private companies left at the mercy of themselves without an international economic policy aimed at supporting them worldwide;

- Lack of Tourism infrastructures;

- Corruption;

- Tax Brackets at 85%.

All these problems are widely covered by the media. All these problems make appear Italy like a Banana Republic.

However Italy has also some records:

- It’s the 5th country in the world for cultural tourism, just think to Rome, Venice, Florence, Romeo & Juliet’s Verona, Pompei, Sicily’s valley of temples;

- The food industry is incomparable, with the Pasta, the Pizza, the espresso ( did you know that the Starbucks concept was born during a trip to Milano?), The Chianti, the Sassicaia, The Ruffino wines, the Spumante, the Parmigiano Reggiano, the prosciutto, the best oils in the world are Italians. Italy is also a prime producer of Caviar with Agroittica Lombarda;

- Tourism industry is on a roll in terms of tourist presence in locations like Forte dei Marmi, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Porto Cervo, Portofino, Capri, Jesolo;

- The Italian heritage is the most important in the world: Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello Sanzio, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Garofalo, Coreggio, Tiepolo, the XX century De Chirico, Pellizza da Volpedo, Fontana, Rotella, Paladino and the contemporary art scene where the Venice Biennale is a world appointment, while among contemporary art Italy is in a leading position with artists like Francesco Vezzoli, Maurizio Cattelan, and many others;
 
- Religious tourism is also a very rich industry with the Vatican, San Giovanni Rotondo, the Loreto Sanctuary , San Francesco d’Assisi and many others;
 
- The motor industry has some excellences which speak for themselves: Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Pagani, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta bikes and Agusta helicopters;
 
- The nautical industry has the best shipyards: Benetti, Perini Navi, Riva, Baglietto, Cantieri di Pisa, Mochi, Crn Ancona, and many others;
 
- Design: Giugiaro and Pininfarina;
 
- Then the Theater and the Opera: Teatro alla Scala, Arena di Verona, Torre del Lago, La Fenice di Venezia, il Nuovo di Milano, Teatro Verdi di Firenze; to mention some names in the music field: Verdi, Puccini, Bellini, Rossini, Vivaldi, and many others are still bringing the Italian language around the world;
 
- Sport: Ac Milan the world’s most titled club, Juventus FC, FC Internazionale, the Ferrari in Formula 1 and the Monza Gran Prix, the Giro d’Italia for Cycling;
 
- Weapons: According to the Sole 24 Ore the industry increased by 5%, major companies are: Fiocchi Ammos, Beretta, Tanfoglio, Franchi, Benelli e Fincantieri. Benelli and Beretta are Official Suppliers of U.S. Armed Forces;
 
- Fashion Industry: Armani, Valentino, Gucci, Versace, Prada, Cavalli, Boggi, Brioni, Kiton, Marinella, which are some of the major global player in the fashion field;
 
- Furnitures: Poltrona Frau, Chateau d’Ax, Natuzzi divani, Poliform and many luxury kitchen brands like Scavolini, Snaidero, Maistri, Varenna and many others. Then there are many other small companies that export their products all over the world; 
 
- At this rate, finishing such a list It would take forever;

- Italian families have savings that are averagely higher to those of any other European country.
 
However here the point is if in Italy there are so many strong points that support it even in moments of crisis, what’s the reason behind the international media campaign to ditch its economy so much? 
 
The reason is found in a simple manipulative technique operated by our market opponents, who focus on certain weak aspects of our economy to magnify them in order to distract the attention from our strong points. Also, Italy doesn’t possess any major global media to defend itself from any global media attack. 
 
The likelihood becomes real. This way Italy is globally known for all its scandals and not for all the things that really work here. Consequently House prices and company values drift lower. 
 
Italy is a very rich country and can be annoying to many big players.
 
If they ditch Italy these big players can buy Italy’s goods at knockdown prices while in the normal market they would worth much more.

So? 
 
Don’t believe those media that vilify Italy.
 
Come to Italy; there isn’t a better time than right now to invest in Italy. 

Luigi Foscale

Friday, December 7, 2012

The Black Sea: Crossroads of History


Once upon a time, the Black Sea was a huge freshwater lake. At the end of the last ice age, because of a sudden climactic warming, glaciers began to melt and consequently, the world’s oceans began to rise.

In 5,600 BC, the Mediterranean Sea broke through a natural land “dam” where today there is the city of Istanbul. This geological event created the Bosporus Strait, allowing vast amounts of seawater to flow into the previously fresh waters of the Black Sea. Carbon-14 radio-dating methods support this viewpoint.

Its ancient name was Pontus Exinus (the inhospitable sea).

The Black Sea was explored and colonized by the Greeks in the 8th century B.C. and later by the Romans in the 3rd century B.C. Its commercial importance grew from the Greek dominance to the Byzantine Empire, when the capital of the Roman Empire became Costantinople.

When the Ottomans invaded Constantinople and changed it into Instanbul, the Black Sea was closed to foreign commerce until 1856 when the Treaty of Paris which settled the Crimea War and made the Black Sea a neutral territory, closing it to all warships and prohibiting fortifications and the presence of armaments on its shores. The treaty marked a severe setback to Russian influence in the region. However since then, the Sea re-opened for business to all nations interested in commerce.

The Black Sea is home to some of humankind’s most intriguing legends like Jason’s Gold Fleece and Noah’s Ark.

Maritime explorer Bob Ballard mostly known for the discoveries of the wrecks of the RMS Titanic in 1985 and of the battleship Bismarck in 1989 he is combing the floor of the Black Sea in search of the remains of ancient dwellings, which would buttress a new theory that a cataclysmic flood struck the region some 7,000 years ago—swelling the sea and eventually becoming the basis of the Noah story.

Ballard’s research has been extensevely featured through a special programming on National Geographic Channel. 

Troy, Constantinople, Istanbul, Sevastopol, Odessa, and Yalta are just a few of the names in this coastal area that have been carved in world history.


From the Christian Crusades to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Black Sea has witnessed major religious and political changes which greatly influenced human history.

Today, the Black sea is a melting pots of cultures, traditions, religions and historical memories. It’s still a vital trading crossroads, with major ports along its coast, the commercial fisheries, a diversity of marine life, beautiful tourist beaches and unique archaelogical sites.

The recent discovery of ancient wooden ships in the floor of the Black Sea has grown a renewed interest in its underwater treasures and history. In 1976, Willard Bascom suggested that the deep, anoxic waters of the Black Sea might have preserved ships from antiquity because typical wood-devouring organisms could not survive there. At a depth of 150m, the Black Sea contains insufficient oxygen to support most familiar biological life forms.

The Black Sea has six bordering countries: Bulgaria and Romania on the west, Ukraine on the north, Russia and Georgia on the east, and Turkey on the south.


Bulgaria

The Bulgars were a Caucasian-turkish tribe which formed the first Bulgarian nation in the 7th century. In 1389, the Ottoman Turks took over Bulgaria and nearly 500 years later Bulgaria regained independence with the help of Russia.

Eventually Bulgaria fell under the Soviet influence and in 1946 became a People's Republic.

The Communist regime ended in 1990, when the country held its first free elections since World War II and began its path towards democracy.

In 2001, Simeon Borisov Saxe-Coburg, the former king of Bulgaria who was forced from his throne after World War II, returned to power as Prime Minister.

Bulgaria is a unique mix of ethnic groups: Bulgars, Slavs, Thracians, Armenians, Greeks, Romans, and Turks. Some villages have a church, some have a mosque, and some have both. Bulgaria is a peaceful nation which is a pretty rare quality in the Balkans area.

Bulgaria relies on the Black Sea for fishing, commerce, and tourism with its major beach resorts. Varna is the country's largest seaport and second-largest city. Bourgas and Sozopol are the primary fishing ports, Tsarevo is a major touristic hub.

Did You Know That? — About Bulgaria

-   In Bulgaria, shaking your head from side to side means "yes," and nodding your head up and down means "no."
-   Sofia's Alexander Nevski Church is the largest Orthodox Church in Europe.

-   The Cyrillic alphabet was developed in Bulgaria by the saints Methodious and Cyril.

-   Orpheus, the great musician of Greek myth, whose songs could charm wild beasts and coax even rocks to move, was said to have been born in the ancient land of Bulgaria.

-   Bulgarian food uses minced or grilled lamb, beef, veal, pork, pickles, lamb's cheese, and yogurt. Ayran, a yogurt thinned with water, is a popular drink that looks like milk. Traditional Shopska salad is made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers and topped with feta cheese.
 
-   The most important commercial port is Bourgas.
 
-   The Corporate Income Tax in Bulgaria is 10%.
 
-   More than 80% of households own the home free from mortgage.


Romania

The name Romania comes from the Latin word “Romanus” that means Roman, however the nation’s current name has been in use only since the second half of the XIXth century.

Before that time its name was Wallachia or Moldavia.

In Romania there are both strong European and Turkish influences, as Romania was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1877.

Romania's political history of the past century has been marked by political instability and violent revolutions: after World War II, King Mihai was forced to abdicate, forced by the Communists, and Romania became a "People's Republic."

In the 1960s, Nicolae Ceausescu took over the Communist Party leadership and instituted increasingly oppressive measures. He was overthrown and executed in late 1989.

Currently, Romania is a democracy and recently joined the European Union.

Romania has a chain of resorts, a "string of pearls," along the Black Sea coast. The largest urban center and seaport is Constanta. The sun, air, Black Sea water, and thermal mud treatments at these resorts are said to have restorative powers.

Did You Know That? — About Romania

-   The Roman poet Ovid was exiled to the Romanian coast by Emperor Augustus in 8 A.D. He wrote some of his most important work there, such as Tristia, which expresses his sadness at being far from home.

-   Romania's Lake Rosca is home to Europe's largest pelican colony.

-   Famous Romanians range from Count Dracula (Vlad the Impaler) in Transylvania to the modern sculptor Constantin Brancusi.

-   Zakuska is a traditional spread made from roasted eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. Almost all Romanian.
 
-   The Corporate Income Tax is 16%.
 
-   More than 80% of households own the home free from mortgage.
 
 

Saturday, December 1, 2012

My Private Banking in Real Estate

 
Dear Friends,

This week’s op-ed is a letter, because I d like to share with you the reasons that led me to conceive the Real Estate Private Banking not only is effective but is actually necessary to overcome this moment of crisis.

First of all let’s see how this idea was born.

Since the end of the 90’s I began to manage my fortune. When I began I told myself: “if I lose, I lose my money, so you should do it the good way”. For this reason I did all I could, to work out the best possible outcome. 

After many analysis and in-depth studies, I had sensed that properties could provide continuous cash flows to uphold the living standards and a protection against Inflation.

And even if before the crisis, rental properties were almost boring for many financiers, I had taken my decision.

Today, after 4 years of persisting crisis, I have seen many of those financiers go bankrupt. In these years of crisis, I have seen many Hedge Fund ending belly up.

What’s weird is before the crisis, these people were like Einstein.
 
Likewise I have also seen that rental properties (if were good deals), they toughed it out.

Obviously real estate values went down too, however those who invested for the rental income in a time that was not the highest ever, nonetheless today is still very respectable.

As i said, 14 years ago, I started to manage my fortune. After a while some of my relatives came to me asking for advice and eventually even the management. In the meanwhile I organized myself and I have grown up until when, in 2006 I decided to quit my job as employee to start my own business. Since then an always growing number of people did contact me to be advised on real estate investment or to solve their financial problems.

Today after years of working, I am proud to be the head of Axet Real Estate Management that operates on a global level. 

If you want more information you can visit www.axet.net

If you want to contact me you can write to retirerichbyluigifoscale@yahoo.com

A dear greeting with the deepest respect and admiration,

Luigi Foscale