What to know if you’re buying an NYC home during the pandemic

Expect the following if you’re house-hunting now.

Inventory is still way down. Even though more apartments are coming onto the market than in April, in Manhattan, it’s still half as many as the same time last year, according to UrbanDigs.

Home prices haven’t changed — yet. Experts agree that it’s too early to say how coronavirus will impact prices, but a larger global recession could lead to price drops in the future.

Everything will be virtual. From open houses to contract signings to appraisals — buyers and sellers are using FaceTime, Zoom, and other virtual tools to get deals done.

The process will take longer than you expect. Banks are taking longer to issue loans, and paperwork that was once signed across a table may need to be sent back and forth between buyer and seller. Be patient.

Be flexible about move-in dates. Different buildings have their own rules about who can move in (or out!), and when moves can occur. You may end up waiting longer than you expected to actually live in your new place.

Police investigate deadly 2-vehicle crash in west Edmonton

At least one person is dead and at least one person has been taken to hospital after a serious crash in west Edmonton on Wednesday, according to police.

A number of emergency vehicles could be seen on 100 Avenue between 167 Street and 168 Street at about 7 p.m. Emergency crews had set up a black tarp along the road.

Police told Global News the collision involved two vehicles and that one was believed to be driving on a street in the wrong direction.

More to come…

Two pro-democracy lawmakers removed from Hong Kong Legislative Council

HONGKONG (REUTERS) – Two pro-democracy lawmakers were removed from Hong Kong’s Legislative Council on Thursday (May 28) where lawmakers were debating a bill that would make disrespect of China’s national anthem a criminal offence.

Tensions have ramped up in the global financial centre after Beijing proposed national security legislation that has stoked concerns over freedoms in the Chinese-ruled city.

Nissan Motor Posts Loss In FY19; Net Sales Down 14.6% – Quick Facts

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (NSANF.PK,NSANY.PK) reported a net loss to owners of the parent of 671.2 billion yen for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020 compared to profit of 319.1 billion yen, prior year. Loss per share was 171.54 yen compared to profit of 81.59 yen. Operating loss was 40.5 billion yen compared to profit of 318.2 billion yen.

Fiscal 2019 net sales declined to 9.88 trillion yen from 11.57 trillion yen, last year. Global sales were 4.93 million units, a 10.6% decrease from the prior year, given the significant slowdown in the total industry volume in the fourth quarter, as well as the decrease in sales primarily in North America and Europe in the first three quarters.

For fiscal 2020, Nissan Motor Co. currently estimates global total industry volume to decline by approximately 15 to 20% from the prior year due to COVID-19.

Boris Johnson wants people to ‘move on’ from Dominic Cummings row

On this edition of the Sky News Daily podcast with Dermot Murnaghan, we examine what the prime minister had to say to senior MPs about the Dominic Cummings row and the government’s handing of the UK COVID-19 crisis.

there is analysis from our deputy political editor Sam Coates, plus Sky News’ sport correspondent Martha Kelner on the Premier League making a step forward in its return and Robin Ferris from food bank app Bankuet talks about the increased demand for food banks during lockdown.

Canadian Solar Withdraws FY20 Revenue Outlook Amid COVID-19 – Quick Facts

While reporting financial results for the first quarter on Thursday, Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ) initiated revenue and module shipments outlook for the second quarter and maintained its full-year 2020 module shipments outlook.

However, the company is withdrawing its financial guidance for the full-year 2020, due to the uncertainty caused by COVID-19 with respect to business conditions in the second half of 2020.

For the second quarter, the company expects total revenue in a range of $630 million to $680 million and total module shipments in a range of 2.5 GW to 2.7 GW.

On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report revenues of $779.70 million for the quarter.

For fiscal 2020, the company continues to project total module shipments in a range of 10 GW to 12 GW.

The company said this outlook is subject to uncertainty with respect to, among other things, final customer demand and project construction and sale schedules, and the ongoing global impact of COVID-19.

EARNINGS SUMMARY: Details of Canadian Solar Inc. Q1 Earnings Report

Below are the earnings highlights for Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ):

-Earnings: $110.63 million in Q1 vs. -$17.17 million in the same period last year.
-EPS: $1.84 in Q1 vs. -$0.29 in the same period last year.
-Analysts projected $0.86 per share
-Revenue: $825.64 million in Q1 vs. $484.72 million in the same period last year.

Oil Prices Mixed In Choppy Trade

Oil prices were mixed on Thursday after industry data showed U.S. crude inventories swelled for the first time in three weeks.

Benchmark Brent crude climbed 0.9 percent to $34.90 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were down 1.8 percent at $32.23.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) reported late Wednesday that stockpiles expanded by 8.7 million barrels for the week ended May 22, compared with analysts’ expectations for a draw of 1.9 million barrels.

The API report, which was released a day later than usual because of Monday’s Memorial Day holiday, also showed gasoline stockpiles rose by 1.1 million barrels, while distillate fuel inventories climbed by 6.9 million barrels.

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Okla., storage hub fell by 3.4 million barrels for the week.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) will publish its weekly inventories report later in the day.

Oil futures tumbled on Wednesday, with benchmark U.S. prices ending down about 4.5 percent, after reports suggested that Russia was in favor of easing up on supply cuts as planned in July, keeping with the terms of the output curbs agreed to by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies earlier this year. Simmering U.S.-China tensions also weighed on the commodity.