Notes about the Pandemic and the Future

Last updated: March 15, 20228 Comments

Much has been written about the pandemic and I don’t want to litter the web further with my own opinions.

Clearly, the rise and spread of the virus have been a terrible blow for humanity. There have been some who profited wildly from the changes, but overall we are undoubtedly worse off from the effects of COVID.

On the other hand, the pandemic has made things that were somewhat clear and made them blatantly so, while also accelerating trends that had been building up for many years in the background.

We Are Being Brainwashed and Manipulated

The one thing that definitely stands out to me is the fact that governments and media companies have extreme power of manipulation, and the vast majority of the population acts with a herd mentality, blindly following others and their own governments’ mandates. To think independently and critically is almost demonized.

The rise of pandemic lockdowns will go down in history as one of the worst examples of global oppression caused by states to their own citizens. Never before have the day-to-day lives of so much of humanity been so radically upended. And, outside of wartime, never before has there been such a widespread and extreme rollback of human freedom.

The extreme fear instilled by governments is shameful. Sadly, the majority of citizens went into full panic mode instead of doing some thinking first, but I’ve learned that this is typical human behavior.

The fact that Twitter parody accounts sometimes make you wonder if they are actually being serious is proof enough of how idiotic behavior has become.

My wife and I were just discussing via text what our household guest policy will be. We agreed that to enter our house you must have two negative covid tests in the last 24 hours, one pcr and one rapid antigen (for reliability). I'd encourage you to discuss your covid guest plans

— Dr Terry McDouglas (@drterrymcd) September 30, 2021

There are hundreds of such examples. For example, it’s beyond me why anyone would think a mask is of any use when walking alone in the countryside, or even while driving in a closed car.

I grew up with an inherent disdain for imposed authorities of all forms. Perhaps it was due to the way my parents brought me up, the fact that I was an avid reader from an early age, or the reality that I never quite fit in within school and felt misunderstood and coerced into behaving the way the authorities wanted me to behave, even though deep down I knew it wasn’t the best thing for me.

As an adult, I learned more about how the world really works and refined my thinkings and beliefs, and I understood what level of brainwashing takes place on a daily basis through political party propaganda, religions, and company advertising, and how effective they are at manipulating our behavior.

However, never before 2020 has it been clearer to me who is on each side of the fence. This alone is a brilliant silver lining to this whole shitshow that has been the COVID pandemic so far.

Here are some partial notes for me, my family, and anyone else on the same wavelength to keep in mind going forward. This is by no means an exhaustive list of conclusions, and I might come back to this post and flesh it out further in the coming months.

[Read more…]

Adding a Hardware Remote Control to Lego PoweredUP Control+ Sets

Last updated: December 02, 2023Leave a Comment

I love building stuff with my son, and one of our latest projects (admittedly more apt for me than for him as he’s too young to be building these kits), was the Lego buggy 42124. This is a great kit that is fun to build but it is let down by the fact that it is controlled using a smartphone. I don’t like using smartphone remote controls and I definitely don’t want my son looking at a screen at a young age, so I set out to figure out a way to use a hardware remote control.

Turns out it’s quite easy to do. I used Pybricks to add custom code to the Lego hub, then ordered a Lego remote to pair with the buggy.

The code I used can be found below. I set the left red button to “ludicrous mode” which enables the buggy to function at full speed. Otherwise, I set it to run at 50% speed since my son is too young to control it at max speed, especially indoors. This way we can both use it and have some fun while using the appropriate speeds.

Lego Buggy (42124)

from pybricks.pupdevices import Motor, Remote
from pybricks.parameters import Port, Direction, Stop, Button
from pybricks.hubs import TechnicHub
from pybricks.tools import wait

# Initialize the motors.
steer = Motor(Port.B)
front = Motor(Port.A, Direction.COUNTERCLOCKWISE)

# Connect to the remote.
remote = Remote()

# Initialize the hub.
hub = TechnicHub()

# Read the current settings
old_kp, old_ki, old_kd, _, _ = steer.control.pid()

# Set new values
steer.control.pid(kp=old_kp*4, kd=old_kd*0.4)

# Find the steering endpoint on the left and right.
# The middle is in between.
left_end = steer.run_until_stalled(-200, then=Stop.HOLD)
right_end = steer.run_until_stalled(200, then=Stop.HOLD)

# We are now at the right. Reset this angle to be half the difference.
# That puts zero in the middle.
steer.reset_angle((right_end - left_end)/2)
steer.run_target(speed=200, target_angle=0, wait=False)

# Set steering angle for the buggy
steer_angle = (((right_end - left_end)/2)-5)
print('steer angle:',steer_angle)

# Now we can start driving!
while True:
    # Check which buttons are pressed.
    pressed = remote.buttons.pressed()

    # Choose the steer angle based on the right controls.
    if Button.LEFT_PLUS in pressed:
        steer.run_target(1400, -steer_angle, Stop.HOLD, False)
    elif Button.LEFT_MINUS in pressed:
        steer.run_target(1400, steer_angle, Stop.HOLD, False)
    else:
        steer.track_target(0)

    # Top speed controls
    top_speed = 50
    if Button.LEFT in pressed:
        top_speed = 100         

    # Choose the drive speed based on the left controls.
    drive_speed = 0
    if Button.RIGHT_PLUS in pressed:
        drive_speed += top_speed
    if Button.RIGHT_MINUS in pressed:
        drive_speed -= top_speed
    if Button.RIGHT in pressed:
        print('Battery voltage:',(hub.battery.voltage())/1000,"V")
        wait(100)          

    # Apply the selected speed.
    front.dc(drive_speed)

    # Wait.
    wait(10)

Lego Top Gear Rally Car (42109)

I also bought the Lego Top Gear Rally Car (42109) and used similar code with a second remote I bought. Now we can race the cars against each other. I can adjust the speed of each through code to adapt it to our different abilities.

Here’s the code I used on this car. I added some things like changing the remote light buttons and naming the remote so that the car would connect to a specific remote out of the two I have, and thus avoid confusion. I also correspondingly changed the hub’s light color.

from pybricks.pupdevices import Motor, Remote
from pybricks.parameters import Port, Direction, Stop, Button, Color
from pybricks.hubs import TechnicHub
from pybricks.tools import wait

# Initialize the motors.
steer = Motor(Port.B)
front = Motor(Port.D, Direction.COUNTERCLOCKWISE)

# Connect to the remote and set the light on the remote
remote = Remote('topgear', timeout=None)
remote.light.on(Color.RED)

# Print the current name of the remote.
print(remote.name())

# Choose a new name.
remote.name('topgear')

# Initialize the hub.
hub = TechnicHub()
hub.light.on(Color.RED)

# Read the current settings
old_kp, old_ki, old_kd, _, _ = steer.control.pid()

# Set new values
steer.control.pid(kp=old_kp*4, kd=old_kd*0.4)

# Set initial top speed value
top_speed = 100

# Find the steering endpoint on the left and right.
# The middle is in between.
left_end = steer.run_until_stalled(-200, then=Stop.HOLD)
right_end = steer.run_until_stalled(200, then=Stop.HOLD)

# We are now at the right. Reset this angle to be half the difference.
# That puts zero in the middle.
steer.reset_angle((right_end - left_end)/2)
steer.run_target(speed=200, target_angle=0, wait=False)

# Set steering angle for the buggy
steer_angle = (((right_end - left_end)/2)-5)

# Now we can start driving!
while True:
    # Check which buttons are pressed.
    pressed = remote.buttons.pressed()

    # Choose the steer angle based on the right controls.
    if Button.LEFT_PLUS in pressed:
        steer.run_target(1400, -steer_angle, Stop.HOLD, False)
    elif Button.LEFT_MINUS in pressed:
        steer.run_target(1400, steer_angle, Stop.HOLD, False)
    else:
        steer.track_target(0)

    # Top speed controls
    if Button.LEFT in pressed:
        top_speed = 75
    if Button.RIGHT in pressed:
        top_speed = 100   
    if ((Button.RIGHT in pressed) and (Button.LEFT in pressed)):
        top_speed = 40 

    # Choose the drive speed based on the left controls.
    drive_speed = 0
    if Button.RIGHT_PLUS in pressed:
        drive_speed -= top_speed
    if Button.RIGHT_MINUS in pressed:
        drive_speed += top_speed

    # Print battery voltage    
    if Button.RIGHT in pressed:
        print('Battery voltage:',(hub.battery.voltage())/1000,"V")
        wait(100)           

    # Apply the selected speed.
    front.dc(drive_speed)

    # Wait.
    wait(10)

Lego Go Kart (42109 variant)

from pybricks.pupdevices import Motor, Remote
from pybricks.parameters import Port, Direction, Stop, Button, Color
from pybricks.hubs import TechnicHub
from pybricks.tools import wait

# Initialize the motors.
steer = Motor(Port.B)
front = Motor(Port.D, Direction.COUNTERCLOCKWISE)

# Connect to the remote and set the light on the remote
remote = Remote('topgear', timeout=None)
remote.light.on(Color.GREEN)

# Print the current name of the remote.
print(remote.name())

# Choose a new name.
remote.name('kart')

# Initialize the hub.
hub = TechnicHub()
hub.light.on(Color.GREEN)

# Read the current settings
old_kp, old_ki, old_kd, _, _ = steer.control.pid()

# Set new values
steer.control.pid(kp=old_kp*4, kd=old_kd*0.4)

# Set initial top speed value
top_speed = 100

# Find the steering endpoint on the left and right.
# The middle is in between.
left_end = steer.run_until_stalled(-200, then=Stop.HOLD)
right_end = steer.run_until_stalled(200, then=Stop.HOLD)

# We are now at the right. Reset this angle to be half the difference.
# That puts zero in the middle.
steer.reset_angle((right_end - left_end)/2)
steer.run_target(speed=200, target_angle=0, wait=False)

# Set steering angle for the buggy
steer_angle = (((right_end - left_end)/2)-5)

# Now we can start driving!
while True:
    # Check which buttons are pressed.
    pressed = remote.buttons.pressed()

    # Choose the steer angle based on the right controls.
    if Button.LEFT_PLUS in pressed:
        steer.run_target(1400, -steer_angle, Stop.HOLD, False)
    elif Button.LEFT_MINUS in pressed:
        steer.run_target(1400, steer_angle, Stop.HOLD, False)
    else:
        steer.track_target(0)

    # Top speed controls
    if Button.LEFT in pressed:
        top_speed = 75
    if Button.RIGHT in pressed:
        top_speed = 100   
    if ((Button.RIGHT in pressed) and (Button.LEFT in pressed)):
        top_speed = 40 

    # Choose the drive speed based on the left controls.
    drive_speed = 0
    if Button.RIGHT_PLUS in pressed:
        drive_speed -= top_speed
    if Button.RIGHT_MINUS in pressed:
        drive_speed += top_speed

    # Print battery voltage    
    if Button.RIGHT in pressed:
        print('Battery voltage:',(hub.battery.voltage())/1000,"V")
        wait(100)           

    # Apply the selected speed.
    front.dc(drive_speed)

    # Wait.
    wait(10)

Lego 4×4 Extreme Off-Roader (42099)

from pybricks.pupdevices import Motor, Remote
from pybricks.parameters import Port, Direction, Stop, Button
from pybricks.tools import wait

# Initialize the motors.
steer = Motor(Port.C)
front = Motor(Port.A, Direction.COUNTERCLOCKWISE)
rear = Motor(Port.B, Direction.COUNTERCLOCKWISE)

# Lower the acceleration so the car starts and stops realistically.
front.control.limits(acceleration=1000)
rear.control.limits(acceleration=1000)

# Connect to the remote.
remote = Remote()

# Find the steering endpoint on the left and right.
# The middle is in between.
left_end = steer.run_until_stalled(-200, then=Stop.HOLD)
right_end = steer.run_until_stalled(200, then=Stop.HOLD)

# We are now at the right. Reset this angle to be half the difference.
# That puts zero in the middle.
steer.reset_angle((right_end - left_end) / 2)
steer.run_target(speed=200, target_angle=0, wait=False)

# Now we can start driving!
while True:
    # Check which buttons are pressed.
    pressed = remote.buttons.pressed()

    # Choose the steer angle based on the left controls.
    steer_angle = 0
    if Button.LEFT_PLUS in pressed:
        steer_angle -= 75
    if Button.LEFT_MINUS in pressed:
        steer_angle += 75

    # Steer to the selected angle.
    steer.run_target(500, steer_angle, wait=False)

    # Choose the drive speed based on the right controls.
    drive_speed = 0
    if Button.RIGHT_PLUS in pressed:
        drive_speed += 1000
    if Button.RIGHT_MINUS in pressed:
        drive_speed -= 1000

    # Apply the selected speed.
    front.run(drive_speed)
    rear.run(drive_speed)

    # Wait.
    wait(10)

Troubleshooting

If you’re having issues getting the code to work, you can try both editors:

You can also use this code to verify that a connection is being successfully made by your controller with the hub:

from pybricks.hubs import TechnicHub
from pybricks.pupdevices import Remote
from pybricks.parameters import Button, Color
from pybricks.tools import wait

hub = TechnicHub()

# Make the light red while we connect.
hub.light.on(Color.RED)

# Connect to the remote.
my_remote = Remote() 

# Make the light green when we are connected.
hub.light.on(Color.GREEN)

while True:
    # For any button press, make the light magenta.
    # Otherwise make it yellow.
    if my_remote.buttons.pressed():
        hub.light.on(Color.MAGENTA)
    else:
        hub.light.on(Color.YELLOW)
    wait(10)

Lego 42124 Trike Variant

from pybricks.pupdevices import Motor, Remote
from pybricks.parameters import Port, Direction, Stop, Button
from pybricks.hubs import TechnicHub
from pybricks.tools import wait

# Initialize the motors.
steer = Motor(Port.B)
front = Motor(Port.A, Direction.COUNTERCLOCKWISE)

# Connect to the remote.
remote = Remote()

# Initialize the hub.
hub = TechnicHub()

# Read the current settings
old_kp, old_ki, old_kd, _, _ = steer.control.pid()

# Set new values
steer.control.pid(kp=old_kp*0.5, kd=old_kd*1)

# Find the steering endpoint on the left and right.
# The middle is in between.
left_end = steer.run_until_stalled(-200, then=Stop.HOLD)
right_end = steer.run_until_stalled(200, then=Stop.HOLD)

print('left end:',left_end)
print('right end:', right_end)

# We are now at the right. Reset this angle to be half the difference.
# That puts zero in the middle.
steer.reset_angle((right_end - left_end)/2)
steer.run_target(speed=100, target_angle=0, wait=False)

# Set steering angle for the buggy
steer_angle = (((right_end - left_end)/2)-20)
print('steer angle:',steer_angle)

# Now we can start driving!
while True:
    # Check which buttons are pressed.
    pressed = remote.buttons.pressed()

    # Choose the steer angle based on the right controls.
    if Button.LEFT_PLUS in pressed:
        steer.run_target(400, -steer_angle, Stop.HOLD, False)
    elif Button.LEFT_MINUS in pressed:
        steer.run_target(400, steer_angle, Stop.HOLD, False)
    else:
        current_angle = steer.angle()
        deadband = 3  # Define a deadband range of +/- 3 degrees
        if current_angle > deadband:
            steer.track_target(0)
        elif current_angle < -deadband:
            steer.track_target(0)
        else:
            steer.stop()

    # Top speed controls
    top_speed = 50
    if Button.LEFT in pressed:
        top_speed = 100         

    # Choose the drive speed based on the left controls.
    drive_speed = 0
    if Button.RIGHT_PLUS in pressed:
        drive_speed += top_speed
    if Button.RIGHT_MINUS in pressed:
        drive_speed -= top_speed
    if Button.RIGHT in pressed:
        print('Battery voltage:',(hub.battery.voltage())/1000,"V")
        wait(100)          

    # Apply the selected speed.
    front.dc(drive_speed)

    # Wait.
    wait(10)

Lego 51515 Robot Inventor

You can also use the same principles to connect to the Lego 51515 Robot Inventor hub. There are many things you can build with that kit, but below you can find the general framework for connecting the Lego remote to the 51515 hub:

from pybricks.hubs import InventorHub
from pybricks.pupdevices import Remote
from pybricks.parameters import Button
from pybricks.tools import wait

# Initialize the hub and the remote
hub = InventorHub()
remote = Remote()

while True:
    # Check if a button on the remote is pressed
    pressed = remote.buttons.pressed()

    if Button.LEFT in pressed:
        # Code for when the left button is pressed
        pass
    elif Button.RIGHT in pressed:
        # Code for when the right button is pressed
        pass
    
    # Delay to avoid rapid polling
    wait(10)

Using a PS4 Controller via BrickController2

BrickController2 is an app that lets you control LEGO creations with game controllers. To use a PS4 controller with BrickController2, follow these steps:

Pair the PS4 Controller with Your Device:a. Put the PS4 controller in pairing mode by holding down the “Share” and “PS” buttons at the same time until the light bar starts flashing.b. On your device (whether it’s an Android or iOS), open the Bluetooth settings.
c. Look for the PS4 controller in the list of available devices. It might show up as “Wireless Controller” or something similar.

d. Tap on the PS4 controller’s name in the list to pair it with your device. You might be prompted to confirm the pairing.
Open BrickController2:a. Make sure you’ve set up your LEGO devices in the app.b. In the “Controllers” section, you should see the PS4 controller listed if it’s connected. If not, try disconnecting and reconnecting the PS4 controller via Bluetooth.
Assign Controls:a. Once the PS4 controller is recognized in BrickController2, you can start assigning its buttons to control specific functions of your LEGO creation. This can include movement directions, rotations, or other actions.
Play and Control:Once you’ve set up the controls, you can use your PS4 controller to play with and control your LEGO models. Ensure the LEGO devices and the controller are both connected and in range for optimal performance.

Max Crowdfund Review – A Global Real Estate Investing Platform

Published: July 04, 20214 Comments

Invest in real estate the easy way

When considering investing in real estate, the first thought that might come to mind is that it is going to be a long and expensive process. However, in today’s digital-savvy world, it has never been easier to invest in properties effortlessly.

These days, there are several new and innovative ways that will allow you to put money into this investment class. In this review, I will introduce you to one such option – a real estate crowdfunding platform Max Crowdfund.

Max Crowdfund is a global marketplace for real estate investors and property developers. However, unlike typical crowdfunding sites you might come across, this platform achieves this goal through tokenization.

In my review of Max Crowdfund, you will be able to learn more about this platform and find out for yourself whether it will make a good addition to your investment portfolio.

Max Crowdfund – A Quick Overview

Max Crowdfund is the product of an established real estate company, Max Property Group. Since early 2016, this firm has been involved in several projects across the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom by setting up multiple property investment funds.

By 2017, the group developed its first global property solution, Dominium. However, although the platform was quite successful with over 70,000 users, it had to be reevaluated due to trademark issues that occurred in 2018. The result is Max Crowdfund – a much-advanced rebranded version that gives you access to alternative investment spaces.

This platform integrates blockchain technology to streamline real estate crowdfunding on a global level. In a nutshell, Max Crowdfund facilitates lower entry points for cross-border real estate investment – without compromising on regulatory compliance.

The main issue the platform is trying to tackle is the lack of transparency in real estate dealings – which is one of the main aspects that concerns many investors in this arena. By using blockchain technology, Max Crowdfund aims to improve the landscape of real estate investments.

Max Crowdfund deploys digital ledger technology which in turn – will record all transactions made with an unchangeable cryptographic signature called a hash. The platform has also partnered with FIBREE (Foundation for International Blockchain and Real Estate Expertise) to ensure that all your investments will be accurately represented on the blockchain protocol.

According to Max Crowdfund, the platform has already raised a total of €2,776,600 and has generated an average annual return of 7.95%. More importantly, there have been no defaults until now.

Max Crowdfund – How to Start Investing?

As I mentioned earlier, the main consideration associated with real estate investments is the huge capital requirement. However, with Max Crowdfund – you can start investing in properties from as little as €100. The platform strives to make the real estate investment space fully transparent and accessible to everyone.

Most importantly, all investment opportunities available on Max Crowdfund are completely vetted by an experienced real estate team. This will eliminate the need for you to do any of the legwork required to find safe and secure ways to invest your capital.

As an investor, here is how you can start investing on Max Crowdfund.

Step 1: Create your Free Account

As with any other fintech platform, you can start by creating an account on Max Crowdfund by providing your email address. After confirming your email, you need to set a password.

Step 2: Verify your Account

In order to verify your account on Max Crowdfund, you will be required to complete two important steps.

1. KYC Verification

As Max Crowdfund is a funding platform, you will be required to complete a KYC (Know Your Customer) process. Since this is automated, you can add your address, upload your ID, and submit a picture of you holding the identity document.

2. Bank Account Verification

Once your KYC information has been approved, the final verification step is to add your bank account. You will also need to make a transfer – which can be of any amount from one cent to the escrow account of the platform. When Max Crowdfund receives your transfer, you can proceed to make an investment.

Note: If you need to add another layer of security, you can verify your mobile number or add a Google authenticator account at a later date.

Step 3: Find Investment Opportunities

Max Crowdfund displays all investment opportunities available with detailed information.

Every investment option will include details such as:

Full details of the company
Ultimate beneficial owners
Investment plan
Collateral
Assessment of any involved risks
Loan terms

Any returns you receive from your investments will be paid directly into your account. The term of these investment opportunities typically varies between six months and five years. There are also fixed interest rates between 3% and 12% per annum. However, this will depend on the risk class of the particular project.

As you can see, Max Crowdfund offers a transparent view of all the information you need. When you see an opportunity you would like to pursue; you can decide how much you wish to invest.

Step 3: Deposit Funds

At this stage, you can start depositing funds into your Max Crowdfund account. There are multiple payment methods that you can use to fund your account. However, it is imperative to know that – currently, Max Crowdfund accepts only euros for investing.

The platform might soon begin to accept other currencies – including crypto tokens. But for now, you can only pay in euros. When the funds have been received, your balance will be automatically updated.

Step 4: Start Investing

With a sufficient balance in your account, you can select an investment to back. After you have confirmed, the specified amount will be reserved from your account balance. Max Crowdfund gives you a window of 24 hours to change your investment amount or cancel it. This will not incur any additional charges.

After this cooling period, it will not be possible to make changes or cancel your investment. You can, however, make another deposit into the same scheme.

Note: The maximum investment is limited to €80,000 per individual investor and €160,000 for joint accounts. Company accounts and qualified investors have no limits.

Step 5: Earn Returns

When the investment has been finalized, the money will be transferred to the fundraiser, and their interest payment obligations will commence. Depending on your chosen investment, you will receive interest payments monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually, or at the end of the term.

Step 6: Withdraw or Reinvest

Any payments and interest from your investments will be added to your account balance, which you can then withdraw to your verified bank account. If the payment sits in your account for more than 60 days – it will be automatically transferred.

As you can see, investing in real estate with Max Crowdfund is fairly straightforward. However, remember that investment decisions will ultimately be yours, and so you should do your due diligence before parting with any capital.

Max Crowdfund – How to Raise Funds?

If you are looking to raise money for a real-estate project, the process might be more complicated. This is primarily because you will have to go through multiple stages of verification to be eligible for a loan.

You can follow the steps I have outlined below to get started.

Step 1: Create and Verify Your Account

Setting up your user account is the same as that I have explained above. Apart from providing your basic information, you will also verify your identity by completing the KYC process.

Step 2: Verify Your Company

If you want to raise funds on Max Crowdfund, aside from a verified personal account – you will also need a verified company account. Once you have a verified personal account, you can add your company from your profile on the Max Crowdfund dashboard. The platform will approve your company after performing a credit check.

When you have completed the Know Your Company process, you will need to link your firm’s bank account to your profile by making a transfer. This last step will complete the process of your account verification as a fundraiser.

Step 3: Submit Your Project

When you are ready, you can click on ‘Raise Funds’ on the platform to get started with your application. This will involve you filling out a form that describes your real estate project details as well as your loan requirements. Once you have submitted the application, the Max Crowdfund team will get back to you within 24 hours.

Note: This initial review will cost you €250 plus VAT – which will be charged to your company account. So make sure that you have sufficient funds available before applying for a loan.

Step 4: Fundraiser Approval

Upon receiving confirmation for a loan application, the platform will then proceed to evaluate your underlying asset and your ability to make repayments. If approved, Max Crowdfund will publish your fundraiser.

Step 5: Loan Subscription and Release of Funds

When you have received the full subscription for the loan amount, you will have to sign the loan agreement, and the funds will be released to you. Your loan will have a set minimum amount.

Even if your application does not receive a full subscription, your application will still be considered successful if your minimum loan amount has been attained. If not, the Investment Committee might decide to extend your application period one more time.

If the minimum is not met within that time, your application will be canceled, and any investment acquired will be returned to the respective investors.

Step 6: Make Repayments to Investors

As per the loan agreement, you will have to make repayments to the platform’s escrow account, which will be further distributed to the investors.

If you are unable to meet the repayments, you should reach out to Max Crowdfund so that the platform can devise a strategy to revise the loan conditions to come up with the best solution for all parties involved. Early repayment of the loan is also possible, but only if you are making full payment.

MPGS

When going through the Max Crowdfund website, you will undoubtedly come across MPGS – which are Max Property Group Share Certificates provided by the Max Property Group. Investing in MPGS will allow you to own a share in the company – given that you are qualified to invest.

However, it is crucial to understand that this investment vehicle is not affiliated with Max Crowdfund. Instead, the assets are issued by the Max Property Group, the parent company of the platform.

The only reason I am mentioning this here is so that you do not make investments assuming that MPGS is directly backed by Max Crowdfund itself. If you are considering this, you will need to do your own research about the real estate company and its financial standing first.

MPG Tokens

Max Property Group has also launched an MPG digital token which was released in February 2019. You can buy this token from cryptocurrency exchanges or directly by contacting the MPG group. Investors and fundraisers can use this token to pay for transaction fees and other charges on the Max Crowdfund platform.

Max Crowdfund Fees

As with any other online fintech platform, you will be liable to pay a fee to avail of the services of Max Crowdfund.

The charges can be classified into two – for investors and fundraisers.

Fees For Investors

Subscription fee for bonds – From 0% to 2% of the total invested amount.
Monthly administration fee – 0.1%
Administration fee incidental payment (example – for profit share) – 0.5%

Note: All investor fees are inclusive VAT.

Fees For Fundraisers

Application fee – €250
Publication contracting fee – €750
Success fee – 2.5%
Monthly administration fee – 0.06%
Administration fee incidental payment (profit share) – 0.5%
Loan restructuring – 0.5%
Early repayment – 0.5%
Late payments- Starting fee of €500

Note: All fundraiser fees are exclusive of VAT

Max Crowdfund Safety and Security

Max Crowdfund’s take on transparency extends to its compliance as well. The platform is registered with AFM in the Netherlands and has received an ‘exemption’ from them for “mediating in repayable funds.” However, it is also clearly stated Max Crowdfund is not under the strict and continuous supervision of the AFM.

Nevertheless, the platform regularly consults with the financial authority in question and also submits reports. In addition – as I have mentioned throughout the review, the platform thoroughly investigates each fundraising project in order to submit it for the consideration of investors.

If you need to know more about the risk assessment process, Max Crowdfund also has a dedicated section on its website. You can see how the platform calculates the solvability, profitability, LTV, marketability, and other risk factors involved with each project.

Max Crowdfund Customer Service

Max Crowdfund provides users with animated video tutorials on how to start investing and how to raise funds. Additionally, you will also find all the relevant information in the Help Centre. In case you need further assistance, you can reach out to the team through their contact form, email, or phone.

Max Crowdfund – The Verdict

Max Crowdfund has opened the doors for global investors to fund real estate projects without having to go through the cumbersome process of obtaining a long-term mortgage. Registered with financial authorities in the Netherlands, the platform comes across as a credible financial solution to explore this alternative marketplace.

Moreover, the blockchain integration makes the platform more transparent and trustworthy. With all that said, when making investments – there are several considerations to make. The good news is that Max Crowdfund provides you with all the necessary documentation you will need to make an informed decision.

However, it is up to you to decide whether or not the real estate markets offered by the platform align with your portfolio. On the flip side – at a minimum investment of just €100, this allows you to diversify in a risk-averse manner.

Invest in real estate the easy way

Malta Added to the FATF Grey List – What are the consequences?

Last updated: September 12, 20225 Comments

Update 2022: After just a year, Malta was removed from the FATF grey list. The reputational damage won’t be that easy to reverse however.

On June 25 2021, Malta was placed on the FATF’s list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring, better known as the ‘grey list’. It is the first time that an EU Member State has been placed on this list due to increased and persistent money laundering and terrorist financing risks.

Let’s take a look at what the FATF itself has to say about Malta’s current state, and why they have put the island in the grey list:

In June 2021, Malta made a high-level political commitment to work with the FATF and MONEYVAL to strengthen the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime. Since the adoption of its MER in July 2019, Malta has made progress on a number of the MER’s recommended actions to improve its system, such as: strengthening the risk-based approach to FI and DNFBP supervision; improving the analytical process for financial intelligence; resourcing the police and empowering prosecutors to investigate and charge complex money laundering in line with Malta’s risk profile; introducing a national confiscation policy as well as passing a non-conviction based confiscation law; raising sanctions available for the crime of TF and capability to investigate cross-border cash movements for potential TF activity; and increasing outreach and immediate communication to reporting entities on targeted financial sanctions and improving the TF risk understanding of the NPO sector.

Malta will work to implement its FATF action plan by (1) continuing to demonstrate that beneficial ownership information is accurate and that, where appropriate, effective, proportionate, and dissuasive sanctions, commensurate with the ML/TF risks, are applied to legal persons if information provided is found to be inaccurate; and ensuring that effective, proportionate, and dissuasive sanctions are applied to gatekeepers when they do not comply with their obligations to obtain accurate and up-to-date beneficial ownership information; (2) enhancing the use of the FIU’s financial intelligence to support authorities pursuing criminal tax and related money laundering cases, including by clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the Commissioner for Revenue and the FIU; and (3) increasing the focus of the FIU’s analysis on these types of offences, to produce intelligence that helps Maltese law enforcement detect and investigate cases in line with Malta’s identified ML risks related to tax evasion.

The FATF website also states that

“Jurisdictions under increased monitoring are actively working with the FATF to address strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. When the FATF places a jurisdiction under increased monitoring, it means the country has committed to resolve swiftly the identified strategic deficiencies within agreed timeframes and is subject to increased monitoring. This list is often externally referred to as the “grey list”.

So now we know what the facts are. Malta was placed under examination from Moneyval and the nation passed the test, but FATF determined that there are still important problems to address, and Malta now has the opportunity to continue demonstrating that it is taking a hard stance against money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT).

Here’s some info on what the FATF expects to see in this regard.

Financial Action Task Force (FATF) president Marcus Pleyer said that a stronger anti-money laundering framework will strengthen Malta’s rule of law and the integrity of its financial system.

“Maltese authorities must not downplay the importance of these measures. Every country that moves on the grey list is not very happy but in the end, the government of Malta gave its clear political commitment to work together with FATF to address all the deficiencies and this is just a signal for cooperation and I am very thankful for this commitment.”

This he said, will benefit the country in the long term, because strong anti-money laundering systems lead to stronger rule of law, social cohesion, social peace, “and sustainable and fair economic growth.”

Here are some of my thoughts on the subject, as always, trying to be objective and honest.

Malta’s reputation will suffer

While the FATF’s statement implied that Malta is fully collaborating to up its game, the immediate reaction by Maltese government officials told a different story. In a statement issued soon after the greylisting announcement, the Labour government said “Malta firmly believes that it does not deserve to be subject to increased monitoring considering the plethora of reforms implemented that led to tangible progress in Malta’s ability to prevent, detect and combat money laundering and the funding of terrorism effectively.”

Needless to say, I consider such statements to be pure political speech that is ultimately meaningless. Malta’s reputation has been and will continue to be damaged, and a big part of the blame lies with the current government. Over the past 5 years, the island has been rocked by constant corruption scandals, not to mention the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, a journalist who dedicated her life to expose corruption in Malta, in 2017.

Other countries that compete for Malta’s business will have a field day. For example, Guernsey’s press was quick to report this new development, obviously painting it in a very grim light.

Countries like Germany will also be banking on the hope that this reputational damage to Malta will halt the exodus of companies and high net worth individuals from Germany to countries with a friendlier tax code like Malta.

Malta’s reputation as a tax paradise is not something new, and this will just make it worse. I’ve personally been refused banking services in other countries based purely on the fact that I have Maltese citizenship. That is, of course, ridiculous and shameful, but it’s just an example of the bad image that Malta had already been cultivating during the previous years.

Even if Malta gets removed from the grey list quickly (within a year seems to be the most optimistic expectation), the reputational damage will take much longer to undo. In fact, I think that Malta would need to go above and beyond and become a champion of transparency, good governance and well-functioning administrative systems to eventually find its way back into being regarded positively by the public at large.

Increased banking issues

The major banks in Malta have been absolutely horrible at servicing businesses over the past few years, and things will get worse from now on, as foreign banks will look suspiciously at movements to and from Maltese banks. As an example, the oldest and largest bank in Malta, Bank of Valletta, has been struggling to find a correspondent bank to service their clients’ needs to receive and send USD.

They had to resort to using Western Union, and most people and businesses that have had to use USD from within their BoV accounts have been getting nasty surprises as transfers commonly got stuck for weeks.

Getting knowledgeable responses from the bank’s customer care services has not been easy either, meaning lots of time wasted in trying to figure out what happened with a simple transfer. All this leads to frustration and lack of trust in the banking system and the country overall, especially in the case of foreign businesses that are operating in Malta.

Ultimately, increased regulatory pressure on banks will force them to increase AML and KYC checks to ridiculous levels. This means that they have much more work to do, and smaller clients like individuals and SMEs become unprofitable. Banks are then incentivized to actually stop providing them with banking services. This situation is real, as many can already attest. Opening a bank account in Malta is actually unthinkable for most businesses moving to Malta. It’s downright impossible even if it’s a traditional business, let alone a business that operates in “risky” niches like crypto and online gaming. Gone are dreams of Malta being a “blockchain island”, as the government famously proclaimed a few years back.

Failure of the EU as an institution

While the FATF decided to publicly shame Malta this time, it doesn’t mean that the rest of European nations are squeaky clean. Another FATF publication in fact highlights several other European countries that have problematic areas.

What this means is that the EU has failed as an institution to control its member nations and make sure that they all play to internationally recognized rules and regulations.

It’s easy to blame Malta as being a corrupt country with lax law enforcement, but it is well known that many other countries have important issues to deal with as well. Perhaps, Malta just proved to be an easy target to pick on this time around.

I expect the EU to get its act together and for all European countries to stop blaming each other, recognize that they each have unique needs and limitations, and work together to help each other. EU critics will undoubtedly see such news as one more proof that the EU does not work. I personally think that the EU is a net positive for its member countries, but there definitely is some work to be done to make it better than it currently is.

This is a wake-up call

I left Malta several years ago, and the state of rampant corruption was one of the reasons. Unfortunately, most Maltese people have been living in a state of denial for many years. Even when they acknowledged the sorry state of things, they felt helpless and resigned to the idea that this is how things work in Malta, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Hopefully, the fact that Malta is joining the likes of countries like Haiti, South Sudan, Uganda, Albania, Panama, Syria etc. in occupying a place on the FATF’s grey list will serve as a wake-up call for every resident of the nation to change their way of doing things and demand much more from their politicians and law enforcement agencies.

Unfortunately, the past 10-20 years have been characterized by extreme levels of greed which have scarred Malta in many ways and attracted many unsavory characters and shady businesses to Malta. This greed has of course not been contained in the financial sector. It has meant a property boom with little regard to aesthetics or preservation of the precious little that there was of nature. Traffic and the resultant pollution have increased exponentially. Malta has become very dependent on certain business sectors like online gaming and finance, and such news threatens to blow everything up and plunge the island into a deep crisis.

Every Maltese person knows how things work on the islands. Whenever I visit, invariably the topics of conversation steer over to what this or that person did in a shady manner, or how corrupt a certain sector or person is etc. It is pretty depressing to be honest, as people are so frustrated that they end up sharing their grief with each other, which replaces quality conversation about more productive topics.

There are whole sectors that pay minimal tax just because it has long been accepted that the people providing services in these sectors work in the black economy. Construction workers are probably the most classic example. You will never get a VAT receipt for any construction work done, and if you even mention it they will look at you like crazy or even try to ridicule you. This extends to plumbers, electricians, etc.

And if you’re thinking that this rampant tax evasion is limited to manual labor, I can provide further examples. Restaurants in Gozo is another classic case. Here’s how it goes. You go and dine at any restaurant in Gozo. At the end of your meal, you get a receipt that clearly states that it is not a fiscal receipt. You pay and that’s the end of it. No VAT receipt gets issued. If you ask, the standard excuse is that the machine is currently broken. I should note that not all restaurants do this anymore, on my latest visit I did manage to collect a few VAT receipts, although it’s probably because I asked to pay by card rather than cash.

Doctors in Malta are another special case of rampant tax evasion. Since they are exempt from giving fiscal (VAT) receipts, the vast majority simply don’t give any receipt at all when you make a visit at a private clinic. It is very common to walk into clinics and pharmacies where doctors attend to patients and see a big notice saying that only cash payments are accepted. This is total BS and is an obvious way of ensuring that the government has no way of knowing how much they are making. Combined with the non-issuance of tax receipts, they get away with declaring a pittance of an income on their yearly tax declaration, pocketing the rest.

I doubt the FATF has any insight into these practices, and I would bet that they will not be touched, but those are some of the real everyday practices that actually need to be addressed in order for the overall culture of tax evasion and corruption to change. Else, people will always be looking at the extreme tax evasion practiced by these sectors and have the incentive to do the same if they can get away with it. Not to mention the feeling of injustice and helplessness felt by all those who are employed and work hard and honestly and receive their paycheck net of taxes, so they have no way of evading tax and pay a hefty 35% of all their income to the government.

While my experience of life in Malta makes me skeptical of long-lasting changes, I remain very hopeful that this greylisting will finally prove to be the necessary push to put Malta on a new and positive course for the future.

What are your thoughts? If you want to share your ideas on what the FATF grey listing means for Malta, go ahead and leave a comment below.

Fundrise Review – Real Estate Investment in the USA

Last updated: August 22, 2023Leave a Comment

Invest on Fundrise

Over the years, real estate has been doing generally better than stocks. However, most people don’t invest in real estate because of the hefty amounts of money involved.

Fundrise, on the other hand, offers an excellent opportunity for the average, non-accredited investor to invest in commercial real estate with an amount as low as $500.

Nonetheless, the question remains; is Fundrise worthy and reliable? With that said, read on to learn more about this real estate investment platform and determine if it’s the right choice for you.

What Is Fundrise?

Fundrise is a real estate crowdfunding company based in Washington, DC, and was founded in 2002. It is an investment company that allows small and unaccredited investors to invest in commercial real estate using only their smartphones or computers.

The platform invests through crowdfunding, where they pool investor’s funds together to buy properties. Unlike most companies that focus on institutional investors, Fundrise caters to non-accredited investors and is open to US residents.

Pro’s

Low minimum investment
Doesn’t require accreditation and is open to all investors
Investments are passive
Relatively low fees
User-friendly platform
90-day guarantee
IRA is available
Access to more significant and diverse investments

Con’s

Doesn’t permit investors to invest in property deals or individual Fundrise REITs
Investments are complex and need due diligence
Distributions taxed like ordinary income

Who Can Invest in Fundrise?

Fundrise is suited for all investors, including those that are non-accredited. In addition, both the Starter account level and Basic plan offer lower minimum investments than commercial real estate investments.

Aside from this, it also offers automatic investments that start at $100 monthly, making it great for average but not very wealthy investors.

Finally, it is also worth considering for investors who are after something long-term or those seeking diversification beyond bonds and stocks.

How Does Fundrise Work?

To start investing with Fundrise, you first need to sign up for an account. Here is how to sign up on the Fundrise Platform:

To create an account, click on the “Invest Now” option and provide the necessary information, such as your full name, email address, preferred password.
Next, choose your preferred type of account, whether an individual account or joint/trust/entity account.
You will be then be asked to fill in your other details like your date of birth, phone number, and home address.
Next, you will be asked to choose your funding option. Fundrise provides online payment options through debit/credit cards, EFT, or wire transfers.

After signing up and picking an account, Fundrise will invest your money in its allocated products like the eREITS and eFunds, depending on your investment needs.

The eREITS or real estate investment funds focus on investing in income-producing real estate through holding mortgages or buying and managing buildings.

The other product is eFunds, which generally involves purchasing land, developing housing, and then selling to home buyers using investor’s pooled money. Unlike REITs, eFunds focuses more on growth rather than on income.

For both products, payouts can be made in two ways: quarterly dividend distributions and appreciation in the asset value at the end of its investment term.

Key features of Fundrise

Low Investment Minimums

One feature that makes Fundrise stand out is its low investment minimum of only $500. This makes it an excellent choice for those on a tight budget who still want to get into private real estate investments.

Easy-To-Use Platform

The Fundrise investment platform is also straightforward and easy to use. Since this platform is designed for individual non-credited investors, signing up is easy and only takes around 10 minutes.

To create an account, you just need to provide the necessary details, the type of account you want to create, and your preferred payment method.

Customer Support

Fundrise also offers excellent customer service to cater to the needs of investors and real estate developers. When you scroll through their webpage, you will come across valuable guides and CRSs to help you reach them.

However, the company insists more on email support than phone or live chat, which can be frustrating when you need immediate help.

Redemption Program

Fundrise also provides investors with a redemption program that lets them sell their shares back to Fundrise. However, this entails a fee that’s paid into the eFund or eREIT.

Nonetheless, the said fee for redeeming shares is usually calculated as a reduction from the price value of your shares.

Here is a summary of the fees, depending on how long the shares are held:

0% fee if the shares are held within 90 days
3% if held between 90 days and three years
2% if held between 3 years and four years
1% if held between 4 years and five years

Shares held for five years or more do not entail payment of a share-price reduction fee. Also, the redemption program is exempted during times of extreme economic uncertainties.

Interval Fund

This is another product offered by Fundrise that provides greater diversification and liquidity than eREITS and eFunds. In addition, because it is very liquid, it gives investors access to their money quarterly without suffering from penalties.

Other than the benefit of being more liquid, this fund is also significantly larger than the other Fundrise funds and accommodates more assets. That means that it provides more diversification for investors.

What Is Fundrise’s Minimum Investment?

Fundrise stands out from other crowdfunding platforms because it provides several account levels with varying investment minimums. This means that investors have different real estate deals to invest in instead of just an individual option.

Also, Fundrise, when compared to most private real estate investments, boasts of low and flexible investment minimums that allow investors to place the right investment amount to meet their goals.

Here is a summary of the different account levels and their minimum investments.

Starter Plan

The minimum investment for the starter account level is $500. This is a good choice for investors that want to test Fundrise’s investment options before fully committing.

Basic Plan

You will need to invest a minimum of $1,000 for the Basic Plan. However, with this plan, investors get all the essential options available, such as investor goals, IRA investment, dividend reinvestment, and auto-invest.

Core Plan

The Core Plan requires a minimum investment of $5,000. Investors that choose this plan get the ability to customize their core plans. In addition, it also allows investors to choose what they want to focus on, whether to increase their long-term growth, get consistent cash flow, or focus on a balanced approach.

Advanced Level

For this plan, investors need to pay a minimum of $10,000. However, when you choose this option, you will get the ability to add more offerings to your investment portfolio.

Premium

This plan has a minimum investment of $100,000. It offers access to private funds that provide better opportunities for significant returns.

What Are the Investment Styles Offered by Fundrise?

When you invest $1,000, you will be upgraded to the Core portfolio, where you can choose from three plans. They include the following:

Supplemental Income

This plan focuses on revenue, and the approach is to invest in cash flow. You will then get returns through dividends.

Long-Term Growth

As the name suggests, this program is growth-oriented. It involves investing in real estate that is undervalued and then improving it before selling.

As a result, most of the returns from this strategy are from asset appreciation, while a small portion is from cash flow or dividend payments.

Balanced Investing

This is a diversified portfolio that combines both income and growth. Investors can invest in cash flow-generating property to earn dividends and purchase undervalued property to earn from asset appreciation in this plan.

Fees

Fundrise charges a 0.85% asset management annual fee to cater to the ongoing expenses involved with running the portfolios. In addition, investors also need to pay an advisory fee of 0.15%, which adds up to a total of 0.1% in fees.

The advisory fee goes towards compensating for the money and time, and the company has invested in creating its platform. Moreover, this fee supports services like fund administration, customer support, asset rebalancing, composite tax management, and more.

However, you should note that this fee can be waived based on the current circumstances. Additionally, something else to note is that the 1% fee lowers your dividend and not your account’s balance. Lastly, Fundrise can also charge other fees.

What Is the Procedure for Redeeming Fundrise Shares?

To redeem your Fundrise shares, you will be required to send a redemption request through the platform’s account settings.

After submitting your request, you may need to wait for about 60 days before you can start getting liquidity monthly. Additionally, this will entail a penalty fee of about 3% for every redemption value.

What Are the Risks?

Unlike other platforms, investments in Fundrise are passive, which means that investors need to give up control over their investments. Also, Fundrise investments, especially those that have higher returns, come with some risks.

Just like investing in the stock market, there is a possibility of losing money in your investments. However, the risks are considerably lower when you invest in the starter account level.

Additionally, something else to note is that their dividends are non-qualified. This means that they are taxed like ordinary income, requiring investors to pay for the extra tax.

Another downside of this platform is that it is a long-term investment. Therefore, after investing your money, you may only access it after five years without incurring penalty fees.

Final Verdict: Is It a Good Idea to Invest with Fundrise?

Generally, Fundrise is a good option if you are looking to diversify your investments. It is also the preferred investment platform for those with low savings. However, if you have a tight budget but still want a long-term commitment or a liquid investment, investing in REITs would be worth considering.

Ultimately, Fundrise is a private Real Estate Investment Trust that is easy to use, has low minimums, low risks, and a reasonable rate of return.

Additionally, it is entirely passive and provides an opportunity for anyone to get into real estate investing. Nonetheless, you should note that it will tie your money down for a long time.