Post-COVID New York Is an Investment Opportunity of a Lifetime

2020 was a record year for our local real estate agent.

In my tiny North Country town, with a year-round population of about 260 people, you don’t typically see a lot of action in the real estate game.

Most of the homes up here are summer homes, and in any given year, you might see three or four on the market, with maybe one or two actually being sold.

But not last year.

Last year, of the six homes put up for sale, all six were sold in record time — and nearly all sold for their asking prices.

Of course, this isn’t the first time such a thing has happened.

The last time we saw a big year for real estate up here was in 2002.  

Not long after the terrorist attack on New York City, a lot of folks in the New Jersey and NYC area sought refuge in our tiny town, tucked safely away in the Adirondacks.

They came up here during early spring and scooped up everything on the market.

Home values went through the roof and for a short time, we saw a big spike in new tax revenues. But it didn’t last long.

You see, while terrorist attacks and pandemics may scare “city folks” into North Country, it typically doesn’t take more than one brutal winter — and the complete lack of city conveniences — to send most of these folks back home.

I don’t say this with any joy or malice, either.

It’s just an observation of truth.

You see, the reality is that while such horrible events can trigger a flight response, most people who live in the big cities like it there.  

They like the convenience, the food options, the culture, the access to events, etc. And that’s why in the coming years you’re absolutely going to see a lot of folks who recently fled urban centers moving back into the cities — particularly now that everyone is getting vaccinated.

And this represents an excellent opportunity for investors.

Bargains Going Fast in NYC

Less than a year after the twin towers were attacked and New York City was desperately trying to rebuild, a massive opportunity appeared for real estate investors looking to pick up properties on the cheap as many NYC residents were scared and had fled the city.

This was actually around the time my cousin, a longtime NYC resident and just an all-around great guy, ended up buying a two-bedroom condo near the Battery — paying nearly half what that condo was going for prior to 9/11.

It was a sweet condo, too.

The building had a massive indoor pool, two gyms, office spaces for residents, was walking distance to the subway, and had a stellar view of the harbor.

He paid around $600,000 for that condo.

Eight years later, he sold it for $1.1 million.

While he certainly took no pleasure in the fact that he got a bargain because of the 9/11 terrorist attack, to deny that the crisis led him to an excellent investment opportunity would be foolish.

It would also be foolish to suggest that, as a result of the COVID pandemic, opportunity-seekers haven’t once again returned to New York City seeking bargains.

Don’t Bet Against NYC

I know a lot of folks wrote off NYC last year, many claiming it’ll never come back.

But New York always comes back. And if it can come back after 9/11, it can come back from this. After all, COVID won’t last forever.

Millions are getting vaccinated, herd immunity is right around the corner, and no matter how you slice it, Manhattan boasts some of the most sought-after zip codes in the world.

Sure, if you walk the streets of New York today, it’s still a bit depressing.

There are still a lot of empty office buildings and vacant storefronts.

But I recently took a look at last month’s NYC rental market report and noticed an impressive surge in leasing activity.

Now, to be fair, some of this is the result of landlords dramatically dropping their prices and adding some extra concessions. But if NYC were truly dead, no amount of discounts would bring folks back. And it would be fair to argue that reductions in rent, coupled with more buying activity, will result in some much-needed stability this year.

In the coming months, this stability will provide the structure for New York’s comeback. Certainly, it won’t happen overnight, and I doubt New York will return to its thriving ways for at least another year or two. But make no mistake: Investors who know how to play the long game and have recently picked up some cheap real estate will be sitting pretty in the next three–five years.

Of course, I’m not a real estate investor.

I don’t have the patience or the time to chase those deals. But there’s more than one way to invest in the “return to normalcy,” which is quickly approaching.

More Bang for Your Buck

There are a lot of industries that got slammed at the height of the pandemic, but undoubtedly, a recovery is in our midst. And many of those industries are now looking more and more attractive for investors.

Certainly, this is something I’ve been watching for a while in the airline industry, where the opportunity for some rebound profits are looking very good.

In fact, just a few days ago, we learned that Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) agreed to buy 100 new 737 MAX aircraft from Boeing (NYSE: BA). That order also included options to an additional 155 new MAX planes. This is the largest order since regulators cleared the aircraft for service last year.

The order is likely worth more than $10 billion.

Folks, nobody spends $10 billion on a whim.

People are eager to travel again, and we’re already seeing a lot of folks taking to the air for the first time in over a year.

American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) actually announced just a few days ago that its net bookings are now at 90% of the company’s prepandemic 2019 average.

And how have airline stocks been doing?

Well, even after coming back more than 20% this year, analysts at Jefferies are suggesting that most of these stocks could climb an additional 70% this year.

I think it may not be that good, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see these stocks tack on another 40% this year. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Of course, if you’re looking for more bang for your buck in terms of post-COVID opportunities, look no further than any industry that’s going to be bolstered by the billions of dollars that are about to get funneled into new energy and infrastructure projects.

I’m personally bullish on some of the new technologies that are going to get a boost from these projects. Like this new “liquid solar” technology that can turn any glass or plastic surface into a solar panel.  

So imagine every window in your home or building or even skyscraper turned into a solar panel. You could actually be looking at a situation where a home or building could generate all the power it uses.  

And here’s the best part…

It’s cheaper than what traditional solar panels cost to produce and install.

This technology is even being considered for commercial trucks and cars. Although I believe that with a coming increase in home and office construction (now that we’re preparing for a post-COVID world), coupled with federal money about to get shoveled into new infrastructure and clean energy projects, this new solar technology could soon become as ubiquitous as corn in Iowa.

And that’s why I wrote this special report that details this technology, how it works, and, of course, why it could be a huge win for investors.  

Bottom line: While the past year and half has been an absolute nightmare for most, as we claw back into a state of normalcy — post-COVID — we will have multiple opportunities to make a boatload of cash.

This new “liquid solar” stock is absolutely one of those opportunities.

To a new way of life and a new generation of wealth…

Jeff Siegel

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Jeff is the founder and managing editor of Green Chip Stocks. For more on Jeff, go to his editor’s page.

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