November is here and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Why, you may ask. Because it’s all about counting our blessings, family and football.

With the theme of Thanksgiving in mind, I’d like to share a little information about an organization that is very important to me and aligns with real estate and investing –  Habitat for Humanity.  To learn more about Habitat’s mission and its history, see my article from 2013.

Many of us take for granted what a roof over our heads really means. There can be many different factors that lead to an individual not having a home. One issue that has had great impact lately are natural disasters such as hurricanes. Habitat has been a leader in responding to these issues in the last few years.

Real Estate

Here are two stories of the impact the program has on victims of hurricanes:

Story 1: After being confined to her home for several days during Hurricane Harvey, Edna’s first view of the outside world came as a shock. ‘It looked like an ocean, she recalls. You couldn’t see grass, trees, signs, houses. Nothing.’

In this desolate and unrecognizable landscape, she and her family escaped the only feasible way — using an air mattress as a makeshift boat to float to safety. Living out of a hotel with her entire home and a lifetime’s worth of belongings destroyed, Edna turned to Habitat for Humanity.

‘It was a godsend, she says. I was at my lowest point. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know how to build a house.’

In a massive community effort, Habitat volunteers and donors provided her family with the manpower, the machinery and the know-how to help them rebuild from the foundation up. Together, they completely gutted, drywalled and painted the home.

‘I thank God for Habitat because without them, I wouldn’t be standing here today,’ she states.

Story 2: By the time the rain stopped 117 hours later, Latoya’s life had been turned upside down.

‘Hurricane Harvey came, and then Hurricane Harvey left — with my security, with my joy, with my stability,’ she recounts.

Both her house and her workplace were underwater, leaving her without a job or a home. She dipped into her savings to make the necessary repairs and return a sense of normalcy to her daughters’ lives, but a false start with a contractor left her with depleted savings and a still-unlivable home.

‘I felt stuck. I didn’t know where to turn, she says. But that’s when I found Habitat.’

 It’s a discovery that she credits with giving her the strength to carry on.

With only the frame of the house remaining after the storm, Habitat is helping her put up drywall, replace appliances, hang doors and install flooring to help her family finally go home. Latoya couldn’t be more grateful.

‘Habitat took a huge weight off of my shoulders. I could keep moving forward. They made a way out of what was no way. They saved my life,’ says Latoya

At OTA we are about Transforming Lives, and so is Habitat for Humanity. This holiday season I challenge you to find a way to make a difference in someone’s life.

Read the original article here - Count Our Blessings and Offer Help

 


 

Learn to Trade Now


This content is intended to provide educational information only. This information should not be construed as individual or customized legal, tax, financial or investment services. As each individual's situation is unique, a qualified professional should be consulted before making legal, tax, financial and investment decisions. The educational information provided in this article does not comprise any course or a part of any course that may be used as an educational credit for any certification purpose and will not prepare any User to be accredited for any licenses in any industry and will not prepare any User to get a job. Reproduced by permission from OTAcademy.com click here for Terms of Use: https://www.otacademy.com/about/terms

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD hovers around nine-day EMA above 1.1800

EUR/USD hovers around nine-day EMA above 1.1800

EUR/USD remains in the positive territory after registering modest gains in the previous session, trading around 1.1820 during the Asian hours on Monday. The 14-day Relative Strength Index momentum indicator at 54 is edging higher, signaling improving momentum. RSI near mid-50s keeps momentum balanced. A sustained push above 60 would firm bullish control.

GBP/USD holds medium-term bullish bias above 1.3600

GBP/USD holds medium-term bullish bias above 1.3600

The GBP/USD pair trades on a softer note around 1.3605 during the early European session on Monday. Growing expectation of the Bank of England’s interest-rate cut weighs on the Pound Sterling against the Greenback. 

Japanese Yen sticks to gains as bears remain on the sidelines amid intervention talks

Japanese Yen sticks to gains as bears remain on the sidelines amid intervention talks

The Japanese Yen is looking to build on its strong intraday move up amid speculations that authorities will step in to stem weakness in the domestic currency. In fact, Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama stepped up intervention warnings and confirmed close coordination with the US against disorderly FX moves. This, along with some follow-through US Dollar selling, triggers an intraday USD/JPY turnaround from the 157.65 region, touched in reaction to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's landslide win in Sunday's election.


Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD hovers around nine-day EMA above 1.1800

EUR/USD hovers around nine-day EMA above 1.1800

EUR/USD remains in the positive territory after registering modest gains in the previous session, trading around 1.1820 during the Asian hours on Monday. The 14-day Relative Strength Index momentum indicator at 54 is edging higher, signaling improving momentum. RSI near mid-50s keeps momentum balanced. A sustained push above 60 would firm bullish control.

Gold sticks to gains above $5,000 as China's buying and Fed rate-cut bets drive demand

Gold sticks to gains above $5,000 as China's buying and Fed rate-cut bets drive demand

Gold surges past the $5,000 psychological mark during the Asian session on Monday in reaction to the weekend data, showing that the People's Bank of China extended its buying spree for a 15th month in January. Moreover, dovish US Federal Reserve expectations and concerns about the central bank's independence drag the US Dollar lower for the second straight day, providing an additional boost to the non-yielding yellow metal. 

GBP/USD holds medium-term bullish bias above 1.3600

GBP/USD holds medium-term bullish bias above 1.3600

The GBP/USD pair trades on a softer note around 1.3605 during the early European session on Monday. Growing expectation of the Bank of England’s interest-rate cut weighs on the Pound Sterling against the Greenback. 

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple consolidate after massive sell-off

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple consolidate after massive sell-off

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple prices consolidated on Monday after correcting by nearly 9%, 8%, and 10% in the previous week, respectively. BTC is hovering around $70,000, while ETH and XRP are facing rejection at key levels.

Japan's Takaichi secures historic victory in snap election

Japan's Takaichi secures historic victory in snap election

In Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's coalition secured a supermajority in the lower house, winning 328 out of 465 seats following a rare winter snap election. This provides her with a strong mandate to advance her legislative agenda.

RECOMMENDED LESSONS

5 Forex News Events You Need To Know

In the fast moving world of currency markets where huge moves can seemingly come from nowhere, it is extremely important for new traders to learn about the various economic indicators and forex news events and releases that shape the markets. Indeed, quickly getting a handle on which data to look out for, what it means, and how to trade it can see new traders quickly become far more profitable and sets up the road to long term success.

Top 10 Chart Patterns Every Trader Should Know

Chart patterns are one of the most effective trading tools for a trader. They are pure price-action, and form on the basis of underlying buying and selling pressure. Chart patterns have a proven track-record, and traders use them to identify continuation or reversal signals, to open positions and identify price targets.

7 Ways to Avoid Forex Scams

The forex industry is recently seeing more and more scams. Here are 7 ways to avoid losing your money in such scams: Forex scams are becoming frequent. Michael Greenberg reports on luxurious expenses, including a submarine bought from the money taken from forex traders. Here’s another report of a forex fraud. So, how can we avoid falling in such forex scams?

What Are the 10 Fatal Mistakes Traders Make

Trading is exciting. Trading is hard. Trading is extremely hard. Some say that it takes more than 10,000 hours to master. Others believe that trading is the way to quick riches. They might be both wrong. What is important to know that no matter how experienced you are, mistakes will be part of the trading process.

Strategy

Money Management

Psychology

Best Brokers of 2025