• An architecture studio in Vietnam has designed typhoon- and earthquake-resistant glamping lodges that can be shipped anywhere in the world.
• The prefabricated Kanopya Living lodges come in five styles to adapt to different climates as well as off-grid and remote living.
• They are also lightweight enough to be carried by a team of just 2-3 people and disassembled in days.
• Prices starting at $50,000 per lodge, though you can't order a single lodge for personal use. The minimum order is 10.
• Take a look inside the new-to-market Kanopya Living lodges, which come with tented canopy roofs and can be customized to include an infinity pool.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

SEE ALSO: This super skinny off-grid home was designed to disappear into the tree canopy of a South African nature reserve — take a look inside

NOW READ: Look inside the luxury hotel built out of 1950s train cars that will sit atop a historic bridge in the heart of South Africa's biggest national park

T3 Architects, an architecture studio based in Vietnam, has designed a series of luxury glamping lodges for the future.

Source: Kanopya Living

The company says Kanopya Living lodges are resistant to typhoons and seismic shocks up to 7 on the Richter sale. They can be shipped as a kit anywhere in the world and require only 2 or 3 people to carry.

Source: Kanopya Living

They're also eco-friendly, made with only natural materials like wood, recycled marble, and plant-based paint.

Source: Kanopya Living

Kanopya Living founder Charles Gallavardin told Business Insider that the lodges are a step above your typical glamping tents, combining "tent spirit" with five-star comforts like decent acoustics and proper insulation.

Source: Kanopya Living

Each consists of a tensile canopy roof, timber structure, and a deck supported by stilts. The color of the deck and roof are customizable, and buyers have the option to add an infinity pool.

Source: Kanopya Living

Kanopya Living is currently offering lodges in five different styles to adapt to different climates. Two come with solar panels for off-grid and remote locations.

Source: Kanopya Living

The five tent variations range in size from 1,180 to 1,500 square feet, and prices start at $50,000 per lodge with a minimum order of 10.

Source: Kanopya Living

For an extra fee, Kanopya Living can work with the buyers on the interior design of the lodges using local materials.

Source: Kanopya Living

Designs could range from this beachy scene with turquoise accents ...

Source: Kanopya Living

... to this jungle-inspired setup with a roof that looks like a leaf.

Source: Kanopya Living

From order to full installation of 20 lodges (including interior design), the lodges take six months to complete and 10 weeks to install.

Source: Kanopya Living

But in case of war, natural disaster, or changing business plans, they can be disassembled in just a few days, Gallavardin told Business Insider.

Source: Kanopya Living

Kanopya Living is new to the market and Gallavardin says they've already received inquires from buyers in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Cameroon, and the Mediterranean basin, including international hotel brands.

Source: Kanopya Living

One interested buyer in Vietnam is looking to expand their lodging capacity while saving time and money by ordering prefabricated lodges, Gallavardin told Business Insider.

Source: Kanopya Living

Another wants to expand their brand to key locations throughout Sri Lanka.

Source: Kanopya Living

Several luxury hotel brands with presences in the United States, whose names Gallavardin shared confidentially with Business Insider, are also considering investment in Kanopya Living lodges, he said, adding that their tailor-made options are a key selling point.

Source: Kanopya Living

While prefab lodges hold appeal in terms of saving time and money, they also tap into changing traveler interests, Gallavardin told Business Insider.

Source: Kanopya Living

Urbanites weary of sheltering in place during the pandemic are looking to reconnect with nature while also being mindful of their environmental footprint, he said. "'Less-is more' remains a topical and relevant motto," he recently told Hoteliers Guild.

Source: Kanopya Living

• While in lockdown in New Jersey, Deanna and James Dunn bought a Ram ProMaster van for $20,000.
• For another $15,000, the couple renovated the van and converted it into a tiny house on wheels, with a full shower, toilet, and a projector screen. 
• The couple is now traveling to California in their converted van. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As most of the country spent the first two months of lockdown inside, one couple used that time to completely renovate a sprinter van. 

For two months, Deanna and James Dunn worked on turning a Ram ProMaster van into a tiny house. Now they're embarking on a cross-country road trip from New Jersey back to their home base in California.

Keep reading to learn how they did it and to get a peek inside their modern, second home on wheels. 

FOLLOW US: Business Insider is on Facebook

Last summer, Deanna and James were looking for innovative ways to travel on a budget, so they bought a vintage camper — but it didn't go as planned.

The Dunns work long hours for a few weeks at a time in a power plant in Los Angeles, and then they have large chunks of time off. Although they live full-time in the city, the couple uses their time off to travel, so they were looking for an inexpensive way to see the country without paying for plane tickets or hotels. 

In 2019, the couple decided to buy a 1950s camper, and they converted it into their second home. But they struggled to find parking in Los Angeles for their camper and didn't like how they had to hitch it to a car when traveling. 

"We then stumbled across the sprinter van world, and we found it to be so much stealthier and easier to travel in," Deanna said. 

They decided to convert their first sprinter van that fall.

In March, they moved out of their Los Angeles home and planned to stay on the East Coast for a couple of weeks while figuring out their next move. Then the lockdown went into effect.

In March, Deanna and James knew they were going to spend some time on the East Coast, so they decided to move out of their permanent home in Los Angeles and leave everything in storage. They even sold their sprinter van because they knew they eventually wanted to upgrade. 

While spending time in New Jersey at Deanna's parents' house, the coronavirus swept through the country, sending several states into complete lockdown. Since they didn't have a home to go back to, the couple decided to spend their time building a new van with the knowledge they gained from the previous two builds. 

They bought a Ram ProMaster van for $20,000 and started renovating it in Deanna's parents' driveway.

Although it wasn't under the conditions they expected, there were pros to building their new sprinter van in New Jersey. Deanna said her parents have a garage that was perfect for them to use as a workshop, and she had access to her father's tools. 

Deanna said the best part of converting their camper was implementing everything she learned from the previous builds.

Deanna decided that this time she would sit down and plan out the entire remodel beforehand. In doing so, she said she made smarter decisions about furniture and storage. 

"We learned that we needed to use every nook and cranny for storage and utilize as much space as we can," she said.

She also said it was a "learning curve" to figure out what materials you can use in a van that is constantly on the move. 

"We learn as we go," she said. "There's not exactly a guidebook." 

"It was definitely different doing a renovation during quarantine," Deanna said. "We just had to order so many things online. There were a few things we had limited options on."

She said in the end, she was able to make it all work and that it was a good "distraction" from the pandemic. 

"There's been a whole lot of research, but it definitely has made us so much more creative in how we do things because we problem solve as we go," she said.  

After two months and $15,000 in renovations, their home on wheels was complete.

"We loved being able to take design risks and seeing it all come together," Deanna said. "We love interior design, and we love creating a cozy space."

The first feature you see when stepping into the van is the luxury shower, which isn't too common in van conversions.

"There are things already difficult about traveling in a van, but [this time], we wanted to feel completely self-sustainable, especially during the pandemic where we don't want to go into public places," Deanna said. "We wanted to be able to shower and go to the bathroom without a problem."

So they decided to build a full shower and toilet into the van. They researched the appropriate materials and found a silicon grout that can bend and move with the van without the tiles cracking. 

The toilet is compostable and can be easily moved out of the shower when bathing.

Next to the shower, there is a small kitchen counter, which is equipped with a sink.

There's another set of drawers, which lock so that they stay closed when the van is moving, and countertop space on the opposite wall.

At the back of the van, there are two couches and a table that doubles as a place to eat and work.

Although they like to leave the doors open to see the view, there are curtains for privacy.

When it's time for sleep, the table efficiently converts into a bed.

The table is pushed down to create the base of the bed. Next, the couple rearranges the memory foam couch cushions into a queen-size bed. They even add a mattress pad on top. In one of their TikTok videos, they said the bed is comfortable and even fits James, who is 6 feet tall. 

The couple even built a hidden projector screen in their van for entertainment.

Deanna said a TV would be too excessive to hang in such a small space, so they opted for a projector screen. However, projector screens only come in large sizes, so they purchased an electric window blind made from the same material. They hid the projector in a cabinet and it comes down electronically. 

"It's so much fun to have a big screen in the van while being in such a small space," Deanna said. "That's one of our favorite parts."

For added entertainment, they crafted a cornhole board that pops out of a drawer at the back of the van.

"It doesn't take up any extra space," she said. "This way we have that tailgate feel when we set up at a campsite." 

After completing their van, the couple set out on a cross-country road trip to head back to their home base in California.

While Deanna said they are not encouraging people to get on the road in the middle of a pandemic, she and James did it out of necessity to get back home to Los Angeles, where they will move into a traditional home again.

"We've been opting for outdoor activities in the national parks and trying not to come in contact with anybody," she said.

They're taking the northern route, so they've been to Chicago, Yellowstone National Park, and are currently working their way down Utah. 

Once they arrive in Los Angeles, the couple will be renting out their van when they're not using it, but Deanna warned that life on the road isn't always easy.

"This doesn't take away all the adventure and fun that van life gives you, but there are sacrifices," Deanna said. "It definitely is difficult at times, especially when you're traveling during the pandemic. There are things that go wrong, and you have to be prepared to fix them on the go." 

She added, "To us, it's definitely is worth it."

Do you live in a tiny house, RV, camper van, or other unusual housing structure and want to share your story? Reach out to Frank Olito at  folito@businessinsider.com

• Read more:
• A couple paid off $125,000 of debt in 2 years after moving into a 200-square-foot tiny house — here's how they did it
• A single mom, 2 kids, and 2 dogs all live inside a 270-square-foot tiny house. Here's how they make it work.
• 20 photos that show the ingenious ways tiny house owners store their belongings
• A couple spent an extra $40,000 on their tiny house after they say their builder made multiple mistakes. It points to a larger issue in the tiny house movement.

• China's AVIC AG600 Kunlong seaplane took its first flight over the Yellow Sea on July 26, successfully taking off and landing in untamed waters.
• The flying boat is the world's largest seaplane with potential uses in maritime rescue and aerial firefighting. 
• It can also utilize conventional runways thanks to retractable landing and fly nearly 3,000 miles.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

China's newest flying boat just stretched its sea legs with a successful first flight in open waters. 

The AG600 Kunlong seaplane successfully lifted off from the Yellow Sea just off of Qingdao in East China, Xinhua reported, marking the next step towards certification for the enormous aircraft that's launching a comeback for flying boats.

Airborne for just over a half-hour on July 26, it was the first over-water flight for the aircraft away from the calm reservoir in Hubei from where it first flew. The real-world trial would see the seaplane surrounded by boats and ships also traversing the waters. 

It's the latest development for the Aviation Industry Corporation of China – with the craft billed as the world's largest seaplane – that comes just under three years following its first flight in December 2017, Forbes reported at the time. The past few years have seen China's aircraft manufacturers produce rival offerings to Boeing and Airbus, though their designs been criticized for being similar to current aircraft in the West and developed using clandestine methods, IndustryWeek reported.

But AVIC is now leading the charge for a new era of flying boats, with the Kunlong resembling Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose – a World War II-era flying boat intended for the US military that never entered service – but already proving to be a more viable concept with multiple successful flights and orders from Chinese organizations.

Take a look at the AG600 Kunlong flying boat. 

SEE ALSO: Boeing will stop making its 747 Jumbo Jet after more than 50 years of passenger flight. Here's the complete history of how the iconic plane changed the world.

DON'T MISS: I toured the most iconic British Airways jet since the Concorde just before its abrupt retirement. See inside the plane that shuttled VIP flyers between New York and London.

China began developing the flying boat in 2009, reviving the idea of a flying boat with potential uses such as conducting maritime operations for the country's armed forces and search and rescue.

Source: Xinhua

The unique design has the aircraft rest directly on the water instead of being supported by pontoons.

It's a rare design in the modern era but flying boats dominated aviation in the early days of aerial exploration, opening up air routes to remote island destinations.

Most modern seaplanes or float-planes land on pontoons, with the belly of the aircraft never touching the water.

China's concept is more indicative of Howard Hughes' wooden H-4 Hercules, referred to by critics as the "Spruce Goose" and which only took one flight in its life.

Unlike the Hercules, however, the Chinese concept isn't meant to ferry passengers but is of interest to government entities that can use the seaplane for maritime operations.

Source: Xinhua

Helicopters – thanks to their ability to hover mere feet about water – have traditionally been relied upon to conduct water-based operations like search and rescue but the versatility of the flying boat, especially with greater ranges and speeds, would replace that supremacy.

The aircraft is massive at 120 feet long with a 127-foot wingspan.

Source: South China Morning Post

Its size is actually comparable to a Boeing 737 passenger jet.

Source: South China Morning Post

But unlike the passenger jet, the AG600 can only seat around 50 passengers, not including the crew.

Source: Xinhua

Four six-bladed turboprop engines propel the aircraft with a maximum range of 2,800 miles – nearly the equivalent of flying between Seattle and Miami.

Source: South China Morning Post

A key feature is its retractable landing gear, allowing the Kunlong to land and depart on conventional runways in addition to water.

It can take-off on a normal runway and land on water or just taxi down a ramp into the sea on its own power, converting itself into a sea-faring vessel.

And as it can land on water, another potential use of the aircraft is for firefighting missions.

Source: Xinhua

Seaplanes are frequently used for such missions as they can collect water from a nearby ocean or waterway instead of having to return to base to refill their tanks.

The AG600 can utilize most water sources as long as waves are less than around 6 feet high.

Source: South China Morning Post

Onboard tanks can carry around 12 tonnes of water, making it a formidable tool against forest fires that plague areas of the country.

Source: Xinhua, The Guardian and Bloomberg

AVIC has landed 17 orders for the plane, as of May 2018, with the recipients all being Chinese organizations.

Source: CNBC

Certification and the first delivery of the aircraft are expected to occur by 2022.

Source: South China Morning Post

Review: Is the Chase Sapphire Reserve the best card for you?

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is an extremely valuable card for travel, thanks to the valuable Ultimate Rewards points it earns and benefits like a $300 annual travel credit. It does charge a steep $550 annual fee, but if you can put its benefits to use, it could be the best premium credit card for you.

If you don't want to pay a premium-level annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a good alternative, at $95 a year. It earns bonus points on the same purchase categories as the Sapphire Reserve, but at a lower rate, and it offers most of the same travel protections.

Bottom line: Those who are new to rewards credit cards may want to start elsewhere, but if you know you want to earn Chase points and you spend a lot on travel and dining, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is one of the most rewarding options. 

Chase Sapphire Reserve versus other Chase credit cards

*earn 3x points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases in these categories each account anniversary year.

Chase Sapphire Reserve versus other premium cards

*up to $60 in credits in 2020 and up to $60 in credits in 2021

Using Chase Ultimate Rewards points

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns Ultimate Rewards (UR) points — this is the points currency of Chase's in-house rewards program.

Ultimate Rewards points can be exchanged for cash back, gift cards, or statement credits, with each point worth 1 cent. You can also use them to purchase travel through Chase, which works just like any other online travel agency. When you use points that way, you get a 50% bonus — in other words, each point will be worth 1.5 cents instead.

Chase recently introduced a new option for redeeming points on the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Chase Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It's called Pay Yourself Back, and it lets you cash in Ultimate Rewards to cover dining, grocery, home-improvement, and charity purchases made with your card. You get a 50% bonus in value with the Sapphire Reserve — so, 1.5 cents per point — and a 25% bonus if you have the Preferred card. This can be a great way to save money during periods where you're not doing much traveling.

Finally, you can also transfer points to Chase's airline and hotel partners' loyalty programs — transferring points is generally the most valuable way to use them.

The Sapphire Reserve's 50,000-point sign-up bonus is worth $500 as cash back, $750 for travel purchased through Chase, or more if you transfer the points to an airline or hotel program.

Chase Sapphire Reserve features

$300 travel credit

Each cardmember year (meaning every 12 months starting the month you open the card), the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers a $300 credit toward travel purchases. The credit will be applied to the first $300 worth of purchases you make that year in the travel category, including things like subways, taxis/ridesharing, and parking, as well as hotels, airfare, and cruises.

When you subtract the travel credit, the Chase Sapphire Reserve's annual fee is effectively $250.

Up to $120 in statement credits for DoorDash food delivery

Chase was clearly feeling the pressure from updates to American Express cards like the Platinum Card, American Express® Gold Card, and American Express® Green Card — which have all added benefits including statement credits over the last few years.

To kick off 2020, Chase announced the addition of DoorDash benefits for Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders. In addition to a complimentary year of DashPass membership (for waived delivery fees on qualifying orders), the card comes with up to $120 in statement credits with food delivery service DoorDash. This breaks down into up to $60 in credits in 2020, and up to $60 in credits in 2021.

If you already use food delivery services and DoorDash is available in your town, this credit can be taken at face value: up to $120 in value. This would bring the card's effective annual fee down to $190 per year ($550 minus the $300 travel credit minus $60 in DoorDash credit). However, if you're not interested in this perk, it could be harder to justify the newly increased annual fee.

A year of complimentary Lyft Pink membership

This is another new benefit that took effect on January 12. Lyft Pink membership gets you perks such as:

• 15% off Lyft rides
• Priority airport pickups
• Relaxed cancellation policies
• Up to three 30-minute bike or scooter rides per month

The last benefit is only available in select metropolitan areas, so not everyone will be able to use it. If you're a frequent Lyft user, this perk could be great, but if not, it could be harder to justify the increased annual fee.

Airport lounge access

Having access to airport lounges is one of my favorite perks of the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Lounges are comfortable, relaxing, and exclusive areas where you can enjoy comfortable seats, an internet connection, food and drinks — often complimentary — and sometimes other amenities.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with a Priority Pass Select membership. Priority Pass is a network of more than 1,200 airport lounges around the world, any of which you and your travel companions can access for free when you have your membership card.

With the Priority Pass membership provided by the Sapphire Reserve, you can bring in two guests. So whether you're traveling alone or with your family, you can enjoy free snacks, drinks, newspapers and magazines, showers, and more, all separate from the hustle and bustle of the main terminal.

Global Entry or TSA PreCheck 

TSA PreCheck and Global Entry (which comes with PreCheck) are absolute musts for just about any traveler. Once you enroll, you can use special lanes to breeze through airport security — you won't have to remove shoes and light coats, and you can leave your laptop in your bag.

With Global Entry, you can use a fast lane when you return to the US from abroad, which makes clearing immigration and customs easy and quick. The programs cost $85 to $100, and Chase will provide a credit for that fee every four years (memberships are valid for five years).

Primary rental car insurance and rental elite status

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers a primary auto rental collision damage waiver, or free loss and damage coverage when you use the card to pay for a rental car. Just decline the collision/damage/loss coverage offered by the rental agency. Keep in mind you may still want to opt for the rental company's liability insurance.

When you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can also get complimentary elite status with Avis, National, and Silvercar rental agencies. The benefits vary a bit between the companies, but generally include a car class upgrade, easy pick-up/drop-off, and more.

Other benefits

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® comes with a handful of other benefits, including various travel and purchase protections.

In my opinion, one of the most useful is trip and baggage delay insurance. When you're traveling and you're delayed for at least six hours, or overnight, you're covered for up to $500 of incidentals per person traveling with you whose ticket was purchased with the card. That covers things like hotel accommodations, meals, toiletries, and a change of clothing — really, anything that can be considered a "reasonable" expense.

Similarly, if your baggage is delayed, things like clothing and toiletries are covered up to a certain amount until your bag is delivered.

Other protections include travel accident insurance, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, extended warranty, and return protection.

Chase Sapphire Reserve costs and fees

As discussed above, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® has a premium-level annual fee of $550. It could be worth it if you take advantage of the $300 annual travel credit and other benefits. 

You'll want to make sure you can pay your balance in full each month to avoid interest charges. The card has an APR of 16.99%-23.99% Variable— those fees can add up quickly if you don't pay your balance in full. Even though the Chase Ultimate Rewards this card earns are very valuable, it's not worth spending more than you can afford to earn them.

Like virtually every other travel card, the Sapphire Reserve doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.

• Related Content Module: More Credit Card Coverage

SEE ALSO: Here are all the amazing ways you can use the points from your Chase credit card

Join the conversation about this story »

• TikTok, the short-form video app, has become one of the most popular social platforms among Generation Z. It has more than 2.3 billion all-time downloads, and 100 million users in the US alone.
• However, the future of TikTok's presence in the US is uncertain: The Trump administration is threatening to ban the app, citing national security risks over its ties to China through its parent company, ByteDance.
• Trump says he'll ban the app if an American company doesn't buy TikTok's US operations by mid-September. He escalated his attack with Thursday night's executive order barring US companies from doing business with ByteDance.
• Microsoft has emerged as a frontrunner in TikTok acquisition talks. The possible deal — in which Microsoft would take over TikTok operations in US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia — is valued between $10 million and $30 million.
• Here's the story of how TikTok got its start and grew into a wildly popular platform, and where the status of TikTok's future in the US stands.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
• Follow INSIDER on TikTok.

One of the most popular apps is a short-form video platform called TikTok.

In just a few years of its existence, TikTok has become a staple of internet culture and social interaction for Generation Z. The app has surpassed 2 billion all-time downloads, thanks to its flurry of short-form videos where users participate in viral challenges, lip sync and dance to music, show off comedic skits, and share their hot takes on society at large.

But TikTok's rise into the mainstream — especially in the US — has also led to increased scrutiny. TikTok is owned by the colossal Chinese tech company ByteDance, a connection that's raised concerns about how much access and influence the Chinese government has to user data and content moderation. To appease concerns, ByteDance recently appointed a new CEO for TikTok, Kevin Mayer, an American ex-Disney streaming executive who is now based out of TikTok's Los Angeles offices.

Nonetheless, the Trump administration has stepped up threats in recent month to ban TikTok in the US, where the app has more than 100 million users. Reports have emerged indicating ByteDance could sell TikTok's US operations to an American company to avoid a ban, and Microsoft has been revealed as the leading buyer.

Now, the pressure is on ByteDance to close a deal before September 15, the date Trump has said he'll ban TikTok on if a deal is not reached. These hints at action against the app in one of its biggest markets could mean trouble for TikTok's future and the millions of users loyal to its content.

Here's how TikTok rose to become a social network loved by teens and scrutinized by US authorities:

SEE ALSO: No, Donald Trump can't 'ban' TikTok

To trace the history of this incredibly popular short-form video sharing app, it's important to note that TikTok didn't start as TikTok, but as two distinct apps that eventually merged: Musical.ly and Douyin.

Musical.ly was a short-form app where users could create and share 15-second lip sync music videos. It was founded in 2014 by Alex Zhu and Louis Yang.

Source: Business Insider

Musical.ly was originally intended for short-form educational videos, but Zhu said that idea was "doomed to be a failure."

Source: Business Insider

The app hit the No. 1 spot in the App Store in the summer of 2015, and never left the charts. From Musical.ly, a new generation of stars was created, including Jacob Sartorius.

Source: Business Insider

When the popular video app Vine closed in October 2016, many of the fresh class of young influencers who found fame by posting videos turned to Musical.ly to continue their work.

Source: New York Times

Meanwhile, in September 2016, short-form video app Douyin launched in China. Short-form video creation was nothing new for China's market, but Douyin's popularity skyrocketed. Within a year, Douyin had 100 million users and 1 billion video views each day.

Source: WalktheChat

In September 2017, Douyin expanded outside of China to select international markets under a new name — TikTok. The platform quickly rose to the top of the charts in Thailand, Japan, and other Asian markets.

Source: KrAsia

As TikTok started to gain traction globally, Musical.ly was taking over the United States.

Source: Business Insider

In November 2017, Douyin's parent company, ByteDance, purchased Musical.ly in a deal valued at $1 billion. ByteDance first operated the two short-form video apps as two separate platforms: Musical.ly in the US, and TikTok in other foreign markets.

Source: Business Insider

Less than a year later, in August 2018, ByteDance announced it would shut down Musical.ly and merge it into TikTok. All Musical.ly profiles were automatically moved over to the TikTok platform.

"Combining musical.ly and TikTok is a natural fit given the shared mission of both experiences — to create a community where everyone can be a creator," Musical.ly cofounder Zhu said at the time.

Source: Variety

TikTok's popularity has since skyrocketed in the US, where the app has an estimated 100 million users. TikTok has just under 1,500 employees in offices across the US, and has pledged to add 10,000 more jobs by 2023. TikTok's US operations are based in Los Angeles, and headed up by US general manager Vanessa Pappas.

Source: Axios, ABC News

ByteDance, which now owns TikTok, is a colossal Chinese tech company headquartered in Beijing that runs several popular social networking apps. Think of ByteDance as China's Facebook: Both companies own families of popular social networking apps used by billions of people a day.

ByteDance is run by CEO Zhang Yiming, who founded the company in 2012. Zhang's name is relatively unknown outside of China, but the 36-year-old CEO comes from a background in software engineering and is worth an estimated $16.2 billion, according to Forbes.

Source: Bloomberg, Forbes

ByteDance's first product was a news aggregator app called Toutiao. Zhang wanted to create a news platform whose results were powered by artificial intelligence, separate from China's search engine Baidu.

Source: Bloomberg

Since 2012, ByteDance has expanded as an umbrella company for several popular Chinese social apps. In 2019, ByteDance released a WeChat-competing chat app called FlipChat, and a video-messaging app called Duoshan.

Source: TechCrunch

ByteDance is now worth $75 billion, making it the most valuable private company in the world. It's received investments from some of the biggest VC firms globally, including SoftBank, Sequoia Capital, and General Atlantic.

Source: PitchBook

TikTok is quickly gaining ground in a social scene largely dominated by powerhouses like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Worldwide, it's become home to viral challenges, has spawned internet memes, and has become particularly popular among Generation Z.

Because of TikTok's music-centric set-up, the app has become a career launchpad outside of the traditional industry. Budding artists like Lil Nas X have seen their songs go viral for uses in dances and challenges on the app. "Old Town Road" was used for countless videos and memes on TikTok ahead of its ascent to the top of the Billboard charts.

Source: Complex

TikTok has also become the newest platform to turn regular users into viral sensations and successful influencers. The No. 1 star on all of TikTok is currently Charli D'Amelio, a 16-year-old who ascended to the top less than a year after joining the platform.

Source: Business Insider

Do you work at TikTok? Got a tip about it? Contact this reporter via Signal at +1 (201) 312-4526 using a non-work phone, email at pleskin@businessinsider.com, or Twitter DM at @paigeleskin. (PR pitches by email only please.) You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

TikTok's popularity has skyrocketed not only in the US, but around the world. Following a popularity boost during the coronavirus pandemic, TikTok surpassed 2 billion downloads worldwide in April across both iOS and Android devices, according to app analytics firm Sensor Tower.

Source: Business Insider

But the rising popularity of TikTok has also come with some controversy, due to its ties to China via ByteDance. TikTok has found itself in the crosshairs of US lawmakers, who have raised national security and privacy concerns over ByteDance's ties to the Chinese government.

The US government started investigating the app in 2019 after pressure from lawmakers. Officials have raised concern about how TikTok handles and stores user data, leading to government entities and political parties to ban the app from their employees' phones.

The investigation is being led by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a US Treasury group that has the power to approve and reject business dealings over national security risks. CFIUS's jurisdiction pertains to a review of ByteDance's 2017 acquisition of Musical.ly, 

Source: Business Insider

The app's young user base has also gotten it in trouble with children's privacy officials. TikTok paid out a $5.7 million fine to the Federal Trade Commission in 2019 over allegations it illegally collected personal information from children under age 13 without parental consent, in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

Per the FTC settlement, TikTok promised to delete existing data it had on young users and change its practices to adhere to COPPA. However, earlier this year, privacy and child advocates accused TikTok of breaking the terms of the FTC settlement by failing to delete videos and other content obtained illegally, and failing to alter policies.

As a result, the FTC and US Justice Department are now looking into allegations it failed to live up to its 2019 agreement.

Source: Business Insider, FTC

TikTok has also faced allegations it censors content on the platform. The Guardian found TikTok had previously removed political content that would anger the Chinese government, brought on by the suspicious absence of videos of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019.

TikTok has denied it censors content on requests from any "foreign government," and has said that none of its moderators are based in China.

Source: The Guardian

Media outlets have also uncovered TikTok policies that had censored 'culturally problematic' content — including videos featuring vaping, so-called suggestive dancing, and social issues. TikTok was also found to have censored or limited the reach of videos from disabled, queer, and fat creators. It's still unclear what policies TikTok uses to moderate its content today.

TikTok has said that it no longer adheres to these policies when monitoring content.

Source: Washington Post, Netzpolitik

Amid increasing scrutiny from the US, TikTok has tried to distance itself from its Chinese roots. On June 1, ByteDance appointed an ex-Disney executive Kevin Mayer as its global CEO, based in Los Angeles. The company also launched a content-advisory council to guide policy changes, and set up a transparency center at its LA offices.

Zhu, the Musical.ly cofounder and former head of TikTok, now serves as ByteDance's VP of product and strategy.

Source: Business Insider

It didn't take long for Mayer to face his first challenge as TikTok's new CEO: India said in June it was banning TikTok and other Chinese apps amid violent clashes with China over a disputed shared border. Mayer had to quickly address concerns from thousands of employees in India, a market making up 30% of all TikTok downloads.

Source: Business Insider

In early July, concerns around TikTok's presence in the US were reignited following comments from President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about potentially banning the app. However, it's unclear whether Trump can actually ban the app's use in the US.

Although Pompeo cited national security fears as a reason, Trump said he was looking to ban the app as a way to punish China over the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: Business Insider

Despite accusations against TikTok of "spying" on users, it's unclear whether the app collects any more user data or poses a bigger security threat than other major tech companies based in the US, like Facebook or Google.

This accusation of spying, forwarded by the Trump administration, is based on research from March showing how apps are able to access content stored on the clipboard — the copy-and-paste feature — of users' iPhones and iPads. TikTok was only one of the dozens of the apps, including LinkedIn and Fox News, caught spying on iPhone clipboards, but that didn't stop the Trump campaign from turning the story into anti-TikTok ammunition.

Source: Business Insider

However, it's possible the Trump administration's reason for a ban could be a bit more personal. In June, swarms of TikTok teens and K-pop fans were credited with falsely inflating the expected attendance for a major Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Source: Business Insider

Since Trump first publicly threatened a TikTok ban in early July, American users and creators have started to panic about the app's disappearance. Other US tech companies, like Facebook, have capitalized on the chaos to try to lure TikTok's loyal following to their competing platforms.

In a blog post shared in late July, TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer explicitly called out Facebook for its "copycat product" called Reels, a new TikTok-like format soon coming to Instagram users in the US.

Source: Business Insider

ByteDance executives and investors have been exploring alternatives to avoid TikTok's ban in the US — some options include ByteDance selling off TikTok US, or spinning out the US operations as an independent US company.

Source: Business Insider, Reuters

Last week, reports emerged Trump was considering two different executive orders — one instructing ByteDance to "divest" its US operations, and another banning TikTok from the US.

According to a 1988 law, Trump has the authority to block foreign business deals pertaining to US companies if he deems the deals are a national security threat. Trump has twice previously used this authority to block deals in which tech corporations from China and Singapore were poised to take over US-based companies.

However, it's unclear what power Trump has to completely ban an app in the US.

Source: Business Insider

Microsoft quickly emerged as a potential buyer of TikTok's US operations. In the wake of Trump's comments about a ban via executive order, Microsoft announced Sunday night it was continuing "discussions" about a potential acquisition of TikTok's operations in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia — a deal with an estimated valuation between $10 billion and $30 billion.

"The two companies have provided notice of their intent to explore a preliminary proposal that would involve a purchase of the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and would result in Microsoft owning and operating TikTok in these markets," Microsoft said in its statement.

Microsoft also said it might invite other American investors "on a minority basis."

Trump has given TikTok until September 15 to find a US buyer, or else he'll ban app. However, it remains unclear what authority the Trump administration has to ban TikTok.

Trump also said the US Treasury should receive payment as part of TikTok's sale to a US company.

Source: Business Insider

On Thursday night, Trump dropped an executive order barring US companies from "any transactions" with TikTok and ByteDance. The order, set to take effect in 45 days, is likely to face legal challenges.

Source: Business Insider

• David Neeleman's new start-up airline, Breeze Airways, is pushing back its launch to 2021 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to suppress travel. 
• The low-cost airline is Neeleman's fifth, with his most notable in the US being JetBlue Airways, and plans to offer a convenient alternative to the major airlines by flying direct routes between secondary markets.
• The Airbus A220 will be the flagship aircraft of the fleet making Breeze the third US airline to fly the next-generation Canadian aircraft behind Delta and JetBlue. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The US will not be gaining another low-cost airline this year as Breeze Airways, the new start-up airline founded by David Neeleman of JetBlue Airways fame, is delaying its launch of passenger operations until 2021. 

Initially slated for a late-2020 start, the airline's website now welcomes would-be customers with this message: "Welcome to Breeze Airways, a new airline scheduled for take off in 2021!" Breeze spokesperson Gareth Edmondson-Jones confirmed the delay due to the coronavirus pandemic to Business Insider on Monday. 

Breeze Airways will be the fifth airline started by Neeleman following the serial aviation entrepreneur's successful runs at Morris Air, later sold to Southwest Airlines; WestJet; JetBlue Airways; and Azul Brazilian Airlines. Each one had a focus on low fares and positive customer service while shaking up the industry. 

Not much has been made public about the airline but from what Neeleman has said, Breeze will be no different.  With the US experiencing a wave of airline consolidation since the turn of the century, consumers have been left with fewer options and Breeze aims to provide a convenient low-cost alternative to the majors currently dominating the skies.

Here's what we know so far about the airline. 

Half tech start-up, half airline

Neeleman plans to ride the tech wave the same way that Uber and Amazon have by creating intricate mobile applications that will streamline the traveling experience, he said in a February interview with Business Insider's David Slotnick. Most major airlines have mobile apps and self-serve kiosks but technology, in Breeze's business model, will be relied upon to keep the airline lean.

"I prefer to say we're a high-tech company that just happens to fly airplanes," Neeleman told Conde Nast Traveler, referring to just how much self-serve technology will be intertwined with the airline's operations.

Neeleman also said that there will be no need to call up the airline and talk with a customer service agent as problems can be remedied via the app. 

"We want something where nobody ever has to call, pick up the phone to call us, or have a hassle," Neeleman told Business Insider. 

Lots of do-it-yourself

Customers flying Breeze won't likely be expected to queue up at check-in to have an agent check a bag or print a boarding pass. Most processes will be relegated to the mobile app, website, and maybe self-serve airport kiosks so that the airline doesn't have to employ a large airport staff, which will help keep costs down.

Everything from purchasing a ticket to checking in at the airport can ideally be done using a device with no need to speak to a customer service representative. Fewer than 50 employees would ideally be needed at each airport, according to Neeleman, but that there would have to be some human back-up for passengers who aren't acclimated to modern technology. 

"We'll have to accommodate them, we'll figure out a way to get to those people," Neeleman said. "We'll have a lot of contract staff at the airports, and then the call center and everything would be very minimal." 

More non-stop flights between smaller cities

Most air routes in the US originate in or terminate in a major city that's usually a hub of the airline in what's known as the hub-and-spoke system. Travelers who live in big cities often benefit because they have access to more non-stop flights but those in smaller cities often have to connect to get to their final destination.

Breeze Airways doesn't plan to follow the hub-and-spoke route system utilized by most major airlines and will operate point-to-point routes, or routes between secondary cities, instead. This opens the door for any number of non-stop routes between cities like Sacramento, California and Bozeman, Montana or Plattsburgh, New York and St Louis, Missouri, for example, normally unusual routes which Neeleman says he can make work.

"We think there's a market where you can go with a smaller plane with a lower trip cost and service these cities that have been forgotten or neglected," Neeleman told Business Insider in a 2019 interview. "I would be very surprised if a single [Breeze] route had nonstop service competition. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of city pairs that are crying out for nonstop flights."

Flights likely won't operate daily to every city, with Neeleman currently examining 500 different city pairs for potential service, and some flights will operate only on select days. When demand doesn't require a flight, Neeleman said the planes will be available for charter as there's a large market there from sports teams to the government. 

Modern aircraft

The flagship of Breeze Airways will be the Airbus A220, a next-generation aircraft with no shortage of fuel-efficient and passenger-friendly features. Delta Air Lines is currently the only airline to fly the jet in the US with Air Canada starting operations with the plane in January. 

The A220 boasts a quiet, modern interior for passengers and low operating costs for airlines. It's configured in a unique 2-3 configuration with and Neeleman plans to, once again, be generous with legroom allowances at every seat, Forbes reported.

The first passengers to board a Breeze airliner, however, likely won't be stepping onboard the Airbus A220 as the airline will first operate the Embraer E195 as it awaits its flagship, scheduled for delivery in August 2021, federal records show. The Brazilian airliner is a favorite of Neeleman's for his airlines and can be found flying in the fleets of his airlines including JetBlue, TAP Air Portugal, and Azul. 

Streaming in-flight entertainment and possibly free WiFi

Unlike JetBlue and Westjet, Breeze won't be featuring personal seat-back in-flight entertainment systems. Instead, travelers seeking entertainment will have the option to stream content to their personal devices, according to One Mile at a Time, a trend the major airlines are also following.

Though they're loved by passengers, seat-back entertainment systems add weight to aircraft and make them more expensive to operate. Streaming systems require less onboard infrastructure and are less costly, with seat-back screens costing around $10,000 per seat to install, the New York Times reported. 

Forbes reported that the new airline will have WiFi available for passengers on the Airbus A220 aircraft and that Neeleman is still debating on whether or not to make it free. JetBlue Airways, which introduced WiFi to its planes in 2013, offers the service complimentary to all passengers. 

Low-cost first class

Breeze also plans to offer a first class product, according to One Mile at a Time, which is uncharacteristic for a low-cost airline and Neeleman, whose airlines typically do not offer a premium cabin in their early years. Little is known about what the forward cabin will feature but it won't be standard across the fleet with some routes seeing recliners and others fully lie-flat seats, the blog reported. 

Low fares

All of these cost-saving measures will culminate in low fares for passengers. Neeleman hasn't speculated how low the fares will be but the mogul did state that his airline will only need 50 passengers on each flight to break even and it will be operating more efficiently than today's ultra-low-cost carriers, which routinely sell tickets for under $20 one-way.

A Minneapolis base to begin with

An application was filed with the US Department of Transportation on July 9 to have the certificate of public convenience and necessity of the now-defunct Minneapolis-based Compass Airlines transferred to Breeze, federal records show. As part of the transfer, Breeze stated it plans to start charter operations from Minneapolis and its main airport – Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport – in mid-October 2020 using the Embraer E190 series aircraft. 

The filing did not state, however, whether or not the airline's headquarters would be moved to the Twin Cities.

SEE ALSO: JetBlue revolutionized low-cost travel when it first flew 20 years ago — here's how it beat the odds to become a major US airline

DON'T MISS: Air Canada just added the Airbus A220 to its fleet — see inside the controversial aircraft that Boeing tried to keep out of the US

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• New York City apartment sales plunged in July, according to a report from the real-estate firm Douglas Elliman.
• But in neighboring suburbs, home sales are surging as wealthy New Yorkers seek greener pastures. 
• For Connecticut — which has struggled to rebound even from the last recession — the migration could be a boon for its struggling finances. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Only one Manhattan condo sold for more than $10 million in July, according to a new report, as many wealthy New Yorkers continue to flee the city for greener pastures.

Overall apartment sales fell 57% in July compared to the same month in 2019 as for-sale listing soar, real estate firm Douglas Elliman said in its monthly report, a highly-watched data source for the nation's largest housing market.

As the US largely fails to stop the spread of the coronavirus, short-term escapes appear to be turning in to long-term moves, potentially fueling a rebirth for struggling suburbs. In Westchester County, directly north of the five boroughs, overall single-family sales were up 112% over last year, with those over $2 million more than quadrupling.

And in Connecticut, the areas closest to New York City saw a similar uptick in-step with Westchester. The state was hit hard by the housing crisis more than a decade ago, and has struggled to recover in the years since. Connecticut is one of just two states in the country where gross domestic product has yet to recover from the previous recession and its employment numbers have lagged neighboring states, according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

"We are going to market ourselves more to those individuals as opposed to marketing ourselves to the company," a state economic-development official told The Wall Street Journal, assuming that the days of commuting to an office in Manhattan's core or corporate parks are on the skids for now. People working from home in Connecticut could be a much-needed boost to the state's income tax base — and its lawn-laden towns and countryside feel all the more attractive in the middle of a pandemic.

But while the shift in high-end housing is shaping up to be a boon for some towns and brokers, investors are circling distressed assets at depressed prices as unemployment remains above 10% and out-of-work Americans struggle to pay rent.

"Real-estate investors — when you take the emotion out of it — many of them have been waiting for this for a decade," David Schechtman, a broker with Meridian Capital Group, told The Wall Street Journal in April. The economy has seen little improvement in the months since.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Millennials are snapping up historic homes for less than $100,000 via Instagram account Cheap Old Houses, reported The New York Post's Shayne Benowitz.
• The pandemic is fueling their interest in these cheap homes, which typically involve extensive renovations that can exceed six figures.
• The founder of the account, Elizabeth Finkelstein, previously told Business Insider she wanted to bridge the gap between younger generations and historic homes.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Millennials are notoriously behind when it comes to buying a home. But one Instagram account may be helping to change all that.

Cheap Old Houses is an Instagram account featuring historic homes that cost no more than $100,000 to buy. And millennials are finding these "cheap old houses" in smaller towns to be rather enticing in the age of coronavirus and remote work, reported The New York Post's Shayne Benowitz.

When Business Insider's Libertina Brandt interviewed Cheap Old Houses' founder, Elizabeth Finkelstein, early this year at the start of the pandemic, the Instagram account had 750,000 followers. Today, it has 1 million.

Finkelstein told Benowitz that her follower count has doubled twice its typical rate per week, but that the growth during this time doesn't surprise her. "You get this kind of feeling of escapism. It's the perfect storm of emotions," she said.

She added that the site helps make homeownership more attainable for millennials, many of whom have plenty of time on their hands during quarantine for restoration projects.

But while the houses come cheap, the renovations don't. One 27-year-old Benowitz spoke with said she paid $18,500 for a Victorian home in West Virginia, but estimates her renovation budget to total $125,000. 

Cheap Old Houses aims to connect millennials with historic homes

Cheap Old Houses is actually an offshoot of CIRCA, a listing website for historic houses. Finkelstein told Brandt that she and her husband, Ethan, came up with the idea for the site after her parents had difficulty selling their old home and after she and Ethan struggled to find listings when they wanted to buy a historic home themselves.

Finkelstein said she wanted to bridge the gap between younger generations and historic homes. Building a strong social media presence was one way she thought she could do that, and that's how the Instagram accounts for both circahouses, which boasts 213,000 followers, and Cheap Old Houses were born.

Finkelstein told Business Insider's Brandt that she built a massive combined following across both accounts by posting frequently. 

"That's really how you find out what your audience likes," she said. "I did CIRCA for several years and I realized what kind of houses people are most interested in."

The recent flood of pandemic followers certainly signals she's reached her goal of connecting millennials with historic homes.

SEE ALSO: A New York woman turned her passion for old homes into a business that has more than 1 million followers on social media. Here's how she did it — and her 3 tips for anyone trying to do the same.

DON'T MISS: 5 millennials who became homeowners in their 20s share their best advice for buying your first house

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• In July, Hannibal Buress released his new comedy special, "Miami Nights," on YouTube.
• Buress decided to forgo traditional streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu, partnering with start-up video-chatting service Undock to release "Miami Nights."
• In an interview with Business Insider, Buress discusses why he chose to partner with Undock.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Last August, while the rest of the world was relishing what they didn't yet realize was the last summer of normalcy, Hannibal Buress was filming a comedy special. 

The special, called "Miami Nights," was released in July and has gotten rave reviews from critics. But the comedian's unusual choice of platform also caught people's attention. Buress forewent the usual streaming services, such as Netflix and HBO, and instead teamed up with the startup video conferencing service Undock to put the whole special on YouTube — for free. 

In a conversation with Business Insider, the comedian explains how he and Undock pulled off a partnership that could come to shape the future of creative control for entertainers. 

Buress says partnering with Undock gave him more control over his work

A few weeks before Buress' special was set to go live, he was still looking for a sponsor. He had already decided to put "Miami Nights" on YouTube, making it available to stream for free, because he wanted to maintain creative freedom in his work. But he needed some capital to pull that off.

"I started thinking, 'maybe I could just get a sponsor, maybe a sponsor will be up for being at the top of the special," he said. "But then we were thinking, maybe we can get bigger sponsors, and bigger companies."

But it takes time to get those big sponsors — time that Buress and his team didn't have. So they went back to the drawing board and came up with a new idea: partnering with a start-up.

"I had done some start-up investing over the past few years, so I reached out to my friend and asked her if she knew of any good up-and-coming companies [I could partner with]," Buress said. 

With about two weeks to spare, that friend put Buress in contact with Undock, a platform that allows for both scheduling and video conferencing. Undock agreed to air its ads at the beginning of Buress' special, and the rest was history.

"We worked really hard to make the deal come together on such short notice," Buress told Business Insider. "And it felt good. Everybody is video conferencing these days, and it didn't feel like a hamfisted plug." 

Undock allows users to schedule and attend virtual meetings

Suddenly, the creative possibilities began to expand for Buress. Not only could he release comedy specials, but he could also create web series, live streams, and podcasts, and he's hoping to partner with more startup companies that can help him make it all happen.

In the end, Buress keeps his creative freedom and intellectual property rights, and a startup gets attention: it's a win-win situation, he says.

"If it goes great, it could be a different way to approach deals," he said, adding that this experience has prompted him to start rethinking how he's going to implement ads on his new podcast. 

Typically for podcasts, there are ad reads, and advertisers pay for that placement. But, Buress told Business Insider, he was thinking about making a partnership with all of his advertisers to possibly own equity in what he was promoting.

"I'm weighing whether I would want a bigger part of the podcast revenue," he said. "Now I'm thinking, why do an ad read for a fee instead of being a part of something? Especially something you think is dope and where you're not just reading it to read it."

Buress is particularly excited about the fact that he has more say over where his work lives.

For example, he explained, at any moment, he can quickly change his mind, take the whole special off YouTube, and sell it to Netflix. He could reinstate ads or open his comment section back up at any time. It's a new world of possibilities, which could help reshape the way artists retain their creative control and liberty, in an entertainment industry notorious for impeding intellectual rights.

"Or I could take it completely down, add a shorter version, hire a Spanish voiceover person and have them dub over it, then put it back up," he continued. "The next one might just go directly to my website. Who knows?"

SEE ALSO: One of the only 4 Black Fortune 500 CEOs just stepped down — here are the 3 that remain

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• The housing market has shot back since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. 
• Realtor.com found that more than half of the country's largest metros had recovered from pandemic lows in July.
• But in addition to recovering, some have even surpassed pre-pandemic levels as housing continues to the factor expected to help bring us out of the current recession.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Back in March, the coronavirus pandemic put a sudden halt to the US housing market.

However, as the months wore on and parts of the economy began opening back up, nationwide housing began making a comeback.

In fact, the housing market has been taking steps toward a recovery since May, when buyer demand recovered. Price growth got back to pre-pandemic levels in June, and soon after, the pace of sales caught up. A recent report by Realtor.com found that more than half of the largest US metros have recovered from pandemic lows

"Housing tends to be immune from economic downturns and slowdowns,"Realtor.com's director of economic research, Javier Vivas, was quoted saying in a the report. "Right now we're seeing markets recover faster where they're able to contain the virus better. Markets with strong technology sectors have been more resilient." 

To find the 10 markets that have improved the most, Realtor.com looked at the year-over-year growth of the of the median home asking price, the percentage of new listings coming online, the number of days on market that it took homes to sell, and online home search. To determine the level of improvement, the report compared the state of each market in January to the week ending July 18.

A market that scored 100% means it reached its level from prior to the pandemic. Any score over 100 shows market improvement that has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. 

Keep reading for a list of the 10 markets that have improved the most. 

SEE ALSO: The 5 cities where renting gets you the worst deal aren't in New York or California

DON'T MISS: 4 cities where housing prices are most likely to fall in the next year

10. Memphis, Tennessee

Recovery score: 105.9%

9. Rochester, New York

Recovery score: 106.61%

8. Las Vegas, Nevada

Recovery score: 107.710%

7. Los Angeles, California

Recovery score: 108.78%

6. San Francisco, California

Recovery score: 109.27%

5. Denver, Colorado

Recovery score: 111.66%

4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Recovery score: 112.35%

3. New York, New York

Recovery score: 112.74%

2. Seattle, Washington

Recovery score: 113.73%

1. Boston, Massachusetts

Recovery score: 122.52%

• Some parents, skeptical of school curriculums and eager to level their kids up before they enter the working world, are investing in extracurriculars that'll teach their children essential life and business skills. 
• The activities — including race car driving, selling baseball cards, and social etiquette — can cost several thousand dollars a year.
• Parents Jacqueline and Jonathan Sanchez invested more than $50,000 into building a real estate company to give their four- and six-year-old kids hands-on experience running a small business. 
• "Our oldest doesn't ask us to buy him the latest toy," Jonathan said. "Instead, he asks us frequently what kind of a business he should create."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Uncertainty around the pandemic and how schools will reopen in the fall has many parents questioning the feasibility of typical curriculums to deliver proper learning and life skills to their kids. In response, some parents are ponying up large sums toward activities outside the classroom in the hopes of giving their children an edge in the future world of work, whatever that might look like.

"There is a panic parents are experiencing now during corona times to keep their children and teens engaged in enriching learning experiences and/or involved in meaningful and lucrative extracurriculars — even from home — so that students don't lose their edge, fall behind, or 'miss out,'" said Cindy Chanin, a Los Angeles-based national education expert and founder of Rainbow EDU Consulting & Tutoring who's coached the kids of Emmy award-winning actresses, Broadway performers, inventors, and athletes.

Sharon-Frances Moore, president of Shances.com, a business readiness and etiquette business, has also seen the lengths some wealthy parents will go to give their kids an edge in a job market that may be more than a decade away. 

Moore shared that a New York-based hedge fund president once hired her to teach business readiness, media training, and social etiquette to his child's Girl Scout Brownie troop, which had an average age of six. 

"The troop contained a child whose father directed four generations of their family's wealth management and a multimillion-dollar philanthropic trust, the children of two major league sports players, the child of an award-winning television producer, and a foreign ambassador's daughter," Moore told Business Insider. "I was told that these six-year-olds, who by the elementary school they attend were on track for an Ivy League education, had potential careers in the top levels of business and entertainment. The parents agreed that the children needed to learn how to work a room, behave in a formal setting, and eat properly."

The hedge fund manager hired a private chef to cook a four-course meal for the children to accompany Moore's class teachings, she said. 

Katie Provinziano, founder and CEO of Westside Nannies, a boutique staffing agency based in Beverly Hills that specializes in placing professional nannies, newborn care specialists, and private educators with families — often high-profile and celebrity families — across the US, also noticed this trend.

"With most schools, camps, and activities closed, parents are desperate to make sure their children aren't falling behind," Provinziano said. "As a result, we've seen requests for private educators skyrocket up over 800% in recent weeks as parents seek out extra educational support for their children during this time."

Read more:Wealthy parents are investing in high-end, 'backyard' camp experiences and private excursions to give their kids a taste of summer in light of COVID-19

These private teachers, she said, offer a wide range of extracurriculars to assuage the fears of worried parents, creating everything from sensory bins for toddlers to teaching math through a game of hopscotch. 

Some parents are hiring nannies with special skills that they hope will translate to their children, she added. 

"Nannies who are bilingual or have advanced sports skills are in particularly high demand — for example, a nanny with a background as a professional dancer for a little girl who loves hip hop or a manny (male nanny) who was a title one baseball player for a family with three little boys are two recent examples," Provinziano said. 

Read more: Some wealthy parents are eager to give their children multicultural experiences, from elaborate trips to nannies that speak multiple languages. During COVID-19, they've had to get creative.

Private educators, she said, average $30 to $60 per hour and nannies are $25 to $35 per hour depending on their education and experience, as well as any specialized experience — prices that can rack up quickly over weeks and months of instruction, particularly when more than one child is involved. 

Race car driving and selling baseball cards boost kids' extracurricular resumes

Mona Stone, a surgeon and the mother of two toddlers, is keeping her motorsports-driven kids engaged by spending time at a local race track outside of Dallas.

"They spend a couple of hours when they are there learning the track," Stone said. "Our kids are both interested in racing, which is a pretty expensive sport. However, it is very competitive and keeps them very busy." 

Each child's kart costs $4,000, according to Stone. Other accoutrements of the sport — including a helmet, suit, shoes, and memberships to the track — cost an additional $5,000 in total for each youngster.

The interest runs in the family: Her husband builds karts for kids as young as four years old.

"My husband was a paid driver and now owns his business coaching kids racing," Stone said. "Some of his best drivers are current Formula 1 and Indy drivers."

He's also a sole importer for karts from Italy.

"As a result, a lot of what my kids see at a young age is their dad competing or putting karts together," Stone said. "They spend probably an hour every day just hanging out with him in his workshop. My daughter, who just turned four, is now going formally to the local racing track and rides her size kart."

Once the pandemic is under control, she said, she and her husband plan to take their kids to several major race tracks inside and outside of the United States. 

"We plan on having the kids go from kart racing to formula racing in Europe," Stone said.

Chanin shared that she currently works with an LA-based family with a 14-year-old son who's taken his hobby of sports trading cards to a whole new level, creating a website to showcase and market his coveted collection. 

"Might I add that he worked with an Adobe Creative Suite expert and learned the basics of web design so that he could fully participate in the concept, design, and launching of his online enterprise?" Chanin said. 

Instead of pursuing an NYC-based internship that his parents lined up with a high-profile stockbroker, playing sports at his favorite sleepaway camp, or attending the annual card-trading symposium in Chicago — plans derailed by the pandemic — Chanin's client is refocusing his efforts from the comfort of his home. This is thanks to the support of his parents, who called Chanin in a panic about how to re-envision the summer of COVID-19 in terms of enriching extracurriculars.

"We discovered that their son is passionate about the 'business of sports' as well as investments and finance in general," Chanin said.

This summer alone, she said, the teen has traded upwards of $100,000 worth of baseball cards. He and his parents are hoping that his experience might position him for a highly competitive undergraduate business program, as well as a side business of his own that will make him an asset to dream vocations ranging from a venture capitalist to stock advisor to major league sports team manager. 

"He is just shy of sophomore year, so he has plenty of time to build his narrative and portfolio," Chanin said.

Along with his sister and younger siblings' extracurriculars, the family has spent over $100,000 on their kids' extracurriculars this year, according to Chanin. But she added that the son's card-trading wins could easily cover the family's balance for all of the kids' activity expenses combined. 

One family invested $50,000 in a real estate business to teach their kids how to run it

Jonathan Sanchez, an engineer, and his wife Jacqueline, a pharmacist, are real estate investors and the founders of ParentPortfolio.com. They have a four- and six-year-old. 

With the growing trend of overwhelming debt for young adults, the couple shared that they wanted to educate their children to be financially wise. 

"However, we just didn't want to tell them how to manage money," Jonathan said. "We wanted to show them how to do it." So they started a real estate company to offer their children hands-on experience with running a small business. 

They have invested a little over $50,000 in the business to date. Real estate is an ongoing conversation in their household throughout the day. 

"As we continue to teach our kids about our small business, this is something we ultimately plan to pass down to them in the future," Jonathan said.

The parents involve the kids in every step of the process, from analyzing potential investments to going on site of a rehabilitation project to understanding how to scale the business. 

"When I look for potential investments in my local area, my six-year-old son and I sometimes look on one of those online real estate marketplaces," Jonathan said. "First, I show him on the map where are good areas to invest in. I explain to him that we like to invest near universities and hospitals because it is a popular area. Next, we go through the pictures of a property to see if there are opportunities for us to add value and negotiate for a lower price."

When it's time to make improvements to a property, the Sanchez's bring their kids along. The parents literally use a dry-erase board to draw pictures of people, houses, and banks to describe what scaling up looks like. 

"I use arrows and simple numbers to explain how tenants 'borrow' the house and 'pay back' the bank for us," he said. "I even explained how a cash-out refinance works so that we can buy more houses."

The couple's four-year-old daughter, they shared, follows in the footsteps of her older brother. 

"Her common phrases [include], 'Are you working on the business?'" Sanchez said. "She and her brother play Monopoly Junior together pretending to collect investment properties."

COVID-19 has changed how the family goes about grooming their kids for a career in real estate, but not the spirit of it.

"Due to the pandemic, I am a little hesitant to take the kids out of the house where I can't fully keep an eye on them," Sanchez said. However, he still shares with them some of the projects he's working on. For example, he's currently helping out on a rehabilitation project where he's installing drywall and floor tiles. 

"I share with my kids pictures regularly to show them the transformation of a room," he said.

The Sanchez's are actively looking for their next investment property — but in today's market, it's been difficult finding a deal that meets their criteria. They're using the circumstances as a teachable moment for their children when they come home, reporting things like, "We missed it" or, "It's not a good deal."

The parents plan to increase their children's responsibilities and involvement in the family business in the near future. 

"They can help out in small repairs, such as painting, bookkeeping, and organizing the bills," Jonathan said. "Our intention is for them to see and understand why we make certain decisions in hopes they can make sound and valuable decisions in the future."

Over time, they plan to introduce their kids to their real estate attorney, certified public accountant, and insurance broker. 

"So, if they decide to pursue a higher education, they at least know how to integrate themselves into our business niche," Jonathan said.

Earlier this summer, Jonathan was explaining to his son how to make a blueprint and how to plan out a room. The elementary school student ended up drawing a blueprint of his dream bedroom. 

"Our oldest doesn't ask us to buy him the latest toy," Jonathan said. "Instead, he asks us frequently what kind of a business he should create."

SEE ALSO: Parents in places like Florida and California are asking for their money back from private preschool programs and forming their own learning pods in preparation for this fall

NOW READ: Parents are spending thousands on the latest gadgets, coding bootcamps, and tech tutors for their toddlers to prepare them to compete in a digital world

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• Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman cofounded Monday Swimwear in 2014, a brand that's on track to do $20 million in annual revenue before 2022.
• With no venture capital funding, the company was profitable in year one and its revenue has doubled every year since.
• In an interview with Business Insider, the cofounders shared their five best pieces advice for entrepreneurs aiming to build a successful startup. 
• Consistency, attentiveness, and building a strong team were just three of the key factors Oakley said are critical to running a business. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman founded Monday Swimwear in 2014, and the brand has skyrocketed since. 

Doubling revenue every year since its launch with no venture capital funding, they said Monday is on track to do $20 million in annual revenue within the next two years.

A scale-up beyond the cofounders' wildest dreams, their extrapolated growth comes just six years after they launched the brand on a $30,000 loan.

That said, it's certainly taken the pair a good deal of business savvy to get to where they are. Utilizing social media to take their brand to the top, the two entrepreneurs have learned a lot about running a company along the way, and have some advice for anyone who wants to do the same. 

And they shared their tips with Business Insider. 

1. Kill your ego

To make your business successful, can't be too good for any job in your company, according to Oakley.

"We were packing the boxes in our apartment for the first year," she said, adding that a thorough understanding of every role of the business creates a space where you can gain respect for everyone and lead others in their positions. 

2. Pay attention and be reactive

Listen to your customers, Oakley said.

"Your customers will tell you what they like, what they want, if you give them the voice and really listen to what they want," Oakley said. "We maintain an incredible relationship with our customers so we're able to make products they really care about, too." 

3. Be consistent and disciplined with your messaging and branding

"There is an art to pulling back and ensuring that every move you make as a company supports your brand's purpose, beliefs and messaging," Oakley said.

"Decide what sets you apart from the rest and don't do anything that moves away from that. A strong brand has an obvious message that comes across in everything it does." 

4. Create a good team

Trusting the people around you is of the utmost importance when it comes to building a team. 

"People are often surprised by how small the Monday team is, but we're really intentional with our hires and maintaining a brand and product that everyone on our team really cares about," Oakley said. 

5. Be mindful when choosing a business partner

"A lot of people choose to partner with a friend or someone they know very little about. Be mindful of your strong suits, roles, and what each brings to the table and implement ongoing direct communication," Oakley said.

"Fingers don't get pointed until money is gained or lost and it's important to have these scenarios planned ahead of time. A company is built like a pyramid from the ground up, with you and your partner at the bottom rather than the top — ensure you have a strong foundation to build upon!"

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• Julia Common, 66, started her beekeeping career four decades ago working at The University of Manitoba, where she first fell in love with honeybees; her bee-related education includes earning her BSc & MSc agriculture, and Bee Master and BCHPA instructor certifications. 
• She co-founded "Hives for Humanity" with her daughter Sarah — a non-profit  organization that connects people to nature, community, and themselves through beekeeping. 
• People visit Julia on-property from all over the world to come see the bees in the property's four hives, which house approximately 250,000 total bees onsite.
• She's currently working on research to better understand how environmental factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic impact the bee population and honey.
• This is her story, as told by freelance writer Molly O'Brien.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

I took one course about bees and absolutely fell in love with beekeeping. From there, I landed a job in a bee lab — and as my hands were in the hive I felt that I had simultaneously lost and found myself! I started hobby beekeeping after that, and wherever I've lived since then, I have always had bees. In 2011, my daughter asked me to bring some bees to the downtown East side of Vancouver, where she was working for the Portland Hotel Society, a Canadian non-profit society created to provide advocacy, housing, services, and opportunities for the marginalized citizens of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. 

Sarah felt that bees would greatly enhance the spirit of the community there, which has been marginalized in the past. With great trepidation I brought a single colony downtown, and was instantly amazed by the warm and attentive reception the bees received from the entire community. I was surprised by the care that was instantly shown to the bees, and shortly thereafter I was absolutely astounded at how the colony was thriving in their new home in the urban garden. 

From this moment on, I began to appreciate the potential for keeping bees healthy and safe in the city. The combination of community engagement with the bees and the health of the colonies inspired us to create the non-profit organization Hives for Humanity in 2012. H4H is a non-profit organization in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver that offers socially and economically vulnerable populations a variety of experiential education workshops and mentorship and training. This translates into work experience through activities like pollinator gardening, therapeutic beekeeping, and mentorship beekeeping. 

Part of the challenge and excitement of beekeeping is that the bees do not read any textbooks or instruction manuals — they just naturally know what to do.

They are constantly teaching us more and more about their world and the environment we share with them. Therefore, I suspect I will never be an "expert" beekeeper, but, by this stage in the game, I have had plenty of humbling experiences. My respect for these wondrous creatures grows daily. 

It was still the very early days of H4H when The Fairmont Waterfront hotel heard about and understood our mission, and provided financial support for our programming. This partnership program has not only been good for the pollinators, but also for the larger community and the city of Vancouver as a whole. It's provided greater opportunities for at-risk populations in East Vancouver to participate in H4H's programming and increase their connectivity to nature, and created a supportive environment for them to work and learn.

As a result of caring for the Hives for Humanity colonies in both the city and country, I started to see the parallels between pollinator health and human health. I began to see that a proper home with good food and community was vital for both bees and for people.  

As for my day-to-day — in this job, you always go in with a plan, but frequently the bees steer you in quite another direction.

The bees are on a growth cycle that peaks mid summer, and a beekeeper needs to keep ahead of the colony growth so that they do not swarm which is especially important in the crowded city. 

Working at The Waterfront, I've become acquainted with people onsite in every position from housekeeping to valet, and beyond; it has been amazing to see how everyone relates to the bees and asks about how they're doing. Guests will return to see the bees, and beekeepers from around the world will come to share beekeeping stories and check up on how the bees are doing. I meet people from everywhere, young and old — it's a great opportunity to spread the word about how important pollinators are to us, and the planet.

People seem to be naturally drawn to the bees, even when they're a tad bit frightened of them.

The bees are a great leveler — they take you out of any closed mindset and preconceived ideas you may have, because they require your total attention when working with them. Instead, you're just focusing on the bees. From celebrity to politician to plain old human being with very little in life to call their own — it is magic. Hold a frame of bees in your hands and the ego disappears. 

Oftentimes, you talk about getting someone out of the city environment to have some restorative time, but the bees allow this to go on in the midst of the chaos of the urban area — it's an oasis of sanity. You don't have to create rules and regulations when you're with the bees. The bees will let you know if what you're doing isn't going to work for them. You can't help but have respect for them when you're up close and in-person like that, so you start to take your cues for behavior from the bees. 

Bees can seem scary because they sting, which hurts. They require quite a bit of concentration, and they usually require someone who can get over this fear factor; then, they become all-absorbing and everything else around you seems to disappear. But bees are also calming because you just have to take everything at a slower pace to work with them. I'm a hyper person, but when I'm around the bees, I calm down. You want slow conscious movement, because if you move too quickly you can get clumsy and drop things, which may startle the bees and cause them to become defensive. 

I get stung frequently, and it is sad because I know that each bee that stings me will die.

Although the science has not been entirely proven behind it, I believe that the immune system gets a good boost from the bee venom delivered by a bee sting, so during these COVID times, I say "thank you so much for keeping my immune system strong!" Even the smell of the bees as you open up the box is naturally therapeutic, because they smell delicious — like a blend of babies, pollen, propolis, wax and honey. What could be better? 

When we're transporting the new bees into the hotel we have to be very careful about handling them because we don't want them escaping.

We have all sorts of devices that we use to keep them safe and enclosed when we bring them into the hotel. We take them inside the property, up in the elevators, through the spa — it's quite a trek up to the roof out by the swimming pool, where we keep our bees and guests can look down onto them. There is even a honeybee   observation hive at The Waterfront where people can come up at any time, and look inside the glass window to see the actions of the bees without worrying about getting stung.

The hotel normally leads "bee tours" every day at 2 p.m. during the summer with one of the hotel's bee ambassadors. The annual honey harvest usually brings in just over 200 pounds of honey from the nearly 250,000 resident honeybees. All year long at the hotel's ARC Restaurant, the chefs find creative new ways to infuse the honey that's made onsite into dishes including chocolate, pastries, salad dressings and signature cocktails. There's even a hand-churned burnt honey ice cream made from the rooftop honey.  

In Canada, the bee industry relies on bees coming into the country from around the world.

This pandemic has had an impact on the supply of packaged bees and queens shipped in from Chile, New Zealand, Hawaii, and California; the border issues have been a challenge. At Hives for Humanity, we're self-sufficient and we rear our own queens, so they're still up and running over there. 

However, this summer COVID-19 has limited many opportunities for beekeeping at the hotel.

The Fairmont Waterfront made the responsible decision back in March to close the property. This meant not having bees onsite while the premises were closed, because the beekeepers would be unable to access the bees. Instead, during this time I've been working on a cross-Canada project to study the health of bees pollinating crops such as blueberries and cranberries. I hope that the results from this work will not only benefit my bees at The Waterfront, but bees all across the country. 

Environmentally, this pandemic situation has been quite interesting.

In the countryside where I'm doing my research, the roads are less crowded and parks are more quiet. We've been sampling the honey out here during COVID, and we're going to sample the honey after COVID too in order to see if there's any difference in the pollutants within the honey. 

All of these creatures normally do very well in the city, because there's lots of space for them to nest and a huge amount of food with diverse floral sources that provide a balanced diet. It's not at all a monoculture where the bees would get one thing to eat; they're healthier and more well-fed in the city. 

The most challenging part of my job is just keeping the bees alive due to environmental factors.

It's a 21 day cycle for these bee workers to emerge, new bees are constantly being born, and old bees are constantly dying. They reach a peak of their growth cycle in about July or August, and then it starts to taper down and in the wintertime, they go into a "cluster" to keep themselves warm. 

I've loved my time at The Waterfront. At first, I felt frustrated as I was constantly interrupted while I was trying to work — but then I realized that this was a huge opportunity to educate many people from all parts of the world about bees.

It's very exciting. When people think about bees, they often only think about "stinging" and "honey." They know bees pollinate, but they don't know why. There's a whole life cycle which can be explored on The Fairmont's Beekeeping digital video series. 

The Waterfront has become a home for the bees, and indeed it has been a home away from home for me as well. The interest in the bees is palpable throughout the entire space, and it makes me feel wonderful to contribute to such a major component of what the hotel stands for. It's such a privilege to be The Waterfront's Chief Beekeeper and I'm grateful for the diverse opportunities it's provided me to make a difference in my community.

SEE ALSO: Job diary: I've been a Starbucks barista for 8 years. Working at the coffee chain sometimes feels like a social experiment.

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• I took my first flight on Spirit Airlines on Monday, traveling from Chicago to New York on one of the carrier's most competitive routes to see how the infamous carrier maintains a no-frills business model during a pandemic.
• Spirit isn't blocking middle seats but is requiring face coverings to fly and enhancing cleaning practices to ensure peace of mind when it comes to health and safety. 
• The flight was uneventful but the airline surprised me with a friendly and attentive cabin crew, as well as by keeping its in-flight service while others are abandoning it.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

In all my years of flying, I've managed to avoid flying on Spirit Airlines, until now. 

Spirit is arguably America's most loved to hate airline and after just one flight, it's clear why passengers might not enjoy the experience. Cramped seats, no in-flight entertainment, and a tired-looking plane all contributed to a lackluster flight.

But with the airline offering bargain-basement deals like $27 round-trip between New York and most major cities in Florida and $50 round-trip between New York and Los Angeles, it's also no secret why passengers keep coming back.

Despite it's less sterling reputation, however, Spirit isn't taking pandemic flying lightly with a safety policy comparable to its full-fare competitors. Middle seats aren't being blocked on its aircraft but Spirit has stepped up with important safety measures like requiring face coverings and installing safety features at airports.

I flew on Spirit to see just how well its low-cost business model of base fares can co-exist with the hyper-safe environment that the pandemic has inflicted. My journey took me from Chicago to New York on the carrier's Airbus A320 aircraft. 

Here's what I found on my first-ever flight on Spirit Airlines, during a pandemic. 

SEE ALSO: I flew on Southwest Airlines during the pandemic and came away impressed by how well the largest low-cost US airline handled social distancing

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I was aware of the airline's reputation – of course – but having flown ultra-low-cost airlines in the past with success, I was ready to give this new to me airline a shot with an open mind.

I decided to take it easy for my first flight on Spirit, with a quick, one-flight journey from Chicago to New York.

Spirit uses Terminal 3 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and despite multiple afternoon departures, the check-in area was desolate.

I was hit with the first of many potential fees at booking when the airline told me about the $10 charge to print a boarding pass at the airport ticket counter. Using the kiosk to print one or retrieving one via the mobile app, however, is free of charge.

Unlike most airlines I've flown on other trips during the pandemic, Spirit wasn't blocking any kiosks to ensure distancing.

But all the ticket counters did have plexiglass partitions separating the agents from passengers for an extra layer of protection.

The welcome screen for each kiosk had visuals of the new practices being undertaken by the airline to provide clean and safe flights during the pandemic.

One side detailed the new airport cleaning practices – wiping down kiosks, placing hand sanitizer stations next to boarding doors, and disinfecting ticket and gate counters, among others.

The other detailed new aircraft policies and procedures like requiring face coverings, disinfecting via fogging, and wiping down surfaces.

As I continued the check-in process, Spirit didn't hesitate to try to sell me add-ons to my flight, known as ancillaries. The tax-free revenue often brings in more cash than the fares on each ticket.

On offer were expedited privileges during boarding and at the security screening checkpoint, with reasonable prices for each compared to the airline's full-service competitors.

I was automatically assigned an aisle seat for the flight, a small victory since I didn't pre-pay for a seat assignment. Spirit was already doing better than American, which assigned me a middle seat for a flight in June when full rows were open elsewhere on the plane.

Read More: American will start filling planes after doing the least of big US airlines to protect passengers. Here's what it was like to fly the airline during the pandemic.

By the time I checked in, seats were going for $20 and more.

Scattered in the check-in and gate area were measurement stations for bags since a carry-on doesn't come included in the price of a ticket, only a personal item like a purse or backpack. And Spirit enforces that rule, as I later saw at the gate.

Boarding pass in hand, it was time to head to security. I couldn't use the TSA PreCheck lane as Spirit didn't put it on my boarding pass – despite being enrolled in the program. I've found this to be a common problem with low-cost airlines, especially if you don't buy any of the add-ons they sell.

The airline shares Terminal 3 at O'Hare with American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Iberia, and Japan Airlines, among others, so having PreCheck would've been ideal to get through quicker.

The standard screening didn't take too much longer, though it did mean spending more time in one of the unavoidable bottlenecks of an airport where social distancing is near-impossible.

Spirit passengers, unfortunately, don't get to walk to their gate through the iconic concourse made famous in the movie "Home Alone."

Instead, Spirit departs from the L Concourse...

All the way on the other side of the terminal from the security checkpoint.

Including our flight to New York, Spirit had seven departures in the afternoon from Chicago.

Our aircraft was this six-year-old Airbus A320 complete with sharklet wing add-ons and painted in Spirit's "base fare" livery resembling a New York City taxicab.

The gate wasn't overrun with safety features but true to its message on the kiosk, there were some new additions like plexiglass partitions at the counter...

A hand sanitizer dispenser...

And social distancing placards on the floor.

The crowded seating area indicated that it wouldn't be the empty flight back to New York for which I had hoped and with Spirit not blocking middle seats, I thought for sure I'd have a seatmate.

Spirit is the only ultra-low-cost carrier flying between Chicago and New York's LaGuardia Airport, catering to leisure travelers and competing against heavy hitters like American, United, and Delta on the business traveler-dominated route.

Boarding commenced as normal around a half-hour prior to departure with Spirit loading the plane in zones.

Zone 1 went first – which included those who had paid for a seat assignment – followed by Zone 2 – for those who bought expedited boarding or have the Spirit credit card.

Zone 3 comprised of those sitting in the back of the plane with Zone 4 – for those slightly closer to the front – boarding last in a quasi-back to front-style boarding. Unlike the gate area, the jetway had no social distancing reminders whatsoever.

Face coverings were required in both the airport and on the plane, with flight attendants reminding passengers to keep them on for the duration of the journey.

The first two rows housed Spirit's version of business class, known as "Big Front Seats." Flyers who purchase one of these seats get to board earlier, stretch out, and recline in comfort, though not much beyond that.

The rest of the plane consists of standard economy seats with "deluxe leather" and seat pitches as low as 28 inches.

Source: SeatGuru

Spirit doesn't offer any in-flight entertainment so the seat-backs and literature pockets are quite bare – though WiFi is coming soon.

Source: Spirit Airlines

The airline is the epitome of no-frills with zero seat amenities of which to speak, not even a proper headrest.

If entertainment is a big factor, I recommend getting the window seat and pre-loading content onto a device.

The recline debate also isn't an issue on Spirit as seats are pre-reclined.

I was seated toward the back in 26D, an aisle seat.

Though it was a tight fit, I had no complaints or concerns regarding the cleanliness of my seat area.

Some nearby tray tables showed signs of wear and tear but the entire interior of the aircraft looked tired.

The middle seat next to me was also a "lucky seat" and the occupant was entitled to a prize. Unfortunately, the seat stayed empty.

Above my row was the standard air vent and personal reading lamp setup, with the former being quite strong.

The flight was reasonably full but empty enough that most could have the middle seat free. Flight attendants were doing their best to move passengers around to allow some distancing on the plane and told me that they do so when they can, even though Spirit isn't formally blocking middle seats.

The cabin crew was the most impressive part of the flight as not only were they incredibly kind and attentive but took it upon themselves to move passengers around to create more space.

And when one flight attendant noticed a taller passenger was having an issue with the lack of legroom, she offered to move the passenger to the exit row free of charge.

You can often judge an airline by what they warn against during the safety briefing and on this flight, Spirit flight attendants specifically stated that although they're serving alcohol on the flight, passengers will be cut off at the crew's discretion and shouldn't be "offended" if they are.

We managed to depart from the gate on-time with no arrival delays into LaGuardia Airport, a rarity for this route before the pandemic.

During boarding, the lead flight attendant stressed the importance of wearing face coverings during "all phases of flight," and outlined specifically what those phases were so there'd be no confusion. We ultimately didn't have an issue with a passenger not wearing a mask.

After take-off, I was shocked to see the beverage cart rolling down the aisle as most airlines have discontinued or heavily modified their in-flight service. Even alcohol – which most airlines have done away with during the pandemic – was on offer.

Spirit is also one of the few airlines that charges for water and that's because it's sold by the bottle, not by the cup.

The meager legroom felt fine at first but once we got airborne, it became really uncomfortable when stretching out.

Luckily, it was only a two-hour flight.

And the legroom wasn't the only area lacking in space with the restroom's quite tight, as well.

The flight was uneventful and we landed without issue in New York just a few hours later. And soon as we got to the gate, every passenger – it felt – stood up at once to try to get off of the plane as soon as possible, disregarding any attempts to social distance.

Love them or hate them, low-cost airlines democratize the airline industry so more people have the means to travel. While Spirit won't be my first choice moving forward, I wouldn't have any problem taking them again if the price is right, even during the pandemic. 

For longer flights, however, I would be willing to pay more as the seats were not conducive to comfort after long stretches due to the lack of legroom and even a headrest.  

I definitely got what I paid for but what really made Spirit shine was the helpful and accommodating cabin crew. Instead of strictly sticking to the seat map and letting passengers sort the rest out, the flight attendants proactively moved passengers to make sure that the flight was an enjoyable experience, which is more than I can say for some of the other airlines I've flown since March.

The crew – along with Spirit's enhanced cleaning procedures and practices –  proved that low-cost doesn't necessarily mean less safe, especially as major airlines like United and American aren't blocking middle seats either. There is some responsibility on the part of the passenger to ensure distancing as it was clear not everybody on the plane was overly concerned but that can be found on any airline. 

• Luxury office suites are the newest part of the ultra-wealthy work-from-home experience.
• The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach, has begun offering private office suites to existing residents after the onset of the pandemic, starting at $580,000. 
• The new amenity comes as developers and architects embrace new plans as a result of the pandemic's impact on home and work life. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Your work-from-home setup has some new competition: luxury office suites. 

With the pandemic's push to remote work signaling heightened demand for extra, private work space, some developers have recognized an opportunity. 

One of them is Ophir Sternberg, founder and CEO of Lionheart Capital and the developer behind the recently completed Ritz-Carlton Residences, Miami Beach, a development of 111 waterfront luxury condos and 15 stand-alone villas that start at $2 million and are now offering private office suites to residents seeking to elevate their at-home work experience.

Sternberg said the Ritz-Carlton's private suites can be purchased as ancillary space to host family members or nannies.

"We decided to add to the concept by realizing these spaces into private home offices to fit the demand of our residents. These home offices are practical, and offer the utmost privacy and convenience. They are unattached to the buyers' homes and a quick elevator ride away."

Starting at $580,000 and available only to existing residents, Sternberg said buyer interest in office units keeps climbing. Five of the seven private spaces have already sold.

"With COVID-19 accelerating the work-from-home trend, we immediately thought to switch the concept of our private guest suites into home offices and have received a positive response from our residents," Sternberg said of the new amenity, adding that their management team ensures proper sanitation oversight when it comes to property common areas. 

In terms of size, the office spaces range from 460 square feet to 560 square feet and have floor-to-ceiling windows facing a meditation garden. "The design possibilities are endless," Sternberg said. "Residents can add as many monitors as they would like, a standing or treadmill desk, even a Peloton." 

Sternberg added that the development is the only space in all of Miami to offer the amenity to residents as a limited common element, where no extra tax or maintenance payments result from use of the added space.

Though only available to a select few, the movement towards luxury private office space suggests the pandemic may change development for the long term, and points to what new elements of design may be front of mind for architects and developers in the post-pandemic world.

SEE ALSO: There's never been a better time to buy high-end real estate

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The countdown to Election Day 2020 is in the double digits, and the stakes have never seemed higher. 

The United States has fallen behind on its battle against the coronavirus pandemic, tech companies have become the newest front of growing tensions with China, and more than 55 million Americans lost their jobs in the last 20 weeks.

Though every American citizen will have the opportunity to have their say in the ballot box about who should occupy the White House next year, some ultrawealthy Americans have been using their fortunes to sway the outcome for years. During this election cycle, American billionaires have given millions to campaigns, organized get out the vote efforts, and undertaken major advertising efforts.

Keep reading to learn more about how the three-comma-club had influenced the 2020 election.

Business Insider keeps tabs on all the billionaires giving to presidential candidates. You can read all our coverage of the billionaires involved in the 2020 election by subscribing to Business Insider.

Biden's billionaire backers

Meet the billionaires bankrolling Joe Biden's 2020 campaign

Trump's billionaire backers

Meet the billionaires bankrolling Trump's 2020 campaign

Billionaire donors who dumped Trump

Trump has lost the financial support of some of the billionaires who bankrolled his 2016 campaign — take a look at who's dropping out in 2020

Get to know the individual largest donors

Marvel's Ike Perlmutter: Meet reclusive Marvel billionaire Ike Perlmutter, who is close with Trump, wrestled control of the comic-book maker from Carl Icahn, and reportedly wore a fake mustache and glasses to disguise himself at an 'Ironman' premiere

Jimmy John's Jimmy John Liautaud: The billionaire founder of Jimmy John's donated $100,000 to Trump's reelection campaign and once hunted elephants — meet the controversial man behind one of America's favorite sandwich chains

Las Vegas Sands' Sheldon Adelson: Meet the casino billionaire behind The Venetian and Marina Bay Sands, who's worth $37 billion, lives in a Vegas mansion, and has donated more than $25 million to Trump

New York City supermarket chain Gristedes Foods' John Catsimatidis: Meet New York grocery billionaire John Catsimatidis, the outspoken Trump supporter who sleeps with James Bond's gun under his pillow and used a controversial facial recognition app to spy on his daughter's date

Philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs: Meet billionaire investor Laurene Powell Jobs, the wife of the late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs, who could be one of the most important donors in the 2020 election

LinkedIn's Reed Hoffman: How LinkedIn's founder went from studying philosophy at Oxford to building a $26.2 billion company

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• In June, Fashinnovation, a summit for leaders in fashion and sustainability, held a panel about the future of the fashion industry amid the pandemic.
• One question many in the industry have been pondering is: What will the fashion calendar come to look like as more runway shows go virtual to temper the spread of COVID-19?
• Business Insider spoke to fashion insiders and experts who all agreed that digital shows are unlikely to wholly replace live shows. Instead, digital and live shows will coexist.
• But how, exactly, the two formats will coexist is still unknown.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown just about every industry for a loop — but in the fashion world, it may have only hastened a change that was already coming.

When shutdowns started, aiming to curb the spread of the virus, brands had to pivot if they wanted to maintain some semblance of normalcy.

Some had virtual runways this year — though some have argued that online shows lack the charm and awe that live shows have. September and October are supposed to see the showing of the spring/summer collections, and Paris Fashion Week is set to go on in person. But how future events will unfold is still to be determined, though some luxury houses have already announced some intended changes. 

Saint Laurent, for one, decided it would free itself from the traditional calendar and show a collection on its own time, and Gucci abandoned the notorious fashion calendar outright.

Gucci also decreed that it would no longer hold cruise, pre-fall, spring-summer, fall-winter, or any of the other fashion shows which would typically see the jet-set descend upon cities around the globe for several months out of the year. Gucci will only have two collections, and only two showings a year. 

But whether digital, once-a-year, twice-a-year or not at all, one thing is certain: The calendar will probably never be the same.

This shake-up was a major topic of conversation at Fashinnovation, a conference held on June 5 and June 8. Industry veterans and fashion insiders extensively discussed the state of the industry — and how it's likely to continue adapting in the future.

"The ball is definitely in motion. Everything is in flux," Canadian fashion model Coco Rocha told Business Insider. "Even before COVID-19, many brands, especially in New York, were rethinking whether or not runway shows make sense in 2020."

"Many household name designers like DVF and Zac Posen stopped showing in 2019," she said. "I think this may have put the last few nails in the coffin."

Digital fashion shows can at least help with fashion month fatigue

Fern Mallis, the creator of New York Fashion Week and former executive director of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, told Business Insider that having too many fashion shows created a "huge carbon footprint" and was "outrageously expensive."

Mallis' sentiments are echoed by not just Coco Rocha, but also fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff and Fashinnovation cofounder Jordana Guimarães. In April, Guimarães told Business Insider that she didn't think runway shows were necessary anymore, and that "with runway shows, you just end up having all these samples that are never worn again."

Perhaps digital runway shows could be a sustainable way for brands to put on shows. A simple online link to a virtual show would tremendously reduce the carbon footprint left by fashion gurus and editors who previously had to fly around the world to see what fashion houses are putting out next.

If brands pivot to showing two collections a year, rather than five or six, a lot of time, energy, and money could be saved. But of course, it's this time, energy, and money that makes fashion what it is. After all, Paris Fashion Week doesn't quite feel like Paris Fashion Week if one isn't actually in Paris.

That said, it's not necessarily an all-or-nothing approach. 

"We don't feel that [digital shows] will take over the 'live' shows, but rather complement them," Guimarães told Business Insider. "This way the 'live' shows can have the original purpose brought back of having [a runway show] be intimate for the right audience, and then streaming it online or having the 3D version can make it inclusive by making it accessible for the world to watch." 

Fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff agreed with Guimarães, saying that digital shows are "a good supplement," but that "there's just something about a room and the energy that's created with the music and the models."

"It's hard to recreate that with a digital experience," Minkoff told Business Insider. 

So perhaps the in-between could be what Gucci has decided on: two collections, two meetings a year. Chanel will still host its six shows, which could be offset if many other brands pivot to solely digital —  although Minkoff says that it could be just as costly to put on digital shows as live ones, depending on how much time and effort a brand decides to put into creating its virtual runways.

Either way, this format could reduce the travel carbon footprint, leaving the industry masterminds to argue over if having third and fourth collections ultimately make any difference to the consumer.

And at least the issue of fashion month fatigue will be solved, right? 

"I don't know what [the solutions] are, and if I did, I would be buying stock right now," Mallis said. "Right now we're in a Zoom world, and I don't know what's going to come next."

SEE ALSO: Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, designers and other industry leaders are finally reckoning with that.

DON'T MISS: A virtual tour of fashion designer Giorgio Armani's new apartment building gives a taste of what it's like to go shopping for luxury real estate during the pandemic — take the tour here

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• As the coronavirus hit New York City in March, wealthy city-dwellers fled to the Hamptons.
• Luxury businesses followed them out to the East End — as did a wave of social backlash.
• Pitchforks-wielding protesters have descended on billionaires' Hamptons mansions, demanding a wealth tax.
• The pandemic is magnifying the inequality that has always existed in the Hamptons. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Former mayor Mike Bloomberg, Martha Stewart, "The Tonight Show's" Jimmy Fallon — name a high-profile New Yorker with money, and chances are they have a vacation home in the Hamptons. A narrow beachfront street in the Long Island enclave has even been nicknamed "Billionaire Lane" for its bevy of ultra-wealthy residents, and one Hamptons ZIP code has been ranked the most expensive ZIP code on the East Coast for the last two years.

Every summer, the Hamptons are set abuzz as these city dwellers flock to their summer homes or vacation rentals. Parties at private estates and ritzy political fundraisers at billionaires' homes are a staple of the social scene.

But this year, as the ultrawealthy came for the Hamptons, so did new levels of social backlash.

Nelson Schwartz, author of "The Velvet Rope Economy" and an economics reporter for The New York Times, said the pandemic has made the ever-expanding divide in the Hamptons even more apparent. 

"The Hamptons, to me, are ground zero for class differences playing out in the pandemic," Schwartz told Business Insider.

The Hamptons have been getting bougier in summer 2020

While the Hamptons have long been the preferred vacation spot for wealthy New Yorkers, summer of 2020 saw it become even bougier, as Business Insider's Dominic Madori-Davis first reported.

The moneyed scene typically arrives over Memorial Day weekend in May, but this year it showed up in March as affluent New Yorkers fled the city because of the coronavirus. At least 420,000 New Yorkers left the city between March 1 and May 1, primarily from wealthy Manhattan neighborhoods. Many of them went to the Hamptons, paying limo drivers to deliver mail to their second homes.

It didn't take long for the businesses that serve this wealthy clientele to follow them out to the East End, Madori-Davis wrote.

Luxury brands Bergdorf Goodman and Saks started same-day delivery service to the Hamptons. Carbone, the exclusive Michelin-starred Manhattan restaurant known for its $32 spicy rigatoni, launched both a Hamptons pickup service and a pop-up restaurant. Major New York City art galleries opened up Hamptons outposts.

To cater to the affluent families who were considering staying in the Hamptons past the summer season, Avenues, an ultra-exclusive Manhattan private school, opened a location in East Hampton — with $48,000 a year tuition.

As the Hamptons' exclusivity factor surged, so did the backlash

While the wealthy may have fled to the Hamptons to escape a virus, they found an unexpected obstacle to their quiet isolation: social revolt.

It didn't happen right away. In April and May, as the coronavirus ravaged New York City, wealthy Hamptonites stayed sequestered in their mansions, ordering takeout from Nick & Toni's and picking up seafood at Citarella's.

But a wave of social backlash eventually made its way to the Hamptons. Black Lives Matter protests in June were followed by anti-billionaire protests in July. On July 1, more than 300 people showed up outside Mike Bloomberg's $20 million Southampton mansion to demand a wealth tax for New York's richest residents. They carried plastic pitchforks and chanted "tax the rich, not the poor."

The protesters also stopped by the homes of real-estate developer Stephen Ross and Steven Schwarzman, CEO of private equity firm Blackstone. Some Hamptons homeowners hired armed guards in fear of the protesters. 

Alicé Nascimento is the director of policy and research for New York Communities for Change (NYCC), one of the non-profits involved in organizing the protests. She told Business Insider that activists want to pressure New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to raise taxes on New York's richest residents, many of whom — including Ross — have donated to his campaign. Cuomo recently shot down the idea and has been warning of transit fare hikes and cutting funding to public schools and hospitals.

Nascimento says the first protest in July was mainly people coming from New York City, but then local Hamptons community groups and residents started showing up.

"It's really local folks who aren't what we traditionally think of [as] people who live in the Hamptons, Nascimento said. "The Hamptons has this stratosphere of extremely wealthy people — like the richest people in the world — and also the ones that are middle class that serve them.

At one of the recent protests, Nascimento said, demonstrators had trouble finding the home of billionaire investor and Cuomo donor Daniel Loeb because Hamptons estates are so secluded.

"Billionaires are experts in social distancing," Nascimento told The New York Post last month. She told Business Insider: "There's a reason why they choose to live out there ... It's hard to find, but that's intentional. It's not an accident."

The Hamptons have long been a tale of economic disparity

While a pandemic and recession may have brought it to the forefront, economic disparity in the Hamptons is nothing new.

"There's long been a divide between the people who come out to the Hamptons for the summer and those who are out there year round, who live there and work there as teachers, as cops, and work in the restaurants," Schwartz said.

This divide traces back to the early days of British colonization of the Hamptons. The early settlers in East Hampton, one of the two main townships on the East End, divided up the land and allotted themselves each large parcels, East Hampton's historic services director, Bob Hefner, wrote on the town's official website. They shared the resources of the undivided land and created the laws that governed the village.

New residents of the town were given small plots of land and couldn't share the resources of the undivided land, according to Hefner. 

That left, as Hefner wrote, a small group of owners with the prime land within East Hampton, while "the tradesmen, laborers, subsistence farmers, fishermen, and at a later date freed slaves and Montauk Indians, lived on small lots on less desirable land outside the [village]."

In more recent years, similar patterns have played out. The lifestyles of Hamptons billionaires are supported by an "army of local people and recent immigrants" who can't afford to live "south of the highway" like their ultra-wealthy clientele, as Rupert Neate reported for the Guardian in 2015.

"South of the highway" refers to an area south of the Montauk Highway— which runs from Queens through the Hamptons all the way out to Montauk — where you'll find the most prestigious villages and multimillion-dollar beachfront homes.

A microcosm of the tensions playing out in the US during the pandemic

Inequality has always existed in the Hamptons, but it's never been more plainly evident than during the pandemic. 

"I think it kind of lays bare the class divisions in our society," Schwartz told Business Insider. "A lot of people have withdrawn from the city and from society and gone to their house and pulled up the drawbridge and are kind of isolated in their house. They're going to wait this thing out, which is a privilege the rest of us don't have."

To be sure, the Hamptons are not the only wealthy enclave across the US seeing wealth disparities playing out. A similar story is unfolding in areas like Teton County, the scene of the greatest wealth disparity in the US, and San Francisco, where service-industry workers are losing their jobs while Silicon Valley tech workers get cash bonuses to upgrade their home offices. The pandemic led to a burgeoning backlash against the wealthy all over the world as people stuck at home during lockdown got sick of seeing billionaires self-isolating on their superyachts and singing "Imagine" instead of donating to coronavirus relief. 

In fact, in many ways, the conflict playing out in the Hamptons mirrors what's happening on a national scale. 

"I think it's a microcosm with what happens in our societies where people take private planes, they go to private schools, they have food delivered to their house instead of going to the supermarket — if you can afford to do those things," Schwartz said.

Between the start of the pandemic and early June, more than 42 million people lost their jobs, yet America's billionaires got 20% richer, growing their cumulative wealth by $565 billion, according to a recent report from the Institute for Policy Studies.

Nascimento said the campaign to raise taxes on the ultra-wealthy will continue "as long as billionaires are gouging public resources and subsidies without paying what they owe to the people."

Next week, activists are heading to Albany to protest outside Gov. Cuomo's mansion. And while a date isn't yet set for the next protest in the Hamptons, the billionaire playground likely hasn't seen the last of the protesters.

"They should be expecting to see more of us," Nascimento said.

SEE ALSO: I drove down 'Billionaire Lane' in the Hamptons, where Wall Street execs, CEOs, and celebrities live in multimillion-dollar mansions — take a look at the famous beachfront stretch

DON'T MISS: The typical price for a Hamptons house just went up by a record amount, and it's at the highest level in more than 13 years

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• Generating passive income is a common goal among real estate investors. 
• Mike Hills has been "house hacking" for close to 20 years and has built a portfolio worth more than $8 million.
• Property managers, the right software, and a smart team are three things that he said will be sure to add to passive income.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Generating passive rental income is the goal for any smart real estate investor, but it's not always easy. 

There are things about a property every investor should know before they close a deal, but sometimes, the unexpected happens, and landlords lose. 

That said, there are a number of strategies investors should be mindful of that can help them secure a maximum return and avoid circumstances that can lead to financial setbacks.

A property management expert, Mike Hills has been house hacking for almost 20 years, and knows what investors need to do to stay on top. He owns a portfolio worth more than $8 million, built off the strategy in which owners of multifamily rental properties live in one of their units while collecting rent from the others.

Here are the three things Hills has invested in to boost his passive income from that portfolio.  

1. Hire a property manager to maximize profitability

Some landlords steer away from property managers under the impression a management service would just reduce their own income, but Hills said that's simply not the case.

"People think they're saving money not using a property management team, but people who manage themselves don't put a premium on their time," Hills said, adding that landlords who manage themselves don't raise rents as much as they could or should. "They don't treat it like a business and get attached to their tenants."

2. Use software to track properties

Perhaps a strategy for the investor with a larger portfolio, Hills said his team at his employer, Atlas Real Estate, uses property management software AppFolio to manage and track rental properties.

At Atlas, one team alone manages around 3,300 rentals with AppFolio, which tracks maintenance and even allows communication with residents through a single platform. 

3. Surround yourself with a good team

A good lawyer, a good banker, and a good CPA are all essentials, according to Hills, and he pointed out that people usually get hurt in property management when it comes to finding a good contractor. "You need a good contractor you trust who you've done deals with before, that's one of the ways you get in trouble," Hills said, adding that where people tend to get hurt the most is usually in property management and construction.

"You can do the worst deal in the world and manage it the right way and make money," Hills said. "Or you could do the best deal in the world and manage it the wrong way and lose money." With that in mind and with all the right players involved, Hills said, strong property management is key.

SEE ALSO: 9 things to know before you buy your first rental property, according to a brokerage VP who built an $8 million real-estate portfolio

SEE ALSO: How a 41-year-old 'house hacker' built an $8 million real-estate portfolio that would let him retire now — if he wanted to

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• Investing in real estate is a great way to build wealth and generate passive income. 
• These 4 podcasts feature industry experts who draw on their experience to teach beginners what they need to know to start making smart investments. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Real estate can be daunting for any new investor, but there are podcasts to help. 

Led by industry professionals, these 4 podcasts break down what real estate investors need to know, from success stories to expert insights, investment strategies, and wealth-building tips. 

Keep reading for the full list. 

SEE ALSO: 5 books to read if you want to kick off your real estate career

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"CarrotCast," hosted by Trevor Mauch

The "CarrotCast" podcast, hosted by Trevor Mauch, breaks down the strategies and success stories of real estate agents and investors across the country in episodes that range from just over 10 minutes to longer than an hour.  

Mauch is the CEO of Carrot, a digital lead-generation system for real estate professionals. 

"The Epic Real Estate Investing Show," hosted by Matt Theriault

"The Epic Real Estate Investing Show" is hosted by Matt Theriault, an author, investor, and the CEO of Epic Real Estate.

His podcast includes everything from Theriault's top investment strategies, to guest appearances from top players in the industry. 

"BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast," co-hosted by Brandon Turner and David Greene

The "BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast" is co-hosted by industry professionals Brandon Turner and David Greene.

On the show, they discuss how to build wealth through real estate investing by running through strategies and failures to learn from as well as inspiring success stories. 

"Commercial Real Estate Investing," hosted by Tim Diesel

Tim Diesel is an investor, author, commercial real estate broke, and the host of the  "Commercial Real Estate Investing" podcast.

With nearly 20 years of experience, Diesel uses the podcast to break down what's going on in the world of commercial real estate and relays the advice and strategies he believes will help others become successful in the sector.