Posted 1 day 11 hours ago by Xin Lu
To all the Americans out there, happy Independence Day! I think this a great day to reflect upon how personal finance and patriotism is so intertwined in America. So I dug up a few tidbits from American history and summarized them here.
Posted 3 days 19 hours ago by Xin Lu
Today I received an email from American Express that advertised a program where you can earn rewards by paying your Indymac mortgages with an American Express credit card. I do not have a mortgage, but I read this email and wondered, why would anyone pay their mortgages with a credit card?
Posted 3 weeks 3 days ago by Xin Lu
Are you able to walk to your daily necessities from where you live? Or do you drive everywhere? Discover how walkable your neighborhood is and see if you can use your car less.
Posted 4 weeks 1 day ago by Xin Lu
Yesterday I read a news item that stated the House and Senate are considering another tax benefit for homebuyers and homebuilders. The idea the House is considering is basically giving a tax credit of $7500 to people who have not owned a home in three years. In the Senate, the version of the bill gives buyers up to $7000 for purchasing a foreclosed home. It sounds like free money, right?
Posted 5 weeks 1 day ago by Xin Lu
This week the Justice Department reached an antitrust settlement with the National Association of Realtors that is meant to spur competition and bring down the standard 6% commission that comes with each real estate transaction. Basically, the NAR is no longer able to withhold the information on multiple listing services from discount online brokers such as Redfin and ZipRealty. Will consumers like us see a huge deduction in real estate transaction prices soon?
Posted 7 weeks 2 days ago by Xin Lu
At any port you can probably see hundreds to thousands of empty shipping containers just sitting around waiting to be loaded. In recent times these containers have not only transported goods across oceans but have also been transformed into energy efficient dwellings with some great design and ingenuity.
Posted 11 weeks 1 day ago by Mark P. Cussen
A great many sellers are entitled to the home sale exclusion, but counting on it when you may not be eligible will provide unpleasant surprise come tax time.
Posted 13 weeks 1 day ago by Julie Rains
Ever met a rich idiot? I’ve known at least two. Not counting my telephone conversation with self-proclaimed Rich Idiot and multimillionaire Robert Shemin (author of “How come THAT idiot’s rich and I’m NOT?”), I’ve also shaken hands with a guy who impressed me with his simplicity and wealth. We met briefly in a parking lot before a company meeting: I was dressed in standard corporate attire; he wore a khaki jumpsuit with his first name (“Don”) stitched in red. A college dropout, Don had just purchased my employer, a food processor with an Ivy League grad as its chief executive and a Ph.D. at the helm of its largest subsidiary. So what do Robert and Don (#346 of Forbes’ The Richest Americans in 2005) have in common?
Posted 15 weeks 3 days ago by Xin Lu
I never knew that cities in America could file for bankruptcy until recently a Northern California city named Vallejo made the news for being on the edge of bankruptcy. So how does this happen, and what happens to a bankrupt city or municipality?
Posted 15 weeks 4 days ago by Thursday Bram
It seems like, every other week, there is some natural disaster threatening people’s homes. Worrying about that sort of thing has lead me to be a little more prepared than I might be otherwise. I’ve got an emergency plan, I’ve backed up my hard drive, and my cats’ carrier is easily accessible. Now, I’m starting to focus on what might happen after a disaster. The key to starting over again seems to be knowing what you might need to replace. Insurers will insist on such a list, for instance. So, I’ve been developing my own home inventory.
Posted 16 weeks 1 day ago by Catherine Shaffer
The truth is that rents sometimes do not cover the monthly costs of owning the rental home, so how is it that these real estate gurus make their money? A lot of people think that it must involve unfair tactics, such as buying investment property at below-market rates from gullible elderly people, but there can't possibly be enough gullible elderly people to keep the whole industry going.
Posted 16 weeks 3 days ago by Philip Brewer
You used to hear the term "land rich, cash poor" for people who owned valuable land but didn't have quite enough money to make ends meet. It's an expression that dates back to the days when property was the only kind of real wealth there was. It's kind of fallen out of fashion of late. But as property values keep falling, it's worth thinking about the ways in which land is wealth.
Posted 16 weeks 5 days ago by Catherine Shaffer
With dropping home prices, a long term investment in real estate is looking pretty attractive. Whether you want to buy rental property outright, or renting is your plan B when your house doesn't sell, the most important thing you need to think about before you become a landlord or landlady is risk. The concept of risk in renting property tends to draw blank stares. After all, you have insurance on the property. You have a lease. What's the problem?
Posted 17 weeks 2 days ago by Xin Lu
I moved to the United States when I was a child from Yangzhou, China. After sixteen years, I could easily pass as an American because I speak English without an accent, and I am well versed with the popular culture. However, if you ever examined my attitudes toward money you will see that I am undeniably Chinese. Here are some of the principles I grew up with.
Posted 17 weeks 6 days ago by Margaret Garcia-Couoh
Are you stuck on the coast paying a big mortgage on a tiny property? Do your kids spend more time with their daycare provider than with you? Do you worry that they've never seen a real tree or animal? Do you sit in traffic more than 20 minutes a day? If you said yes to any of that and wished you could have said no, then maybe it's time to start thinking about relocating to rural California...
Posted 18 weeks 2 days ago by Nora Dunn
When you sign for your mortgage, you are offered mortgage life insurance as part of the deal, with liability forms to sign if you decline it. Which is better - mortgage life insurance or individual term insurance? This article compares the two so you can make the right decision.
Posted 19 weeks 1 day ago by Xin Lu
Dealing with financial products can be very confusing and stressful, but there are some products that you should absolutely stay away from for the sake of your financial health. Read on for a list of six things I think people should avoid.
Posted 19 weeks 2 days ago by Xin Lu
My goal has always been to work for ten years and then have enough financial freedom to do whatever I want to do. Whenever I tell people this they seem to be rather incredulous and sometimes say things like, "sure, you could try." Even though I am quite young, I have met enough people to see what keeps them from quitting their jobs and living a life of financial independence. Read on for a few of my observations.
Posted 19 weeks 3 days ago by Xin Lu
Since I got married people have been constantly asking me two questions. One is, "are you pregnant yet?", and the other is "are you going to buy a house?" One day I told someone that I do not want to afford a house right now and he asked me what I meant, and I told him my reasons why I should not buy something just because I can afford it now.
Posted 20 weeks 1 day ago by Paul Michael
Here’s a little help. It takes two people to lift and carry the box. It measures 47.2 inches in length, 35.4 inches in height and 31.5 inches in width. It's from Europe. Oh, and it’s ideal for people with itchy feet. All will be revealed.
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| Posts | Cmts | |
|---|---|---|
| Fred Lee | 3 | 19 |
| Julie Rains | 5 | 21 |
| Linsey Knerl | 11 | 28 |
| Margaret Garcia-Couoh | 2 | 6 |
| Myscha Theriault | 6 | 50 |
| Paul Michael | 7 | 15 |
| Philip Brewer | 12 | 32 |
| Xin Lu | 9 | 21 |
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