Friday, July 22, 2011
Realtor in Santa Clarita: Savings - Coupons
Realtor in Santa Clarita: Savings - Coupons: "How often do you find yourself leaving a store with a big grocery bill–but not a lot of groceries in your cart to show for it? If you want ..."
Savings - Coupons
How often do you find yourself leaving a store with a big grocery bill–but not a lot of groceries in your cart to show for it?
If you want to have a spring in your step–and more money in your wallet–the next time you leave the grocery store, try these tips:
1. Don't wait for your Sunday paper. You can find over 100 coupons in at least two inserts that are included in most Sunday papers. But you don't have to wait for your Sunday paper. Instead, you can visit the Sunday Coupon Preview website to read the insert schedule and sign up for an email alert to get advance notice of what coupons are going to be featured in the next Sunday paper.
2. Ask your grocer to match competitors' prices. Most, if not all, major grocers will match competitors' prices. Instead of dashing to different stores, spending additional money on gas, bring competitor advertisements to your grocer and ask them to match the prices on featured items or items on sale.
3. Print coupons from the comfort of your home. Websites like SmartSource.com ask you to enter your zip code and then display a list of ready-to-print coupons. You can print the entire list of coupons or select individual coupons to print. You can even narrow your search down by category and brand.
For some people couponing is an extreme sport, but if that's not for you there are still savings to be had in just doing the simple things above. Happy shopping!
If you want to have a spring in your step–and more money in your wallet–the next time you leave the grocery store, try these tips:
1. Don't wait for your Sunday paper. You can find over 100 coupons in at least two inserts that are included in most Sunday papers. But you don't have to wait for your Sunday paper. Instead, you can visit the Sunday Coupon Preview website to read the insert schedule and sign up for an email alert to get advance notice of what coupons are going to be featured in the next Sunday paper.
2. Ask your grocer to match competitors' prices. Most, if not all, major grocers will match competitors' prices. Instead of dashing to different stores, spending additional money on gas, bring competitor advertisements to your grocer and ask them to match the prices on featured items or items on sale.
3. Print coupons from the comfort of your home. Websites like SmartSource.com ask you to enter your zip code and then display a list of ready-to-print coupons. You can print the entire list of coupons or select individual coupons to print. You can even narrow your search down by category and brand.
For some people couponing is an extreme sport, but if that's not for you there are still savings to be had in just doing the simple things above. Happy shopping!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
"John Adams" Miniserie
"John Adams" miniserie
I have just seen this seven-part miniseries presenting American History as seen from the perspective of fiercely independent founding father John Adams. Based on a biography.
You should see it (rent it - I got it from Blockbuster). That is a nice way to learn the history in another way. Good actors and a very interesting story.
Absolute a recommendation.
For people who has not grown up in USA and do not know the history that well, it should be a must to see.
Marianne
I have just seen this seven-part miniseries presenting American History as seen from the perspective of fiercely independent founding father John Adams. Based on a biography.
You should see it (rent it - I got it from Blockbuster). That is a nice way to learn the history in another way. Good actors and a very interesting story.
Absolute a recommendation.
For people who has not grown up in USA and do not know the history that well, it should be a must to see.
Marianne
Friday, June 3, 2011
Now the Best Deal in Recorded History
U.S. Homes: Now the Best Deal in Recorded History
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Now is literally the best time in recorded history to buy a house in America...
Right now – today – U.S. real estate is the most affordable it's ever been. Ever.
When I say "affordable," I'm looking at three things: house prices, mortgage rates, and incomes.
With the Affordability Index near 200, the median family has 200% of the income necessary to buy the median home (or more specifically, to qualify for a conventional loan on the median home).
It's easy to see where we are now...
Right now, as you know, house prices are sitting near new lows for this cycle, down by roughly one-third (depending on who's counting). And right now, mortgage rates – after ticking above 5% earlier this year – are all the way down to 4.5% again, near all-time lows.
So it's simple: With the worst house-price crash in American history, combined with the lowest mortgage rates in history, you can now afford more home than ever.
Meanwhile, hope is gone. Everyone thinks housing is hopeless. That is when a bear market ends and a new bull market begins.
At a conference I attended last month, some speakers spoke woefully of the large supply of houses for sale. That will take care of itself in time. Others bemoaned the certainty of higher interest rates in the future, which would hurt housing. But they shouldn't be so certain...
Twenty years ago, Japan faced a housing bust similar to ours. Japan's government has cut interest rates to near zero and printed money. And long-term interest rates in Japan currently sit around 1%.
Even rising interest rates won't kill housing... In the 1970s, interest rates were rising, and house prices outperformed stock prices.
The story is simple: House prices have fallen more than ever... And mortgage rates are lower than ever. If you can buy a house now (and want one), go for it.
Now is the best time in American history to do it. (Steve Sjuggerud, Daily Wealth)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Now is literally the best time in recorded history to buy a house in America...
Right now – today – U.S. real estate is the most affordable it's ever been. Ever.
When I say "affordable," I'm looking at three things: house prices, mortgage rates, and incomes.
With the Affordability Index near 200, the median family has 200% of the income necessary to buy the median home (or more specifically, to qualify for a conventional loan on the median home).
It's easy to see where we are now...
Right now, as you know, house prices are sitting near new lows for this cycle, down by roughly one-third (depending on who's counting). And right now, mortgage rates – after ticking above 5% earlier this year – are all the way down to 4.5% again, near all-time lows.
So it's simple: With the worst house-price crash in American history, combined with the lowest mortgage rates in history, you can now afford more home than ever.
Meanwhile, hope is gone. Everyone thinks housing is hopeless. That is when a bear market ends and a new bull market begins.
At a conference I attended last month, some speakers spoke woefully of the large supply of houses for sale. That will take care of itself in time. Others bemoaned the certainty of higher interest rates in the future, which would hurt housing. But they shouldn't be so certain...
Twenty years ago, Japan faced a housing bust similar to ours. Japan's government has cut interest rates to near zero and printed money. And long-term interest rates in Japan currently sit around 1%.
Even rising interest rates won't kill housing... In the 1970s, interest rates were rising, and house prices outperformed stock prices.
The story is simple: House prices have fallen more than ever... And mortgage rates are lower than ever. If you can buy a house now (and want one), go for it.
Now is the best time in American history to do it. (Steve Sjuggerud, Daily Wealth)
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Realtor in Santa Clarita: 5 TIPS FOR HOME BUYERS TO DECIDE HOW MUCH THEY WIL...
Realtor in Santa Clarita: 5 TIPS FOR HOME BUYERS TO DECIDE HOW MUCH THEY WIL...: "5 TIPS FOR BUYERS TO DECIDE HOW MUCH THEY WILL OFFER ON A PROPERTY: 1) What do the comps say? (comparatives sales and active listings in t..."
5 TIPS FOR HOME BUYERS TO DECIDE HOW MUCH THEY WILL OFFER ON A PROPERTY
5 TIPS FOR BUYERS TO DECIDE HOW MUCH THEY WILL OFFER ON A PROPERTY:
1) What do the comps say? (comparatives sales and active listings in the same area)
2) What can you offer? (what is your price limit)
3) What's your competition? (other offers)
...4) How much do They need to sell it? (seller's motivation)
5) How much do you really want that place?
All these things you will have to consider.
Good luck.
Marianne Leopold
1) What do the comps say? (comparatives sales and active listings in the same area)
2) What can you offer? (what is your price limit)
3) What's your competition? (other offers)
...4) How much do They need to sell it? (seller's motivation)
5) How much do you really want that place?
All these things you will have to consider.
Good luck.
Marianne Leopold
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The Mortgage Crisis - 2
Here is the second part of this explaining article I found in the magazine "Rolling Stone" Nov. 2010.:
"What's sad is that most Americans who have an opinion about the foreclosure crisis don't care about all the fraud involved. They don't care that these mortgages wouldn't have been available in the first place if the banks hadn't found a way to sell oregano as weed to pension funds and insurance companies.
They don't care that the lender pushed borrowers who qualified for safer fixed-income loans into far more dangerous adjustable-rate loans, because their brokers got bigger commissions for doing so. They don't care that in the rush to produce loans, people were sold houses that turned out to have flood damage or worse, and they certainly don't care that people were sold houses with inflated appraisals, which left them almost immediately underwater once housing prices started falling.
The way the banks tell it, it doesn't matter if they defrauded homeowners and investors and taxpayers alike to get these loans. All that matters is that the homeowners pay their bills.
It's undeniable that many of the people facing foreclosure bear some responsibility for the crisis. some borrowed beyond their means. Some even borrowed knowing they would never be able to pay off their debt, either hoping to flip their houses right away or taking on mortgages with low initial teaser rates without bothering to think of the future.
The culture of take-for-yourself-now, let-someone-else-pay-later wasn't completely restricted to Wall Street. It penetrated all the way down to the individual consumer, who in some cases was a knowing accomplice in the bubble mess.
But many of these homeowners are just ordinary Joes who had no idea what they were getting into. Some were pushed into dangerous loans when they qualified for safe ones. Others were told not to worry about future jumps in interest rates because they could just refinance down the road, or discovered that the value of their homes had been overinflated by brokers looking to pad their commissions."
This is just a part of the article written by Matt Taibbi, Magazine "Rolling Stones, Nov.2010.
"What's sad is that most Americans who have an opinion about the foreclosure crisis don't care about all the fraud involved. They don't care that these mortgages wouldn't have been available in the first place if the banks hadn't found a way to sell oregano as weed to pension funds and insurance companies.
They don't care that the lender pushed borrowers who qualified for safer fixed-income loans into far more dangerous adjustable-rate loans, because their brokers got bigger commissions for doing so. They don't care that in the rush to produce loans, people were sold houses that turned out to have flood damage or worse, and they certainly don't care that people were sold houses with inflated appraisals, which left them almost immediately underwater once housing prices started falling.
The way the banks tell it, it doesn't matter if they defrauded homeowners and investors and taxpayers alike to get these loans. All that matters is that the homeowners pay their bills.
It's undeniable that many of the people facing foreclosure bear some responsibility for the crisis. some borrowed beyond their means. Some even borrowed knowing they would never be able to pay off their debt, either hoping to flip their houses right away or taking on mortgages with low initial teaser rates without bothering to think of the future.
The culture of take-for-yourself-now, let-someone-else-pay-later wasn't completely restricted to Wall Street. It penetrated all the way down to the individual consumer, who in some cases was a knowing accomplice in the bubble mess.
But many of these homeowners are just ordinary Joes who had no idea what they were getting into. Some were pushed into dangerous loans when they qualified for safe ones. Others were told not to worry about future jumps in interest rates because they could just refinance down the road, or discovered that the value of their homes had been overinflated by brokers looking to pad their commissions."
This is just a part of the article written by Matt Taibbi, Magazine "Rolling Stones, Nov.2010.
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