Today’s Real Estate Market a ‘Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity’

Greg Rand, a 20-year real estate veteran and CEO of OwnAmerica, says now is the time to invest in real estate.

Rand compares the current market to the years following the Great Depression when market conditions sparked a boom that sustained 65 years of appreciation in real estate.

“This economic crisis, while similar to the Great Depression, is also unique in the way that the housing market played a central role,” Rand said. “It is true that this is a once-in-a-generation crisis. It is also true that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. It’s time to focus on the other side of the coin.”

via Today’s Real Estate Market a ‘Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity’.

Money Monday

 

 

 

 

 

With all the talk about the Federal Budget, high gas prices and taxes I decided to pause and think about saving money instead. An internet search turned up a lot of resources; however, I did find a couple of good places to start:

Saving Money & Bargains – Quick & Simple.

The Secret to Saving Money.

 

Thursday’s Tip: 5 Brilliant Uses for Binder Clips

We all have them cluttering up our desks and now, in the spirit of spring cleaning, here are some really clever uses for those extra binder clips:

5 Brilliant Uses for Binder Clips | Apartment Therapy Re-Nest.

Funday Friday: Happy April Fool’s Day!

For a fun look at some ideas about the why and how this day came to be, along with some very creative pranksters, check out this link:

Top 10 All Time April Fool’s Day Hoaxes

Top 10 All Time April Fool’s Day Hoaxes | Top 10 Lists | TopTenz.net.

Tuesday Tip: A Tasty Recipe Southwestern Salad

This salad isn’t your traditional leafy variety—rather, it’s a medley of flavorful ingredients that’ll make your taste buds feel like they’re cruising old Route 66 from Amarillo to the West Coast. To really let the flavors blend, you’ll want to cover it and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour before you serve it.

* 2 cups cooked brown rice
* 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
* 2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
* 1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
* 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
* 1/4 cup white wine vinegar (or to taste)
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
* 1 jalapeño chili, minced (or cayenne pepper to taste)
* 1 tsp. mild chili powder

Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl. Cover and chill before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

To view this recipe and more like it please visit:
#074 – P90X Newsletter – – Fitness, Nutrition, Diet, Weight Loss Official Web site.

Funday Friday: So you found $10…

We have all reached into a coat pocket and found some “surprise” money. This article has 10 fun suggestions to spending a surprise $10. Enjoy on this Funday Friday.

CHECK OUT OUR 10 THINGS TO DO WITH $10 — AND SEE HOW A LITTLE CAN GO A LONG WAY.

via 10 Things To Do With 10 Bucks: Spring Clean With These Fresh Tips | Home & Decor | Living Frugally | LearnVest – Where life gets richer.

10 For $10

KLCT Partner – Billy Dodson profiled by TNC

Giraffe and ox pecker (c) Billy Dodson

I found this article to be great encouragement to the idea of focusing on what your dreams are and finding a way to incorporate them into your life.

If you are looking towards home ownership, or just need to take a look at your current mortgage, please give me a call. I would be happy to help you to realize your financial dreams.

Billy Dodson, Winner of the 2007 Digital Photo Contest“I’m not a photographer who happened to visit Africa and fell in love with the land and the animals. I do what I do because of Africa … that is, the magic of the place turned me into a photographer.”

Billy Dodson’s life changed after he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2001 — but it wasn’t the thrill of the climb or the humbling magnitude of the mountain. Instead, it was his trip to the Serengeti after the climb that left him dreaming of Africa. Upon returning home Dodson found that he “spent an excessive amount of time trying to figure out a way to return to Africa – often – and make the travel self-sustaining.”

Since he enjoyed documenting the Kilimanjaro climb with the SLR he purchased for the trip, Dodson decided to pursue photography as his ticket back to Africa.“I subscribed to a couple of the popular photo magazines and really learned the principles of light, exposure, metering, etc. from reading them,” says Dodson. “Composition seemed to come naturally. I live in a very photogenic town Williamsburg, Virginia, so I did a lot of shooting around town and even landed some images on the cover of our local magazine …but a return trip to Africa was my real goal.”

via Our News

Tuesday’s Tip: Don’t put off these 6 home repairs

You can still save money by staying on top of regular maintenance in your home and eliminate the need for costly repairs down the road. Here are six repairs you can’t afford to put off.

Repair leaky roofs. A leak in your roof doesn’t necessarily mean you need to replace it. But, if you let a small leak go, it can cost you big in the long run. Call in a reliable roofer for a repair estimate and be clear from the beginning that it’s a repair problem, not a replacement.

Repair leaky faucets and running toilets. Doing so could save hundreds of dollars per year on your water bill. And don’t neglect your sump pump. Check the batteries and update the appliance every few years. A flooded basement will cause thousands of dollars in damages, not to mention the loss of personal possessions.

Check the tub and shower. The caulking around your tub and shower prevents moisture penetration, which can lead to mold. Bath fixtures can avoid premature replacement if the tile surface is kept watertight, and the subsurface, usually drywall, remains dry.

Inspect electrical cords and outlets. Look for signs of distortion, discoloration or cracks in the insulation, and hire an electrician to replace tired outlets that no longer hold a plug. A defective receptacle, light switch or fixture replaced during a scheduled visit will save you hundreds of dollars over an emergency repair.

Weatherproof windows and doors. These are the two areas with the largest amount of air transfer in both cold and hot weather. Use a digital thermometer to check the seal quality and inspect the caulking for areas that have cracked or shrunken, which will allow water to damage siding and floors. Once sealed, use a programmable thermostat to help regulate air temperature, which could save you up to 10 percent on your monthly energy bill.

Change your air filters. HVAC experts estimate that 60 percent of all service calls are the result of dirty filters. Changing air filters regularly (every month or so), especially if you have shedding pets or kids frequently running in and out, can save you up to $100 each year in energy costs.

via Don’t put off these 6 home repairs.

Monday’s Money Deals: Electronics and Free Greeting Cards

Spring is here! And so are the deals: We’ve got savings on dresses and swimwear, cameras and printers – and weirder things.

But first, freebie of the week: Vistaprint is once again offering up a bunch of free stuff, but it’s first-come, first-served and a lot of the deals (tote bags, T-shirts, etc.) are gone. Sometimes they “restock” the offer and sometimes they don’t. But as of this writing, you can still get 250 free color business cards or a free rubber stamp with your address imprinted. You just pay shipping costs.

For the office, Staples has some good deals of the day this week: 60 percent off Sharpies today, discounted printers and cameras later this week, and 80 percent off CD-Rs on Saturday.

Over at Amazon, you can stock up on ever-useful Scotch tape at a bargain. You can get 6 rolls of tape with a free dispenser for $11. That’s 6,000 inches of tape.

Given your car a good look lately? If you’re missing anything, Advance Auto Parts has a coupon for $10 off $30 or $20 off $50: use coupon code A123. And if you need some wiper blades, buying Rain-X Latitude wiper blades will make you eligible for a $10 mail-in rebate and a free umbrella.

Meanwhile, Target has throw pillows on clearance for as cheap as $3. There are lots of designs, ranging from fancy to kiddie.

via Monday’s Money Deals: Dresses, Pillows, and Free Business Cards | Money Talks News.

Funday Friday: Insider Tips To Groupon

Groupon and other deal sites help you save money on restaurants and services.We love gourmet pizza and deep tissue massages as much as the next person, but more and more these days, group buying sites seem to proffer a surplus of spider vein treatments and haunted house walking tours.

When we do wade through the mishmosh and take the plunge, we end up with a backlog of random coupons that reads like one strange afternoon–will we really eat at that Tex-Mex restaurant, get a Brazilian wax, and learn to roll sushi–all by April 30th?

We love group buying sites (who doesn’t want a great deal?)–Groupon, LivingSocial, BuyWithMe, and way too many others to keep track of. But we’re starting not to love the group buying site craziness–combing through bad deals, vetting the decent ones, avoiding getting sucked in by that ticking counter.

Groupon is the new eBay–remember when auction-bidding was the craze? Now it’s all about group deal sites. How do we join in on the fun, save a buck, and avoid buyer’s remorse? Below, our best tips on navigating Groupon and other social deal sites.

Tip #1: Minimize Inbox Clutter.

It’s great to get a deal, but it’s just not worth our time to trawl site after site or clutter our inboxes. So we like Yipit, which aggregates deals from almost 400 sites. To use Yipit, sign up for a free account, fill in the product categories you care about, and you’ll receive just one daily digest with deals that fit your interests.

In case you’re worried that it isn’t comprehensive enough, we assure you: Yipit searches everything from the well-known local offerings (like DailyCandy, UrbanDaddy, Lifebooker for spas) to the more specialized ones (WineHeist for wine, Shirt.Woot for cool t-shirts, and Jewpon for–you guessed it–Jewish-themed deals such as kosher restaurants.)

Tip #2: Make Sure The Deal Is Within Your Budget.

In the past, flash sale sites have come under fire for listing false “original prices” (ahem, Gilt Groupe’s “Scarf-gate“). While we haven’t heard anything similar about Groupon-like sites yet, make sure that you truly vet the deal and check out original prices to be safe. After all, 80% of customers who buy “daily deals” wouldn’t have spent that money otherwise. Your bank account doesn’t know the difference between spending $50 and spending $50 for a deal. So, before you pony up, consider whether you have room for that horseback riding course in your budget—even if it is 70% off.

Read More: Insider Tips To Groupon | Personal Finance – Seattle Post-Intelligencer.