Five years in the slammer for checking his wife's e-mail - 12/29/10 01:03 PM
A man in Michigan has been charged under an anti-hacking law.  His crime?  Checking his wife's e-mail without her authorization.  The case is complicated by charges of infidelity and the possible risk to a child's safety.  If convicted, the man could face up to five years in prison.  Rather than try to re-state what has been written about this case, here is a link to an article in the Money Times.
http://www.themoneytimes.com/featured/20101227/michigan-man-may-get-5-years-reading-wife039s-email-id-101701708809.html
Now that will make you think twice before checking your spouse's e-mail.
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Has your bank been naughty or nice? - 12/29/10 11:09 AM
How many banks received lumps of coal this Christmas?  Some of them should have received enough coal to heat their building this winter.  From what you read on Active Rain, there are a few banks that have really not lived up to those warm fuzzy feel good commercials.
So what might earn lumps of coal?
Having to send in short sale documents more than once or twice.  (Some can't find the documents even if they were sent by a delivery service and signed for!!  Why would anybody deposit money in a bank that loses things so easily?) The whole repogate foreclosure … (0 comments)

Which is better? Real Estate or Gold? - 12/27/10 09:30 PM
I heard a conversation about how inflation should be increasing at some point in the future.  Some suggest high levels of inflation.  Certainly with the spike in gold prices, there are many investors who are looking to gold as a safe haven for possible inflation.  I am not predicting inflation, only looking for ways to be better prepared if it should occur.
I am certainly not an expert on gold, but I do know quite a bit about real estate.  So take this comparison with a grain of salt.  But hopefully this article can add to the conversation about real estate … (6 comments)

Real estate as an inflation hedge - 12/22/10 10:11 PM
There are many who are concerned that we will be experiencing increased rates of inflation - maybe even high rates of inflation.  The price of gold has gone way up over the past couple of years.  But for those who are convinced that inflation is coming soon - maybe it would be good to consider quality residential rental real estate as an investment.  Here are some points to consider:
Only consider real estate in quality areas that has positive cash flow.  While that may be a challenge in some areas, it should not be too hard to find in my area … (0 comments)

Why Are You Missing Such Important Steps in the Purchase and Sale Process? - 12/22/10 07:40 PM
Tammy Emineth provides us with some helpful information here about defining procesures and writing them down.  In this post she talks about how she benefits by usings lists to help her navigate through various parts of a transaction.
Via Tammy Emineth (Personal SEO - Website SEO and Real Estate Marketing):
Why are you missing such important steps in the purchase and sale process?
Granted, I was only an agent for a few years but without lists, I would always forget something. No matter how many times I did the same thing over and over, I would inevitably forget a step without my list.
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FHA 90 Day Flip Financing Is Still Available - 12/18/10 01:20 PM
There have been a few posts showing a December deadline for homes under the 90 day FHA flip waiver.  This post by Rodney Mason did not appear to get as much attention as some of the other posts.  But the bottom line is that some lenders are stopping flip waiver mortgages earlier than others.
If you need to sell under the flip waiver, you might be very careful about which lender you select.  The flip waiver does make sense.  It includes safeguards to protect against mortgage fraud.  We hope to be hearing from HUD soon on whether or not it will … (8 comments)

Carmel Indiana new homes with major price reductions - 12/11/10 11:02 AM
Carmel Indiana has plenty of new homes available.  According to my most recent survey there are about 120 new construction homes listed for sale.  This is the traditional slow time of year for real estate.  But the expenses of the builders continue - with taxes, insurance, interest and utilities.  These expenses go on whether or not the homes are sold.
Builders don't really have the luxury of just taking the home off the market until March like the typical seller might be tempted to do.  They have to keep plugging away.  They know that one way to attract those buyers who … (0 comments)

Vacant houses in the winter - water line woes - 12/08/10 10:06 AM
We've all seen that bright orange or green sticker on the front door.  It tells how the home has been winterized.  Isn't that comforting?
First of all, winterization typically does not include water softeners, appliances or anything that can trap water.  So the dishwasher, ice maker, water softener and iron filter might or might not work.
Second, the system must be sound in order to do a proper winterization.  The plumber or technician will take an air compressor and use that air pressure to blow out the water lines.  If the pipes have an opening, then it may be impossible to build … (2 comments)