ActiveRain Community

Renting vs. Buying: A Comprehensive ExplorationThe decision to rent or buy a home is one of the most significant financial choices an individual or family can make. Both options come with their own advantages and drawbacks, and the right choice depends on numerous factors, including financial stability, lifestyle preferences, and long-term goals. This article explores the benefits and challenges of renting and buying to help individuals make informed decisions.The Case for RentingFlexibility and MobilityOne of the most significant advantages of renting is the flexibility it offers. Renters can relocate with relative ease, making it ideal for individuals who frequently move for work, education, or personal reasons. A lease agreement, typically lasting six months to a year, provides the o... 03/15/2025

  "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one most adaptable to change." — Charles Darwin I’m not sure how much of my personality is written into my DNA, but I do know that losing both of my parents at a young age shaped me in both subtle and significant ways. When my mother passed away when I was seven, my brother and I had to grow up faster than most kids. With our dad working during the week, we quickly learned the art of independence and self-reliance.  That independence stuck with us into adulthood, which is mostly a good thing until you need help and realize you have no idea how to ask for it. I am guilty of that. One of the biggest lessons I took from those early losses was that grief is tough, but loss itself isn’t something to ... 03/15/2025

The Hidden Dangers of Ignoring IRS Notices If You Haven’t Filed Your Tax ReturnThe Consequences of Non-ComplianceA Big Ol' Penalty WaitingFirst, let me tell you: those penalties can pile up like a mountain if you're not careful. The IRS doesn’t just send you a little slap on the wrist when you don’t file your taxes. No, it’s more like a full-blown boxing match where you're definitely the loser. You can be hit with late filing fees, and they grow the longer you wait. It’s like being stuck in a snowball effect that just gets bigger and bigger.When I faced it myself, I couldn’t believe how fast those fees added up. It’s crucial to understand that even if you can't pay your taxes right now, filing on time can minimize those penalties. I learned that the hard way, and I don’t want you to go ... 03/15/2025

“Mommas don’t let your babies grow up to be clueless.” Oh, that is so true. I recently had an event happen with our real estate company that made me speechless. In our real estate brokerage, we do sales, but we also do property management. In the 30 years of managing other people’s property, I feel like I’ve seen it all. Oh, I am so wrong on that.Late in January I received a call from a frantic student-tenant saying that the ceiling in her kitchen collapsed and water was pouring into the kitchen. What? What could have happened to cause that? I took off to see what was going on and she was right. What happened? The students took off for Christmas break around 12/23. They set the furnace back to 60 degrees and left town. That wasn’t the problem.When I started quizzing the students, they t... 03/14/2025

Caring (kindness & concern) is such an endearing (love & affection) word & humans thrive on this both to receive & gift it. Apply it to a cat & they purr. To a dog when petting, they rollover with satisfaction but to another human? This can heal in ways no one knows. Caring for another & or helping them, goes beyond words & even time as we remember it all our lives.LARGE DOSESThis can right all wrongs, change your life, give hope & keep us human just by participating in the process. A juvenile delinquent gets this & it may go to work immediately or go to seed to bloom at a later time, but it will work guaranteedNO REASON NEEDEDThere are no conditions, qualifiers or learning process on either end of this giving & receiving. You just do it or have it done to you & it goes to work with no ... 03/15/2025

I am enjoying getting to know my fellow Active Rain friends regarding, Who They Are. These deeper conversations allow us to see beyond the market reports, professional expertise, and local involvement. All of these, of course, are important topics so it is fun when we have the opportunity to peel back the onion to understand our AR friends in a different spotlight.My life was greatly impacted by my high school coach, Leta Andrews. You talk about a fireball of a woman! Coach Andrews is not only a local and national legend, she helped to shape my life in numerous ways. WORK ETHIC - When I moved back to Granbury nine years ago, I heard the door to my brokerage open and then jumped to attention when I heard Coach Andrew's voice ring out. Hearing her voice immediately brought me back many de... 03/14/2025

  🏡 48-Unit Portfolio | 12 Buildings📍 299 Mayfair Blvd, Columbus, OH 43213💰 Sold for $3,200,000 We’re excited to announce the successful sale of this 48-unit portfolio on Mayfair Blvd & Dale Ave! 🏢 Consisting of 33 one-bedroom, 14 two-bedroom, and 1 three-bedroom unit, this well-maintained community continues to provide stable housing, with Section 8 rent-subsidized units and ongoing tenant support post-sale.Congratulations to the buyers & sellers on a smooth transaction! 🎉 Thinking of buying or selling? Let’s make your real estate dreams a reality! 📞🏡 📞 614-431-1220 | 📧 rjoe@kw.com Wanna know your home value? Click the link below: https://www.HissJacksonAdvantage.com/index      03/14/2025

​On April 1st our little company, Mortgage Magic, turns 35 years old. When I opened the company my only goal was to be a mortgage broker out of my house. I was young and enthusiastic and people wanted to join me and within 2 years wehad 25 loan officers and right away  became a wholesale lender. I never thought of being a wholesale lender but a large financial institution contacted me and said they would back us. We could sell loans to them on the secondary market but were also able to expand who we sold to. There were no strings attached to their offer. We hired a person who I knew from the industry to be our head underwriter and who also sold our loans on the secondary market. We were successful but after three years our head underwriter became international President of a non-profit ... 03/14/2025

The Influences that Define our Lives  2Very few adults can look at their lives and honestly state that they were destined to be what they became with no assistance from anyone.   A sense of divine right, so to speak.  I am not one of those, nor do I know anyone like that.My career path had some bumps at the beginning, more so due to a little military issue and being in the wrong job at the wrong time.   The early 1970's were not the kindest to engineers in the aerospace industry.I found a job working as a support engineer in a field that I knew nothing about, but my degree and common sense were the reason I got the job.That and I refused to collect a check from the state for doing nothing. An unemployment check has never felt right to me.As I was completing a call one afternoon from a c... 03/15/2025

MIDTOWN MIAMI DADE FLORIDA REAL ESTATE BIGGEST SALES * As of Mar 14, 2025 WE HAVE THE KEY TO YOUR DREAM HOME. CHECK OUT REAL ESTATE PROPERTIES FOR SALE ON MIDTOWN MIAMI. #RealEstateMiami #SouthFloridaRealEstate #RealEstateMidtownMiami #MidtownMiamiRealEstate #RealEstateSouthFlorida #MidtownMiami #MiamiRealEstate #RealEstate #Realtor #houseexpert #househunting #home #RealEstateAgent #RealEstateBroker #RealEstateExpert #RealEstateForSale #Realty #Broker #HomeForSale #HouseForSale #PropertyForSale #HomeForSaleMiami #HomeForSaleSouthFlorida  Miami-Dade Florida: Is the Housing Market Starting To Balance Out? For years, sellers have had the upper hand in the housing market. With so few homes for sale and so many people who wanted to purchase them, buyers faced tough competition just to get an... 03/14/2025

AUCTIONEER LIVE ONSITE: Saturday, March 15 @ 11:00 AMHOUSE OPEN for INSPECTION: Saturday, March 15 @ 10:00-11:00 AM376 N. Montague St., Pilot Point TXHouse for Sale at AuctionLearn More and Make Your Offer HereResidential Home AuctioneersReal Estate House AuctionTexas Real PropertyHome and LotDenton County.130 +/- AcresBuilt 20223 Bed 2 Bath1,493 +/- SqFtPilot Point ISDSingle Family HomeSpecial terms and conditions,Buyer's Premium apply for all sales.Information About Brokerage ServicesTexas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection NoticeTo Contact the Texas Department of Licensing and RegulationMyers Jackson License DisclosuresMyers Jackson TX Broker 0698695Myers Jackson TX Auctioneer TDLR 17057General Terms and Conditions  03/13/2025

4335 Fall Blossom Dr., Arlington TXTownhome for Sale at AuctionLearn More and Make Your Offer HereResidential Home AuctioneersReal Estate House AuctionTexas Real PropertyHome and LotTarrant County.064 +/- AcresBuilt 20223 Bed 2.5 Bath1,967 +/- SqFtHurst-Euless-Bedford ISDSpecial terms and conditions,Buyer's Premium apply for all sales.Information About Brokerage ServicesTexas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection NoticeTo Contact the Texas Department of Licensing and RegulationMyers Jackson License DisclosuresMyers Jackson TX Broker 0698695Myers Jackson TX Auctioneer TDLR 17057General Terms and Conditions  03/13/2025

PGA VERANO, an all ages community, located in beautiful Port Saint Lucie. If you are looking for a property to rent while your new home is being completed or you are relocating, this house is ready for you! It’s a brand-new unfurnished home 2BR+Flex room/2BA with open floor plan on a serene lake, with a screened in Lanai, tile floors through-out the main living area, energy efficient appliances, white cabinets with granite counters, high impact hurricane windows and doors and a two car Epoxy floor garage. Annual or semiannual lease and or SALE. Amenities incl: Indoor Lap Pool, 5 Har-Tru Hydro Tennis Courts, 27 Pickle-ball Courts, Resistance Pool, 7000 sq ft E-Gym, bocce, card room, ballroom, demo kitchen, saunas, outdoor resort pool w/cabanas.  Internet, basic cable & lawn care included... 03/13/2025

1425 Sunnymeadow Road, Lancaster TXHouse for Sale at AuctionLearn More and Make Your Offer HereResidential Home AuctioneersReal Estate House AuctionTexas Real PropertyHome and LotDallas County0.114 +/- AcresBuilt 19993 Bed 2 Bath1,453 +/- SqFtLancaster ISDSingle Family HomeSpecial terms and conditions,Buyer's Premium apply for all sales.Information About Brokerage ServicesTexas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection NoticeTo Contact the Texas Department of Licensing and RegulationMyers Jackson License DisclosuresMyers Jackson TX Broker 0698695Myers Jackson TX Auctioneer TDLR 17057General Terms and Conditions   03/13/2025

 Experience an exceptional Waterfront retreat in Lochmoor Waterway Estates, Florida, conveniently located just a minute from The Caloosahatchee River. This exquisite residence in North Fort Myers boasts an electric boat lift with a capacity of 7,500 lbs, a heated pool, a cooling pool, and a newly installed six-person above-ground spa adjacent to the master bedroom. The kitchen has been meticulously updated to enhance both functionality and aesthetics, featuring ample storage, elegant white shaker-style cabinets, quartz countertops, and new stainless-steel appliances, complemented by a center island ideal for entertaining. The primary bedroom offers access to a private lanai and an en-suite bathroom equipped with a walk-in shower. The lanai envelops the inground pool and patio, providing... 03/13/2025

"Sometimes you deserve a second chance, not because you weren't fabulous the first time but because the timing and circumstances weren't quite right. You just got overlooked."   -Carol Williams  Second Chance Saturday is all about giving deserving posts more exposure. If you see a deserving post that didn't get Featured, be sure to tag Carol in the comment section of any post and watch for it in the next edition of Second Chance Saturday.   Let's Welcome Our First-Time Bloggers: Angie Howard  Jordan Jacobson   John Russo  Nathan Street  Dane Crosby  Patrick Van Horn Dustin Ely * * * *   Strive To Do What's Right By: Lou Ludwig "As I see it..."  What Did You Learn From Your Last Deal  By: Adam Feinberg "Unfortunately- until NYC cleans up the mess in housing court from the covid shutdown... 03/15/2025

On March 11, 2025,  ATTOM Data Solutions reported nationwide there were 32,383 U.S. properties received a foreclosure filing default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions in February of 2025, higher 5.0% from January of 2025, but lower 1.7% from February of 2024. Nationwide one in every 4,395 homes had a foreclosure filing in February of 2025.Lenders started foreclosure process on 22,730 U.S. properties in February 2025, gained 8.0% from January of 2025, and increased 1.0% from February of 2024.Lenders foreclosed (REO) on a total of 3,031 U.S. properties in February of 2025, gained 2.0% from January of 2025, but dropped 11.0% from February of 2024.State of Delaware had the highest rate with one in every 2,278 homes were in foreclosure in February of 2025, and Modesto, CA. ha... 03/13/2025

  Progress comes from giving back, creating a cycle of growth and reward. The more you contribute, the more you receive in return.​​​Daily Tip: Find a way to help someone today, whether through a kind word or a small act of service. Giving not only benefits others but also nurtures your own growth and sense of fulfillment.​​​Rate App Feature of the Day: Improve flexibility and ease tightness with this speedy hip mobility stretch workout. Release tension, enhance range of motion, and support better movement in your workouts and daily life. https://z6u9c.app.link/1YQfJI8pByb  #ThankfulTips #DailyPositivity #DailyPositivity2025 #PositivityQuote #PositivityQuotes #GuaranteedRate #Mortgage #MortgageLender #Atlanta #AtlantaMortgage #AlabamaMortgage #ArizonaMortgage #ArkansasMortgage #Californ... 03/13/2025

In the spirit of summer, let’s revisit an old RSL favorite and dive into a unique condo approval case that raises an interesting question:Can a nudist community qualify for FHA financing?  🙈😳😅Condominium projects come in all shapes and sizes, and this one is certainly… a little different. This particular community is a well-maintained, financially sound condominium that meets almost all FHA eligibility requirements. The units are in FHA’s pricing “sweet spot,” the project’s financials are solid, the owner-occupancy rate is nearly 100%, and residents are up to date on their common charges. Demand is so high that there’s a waiting list for new buyers. On paper, it looks like a perfect candidate for FHA project approval.However, there’s one unusual hurdle. The condominium is a nudist commu... 03/12/2025

This weekend, while in San Francisco, we took a spontaneous drive down the coast and found ourselves at a quiet beach near Pacifica. As I walked along the shore, my gaze landed on my daughter-in-law and grandson. They stood side by side, their silhouettes framed against the endless horizon, watching the sun dip below the water. There was something striking about the moment—simple. I paused for a moment, absorbing the warmth of the scene.It's the little things that count. 03/12/2025