by Karl Schroeder for Finance
Summer Is Almost Over, Thank Goodness!
We’ve just past an anniversary. It might have been in May but more likely in June or July. Our economic recovery is now a year old, hard to believe since there is about as much angst about the economy now as there was a year ago or two years ago. Most people in the investing world worry about the economic future all the time, but usually the worry is about just how fast we’re growing. Today the worry is whether or not we’re growing. This whole debate misses one very important point, we’re still growing!
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by Joan Byrnes for Real Estate
It has long been a motto of real estate, and the saying goes, “location, location, location.” It’s what sells a property, they say. But recent times have brought to light that the real deciding factor on how fast, or even if, your home sells all comes down to price.
It’s not that buyers are attracted by shiny, new things, but in a sense they are. When a home is newly listed it gathers a lot of interest. The listing agent may send out emails, webcasts, and virtual tours. They launch their entire marketing program. Even the MLS indicates the home as “newly listed.” After a few weeks, however, if no momentum has been built, the home will then face a must steeper challenge on the road to selling.
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by Karl Schroeder for Finance
Investing is a confidence game. Without a certain expectation of return, no one will defer current consumption and invest for future consumption. Currently, we are being overwhelmed by a lack of confidence in that return. People have been fed a fairly steady diet of bad news about nearly everything and never given the whole story in such a way as to increase that expectation of return. It was Will Rogers who quipped “I’ve stopped worrying about the return on my money. Now I just worry about the return of my money.” We all have a piece of Will Rogers in us these days. But, the big question is whether that attitude is warranted and will it continue?
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by Karl Schroeder for Finance
As Herb Stein Might Say
Let’s take A Look at Our Cumulative Debt. The topic seems to be much in the news, so maybe a little data would help understand just where we are.
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by Joan Byrnes for Real Estate
What do you make of a market where pending home sales drop, as they did in the latest monthly survey, but many other real estate and mortgage indicators are trending positive at the same time?
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by Joan Byrnes for Real Estate
With the summer months pushing temperatures over 100 degrees in some areas and humidity leaving drips of perspiration on people’s brows, it might be time to consider a water feature to help enhance your home’s appeal.
I’m writing this from the desert and everywhere you look, flowing, glistening, and pleasant-sounding water pours from fountains on commercial and home properties. It’s alluring, welcoming, and calming. When it comes to selling your home, a water fountain can help to create a peaceful and enjoyable experience. It can also help to drown out noisy children playing nearby.
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