Mortgage Refinancing Without Resetting the Clock
By Scott Sheldon - For many homeowners, the thought of refinancing can…
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Should Homeownship Be Part of Your Retirement Plan?
By Ann G. Schnorrenberg - Homeownership used to be considered the American…
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For Obama, it's all about Obamacare
President Obama's speech Tuesday announced the relaunch of his healthcare…
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Mommy, the Drone’s Here!
WASHINGTON — The novelty of flying cars never materialized. But…
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Don’t Let the Holidays Ruin Your Credit Score: 5 Tips for Success
The holidays are upon us, and they may affect your…
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As Houses Get Bigger, Some Opt to Downsize Into ‘Wee’ Homes
(MCT)—At first glance, the pint-sized cypress-wood cabin Emily Faulconer is…
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Honest Polling Shows Americans Reject Immigration Reform Amnesty
Since June when the Senate passed the Border Security, Economic…
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Baby, It’s Cold Outside: How Can You Stay Warm This Winter?
Now that winter is approaching, you may be thinking about…
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Short Sales Hard to Find, Except in Hard-Hit Housing Markets
By Christine DiGangi - Home sales and prices continue to rise on…
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BofA to Pay $404 Million to Settle Mortgage Dispute
By Tanya Agrawal - Bank of America said it settled all…
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Planning to Buy a Home in 2014? Get Ready Now
By Christine DiGangi - With big changes coming to the mortgage industry…
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Why Sellers Shouldn't Wait Until After the Holidays to List Homes
By Brendon DeSimone - With the holidays approaching, sellers often wonder if…
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Real Estate Q&A: Titleholders want to abandon developer-controlled association
Question: A majority of titleholders want to abandon our present…
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Even Record Poverty Can’t Derail Immigration Reform
Not even a stake to the heart could kill Congress’…
Read More »By Scott Sheldon - For many homeowners, the thought of refinancing can be less appealing because the clock resets each time you re-mortgage. Essentially, you could be turning back the clock to 30 years each time you refinance. In some circumstances, especially if you’re a few years away from paying off the debt in full,…
By Ann G. Schnorrenberg - Homeownership used to be considered the American Dream. Most baby boomers grew up with a goal of owning their own home. Now, many members of the younger generation question whether it is a good idea to buy real estate. No wonder — having watched the housing market collapse five years…
President Obama’s speech Tuesday announced the relaunch of his healthcare program’s website. But he was also aiming to relaunch his entire second term, which has careened from high ambition to near-catastrophe in less than 11 months. Until his signature healthcare program is running smoothly, Obama stands little chance of focusing Congress on any of the…
Columns / miscellany / Opinion
WASHINGTON — The novelty of flying cars never materialized. But flying novels are right around the corner. If you aren’t nervous enough reading about 3-D printers spitting out handguns or Google robots with Android phones, imagine the skies thick with crisscrossing tiny drones. “I know this looks like science fiction; it’s not,” Jeff Bezos told…
The holidays are upon us, and they may affect your credit scores. One’s credit score could take a hit during the holidays in a number of ways. You may see a less than festive dip from overcharging and not paying your credit card bills in a timely manner or by being the victim of credit…
I’ve heard a lot of interesting stories of people trying, and failing, to sign up for ObamaCare, but this one takes the cake. According to UPI, Shane Smith, of Fort Collins, Colo., had his new ObamaCare insurance opened under his dog’s name. Eric Allie / Cagle Cartoons As it goes, Smith’s existing plan was canceled…
We might not quite be in the age of “The Jetsons” yet, but there are quite a few gadgets on the market than can make you feel a little more like you’re living in the future. More than something to just keep you connected the web, your wireless network can now be used to…
(MCT)—At first glance, the pint-sized cypress-wood cabin Emily Faulconer is building looks like a hand-hewn, portable home for hobbits. Just 200 square feet, Faulconer’s future wee home in Osteen, Fla., is set atop a special trailer that she plans to eventually make her permanent home. It will include bare-bones amenities such as a mini-kitchen and…
Since June when the Senate passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization bill, tens of thousands of stories and broadcasts have been devoted to comprehensive immigration reform. Yet only a handful have outlined the bill’s most crucial feature, namely that it will in most cases give immediate legal status and therefore work authorization…
Now that winter is approaching, you may be thinking about your energy bills a lot more. You might be worrying about turning the heating on due to the excessive costs and wondering whether that draught around your ankles is coming from the external doors. During these months, you may begin to think about insulating your…
Here we go again. Pointing to a conservative study, Gov. Rick Perry proclaimed, “The discussion’s over. The debate’s over. The proof is in. Texas wins.” And who did we beat? California, of course. It’s enough to make you wonder if little Ricky got enough love growing up on the dirt farm. Someone get this kid…
Welcome to the Liberals’ version of the Hunger Games, America; unapologetically brought to you by our Progressive friends in the Democrat Party, whose economic policies have lifted a record number of Americans from the middle class and plopped them face down — into poverty the past five years. Nate Beeler / Columbus Dispatch I know.…
By Christine DiGangi - Home sales and prices continue to rise on an annual basis, and as those numbers have climbed, the number of short sales going through the market has dropped. Short sales, which are home sales in which the sale price is less than the total of the outstanding mortgages secured by the…
By Tanya Agrawal - Bank of America said it settled all claims with Freddie Mac arising from residential mortgages sold to the government-backed housing agency through the end of 2009. Bank of America (BAC) will pay $404 million to settle claims related to loans sold to Freddie Mac from Jan. 1, 2000 to Dec.…
By Christine DiGangi - With big changes coming to the mortgage industry at the beginning of next year, many consumers will want to evaluate their homebuying plans. Regulations drafted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will change the definition of a qualified mortgage for any loan applications received on and after Jan. 10, and many…
By Brendon DeSimone - With the holidays approaching, sellers often wonder if they should keep their properties on the market or take them off? Or if they haven’t listed their homes yet, should they wait until after the first of the year? Maybe hold off until spring? Conventional wisdom used to be that you shouldn’t…
Question: A majority of titleholders want to abandon our present homeowners association. Several thousand homes were to be built in our new subdivision, but fewer than 60 have been purchased. There were supposed to be five phases, but the builder stopped at phase one and won’t finish the development. When we purchased our homes, we…
Imagine a product — a legal but lethal one — that kills 400,000 Americans a year. Public health advocates have been trying for decades to persuade Americans not to use it. The industry has been sued and sued again, but it is still operating profitably. One out of every five Americans is addicted to the…
