C21AGVoices

Last Tuesday — for the first time in a long while — members of the press met the monthly Case-Shiller Index data with enthusiasm. And why shouldn’t they? 19 of the 20 measured markets showed a slowing pace of home price decline in April. Here are some of the headlines about the story: Case-Shiller Home […]

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Motorized garden tools come in two varieties — gas-powered and electric-powered. If you take a close look, however, you’ll notice that professional landscapers and gardening experts almost always choose the gas-powered types. This is because gas-powered garden tools both outperform and outlast their electric counterparts. On the downside, they’re an environmental nightmare. According to the California […]

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If you’ve ever been grilling for friends or family and emptied your gas tank mid-burger, you’ll appreciate the GasWatch Propane Level Indicator and Safety Gauge. For less than $20, the fits-most-grills appliance connects between the gas tank and the regulator, clearly displaying the propane left until a refill is needed. When the needle falls to […]

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Last week’s jobs report is the latest data point to drag down rates for today’s home buyers and would-be refinancers. As reported by the government, the national Unemployment Rate rose to 9.5 percent in June — a 25-year high. As the percentage of out-of-work Americans grows, households have less disposable income to pump back into the […]

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The Pareto Principle is a statistical concept most commonly known as the 80/20 Rule, and is commonly applied in a variety of situations. for example “20% of the salesmen make 80% of the sales” or put another way “20% of your efforts generate 0% of your results” Iin other words 80 percent of the effects […]

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Water high in mineral content — specifically calcium and magnesium — is more commonly known as “hard water“. There’s no negative link between hard water and human health, but hard water has been known to mess with a homeowner’s penchant for cleanliness.  Over time, mineral deposits can collect and “stain” anywhere that there’s running water. […]

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The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged last week on June 24th within its target range of 0.000-0.250 percent. The Fed also reiterated its plan to support the mortgage market to the tune of $1.5 trillion. In its press release, the FOMC noted that the U.S. economy is not […]

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Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia As long as I have been in the real estate business, I have been told that real estate is an economic leader. We are first in and we are first out. A cliche that has been true in every recession I have experienced. You’ll remember that residential real estate […]

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Monday, mortgage markets improved with news of new Swine Flu cases.  It’s a classic example of Safe Haven buying and today’s rate shoppers will see the benefits. Mortgage rates improved about 0.125 percent Monday. It’s not an official term, but “Safe Haven buying” describes the trading patterns in which large numbers of investors move money […]

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The Federal Open Market Committee voted to leave the Fed Funds Rate unchanged today within its target range of 0.000-0.250 percent.  The Fed also reiterated its plan to support the mortgage market to the tune of $1.5 trillion. In its press release, the FOMC noted that the economy may still be contracting, but that it’s […]

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