Americans' message on joint debt panel: Let's make a deal USA Today
In a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, six in 10 of those surveyed say members of the joint panel established in the debt-ceiling negotiations should be willing to reach an accord, even if it means making major compromises. Just over a third say the members should stand firm on principle, even if doing so blocks an agreement.
While a majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents endorse doing what it takes to reach an agreement, supporters of the Tea Party disagree: 53% say they want committee members who will stand on principle no matter what.
The findings underscore the difficult task ahead for the 12-member panel. By Thanksgiving it is supposed to come up with a plan to reduce the federal deficit over 10 years by $1.5 trillion, on top of more than $900 billion in spending cuts already promised. If the panel can't agree, or if Congress blocks their proposal, $1.2 trillion will be cut automatically from defense and non-defense spending.
Refinance Help. Fill this form and get help!
House
One of my favorite tv shows! If you haven't seen it yet, go check it out! Sorry the video is a bit longer than you're probably use to ...
house..........?
if u missed an episode of house, can you watch the episode online?
because i missed todays episode and i really wanted to watch it
thanks :]
http://sidereel.com/house
Join this Livejournal community:
http://community.livejournal.com/houseepisodes/
and theey should post the episode to watch.
It's not up yet, but it will be, maybe tomorrow.
4.1 & 4.2 are up.
wait until the end of the week
Click on the following link to go to the USA Network Schedule Page:
http://www.usanetwork.com/schedules/sched.php
Bird house building what is the best wood to use for custom home design houses?
I am looking to build a custom bird house for my friend for a house warming gift (I know clever!). I want to have an exact match of the house. But i do not know what wood to use for the main of the house and the details?
cedar. Smooth side on the inside, rough side on the outside.
Cedar is durable and insect resistant.
New England house prices? Is there ever really a good time to buy?
I live in New Hampshire and I have been looking into buying a house. It seems to me that when house prices are low, interest rates are high, and when interest rates are low, house prices are high. Is there really a better time to buy a house compared to other times? Someone I know said we should wait because houses are not appreciating very well in the area right now, but, is this true? And is it better to continue renting? The prices in the area are outrageous at best, and I can't believe that there is ever going to be a time when they are going to be lower. It seems to me that if appreciation continues at any rate, that ordinary people wont be able to afford a house at all. $200,000 plus for a small place seems crazy. Any input on this?
I live in the mid-atlantic. In 1988, we bought a townhouse for 92,500. The neighbors had bought theirs the year before for 130K. The prices stayed stagnant, even as other neighborhoods rose, because our townhouses were older. However, as all the land along our highway exit got built out, the value of our townhouses was seen - close to the highway, but surrounded by woods, roomy inside, bigger yards, lots of open space. In 2001, we bought a neighbor's townhouse for 116K and started renting out ours for 850/mo. In 2003, we sold the rental for 175K. In 2005, we sold the house bought for 116 for 325K. People tried to keep those prices going up, and some people bought at 350 - 370. (Lots of those homes were wonderfully remodeled, with the granite and hardwoods and upgraded baths people seek here.) Now, nothing is selling at all. Makes it hard to know what the value of those houses is, then, but around 300K is probably right.
Bottom line - as long as the neighborhood isn't going to hell, isn't majority rental property, isn't near some terrible future development or landfill, then over time the values will go up. There will be temporary stagnations or even drops in value, but the trend is relentlessly upward. You want to get in as soon as you can - as long as you don't buy at the top of the market. How to judge that? It's a guess, but you can make it an educated guess. Best options, if you have skills or money to spare, would be to get a fixer upper. If you can get the worst house in a good neighborhood, you can increase its value even while the market is stagnant. As soon as you can, get a rental property and start reaping those tax rewards.
it's not for nothing that the person you pay the rent check to is called the landLORD.
How do i keep my house really clean?
I want to have a clean house, but not sure on how to get it cleaned the way i want. Infact, the real problem is, i don't like my house super clean. I have to many memories of a super clean house as a kid, my mother cared more about her extra extra clean house, more than her kids. I want my house clean, but i feel uncomfortable if its to clean. i like my house to look lived in not a super selling model house ready for the market. Maybe rearranging my items will make it look more clean. Anyone have suggestions? My house is clean, as in it not smelling or tons of junk all over.
Just a little upkeep every day. Clean messes as you go don't let them accumulate, wash a load or 2 of clothes daily don't' let them pile up. Keep the dishwasher ready to load keep filling it even if it takes more that a day or 2 then wash when it is full. Swifter the floor daily or every other day about 5 minutes. Vacuum once a week Just do a little something different every day like lightly dusting one day, Change bed linens all at the same time throw them in the wash one day. Just keep it on the steady and enjoy more free time!
Many hands make light work
Everyone have their own laundry basket.
Fight one battle at a time or at least one room.
You don't use it pitch it.
How do you Buy a house when you are trying to sell a house at the same time?
Here is my question. We currently own a house. I want to sell that house and buy another one. What if I find a house and want to get a preapproval on a new house. Do they take into consideration that you already own a house? Or do you have to basically get 2 houses?
You can make an offer on another house contingent on the sale of your current home, it might be hard because the seller of the other home will loose valuable Marketing Time since they have to take the house off the market. If you try to go this route you might want to provide the seller with proof that your home is currently listed with a Realtor and also provide a CMA that shows that your home is priced to sell.
Depends on the area and Market Situation in your local Area, ERA Real Estate is offering a program for exactly this situation. They have a plan "seller security plan" and garanty (if your market and house qualifies) that they will buy your home for an agreed amount after a certain time if it is listed with an ERA Agent, priced right and qualifies.
Should your home or market not qualify for this program ERA Mortgage might be able offer a bridge loan until the other home sells to purchase the other home. But you might be able to get a bridge loan from any other Mortgage Broker or Bank as well without using ERA. For more info you can check: http://www.era.com or talk to a local bank or mortgage broker.
However, in order to not get stuck with 2 houses you need to make sure that the loan and purchase of the new house is contingent of you selling the first house.
Do you want to be stuck making 2 mortgage payments?
P.S. You can get a bridge loan. But again you would be making 2 house payments.
Who knows how long it will take to sell your existing home. 3 months, 6? 12? 18 NO ONE KNOWS
As they say in New York "Fugetaboutit"
Good Luck
Terry S.
http://www.Welcome2Arizona.com
If I sell my house without putting the proceeds into another house, how can I avoid taxes?
My employer will build a house and allow my family to live in it rent free. We will sell our house. We will make quite a bit when we sell our house. Since we won't be reinvesting in a house, I am wondering how to avoid taxation.
You should re-invest it in rental property. Then it becomes a buisiness and a write-off.
Check out the Ray Lucia radio program or Raylucia.com as he talks a lot about this and has a great group of people including a tax attorney on his show. Be well.
Also, be aware that the free rent that you will be getting is considered W-2 income from your employer and taxes and social security and medicare taxes will have to be paid on the "fair market rental value".
Furthermore, since you will no longer be making equity in your home, I strongly suggest that you take any proceeds from the sell of your home and invest it into a good mutual fund. That way you will have the best of both worlds: Free rent (less the taxes) and an increasing investment..
Hope that this helps.
*******BE VERY CAREFUL WHO YOU LISTEN TO HERE*****
There are a lot of wrong advice here: (Can't avoid it, put it into a rental property.......) Watch out!
Very bad advice on this site
You do understand that you will be getting taxable income from living in that house. Consult a tax advisor.
You need to ask your tax advisor since your employer is providing house for you and the FMV of the rent is part of your imcome and it is taxable.
Basically, the 500k excemption for joint return in every 2 year is true as long as the sold house is your principal residence.
How can I get free housing grants or inexpensive house contractors?
My grandmother's house is more than 50 years old and it is a small old wood house that really needs remodeling. The city wont let her rebuild on the property but she can remodel. Due to a car accident she is in a wheel chair and the house is not handicapped accessible at all. Alot of the wood is rotten and there are cracks and holes. Bascially the whole house needs to be fixed. She doesnt have the money for renovations or to pay high loans. I want to find housing grants for her or either an inexpensive contractor that maybe does payment plans or some sort.
Thanks
If you are in the United States try contacing your local Community Action Coalition. You might also contact the local Habitat for Humanity offices as well as local churches to see if they have any programs to help with this type of thing.
My house smells like dog pee, what can I do to get rid of the smell?
I have a 4 month old puppy that never took on house training too well and he pees in the house a lot on the carpet, my whole house stinks with the smell. How do I get rid of this smell. It's getting to where I don't even want to be in my living room because it stinks so bad.
And just so everyone knows, I'm not lazy at training him, I go to college full time and work full time.
A product that I used to use when I had cats was called "Anti-Icky Poo". It claims to be able to remove the smell of dead bodies. I've never had to use it for my dog, but it did work for cat pee, which I've found smells worse than dog pee.
I'll go along with the rest of the crowd also and say you should get your carpet professionally steam-cleaned.
How come NJ house prices arent falling like the rest of the country?
How come NJ house prices arent falling like the rest of the country? Will they ever? I want to buy a house, can buy a house, but am unsure because I dont want to buy and then my house value drops. Please provide information.
Real Estate is a very local market. Just look at prices around the country, how prices have fallen at different rates around the country and you will see.
As for prices in NJ, again, it is locally centralized. Where I am in NJ, prices have increased the past year. There have been 3 sales of homes in my development this past year. Each sale has been higher than the last. The increase seems to be about 4% this past year. Now this increase is MUCH smaller than the double digit increases that were happening during the booming market of the past few years, but I am happy with the 4% increase.
One of the other answerer showed that in Morris county prices have declined. It just happens to be that where I am, it is still considered an up and coming part of the state (South Jersey, about 20 minutes from Philadelphia). It's far enough to be semi-rural but close enough to bring you right into the city when you want to be there.
As for a rise/drop in value, look at purchasing a property as it being your home. Use it as such. Compare buying to renting. A lot of this mess was people thinking "why put money into a landlord's pocket when I can buy and make money". You can see how that mentality got many people into foreclosures. Truly to buy a house you must be ready.
FIrst thing to consider is if it is the right time. Are you ready to lay down roots and stay in the same place for 5-7 years minimum. If you aren't going to own the house that long it isn't worth it. Remember, renting an apartment has no upfront costs. You pay a security deposit which is held until you move out then (it should be) returned.
Buying a house has closing costs associated with it. Be prepared to drop 4-6 percent of the price you are paying on closing costs. We're talking $4,000 for a $100,000 home. That is a significant investment. That is also money you don't get back. If you are going to put that kind of money out, be ready to stay a while.
Another thing to consider is are you financially ready? You should have truly a minimum of 20% of the purchase price to put down. I say this because this way you avoid having to take out 2 loans and you can avoid paying PMI for the house. This keeps money in your pocket.
If you haven't been able to save money now, you won't be able to when you get a house either. There are repairs that need to be done. these are repairs that you must pay for. No more calling someone to fix it and not worry anymore. Heater, roof, leaks, water heater, carpets, hardwood floors, you name it. All your job to fix.
I wish you luck!
When staging a house for showing, do you leave the items in the home?
My husband and I are getting ready to list our house for sale, and are getting it ready to stage. Before I buy items for the house (like artwork, plants, candles, etc.), I was needing to know if these items are expected to stay with the house or will we be able to take them with us? Also, any ideas for staging the house would be quite helpful. We have already decluttered everything, taking down all personal pictures, magnets, etc. We have painted everything neutral and cleaned it up inside and out.
Not unless the items are mentioned in the contract, for instance, some people sell the house with the refrigerator, washer and dryer but that has to be written into the contract. If the people buying your house requests an item stay you can negotiate with them.
I would suggest giving the rug a professional cleaning that always makes a good impression. I still remember walking into a house with a white rug.. but with a black trail of dirt to all the rooms not very impressive.