I don’t know if I simply found a lot of stories this week or alternatively, if there were a lot more stories than usual to be found. Sit back and relax, ’cause here we go –
When my parents split up, they sold the house where I’d been raised (in typical let’s-inflict-some-guilt-on-my-already-guilt-ridden-parents fashion I insisted upon calling it “the only home I’ve ever known!”), split the proceeds and went their separate ways. Apparently, in some areas of the country, it’s not that easy anymore.
Congrats to Richland! Standard and Poor’s raised the city’s bond rating to AA (formerly they were at A+). A bond rating to a city as a credit score is to a person. The higher the rating, the better the chances are that that city can borrow money if it needs to.
I wrote earlier this week that interest rates had dropped. Well, even before that happened, Tri-Citians were applying for mortgages as a faster clip than usual. Thinking of listing your house in the Tri-Cities? Clearly, the buyer might be waiting for you, loan at the ready. That’s great news, right?
Credit checks are either “soft” or “hard”. The Consumerist tells which is which.
And, again from The Consumerist – how to get our credit score FOR FREE. You really should check it at least once a year.
Robin Hood (of sorts) is alive and well and living in Miami.
Four-plexes and duplexes are being foreclosed upon, too. With all the media focus on the single-family homeowner, I know I’ve forgotten that someone is paying the mortgage on the multi-family units, too. Even though someone else is “helping” the owner by paying rent, the owner might be unable to come up with their share of the payment. Yikes. The good news is if you have some money to invest, now is the time to pony it up for a duplex or a four-plex. Occupancy rates are high, and rentals are in demand here.
And this has nothing to do with real estate, but I thought this was fascinating. Are kids today re-wiring their brains by spending so much time surfing the Internet? I think as long as babies get a lot of early bonding with everyone in the family, they’ll pick up all the subtleties of social interaction. But, the article raises some interesting ideas.
Alright, that’s it! Have a great week!
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