Sleeping Toddler - Allergies to properties

MSG stikes again

2009-12-04T20:52:00.003-06:00

When we finally figured out the main trigger of Candela's excema (I suppose eczema is the more accepted spelling, but I've never been a gifted speller.) in 2007 we functionally eliminated MSG from the entire family's diet. (Mom can't be eating Doritos without the expectation to share, KWIM?) Not only did Candela's excema clear up, but Eric's long history of digestive issues resolved, and I actually lost weight. (Which is a big deal in my world. The only way I easily lose weight is pregnancy . . .yes, I know that's weird . . .) Anyway, yesterday Eric fell off the wagon to his own detriment. A tempting chicken marsala and wild rice soup in the cafeteria did him in in less than a half an hour.

At least I can feel comforted that my family's allergies/intolerances express themselves fairly obviously and quickly. That was actually a great blessing in Candela's case. Yes, she got some "I really hope that's not contagious" looks, but the problem really was skin deep -- very obvious and not terribly harmful. By the way, Candela's kinesiologist is quite convinced she'll never be able to tolerate MSG well. Her explanation is that is was affecting the part of her brain that controls how much she wants to eat (among other things). It's a good thing we also got the external symptoms. I have to wonder if I'm a little brain damaged in that area. To be honest, I have to wonder if many of us are. Not trying to spend too much time on the soapbox here, but I'm becoming more and more convinced MSG isn't good for anybody.

I'm back . . .I think . . .

2009-12-01T15:06:00.002-06:00

Okay. It's been awhile. To be totally honest, I'm not even sure where I left off :)

On the allergy front we've been working with a kinesiologist with some really nice results. Would you believe the main culprit for Candela's excema was MSG! It seems the MSG was setting everything else on fire too.

On the "where have you been?" front: We added a baby in Oct. 2006. She is cleft affected, so lots of my internetting (I realize that's not a word, but, hey, it's my blog :)) went there for quite awhile.

Soon after Chloe's birth Candela's excema really flared and my husband had a really bad back episode. It might have been God's way of making Chloe's cleft okay since she was the easy one for quite a awhile. (When we were out, Candela (and her excema) got many more "looks" than Chloe's cleft.)

Also, nothing motivates a good couponer like having to buy formula for awhile, so I'll still have to comment on the really good deals out there.

So, I guess now it's Sleeping "Youngsters" :) More soon on everything from the perils of MSG to the relief that can be provided by an epidural cortizone injection.

CVS deals this week -- flipping . . .ECBs :)

2007-07-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, some of you have been asking, so . . . Here are some profitable CVS scenerios for the week of July 8. I round everything and have assumed that the Crest might be kind of hard to get. (Though usually CVS has free toothpaste when it isn't actually advertised as free :))

If you only have a $4/$20 (rounded)

Schick Quattro - $7
Carefree pantyliner - $4
Playtex Sport tampons - $8
Crest - $3

-$4 4/20
-$2 Quattro coupon
-$2.50 Playtex printable (www.playtexsport.com)
-$1 Crest

= $12.50 get back $16 ECB

For a $5/$30 (rounded)

Schick Quattro - $7
Carefree pantyliner - $4
Lamisil gel - $17
Crest - $3

-$5 5/30
-$2 Quattro
-$5 Lamasil
-$1 Crest

=$18 get back $21 ECB

For a $10/$50

Quattro - 7
Lamisil - 17
Carefree - 4
Sunsilk (1 shampoo, 1 conditioner, 1 24/7, and 3 anything) - 24ish

-$10 10/50
-$2 Quattro Q
-$5 Lamasil Q
-$12 3 BOGO sunsilk Q
-$8 2 CVS B2G1 sunsilk special
-$4 CVS free 24/7 sunsilk (monthly)
-Sunsilk Qs that expire Sunday if you have them and shop on Sunday ($1.50*3 -- not included in totals)

= $11 get back $19 ECB

Dawn Nosal is my real estate hero...ine

2007-06-09T23:08:00.000-05:00

One thing that's really painfully obvious is that Richard Davis knows where his bread is buttered (or something like that), and the opening of "The Real Estate Pros" runs like the early Gilligan's Island, which ended "the movie star, and the rest". It's the Richard and Ginger show.

Why? Because nobody is searching for Dawn Nosal on Google.

But they should! Dawn's the Mom who's juggling parenting and career. If she were Ginger, she'd be carrying her toddler to all the construction sites, hanging out the open car window on the way there.

Anyone else think that Dawn's the hidden hero of the show? She's the Dawn Wells (notice the spooky coincidence?) of real estate television. If they could name the professor and Mary Ann, they can name Dawn Nosal, right?

What are Richard Davis and Ginger Alexander called?

2007-06-09T20:10:00.000-05:00

It looks like what was once called "The Real Deal" is now called "The Real Estate Pros". Why did Richard Davis and Team Trademark change the name? I wonder if a lawsuit or trademark of a different kind started to cause problems?

Trademark Properties videos at YouTube!

2007-03-31T21:11:00.000-05:00

Richard Davis, Ginger Alexander and the whole Trademark Properties gang (well, not the whole gang -- there are a lot of them!) have posted some videos on YouTube. If you want to see some behind-the-scenes humor, here you go.

Dawn Nosal appearance in this video is my personal favorite. I can relate!

What would Kirsten Kemp think of this?

2007-02-26T09:04:00.000-06:00

Well, the gang at Property Ladder have finally figured out a couple of things. 1) Houses don't always sell. 2) Real estate commissions take a bunch out of profits. Kirsten is definitely still encouraging everybody to go the Realtor route. I think in most cases that probably still appropriate. However, what if the house isn't ready for a Realtor yet? I think Richard Davis and the gang at Flip This House (which is supposed to be returning to TLC -- I'm not a big fan of the new Flip This House with the Montelongos) market the house even if it's under construction. Actually, I think even the Montelongos on the new Flip This House have that figured that out. However, aside from maybe a sign in the yard and word of mouth, how does someone do that -- market a house when it's not really marketable (at least not in the traditional sense of the word)? Well, how about this:
Country Charm on 10 Acres

Save money with Budget Forums

2006-12-16T20:45:00.000-06:00

In celebration of the fact that the BlogThis button now works for me in Firefox, I figured I'd try the same thing from Safari (even though I never use it). But, to give you something useful, I'll post a link here to an excellent forum at www.savingadvice.com. If you want ideas on how to save money, this is the place to do!

Can I BlogThis?

2006-12-16T20:40:00.000-06:00

Here's an example of typing something and posting it throu BlogThis!, which hasn't worked for me in ages and ages. But Eric re-pasted the BlogThis! button into my toolbar, and figures it will work. I tried to explain to him that the problem shows up when you go to publish to a blog, not before, but he insisted I try one more time.

Kirsten Kemp and the new California real estate market

2006-08-21T13:13:00.000-05:00

Well, the new season of Property Ladder is upon us (yay!). I'll have to say I like the fact that California is sort of kind of starting to mimic real estate markets in other places in that you're not guarenteed to make money just because you held the property for awhile! It's also good that they're branching out a bit to Texas and Florida, but I'd still like to see a good northern flip :)

Last week's episode was downright scary considering they risked $1.2 million (granted, it was somebody else's money) to make $37,000! That's a lot of risk and at a lot of work for a 3% return. The really scary thing about that Santa Barbara flip was that everything to do with the property itself went right. (No hidden mold or plumbing problems or . . .) I do think that forture favors the high end flip (don't want to price yourself out of the neighborhood), but doing your first flip on a $1.2 million property??

This week we saw a flip in Sacramento. I'll have to admit I'm amazed it sold, but an expert in California real estate I'm not. (I do a little better in MN real estate. Check out my blog Home Deals - Bargain Real Estate in Minnesota) To me neighborhood/location is everything, but I suppose not everybody views things the way I do. If I was really ambitious I'd try to figure out if it ever closed escrow, but given that it wasn't on a multiple listing service . . . If you missed it, they bought a beat up house in a not so great neighborhood and then didn't have it inspected. I'm all in favor of trying to flip a beat up house, it's the "not so great neighborhood" part that would make me very nervous. It also seems like a $400ish inspection is a pretty small investment to make when you're buying a house with a whole lot of unknowns. If it closed escrow they still made half decent money (forget that he quit his job to do the flip), but again pretty risky. Experienced fippers say you make your money when you buy . . .I guess that's something to remember . . .it lot of the whole flipping game is how much you pay for a property to begin with.

Bring back Richard Davis and Ginger Alexander!

2006-07-23T19:23:00.000-05:00

Oh my. I'm watching the premier of the new Flip This House on A&E. If the first 20 minutes are any indication I won't be watching it again! Rumor has it Richard and the gang are moving to TLC . . .I think I'll be following . . ..

Kirsten Kemp and Property Ladder are back!

2006-07-08T16:07:00.000-05:00

Well, you don't very often see shows coming back in July, but I guess Kirsten Kemp and the gang at Property Ladder have finally found some novice flippers who did quit when they started to see the market slowing. So, tonight (for the first time in a long time in my market at least) Property Ladder comes back with a new episode and one that I don't think I've seen. (So maybe it was new last week and I missed it? 4th of July weekend . . .I don't know how that could have happened :)) Tonight on TLC.

Teaching your kids about money

2006-06-16T14:17:00.000-05:00

Here's a few ideas on teaching your kids about money. Most seem okay, but the $20 for an "A" seems a little bit "you've got to be kidding" -- at least in my world.

From Readers, the Best Ways to Raise Money-Smart Kids

Free Twinject for epipen users

2006-05-17T21:42:00.000-05:00

For all the epipen users (well, hopefully you don't use them, but you have them) who happen upon this site, here's a link for a free Twinject for epipen users.

Get a FREE Twinject!

Hopefully no allergy to this one!

2006-05-15T11:34:00.000-05:00

It's a weird title I know, but I didn't want all of my ads changing into fereiebs. (Did you know that a recent study showed that readers can generally read a word if the first and last letters are correct -- even if everything else is wrong? Let's hope Google can't.) Anyway, fere 3M stretchy tape after a mail in rbatee. Looks like a fun new product!

Stretchy Tape

Hives from pupppy kisses. Peanut allergy again??

2006-05-10T12:40:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine brought her puppy to stay with her while she stayed with us. Candela's introduction to the puppy was feeding and playing with him. The next things we knew her hands were full of hives. :(. Luckily Benedryl cleared them up (no epipen required), but we're still a little confused about the reaction. It seems she either allergic to puppy saliva (not totally uncommon I guess and somebody can react to one dog and not another) or the puppy's food was cross contaminated with peanuts. Since she ended up having lots more contact with the dog and no more contact with his food I'm beginning to think peanuts were the cause of the reaction. The manufacturers of the food (IAMS) and the treats (Kraft) both deny that there's any chance of cross contamination though. More things to think about I guess :)

Aldis disappoints

2006-04-30T14:44:00.000-05:00

Well, after a pretty good opening, Aldis is starting to pretty seriously disappoint. Last time we were there the produce section was horrible, and nothing that was on a good sale was in stock. Now even their advertised special prices aren't particularly competitive. Oh, their milk prices went up by about 20% too. They're still have some good deals, but I don't think they're worth the hassle of going out of the way and having to have cash. (Eric also wonders how well their cart system will work in the winter, but they have a few months to figure that one out!)

10 tips to make your children money-wise

2006-04-22T09:23:00.000-05:00

Nothing earth shattering here, just a reminder that you need to let your kids in on your financial life. Let's face it, who else are they going to learn from? The credit card companies???

10 tips to make your children money-wise

Aldi Foods, Aldis -- There's a new grocer in town

2006-04-04T22:04:00.000-05:00

There's a new no frills grocery store in town and it's probably going to become a destination at our house. Aldi Foods opened up in Burnsville today and (so far at least) their prices are generally VERY good. Now, you do pay in other ways . . .this is definitely a no frills grocer. They don't even bother putting things on shelves! To get a cart you have to put in a quarter, but you do get your quarter back when you return the cart at least. They don't take credit cards or checks, so you better come armed with cash (or certain debit cards, but we don't have any of them). Not only do they not bag your groceries, but if you bag them you better bring you own bags or be prepared to pay for theirs. They don't take coupons, but they really don't need to since they don't sell many name brand items anyway.

Now, to get away with all the stuff I just mentioned you have to save some pretty serious cash. Here are some examples: 1 pound of pre-made garden salad in a bag -$.49, 1 gallon of skim milk - $1.89, 5 pounds of red potatoes - $.89, 8 ounces of nacho chips- $.79, 10 pound smoked Butterball turkey - $12.99, also lots of nice deals on canned stuff and produce.

Credit repair 101

2006-03-14T10:18:00.000-06:00

A few gems from this article. 1 in 4 Americans have ERRORS on their credit report that can cost them a job or a loan. A 650 vs. a 750 credit score will cost over $92,000 over the life of a 30 year loan! (Of course I suppose very few people have one 30 year loan that they pay off completely in 30 years, but even so . . .)

Nine Steps to a Great Credit Score: The Automatic Millionaire

Rich Dad Poor Dad guy says silver, gold, and oil

2006-03-07T09:29:00.000-06:00

Here's an article by Robert Klyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame) explaining the upcoming financial disaster we're facing as a nation. His safety net? Gold, silver, and oil. I know he's not the only one who says this, but why on earth are gold and silver going to be worth a lot when/if the economy has gone bust? I've got to think the only thing he's banking on is history, but let's face it, the world has changed a lot. I not really sure that gold and silver have much more intrinisic worth than dollar bills. I mean gold and silver are good for making jewelry I guess, but since when is jewelry a necessity? They're good conductors, but so is copper and it's a lot cheaper . . .

If you really want to hedge against financial disaster you probably want: 1) Tradable skill sets. If the economy goes really far south plumbers are going to be worth a lot more than CEOs. 2) Hard assets. A house that's paid for and full of the things you need to live. 3) Raw land?? Raw land is still pretty cheap by almost any standards and it can be used for hunting/fishing/living/farming. 4) A healthy lifestyle. I agree with Robert that medical care is and will continue to be out of control. The best hedge? Do your best not to get sick . . .

Investing: Assets That Are Lifeboats in a Shaky Future: Why the Rich Get Richer

The psychology of Prosper.com

2006-03-06T21:27:00.000-06:00

Well, I've had a chance to look around the Prosper.com site a wee bit more. The psychology of all of this is going to end up being VERY interesting. (Let's face it, it probably already is.) I think if you're thinking about being a lender you almost have to be a borrower first . . kind of like buying something on eBay before you try to sell something. Some of the many factors I've observed (the impact of which I can't possibly know yet, but I've indicated my thought with + for good and - for bad) are:

1) The cute factor. Lots of pictures of kids. Lots of pictures of cute people. +
2) The sad story. +
3) The confident story. +
4) The confident story that makes no grammatical sense. -
5) The sad story that cries "I'm really a charity case." -
6) The lack of a story --
7) A credit rating that doesn't appropriately correspond with the proposed interest rate. So far these listing seem to do pretty well. ("A" credit okay with a "D" interest rate. Personally, I wouldn't lend to these people . . .there's probably a reason they're willing to pay so much . . )

Person to person lending

2006-03-06T12:10:00.000-06:00

Wow. Just when you thought you has seen everything on the internet . . . From the founder of E*Loan.com comes prosper.com. I'm still not exactly sure how everything works, but it looks like it's basically the eBay of loans. People tell their story, desired amount, maximum interest rate, credit grade, and debt to income ratio and other people bid the amount of money (and interest rate) they're willing to give them. The idea is that the banks (and credit card companies) get by-passed completely. Hmm . . . don't know where this one is going, but it sure does have a lot of implications . . .

Prosper: The online marketplace for people-to-people lending

The Top 10 Reasons for Soaring Health-Care Costs

2006-03-01T12:27:00.000-06:00

Here Charles Wheelan "The Naked Economist" explains why health care is so expensive and is going to get worse regardless of what patches we put in place. I do think it would be a good idea for doctors to publish their prices. Or, even better, since doctors are always complaining about how much of a pain it is to deal with insurance companies, have doctors that don't take insurance, but charge reasonable, published prices.

The Top 10 Reasons for Soaring Health-Care Costs

Students suffocate under tens of thousands in loans

2006-02-23T22:27:00.000-06:00

Kind of scary article about student loans. One thing I hadn't considered is that students loans are currently in the same low interest rate illusion that housing is in. ("I can make the payments, so the amount of debt doesn't really matter.") Not to mention that when you're in college you don't really think about your loans anyway . . . Anyway, the gist of the article is that loans are affecting everything from saving for retirement to having kids. Kind of scary that you might still be paying on debts you incurred at 18 when you're 60. One piece of advise . . .If you're getting student loans make sure you GRADUATE!

Students suffocate under tens of thousands in loans:

Peanut allergy and Pillsbury

2006-02-16T08:37:00.000-06:00

An update on Candela's allergies . . . I'm pretty sure she has completely outgrown the milk allergy since she loves milk and doesn't seem to need the enzymes anymore. In the meantime we're still working at 100% peanut avoidance though she is exposed to a couple of "may contain traces". So far we haven't had any more reactions, but she does have a patch of excema behind her knees that rarely clears up. :(. It's been worse this winter, so I wonder if what it really needs is lots of lotion and some humidity!

It's actually been easier than I thought to deal with the peanut stuff (mostly because, at least so far, her reactions haven't been life threatening) but I am amazed at some of the stuff with peanuts. For example, I recently bought some Pillsbury break apart cookies. Chocolate chip. The LAST ingredient AFTER artificial flavors was peanut flour. ARG! I actually wrote to Pillsbury and suggested that they eliminate the peanut flour from the recipe since it's obviously not an important ingredient. They responded that they clearly label allergens in all of their products. Yeah. Talk about non-responsive. :( I will give Pillsbury some credit though. They were good and labeling for allergens long before the federal government required it. In the meantime I guess we'll stick with Nestle.

Properties, real estate and home deals!

2006-02-05T15:54:00.000-06:00

Have you noticed that I've been writing more and more about properties and real estate lately? Yeah . . . I have too. That's probably disappointing for people who come here for allergies. So, I've started a new blog. This one is all about real estate (in one way or another) and features current listings that I consider possible bargains as well as my normal musings on the ups and downs of real estate. So why is a physics teacher writing a blog about real estate? I haven't figured that one out either. Let me know if you figure it out. :) So, go ahead and check out My new blog all about real estate

Gen X, student loans, credit cards, and the wealth that isn't

2006-01-31T08:13:00.000-06:00

Interesting article on finances of generation x. Basically, between high lifestyle expectations, lots of college loans, credit cards, and uncertain employment we're not doing so well. I guess that might be part of the reason why savings rates nationwide are at their lowest levels since the Great Depression! Also important to note, many gen. xers are delaying having a family. For many of these that will mean not having a family the "conventional" way at all. By the time a woman is 30 her chances of getting pregnant are already 15%-20% lower than if she's 20 and fertility only goes down as age increases. . .

Young and Broke: Your Money

They better not let me out much

2006-01-30T22:22:00.000-06:00

Today Eric worked from home and Candela took a nice afternoon nap. Know what that means? I actually got to leave the house without a toddler attached to me! I had one goal. Go to Menards and return a drill that broke on its first use. (Internal gear at that!) I actually had a positive customer service experience. The fraud protection stuff was pretty funny though. If I was going to steal stuff I don't think it would be the kind of drill that breaks on its first use. Give me some credit :) Okay, so life is going well and I still have a few minutes of nap time so I head over to Kohl's to try to find some shoes for Candela. Now, Candela's wardrobe is about 95% hand-me-downs and they're great so I don't do very much shopping for her. That's a good thing!!! Have you seen the prices of some of this stuff? I'm not going to pay 3x more for my two-year-old's shoes than for my own. Any shoe that has Elmo on it should not cost $20 -- "on sale"! Then I saw the sleeper on clearance for $20. $20?? So my toddler can have something to sleep in? Needless to say I left Kohl's empty handed, but my sister still swears by their clearance . . .maybe I'm just looking for the wrong stuff.

HELOCs for The Avacado Green of the 00s?

2006-01-30T22:10:00.000-06:00

I'm no design expert, but does anyone worry that the current remodeling craze (with people taking out intrest-only loans to pour tons of money into stainless steel appliances) will give us a bunch of kitchens that look really strange in 20 years? Not to mention, really prone to fingerprints?

Marriage, money, and wealth building

2006-01-27T09:01:00.000-06:00

Good news for married folks out there -- In a study conducted over 15 years married people amassed 93% more wealth than people who were single or divorced.

However, finances are also a big reason for divorce, so you've gotta communicate to get those wealth building effects :)

Wedded, Wealthy, and Wise: Money & Happiness

Real estate short sales (for less than the mortgage)

2006-01-25T10:55:00.000-06:00

This article gives the VERY BASICS of a real estate short sale. If you're new to the idea of a short sale, basically you're trying to get a bank to sell to you at a reduced price (lower than the amount owned on a mortgage) so they don't have to go through the foreclosure process. This technique evidently works best with fixer-uppers because the last thing a bank wants to own is a house that they can't sell.

Creating a Successful Short Sale Package : blackburnri

Smart Investing Amidst Real Estate Mania

2006-01-24T16:46:00.000-06:00

I'll be the first to admit I'm not a huge fan of everything Robert Kiyosaki (of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame) says, but this article makes sense. Here's the problem though . . . people determine whether prices go up or not and if 90% of the people are investing "unwisely" they'll still control the market. Maybe not forever, but for how long?

Smart Investing Amidst Real Estate Mania:

Much better than a HELOC :)

2006-01-24T08:27:00.000-06:00

You won't need a loan or even an equity line for this one. Free ultimate Cold Stone creation on your birthday. You can sign up your kids too!

Welcome to the Cold Stone Creamery Birthday Club

ING vs. Emigrant - saving, Heloc, mortgage

2006-01-19T10:04:00.000-06:00

ING direct bank just up the ante in the savings rate wars. 4.75% until April 15 on NEW deposits. In reality I suspect this means little to most people, but the psychological impact is going to be pretty high. I hope it compels Emigrant direct bank to make a savings rate jump . . .time will tell. Is that a giant sucking sound I hear? Going from Emigrant to ING?

In the meantime, I did a little bit of checking on ING's loan products while I was at their site checking out the new savings plan. Looks like they're offering 5/1 ARMs for only 555 closing costs until the end of February. The interest rate isn't as competitive as some I've seen (5.65% I think . . .sorry . . .I don't remember), but for a short term thing it might be worth it. (Hopefully you're not considering an ARM for a long term thing :)) Looks like their Helocs are at prime, which is pretty typical. It does look like their Heloc product has a lock feature. (So if you borrow a bunch of money at a reasonable rate you can lock in that rate. I'm pretty sure the "locking" function has some extra charges associated with it though.)

Does a HELOC have a place in your life?

2006-01-18T08:49:00.000-06:00

Well, there's been lots of talk among financial gurus about HELOCs lately, so what's the deal? Well, here's my take, but remember you're reading a blog so be sure to do your own due diligence :)

A HELOC is a home equity line of credit. So, if you have equity in your house you can usually get access to about 80% (90% if you shop around) of that equity. You can get one from just about anywhere including your local bank, internet banks, etc. So, they give you a checkbook and you can spend it however you want. Generally the interest is tax deductible. Common terms are: No closing costs. No fees. Prime rate (currently 7.25%). SECURED BY YOUR HOUSE. 10 year "draw period" (spend the money and only pay interest) and 15 year pay-back period (pay interest AND pay off the principle.) Of course shopping around might get you a little bit lower rate (at least in the beginning) or some other perk I'm not aware of. Also be sure to sure for any "closing early" fees/terms.

Can I get a HELOC? If you have some equity and sort of okay credit and some sort of job you probably can.

Do I want a HELOC? If are a spender or inclined to spend money you don't have, DEFINITELY NOT. Banks that offer HELOCs want to make money off of you and if that involves foreclosure, so be it. If you're going to spend money recklessly do it on your credit cards where they destroy your credit rating if you don't pay but at least they don't foreclose on your house. Of course I'd suggest not spending money recklessly at all :)

How about if I'm a responsible spender? A HELOC might be something to look into then. Generally speaking, (check the details of the individual HELOC you're looking at) if you don't use it, it just sits there costing you nothing. Why would I want something sitting there costing me nothing? Well, sometimes life happens in ways you don't anticipate and having instant access to reasonably inexpensive cash can be a good thing. Here are some circumstances I can think of: 1) You lose your job and don't have enough of an emergency fund to pay your mortgage. Make your mortgage payments with your HELOC until you find another job or sell your house. (Which, strangely enough, might AVOID foreclosure, which is the big fear associated with HELOCs) 2) A good friend of your finally wants to sell the car that you've been eyeing for years, but your car cash is locked up in a 6 month CD. 3) A house comes up FSBO and it's exactly what you want at a great price, but you need ernest money now. 4) You want to buy an investment property to rent out, but need 20% to get good rates (of course leveraging your own home for the sake of a rental generally isn't a great strategy, but as a long as you have cash in other places you can avoid PMI that way.) 5) Other life stuff . . .

BTW, if you decide a HELOC is right for you, you should apply for it before "life" happens. Trying to get one after you lose your job is going to be more difficult.

An interesting real estate business model

2006-01-13T08:04:00.000-06:00

Well, we looked at another house yesterday. Much less disgusting than most of the other fixer-uppers that we've looked at, but you'd think the owners would take some care to hide their porn. This one is going to go fast because of the asking price. After looking into the listing and agent's website, etc. I think I figured out his business plan (and if I'm wrong it's a business plan that somebody should use!) For 5.2% he'll do all the normal stuff that a realtor will do when it comes to selling your house. For 6.7% he'll do all the normal stuff and negotiate with the bank to lower your payoff. So, this guy has been listing for only a few months and he has about 10 listings currently, gee, I wonder why? Now, he also works with some "we buy houses" people, so it's possible this isn't the only way he makes money, but even if it is, let's take a $200,000 house example:

$200,000 house is in pre-foreclosure because of a $198,000 mortgage that can't be paid.
Owner offers 6.7% to this guy.
He spends a couple of days arranging a short sale with the bank.
The bank settles for $160,000 to avoid the foreclosure and invariably lose more money.
The house sells almost instantly listed at $170,000.
Guy pays out $4590 to buyer's agent.
Guy (and his broker if he has one) keeps $6800.
It's really a win win win win
*Realtor gets $6800 for a couple days work (do that once a month and make $81,500 a year -- and that's if you only deal with the bottom of the market. That number goes up if you deal with more expensive houses or do more than one a month.
*Bank loses money, but not as much if they spend another 6 months foreclosing and try to sell a totally trashed house with no disclosure and the "distress" of having gone through foreclosure.
*Owners don't have much, but at least they don't have a foreclosure on their credit records.
*Buyers get a house significantly under market.

If that isn't this guy's business plan it should be somebody's :)

See, I read about more than property flipping

2006-01-07T21:11:00.000-06:00

Here's the benefit of having a multi-purpose blog :) I really don't have any commentary on this article . . . it pretty much speaks for itself. I just can't imagine a Prime Minister telling people it's okay to come because the resorts aren't haunted afterall . . .

"Hungry" Ghosts Keep Tourists From Tsunami-Hit Resorts

Suze Orman makes me laugh again

2006-01-02T11:45:00.000-06:00

I'm sure there are people out there (maybe even reading this blog) that might find some of these tips helpful, but . . . wow. Save money by stretching your $50 every 6 week haircut to every 8 weeks??? Don't pay 15% on your credit cards???? Let's just say the more frugal among us probably won't be able to save an extra $5000 with this plan :) It's good for entertainment value though :)

Easy Ways to Save $5,000 a Year

10 mistakes to avoid in real estate in 2006

2005-12-27T09:53:00.000-06:00

Well, here are some mistakes you always see the folks on Property Ladder making, but rarely the folk on Flip This House . . . Hmmm . . .novices vs. experts? I think there are two unnerving parts to this article. 1) It will take longer to sell your house than you think it will. (Why does Richard always go to his realtor and ask for the "rock bottom, sell it today" price? His business model requires that he sell fast and selling fast and earning top dollar are often not compatible.) 2) For most people it's better to rent for a month or two than carry two mortgages for a month or two . . . Yuck. 2 moves!!??? I had a hard enough time with one!

10 mistakes to avoid in real estate in 2006

Property Ladder marathon with Kirsten Kemp

2005-12-24T10:20:00.000-06:00

Looks like TLC is showing a Property Ladder marathon, today, Christmas Eve. Of course the first show I noticed is the one with the high school counselor who blows his budget by something like $100,000 . . .but don't worry . . .it turns out fine . . . Of course everything I'm reading about California real estate says that might not be such an easy mistake to recover from in season II. Which, BTW, I'm hoping is going to start soon. I figure a marathon has to be a good sign :) In the meantime, feel free to look around for my other flipping posts. There all over the place. I've also linked to my husband's blog . . .it has a bit on Kirsten's earlier acting career . . . :) Merry Christmas!

educating eric

Virtual flip finally moves to sold!

2005-12-23T13:34:00.000-06:00

Well, our virtual flip has FINALLY moved from pending to sold. (It seems like every house I follow spends a good month after its supposed closing date sitting in the "pending" category . . . if they ever move at all!) It sold for $5000 under asking and that includes a $5500 seller's credit (for closing costs I suppose.) So, whoever bought it essentially got it for $10500 under asking, but we figured $25,000 under asking was the maximum purchase price for a profitable straight up flip. Now, I suppose the buyer may be planning to rent it or do a lease-option. It will be interesting to see! Oh, I also found it interesting that the buyer got 100% financing. So, the buyer isn't out any cash if the deal goes south. (Oh course a foreclosure does not do wonders for one's credit rating!)

BTW, the "powers that be" (whatever they know) say the twin cities housing market is expected to see a price increase of .5% a year for the next two years. At least we're not looking at a reversal like some markets are, but it's harder to make money in a stagnating market than a growing one. (Still not impossible, but you have a be a lot more careful . . .and I'm not sure novices in the REI game around here are.)

Finally, cat crap house is still pending after being off the market for months. I supposed they'll have to move it to sold sometime before they try to re-sell it? (I can't imagine that the buyer bought it to live in. You'd have to be an extraordinary person to see that house in its original condition and still want to live it in . . .even if it was all fixed up!)

Ginger Alexander and Flip This House

2005-12-19T13:59:00.000-06:00

Well, Kirsten Kemp and the gang on Property Ladder must be starting season 2 after the first of the year, so I've been getting my flipping fix from Flip This House on A&E. In last Sunday's episode they worked on their biggest flip ever with a hilltop, gated community, mansion. It was full of rats and mold, but hey, every house has its issues.

This show is based in South Carolina and the culture seems a wee bit different from Property Ladder's California based flips. (Not to mention the folks on Flip this House are far from novices like the people on Property Ladder.) One thing I think is very funny is that Ginger (the investment coordinator) is always in heels. What up with that? In one scene they show her running from the rats in (what must be) 3 inch heels. Eric thinks it might be because they show is based in the south and they tend to dress up a little more . . .

Anyway, Eric read me a "review" of the house from somebody who had actually been in it and they mentioned all of the flaws of the flip. Some of them were things you would expect (sloppy paint, cheap trim, etc.) but the reviewer also mentioned the "cheap" appliances. They were only stainless GE profile. Afterall if you're not cooking with Thermadore or Subzero you're just not rich enough I guess. I was reminded of the Simpsons episode (Alls-Fair-in-Oven-War) where Marge gets a new kitchen and Homer comments how great it is that will all of the technological advances we can now have a refridgerator that's slightly colder. . . .

Luvs Diapers Target $2 off coupon

2005-12-19T13:54:00.000-06:00

Okay. Not a big fan of Luvs myself, but I don't post very many coupons for Cheri :)

Luvs - Target Web Coupon

Steps toward financial freedom

2005-12-17T08:46:00.000-06:00

I just read a Bankrate article that, to be honest, isn't really worth quoting. However, it did have some insight by Stan King who's a leader in the simplicity movement. If you haven't heard of the simplicity movement, it's pretty much like it sounds. Simplify your life and you'll be happier as well as more financially free. Gandhi, a long time ago, said "live simply so that others might simply live." This is the same idea. Anyway, here's how Stan evaluates whether or not he really wants something: 1) Calculate your TRUE hourly wage. (Salary - taxes/SS/etc. - work related expenses like clothes, car expenses, and daycare) / The number of hours you really work (Not what you're supposed to work, what you really work. Make sure to include commute time!) 2) every time you want to buy something that you're not sure you want/need, calculate how long it will take you to earn the money to buy it. Then ask yourself, "Is this really worth x hours of work?" Trust me. Lots of times the answer is NO.

Insurance to mortgages -- talk about it!

2005-12-02T16:28:00.000-06:00

The folks at the Motley Fool agree with my long held premise that finances are the last taboo. Their argument (that I agree with) is that it shouldn't be. We'd all have a better chance of financial sucess if we were open in our discussions on everything from long term care insurance to mortage payments. How else are we going to learn??

Spill Your Money Guts: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Scholastic book club -- for kids

2005-11-30T14:19:00.000-06:00

Okay. I ordered the introductory offer from Scholastic books (www.homeclubs.scholastic.com) and the shipping was high for my taste. (Like $4.99 on a $3.99 book!) So, I called to cancel and expected the usual customer service run-around. However, I was very pleasantly surprised!! They cancelled my membership and instead of sending me a return shipping label they told me to donate the book to a local charity -- so a needy child would get it. Finally a company with common sense! (Especially considering it would cost more to ship the book back!)

Kirsten Kemp and mortgage interest rates

2005-11-30T13:56:00.000-06:00

Kirsten and the gang better get season 2 on pretty soon or there won't be lot of novice money to be made in the flipping game! It seems mortgage interest rates are finally starting to keep up with the fed and the market (at least around here) isn't liking that one bit! Okay, I guess I'm blaming interest rates when it could be a number of causes . . .but . . . Oh, is it just my imagination or are lenders getting a little bit (emphasis on the little) pickier on who they'll loan to and how much they'll lend? It will be interesting to see if the tightening market leads to lower prices or more creative things like own financing. Both I suppose :)

My virtual flip house is finally pending and due to close in a couple of days. It will be interesting to see what it actually sold for . . .and what they do with it!

Another house we tried to look at (but even the realtor missed the open house!) is pending now too . . . I'll keep you updated :)

Survey site for kids and teens

2005-11-17T19:14:00.000-06:00

Here's a survey site geared toward kids and teens. I haven't signed-up (since I'm neither a kid nor a teen), but it does come recommended and it looks like you get 3 surveys right off the bat. It also looks like you can exchange points for "real things" like gift card for Amazon and Walmart, so . . . You get 100 point bonus if you use a referral code. Use this one for now. P66984395338 If you sign up and get your own referral code let me know and I'll replace this one with yours so you'll get any additonal bonuses.

Weekly Reader INSIDERS

Home sales set a record again. Apex of the boom?

2005-11-16T13:36:00.000-06:00

Home sales set another record, but according to this article 3rd quarter of this year will show the end of the 5 year housing boom. Few are expecting a crash, but most believe prices will moderate from here.

Home sales set a record - again; prices up almost 15%: Financial News - Yahoo!
Finance

Upromise bonus savings

2005-11-10T15:19:00.000-06:00

I don't know if you're a uPromise member or not, but . . . you can earn $3 if you are a member by going to these URLs when signed into your account:

upromise.com/applejacks
upromise.com/cornpops
upromise.com/ricekrispies

When you do, press the "redeem your code" link and it will automatically fill in a code for you. Hit "submit" and you will be entered into a sweepstakes AND have $1 placed into your Upormise account.

If you are not a current member, you can sign up and use code "BN5" when you do - this will give you a $5 bonus for just signing up. Once signed up, you can use the above codes so you can earn $8 right away.

This is taken from a post by 2moretrees at http://www.savingadvice.com

I did try it (I'm a member) and it worked :)

Insurance: Term or Whole Life?

2005-11-09T10:34:00.000-06:00

Yuck. The more I look into the whole life insurance thing the more confused I get. :(. Anyway, if you're wondering about life vs. term, here's an article that might help.

Smartmoney.com: Insurance: Term or Whole Life?

Kid's savings account - 10%!

2005-11-08T11:46:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my aunt who was faithfully searching for this and then decided to e-mail me about it :) Here's a link to a bank offering kids a 10% return on their first $500. Under 16 only. My sister-in-law opened several for her kids -- said it worked just fine :)

Affinity Bank > Kids Savings

Mansion Impossible -- real estate flipping game

2005-11-07T19:48:00.000-06:00

Not realistic (the values always go up at first), but kind of fun game about flipping.

Mansion Impossible

Doesn't look like Kirsten Kemp will be dealing with MN real estate anytime soon

2005-11-05T13:11:00.001-06:00

Yesterday a casting director for Property Ladder posted on a message board that they were looking for novice flippers in the greater Los Angeles area. I wrote to him and told that I loved the show but it would be even better if they had some flips OUTSIDE of the greater Los Angeles area. (If you read this blog regularly refer to "I overspent my budget by $100,000. Oops. Guess I have to raise the price that much" syndrome.) Anyway, he actually wrote back! I guess this season they're branching out a bit, but still doing most of the shows close to their production facilities in LA. Oh well. I guess Kirsten won't be making any trips to MN anytime soon. . . . just think "what do you mean I can't dig an egress window until the ground thaws?"

Hardwood Floor Repairs

2005-11-02T20:06:00.000-06:00

I guess moms really can get into all sorts of things while their toddlers sleep :) Here's a cool page on how one rehabber dealt with some problems areas in his hardwood floors.

Condo Rehab Project #5 - Hardwood Floor Repairs

Health care: Retirement's wild card

2005-11-02T12:29:00.000-06:00

I've long said those so called retirement calculators are useless considering it's not the math that's hard -- it's figuring out the values for all of those pesky variables! Here's a good example: You should save somewhere between $47,000 and $1.5 million for healthcare expenses. Though the article doesn't say, I bet that assumes that most laws and programs remain pretty much the same. Considering if that happens Medicare will be long bankrupt before I retire, I'm betting they're going to change! Oh, yes Eric, one of us has to work forever.

Health care: Retirement's wild card

The FICO� Score Estimator

2005-11-02T10:48:00.000-06:00

The lease option on our house is almost up, so I'm doing more than my fair share of mortgage research lately. (I'd really like our tenants to be able to buy -- I think this is a good opportunity for them.) Here's a nice calculator I came across -- you can estimate your FICO score for free.

The FICO Score Estimator

What about real estate in the midwest??

2005-11-01T21:40:00.000-06:00

I couldn't help noticing the contrast between these two articles. One predicts the formation of massive mega-cities and one shows how most of these mega-cities could be destroyed were they to exist . . .I'll have to admit my midwest bias here, but how many times a year do you have to evacuate, flood, lose your power, etc. before you decide "maybe living here isn't so great after all"? Most of the experts agree we're looking at 10 more years of intense hurricane seasons (at least). You'd think that would have some impact on Gulf Coast and even Eastern Seaboard development . . . Then California with the fires and the mudslides and the . . .oh yeah . . .earthquakes . . .

Megapolitans: A treasure map of opportunity - Oct. 28, 2005

Millennium Ark: Hot News

I (inflation indexed) bonds at 6.73%

2005-11-01T10:16:00.000-06:00

Well, with November came the latest I bond rates. I bonds are now at 6.73% (1.00% base 5.73% inflation). I guess that seals the deal (as if there was ever any doubt) that Greenspan will be raising rates again today.

Save Money and Budgeting Forums - I Bond at 7%???

You Can Build a Fortune by Sweating the Small Stuff

2005-10-25T12:52:00.000-05:00

I think this guy is right in his approach -- find the holes in your spending and plug them. However, where is this magical 10% return he's talking about??

You Can Build a Fortune by Sweating the Small Stuff: The Automatic Millionaire - Yahoo! Finance

Teaching your kids to be money-savvy

2005-10-25T11:21:00.000-05:00

Some strategies for teaching your kids about money. Ages 3 and up :)

Teaching your kids to be money-savvy: Financial News - Yahoo!
Finance

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe -- The movie!

2005-10-25T11:04:00.000-05:00

Okay. I must be really out of the loop since I saw the advertisement for this on a cereal box, but . . . Looks like Disney is producing a Lord of the Rings type film based on the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrode. I hope they stay true to the story! Comes out December 9.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Why the world's best real estate investor is cashing out

2005-10-24T16:16:00.000-05:00

Somebody else acting on the "too many investors chasing too few real deals" idea . . . and this guy has the money to back up his hunches!

Why the world's best real estate investor is cashing out. - Oct. 24, 2005

I bond interest rate history

2005-10-22T08:58:00.000-05:00

Finally located the official I bond interest rate history. Ooooo! The excitement builds!!!

Bureau of the Public Debt : I Bond Interest Rates

What would Kirsten Kemp do with a low end flip??

2005-10-21T11:32:00.000-05:00

One issue Property Ladder never addresses is how to avoid pricing yourself out of the market. (I guess since it's California it's almost impossible to price yourself out of the market . . .) Anyway, Eric and I continue to have a property hidden in the backs of our minds. It is WAY distressed. Foreclosed. No appliances. Bad floors. Water in the basement. Landscaping needs. Etc. It's been on the market FOREVER! Can we say overpriced? Anyway, mostly as a thought experiment we've been trying to figure out how to do a low end flip. Here's the deal: The most a property in this location is ever going to go for is $230,000 (assuming the market doesn't change) -- which is definitely on the low end of things around here. The neighborhood is safe, but older. The road it's on is kind of busy. So, how do you make a property nice and livable without breaking the bank? This property simply can't support granite and stainless. One thing I'm noticing is that lots of richer people like to re-do their kitchens and bathroooms about every 6-10 years . . .hmmm . . .six year old appliances and 10 year old cabinetry might look really new in a house from the 1960s. However, these "rip outs" sell for a lot cheaper than new. Hmmm . . .I wonder why that would be? :) It's possible to get flooring, window coverings, and bathroom vanities this way too. . . . Maybe the money saved on the kitchen would allow the cash to fix the basement so it doesn't leak anymore. That's the scary part of a flip. Fixing the basement would be expensive, but you'll never re-coup the money. I guess you just have to make sure you account for that in the price you're willing to pay. I think the last thing you want to do on a property like this is make your improvements so terrific that you can't sell the place. . . .

My experience with Space bags

2005-10-20T15:12:00.000-05:00

You've seen the commercials, right? Where you store clothes/blankets/etc. in 1/3 the space? Well, my daughter has an abundance of clothes, so on an impulse purchase I decided to try a Space Bag. After 20 minutes of fighting to get (and keep) it sealed, it actually worked reasonably well though I'm not sure the compression factor is what they claim it is. They also don't hold as much as it seems they should, but I digress. . . Anyway, I contacted customer service about my problems with sealing it and they replied that if I sent them the brand name seal from the bag they'd send me a new one. Wait, I just spent a good chunk of time fighting with this thing, so I can cut it apart and try again a few weeks later when you send me a new one that very well might have the same problem?? What kind of a non-responsive customer service response is that?? Typical of the ones I've been getting lately I guess. I contacted a bank about a property they owned (through foreclosure) to see if they wanted to sell it (it wasn't on the MLS.) The person I talked to said it wasn't in their database and their e-mail response to me I should contact my local mortgage lender for financing. No wonder the taxes on the property haven't been paid! Oh well, back to the Space Bags. Realizing that putting all of Candela's clothes in Space Bags would cost a small forture I decided to try the garbage bag/ vacuum cleaner route. It actually worked surprisely well :)

Noxzema continuous clean -- no cost

2005-10-20T09:34:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to avoid the fr------ word since Google seems to REALLY like that word. But, here's a re---- for full size Noxzema continuous clean. If you're not hooked on one brand it might be a good deal. Well, no cost is almost always a good deal, right?

Try It. Love It. Get It Free!

Bureau of the Public Debt : Frequently Asked Questions about I Bonds

2005-10-19T22:12:00.000-05:00

More about I bonds. One of the highlights is that you can redeem them tax free for eligible post secondary education expenses. BTW, Mark, the "base rates" I've found between 2003 and Aug. 2005 have varied between 1.6% and 1.0%. So, though they're fixed for the life of the bond evidently the base rate varies over time. I'm not sure what the current rate is, but I think it's safe to say "not much".

Bureau of the Public Debt : Frequently Asked Questions about I Bonds

Save Money and Budgeting Forums - I Bond at 7%???

2005-10-18T09:58:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice thread on I-bonds. If you're looking for a decent return with lots of security these might be the way to go.

Save Money and Budgeting Forums - I Bond at 7%???

Atopic Eczema excema & the role of Food Allergies

2005-10-16T20:47:00.000-05:00

This is almost a "duh" to me now, but it sure wasn't when excema first showed up on Candela. Basically, the gist of this article is that if your baby has excema it's probably caused by a food allergy to milk, egg, peanut, soy, wheat, or rice. If this is such common knowledge how come nobody told me when it was really important??

"In conclusion, the incidence of food allergy in AD [atopic dematitis -- excema] was 90.5%, and egg allergy, cow's milk allergy, soy bean allergy, wheat allergy, rice allergy were 83.5%, 51.5%, 33.5%, 20.0%, 2.5% respectively in the 200 cases."

Auckland Allergy Clinic - Atopic Eczema & the role of Food Hypersensitivity

Is Kirsten Kemp concerned about the real estate slowdown?

2005-10-16T19:46:00.000-05:00

Okay. You heard it here first (okay, you've probably heard it in lots of other places, but . . .), the real estate market is slowing down. I'm not sure it's slowing down everywhere, but definitely around here. I'm not sure prices are down all the much, but houses are definitely spending a lot more time on the market. Even Kirsten has to be a wee bit concerned since the last couple of episodes of Property Ladder haven't had a sale to talk about . . .And that makes a much less interesting show! (I still challenge Property Ladder to do a show in a real area -- "whoops, I blew my budget by $100,000 I guess I'll have to raise the price my that much"-- but I digress.) Flippers all over the internet seem to be catching on to the slowdown too, so I guess that lends some more credence to the idea.

On the flipping front. . . Eric and I looked at a genuinely interesting house last Friday. It's way overpriced, but a bank in California owns it, so maybe that's why. :) It has 4 walls AND a roof?? Wow! It must be worth at least $200,000. It has some serious issues -- can we say busy street, smoke, and water? However, I think we've come up with some pretty reasonable solutions that would make it very nice to live in. I guess it's good that most people can't see beyond "pretty" since it makes prices (on some things at least) more reasonable for the rest of us. I think it does mean that I would make a very poor real estate agent though (poor in the "doesn't make any money" sense). I'd have a hard time getting beyond the "do you know how much 'prettifing' you could do for the $50,000 more you're going to pay??" factor. Wow. I'm really into making up my own words and my own grammar rules in this post. Must be all of the debate rounds I watched yesterday :)

Met with financial advisor

2005-10-13T19:16:00.000-05:00

I met with the financial advisor I mentioned earlier today. She definitely failed the flood question. She proactively fought to get her property declared not in a flood plain so she wouldn't have to buy flood insurance. Hope it works out for her, but I'm not sure I'd want to live on a street next to a river and with a "Valley" in the title. . . . She fought the classification (and won) on the basis that the maps were 100 years old and the classification was rediculous. Now, I don't know, she might be on the top of a great big hill or something, but I wouldn't dismiss a flood map simply because its 100 years old. I've been though a "700 year" flood and I ain't that old! (I was also very nervous that the flood would repeat itself just last week -- a mere 5 years later.) This person did seem significantly more competent that the previous advisor we interviewed, but I'm not sure the product line is in line with what we want/need. I am the only person that thinks 70 years of stock market history really isn't all that long? I might be wacked, but I think the stock market has changed on a fundamental level and I'm not at all convinced it's going to average a 8-9% return over the next 30 years . . . (Especially if I'm paying fund managers and financial advisors in the process.) I dunno . . . I guess time will tell.

Saving money encouragement -- The automatic millionaire

2005-10-13T08:43:00.000-05:00

Nice article on how "real" people save money and retire early.

Meet the Automatic Millionaires: The Automatic Millionaire

The next five "I told you so"s -- properties and insurance

2005-10-12T12:24:00.000-05:00

This doesn't really fit into my blog, but since everything fits into my blog . . . After Katrina hit everybody talked about how New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen (like they knew all along). Well, some dude I don't know and who probably doesn't have too many credentials has a list of the next five disasters waiting to happen. You might be especially interested if you're in: Tacoma, the Eastern Seaboard, Boulder, or Dallas/Forth Worth. But if you're not, don't worry . . .there's a disaster waiting for all of us . . .:(

The next five disasters

Buying in a hot real estate market

2005-10-10T13:41:00.000-05:00

I think Suze is about 80-20 on this one. Her opening line is horrible. Be concerned about earthquakes and especially floods. I also think she's a bit hard on the HELOC/credit card issue, but to each her own.

How to Keep Your Cool in a Hot Real Estate Market: Money Matters - Yahoo! Finance

Rich, Successful -- and Miserable: New Research Probes Mid-Life Angst

2005-10-08T09:15:00.000-05:00

Evidently happiness is a U shape that bottoms out in the 40s. I guess that means we've got a few more years of decline . . .that's not a pleasant thought . . . The cures? Friends, family, exercise, and that special form of exercise that happens primary in the bedroom . . . (I wonder how good the adsense Googlebots are. Will they pick up on that nuisance? I don't think so :))

Rich, Successful -- and Miserable: New Research Probes Mid-Life Angst

My new financial advisor test

2005-10-06T13:30:00.000-05:00

In the never ending quest to seek out and take advantage of things offered for no cost I'm going to talk to a "financial advisor" next week. (A senior vice president no less . . I must be very special . . .) For my 2 hours of trouble I supposedly get a $100 gift card good for several high class restaurants, so hey, why not :) I am glad that they'll talk to me without Eric being there. I assume that means they're not going to try to sell me any "one time, you need to buy this now" kind of things like the timeshare people always do. However, my past experience with financial advisor types has been less than impressive, so I think I need to go into the experience with a little bit of planning. I think I've decided the ultimate question: "Do you think I should have flood insurance? Why or why not?" The correct answer is yes unless she brings up the fact that flood insurance does not cover any "finishes" in a basement. If she says yes I know she'll be looking out for me instead of herself. How do I know this? The federal government is the only enitity that offers flood insurance to my area . . .so, if I buy flood insurance it ain't gonna be from her. She makes nothing. So, Mrs. senior vice president, where do your true interests lie???

Allergies, properties, dandelions, and potty training

2005-10-03T15:21:00.000-05:00

Hey, the title makes perfect sense to me :) Actually, this is pretty much an update on misc. stuff in my life. On the allergy front: Candela had incidental contact with peanut butter than again resulted in hives . . .so, I now officially know it wasn't my imagination :(. I am thankful, however, that at least for now the reactions have been limited to hives in the areas that were touched. I'm still glad we went ahead an got a couple of epipens just in case though. She's still got an excema patch on the back of her knees. (It was made worse by going in the pool, but I don't think that's what caused it.) This morning she wouldn't stop screaming until I put the Baby Excema Cream on it, so it must have been bugging her . . .at least a bit. This morning we learned a new word -- "cream". Hopefully next time she'll use it instead of randomly screaming and pointing. BTW, Walgreens has a $5 rebate on Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema cream this month in case you need some.

Potty training . . .still working on the conceptual aspects, but today (now that I'm using cheap diapers) I actually heard her go in her diaper. I asked if she just went pee pee and she said yes. Considering she hardly ever says yes to anything I'm hoping that was a breakthough :)

Properties . . . The learning curve is going exponential on me. I guess that's good, but bit overwhelming. I think for the most part the flipping market around here is too competitive. Flip houses that will make 10% if all goes well are being snached up in a matter of days or possibly weeks. I guess I'd still consider a genuine flip if the right diamond in the rough came across my path, but for now I'm looking at other parts of the REI game.

Dandelions . . . . I had actually forgotten that they always make a re-appearance in the fall. I've been trying to pull out 100 a day, but today I only made it to 50. I think the high humidity was clouding my ability to see them. Yeah, that's a good story, I think I'll stick with that one :) I really should have the air conditioning on, but I can't bring myself to that for 2 reasons: 1) The HIGH Wednesday is 49. 2) It's October in MN. Helloooo???

Well, I think I have a toddler who is no longer sleeping . . .

More things Kirsten Kemp doesn't mention about flipping real estate

2005-09-29T10:33:00.000-05:00

Wow. This whole "finding the right property" thing is a real challenge. As you know I found the key to pre-foreclosures and forclosures in the area, but even those are often over valued. People don't have any equity or they probably wouldn't be in that kind of situation. MN also has a 6 month redemption period where the person foreclosed upon can live in (and sometimes trash) the house. No wonder most of these properties are bought by the bank holding the mortgage. I think there's a good market in estates, but I really don't know enough about the city to deal with those . . . I know Mom would have been thrilled to sell grandma's house to an investor if the one that asked her to sell had offered anywhere close to a reasonable price. First he said "$200,000", then he said "$140,000". Maybe that's good buiness for him, but it's smarmy to me and I'm not going to toy with people who just had a death in the family. BTW, the house ended up selling for about $180,000 I think . . .

So Kirsten, how do your people find a good property? Of course they're all in California where property is appreciating so fast that anybody can make money. Of course there's also a huge risk in California right now. Appreciating like they've been experiencing simply isn't sustainable. The question is how long it can last . . . and what happens when all of these investors can't sell their investments . . . .

Hair goop to colds and flu . . .

2005-09-29T10:26:00.000-05:00

Lots of stuff is available without cost at Walgreens this month. I've been happy with their Easy-Saver program. It's easy and everything gets sent in with one submission. Here's what is available this month:

Valid 9/25 - 10/29

1. FREE Cura-Heat Therapeautic Heat Packs (3 pack)
2. FREE Adults Choice Gummi Drop Vitamins (60 pack)
3. FREE Kotex Lightdays (15 pack)
4. FREE Oral B Cross-Action toothbrush
5. FREE Colgate Luminous toothpaste (6 oz.)
6. FREE Vision Formula Tablets (30 pack)
7. FREE Fructis Hair Styling Product
8. FREE Zim's Crack Creme, Spa or Foot Gloves
9. FREE Zicam Intense Cold + Flu relief (6 pack)
10. FREE SudaCare Shower Soothers (3 pack)

Here's the link to see more: http://www.walgreens.com/store/rebateclub.jsp

Yep. I'm too lazy to put in the html code, so you'll have to copy and paste.

Pre-foreclosures in Dakota county, MN

2005-09-27T23:40:00.000-05:00

Well, today I discovered a pretty good method of getting foreclosure/ pre-foreclosure information for Dakota county, Minnesota. (Where I live.) However, I have no idea why this information would be all that useful since MN has a 6 month redemption period where the foreclosed can LIVE IN the property. So, here's some of what I figured out. If anybody would like more of it drop me a line at dakoforeclosures@ralarson.com and we'll work something out.

14322 Ebony Lane, Apple Valley
$250,289 owed.
Sheriff's auction scheduled for Nov. 10, 2005 in Hastings
Currently on the market. MLS 3096352. Asking price is $245,000

19140 Embers Ave., Farmington
$242,308 owed.
Sheriff's auction scheduled for September 29, 2005 in Hastings
Recently on the market for $339,500. Now is TNAS (temporarly not available for showing/sale)

Paying down your mortgage, investments, 401K, and Google

2005-09-27T12:44:00.000-05:00

This is a nice article. I've always gone contrary to the typical "don't pay down your mortgage" advice and I'm glad that at least somebody agrees with me :) (At least in some situations.) I thought this part was particularly interesting:

"I don't dispute those benefits. But lately I've come to believe that a more aggressive mortgage-paydown schedule could make sense for many homeowners, particularly those who are inclined to invest in the market instead. That's because the prospects for other asset classes could be particularly paltry relative to their past returns. While long-term equity returns have been in the neighborhood of 10%-12% over long stretches, a host of investment pundits, from Vanguard founder Jack Bogle to stock market historian Jeremy Siegel, have argued that mid- to high-single-digit equity-market returns are more realistic going forward. The prospects for bonds are even less compelling. Prevailing long-term Treasury yields have historically been a pretty good predictor of long-term bond returns, and the recent 10-year Treasury note was yielding just 4%."

Sounds like the stock market might not be the best game in town for your 401K or Roth IRA . . . the problem? Are there any other games being played? No. This doesn't have too much to do with Google either, but I'm hoping for ads other than the dreaded b____.

How Aggressively Should You Pay Down Your Mortgage?

ING vs. Emigrant Direct online banks and Google

2005-09-26T15:26:00.000-05:00

I love ING direct online bank. Very easy to use. Good customer service. However, Emigrant Direct recently raised its rates to 4.0% and ING responded with 3.4%. I can't walk away from .6% even if I like ING better so, I'm currently (hopefully temporarily) moving my savings over to Emigrant Direct. Even if you are tempted by the additional .6% be forewarned to be patient with Emigrant's sign-up process. (It works, but it's a pain.) Also, you still might as well get an ING account too, since you can get a $25 sign up bonus if you're invited by a current member. An $25 buys you a lot of interest. If you'd like an invite send me an email with your name and e-mail address. ingref@ralarson.com This doesn't have much at all to do with Google, but I have a hypothesis that Google has an ego . . .

Dear Google

2005-09-26T12:09:00.000-05:00

. . .most of my readers can ignore this post on move on to the good stuff underneath it . . . .

Dear Google, I just wanted to point out to your googlebots that this is not a b___ about b_____. I don't know all that much about b______ and it's safe to say (based on the fact that nobody clicks on your b___ ads) that none of my readers are interested in b_______ per se. This b___ is about real estate, finances, 401Ks, allergies, garage sales, dandelions, how to get stuff at no cost, and lots of other things. None of the things I write about are related to b_______, so please give me ads related to something other than b_______. BTW, Kirsten Kemp is the host of a show about flipping real estate (mostly in California). So, people searching for her stuff aren't interested in b____ either.

What Is A Fixer Upper when it comes to real estate?

2005-09-24T13:55:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice article defining a true fixer upper. I think it's a little out of date in that I don't think you could do the fixes he described for $7000, but house values are a lot higher now too.

What Is A Fixer Upper?

Buying properties essentials -- things Kirsten Kemp hasn't told us yet

2005-09-24T13:38:00.000-05:00

The top link on this page will lead to a pdf download of HUD's Residential Rehabilitation Inspection Guide. Great info. especially for the beginning property flipper, but I bet experienced people might find some of it useful too.

Residential Rehabilitation Inspection Guide

Little ways to make money on the internet

2005-09-24T10:53:00.000-05:00

Okay. I've been writing quite a bit about properties. A little bit on investments. What about starting with (basically) nothing? Well, since I know you have internet since you're reading this, here are a few little ways that I make money on the internet. The first, but not the most profitable, is advertising. Right now all of my advertising is allergy based, so lots of things I write about aren't getting relevant ads. (Though with the back of Candela's knees looking worse and worse I may be writing more about allergies soon :() The easiest way to get advertising on your website is through Google adense, but Yahoo is a recent addition to the scene, so you might want to check that out too. Want to learn more about either of those (or anything else?) That leads to the second thing, my Google seach bar. It's basically another form of advertising, but the ads tend to be a lot more relevant :). Now, to take advantage of either of those you really need a website. What's the best way to get one of those? Blogger. Once you progress past a blog let me know and I'll tell you about cheap ways to get a "real" website, but Blogger is free. Regretfully you're not going to make very much money unless your website is VERY popular, so we need some other ways too: 3) Affliates and "direct" advertising. Lots of these are just variations of MLM, but they're free, so why not? Here are some companies that pay me to refer people to them: A) My favorite is ING direct. Anybody who has a bank account with them can send referrals to upto 25 of their friends and get paid $10 for each friend that signs up. Better than that, the friend gets $25. Not bad for 3.4%, ease of use, no minimums and FDIC insurance. Want an invite? Send me an email ingref@ralarson.com. B) My second favorite is American Consumer Opinion. They pay people to do real surveys and they pay me $.50 to get you to sign up. (Trust me I'm not so hard up for cash that I'd deceive anybody into doing something stupid for $.50 -- they don't send SPAM or sell your e-mail or info.) American consumer opinion C) I also do some stuff with Survey Savvy and My survey. My survey> Surveysavvy Neither one of these have survey payouts that compete with Acop (in my experience), but they both pay me more for referring people. Hmm . . . wonder if those are related? BTW, these guys don't send out Spam or anything either. As you can tell I've kind of latched on the survey people :) Supposedly the crem de la crem of survey companies is pinecone, but they don't care enough about me to even bother rejecting me and you have to find one of their banner ads to join . . .so far I'm not impressed! Which leads to 4) Books. We all have them, how many of us really want them? I suppose most of you know about half.com and amazon.com as ways to sell your books. There's also ebookdrop.com. You will NOT get as much money from them, but they pay the shipping and you can sell all of your books at ONE TIME. You don't have to wait forever. 5) There's eBay. I've heard such stupid things about eBay, like "it's too expensive to get started" Hello! All you need is a 640 by 480 (minimum) digital camera (face it those are cheap and easy to borrow!), 30 cents, and something to sell. Don't be stupid, do your research or even contact me with your questions, but don't let the finances be a barrier. Finally, the joyous garage sale. It's not specifically internet, but it has an internet component :) Check out my archieves from May and June 2005 and you'll have my experiences with my first garage sale ever!

Flip house update

2005-09-22T22:10:00.000-05:00

Well, as of this evening flooded cat crap house is officially pending. . . .and not by me! I've got to see that open house when they get it fixed. . . .

More things Kirsten Kemp doesn't mention about flipping real estate

2005-09-22T20:51:00.000-05:00

You know when Property Ladder talks about those other costs that they don't mention? Taxes are a biggie and how you deal with them is really important.

Tax consequences of flipping real estate

Figure out how to conserve now!

2005-09-22T08:52:00.000-05:00

Hmmm . . .Eric, how about working from home? From under an electric blanket?? Gas going to $4 - $5, Natural gas probably going WAY up too :(

Rita's oil punch could hit harder than Katrina - Sep. 22, 2005

Retirement and your 401k

2005-09-21T21:41:00.000-05:00

Here's an article about how you probably aren't saving enough for retirement. What I found interesting was the following quote:

"They don't know, for instance, that a company is under no obligation to provide education or that a company is under no obligation to provide advice. In fact, under current law and despite efforts to change it, employers are liable for any advice they do give participants."

Hmmm . . . I wonder why employers simply choose to provide NO advice.
Will 401(k) shortfalls precipitate wave of lawsuits?

Flipping real estate -- What Kirsten Kemp really thinks

2005-09-18T14:21:00.000-05:00

Did you see Property Ladder last night? HS counselor decides he needs to supplement his income by flipping houses -- one tiny little problem . . .he doesn't seem to KNOW anything! No need to worry though. He still made $200,000 before fees (and taxes). Yikes! I think this is why Property Ladder does 99% of its shows in California. I guy don't think the Minnesota real estate market would ever forgive you for blowing your budget by $175,000!! You could almost see Kirsten rolling her eyes at this guy. (So, Kirsten, what do you think? I guess you can put on a smiling face and let the viewer come to his or her own decision, right? :))

I would like to see Property Ladder tackle some flips in sane real estate markets. (Not depressed just not insane.) It would be interesting to see. Eric and I looked at two potential flipper houses this weekend. Both were truly scary, but one caught our attention more than the other. Eric calls it the "cat crap house". Just in case you were ever wondering, don't let dozens of cats roam freely in your house with no litter boxes. It will not do wonders for the value of your house. I actually think there is money to be made in that house, but I don't think we're going to be the ones making it. The timing is bad for us and I not sure we'll ever be excited about a house that's been flooded. (Yes. Cat crap and flood -- for a mere $220,000.) It's not that flooded houses can't be good deals its just that once you've been there, done that with your own house it's hard to imagine going there again ya know? This house was also in foreclosure so there's no disclosure to explain away the flood as "this is what happened and this is how we fixed it." We're also concerned that no amout of remediation could make the cat odor go away, but we're probably wrong about that. It will be interesting to see what happens when/if this house ends up on the market again.

No cost french fries

2005-09-17T09:43:00.000-05:00

Here's a form for a coupon for no cost french fries from OreIda freeeasyfries.com

More things Kirsten Kemp didn't teach me about flipping property

2005-09-15T09:26:00.000-05:00

Here's a pretty active forum on flipping houses. It's nice to be able to read about people with real, live experience. If you go to the root site there are a bunch of articles and the like too.

Flippinghomes.com

Things Kirsten Kemp didn't teach me about property flipping part II

2005-09-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

I hate to say this considering I've been living in my current house for almost exactly two years, but . . .I keep coming to the same property flipping conclusion: The best flip is your own. Especially if it's your first flip. What does that mean? You should move every two years. YIKES! Here's why: Owner occupied financing is cheap and easy to get. You don't have to make 2 mortgage payments. If the flip goes "bad" (property values decline, market softens, you can't find a buyer) you stay and don't lose your shirt. You avoid ALL capital gains expenses. You can sell with a standard disclosure and your house doesn't look like a flip (because it isn't). You don't even have to worry about renting furniture for staging :) If you do the "move in and fix up" routine a couple of times you could have enough money to finance other (more traditional, fast) flips, but I think moving in is probably the best way to do your first flip.

Avoiding (some) capital gains taxes

2005-09-14T09:44:00.000-05:00

I totally disagree with Suze's garage sale analysis (afterall garage sales are all about the social interactions and my first one made over $700, but . . .). However, this article has an interesting gem on avoiding some capital gains taxes if you have kids.

Give Smart: Money Matters - Yahoo! Finance

Things Kirsten Kemp didn't teach me on Property Ladder Part 1 -- How much to spend?

2005-09-14T09:22:00.000-05:00

Continuing on from my series on things Kirsten Kemp almost taught me . . . A friend of mine (well, actually her husband, but she'll play too) would like to get into the flipping biz. The fixing and selling isn't a problem, but they're unsure of the buying and financing. So, this series will try to help with those questions. (Of course, these are things the people on Property Ladder have before they even start!) Here's a website that's definitely commercial (IE don't completely trust it since they're trying to make money.) However, I agree that this article provide a very conservative (possible too conservative to be realistic) approach to how much you should spend for a fixer property. I'm always in favor of a conservative approach! (Esp. for a newbie!)

rehab_101

Lots of ways to save money

2005-09-11T21:17:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice list of ways to save money that you might not have thought of A Savings List And make sure you put that savings in ING. 3.3%, ease of use, no minimums, FDIC insurance, and if you get an invite you'll get a $25 sign-up bonus (for everyone in the family as long as they each get their own account) Want an invite? Send me an email with your name and e-mail address. ingref@ralarson.com

No cost pasta sauce and olive oil sample

2005-09-09T16:06:00.000-05:00

No cost Bertolli pasta sauce and olive oil sample. I wish I knew how much they send, but I don't . . . I guess "*ree" is another word I shouldn't be using . . .

Bertolli