The U.S. government’s reaction to the financial crisis and the real estate meltdown has been another sad aspect of this whole thing. Instead of acknowledging the causes and correcting them, the U.S. government has made matters worse by implementing ill-conceived programs that are only temporary fixes. Many people couldn’t afford to purchase a home because banks […]

The sights and sounds that nature has to offer! It was all there last week when we went on a family vacation to Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Parks. I took a break from my job as a mortgage buyer so that we could experience it all. Pre-kids, my wife, and some friends, I went

I consider myself a moderate fiscal conservative but am against tax increases. Over the years, my observations have shown me that politicians are more interested in raising taxes than paying for programs. Every day you will find new examples of governments spending large amounts of money on projects that only benefit a few people at the local,

The West’s economies have been the subject of more negative attention over the past six to twelve months than any other time in history. It seems that the number of countries in Europe being affected is growing. This started with Iceland and then moved to Portugal, Greece and Ireland. Now it has spread to Spain, Italy

Did you know that the regional presidents of Federal Reserve can sometimes speak intelligently with common-sense people? It is true. More Fed presidents are speaking out against some Fed policies. Two Fed governors criticised the Fed’s announcement earlier this week that they would maintain rock-bottom interest rates over the next two year. This two-year announcement by the Fed

This week’s sad news regarding the jobs market is: The most tragic news is Steve Jobs’ passing. He changed the worlds of music, personal computing, mobile computing and many other areas. In this world of imitation, his products were unique in their style and substance. What is the last time you saw so much of the world grieve

Since 2005, I have been advising friends, colleagues and anyone else who will listen not to purchase real estate. Although I don’t claim to be an expert on the future or to have uncommon brilliance, I do enjoy reading information. After looking at the data and ignoring all the hype, I realized that property values would not

Most newspapers and TV news channels have never had a strong reputation for critical thinking and detailed analysis. They are aware that most of their viewers/readers want the latest news on celebrities and natural disasters. The media doesn’t pay attention to the economic consequences and political actions of politicians because they aren’t interesting enough. Despite this, I

Some people are always sunny optimists. This is good, up to a point. Inventions don’t exist, businesses don’t exist, and relationships can’t be started if someone doesn’t believe in them. Before they purchase stock, investors must believe in the company. As a property note buyer, it is important to believe that the owner of the property will make their mortgage

Our political leaders and some well-placed economists believe that the U.S. economy has begun to recover from the recession. All would be well if the country could get its housing market back on track. My view is that while the housing crisis was a major contributor to the financial crisis, the real estate market is more of