John Mulkey, Housing Guru

I’m still surprised by the number of people who believe that home values will magically return to those of 5 years ago; and if you are one of those looking to recoup your home’s lost value, it’s not happening—ever.  How can I be so certain?  It’s pretty easy once you look at the facts.   Home val...

Money-Saving Myths for Savvy Consumers While saving money is easy when shoppers pay attention to the basics, it can become frustrating if you fall for these money-saving myths.   Buying in bulk always saves money. Coupons are mostly for processed foods. Grocery coupons are too much trouble for th...

Unemployment and Why Housing Continues to Struggle Each month when the Labor Department releases the statistics on unemployment and job creations, the numbers often do little more than confuse. Some months it looks as if they’re improving and others they seem to reflect a recession that won’t lea...

While banks have repeatedly assured us that their foreclosure problems, commonly referred to as “ForeclosureGate,” are nothing more than “paperwork” problems, it seems this foreclosure crisis just won’t go away. And with 50 states’ attorneys general continuing to investigate the matter, more prob...

(With apologies for length) Willie Sutton, the famed bank robber of the 1930’s and 40’s once made the statement, "Go where the money is...and go there often," and though his lifetime take was said to be as much as $2 million, Sutton was a mere amateur.  His crimes are dwarfed by those of today’s ...

Home Sales Slide as Inventory Grows According to a report released by the NAR, October existing home sales fell by 2.2%, following an increase of 10% in September. Annualized sales numbers came in near expectations at a rate of 4.43 million. Year-over-year sales are down by more than 25%.   While...

While politicians struggle with how to reduce the deficit, and special interests rush to protect their pet projects and “sacred cows,” let’s take an unemotional look at the mortgage interest deduction.  Though eliminating or modifying the deduction has been considered several times in the past, t...

Free Smart Phones, Free Money and Other Deals for Business   My daughter just posted some great deals on her website, The Frugal Guru, that should be of interest to most people in business. I’m in the market for a smartphone and think I’ve just found an “offer I can’t refuse.”   To check out the ...

Housing Starts Fall to Lowest Level in 18 Months   Construction of new homes fell to an annualized rate of 519,000 in October, well below expectations, indicating a continued lack of confidence by home builders. In addition, October foreclosure inventory rose by 5.2% over that of a year ago. Thes...

Tough economic times demand that we all spend our money more "Frugally," and since I love both saving and sharing money-saving tips and ideas, I have developed--with much help from my daughter--The Frugal Guru.  In keeping with the "Guru" tradition, we'll try to provide some great tips along with...