What exactly is the definition of a "strategic default"? At first it sounds pretty simple. But begin thinking about special situations and try to create a definition that works. Congress couldn't come up with a good definition so they just wrote in the bill that they'll let someone figure it o...

06/23/2010

Migration Patterns. Neat Interactive Map at Forbes.

3 Comments

Forbes has a pretty neat map of the US where you can click a county and it will show graphically the net migration from that county to other counties around the country. Black lines represent net inward migration and red lines represent net outward migration. Click on a few cities and compare t...

06/19/2010

How to Start a Movement. The Key Isn't the Leader. It's the First Few Followers.

16 Comments

Take three minutes to watch this interesting video. It looks like it was taken at an outdoor concert. Initially there is one lone nut dancing shirtless in the middle of the field. Someone who wasn't afraid of being ridiculed for doing something different. Then one follower joins in the crazy lo...

06/18/2010

Bankruptcy Is Probably a Much Too Extreme Measure to Use in Order to Protect Yourself from a Possible Deficiency Judgement

8 Comments

Here's a pearl of wisdom I picked up at a CDPE class I took today. In some short sale negotiations, it's sometimes not possible to get the bank to waive their right to pursue you for a deficiency. This freaks many people out because they have to live in fear of the bank coming after them again. ...

06/17/2010

Earnest Money. What's Good for the Seller Should be Demanded by the Buyer, Especially in a Short Sale

5 Comments

I've read a few posts recently about listing agents for short sellers requiring earnest money upfront from buyers. They want to tie down the buyer while the seller's lender decides whether or not to approve the short sale. Many agents make statements about buyers without earnest money deposite...

06/16/2010

The Uncertainty of a Short Sale Transaction Certainly Affects Price

6 Comments

There are many short sale listing experts on ActiveRain who mostly write about short sales from the perspective of the seller and mortgage holder. Many seem to look at buyers with scorn. They say that the buyer is not serious if they ask for their earnest money to be refundable after 60 days. T...

06/14/2010

Book From 1893 Describes Current Conditions in North Korea. Textbook Socialism.

5 Comments

This is way too spooky. A few days ago I read a book, Pictures of a Socialistic Future, that was written by a German economist way back in 1893. It was a fictional story, kind of like George Orwell's 1984. He was showing in story form what life would be 15 years in the future under a Socialis...

06/13/2010