I found it interesting watching the history channel on Wednesday night as I was baking my apple and pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. They were busting some of the myths of Thanksgiving. But one of the biggest myths wasn't addressed. Instead, they promoted the standard school book storyline that ...

11/26/2010

Quantitative Easing and Questions That Make You Go Hmmmmm

2 Comments

This is a very funny video. It's a series of innocent, common sense questions about the Fed's Quantitative Easing. It will make you laugh and then maybe make you cry when you realize how something like this is allowed to happen. It is Bizarro World.

11/13/2010

$60,000 Fair Housing Settlement in Atlanta. 20 Year Policy Finally Catches Up with Them

4 Comments

Just because you've been doing something a certain way for 20 years and nothing has happened, doesn't mean that you have nothing to worry about. A big Fair Housing suit in Atlanta has been settled for $60,000. A condo association in Midtown Atlanta had policies that discouraged families with chi...

11/11/2010

Dallas Paid Focus Groups a Fun Way to Make a Little Extra Money

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Do you find yourself putting suggestions in suggestion boxes? Wouldn't it be nice to get paid for your suggestions. Well, there are companies that pay you cash for your opinions. I've been registering with various market research companies that hire people to be part of focus groups. Over the ye...

11/09/2010

Intentional Inflation Is Nothing More Than Robbery

6 Comments

Let's say you are walking down the street with $100 in your pocket. I come up to you and force you to give me $20. It's pretty clear cut. You've been robbed and I should go to jail. It doesn't matter if I tell you a sob story about my bad luck. It doesn't matter if I rationalize that since I...

11/08/2010

Credit Scoring Is Changing Due to Strategic Defaults. Your Super Prime Score Might be Dropping

7 Comments

As credit scoring companies get more and more experience with prime borrowers defaultingon their mortgages, they are starting to see things that might tip them off to a potential strategic default. They are using these new indicators in their credit scoring algorithms. Not only are borrowers who...

11/07/2010

Does "Christian Roommate" Decision Clarify Anything About Fair Housing Laws?

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Rulings in lawsuits always are a good way to learn and get clarification on what a law actually means. Unfortunately, some rulings just muddy the waters even more. In Michigan, a young lady advertised on a church bullitin board for a female Christian roommate. Someone saw it and filed a Fair Hou...

11/07/2010

Do You Know the "Shadow Inventory" in Your Area?

2 Comments

I got a new tool to play with. It reveals the "shadow inventory". These are the homes that have been foreclosed on but aren't on the market yet. It also shows the future "shadow inventory". These are the homes that have received foreclosure notices and most likely will turn into bank owned p...

11/05/2010

Bernanke's Track Record. And We're Supposed to Trust This Guy To Get Us Through This Financial Mess?

2 Comments

I've seen printed in financial prospectuses that past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance. Let's hope so. Now here's someone who seems to know what he's talking about. Jim Grant is a pretty smart guy and is probably someone worth listening to

11/04/2010

The Fed Announces QE2. Time to Start Stockpiling Food and Supplies

4 Comments

It's amazing how they can put a label on something and make it sound so smart and good. The big word today was Quantitative Easing part 2. "Quantitative" sounds so scientific and scholarly. "Easing" sounds like it's under control. Nothing radical here. Just a nice and slow easing. Those two...

11/04/2010