Consumerist
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mortgages
When To Buy A Home And How To Avoid Screwing It Up
Are you hitting that stage in life where you're thinking of becoming a homeowner? Morningstar has published two home buying articles that together offer some good, concise advice to the prospective buyer, especially if you're a first-timer. More » -
slowpokes
First Results Of Gov Study Of Chinese Drywall Inconclusive, But More Tests To Come
Yesterday the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced some findings from its study of the problematic Chinese drywall, which 1,900 Florida homeowners have complained stinks and makes people sick. The commission told the Associated Press that "no connections have been made yet," but that they're doing more tests—which means there's still no definitive answer on who should be held financially responsible if the homes have to be gutted and repaired, which the Wall Street Journal says could cost as much as $25 billion dollars. More » -
housing
Need Affordable Housing? What About A Mobile Home?
Mobile homes have a less-than-stellar reputation, deservedly or not. I know my own mom always warned me against them by saying they were just tornado bait, which was enough to make me leery of even stepping foot inside a friend's mobile home growing up. But if you're not irrationally afraid of tornadoes, a mobile home might be a great housing option if you're on a tight budget or looking to save money, writes Michigan Telephone. More » -
auctions
Nobody Wants To Buy (Four Fifths Of) Detroit
Detroit tried to auction off almost 9,000 homes and lots last week—enough property to fill Central Park—but Reuters says less than 1/5th of what went on the block actually sold. Unfortunately, it sounds like speculators snatched up few decent properties, leaving actual Detroit residents looking for new homes out in the cold.
"Detroit house auction flops for urban wasteland" [Reuters]
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electricity bills
Energy Star Program Relies On Honor System For Some Products
Your new washer, dryer, fridge, monitor, or TV set may have an Energy Star label on it, but it turns out that nobody is making sure that means anything, reports the New York Times. Our parent organization Consumer Reports pointed out that this was a problem a year ago. More » -
bailouts
Is The Federal Housing Administration Going To Need A Bailout?
Earlier today a former Fannie Mae exec and the current head of the FHA gave conflicting testimonies to Congress about the health of the mortgage insurer—particularly about whether or not it's going to require a taxpayer bailout in the next couple of years. More » -
auctions
Bernie Madoff's Beach House Sells For $8.75 Million
An unidentified person has offered $8.75 million cash—more than the asking price—for Bernie Madoff's beachfront home in Long Island. Bidders made sealed offers for the property, and the realtors say they won't reveal any more details until after the deal closes. The house is supposedly very fancy, but if we lived there we'd just tear it up looking for hidden piles of cash. This is why we can never have anything nice.
"Sold! Bernie Madoff Beach House Goes to Contract at $8.75 Mil +" [ABC News] (Thanks to Natalia!)
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change of address
Couple Remodels Wrong Condo (Theirs Was Next Door)
LadySiren writes,
More »Here's something I came across today: a husband and wife bought a condo, moved in, spent $30K on renovations, and then found out that they didn't own that condo, but the one next door instead.
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recalls
Over 5 Million Window Treatments Recalled Today, While Nation's Peeping Toms Celebrate*
Three children have died after being strangled in the cords of window blinds, so today six companies announced a massive recall of several brands of window treatments. More » -
scams
Beware Scammers Installing City-Mandated "Whole House Water Systems"
A city in Florida has just warned its residents of a weird scam: someone's been hanging pink notices on doors around town that say, "Due to the water quality in this area, we will be installing whole-house water treatment systems." You're supposed to fill out the back of the notice and leave it out for further contact. Remember, don't let anyone remodel your home on behalf of the city. It probably goes without saying, but still.
"Volusia city: Our water is fine; beware of impostors" [Orlando Sentinel] (Thanks to Ed!)
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surprise!
Despite Refinance, Homeowner Evicted And House Sold [Updated]
Imagine coming home to find the sheriff on your doorstep with an eviction notice, and then being given 3 hours to get the hell off your property, which is no longer yours because your bank mistakenly sold it out from under you for about a third of its value. Oops! Although we initially assumed WaMu/Chase was behind all of it, NCB Miami reports that actually "a mistake in the Miami-Dade Clerk's Office appears to be behind the mishap, which landed Ramirez homeless for more than 24 hours."
Thanks to reader fantomesq, we now know more of what happened. More »
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travel
Couchsurfing Can Help You Save Money And Make Friends While Traveling
CouchSurfing is an online community of friendly hosts who are ready and eager to throw their convertible couches open to travelers from across the world. The service offers more than a free place to crash; it connects travelers with like-minded people who are excited to share their enthusiasm for their hometown. But aren't you going to be immediately robbed and stabbed by the opportunistic lechers lurking on the internet, you ask? More » -
how to
Avoid Being Scammed By Shady Contractors
Never, never open your door to a contractor who randomly appears offering to fix some unseen problem. You would think it's common sense, but a California senior ended up paying a shady contractor $20,000 to perform $300 worth of work, and it took a sting operation to stop a Long Island contractor who was going door-to-door offering to plug nonexistent carbon monoxide leaks. So how can you protect yourself? Here are a few warning signs to beware.... More » -
lawns
Five Ways To Save Time And Money On Your Lawn
We remember from our formative days in suburbia that managing a lawn was a lot like fighting a war. And like modern wars, outsourcing was the cleanest and easiest option, even if it cost a bit more. Well, with five tips from noted cheapskate Jeff Yeager, managing your own lawn could become just a little more manageable. More » -
mortgage meltdown
Family Lives Alone In 32-Story Tower
Thanks to their bank, Victor Vangelakos and his family live by themselves in a 32-story tower. More » -
energy bills
Save On Cooling Costs By Installing A White Roof
The New York Times says a white roof on your house "can cost as little as 15 percent more than its dark counterpart" yet "reduce air-conditioning costs by 20 percent or more in hot, sunny weather." This is because, scientifically speaking, the color white hates the stupid sun and won't have anything to do with it. More » -
housing
Want Free Housing? Become A Traveling Caretaker
Cool Tools describes the Caretaker Gazette as "house-sitting classifieds." The tipster writes, "I've used [it] to live rent-free for the past three years [...] living as a caretaker in California and Idaho. In exchange for my accommodations, my duties have included keeping trespassers off the property, taking messages, mowing the lawn, cleaning the pool and generally watching over the home when the owners are away." An online subscription costs $30 a year, and includes a PDF issue every two months, plus listings online and a weekly email update.
"Caretaker Gazette" [Cool Tools]
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small towns
25 Towns Where Homes Are Affordable
CNNMoney has a list of 25 towns where the price of a house isn't much more than the median family income. Guess where they all are? More »
homes
New York, 7:43 PM
Mon Nov 9
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