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    Consumerist
    • 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 »

      11:52 AM on Mon Nov 2 2009
      By Chris Walters
      12,130 views, 72 comments

    • 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 »

      3:01 PM on Fri Oct 30 2009
      By Chris Walters
      3,311 views, 42 comments

      Most discussed DoubleEcho: I still don't understand how they spent all that time and money, and can't link the corroded wiring to the 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 »

      6:24 PM on Wed Oct 28 2009
      By Chris Walters
      8,380 views, 149 comments

      Most discussed feralparakeet: As long as you realize that you're buying a disposable house, I guess it would be ok. But it's not 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]
      (Photo: stan)

      6:54 PM on Mon Oct 26 2009
      By Chris Walters
      8,238 views, 107 comments

      Most discussed Jfielder23: I live in the suburbs of Detroit... and until they start paying me to live there, I will certainly not more »

    • 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 »

      2:54 PM on Mon Oct 19 2009
      By Chris Walters
      7,604 views, 29 comments

      Most discussed msbask: Is it any wonder I'm so cynical? You simply cannot trust a single company or government entity in this country. 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 »

      5:13 PM on Thu Oct 8 2009
      By Chris Walters
      1,805 views, 10 comments

      Most discussed Chumas: Why is it that anyone, from king to peon, has to taunt the Fates by uttering "Never." Have they no 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!)

      12:04 PM on Thu Sep 17 2009
      By Chris Walters
      1,884 views, 27 comments

      Most discussed Raekwon: Does the property include a banana stand? There is always cash in the banana stand! I am quite surprised to more »

    • change of address

      Couple Remodels Wrong Condo (Theirs Was Next Door)

      LadySiren writes,

      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.

      More »

      12:09 PM on Fri Sep 11 2009
      By Chris Walters
      25,007 views, 76 comments

    • 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 »

      11:15 PM on Wed Aug 26 2009
      By Chris Walters
      4,404 views, 42 comments

    • 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!)
      (Photo: darkpatator)

      7:00 PM on Tue Aug 25 2009
      By Chris Walters
      3,240 views, 15 comments

      Most discussed Vandelay Import Export: Ah Florida, you don't know how to vote, drive or tell who is or isn't a city employee. Mr. Bunny more »

    • 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 »

      10:47 PM on Thu Aug 20 2009
      By Chris Walters
      17,459 views, 84 comments

      Most discussed WraithSama: There isn't enough information here, or in the linked article, to satisfy my curiosity about what happened. This is more »

    • 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 »

      12:15 PM on Tue Aug 11 2009
      By Carey Alexander
      4,446 views, 34 comments

      Most discussed pecan 3.14159265: For the experienced CouchSurfers: How much information do you really disclose? I mean, it's great if someone wants to stay 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 »

      5:40 PM on Mon Aug 10 2009
      By Carey Alexander
      7,886 views, 53 comments

      Most discussed gman863: Ditto DAK's comment on Angie's List: Although membership is around $60/year, finding one good service provider (or avoiding a bad 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 »

      6:00 PM on Sat Aug 8 2009
      By Carey Alexander
      11,835 views, 97 comments

      Most discussed shockwaver: As someone who owns a push mower, the "soft clipping sound" of the blades is not meditation. And I'm not 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 »

      12:33 PM on Thu Jul 30 2009
      By Ben Popken
      35,517 views, 118 comments

    • 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 »

      8:36 AM on Thu Jul 30 2009
      By Chris Walters
      6,103 views, 91 comments

      Most discussed TheBursar: How much would this add to your heating bills in the winter? 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]

      10:48 AM on Wed Jul 22 2009
      By Chris Walters
      6,691 views, 30 comments

      Most discussed GearheadGeek: This looks interesting for a writer or someone whose work is very seasonal, or perhaps someone who managed to retire more »

    • 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 »

      10:46 AM on Thu Jul 16 2009
      By Alex Chasick
      20,498 views, 172 comments

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    Mon Nov 9
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