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Everyday Cheapskate: Why Are We So Gullible?

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

The claims are so over the top, they practically sparkle. The messages flood in from every direction -- email, TV, radio, social media and sometimes even hand delivery by a very enthusiastic "friend."

"Make over half a million dollars every four to five months from home with a one-time investment of just $25!"

"Become a millionaire overnight -...Read more

Jeff Wheeler/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Move over, Airbnb! Mid-term rentals are the new game in town

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

When a string of hurricanes ravaged the East Coast this past fall and a cluster of wildfires burned the Los Angeles area in January, tens of thousands of displaced people suddenly needed shelter.

A Twin Cities-made website specializing in mid-term rentals — stays of longer than a vacation but not more than a year — hopes to help these ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: What can we do about raccoons damaging cars in condo parking lot?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: I live in a great condo community, but recently we have experienced raccoons getting inside the engine blocks and causing severe damage to our vehicles. This includes biting into the wiring system, fluid lines and hood insulation. When we approached the association, they were dismissive and said, “it’s out of our hands.” What options do...Read more

Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman/TNS

Could you get a house delivered like a pizza? This Boise company thinks so. What to know

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

BOISE, Idaho — Cody Draper stood outside his Boise Bench warehouse on a cold February afternoon and watched as a crane truck, flooding the area with the smell of diesel, lifted a house into the sky.

Workers carefully placed the home out of the way, then slid green straps over a second home to lift. Those homes, says Draper, could be a ...Read more

Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Getting a filling -- at the mall. Why dentists and other wellness tenants are in big demand

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Not long ago, dentists were about as welcome as a toothache at shopping centers.

Landlords preferred more conventional retailers in their malls, relegating dentists to out-of-the-way locations if they would lease space to them at all.

Now they are prominent tenants in many shopping centers as part of a growing trend of medical-retail or "...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Conor Sen: These unpopular mortgages may be the key to affordable housing

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Can a mortgage product tainted by the financial crisis come back to revive U.S. housing? The answer could reorient the housing market and give the Federal Reserve greater control over consumer spending in the years ahead.

A lack of affordability has hindered housing transactions the past two years, frustrating would-be buyers and, more recently...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: What Is a Grace Period, and How Does It Work?

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Dear Mary: Is there a law that says how long the grace period must be? (And if you don't mind, exactly what IS a grace period?) -- Justin

Dear Justin: In the world of lending and borrowing, the "grace period" is the number of days between the time you make a credit card purchase and when you will begin to pay interest on that short-term loan.

...Read more

Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times/TNS

In Altadena and Pacific Palisades, burned lots are hitting the market

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The first vacant lot in Altadena, California, went up for sale in late January. The listing promised "great opportunity to build" after the Eaton fire destroyed the home previously on the site.

A few weeks later came half a dozen more listings. Now the floodgates appear open.

"There is so many to choose from," said Jeremy Hardy, a real estate ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Financial Harmony Is More About Trust Than Money

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Dear Mary: My wife and I have been married for three years. She has memorized my credit card information.

This is my personal account, and she is not listed as an authorized user. However, she charges to it without my knowledge, and it's getting out of hand. About a year ago, I took a loan from my 401(k) and paid off the balance, only to have ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Homemade Ice Melt for Steps, Walkways and Driveways

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Got ice and snow on top of super cold temperatures this winter? "Everyday Cheapskate" reader Jennifer does, and she wrote, "Do you have a solution for melting ice and snow on walkways, driveways, steps and windshields?"

I do, and at least one of these homemade recipes is sure to come to Jennifer's rescue, and quite possibly yours, too

All of ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Survey: Many consumers stick with same bank accounts for decades, cite convenience as a factor

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

These days, the perks of a shiny new bank account often include high yields and no fees, and many can be opened in mere minutes. Nevertheless, Americans with a checking account have held onto that account for an average of 19 years, while those with a savings account have had it for 17 years, according to Bankrate’s latest Checking Account ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

How to fire your financial adviser in 4 steps

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Breaking up is hard to do, even when it comes to firing your financial adviser.

Whether it’s a mismatch of investment strategies, a lack of communication or even ethical concerns, the decision to part ways with your financial adviser can be stressful.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of firing your financial adviser step-...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Rocket Companies is buying Redfin, the real estate listing firm

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

DETROIT — Rocket Companies said Monday it is buying the real estate listing platform Redfin in a deal valued at $1.75 billion.

The all-stock deal, expected to close in within about six months, would incorporate one of the country's largest mortgage lenders in Rocket with one of the top home search platforms in Redfin.

Seattle-based Redfin, ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: 27 Grocery Shopping Tricks to Keep More Cash in Your Pocket

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Next to your rent or mortgage payment, food is probably your biggest expense. Don't believe me? For the next 30 days, track every nickel you spend to feed your face, then tell me it doesn't add up to one boatload of cash-ola.

Every dollar you don't spend on food is a dollar you get to keep for something else -- like knocking down that student ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: Can HOA force owner to put up fence and swap out plants?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: My fiancé lives on the main road in a community of single family homes. He received a violation letter from the association saying he needs to put up a fence, remove the current bushes, and plant different ones. The section of the bylaw they sent over discusses maintenance of existing fences, docks, etc., but does not require them. I ...Read more

Nelvin C. Cepeda/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

'Tariffs do not help with housing costs': Apartment builders brace for steel and aluminum tariffs

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Developer Nat Bosa has been responsible for some of downtown San Diego’s largest residential towers but looming tariffs have him flabbergasted.

His company, Vancouver, Canada-based Bosa Development, is in the middle of construction on a 389-unit condo tower called Andia in downtown San Diego. It also has plans to build a 211-unit apartment ...Read more

John Spink/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

Sharks 'smell blood' in Atlanta's office market as distress mounts

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

When Thomas Taylor looks at Atlanta’s skyline, he sees a quarter of its office buildings underwater.

The city’s towers, of course, stand well above sea level. But Taylor’s job as the senior research manager for data firm Trepp is to assess their financial stability — and many borrowers are in industry terms “underwater,” meaning ...Read more

Sarah Reingewirtz/Los Angeles Daily News/TNS

Jonathan Lansner: 3,200 Palisades, Eaton fire victims miss mortgage payments

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The sudden rush of increased household expenses is one of the numerous pains faced by fire victims in Los Angeles County.

Consider a new report showing as many as 3,200 homeowners in fire-ravaged neighborhoods are struggling to make their mortgage payments. Remember, owners of mortgaged homes must make loan payments even if the housing is gone ...Read more

Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

A beginner's guide to downsizing

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

For most dream-seeking retirees, moving is not on their bucket list.

More than three-quarters of older American homeowners plan to stay in their current home and age in place, according to a survey by Redfin, a tech-based real estate brokerage.

That’s wishful thinking, said Lauren Bednar, owner of Oasis Senior Advisors. Her senior placement ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: The Inside Buzz on Batteries

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Little things mean a lot -- like the two words "batteries included." Just knowing they're in there somewhere means less hassle and one less thing to buy. But face it. The initial powering-up of a battery-operated device is a minor concern. It's the cost of keeping it going for years to come that should be considered.

The commercials are ...Read more

 

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