Being conscious about your finances and setting goals for your money can help you achieve your dreams at any stage in life. Here are some helpful tips to remember when you are making plans for your money and setting your financial priorities: Identify Your Goals Remember that you can do anything you want with your money, but you can’t do everything you want. You will never have the unlimited resources to achieve all of your goals, so focus on which goals are most important to you and concentrate your efforts on those. To accomplish these most important goals you will need to put some … [Read more...]
About Mikel Erdman
Mortgage Rates Down 1 Percent In One Year
Another week, another new low for mortgage rates. According to Freddie Mac's weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell 3 basis points to 3.53% last week nationwide. The 3.53% mortgage rate is available to mortgage applicants who are willing to pay 0.7 discount points, on average, plus a full set of closing costs. One year ago, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate was 4.52%. Today, it's nearly one percent lower. For every $100,000 borrowed at today's rates as compared to July 2011, a mortgage applicant will save $57 per $100,000 borrowed, or $684 per … [Read more...]
How To Clean A Water Aerator
Typically found at the tip of indoor water faucets, water aerators split a single water stream into droplets, slowing the overall water flow and reducing the degree of "splashing". Homes in Chicago with aerated faucets use up to 50% less water than homes without. However, aerated faucets can lose their effectiveness over time if they're not cleaned at least periodically. This is because aerators can collect and trap particles including minerals deposits and grit, depending on the make-up of your home's water supply. The good news is that cleaning your faucet aerator is a do-it-yourself job … [Read more...]
How to Look Great in Every Photo
Have you ever excitedly clicked on the Facebook folder of photos from last weekend’s party, only to cringe with how awkward and unflattering each snap of you is? You think you are reasonably good looking, but why do you look so unattractive in photographs? Even if they are confident and attractive in real life, many people hate the way that they photograph. However, before you decide that you are hopelessly un-photogenic and give up, there are a few things that you can do to make yourself look better in photographs. Here are a few tips to remember next time someone points a camera at … [Read more...]
Existing Home Supply Ticks Higher To 6.6 Months Nationwide
Home resales slipped more than 5 percent last month, putting a damper recent housing market enthusiasm. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, Existing Home Sales fell to 4.37 million units in June 2012 on a seasonally-adjusted, annualized basis. This is 250,000 fewer home sales per year as compared May's figures which NAR has revised 2 percentage points higher. The pace at which homes are selling has slowed, too. As compared to May, the Existing Home Supply rose 0.2 months. At the current pace of sales nationwide, the national home supply would now be exhausted in … [Read more...]
