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April 8, 2010

Financier, Heal Thyself? Don’t Count on It

Cutting Wall Street’s Gordian Knot Call me a skeptic when it comes to financial reform. If health care consumed a solid year of legislative maneuvering, how much time will it take to carefully consider the various and sundry proposals to rein in Wall Street, which is infinitely more complicated? Which is kind of the point,...
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What Are Mortgage Rates? Get Your Calculator

Blend of Two Variables Answering the question, “what are prevailing mortgage rates?” seems simple enough. After all, the answer should be “5%,” “5.25%,” or something similar, depending on one’s credit scores, and the mortgage product in question (fixed, 5 yr ARM, 10 yr. ARM, etc.). In practice, it’s a little more difficult, because rates are...
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B.Y.O.H. ("Bring Your Own . . . House!")

“Now THAT’S a Roadblock!”Clients of mine posted this picture on Facebook this morning. Apparently, they have a new neighbor: a new (old) house, moved by truck from another location — complete but for the foundation. It was deposited in the middle of the street, around 1 a.m. last night. As another acquaintance posted, “Now that’s...
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Realtor Visual Aids

Real Estate Marketing 101 Realtors use “sign tents” in a variety of situations (it’s a called a “tent” because it’s in the shape of a triangle, and looks tent-like). The standard sign, of course, is “Please Remove Shoes.” But custom signs are a great way to call attention to hidden home features. So, I’ve had...
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The House That Shrank

Wrong (Measurement) Numbers Who are you going to believe, me or your own lieing eyes? —New Yorker cartoon, showing husband in bed with another woman, to his spouse, standing in the doorway. Before discussing homes where the square footage is dramatically off — I’ll let you guess which direction — two caveats: One. It happens...
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"Do What You Enjoy With People You Like"

Career Advice From Ex-CEO of P&G “I want to do things I really enjoy with people I really like.” –Arthur G. Lafley, former P&G CEO; The Wall Street Journal (4/8/2010) Lafley, who just retired from P&G to join a private equity firm, gave the above explanation for his career move. Skip all the career counseling...
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