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Recent Comments:
Golf Course Estate Leaves Trump in the Rough {AOL Real Estate}
Oct 20th 2011 10:11PM The truth is with Donald Trump if you took his original inheritance from the 's and valued it in todays dollars and you compare it to the appraised value of his holdings (actually his equity) and other assets in he has lost almost a Billion dollars ! What a bag of wind !
Occupy Wall Street: Housing Stories From the Front Lines {AOL Real Estate}
Oct 12th 2011 3:55PM I know many , many people - INCLUDING myself that are having the same problem with "home refinancing" -Very high credit score (800), never in my life missed a payment on ANYTHING.....I have 45% equity in my home at todays market value and I am paying 6.5% interest on my mortgage...which comes to over $2500 a month.....The current 30 year fixed rates are 3.75%....but they will not refi me because I cannot provide 2 years W2 statements.....meeting their income guidelines.... I took half a year off last year - living on savings to go abroad and visit relatives- I'm now back to my own business and doing fine . They say I must now wait over 2 years to refinance .... what a crock.... In other words I can make payments of $2500 a month but can't qualify for payments of $1600 a month...these banks have to go I hope they all go broke and die a painful corporate death....
Low Mortgage Rates Are Great -- But Most Can't Qualify {AOL Real Estate}
Sep 13th 2011 12:48AM Yes , you are right - I guess my point was that I feel that my situation should warrant the current low rates available to other people with good credit . There are places that will give me a refinancing on my property - at rates of 5 1/2% or more . Big Deal .... they are getting their money at 1/2% .....they are lending to people with W2's at 3 3/4% - based on company jobs in a period of our history when job security is at an all time low . On the other hand , I have my own business , have been through recessions , tough periods and never had so much as a blotch on my credit - at 54 years of age - in other words I can do whatever it takes to pay my debts .
Low Mortgage Rates Are Great -- But Most Can't Qualify {AOL Real Estate}
Sep 12th 2011 7:20PM Someone asked if I'm not telling the whole story..... yes I provided all the info I could , including tax returns . I believe they require your gross income to be at least three times the payment - except if you are self employed - in which case they can be as strict as they want , but they also don't consider income from some sources - in my case I make $1400 per month income for a condo I own in asia - even though, unlike here, its increasing in value , its on a 2 year lease period - and believe it or now.... its leased to an American ! In any event as long as I'm making my payments why should they care if my gross income is 3x the payment or 2x the payment or whatever....if for no other reason since my payments are considerably higher the the majority of borrowers even if my payments were 45 - 50% of my net income I would still have more left over than the majority of borrowers - but the fact remains if you include all my income I would still qualify at the 1/3 of earnings parameter.
Low Mortgage Rates Are Great -- But Most Can't Qualify {AOL Real Estate}
Sep 12th 2011 3:13PM I know these low rates are a joke ! I have over 40% equity in my home (at todays market) I have fico scores of 800 , I have never in my life missed a payment on anything , and I'm paying over 6% for my home loan ! I cannot qualify to refinance because I have my own business and without 2 years W2 forms (which of course I dont have...)they won't even give me the time of day - they tell me that my loan to income ratio is too high ????? I mean I can make my payments of $2400 but they say I don't make enough to make payments of $1600 !!!!!! The bankers are a bunch of F%$&*s - what is wrong with this picture !@!!!!
Philippines terrorist threat prompts travel warning {Gadling}
Jun 15th 2011 7:55PM I have been to the Philippines 12 times in the last 10 years ( my wife is a filipina). This warning is like saying don't go to the United States because the murder rate is super high in Detroit.....
The vast majority of the Philippines is very safe I have never had any problems there and truthfully the people are nicer and friendlier than the majority of people in the western countries - on balance it is much safer in the PI than the large cities in the US or Canada or Europe . Cebu City is one of the 10 safest large cities in the world for major/violent crimes. Just keep out of the Southern 5% of the country - it is dangerous there for westerners .
The thing to remember is if you have a white face just don't go to the very southern parts of the country - though I don't know what would bring any western tourist to that area in the first place.
Can Small-Business Owners Save Congress? {AOL Small Business}
Jan 5th 2011 12:59PM I'm a small business owner . My yearly sales are just under $400k - its just me and a part time employee . I make about $75k a year and have to pay health insurance for my family out of that as well. I work just about all the time that I'm not sleeping , eating , showering or doing errands - 7 days a week and holidays included.
When the economy tanked my bank ( bofa) cut off my credit line and brought my credit card limit from $50k down to $15k - no reason was given - I had a credit score of 800 . I never missed a payment on anything in my life (I'm 54). I had to sell my home at a loss to get money to keep my business going , now I'm renting.....
I had two full time employees before this economic set back and work even harder than I used to - I really think that something must be done to help the very small businesses but I don't expect the government to help.... don't fool yourselves into thinking the elected politicians are going to do anything for most of us - if you don't have enough $ to get lobbyists to buy these people either indirectly or directly you are s.o.l. - that is America - face it . The big corps. and even medium companies that outsource the jobs have won , the battle is over . While I believe there will be a pickup in employment it will be done with jobs that pay peanuts - the top 2% are the new america and if this trend continues by the time my kids are out of school it will be the top .5 %.
NBA Power Rankings: Boston Rises {Fanhouse NBA Blog}
Nov 17th 2010 7:21PM The Lakers at #4 ? REALLY ? Maybe now I can get better than even money odds for them to win it all . Look at where the money is .... in Vegas and Atlantic City (and the bookies) still have the Lakers as prohibitive favorites compared to the other teams - believe me , they know better than the sports writers . Barring any key injuries they are #1.
'Undercover Boss' Todd Ricketts Plays Ball with the Chicago Cubs {AOL Jobs}
Nov 8th 2010 9:24PM Well I for one am happy that the Republicans gained control of the house ! I've been out of work for 11 months and they are now promising to have the unemployment rate under 6.5% within 2 years - in spite of the democrats ! What are the democrats and Obama going to do for me ?
Suspended Keith Olbermann Demanded MSNBC Apology, Will Return Tuesday {PopEater}
Nov 8th 2010 1:26PM I just saw a profound bumper sticker... it said " Republicans are either Millionaires or Suckers " - how true it is !
