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• Most Topular Stories

• 50+ Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts

  Real Simple Daily Tip

  1 Feb 2012 | 9:59 am

  For unique ideas for your husband to sweet treats for the kids, find surprising ideas for everyone in our gift roundup.

• Check this out....very cool.

  Cyburbia | Urban Planning Community

  Super Amputee Cat

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:36 pm

  Thought I'd share this: http://www.onemorelevel.com/game/sca..._universe_2012

• Architects Propose “Bibs” To Shield NYC From Global Warming’s Floods

  Archinect - News

  Archinect

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:15 pm

  Global warming will make New York spectacularly vulnerable to flooding. Some researchers even suggest that in 200 years, Manhattan could look like Venice. Does that mean 8 million people oughta start packing their bags? Of course not. But experts agree the city should do something. Enter Tingwei Xu and Xie Zhang. The U Penn students think New York can protect itself the way a guy cracking lobster protects his tie: by strapping on a bib.

• AEW defends its museum design

  Building Design - All News

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:56 am

  Architect says contractors to blame for faults at National Museum of Liverpool

• Conexant Launches New High-Performance Digital Audio Processor with Integrated ... - EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)

  ARCHITECTURE NEWS - Google News

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:53 pm

  Conexant Launches New High-Performance Digital Audio Processor with Integrated EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)The CX20805 is based on the Conexant Audio Processing Engine (CAPE) architecture, which lays the foundation for the company's future audio chip innovations. Historically, audio performance in consumer electronics devices has been sacrificed in a drive and more »

• 

  Real Simple Daily Tip

• 50+ Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts

  1 Feb 2012 | 9:59 am

  For unique ideas for your husband to sweet treats for the kids, find surprising ideas for everyone in our gift roundup.

• 

  Cyburbia | Urban Planning Community

• Check this out....very cool.

  Super Amputee Cat

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:36 pm

  Thought I'd share this: http://www.onemorelevel.com/game/sca..._universe_2012

• Security certificate errors?

  Mud Princess

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:08 pm

  All day today I have been getting the following error message whenever I visit Cyburbia: "To help protect your security, Internet Explorer has blocked this website from displaying content with security certificate errors. Click here for options..." Is anyone else seeing this? I haven't changed any of my browser settings.

• Girl Scout Cookies

  Whose Yur Planner

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:00 am

  Well placed my order yesterday. Now have to wait a month for tag-a-longs and samoas to get here. So have you place your order and if you did, what are you getting?

• The Valentine's Day Dilemma

  Cardinal

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:41 am

  Last night the little woman asked "Where are you taking me for Valentine's Day?" So much for my idea of staying home and just giving her a card. I suggested Golden Corral, thinking it would be a romantic choice on account of that chocolate fountain thing-y what they got. This did not appeal to her. I then suggested the Old Country Buffet, since they also got themselves a big spread. This was not a pleasing suggestion either. She grew up in California and I know she likes Breakfast Jacks, but we ain't got any of them Jacks in the Box 'round these parts. This leaves me without any…

• Form-based codes Form based code training

  dandy_warhol

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:50 am

  Has anyone participated in any of the 2 or 3 days workshops geared at developing and adopting form based code? I've found training opportunities with Placemakers or the Form Based Code Institute. Any experiences with training from either of these entities? Any other trainings or workshops out there?

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  Archinect - News

• Architects Propose “Bibs” To Shield NYC From Global Warming’s Floods

  Archinect

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:15 pm

  Global warming will make New York spectacularly vulnerable to flooding. Some researchers even suggest that in 200 years, Manhattan could look like Venice. Does that mean 8 million people oughta start packing their bags? Of course not. But experts agree the city should do something. Enter Tingwei Xu and Xie Zhang. The U Penn students think New York can protect itself the way a guy cracking lobster protects his tie: by strapping on a bib.

• Bounce Back from Job Search Dejection

  Archinect

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:12 pm

  There is randomness in job searches. Not every step will be successful. It's easier said than done, but here are three ways to build resilience: Prepare in a first-class way. Prepare and execute a sensible plan. Develop a winning personal value proposition, and execute it with energy. Your plan may not have worked yet, but confidence comes from doing what you know is right. The only way you can deserve to fail is if you don't prepare. Detach. Maintain a healthy distance from the result. Do everything you can to initiate contact or prepare for interviews, but don't get overly committed. You'll…

• Call for Submissions: (Non-)Essential Knowledge for (New) Architecture, 306090 15

  Archinect

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:11 pm

  What is essential knowledge for architecture? This frequently posed question targets fundamental principles of design, those basic criteria and priorities through which disciplinary stability is ensured. Yet, insofar as relevance is a core value of architecture, in both theory and practice, the contingent nature of the future guarantees that some forms of knowledge not presently considered essential will eventually become indispensable.

• Air-Cleansing Nylon Star Wins MoMA PS 1 Courtyard Competition

  Archinect

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:18 pm

  New York-based HWKN has been selected for this year’s MoMA/PS 1 Young Architects Program. Their proposal, called “Wendy,” uses standard scaffolding to create a visually arresting object that straddles the three outdoor rooms of the PS 1 courtyard. Tensioned fabric coated in smog-eating paint provides shelter and programming areas including a stage, shower, and misters.

• LEBBEUS WOODS: WHY I BECAME AN ARCHITECT—Part 2

  Archinect

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:54 pm

  The marriage of light and geometry does indeed find its consummation in architecture, but for me it did not come about so easily. At age eighteen I entered a fine school of engineering, then transferred to a fine school of architecture, finishing there when I was twenty-four. After ten or so years of working in corporate offices, learning what it meant to build—and leading a rather turbulent life—I went out on my own. Lebbeus Woods shares part 2 of his personal story describing why he became an architect.

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  Building Design - All News

• AEW defends its museum design

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:56 am

  Architect says contractors to blame for faults at National Museum of Liverpool

• Jamie Fobert wins Tate St Ives – again

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:40 am

  Amanda Levete, DSDHA, Feilden Clegg, 6a and Tony Fretton are beaten by original winner

• RIBA launches China trade trip for small UK practices

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:30 am

  Aim of mission is to introduce UK firms to potential clients and help them understand the opportunities in the region

• KPF's Abu Dhabi airport terminal cleared for take-off

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:30 am

  £4.4 billion midfield terminal will cater for 50 million passengers

• Olympic International Quarter architects named

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:20 am

  BDP and Gensler among firms designing £1.3 billion commercial district

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  ARCHITECTURE NEWS - Google News

• Conexant Launches New High-Performance Digital Audio Processor with Integrated ... - EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:53 pm

  Conexant Launches New High-Performance Digital Audio Processor with Integrated EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)The CX20805 is based on the Conexant Audio Processing Engine (CAPE) architecture, which lays the foundation for the company's future audio chip innovations. Historically, audio performance in consumer electronics devices has been sacrificed in a drive and more »

• Mercury Computer Systems Announces Industry's Highest Performing Power ... - EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:52 pm

  Mercury Computer Systems Announces Industry's Highest Performing Power EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)The HCD6210 compute blade provides a sixfold increase in processing capability while maintaining software library compatibility” For the past decade, Mercury has delivered Power Architecture/AltiVec-based products combined with the industry's highest and more »

• Charles R. Stinson Recognized as Master Modern Architect - EON: Enhanced Online News (press release)

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:52 pm

  Charles R. Stinson Recognized as Master Modern ArchitectEON: Enhanced Online News (press release)MINNEAPOLIS--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--The modern architecture of internationally-renowned architect Charles R. Stinson, AIA, and his team are featured in a newly released book 21 st Century Homes: Innovative Designs by North America's Leading and more »

• Silver Peak and Storage-IT Solutions to Sponsor directIT Chicago 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:07 pm

  Silver Peak and Storage-IT Solutions to Sponsor directIT Chicago 2012San Francisco Chronicle (press release)CIOsynergy announces Silver Peak an award winner for their Virtual Acceleration Open Architecture (VXOA) and Storage-IT Solutions; a company that exceeds their customer's data needs ranging from: Backup and Recovery, Storage Networking, Storage Systems and more »

• China's Demolition Derby Turns History Into Rubble - NPR

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:57 pm

  China's Demolition Derby Turns History Into RubbleNPRThe pile of rubble was once the home of the man known as the father of modern Chinese architecture, Liang Sicheng. The Orwellian reason for its demolition? "For maintenance," according to a Xinhua news agency report, citing the developer, Old and new architecture being demolished in ChinaThe Daily Titanall 15 news articles »

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  Architecture News

• Proponent says Red Line Rail plan will be revised

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:49 pm

  During a public meeting on Wednesday, one of the main writers of the Red Line Regional business plan repeatedly stressed to local officials that they have to follow the plan's full process -- including addressing concerns if the rail is ever going to become a reality.

• The Citrus Census: Stand up and count your Meyer lemon trees

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:40 pm

  Last week's blog post got a nice response from people excited to bring in their citrus in exchange for dessert or oysters at Waterbar.

• Work Wear: Office Style at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:20 pm

  Today's slideshow features architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP , which occupies two light-filled floors at 14 Wall Street in lower Manhattan.

• Residents unhappy with proposed plans for Jacobs Creek bridge in Hopewell Township

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:01 am

  Project manager Michael Troncone of Parsons Brinckerhoff explains their proposal to build a new bridge, replacing the historic Jacobs Creek bridge during testimony in Trenton, NJ, December 15, 2011.

• Red tape vow to drive mining boom

  7 Feb 2012 | 1:54 am

  PRIVATE sector investors will be given quick passage through red tape but no financial assistance to get the mining boom going as soon as possible, the State Government has promised.

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  Architectural Digest - The Latest

• On the Market: March 2012

  Samuel Cochran

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  (Slide show) Extraordinary homes for sale around the world

• Ali Wentworth and George Stephanopoulos's New York Apartment by Michael S. Smith

  Ali Wentworth

  6 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  The comedian recounts how she and her journalist husband relocated their family to New York in a flash—aided by their close friend and favorite designer

• Louise Bourgeois's Graphic Art Goes on Display

  Samuel Cochran

  5 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  Germany's Hamburger Kunsthalle mounts an exhibition of the artist's provocative work

• Diane von Furstenberg's Fashionable Manhattan Penthouse

  Rob Haskell

  5 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  The architects of WORKac build the designer and philanthropist an unconventional live/work space next to the High Line—the city oasis she helped create

• Loro Piana's New Manhattan Boutique

  Anne Monoky

  5 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  The fashion and interior-design powerhouse opens an elegant flagship to showcase the firm's ready-to-wear collections and home furnishings

• 

  INHABITAT

• French Cyclists Win the Right to Run Red Traffic Lights

  Charley Cameron

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 pm

  While the vast majority of cyclists must adhere the same traffic laws as all other vehicles, and in some cases absurd bike-specific laws, bicycle activists in France have successfully campaigned for the right to run red lights. The new laws, presently in a trial phase at 15 intersections in Eastern Paris, will permit cyclists to continue straight through or turn right on red lights when the road is clear of pedestrians and oncoming traffic. Read the rest of French Cyclists Win the Right to Run Red Traffic Lights Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Bike Paths, bike sharing,…

• Volkswagen’s Think Blue Beetle is Made From 2,805 Pieces of Recycled Trash!

  Charley Cameron

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:45 pm

  Read the rest of Volkswagen’s Think Blue Beetle is Made From 2,805 Pieces of Recycled Trash! Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Art, beetle, green materials, green transportation, Haribaabu Natesaan, Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai, recycled art, recycled art materials, Recycled Materials, salvaged materials, scrap, Think Blue, Think Blue Campaign, Think Blue Clean Up, volkswagen, Volkswagen Beetle

• BIG Brings the Love to Times Square With a 10-Foot Tall Pulsing LED Heart Sculpture

  Jessica Dailey

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:43 pm

  Times Square pulses with energy no matter when you’re there, but for the month of February, the center of New York City will be glowing a brilliant pink thanks to a 10-foot tall LED heart sculpture by the Bjarke Ingels Group. Unveiled on February 6, the heart hovers within a cube made of 400 glass rods, and it beats brighter and stronger as more visitors touch the activation pad. More people brings more love and more light, making the sculpture directly relate to the crowds surrounding it. Hit the jump to see more photos! READ MORE > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags:…

• Colors Tokyo’s Earth Blocks are an Eco-friendly LEGO Alternative

  Charley Cameron

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:41 pm

  LEGO blocks are one of the most enduringly popular toys around. With endless possibilities for reinvention, they challenge minds and cultivate creativity. But as much as we love these colorful little blocks, we have to say that it wouldn’t hurt if they were also a little more eco-friendly. But here comes a sustainable take on the classic block from Japanese firm Colors Tokyo. Fashioned from environmentally friendly materials, the company’s Earth Blocks are an exciting prospect for educating kids on green building. Read the rest of Colors Tokyo’s Earth Blocks are an…

• South Africa’s First Hemp House Goes Greener With a Planted Roof (VIDEO)

  Tafline Laylin

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:39 pm

  Read the rest of South Africa’s First Hemp House Goes Greener With a Planted Roof (VIDEO) Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: 2014 world design capital, Cape Town, carbon sink, eco design, Green Building, green roof, hemp, hempcrete, noordhoek, planted roof, rainwater runoff, South Africa, Sustainable Building, sustainable design, the hemp house, tony burden

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  Planetizen - Urban Planning, Design and Development Network

• New DC Zoning Code Goes Back to the Future

  Jonathan Nettler

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pm

  David Alpert provides a thorough analysis of the first third of Washington D.C.'s proposed new zoning code, and finds a return to kind of development patterns that formed the neighborhoods residents treasure today. read more

• Using the Wrong Metrics for Creating Great Streets

  Jonathan Nettler

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pm

  Gary Toth considers the damage to the quality of our streets and urban environments caused by the use of travel projection models and Levels of Service (LOS) as performance metrics. read more

• Effort to Make NYC Streets Safer Paying Dividends

  Jonathan Nettler

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pm

  Jane E. Brody reports on the safety features New York City has instituted as part of an ambitious effort to completely re-engineer city streets. read more

• House and Senate Transportation Bills on a Collision Course

  Jonathan Nettler

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:00 am

  As the bi-partisan Senate transportation bill cues up for its first vote on Thursday and the partisan House bill gets roughed up in committee, the prospects for reconciling the bills seems dim. read more

• Using Adaptive Reuse to Scale the Urban Future

  crwolfelaw

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  Chuck Wolfe uses the urban scale adaptive reuse of the Roman Emperor Diocletian's retirement palace in Split, Croatia to argue for blending the past and future on a broader scale. read more

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  Jetson Green

• Aktiv Prefab by Ideabox and IKEA Portland

  Preston

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:25 am

  In addition to the Minibox, Oregon-based Ideabox is readying a new prefab in collaboration with IKEA Portland for the Portland Home & Garden Show slotted for February 22-26, 2012. Called “Aktiv,” the home is a new design centered around IKEA products, such as their kitchens, lights, furniture, and other materials. The intent is a cost effective home with great open spaces, soaring vaulted ceilings, and clean modern lines. The exterior features a combination of fiber-cement siding, corrugated metal, and a standing-seam metal roof.  The interior will have a Kohler Persuade…

• The New American Home at IBS 2012

  Preston

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:46 pm

  This is The New American Home — a project built every year in conjunction with the NAHB’s International Builders’ Show — in Orlando, Florida.  The 4,000 square-foot home collected eight green building certifications, including LEED Platinum and NAHB Emerald, and is expected to consume 52% less energy than a standard home of similar size.  Plus, a 4.0 kW solar array provides about 18% of annual energy needs. For the record, TNAH received or qualified for NAHB Emerald, LEED-H Platinum, Energy Star, Indoor airPlus, Florida Green Building Coalition Platinum, Florida…

• Reclaimed Art with Old Doors and Lath

  Preston

  6 Feb 2012 | 10:54 pm

  Reader Randall Otulakowski walks around town in Toronto scavenging for gems thrown away by others in the community.  He then takes that stuff to his 747 square-foot home and forms it into furniture and art — like the lath pieces here.  Randall told me in an email he’s been getting good feedback on his reclaimed art made with hollow core doors and a lath patchwork.  I think the feedback is right on; these are rich and full of statement. If you like what Randall’s making, check out 747 Square Feet. Credits: Randall Otulakowski. Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:FSC…

• WaterSense Bath Rehab on HouseLogic

  Preston

  6 Feb 2012 | 8:00 am

  Today, part three in a water-wise bathroom project that I’m blogging is live on HouseLogic.  If you’re just catching up, I have an old 1958 bathroom that I’m remodeling while incorporating new WaterSense fixtures.  The whole process is shared and documented in partnership with HouseLogic; plus, with each article each week, HouseLogic is offering commenters a chance to win $100 (check their rules). In part three, I talk about installing the toilet, vanity, sink, and lighting fixture, and I also share some tips for shopping online for new materials.  Needless to say, I had…

• Energy Data at the Click of a Green Button

  William

  6 Feb 2012 | 5:30 am

  The Green Button initiative, which gives customers access to their energy consumption data, is gathering steam as three California utilities announced in January they are offering the standardized energy use data to more than 10 million customers.  The initial announcement by San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and Pacific Gas & Electric was followed by Glendale Power and Water, and Pepco Holdings, Inc., which said it will provide the streamlined data by summer of 2012 as it continues to deploy smart meters in its service area. Green Button is a voluntary program…

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  Design feed

• Quote of the Day: Michael Kimmelman on the Value of Architecture

  Lloyd Alter

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:44 pm

  The New York TImes Critic Looks at Penn Station and Calls it Every Name In the Book.

• Kaleidoscope Trashcan Creates Colorful Visuals From Trash

  Kimberley Mok

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:15 pm

  A prototype for a bin that would reward users with various visual patterns.

• Clever, Cool Rainforest Office Is a Natural Wind Tunnel

  Alex Davies

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pm

  A proposed office uses "climatic architecture" to cool the building by making it into a natural wind tunnel.

• Architects Renovate a Tiny House and Keep It Tiny, Modern and Classic

  Lloyd Alter

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:52 am

  Usually when someone starts with 600 square feet they make it bigger; Atelier Drome shows how you use what you have and make it better.

• The Centre For Green Cities At Evergreen Brickworks Demonstrates How To Work With industrial Relics, Graffiti and All

  Lloyd Alter

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:03 am

  The office building, going for LEED Platinum, is built on top of a brick factory from another era. It rises to the challenge.

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  WebUrbanist

• Lifebook: Single Device that Combines Every Gadget

  Delana

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  [ By Delana in Architecture & Design & Gadgets & Geek Art & Technology & Futurism. ] One of the marks of our modern culture is the proliferation of gadgets most of us carry around. From digital cameras to cell phones to tablet computers to laptops to MP3 players, we have our hands full just trying to keep track of all of them. This excellent concept could go a long way toward streamlining our technology while still keeping us as connected as always. (all images via: YankoDesign) One of the problems with having too many different pieces of technology is the fact that…

• Trash Can Art? 28 Garbage Cans That Belong In A Gallery

  Marc

  7 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  [ By Marc in Gadgets & Geek Art & Graffiti & Drawing & Guerilla Action & Art. ] Dump that dirty old trash can into an even larger one, because it’s time to upgrade! Artists are not content to sit on their hands while the world turns into garbage. Their response? Turn the garbage cans into art. (Images via thenewecologist, happytiler, egotvonline, foodbeast) Garbage can modification covers a huge range; from dumpster vehicles to art gallery domes with ecological motives. The real lesson is that nothing in this world has to be boring, not even one of the most mundane…

• 18 Award-Winning Tree Houses, Hotels & Schools

  Steph

  6 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  [ By Steph in Architecture & Design & Travel & Places. ] Luxurious and eco-friendly, Blue Forest‘s imaginative and playful tree houses, lodges and educational facilities seem to be designed to bring out every adult’s wide-eyed inner child. Blue Forest has designed many incredible structures that celebrate the warmth, coziness and sustainability of wood, honoring the material itself and of course, its source. Check out these 18 eye-catching, envy-inducing buildings made by the UK-based company. Amberley Castle Blue Forest’s best-known treehouse is located on the…

• Power Houses: Toronto Hydro’s Camouflaged Substations

  Steve

  5 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  [ By Steve in Architecture & Design & History & Factoids & Urbanism. ] Hiding in plain sight to provide energy and light! That’s not Toronto Hydro’s motto but it could be – for the better part of a century, the Canadian utility’s policy was to design hundreds of electrical substations so that they would “blend in” with their surrounding neighborhoods. Though many have been decommissioned, many more remain. Edwardian Electrical Edifices (image via: John FitzGerald) Toronto Hydro was established in 1911, the year in which electrical power from the massive…

• Sea Food: 14 Floating Restaurants Around the World

  Steph

  3 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  [ By Steph in Architecture & Design & Travel & Places. ] From massive illuminated Chinese restaurants to cute little BBQ tables for ten, these 14 floating restaurants make smart use of available space and turn the dining experience into something of an adventure on the sea. Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Hong Kong (images via: wikimedia commons) One of Hong Kong’s biggest attractions, the Jumbo Kingdom Floating Restaurant sites within the city’s Aberdeen Harbour and has hosted the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and John Wayne. Though it began as a relatively humble floating…

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  Art Deco Buildings

• Edificio Caxias, Copacabana

  David Thompson

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:40 am

  I was lucky to get a quick look inside the foyer of Edificio Caxias when I was wondering around Copacabana.See my prints and t-shirts at www.redbubble.com/people/dct66 and tees and other giftware at www.zazzle.com/davidt66*.

• Water Trough, Yenda

  David Thompson

  6 Feb 2012 | 1:17 am

  It is perhaps fitting that Yenda, a small town in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA), has a concrete water trough just off the central park area. The inscription readsDonated byAnnis & George BillsAustralia~~~ UPDATE ~~~Robin Grow has provided a link explaining who Annis & George Bills were. In part it reads ...George Bills died 14 Dec 1927 and his wife, Annis died on the 20 Jun 1910. After providing some personal bequests, his will directed the income from the residue of his estate to be used to provide troughs for horses, and for the purpose of preventing cruelty, and…

• Dreamland, Margate

  David Thompson

  4 Feb 2012 | 6:11 pm

  The Dreamland cinema was opened on 22 March 1935. It was designed by architects, J R Leathart, W R Granger and J B Iles.It survived as a single auditorium cinema until 1973 when the balcony was converted into twin cinemas and the stalls area converted into a bingo hall.My photo dates from 2001 when the cinemas and bingo hall were still open. Both cinemas and the bingo closed in 2007. References:Art Deco Super-Cinemas of Margate, Margate Museum Fact Sheet No. 5Lost Bingo Halls - Dreamland Bingo Margate, Playing Bingo UK websiteSee my prints and t-shirts at www.redbubble.com/people/dct66 and…

• Old Toronto Stock Exchange

  David Thompson

  2 Feb 2012 | 6:38 pm

  Here are some cropped photos of Charles Comfort's frieze on the façade of the old Toronto Stock Exchange building (Samuel Maw, 1937). It is now used as the Design Exchange but whoever decided to put the ornamental lamp posts right in front of the frieze perhaps should go back to design school.Reference:Art Deco Architecture in Toronto, by Tim MorawetzSee my prints and t-shirts at www.redbubble.com/people/dct66 and tees and other giftware at www.zazzle.com/davidt66*.

• From New York to Fish Creek Exhibition

  David Thompson

  1 Feb 2012 | 2:42 am

  I received a call from the West Gippsland Arts Centre on Monday afternoon saying that they had had a cancellation and could I hang my From New York to Fish Creek exhibition any earlier ... like this week!'Of course', I said. What an opportunity!So after two very busy days (and nights) I now have an exhibition. The captions aren't done yet but they'll be up as soon as I can get them done.I'm pleased with how it looks so far and I had quite a few interested viewers and favourable comments as the frames went up.From New York to Fish CreekWest Gippsland Arts Centre, WarragulOpen Weekdays 9am -…

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  Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter

• How To Create a Beautiful Lamp Shade From a Log [Video]

  Lavinia

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:03 am

  Soren Berger creates lovely lampshades from common wood materials, by “simply” mastering the art of wood threading. For today, we would like to present a video that will surely appeal to all of you out there interesting in handcrafted furniture elements. The video is simple and well made, unraveling the whole process of creating a beautiful object out of a common log. Soren Berger does not want to keep the fabrication process to himself. He answers the need of anyone interesting in this type of furniture creation, by making his wood threading jig available for sale. The Threading…

• Minimalist, Monochromatic Home in Girona, Spain: Casa Pocafarina

  Lavinia

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:27 pm

  Hidalgo Hartmann Arquitectura completed a minimalist family home located in Girona, Spain and entitled Casa Pocafarina. The project turns to seek the views and avoid contact with neighboring buildings while accompanying the curving street which borders the plot. The four volumes were therefore built in order to provide different perspectives on the surrounding landscape.According to the architects, the bottom floor hosts the garage and entrance porch, while the upper level accommodates a central, open plan living space and the bedrooms. The interior design is contemporary and minimalist,…

• Have a Tumblr account? Follow Freshome on Tumblr!

  Mihai

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:11 am

  Tumblr has really taking off as a great go-to platform that allows users to easily share their content online and we decided to finally open a Tumblr account for Freshome. So if you have a Tumblr account and love Freshome : Follow us on Tumblr. You're reading Have a Tumblr account? Follow Freshome on Tumblr! originally posted on Freshome. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Freshome on Twitter, Facebook and Google+

• Revamped Lakefront Residence Defined by Unique Details

  Ada Teicu

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:58 am

  Transforming a 1960′s split-level building into a fascinating contemporary residence resulted in a beautiful combination of old flare and new sophistication. Moore Architects managed to create a stunning collection of spaces gathered in a home named Lakefront Residence. As described by the architects, this home is organized according to the owner’s needs while taking into account the existing building: “Saving the bones of the front to back split-level, the architects sought to use this basic organization to an advantage: exploiting the street side / water side split personality…

• Picturesque Getaway on Mustique Private Island: Yemanja Resort

  Lavinia

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:36 am

  Ready for some holiday vibes? The soothing Yemanja resort is nestled high on a beautiful hill, overlooking the Macaroni Beach on Mustique island, in St Vincent and the Grenadines. It consists of a main villa, a three-bedroom cottage and bunk houses for children.  According to the official resort description, the main 5 bedroom residence is filled with an eclectic collection of Brazilian and African artworks and charming ethnic pieces which contribute to the authenticity of its design. The building revolves around a Mexican “palapa”, with an alluring palm fringe and a lovely…

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  New Urbanism Blog

• What Traffic Engineering and Retail Analysis have in common (or My rules are better than your rules)

  Kevin Klinkenberg

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:19 am

  Rules are made to be broken, but it’s also true they are good to live by.  The good ones can keep us from some of our worst impulses. For example, a good rule of thumb is don’t ever ask someone out on a date by text message. If you care enough to do it, the least you can do is pick up the phone and call.The flip side is that rules can also keep us unnecessarily bound to something artificial and without relevance. We establish rules for ourselves in one context, and then universally apply it to all areas of our life, keeping us locked into a very limited view of the world.I’m…

• Why are we so fat?

  Kevin Klinkenberg

  14 Jan 2012 | 10:35 am

  Today’s quick interlude comes from an info graphic at fastcodesign.com. The info and piece focuses mostly on how much money (as a percentage of income) that Americans spend on food relative to other countries. For me, the more interesting information is a comparison of the average caloric intake of Americans vs other countries. You see, we really don’t eat that many more calories on average than Italians, Germans, or others. And yet, we are far more obese.I’ve no doubt that food quality plays a small role in this, as some of the piece argues. But the real truth is quite…

• Resolutions for America – 2012 edition

  Kevin Klinkenberg

  11 Jan 2012 | 10:24 am

  New Year’s resolutions are an annual tradition of mine. Sometime within about 24 hours of January 1st, I like to make that extensive list of my goals for the year ahead, even if the world will be coming to an end this year. I know someone could say this is a silly or arbitrary measure, but I think it’s important to find time to reflect on myself, and ask, “how can I do better?” Or, “what else can I do with my life?” And, since we don’t accomplish what we don’t measure, I generally try to add some level of measurable accountability to these annual goals.When we make such…

• How to Destroy Your City, in 3 Easy Steps

  Kevin Klinkenberg

  21 Nov 2011 | 7:57 am

  EXT: A NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER STOREA lively setting: people walking, talking. Store owners chat with customers on the sidewalk.EXT: A NEIGHBORHOOD CORNER STORE20 years later, same location. A lonely street: buildings boarded up or turned into low-rent uses. Few people seen walking around. Generally dismal.It’s a common theme or scene in so many movies. (The movie Back to the Future comes to mind for me) The old neighborhood, once thriving and lively, is now a virtual ghost town. We’re left to think this simply is how life is. The sands of time turn what was once something good into something…

• Saturday interlude: Incubator Retail in Japan

  Kevin Klinkenberg

  12 Nov 2011 | 2:25 pm

  A quick interlude between college football games:Today’s Wall Street Journal has a front page article describing one man’s efforts at rebuilding in Japan, following the tsunami earlier this year.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203707504577007550569072874.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLETopStoriesWhat struck me more than anything were the images of his temporary store. See below:           Now, this isn’t the first time someone has used cargo containers for architecture. In fact, it’s quite the rage these days.

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  Dornob

• Unboring Advertising: Ikea’s Surprisingly Stylish Catalog Art

  Delana

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pm

  [ Filed under More & in the Installation Art category ] If you are lucky enough to live within shopping distance of an Ikea, you probably wait anxiously for every new catalog. The Swedish brand takes as much care with the layouts in their wish books as they do with the modern designs of their products. These Ikea catalog shots from photographer Carl Kleiner are almost more art than product photography. As one of the company’s previous slogans said, this is “unböring.” After carefully arranging the sets of dinnerware and kitchen accessories on tabletops, Kleiner…

• Cozy French Cave Home Carved From Centuries-Old Quarry

  Delana

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:00 am

  [ Filed under Green Homes & in the Architecture category ] There aren’t many people who can say their homes have been 100 million years in the making. Retired teacher Henri Grevellec makes his home in an idyllic, previously-abandoned limestone quarry in the Saumur region of France. The limestone deposit, created more than 100 million years ago, was once quarried extensively for rock used to build homes in France and England. Hundreds of years ago, quarry workers decided to make their homes in the caves created by their digging, called troglodytes. When Grevellec purchased the land…

• Modified Cutting Board Facilitates Mess-Free Food Transfer

  dornob

  7 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pm

  [ Filed under Kitchenware & in the Furnishings category ] One of the messiest parts of cooking, depending on the dish, can be the slicing and gathering of raw ingredients for making salads or adding selectively to a pan. While the curved sides of normal cutting boards are handy in many ways, they can make it a pain to move food from one surface to another – plus, depending on how much stuff you have cut, you may lose a lot when trying to tilt the board. Hence the obviously-titled Transfer by DesignSpray, a German group that simply sliced a plate-shaped half-circle from the top of a…

• 150 Square Feet: Modern, Modest & Cozy Finnish Cottage

  dornob

  7 Feb 2012 | 8:00 am

  [ Filed under Prefab & in the Architecture category ] More like a living room than a home away from home, this Finnish cottage was designed to supplement and provide relief from the everyday living space of a family living a few miles away in Helsinki. The result is a little relaxing, sitting or sleeping, area with a bit of lofted storage for the inevitable stuff you want to get out of your way and a kitchen area for light cooking (convertible to a homework area for the kids) – no need for a shower, though, with home close at hand. The entire structure is set up off the ground and…

• Force Feeding: Seesaw Table Only Seats Dinners for Two

  dornob

  6 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pm

  [ Filed under Tables & Stands & in the Furniture category ] Want to eat alone? Well, too bad – this is not designed to let you do that. If there is a line in design between facilitating and forcing users, well, this certainly crosses it. Created by dutch design student Marleen Jansen, there is just no getting around dual dining – if someone stands up to leave, the other person has to as well … or drops to the ground if they fail to follow. Perhaps, like the original seesaws for children, there is a lesson in all of this about being polite, but etiquette aside, it…

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  AsktheBuilder.com

• Framing Nail Gun

  6 Feb 2012 | 8:42 am

  Framing nail guns can make your job go faster, but treat the nail gun with respect. Impulse nailguns are easier to use then the nail guns that require air compressors. You will need to determine which framing nail gun is proper for your projects.

• Radiant Floor Heat Plates Video

  31 Jan 2012 | 8:44 am

  Tim Carter discusses new radiant floor heating technology - Transfer Plates.

• Change Order Process Video

  30 Jan 2012 | 12:20 pm

  Tim Carter discusses the change order process and why they should be avoided.

• Repair Concrete Foundation

  30 Jan 2012 | 10:20 am

  A crack in a concrete foundation can be a sign of serious structural issues, problems with the soil, or just a minor concrete crack. Hiring an structural engineer could actually save you money in the long run.

• Thaw Ground Video

  30 Jan 2012 | 9:56 am

  Tim Carter shows a portable giant ground heater designed to thaw ground or keep concrete warm after it's poured.

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  Bathroom Remodel DIY Tips and Ideas

• Feb 8, How do you repair sub flooring and rotted walls around shower/tub

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:48 am

  How do you repair sub flooring and rotted walls around shower/tub? Our Answer: Rotten wood in a bathroom sub-floor can be a nasty situation, and the

• Feb 8, Bathroom Ceiling Replacement

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:40 am

  I need to replace a ceiling in the bathroom -- how do i do it? It has old 12x12 ceiling tiles that are falling down. Do I need special drywall? Our answer:

• Dec 28, Bathroom Space Savers: Artisan Space Saver

  28 Dec 2011 | 5:06 am

  Artisan Space Saver People are now becoming practical that luxuries and even some necessities like clothing must be compromised. But it is true that for

• Oct 21, When is the bathroom lighting addressed?

  21 Oct 2011 | 9:58 am

  When starting a bathroom remodel - When is the bathroom lighting addressed? At the beginning of the project, or at the end? I know the bathroom needs

• Oct 16, Bathroom Design Ideas Coffee Walnut Motif

  16 Oct 2011 | 7:32 am

  Bathroom Design Ideas Coffee Walnut design and decor tips

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  Old House Web Blog

• Why annual pest inspections matter

  Shannon

  2 Feb 2012 | 1:09 pm

  For many years I lived in a historic home in Tennessee. Built in 1901, the home had a good share of problems, just as any house that has stood for over a century will. I knew I lived a charmed life in that house, but I didn’t realize just how fortunate I was until the first annual inspection of my 1950’s Georgia rambler. Termites? Check. Carpenter ants? You bet. Powderpost beetles? Sure. (At this point, why not?) I was completely puzzled by the fact that all of these infestations had rained down on my house over the past year. After all, both home inspections–the one that…

• The housing market: is 2012 the rebound year?

  Conrad

  31 Jan 2012 | 3:27 pm

  I have written posts discussing my annual housing market predictions for the past two years. Unfortunately, they were pretty much spot-on. I felt that as long as high unemployment existed and many of the people lucky enough to have a job were worried about cutbacks, home sales would continue to languish. Of course, all the foreclosures hitting the market and dropping home values didn’t help much either. But what about 2012, are there any indications that this may be the year of the housing market rebound? The answer is a resounding maybe, but probably not. On the bright side —…

• Preservation Smackdown: Reuse Old vs. Build New

  Matt Grocoff

  31 Jan 2012 | 12:04 pm

  A report produced by the Preservation Green Lab of the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides a comprehensive analysis of the potential environmental benefit of building reuse. This groundbreaking study in a punny way says “don’t break new ground.”  It offers compelling evidence of the benefits of retrofitting old buildings to be more energy efficient rather than tearing down and building new.  The Greenest Building: Quantifying the Environmental Value of Building Reuse, concludes that it can take between 10 and 80 years for a new, energy-efficient building to…

• Salvage tips for restoring your old house

  Shannon

  26 Jan 2012 | 1:43 pm

  Searching for the ideal wood flooring, windows or simple accents for your old home can lead you to many interesting places. There are the antique stores where old molding is stacked in a dusty corner. There’s the auction house where you can find that perfect door–at a staggering price, perhaps, but perfect nonetheless. There is the warehouse or junkyard where it appears whole houses were taken apart and then left out in the elements until someone came along to find that perfect replacement window, door hardware or intricate wrought-iron railing. A salvage shop. Image credit:…

• Purple? Pink? Yellow? Painting your old house

  Shannon

  19 Jan 2012 | 10:21 am

  You’ve polished those old hardwood floors, painstakingly restored the original windows and scoured antique shops for the perfect furnishings. Your old house might be as historically accurate as you can make it on the inside, but what about the outside? When it’s time to upgrade the exterior of a historic home, many homeowners will go with vinyl siding colors and styles that are meant to mimic the look of old clapboard. Manufacturers can do a fine job of making their vinyl siding look as though it belongs in a historic district, and in many cases even historic commissions are…

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  Home Addition

• Spring Deck Check

  TheBuilder

  28 Jan 2012 | 5:14 am

  Keep your Deck Looking Like New by Checking it out Every Spring and Maintaining it as NecessaryBy Mark J. DonovanWhen the weather begins to get a bit milder in early spring make sure to do a deck check. The best time to do deck check is just before you decide to pull out the grill for the warmer months. The winter months can be tough on a deck between the snow, ice and extreme cold temperatures. Snow left on the deck all winter can eat away at the deck stain or sealer and can potentially cause deck rot issues. If the deck surface looks grey or there is peeling exhibited, plan to seal or stain…

• 2012 Housing Market Poised to Be Anemic

  TheBuilder

  12 Jan 2012 | 4:10 pm

  By Mark J. DonovanThe latest new home construction forecasts coming out for 2012 suggest that it won’t be much better than 2011, even with 30 year fixed mortgages sub 4%. With unemployment still at very high levels, wages stagnant for those who are working, and banks still tight in lending money, it’s understandable that the future home construction market looks flat. One report suggested one of the few bright spots will be the New York City area. Not surprising, since that’s where much of the country’s wealth resides.The only positive news out of the forecasts is the fact that there…

• New Years Eve is a Time for Reflection and Hope

  TheBuilder

  30 Dec 2011 | 4:34 pm

  A Message of Optimism for 2012By Mark J. DonovanMy daughter commented this morning that New Years Eve is anticlimactic and that she doesn’t really understand what all the fuss and excitement is about. Though I can understand her point of view to some extent, as I’ve watched the ball drop in Time Square every year from the comfort of my sofa for as long as I can remember, I explained to her that New Years Eve represents a time of reflection and hope. That it’s a time when we think about all that was and wasn’t accomplished in the past year, and what we dream to accomplish in the year…

• Installed a New Pull Chain Light Fixture

  TheBuilder

  30 Dec 2011 | 10:58 am

  Spent Yesterday Morning Replacing an Old Pull Chain Light FixtureBy Mark J. DonovanWith time off this week I’ve been making a few minor home repairs around the house. Yesterday morning’s project was installing a new pull chain light fixture in the basement. The light switch pull cord had snapped off at the base of the light fixture and there was virtually no way to reattach it. Consequently I found myself running off to the local home improvement center to find a replacement. The store had plastic ones for around $1 and porcelain ones for around $4. I went with the porcelain pull chain…

• A Reflection from a Fishbowl View of Tokyo Japan

  TheBuilder

  11 Dec 2011 | 12:46 am

  By Mark J. DonovanAs I spend this weekend whiling away the time looking out the 14th floor window of my hotel room in Tokyo, Japan, I can’t help but marvel and reflect at the sea of concrete and people as far as the eye can see. There’s a feeling of loneliness in me as I look out at such a sea of humanity. I’m not sure quite why. I’m sure some of the reason is I simply miss my family. But I also think it’s due heavily in part to how insignificant I realize each one of us is in relationship to the Earth and as a species as a whole. Looking down at street level I see waves of people…

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  Home Improvement Blog

• The Benefits Of Wooden Vertical Blinds In The Home

  Susan

  6 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am

  by Jack Oldham It’s possible to change the overall feel of a room and make it more appealing to visitors without performing a complete overhaul. The best way to achieve this is by carefully choosing accessories and furnishings that have a real impact on the atmosphere, whilst still making it a comfortable place in which to reside. Whilst many people believe bold changes are required to accomplish this, there are a number of more subtle ways you can make this sort of difference. One of the most neglected areas when it comes to home improvement is the window treatments in a home. Many people…

• A Whole-House Humidification System Offers Benefits Portable Units Don’t

  Susan

  2 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am

  by Arpi’s If you’re looking for a way to alleviate the dry winter air in your Calgary home, a humidification system can help. There are two types to choose from: a whole-house humidification system and a portable unit — and each one has its advantages and disadvantages. Dry winter air can be problematic. It can cause sinus and respiratory problems; it can also damage wood products in your home, like floors. Both whole-house and portable systems will send moisture into the air, and help to remedy dry air conditions. Adding moisture to the air can also help you with energy savings,…

• HOW TO CLEAN CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS

  Susan

  1 Feb 2012 | 11:07 am

  by Lights On It is very often that the visitors of our store, while admiring the beautiful play of colors on our crystal chandeliers, ask – how do you clean crystal? Many think that cleaning a crystal chandelier is at least a very tedious task. Let us assure you – that is a myth. In reality, if you clean the chandelier the right way, then you will not need to spend much time on it at all and the process will seem easy. It is just as easy to clean any regular lamp as it is a crystal one, but the effect of cleaning a crystal chandelier is much more noticeable. The surfaces of a regular…

• Creating Extra Space with Garden Sheds

  Susan

  31 Jan 2012 | 5:58 am

  by Nicola Winters During a time of financial hardship, homeowners can experience a real struggle in getting the most out of their property. With house prices falling, many families are forced to stay put and sit out the property slump. One piece of advice that investors and interior designers have suggested is utilizing the existing house, rather than hunting for a bigger one and losing money already invested. There has been a significant increase in investment of home extensions to create extra space whilst increasing the value of the property. The problem with extensions is the sheer cost.

• Lower Your Budget Requirements With These Energy-Saving Tips

  Susan

  27 Jan 2012 | 11:00 am

  by Arpi’s Are you in need of some effective energy-saving tips? To stay comfortable through a Southern Alberta winter, with its harsh winds and frigid temperatures, homeowners have to use their heating systems a lot. And while higher energy bills are a reality for homeowners in our region, you can control heating costs, at least to some degree, by incorporating the energy-saving measures below throughout your home. § Set your home temperature lower. According to the government of Alberta, each degree you setback your thermostat will translate into a 2 percent savings on your utility…

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  The Kitchen Designer

• Electrolux Kitchen Appliances - Design Competition

  Susan Serra, CKD

  7 Feb 2012 | 6:58 pm

  I had the privilege of being among an impressive group of design professionals serving as one of the judges for the Electrolux kitchen design competition, "The Kitchen Reimagined." We met in New York City in November at the offices of Interior Design magazine.  Coming from different design disciplines, with me being the only kitchen design specialist, we dissected each submission from the global group of competition finalists. Passionate dialogue, active listening in appreciation of all views of the design professionals in attendance and some open second guessing in search of verifying…

• La Cornue - Kitchen Le Magnifique

  Susan Serra, CKD

  26 Jan 2012 | 4:26 pm

  I had the pleasure some weeks back of dining in New York City with Xavier Dupuy, president of La Cornue, my colleague and friend, Leslie Clagett from the blog KBCulture and a couple of PR people, always useful to fill in the blanks for a brand. I very much enjoyed this type of intimate setting. I love up close and personal meetings with manufacturers. It helps me "get" the culture of the company which always trickles down to my understanding the quality of the product and the type of people who actually manufacture the product.  Mr. Dupuy spent a fair amount of time talking about his…

• Kohler

  Susan Serra, CKD

  21 Jan 2012 | 11:37 am

  And here is the last, and I hope you'll agree, the best post of the series on my trip to Kohler's headquarters at Kohler, Wisconsin. The trip was a visual feast! It was also an actual feast throughout the weekend since my trip was centered around the Kohler Food and Wine Experience - a weekend event (among many all year 'round) that I highly recommend which takes place in October of each year.  The piece de resistance of Kohler Village, to me, is the Kohler Design Center. A three level building of beautiful products and room vignettes in beautiful settings surrounded by fabulous…

• Kohler Design Center - Kitchen & Bath Plumbing Products, Furniture, Tile

  Susan Serra, CKD

  11 Jan 2012 | 9:26 am

  The best part of my trip to Kohler's headquarters in Kohler, Wisconsin a couple of months back at the invitation of Kohler, was to visit the Kohler Design Center (how could I have said that without four "Kohler's" in the sentence??) A beautiful brick building in which all of Kohlers brands are showcased, it is a place that will take a design aficianado hours and hours to go through. There is something for everyone. First, there were selections from Kohler's furniture brands such as Baker and McGuire... There was a display of stunning Ann Sacks tile and down the road, a tile store with the…

• Kohler Food and Wine Experience & The American Club Resort

  Susan Serra, CKD

  8 Jan 2012 | 4:19 pm

  My weekend at Kohler, Wisconsin, at Kohler's gracious invitation, included attendance at a tempting array of food and wine related events of my choice. As I said in my previous post, I would go back to the Kohler Food and Wine Experience in a heartbeat. The vibe was fun, stimulating, insightful...and quite tasty. From beginning to end, all of my experiences, every one, were sincerely, and very solidly, positive. But first, a bit about the historic American Club Resort. (this season's winter image below) A Forbes Five-Star Resort Hotel and AAA Five Diamond Resort Hotel, the American Club…

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  About.com Home Repair

• How to Install a Wall Shelf

  5 Feb 2012 | 3:53 pm

  We're often hanging things from our walls like pictures and posters, but a heavy object such as a wall shelf requires special installation techniques.  Wall shelves are popular and versatile and are used to support books, art, clothing  and many other items....Read Full Post

• How to Use Wall Anchors

  2 Feb 2012 | 9:36 am

  The Wall Anchor. I'm not writing about the type shown in the photo. I mean wall anchors you need when fastening things to the wall in your home. These include types such as molly, toggle, shield, self tapping....Read Full Post

• Water Heater Troubleshooting and Repair

  27 Jan 2012 | 6:47 am

  The water heater is an amazingly reliable appliance and one you rely upon every day. It really has very few parts that can go wrong and most are easy to repair. Of course knowing the various water heater's components and their names are essential so reviewing the Anatomy of a Water Heater is a good starting point....Read Full Post

• The Incandescent Lighting Ban

  24 Jan 2012 | 1:32 pm

  The ban on the 100 watt incandescent bulb is now in effect. As of January 1, 2012 the law says you cannot manufacture or import into the United States any General Service Incandescent Lamp that is above 72 watts having a light output of 1490 - 2600 lumens and a minimum service life of 1,000 hours....Read Full Post

• How to Prevent & Remove Ice Dams

  20 Jan 2012 | 5:13 pm

  The winter snow storms are starting up a little late this year but soon icicles will be everywhere. Although icicles may look attractive hanging from eaves of homes they signal a more ominous condition known as an ice dam....Read Full Post

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  Rambling Renovators

• White & Bright

  Jen @ RamblingRenovators

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:30 am

  I love this time of year... the days are getting longer and the sun is brighter. Just what I need. Let the sun shine in. (For the curious, the door was a special order from Central Fairbank Lumber and the decal was a custom  design by Elephannie.)

• On Parenting: Odds & Ends

  Jen @ RamblingRenovators

  7 Feb 2012 | 8:15 am

  I was visiting over at Brooklyn Limestone yesterday to participate in Stefanie's Conquered Closet series. Head on over to see what "little" cluttered space we conquered. *** Have you heard of Bella Child magazine? Its an online magazine published quarterly focusing on children's fashion and design and is a guide for style conscious parents. The fine folks at the magazine came upon our nursery and included it in their premiere issue! Have a read (article starts on page 74) and find out my top three tips for designing nurseries. *** Over the past week, Chloe has quickly progressed from drawing…

• A Wheelie Cute Valentine

  Jen @ RamblingRenovators

  5 Feb 2012 | 5:00 pm

  Valentine's Day is almost here and I wanted to make a fun Valentine for Chloe to give to her daycare friends. I thought the cards I made last year were really cute, but I felt kinda guilty giving chocolate to the little ones. So this year, I'm going candy-free. I bought these super-cute notebook looking paper bags at Creative Bag a few weeks ago and I already had the red and white bakery twine. Perfect for a school related craft. But what to put in them? Browsing through the Dollar Store, I found these little toy cars - 5 for $1, can't go wrong with that.  I came up with this little card…

• BlogTalk: Networking

  Jen @ RamblingRenovators

  3 Feb 2012 | 4:00 am

  Hi friends! Its Friday so that must mean its the first installment of my new series, BlogTalk. Why BlogTalk? With Alt and BlogPodium, I learned there is so much I don't know about blogging. Blogger vs. Wordpress, monetization, developing a brand... if you're like me, you've probably learned about these topics (and more) through your own trial and error, through word of mouth, and discussion with other bloggers. There is no central repository to find out "how to be a blogger" - and if there is, could someone please direct me to it :) I thought with BlogTalk we could share what we do know and…

• Style At Home Feature No.2

  Jen @ RamblingRenovators

  2 Feb 2012 | 8:16 am

  The fine folks at Style At Home really made full use of the photos they took at our house! Last month's issue featured the house tour and this month's issue (March 2012) features our home office in a roundup of four different workspaces: The office looks so cheery and bright - and not the cluttered mess it usually is ;) If you've hopped over here from reading the article, welcome! You can see more about some of the office projects like the corkboard, the painted chairs, and the organization solutions.  As I flipped through the magazine, another little surprise awaited me in the Letters…

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  This Old House: How-To And Repair

• How to Install a Ceiling Fan

  12 Jul 2012 | 6:00 am

  A step-by-step guide to putting in a versatile and stylish fixture

• How to Lay a Cork Floor

  5 Jul 2012 | 6:00 am

  An eco-friendly floor that's also easy on the feet

• How to Install a Front-Entry Flagpole

  28 Jun 2012 | 6:00 am

  Hanging the Stars and Stripes will give your house a nice seasonal touch of classic Americana. Here's how

• How to Paint a Room

  21 Jun 2012 | 6:00 am

  Give your interior a new personality in just one weekend

• How to Build an Outdoor Bar Cart

  14 Jun 2012 | 6:00 am

  Offer guests cocktails and brews by wheeling out this dedicated serving station

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  Interior Painting DIY

• How To Repair A Hole In The Wall

  5 Feb 2012 | 9:22 pm

  This article will show you just how to repair a hole in the wall in just three easy steps. Fixing a hole in the wall is a very easy repair to make that anyone can do. Once repaired there should be no evidence of damage to the wall. This article shall be split into 2 parts with the first part dealing with smaller holes and the second part dealing with larger holes. Each will have two different approaches in the way the repair needs to be made. Let's begin with smaller type holes. Part 1 Smaller Holes These holes will vary in size from a quarter size hole to 3 inches in height and width. Metal…

• Guest Post House Painting

  26 Jan 2012 | 10:13 pm

  Hello all my painting friends. What I am looking for are some great articles on your painting expertise.Exposure will be on the homepage. There was a Page Rank of 2 but I believe the home page is now a PR1 as well as some inside pages. Whatever your stories are it must pertain to any type of painting project, interior or exterior. The article must be 400 to 700 words in length and must be proof read.  Compensation will be considered once a guest writer has had 3 posts published. of course all posts that are published can have three links within the body of the post, These links must be…

• Paint Cost Calculator

  10 Jan 2012 | 1:38 pm

  Painting Cost CalculatorThis calculator can help in figuring out the cost for painting the interior of you home or the exterior of your home. This is a simplified calculator and only to get an estimated cost based on square footage. Material costs are not included within the total cost. You must get the square footage and then figure how many gallons and the brand of paint you want to use to get a material cost which then you can add to the labor cost that this paint calculator gives. If there are areas of the house that have corners that step in or step out just add the total length and…

• How To Paint Over Stain

  8 Jan 2012 | 4:11 pm

  Learning how to paint over stain is very simple. There are some steps that must be taken to ensure the stain does not bleed through the paint, but these steps are very simple. Once the stained wood has been painted there will be no hint that the wood had ever been stained. The following steps will show you exactly how to paint over stain and use the best product successfully for a beautiful long lasting finish that everyone will enjoy. How To Successfully Paint Over Stain Stain is made up of an oil base so when applied to wood there is oil products that are always on the wood that has soaked…

• How Much Does It Cost To Paint A House

  30 Dec 2011 | 6:13 pm

  How much does it cost to paint a house? This is a hot topic I have covered this in previous article but feel as the economy changes there is a need to cover this again. There are numerous factors involved in coming up with how much it cost to paint a house such as the condition and type of house and location. Aside from these factors there is interior painting and exterior painting are two different things. VIEW PAINT COST CALCULATOR HERE Cost to Paint The Exterior Of A House On average there is a quick formula which involves the square footage. Generally to get an idea you can take the…

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  Kitchen Remodeling Ideas Blog

• A Wine Refrigerator Is A Great Idea.

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:12 am

  A wine refrigerator is not only used to keep your wine at the perfect temperature but also for...

• Kitchen Appliances

  3 Feb 2012 | 4:17 am

  The latest in kitchen appliances, as well as the old standbys, can be a daunting choice. Find out what's available before you ...

• wine rack

  26 Jan 2012 | 9:21 am

  We are remodeling our kitchen and were told that wine racks are no longer popular. We have the room to put one in, but is it a good idea or just a trend?

• Hardibacker

  17 Jan 2012 | 1:16 pm

  Hardibacker is almost a neccesity when laying ceramic tile here are some tips to properly install ...

• Kitchen Countertop Ideas, So Many Choices

  16 Jan 2012 | 4:33 pm

  Granite, Soapstone, Tile? With so many choices it's important to get as many kitchen countertop ideas as possible, but where do you ...

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  GARDENING - Google News

• A gardening Valentine might appreciate chocolate _ the plant, that is - Washington Post

  Google Inc.

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:52 am

  A gardening Valentine might appreciate chocolate _ the plant, that isWashington PostStill, you might want to give the seeds as a gardening challenge, perhaps nestled in a gift box on some moist, real cotton. To sprout, the seeds need warmth and well-drained soil. Fresh seeds are available online at Montosgardens.com and and more »

• NORTH COAST GARDENING: Winter tool care - Times-Standard

  Google Inc.

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:11 am

  NORTH COAST GARDENING: Winter tool careTimes-StandardTake time now to inspect and maintain tools so that when spring gardening begins in earnest you will be ready to go. Clean, sharp tools make cutting and digging less arduous. Clippers and shears must be in top shape when pruning roses and fruit trees

• Gardening & More: Keep your amaryllis blooming year after year - Metrowny.com

  Google Inc.

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  Metrowny.comGardening & More: Keep your amaryllis blooming year after yearMetrowny.com“I've been using the same bulbs through the years,” said Doug O'Reilly, horticulturist and head gardener at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. He said he has to make sure he has amaryllis flowers - and lots of them - blooming every year for

• Master Gardener class to get under way - Morgan County Herald

  Google Inc.

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:10 am

  Care2.comMaster Gardener class to get under wayMorgan County HeraldThrough the Morgan County Extension office, The Ohio State University makes sure that everyone in our county has a chance to hone in on gardening skills. Not only that, but through the Extension's Master Gardener program, members will also make a Master Gardeners: Fertilizers and the Home GardenerSan Jose Mercury NewsA Few More Thoughts on Women Gardeners of a Certain AgeMinneapolis Star TribuneExtension offers online blueberry bush saleknox.VillageSoup.comCare2.comall 21 news articles »

• Master Gardener: New plant hardiness zone – will it change how we garden? - East Central Minnesota Post Review

  Google Inc.

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:31 am

  Master Gardener: New plant hardiness zone – will it change how we garden?East Central Minnesota Post ReviewSo what do these changes mean for us gardening in Minnesota ? Well, not very much. Unless you are part of the “snowbird” population which literally runs at top speed to the warmer southern climates right after Halloween and doesn't return until April, and more »

• 

  WashingtonGardener

• Video Wednesday: Ira Wallace on Squash Seed Saving

  WashingtonGardener

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:28 pm

  An excerpt from the Seed Saving From Squash and Peppers talk. Presented by Ira Wallace of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange at the Saturday, January 28, 2012, Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD.

• Seed Exchange Recollection

  WashingtonGardener

  7 Feb 2012 | 5:00 am

  Guest Post by Kristen MenichelliI just wanted to send you a quick email to say THANK YOU for once again hosting the seed exchange this year, and to tell you how much I value it. In my day job, I work for a children's theatre in production so I don't see the sun a lot. Gardening for me started 3 years ago when I moved from an apartment to a small rowhouse in N.E. D.C., and became quickly obsessed with growing anything edible in my (still urban) backyard. Of course, being in my early twenties, I also became quickly obsessed with learning everything about my new hobby from books, internet…

• National Ag Library Tour Invitation

  WashingtonGardener

  6 Feb 2012 | 7:30 am

  Washington Gardener Magazine is hosting a tour day of the National Agricultural Library in Beltsville, MD, for local garden clubs and select guests on Sunday, February 26 from 1-4pm. The National Agricultural Library is normally open to the public only during regular business hours, so this is a special opportunity for those who work full-time or those who are not in the DC area to travel to town for it. The tour will include a behind-the-scenes look at the library’s special collections. From actual specimens brought back by USDA explorers to vintage seed catalogs, this library is a…

• Seed Exchange VA Update: Yes, you CAN Register On-Site

  WashingtonGardener

  2 Feb 2012 | 1:19 pm

  We still have some spaces left, so you may register on-site at the Washington Gardener Magazine 2012 Seed Exchange on Saturday, February 4 12:30-4pm at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, VA.On-site registration opens at 12:00noon and is on first-come basis until we fill all the seats. The program begins promptly at 12:30pm. We recommend that you print out the registration form and fill it in and bring it along with a check made out to "Washington Gardener" in order to speed things up and keep the registration line moving quickly.For the registration form and event details go here. To read…

• Video Wednesday: Seed Starting Tips from Jon Traunfeld of UMD HGIC

  WashingtonGardener

  1 Feb 2012 | 4:14 pm

  An excerpt from the "Seed Starting Tips and Techniques for Hardening Transplants: Common challenges of starting from seed and how to overcome them" talk. Presented by Jon Traunfeld from the University of Maryland Extension Service at the Saturday, January 28, 2012, Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD.

• 

  Personal finance news - CNNMoney.com

• Fewer young adults hold jobs than ever before

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:33 am

  The share of young adults with jobs has hit its lowest level since the government started keeping records just after World War II.

• Bob Rodriguez: The best advice I ever got

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:24 am

  "In the fall of 1974 I was in graduate school at USC taking a portfolio-management investment course. The financial markets were in difficulty, and I didn't understand how securities were being sold at such depressed levels. I had only recently discovered Security Analysis by Graham and Dodd when we had a guest lecturer come in named Charlie Munger, who went on about this idea of value investing. After the class was over, I walked up to Charlie and asked him if there was one thing that I could do that would make me a better investment professional. His answer was, 'Read history, read history,…

• Yale B-school wants a piece of the spotlight

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:46 am

  (Poets&Quants) -- Ever since Yale University launched its School of Organization and Management in 1976, the place has been something of an unconventional business school. Its founders envisioned a school that would be small, communal, unorthodox, and steeped in theory and research, able to groom leaders for both business as well as the public and non-profit sectors. But the decision to avoid creating another me-too business school has had some unintended consequences. For years, SOM has unsuccessfully battled the misperception that it is merely a school for non-profit management, a haven for…

• Sal Khan: Building a better university

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:11 am

  FORTUNE -- Student debt is nearing a record $1 trillion in the U.S. Jobless law school grads are suing their alma maters for false advertising. Needless to say, the cost of higher education -- not to mention the return on the investment -- has become a sore spot for many.

• Adventure travel bargains

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:34 am

  Lots of Americans these days want something more from a vacation than vegging out on a beach, a mojito close at hand. Some 30% of respondents to a Travel-Ticker.com survey put adventure travel on their 2012 wish list, and spending in the category has been growing 17% a year, even as economic woes slowed leisure travel overall.

• 

  AllFinancialMatters

• Americans Are Back to Borrowing…

  JLP

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:14 am

  From today’s WSJ: Household borrowing through credit cards, car loans, student loans and other installment debt—which excludes mortgages—rose at a seasonally adjusted 9.3% annual rate in December, following a 9.9% rise in November, the Fed said Tuesday. That was the biggest two-month surge since late 2001, when auto makers rolled out zero-percent financing after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The title of the article is Auto and Student Loans Drive Borrowing Surge. Mr. [Troy] Davig said the latest data offer a glimmer of hope that the long process of household debt-reduction,…

• Insure.com’s List of the 20 Least and Most Expensive Cars to Insure

  JLP

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:30 am

  Car shopping? If so, Insure.com’s list of 20 least and most expensive cars to insure might be something you will want to read. Their list of the 20 least expensive cars to insure: 1. Toyota Sienna LE: $1,111 2. Toyota Sienna 4 cyl: $1,114 3. Jeep Patriot Sport: $1,116 4. Jeep Compass Sport: $1,118 5. GMC Sierra K1500 Regular Cab: $1,121 6. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab: $1,125 7. Dodge Grand Caravan SXT: $1,129 8. Ford Escape XLS: $1,137 9. Toyota Sienna 6 cyl: $1,139 10. Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab: $1,143 11. Dodge Journey SXT: $1,143 12. Honda Odyssey LX: $1,146 13.

• A Complete Streak History of the S&P

  JLP

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:00 am

  This is Part 2 of my last post. What follows is a complete streak history of the S&P going all the way back to 1926. What you will see is the month or months in the streak, the length of the streak and the total return during the streak. It’s pretty self-explanatory. The graphic after that is a summary. Click on the graphic to download PDF

• S&P Positive and Negative Streaks 1926 – 2011 (Part 1)

  JLP

  7 Feb 2012 | 8:01 am

  Through January 2012, there are 1,033 months of total returns for the S&P (January 1926 – January 2012). Here’s a look at how those months break down as far as streaks go. You’ll notice that there are a lot more one-month negative streaks than positive streaks. Looking at the data, I noticed that during longer streaks of positive returns, there might be a couple of one month periods of negative returns. It’s also interesting to note that the longest negative streak is 9 months (-32.78% over that 9 month period) and that it only occurred one time (January 1974…

• Ten for Tuesday, February 7, 2012

  Lindsay

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:00 am

  1. Best and Worst Things to Buy in February My fave: The iPad!   2. How to Have Anything You Want With No Regrets I like the reminder that we’re working so hard to have money to live our lives - not to feel guilty about every penny we spend.   3. 5 Things You Should Consider Renting or Borrowing I wouldn’t mind borrowing camping gear, but a casket…? Not too sure about that one.   4. How Much Should You Save Before Jumping Into Investing? This is a discussion we’re currently having in our family – the author made some interesting points.  …

• 

  American Consumer News

• Cheap Ways to Feed a Family of 4

  Debbie

  31 Jan 2012 | 1:06 pm

  Grocery bills are getting more costly every month. If you are trying to feed a family of 4 or more, it can quickly become a struggle to keep the fridge stocked and the family from bemoaning ‘pasta again?’. Here are some tips for keeping your family fed without breaking the bank: Preplan Your Menu If you can get into the habit of sitting down on a weekly or monthly basis to preplan your meals, you’ll likely find you can save a lot of cash starting right away. Your menu planning will not reduce the cost of groceries but will organize your grocery list so you can and do spend less.

• File Taxes by Deadline – Even If You Can’t Pay

  Debbie

  31 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am

  When the April income tax deadline arrives, you better be sure you have your documents and tax information filed on time and that means even if you can’t afford to pay the tax bill. For whatever reason you end up owing federal or state taxes, you have to file your income tax forms on time or your tax bill will only increase. Many Americans have to pay Uncle Sam but do not have the amount of cash it takes to eliminate the debt upfront. Some make the mistake of not filing taxes at all out of collection fears. The reality is no matter what your financial status is you must file on time. The…

• Change Your Life? Check Your Withholdings

  Debbie

  30 Jan 2012 | 12:06 pm

  Those that are employed for an extended period of time may forget to keep up with their human resource information, especially where their income is concerned. But any change in life circumstances may require a change on your withholdings documents. If you have gotten married, divorced, added dependents, or can no longer claim previous dependents, you should speak with a human resource or payroll representative at your job to ensure withholdings are correct. Consequences of Forgotten Withholdings Changes You may only realize your withholdings are incorrect at tax time when it is too late. On…

• What Might Trigger an IRS Tax Audit?

  Debbie

  30 Jan 2012 | 6:26 am

  It’s tax time again, and as you’re getting all of your documents together to prepare for filing, you’re probably hoping to get as many tax deductions.   In 2010, about 1.5 million people who filed the most common return on IRS Form 1040 were audited – only about 1.1% of tax filers.  On the other hand, if you earn more than $1 million during a tax year, you have a 12.5% increased chance of being audited. If you take more deductions than you’re eligible for; or trigger an IRS alert with one of the following red flags – you may find yourself dealing with an IRS tax audit. Here are…

• 5 Reasons You Should Pay Attention to Receipts

  Debbie

  30 Jan 2012 | 5:30 am

  For many consumers, receipts are just a nuisance that are quickly thrown away. But receipts play an important part in our personal financial life. It can be wise to get into the habit of storing receipts in a shoebox, basket or filing folder so you’ll have what you need for budgeting and tax purposes. Make it easy for yourself to collect the important data so you can incorporate saving receipts into your everyday life. Keep an envelope in the car so you have another location to keep your documentation. At tax time and when it comes to saving money, you will be glad you paid more attention.

• 

  Washington, D.C. Business News - Local Washington, D.C. News | The Washington Business Journal

• Wait, no, Groupon not profitable yet

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:48 pm

  Groupon Inc. fell short of profitability in the fourth quarter of 2011, defying Wall Street expectations that the daily deal company would post modest earnings in its first quarterly report since going public. But LivingSocial's chief competitor did see a big jump in sales, recording $506.5 million in revenue last quarter, up nearly 200 percent from the same period in 2010. That's not great news for LivingSocial. While still in the red, the Chicago-based company appears to be capturing a greater portion of the daily deals market since its November IPO...

• Md. judge approves Penn Camera deal

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:34 pm

  A federal bankruptcy court judge in Maryland approved the transfer Tuesday of three Penn Camera Exchange Inc. leases to Chicago’s Calumet Photographic Inc., above the objections of two Washington-area landlords that claim they won’t get paid under the terms of the deal. The ruling lets Calumet take over the leases Penn Camera held in Rockville, Tysons Corner and D.C. for $600,000, including $250,000 in cash and $350,000 due in six months, according to bankruptcy court records. Calumet has also agreed to assume up to $100,000 in gift card liabilities and will be able to reduce that…

• What Groupon earnings mean for LivingSocial

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:52 am

  Groupon is slated to release its fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday after the closing bell, its first such report as a publicly-traded company. The Chicago-based rival to LivingSocial is expected to turn a profit. For our purposes here, Groupon's Q4 financials will give us a fuller (though far from complete) picture of where the two competing companies stand in relation to each other. Analyst Jeffrey Houston of Chicago-based Barrington Research Associations Inc. expects Groupon to report earnings per share of 2 cents, partly the result of its transition from acquiring new subscribers to…

• David Robertson to resign from Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:45 am

  David Robertson, the executive director of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, will resign in January 2013, when his current employment contract expires. Robertson informed COG’s board of directors of his decision Wednesday, saying he plans to pursue a new career opportunity in Portland, Ore. Robertson did not elaborate on his future plans in a prepared statement. “For almost ten years I have had one of the best jobs in the National Capital Region,” Robertson said in a statement...

• Labor or business: Who in D.C. has the most political cash?

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:43 am

  A Washington-area union is sitting on a pile of political cash ahead of election season. The Annapolis-based Service Employees International Union, MD/DC State Council ended January with $183,413 cash on hand. The political action committee's closing balance more than doubles that of any other PAC registered with the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance. Of the 49 PACs that filed with the finance office for the six month period ending Jan. 31, fewer than 10 represent labor. The second largest union balance belongs to the Mid-Atlantic Political Action Committee, funded by a coalition of United Food…

• 

  Frozen Tropics

• Boundary Road Opens Monday

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:46 am

  I had meant to put up a post last week when I took these photos, but I got really busy. Now I'm hearing from multiple sources that Boundary Road (414 H Street NE) will be up and running Monday. I will try to add details from my notes soon. For now you can enjoy more photos and the full menu after the jump.APPETIZERSHand-Cut Old Bay Fries with curry mayo . . . $5Clams Casino—lightly pickled, bacon lardon . . . $9Rapini Salad—chilled rapini, pickled shallots, avocado oil,Firefly Farms goat cheese . . . $6Endive Salad—endives and iceberg with a creamy Stilton…

• Chinito's Burritos Opening Tomorrow

  7 Feb 2012 | 12:10 pm

  A reader reports a new restaurant called Chinito's Burritos is poised to open up at 635 Florida Ave (near the Florida Market and Gallaudet). The reader described a menu with $2 tacos and $3 burritos.UPDATETwitter user @Juxtaexposed reports that they will open tomorrow.UPDATEHere's the menu.

• Toki Underground Now Accepting Reservations

  6 Feb 2012 | 7:29 pm

  This could be your chance to snag that elusive table at Toki Underground (2nd floor 1234 H Street) and impress your date with your planning prowess. Toki has just begun accepting reservations, but you must reserve through the site City Eats.

• Sticky Rice Iron Chef Sushi Masters

  6 Feb 2012 | 7:06 pm

• WP: Uproar Over a Car Barn

  6 Feb 2012 | 7:03 pm

  Spingarn is that green icon north of Benning on the Google mapThe Washington Post blog The Root DC discusses the objections some residents are raising to the location of the proposed car barn that would house the streetcars. The proposed location is on the grounds of Spingarn

• 

  DCBlogs

• DC Blogs Noted

  RestaurantRefugee

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:34 pm

  This contributing editor did not begin compiling this DC Blogs Noted post with a romance theme in mind. But, well, unexplainable attraction, inconvenient feelings, substitute for chocolate, romance happens… even on the interwebs… Where the Girls Go offers an Omnivore’s Guide to Dating a Vegetarian. -the fooler initiative- describes her first love, first heartbreak, and first really important lessons learned. Not Yet a Girl, Not a Wino explains why she has a hard time hurting the feelings of the horrific dates who don’t deserve to have their feelings spared. Angry Jane Doe…

• DC Blogs Noted

  Mascara & Microchips

  7 Feb 2012 | 2:00 am

  Many of you have seen and come to love the work of Toddler Planet author Susan Niebur. She passed away Monday after a long struggle with cancer. Susan wrote about her experiences with cancer, from diagnosis, to entering hospice, and through out all of it, she remained strong, blogging with spirit and vigor. Her life was an inspiration. Condolences to the family from everyone here at DCBlogs. Washington D.C. Sketchbook shows appreciation for D.C. Police after a Super Bowl reveler gets out of hand. Whether you’re single, married, or dating, a free movie rental could brighten any…

• DC Blogs Noted

  dcblogs

  6 Feb 2012 | 2:00 am

  On her fourth anniversary of blogging, Hannah, just breathe … explains why writing is important in the post: It does matter. All of it. The closing of one of the Dupont Circle exits for an elevator replacement leads to a discovery for Bensozia. A photo preview of Z-Burger. Southwest. Ten things I love about Washington. Some of the most mentioned things, and a few that aren’t, including the motorcades. Journalitico. More lists: Things I’ve been loving in January. Love is Blonde. Would The “Avoid The Ghetto” App Even Work? City Desk. Not really. The advantages of having…

• DC Blogs Noted

  magnolia

  3 Feb 2012 | 2:00 am

  Ever wonder what it’s like to be a bike cop? Scoutmob features a rather… adventurous ride-along story with DC’s finest. I told y’all I like you, oh veggie/vegan friends and readers. As Meat Week winds down, here is DC Vegan’s listing of all the fun stuff y’all will have waiting for you as part of DC Meat-Free Week. Mmm. Veggies. After looking at today’s super-sized slew of pretty pictures of food, I am hoping against hope that Keep It Simple Foods invites me to this party in honor of the football game being played on Sunday. (I’m not even TRYING to…

• DC Blogs Noted

  dcblogs

  2 Feb 2012 | 2:00 am

  Evidence of my lack of intelligence. Abstract Citizen. Restaurant Refugee is a contributing editor here, but there’s no rule that says another editor can’t point out another editor’s post that he really liked. Dear Dreadlocked Woman Driving the Top-Down BMW* Yesterday. An Engineer in DC writes about Newt and the cost of space travel in the post: Moon Bases and Other Baloney. The great silverware debacle. Shall we go boating today? One must agree: Most Eyebrow-raising headline of the week. The Skeptical Bureaucrat.

• 

  DCist

• Go Home Already: Hello Moon

  Martin Austermuhle

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:30 pm

  In today's Go Home Already: Harvard takes on Cameroon, a Chicago-based camera retailer takes Penn Camera locations and yes, that rat summit is actually happening. [ more › ]

• TSA to Loosen the Rules for Flyers Willing to Overshare

  Benjamin R. Freed

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:20 pm

  The TSA is going to make going through airport security checkpoints a bit breezier, but only for flyers willing to be pre-screened, and then only those on certain flights on certain airlines. Yeah, airport security is still complicated. [ more › ]

• New Hampshire House Says No to D.C. Statehood

  Benjamin R. Freed

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:47 pm

  The New Hampshire House of Representatives today voted down a resolution that would have made the Granite State the first state to officially endorse the prospect of granting full statehood to the District of Columbia. [ more › ]

• Harry Thomas, Jr. Defaults on Money Owed to D.C.

  Martin Austermuhle

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:30 pm

  Disgraced former Ward 5 councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. stole over $350,000 from the District, and it doesn't look like the city will be getting that back anytime soon. [ more › ]

• School Bus Drivers Among Those Under Investigation for Unemployment Fraud

  Benjamin R. Freed

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pm

  District officials elaborated more on the allegations this week that as many as many as 150 current and former city employees allegedly drew unemployment insurance payments at the same time they earned their regular salaries. [ more › ]

• 

  Environmental News Network

• Slash-and-burn 'improves tropical forest biodiversity'

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:28 am

  Slash-and-burn agricultural practices, banned by governments because of the risk of uncontrolled fires, provide better growing conditions for valuable new trees than more modern methods of forest clearance, a study suggests.

• Rare Moroccan Argan Oil – Now Made In Israel

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:18 am

  Argan oil, rich in vitamin E and fatty acids, has become the sensation of the decade, sought after by chemists, dieticians, hair salons, chefs and cosmeticians. Until recently, it was a rare product grown only in the Atlas Mountains and traditionally made by Moroccan tribes, as the Argan tree could not grow outside of Morocco. Now, Israeli company Sivan is developing "Argan 100" – a super strain of Argan that is tolerant of the Mediterranean climate and can produce ten times more nuts than the average tree in Morocco, they say.

• Bahamas' Blue Holes harbor strange lifeforms

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:19 am

  Clues to how life evolved, not only on this planet but also possibly on alien worlds, might be found in underwater caves in the Bahamas, researchers say. The caves in question are called "blue holes," so-named because from the air, their entrances appear circular in shape, with different shades of blue water in and around them. There are estimated to be more than 1,000 such caves in the Bahamas, the greatest concentration of blue holes in the world.

• Rising ocean acidity worst for Caribbean and Pacific

  7 Feb 2012 | 12:35 pm

  The current trend of increasing ocean acidification, which threatens fisheries around the world, is driven mainly by man-made changes and is higher even than that seen at the end of the last ice age, some 11,000 year ago, a study has said. Much of the carbon released by human activity ends up in the oceans, increasing their acidity and reducing the growth of corals and molluscs, which in turn may affect fisheries and aquaculture.

• Dune Flows

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:00 am

  Sand dunes flow over the land subject to the winds like ocean waves or rivers. What makes them move? What makes them start or stop? In a study at the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, University of Pennsylvania researchers have uncovered a unifying mechanism to explain the beautiful dune patterns that occur. The findings may also hold implications for identifying when dune landscapes like those in Nebraska's Sand Hills may reach a tipping point under climate change, going from valuable grazing land to barren desert.

• 

  NYT > Environment

• Nuclear Commission Expected to Vote on New Reactors

  By MATTHEW L. WALD

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:50 am

  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not given a license to build since 1978, a year before the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania.

• In Struggling Tupper Lake, Resort Project Creates Rift

  By LISA W. FODERARO

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:38 pm

  A project in Tupper Lake, N.Y., was approved after a nearly decade-long tug of war between environmentalists and pro-development residents.

• Green Blog: Hatcheries vs. Wild Salmon

  By RACHEL NUWER

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:00 pm

  Salmon populations in California's Mokelumne watershed are on the rise, but it turns out that only 4 percent are of wild origins.

• Green Blog: Surplus Renewable Energy: An Update

  By MATTHEW L. WALD

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:05 pm

  From interregional sharing to the development of batteries, the energy secretary offers ideas for coping with a sudden oversupply of power to the grid.

• Green Blog: From 2 Satellites, the Big Picture on Ice Melt

  By JOANNA M. FOSTER

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:28 pm

  Researchers calculate that from 2003 to 2010, the world's glaciers and ice caps lost about 150 billion tons of ice each year.

• 

  GreenBiz.com Green and Sustainable Business News

• As Biotech Debate Rages on, More GMOs Get Planted

  Marc Gunther

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:46 pm

  Even as both sides continue to wage a battle around whether or not genetically modified organisms are good for the planet and its people, new data show that ever-larger swaths of land are being planted in biotech crops.

• Hertz Sets Off on 'Living Journey' for Global Sustainability

  Matthew Wheeland

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:19 am

  The car rental firm today unveiled a three-pronged platform for strategic growth and sustainability, focused on smart mobility, low-carbon transportation, and community-focused philanthropy.

• Grad Students Design an 'EcoFridge' That Uses 40% Less Energy

  Leslie Guevarra

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:30 am

  Grads students from UC Berkeley teamed with counterparts in Mexico to design an affordable, energy efficient household refrigerator that also helps curb wasteful habits when using the appliance.  

• Autodesk Cuts Data Center Energy Use 60%, Saves $7M

  Leslie Guevarra

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:45 am

  The design software giant talked up the results of its aggressive work to consolidate servers, as well as a new version of its cloud-enabled Green Building Studio web service and a success story from its Clean Tech Partnership Program in its latest Sustainability Summit.

• How Do Two Sustainability Departments Become One?

  Ellen Weinreb

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:45 am

  When Molson Coors and SABMiller created the MillerCoors joint venture, one unexpected challenges was how to coordinate two busy sustainability programs, and at the same time bring them to the next level.

• 

  Buildings & Facilities

• Greenpeace's Cool IT Leaderboard, Version 5: Feb. 2012

  GreenBiz Staff

  7 Feb 2012 | 2:03 pm

  The latest edition of the ranking of IT companies' efforts to reduce their own energy use and advocate for clean energy policies finds Google and Cisco in the top spots.

• Greenpeace Puts Google, Cisco, Fujitsu at Top of Green IT Rankings

  Matthew Wheeland

  7 Feb 2012 | 1:03 pm

  The fifth version of the advocacy group's Cool IT Leaderboard ranks global computing giants on their efforts to embrace renewable energy as well as push for global clean energy policies.

• What Companies Can Learn From Cities on Climate Change

  Ann Goodman

  7 Feb 2012 | 4:45 am

  Cynthia Rosenzweig, a world-renowned urban climate change expert, explains what businesses and cities can do to help each other prepare for the threats posed by the warming planet.

• How Can Business Leaders Accept the Challenges of the New Energy Era?

  Ned Harvey

  6 Feb 2012 | 4:45 am

  A relatlively large number of business leaders are shifting their firms to be ready for the new energy economy, but important questions remain, including how to measure success and how to convince others to join in the quest.

• Using the Arts to Inspire a Sustainable Generation

  Chrissy Coughlin

  5 Feb 2012 | 2:00 am

  The co-founder of Artists for Humanity talks about training in the arts, and all it entails in terms of community, responsibility and hard work, helps to set them up as future leaders of a more sustainable world.

• 

  How can I recycle this?

• How can I reuse or recycle margarine tub lids/cream cheese tub lids?

  louisa

  3 Feb 2012 | 2:17 am

  Whitney has emailed us, asking about margarine tub lids: i’m trying to do my part and make sure that i recycle everything that i can, or at least find a way to reuse it. i recycle my #5 containers of cream cheese, margarine, etc, but have nothing to do with the lids, which even if they are also #5 they are not accepted in my recycling. any ideas of what i can do with them? typically i just put them under plant pots, but i can only have so many plants. and i thought about making coasters, but i don’t really use coasters, so i’m open to some new ideas! When we get this type of…

• Listed buildings & green issues: what are your thoughts?

  louisa

  2 Feb 2012 | 8:36 am

  (This isn’t strictly a recycling issue but I was thinking about it the other day and I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter!) A few miles down the road from me is a village called Saltaire. It is a Victorian model village founded by a local mill owner (Sir Titus Salt) so his employees had somewhere nice to live compared to the slums around mills in the rest of Bradford. It’s still a nice place to live – rows upon rows of well built Yorkshire-stone houses, with a lovely park, a very pretty church, lots of independent shops and the old mill, which is now home to an…

• How can I reuse/use up really, really old coffee beans?

  louisa

  1 Feb 2012 | 2:48 am

  I mentioned in passing on my simple/frugal living blog that we’re having our kitchen ceiling replastered at the moment. Ahead of the plasterer starting on Monday, we had to tidy off all the work surfaces and tops of cupboards – quite a challenge for hoarders like us with many, many culinary hobbies! Anyway, among our tidying, I found a couple of half-used bags of coffee beans in an old biscuit tin. My boyfriend John bought them from an expensive coffee bean shop but didn’t really like them – he couldn’t bring himself to throw them away though, better to keep them…

• How can I reuse or recycle plastic handicap car parking tags?

  louisa

  30 Jan 2012 | 5:57 am

  Ages and ages ago on the Suggest An Item page, Carolyn asked about reusing handicap parking tags – but I missed it until Raynor recently comment last week. Sorry – not sure how it slipped by me! Anyway, better late than never, Carolyn asked: Every two years my husband’s blue handicap tags for the vehicles expire. The county gives him new ones at no cost. What can we do with the expired tags, made of heavy but flexible plastic? They are about 3.5″ x 6.75″ plus another 2.5″ for the hook at the top. Raynor suggested cutting them into strips and using them as plant markers in…

• How can I reuse or recycle leftover chips?

  louisa

  25 Jan 2012 | 7:15 am

  Mari has emailed asking about leftover chips – as in English chips eaten hot, thick fries not potato chips/crisps – saying her family nearly always have “eyes bigger than their bellies” when they order fish’n'chips and end up with some leftovers: Good thick chips not just tiny hard scraps. It’s such a waste. Can anything be done with them? Obviously the first thing here is to reduce the amount she & her family buy in the first place – but I realise chip portions are a variable thing. I read about a study recently that found that portion sizes…

• 

  Consumer Reports News

• Builders' Show: Storm-resistant roofs top price as a priority

  Consumer Reports News

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pm

  Not long ago, you might not have pressed your roofer to assure you about the durability of the material being recommended unless you lived in an area prone to heavy storms. You could even go merely by what looked good and didn’t cost too much. What a difference a couple of years make. In an online survey of 1,005 homeowners conducted by Harris Interactive for polymer-roofing maker DaVinci Roofscapes and discussed at the 2012 International Builders’ Show, durability and longevity mattered significantly more to respondents than other factors. To residents of coastal states, this is…

• A low-priced vacuum is no bargain if it creates more work

  Consumer Reports News

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:00 am

  When you’re shopping for a vacuum you can pay as little as $50 or as much as $1,500 or more. But even a capable vacuum can bring some sacrifices at the low end of the price spectrum. A model may be light on features or unwieldy to use. So no matter where you end up buying one, you should go to the store first to push, pull, turn and lift the vacuums that you’re considering. Check out the controls and features and how easy or difficult it is to attach cleaning tools. Here are some drawbacks Consumer Reports found on a few lower-priced models in its recent vacuum cleaner tests. More…

• Builders' Show: Formica counters without that ugly black edge

  Consumer Reports News

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  Laminate countertops have gotten a lot better looking from the day-glo orange days of old, with subtle hues and patterns made to look like natural stone. But you still have to settle for the unsightly black line along the edge of the countertop, which gives away even the most convincing faux designs. Formica's IdealEdge, on display at the International Builders' Show, eliminates the black line by creating a virtually seamless decorative edge on all sides of the countertop. IdealEdge is available in two profiles—bullnose, which is curved at the top and bottom for a smooth molded look and…

• Builders' Show: A custom shower at off-the-shelf prices

  Consumer Reports News

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 am

  “Upgrade your shower from ordinary to extraordinary.” That’s the promise of the new HydroRail shower column launched at the International Builders’ Show by Kohler. It combines a rainhead showerhead with a handheld shower. HydroRail uses existing plumbing, so Kohler claims it can be installed by a do-it-yourselfer for less than $400. The column design also lets you reposition your showerheads, either higher or lower, to accommodate taller or shorter users. The handheld shower can even be positioned below head height, so you can shower without wetting your hair. Like…

• Builders' Show: Battic Door hatch promises energy savings

  Consumer Reports News

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:00 am

  Weatherizing the attic can slice your heating and cooling bills by as much as 30 percent, according to the Department of Energy. But to maximize the savings, you need to remember to insulate the attic hatch. Even a 1/4-inch gap around its perimeter can leak the same amount of air supplied by a typical heating duct. Here's where Battic Door Attic Stairs Insulator Cover, on display at the International Builders' Show this week, could lead to big energy and money savings. Produced by the Battic Door Energy Conservation Products of Mansfield, Massachusetts, the cover is supposedly the only one of…

• 

  Sustainablog

• Global Water Resources: Where We Get It & What We Do With It (Infographic)

  Jeff McIntire-Strasburg

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:43 am

  I’ve got the plumber coming over today for a small job, and it occurred to me that we’ll probably have to turn off the water supply for a short time. That always freaks me out a little, because I realize quickly how dependent we are on that water coming into the house… shoot, they shut down schools for the day if they water’s out. Now, imagine having it turned off for a week… or having your town or city’s water supply interrupted for that long. That’s really scary. And yet we still use the stuff as if it’ll never run out. Where do we get our…

• Hix Island House: Puerto Rico Eco Lodge Combines Style and Sustainability

  Guest Author

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:40 am

  The tourism department for Puerto Rico claims that the ex-military base for the US turned tourist destination Vieques offers visitors a eco-island experience. They may claim this status as a whole; however, we had to search pretty diligently to find anything authentically eco friendly. Our diligence paid off with a visit to the muy verde Hix Island House. Our timing couldn’t have been better as the hillside eco resort recently opened a new additional called Casa Solaris. We see many lodges called “eco lodges,” but Hix Island House offers a true and tranquil eco-villa experience.

• 5 Reasons We Should be Concerned about Fracking (Film)

  SnagFilms

  7 Feb 2012 | 8:55 am

  We all know that the affordability, efficiency, and sustainability of cleaner, greener energy will be a major challenge for this century. Some have called natural gas a better and cleaner energy source; yet, even if we set aside this hot air, the process of extracting the gas (called hydraulic fracturing or fracking) proves problematic for both environmentalists as well as those in proximity to the wells. This article will cover five major problems with fracking; it is based on two SnagFilms from the After the Goldrushseries (which are embedded below). 1. Water Pollution The fracking process…

• Practicing Mindfulness and Living Sustainably

  Guest Author

  6 Feb 2012 | 9:07 am

  Working to create a sustainable world hasn’t been easy. One reason for this is that people are highly capable of knowing something but acting as if they didn’t. It is epitomized by the attitude, “I know I should, but I don’t.” We know we should eat local, bike more, etc. etc., but so few of us actually live up to what we know. In Buddhism, there is a huge emphasis on the different between knowing something intellectually and having the kind of understanding that leads to insight and transformation. Once we have that insight, we are changed by it and there is no…

• Learn About Living Off The Grid as a Homesteading Intern

  ziggy

  6 Feb 2012 | 8:05 am

  Want to learn what it is really like living off the grid in a solar and wind-powered straw bale house? Want to try your hand at organic gardening and building a sauna with natural materials? This summer, you can have your chance at life off-grid at Gooseberry Farm in northeast Missouri, a family homestead demonstrating the modern low impact lifestyle! Gooseberry Farm of Red Earth Farms, a collective of off-the-grid homesteads in rural Missouri, is accepting intern requests for the 2012 season. This is a great opportunity for the budding homesteader to get his/her hands dirty in a functional…

• 

  All MNN Content

• Behold, the New American Home 2012

  Matt Hickman

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:18 pm

  Today, the National Association of Homebuilders’ annual hoedown, the International Builders’ Show, kicked off in Orlando and, with that, the doors were also opened to the event’s official show home, the New American Home 2012.   I haven’t been entirely fond of past New Ame

• The V-Spot: Lovey-dovey home design

  Matt Hickman

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:57 pm

  Screen-printed Organic Cotton Anatomically Correct Heart Flour Sack Towel by Oh, Little Rabbit @

• Ecollywood: Odds and ends

  Gerri Miller

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:28 pm

    Less than two weeks after she won her second consecutive SAG award for playing the scene-stealing Elka in "Hot in Cleveland," Betty White received another honor: a baby orangutan at the Los Angeles Zoo has been named Elka, and TV Land has made a 90th birthday donation in White's name to the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.

• Katharine McPhee wants to 'Smash' malaria

  Gerri Miller

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:28 pm

    Her "Smash" character has her sights set on winning the role of Marilyn Monroe in a Broadway musical, but off set Katharine McPhee has a more global goal: she's on a mission to end malaria-related deaths in Africa and has teamed up with Malaria No More in a "Dream Big"

• Is a student loan debt crisis brewing?

  Melissa Hincha-Ownby

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:26 pm

  When the housing bubble burst, the nation’s economy went into a tailspin. While we are still slowly recovering from the affects of the housing crisis, another financial crisis may be brewing.

• 

  Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit

• The Wall Street Journal and Climate Change Denial

  Gina-Marie Cheeseman

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 am

  A January 27 op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal contains the usual drivel about climate change denial. Signed by 16 scientists, the op-ed piece claims that a growing number of “scientific heretics” continues to grow every year. A cursory glance at the exact field of the 16 scientists is very telling. Only a couple [...]

• DuPont’s Six Ways to Achieve Zero Landfill Waste

  Bill Roth

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:09 am

  The following outlines six best practices that enabled DuPont's success in achieving zero landfill waste stream results

• Report: Solyndra had Limited Impact on VC Solar Investments

  Andrew Burger

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:07 am

  Oversupply, a precipitous price drop and high-profile bankruptcies notwithstanding, venture capital (VC) investments in the US solar sector set a record in 2011, with 182 different VC firms participating in 111 transactions. Conditions might well get worse before they get better, however, according to a Mercom Capital Group report.

• Monsanto Fails UCS Test for Sustainable Agriculture

  RP Siegel

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:07 am

  Monsanto likes to think of itself as a sustainable agriculture company. They proudly trumpet their commitment to improving crop yields in the face of an ever-increasing human population, which they put forth as the very essence of sustainability. In truth, they are pursuing a sustainable objective in an unsustainable fashion. UCS senior scientist Doug Gurian-Sherman claims that Monsanto, “is producing more engineered seeds and herbicide and improving its bottom line, but at the expense of conservation and long-term sustainability.”

• Electric Delivery Trucks Save Big Bucks

  Tina Casey

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:06 am

  The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has come out with a new study that shows the payback period for a new delivery-type electric truck is much shorter than previously thought.

• 

  Green Living

• Green Buildings Need Green Tenants

  azawadzka

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:36 am

  By Ashley Halligan Photo credit:  iStockphoto.com/sjlocke Environmental performance has, perhaps, become the biggest trend in building design and modification. read more

• Your Nose Knows When Your Home is Sick

  azawadzka

  27 Jan 2012 | 11:44 am

  Is your home causing you health problems? Article provided by YellowBlue Designs. Photo credit:  iStockphoto.com/Ekspansio Is your home causing you health problems? read more

• Health of our Water

  azawadzka

  27 Jan 2012 | 11:26 am

  Learn about the future of water with Waterlution Green Living editors Photo credit:  iStockphoto.com/bibikoff read more

• Events: February-March 2012

  GreenLiving

  27 Jan 2012 | 10:36 am

  read more

• PURE GREEN: Inspiration for living a stylish green lifestyle

  azawadzka

  27 Jan 2012 | 9:03 am

  By Celine MacKay Photo credit:  ©Pure Green Magazine, photographed by Ever Images What motivates you to live green? Is it your health, core values or current trends? read more

• 

  Go Green: DIYs, How-tos and Recipes - Editorial Staff Picks - SustainLane

• Recipe for Simple Rice Pudding

  SustainLane

  2 Feb 2012 | 12:45 pm

  You're a few minutes of stirring away from the ultimate rice pudding. No eggs, and no baking - just combine milk, a little sugar, and some short-grain rice for this simple, stovetop dessert. Active Time: 10 minutesTotal Time: 40 minutes (with some stirring)Ingredients1 quart milk (part-skim works very well)1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar1 fresh vanilla bean (or just half if it's very plump)3/4 cup short-grain white riceDirectionsCombine the milk and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot.Using a sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthwise, and use the dull side of the blade to scrape the seeds.Add the seeds…

• Why do some people never get depressed?

  SustainLane

  31 Jan 2012 | 10:47 am

  Confronted with some of life's upsetting experiences - marriage breakdown, unemployment, bereavement, failure of any kind - many people become depressed. But others don't. Why is this? by Geoff Watts, BBC World ServiceA person who goes through experiences like that and does not get depressed has a measure of what in the psychiatric trade is known as "resilience".According to Manchester University psychologist Dr Rebecca Elliott, we are all situated somewhere on a sliding scale."At one end you have people who are very vulnerable. In the face of quite low stress, or none at all,…

• Make Your Own Homemade Deodorant - Stop the Odor Naturally

  SustainLane

  15 Nov 2011 | 1:41 pm

  Very simple and affordable recipe for natural deodorant that really works! Stop the odor and eliminate toxins. Active Time: 15 min.Total Time: 30 min.Ingredients1. baking soda (anti-odor); 2. cornstarch (for dryness); 3. coconut oil (antibacterial); 4. a few drops of essential oil (for additional fragrance).DirectionsMix the baking soda with equal amount of cornstarch. If you have a very sensitive skin, adjust the proportions of baking soda to cornstarch as of 1:3.Add the coconut oil and mash it with a fork together with the baking soda and cornstarch. Use as much coconut oil as you achieve…

• 

  Transportation feed

• Female Cyclists Say They'd Give Up Sex Before Biking

  A.K. Streeter

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:05 pm

  A Bicycling Magazine survey of women cyclists showed them choosing to give up sex for a month rather than give up biking. So much for 'sexy' cycle chic.

• After 8 Years at Top of Green Car List, Honda Civic CNG Gets Bumped Down by Mitsubishi EV

  Michael Graham Richard

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:55 am

  The electric jellybean finally gets its moment in the spotlight, dethroning the long-reigning Civic CNG.

• France Grants Cyclists the Right to Run Red Lights

  Stephen Messenger

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:34 pm

  "It makes cycle traffic more fluid and avoids bunching up cyclists when the traffic lights go green for motorists," said municipal authorities.

• Congestion Charge Is Traffic-Cutting Magic in Milan

  A.K. Streeter

  7 Feb 2012 | 12:20 pm

  Stockholm and London are famous for congestion charging to keep cars out of central districts. Now Milan's heading that direction, with impressive results

• Nissan Gives Sneak Peak of 'Invitation' Concept Car

  Michael Graham Richard

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:52 am

  Ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, Nissan shows us what could become their next small car. Will it also have an electric or hybrid version?

• 

  WSJ.com: Commercial Real Estate

• Pyramid Cos.' Carousel Plan Rides Again

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:49 am

  Developer Robert Congel's drive to create one of the largest malls in the country, in Syracuse, N.Y., is back in gear after almost being upended by the economic downturn and a nasty court battle with Citigroup.

• It's Hardly a Ball for 11 Times Square

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:36 am

  The risks of speculative office building are obvious at the 11 Times Square skyscraper. More than a year after it opened, the 1.1 million square-foot building is about 60% empty and unleased.

• Cambodia's Developers Aim at Stars

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:38 am

  A high-rise building boom in Cambodia's capital city, Phnom Penh, derailed by the 2008-2009 financial crisis, is starting up again.

• GSA Picks Trump Plan for Project

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:13 am

  A proposal from Trump Hotel Collection and private-equity investor Colony Capital was selected by the General Services Administration to redevelop Washington's Old Post Office Building into a luxury hotel.

• Price-Rise Plateau

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:25 pm

  The Green Street Advisors Commercial Property Price Index remained unchanged in January as investors stayed cautious about the direction of the U.S. economy.

• 

  WSJ.com: Real Estate

• Mediterranean Style in Greenwich

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:21 pm

  Near downtown Greenwich, Conn., this waterfront home with a large interior patio was inspired by the owner's European upbringing. Floor-to-ceiling windows show off views of the Long Island Sound.

• Home Prices Pop in Hot Valley Turf

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:25 pm

  The current technology boom has rippled out into the housing markets in Silicon Valley's core towns, but the ripples aren't reaching much beyond that, as home values fell at the end of last year in a majority of the Bay Area.

• A Taste of Bali for Sale in Sebastopol

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:43 pm

  A Balinese-style home on 8.3 acres in Sebastopol is on the market for $3.6 million. Two llamas, two cashmere goats and a sheep, named Violet, are negotiable as part of the sale.

• Pyramid Cos.' Carousel Plan Rides Again

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:49 am

  Developer Robert Congel's drive to create one of the largest malls in the country, in Syracuse, N.Y., is back in gear after almost being upended by the economic downturn and a nasty court battle with Citigroup.

• It's Hardly a Ball for 11 Times Square

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:36 am

  The risks of speculative office building are obvious at the 11 Times Square skyscraper. More than a year after it opened, the 1.1 million square-foot building is about 60% empty and unleased.

• 

  NYT > Real Estate

• California Housing Market Braces for Facebook Millionaires

  By MICHAEL COOPER

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:30 pm

  The Bay Area and Silicon Valley expect the windfall from the Facebook stock offering to make their in-demand region even hotter.

• States Negotiate $26 Billion Deal for Homeowners

  By NELSON D. SCHWARTZ and SHAILA DEWAN

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:27 pm

  Nearly two million Americans could benefit from mortgage relief from the nation’s biggest banks, as part of a broad government settlement to be announced as early as Thursday.

• Push to Avert Foreclosures Hits Court Logjam

  By WILLIAM GLABERSON

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:27 pm

  Court hearings meant to protect New York homeowners from foreclosure are hopelessly slowed by endless paperwork and requests for additional information.

• On Location: Bob and Kim Zielinski Build an Untraditional House in Pittsburgh — On Location

  By JOYCE WADLER

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  The house, designed by the architect Eric Fisher, looms over the street like a big industrial arm.

• Shopping With Andrea Panico: Jewelry Boxes — Shopping With Andrea Panico

  By TIM McKEOUGH

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  A jewelry designer finds striking new objects for storage.

• 

  Commercial Real Estate Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Arundel's town centers may garner impact fee money

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:25 pm

  Anne Arundel County officials may give town center projects in Parole, Odenton and Glen Burnie priority status when it comes to distribution of county impact fee money. The money would help pay for transportation upgrades near the three projects. The County Council would have to pass legislation for the plan to proceed. Read more in the Annapolis Capital.

• Anne Arundel nixes Key School plans to expand

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:19 pm

  Anne Arundel County won't allow the Key School to build athletic fields on the Annpapolis Golf Course, saying it violates the county's open space laws. The Annapolis private school planned to build athletic fields on the property. It planned to buy the golf course and develop 40 acres for athletic facilities. Read more in the Annapolis Capital.

• Falls Road mill project wins $2.4M in state tax credits

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:40 pm

  Baltimore developer David Tufaro’s $40 million renovation of an old Falls Road mill won $2.4 million in tax credits through a highly sought-after state program aimed at revitalizing aging communities. Tufaro’s project is one of six projects selected to receive a total of $6.96 million in tax credits. Forty-five applicants sought the lucrative tax breaks, which have become harder to come since the recession. The six applications selected for the 2012 tax credit were based on a set of criteria, including those outlined by the U...

• Hillwood starts construction on Alliance apartments

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:23 pm

  Hillwood Multifamily, a subsidiary of Fort Worth-based Hillwood Properties, has begun construction on the second phase of Monterra Village, which is a 130-acre mixed-use community project at Alliance Town Center. The phase includes 262 units with one-, two- and three-bedroom upscale unit designs. It's the ideal time to bring additional apartments to the market, said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties. There's rapid population growth in north Fort Worth and a growing demand for apartments in the submarket with limited supply, he said...

• REATA adds UCR duo to its broker mix

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:17 pm

  Two of San Antonio’s leading real estate firms — REATA Real Estate Services and United Commercial Realty — are making some staff changes. REATA has announced that Michael Jersin and Warren Richardson have joined the firm. Jersin, who was previously president, chief operating officer and a partner at United Commercial Realty (UCR) San Antonio, joins REATA as a partner. Richardson, who was an associate with UCR, joins REATA as a senior associate. Meanwhile, Craig Garansuay, a principal and vice president at UCR, has been named acting president and executive managing director of the…

• 

  ICSC SmartBrief

• Wal-Mart plans to invest $750M in Canada to compete with Target

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:39 am

  Wal-Mart plans to spend $750 million in Canada to better compete with Target, when it starts opening its own stores in the co -More- 

• India's retailers opt for redeveloped space instead of existing centers

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:39 am

  Several mid-sized office and mixed-use buildings in Mumbai are being redeveloped into stand-alone retail centers.  -More- 

• $1.8B in single-borrower CRE bonds headed to market

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:39 am

  About $1.8 billion worth of single-borrower commercial real estate bonds will come to the market over the next few weeks.  -More- 

• Report: Asia's retail real estate stays strong

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:39 am

  Demand for retail real estate in Asian markets including Singapore, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur is likely to remain strong in  -More- 

• Amazon may test a brick-and-mortar store

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:39 am

  Amazon reportedly is considering a plan to open a branded brick-and-mortar store in its hometown of Seattle.  -More- 

• 

  msnbc.com: Real estate

• Players' clubs: The homes of the Grammy nominees

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:01 am

  The hottest acts in the music business earn their pay by living in the recording studio or on the road. But even pop stars need a place to call home every once and awhile. Here are some of theirs.

• Listing of the Week: The home Big Mac boxes built

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:17 am

  The Utah home former GOP presidential contender John Huntsman Jr.'s father built is on the block. This is no ski cabin. It's more like the whole chalet.

• Big foreclosure servicer indicted for 'robo-signing'

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:43 am

  In one of the first criminal prosecutions in the post-housing bust era, DocX has been indicted on forgery charges by a Missouri grand jury, The New York Times reports.

• Sponsored By:

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:43 am

• Mortgage relief: Partial solution better than none

  6 Feb 2012 | 11:24 am

  The architects of the joint state-federal mortgage releief plan believe it would be better for homeowners to get a partial deal than nothing at all, according to sources close to the talks.

• 

  Residential Real Estate Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Hillwood starts construction on Alliance apartments

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:23 pm

  Hillwood Multifamily, a subsidiary of Fort Worth-based Hillwood Properties, has begun construction on the second phase of Monterra Village, which is a 130-acre mixed-use community project at Alliance Town Center. The phase includes 262 units with one-, two- and three-bedroom upscale unit designs. It's the ideal time to bring additional apartments to the market, said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties. There's rapid population growth in north Fort Worth and a growing demand for apartments in the submarket with limited supply, he said...

• FNF reports lift in Q4 and yearly earnings

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:53 pm

  Fidelity National Financial Inc. reported a 32.1 percent increase in net income year over year in the fourth quarter and a 0.93 percent increase in net income for the year 2011 compared with 2010. FNF reported net income of $175.1 million, or 78 cents per diluted share, in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter of 2010, the company reported net income of $132.5 million, or 58 cents per diluted share, according to a public filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. For the year, FNF reported net income of $379...

• Maui housing market shows mixed results

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:35 pm

  The median price of a condominium on Maui rose 15 percent in January, but the price of a single-family home fell 18 percent, according to statistics from the Realtors Association of Maui. The median price of a Maui condo in January was $339,000, compared to $295,000 in January 2011. That was based on sales of 89 condo units, which was a 2 percent increase from 87 sales a year ago. The median price of a single-family home on Maui last month was $408,000, compared to $495,415 in January 2011. That was based on sales of 49 single-family homes, including one on Lanai, which was 9 percent fewer…

• MAAR summit hits on highs — and lows — of local commercial property markets

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pm

  The commercial real estate elite descended on Germantown Performing Arts Centre this morning for Memphis Area Association of Realtors’ 2012 Commercial Property Forecast Summit, which was punctuated with sector-by-sector outlooks by local experts — some bright, and some not so bright. Office space lacking tenants for smaller spaces Providing a perspective on the local office real estate market was Ron Kastner, senior vice president at CB Richard Ellis Memphis. Despite sustaining a decline in vacancy of just 1 percent in 2011 across all submarkets, Kastner reported the local office market…

• Mount Sinai sells Miami Heart Institute to Lionheart

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:23 pm

  Mount Sinai Medical Center has found a buyer for its Miami Heart Institute site: Miami-based Lionheart Capital. Lionheart on Wednesday announced the closing of the deal for the waterfront site, at 4701 N. Meridian Ave. in Miami Beach, although the deed had yet to be recorded in county records and the price was not disclosed. The nonprofit hospital bought the nearly 700,000-square-foot facility on 7.2 acres for $63 million in 2000. The buyer did not disclose its plans for the property, either. In 2010, Lionheart acquired the remaining condominium units at 2700 North Ocean in Singer Island and…

• 

  Bubble Meter

• S&P/Case-Shiller HPI down in November

  James

  31 Jan 2012 | 6:32 am

  The November numbers for the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index are out. The 20-city index is down 3.7% year-over-year and down 1.3% month-over-month:Home prices posted a steep, month-over-month drop in November, falling 1.3%, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city report. Prices fell in 19 of the 20 cities the index covers.Prices are down 3.7% from a year ago, and off 32.8% since they peaked in the summer of 2006. The index is currently only 0.6% above its March, 2011 low."Despite continued low interest rates and better real GDP growth in the fourth quarter, home prices…

• December housing starts down 4.1% month-over-month; up 8% year-over-year

  James

  19 Jan 2012 | 9:12 am

  Housing starts fell in December compared with November. (FYI, housing starts numbers are usually seasonally adjusted.) However, they are up about 8% year-over-year. Keep in mind that we've had abnormally good weather this winter, which is great for home building.It wasn’t exactly a banner December for the home-building industry.The nation’s builders started construction on 4.1% fewer homes compared with a month earlier. Construction decreased to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 657,000 in December, the Commerce Department said Thursday.But the news wasn’t all gloomy. The main reason…

• The clueless Fed

  James

  16 Jan 2012 | 3:06 am

  The release of Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting transcripts from 2006 show how little America's top economic minds understand how leveraged asset bubbles harm the economy:As the housing bubble entered its waning hours in 2006, top Federal Reserve officials marveled at the desperate antics of home builders seeking to lure buyers.The officials laughed about the cars that builders were offering as signing bonuses, and about efforts to make empty homes look occupied. They joked about one builder who said that inventory was “rising through the roof.”But the officials, meeting every…

• DC-area homes of the 2012 presidential candidates

  James

  13 Jan 2012 | 4:54 am

  A bunch of websites are posting photos of the 2012 presidential candidates' homes, probably sparked by this Zillow Blog post. Here are the homes the candidates have in the DC area:Newt Gingrich7410 Windy Hill Ct, McLean, VA 22102Value: $1,284,400Rick Santorum10607 Creamcup Ln, Great Falls, VA 22066Value: $1,305,100Jon Huntsman2121 Leroy Pl NW, Washington, DC 20008Value: $3,303,100Immediately prior to his purchase of the home, it was used as the residence for contenders on the Bravo reality TV show "Top Chef: Season 7".Barack Obama1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20500Value:…

• Zillow CEO on housing market

  James

  5 Jan 2012 | 1:01 am

• 

  Paper Economy - A US Real Estate Bubble Blog

• Reading Rates: MBA Application Survey – February 08 2012

  SoldAtTheTop

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:52 am

  The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) publishes the results of a weekly applications survey that covers roughly 50 percent of all residential mortgage originations and tracks the average interest rate for 30 year and 15 year fixed rate mortgages as well as the volume of both purchase and refinance applications.The purchase application index has been highlighted as a particularly important data series as it very broadly captures the demand side of residential real estate for both new and existing home purchases.The latest data is showing that the average rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage…

• Economic Jolt: Job Openings and Labor Turnover December 2011

  SoldAtTheTop

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:50 am

  Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released their latest monthly read of job availability and labor turnover (JOLT) showing that private non-farm job “openings” increased 8.79% since November climbing 20.36% above the level seen in December 2010 while private non-farm job “hires” declined 2.28% from November but rose 3.69% above the level seen in December 2010Job “layoffs and discharges” declined 4.74% from November falling 1.36% below the level seen last year while quitting activity declined 2.45% from November remaining 3.41% above the level seen in December 2010.It’s…

• On The Stamp: Food Stamp Participation November 2011

  SoldAtTheTop

  6 Feb 2012 | 8:23 am

  As a logical consequence of the prolonged economic downturn it appears that participation in the federal food stamp program is continuing to rise.In fact, household participation has been climbing so steadily that it has far surpassed the last peak (which looks like a minor blip by comparison) set as a result of the immediate fallout following hurricane Katrina.The latest data released by the Department of Agriculture shows that in November, 94,086 recipients were removed from the food stamps program with the current total still increasing 5.82% on a year-over-year basis while household…

• Envisioning Employment: Employment Situation January 2012

  SoldAtTheTop

  3 Feb 2012 | 6:56 am

  Today’s Employment Situation Report indicated that in January, net nonfarm payrolls increased with private nonfarm payrolls adding 257,000 jobs and the unemployment rate declining to 8.3% over the same period.Net private sector jobs increased 0.23% since last month climbing 2.06% above the level seen a year ago but but remained a whopping 4.47% below the peak level of employment seen in December 2007.

• Full Time Workers Fully Under Pressure: January 2012

  SoldAtTheTop

  3 Feb 2012 | 6:49 am

  Today’s employment situation report showed that in January the full time unemployment rate declined to 8.8% of the civilian workforce but remains near the highest rate seen in 41 years.The Bureau of Labor Statistics considers full time workers to be those “who have expressed a desire to work full time (35 hours or more per week) or are on layoff from full-time jobs”.Full time jobless workers currently account for roughly 88.5% of all unemployed workers.

• 

  Home mortgage rates and real estate news - CNNMoney.com

• Big states set to make mortgage deal real

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:35 pm

  New York and California will join just about all the other states in a settlement with the nation's largest banks aimed at helping homeowners struggling with loans bigger than the value of their homes, according to a person familiar with the talks.

• Homes in foreclosure decline by 130,000

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:09 am

  Slowly, but surely, the foreclosure crisis seems to be abating.

• Foreclosure deal has 40 states, but others balk

  7 Feb 2012 | 4:24 am

  More than 40 states have signed on to a draft deal settling claims of improper mortgage servicing that's aimed at relieving homeowners struggling with loans bigger than their home's value.

• Home repairs: Which jobs come first?

  3 Feb 2012 | 2:27 am

  Lean times call for budgetary triage. But while you should clearly opt for orthodontics before Disneyland, the choice is tougher when it comes to home maintenance.

• Finally, a foreclosure settlement (Maybe)

  3 Feb 2012 | 2:21 am

  States have until late Monday to agree to the latest draft deal aimed at relieving homeowners struggling with mortgages bigger than their home's value.

• 

  Yahoo! News: Business - Real Estate

• Hard-hit Californians more optimistic about economy (Reuters)

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:08 am

  Reuters - Two thirds of Californians believe their personal financial situation will improve in the next 12 months, a sign that residents in one of the hardest-hit states in terms of unemployment and foreclosures are becoming more optimistic about the U.S. economy, according to a survey issued on Thursday.

• Mortgage deal nears as holdout states join (Reuters)

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:32 pm

  Reuters - California and New York, two big holdout states in a $25 billion mortgage settlement, are expected to join the deal, smoothing the way for an announcement on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the matter.

• Housing regulator acted on "ideology": lawmakers (Reuters)

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:58 pm

  Reuters - Two Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday accused the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from blocking the firms from reducing principal on the mortgages they back for reasons of "ideology."

• Builders group sees pickup in housing this year (AP)

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:24 pm

  AP - The U.S. housing market will begin to mount a turnaround this year, building toward a solid recovery in 2013, according to a forecast issued Wednesday by the chief economist of a homebuilding industry trade group.

• 'Shadow Inventory' Is Killing the Housing Market (Time.com)

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:35 pm

  Time.com - One factor hurting the prices of homes that are for sale is the enormous number of homes that aren't for sale but that should be

• 

  Real Estate Investing For Real | A BiggerPockets Investment Property Blog

• Our Real Estate Investing Model in Detail

  Michael Zuber

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:00 am

  The questions I get most frequently via email from the BiggerPockets audience are:- Can you tell me more about your model? - Why do you think it works? - Can I copy your model in my market? - How can I participate in it?Instead of responding to emails weekly around these topics, I thought I would take the time to write up a detailed review of our model.  I will take you through a specific deal we have just locked up and hopefully answer the majority of the questions we receive.Step 0: Learn your market and establish relationshipsOur model starts with doing the homework required to…

• How the Robo-signing Settlement will Affect You

  Steve Cook

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:52 am

  As the result of a massive settlement negotiated between states and lenders that is almost complete, major changes are in the offing that will significantly change the way lenders, especially the largest banks, service defaults and foreclosures.  For investors, especially those who invest in major foreclosure markets in states in participating, the settlement will have a significant impact on foreclosure prices and inventories.More than 40 states will sign onto the settlement, which may be finalized this week.  At this is being written (Tuesday, February 7), several major states have yet to…

• Purposefully Planning Your Retirement – What Is Time To You?

  Jeff Brown

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:05 am

  Over the last 35+ years I’ve spoken with literally hundreds of people convinced they were seriously preparing for retirement. The problem for many is one of scale. For a couple in their 40s who make $80,000 yearly between them, $250,000 is one heckuva lotta money. Yet, if they’re 45, retiring at 65, turning that  amount into $1 million would require 20 consecutive years of just under 7.2% annual yield. No losing years allowed. ‘Course, they’re gonna have a down year or two, right? That means a few months to a few years on the ol’ treadmill catchin’ up to…

• Are Housing Solutions Really Part of the Real Estate Problem?

  Chris Clothier

  7 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  Cash is KingIf you’ve been paying attention recently to the drivers of the real estate market, you may have noticed that there is a decided uptick in the number of ‘Cash Purchases’ taking place throughout the country.  Some estimates put the actual number of cash transactions at over 100,000 monthly across the U.S.  This development though has raised some interesting questions among industry experts as to whether or not this is a good thing.  Some actually want to place blame on cash buyers, who are overwhelmingly investors, for driving the values of real estate down.  Others see…

• Response Rates for Direct Mail at Different Times of Year

  Sharon Vornholt

  7 Feb 2012 | 8:35 am

  Do you track the response you get from your direct mail campaigns each time you send one out? I hope that everyone said yes, because you should be. Tracking your response from each mailing is the only way you can figure out if it’s working like it should. It’s imperative that we spend those precious marketing dollars wisely in our business.The two main groups of people I mail to regularly are probates and absentee owners.  I have never sent a direct mail campaign out to probates in the month of December for obvious reasons. Previous mailings have also taught me that absentee owners are…

• 

  Construction Industry News - Construction Industry News Headlines | Bizjournals.com

• Arundel's town centers may garner impact fee money

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:25 pm

  Anne Arundel County officials may give town center projects in Parole, Odenton and Glen Burnie priority status when it comes to distribution of county impact fee money. The money would help pay for transportation upgrades near the three projects. The County Council would have to pass legislation for the plan to proceed. Read more in the Annapolis Capital.

• Anne Arundel nixes Key School plans to expand

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:19 pm

  Anne Arundel County won't allow the Key School to build athletic fields on the Annpapolis Golf Course, saying it violates the county's open space laws. The Annapolis private school planned to build athletic fields on the property. It planned to buy the golf course and develop 40 acres for athletic facilities. Read more in the Annapolis Capital.

• Falls Road mill project wins $2.4M in state tax credits

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:40 pm

  Baltimore developer David Tufaro’s $40 million renovation of an old Falls Road mill won $2.4 million in tax credits through a highly sought-after state program aimed at revitalizing aging communities. Tufaro’s project is one of six projects selected to receive a total of $6.96 million in tax credits. Forty-five applicants sought the lucrative tax breaks, which have become harder to come since the recession. The six applications selected for the 2012 tax credit were based on a set of criteria, including those outlined by the U...

• Hillwood starts construction on Alliance apartments

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:23 pm

  Hillwood Multifamily, a subsidiary of Fort Worth-based Hillwood Properties, has begun construction on the second phase of Monterra Village, which is a 130-acre mixed-use community project at Alliance Town Center. The phase includes 262 units with one-, two- and three-bedroom upscale unit designs. It's the ideal time to bring additional apartments to the market, said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood Properties. There's rapid population growth in north Fort Worth and a growing demand for apartments in the submarket with limited supply, he said...

• REATA adds UCR duo to its broker mix

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:17 pm

  Two of San Antonio’s leading real estate firms — REATA Real Estate Services and United Commercial Realty — are making some staff changes. REATA has announced that Michael Jersin and Warren Richardson have joined the firm. Jersin, who was previously president, chief operating officer and a partner at United Commercial Realty (UCR) San Antonio, joins REATA as a partner. Richardson, who was an associate with UCR, joins REATA as a senior associate. Meanwhile, Craig Garansuay, a principal and vice president at UCR, has been named acting president and executive managing director of the…

• 

  Mortgage News Daily

• MBS RECAP: 2/8/2012

  Matthew Graham

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:17 pm

  Posted To: MBS CommentaryMBS Live : MBS RECAP Open MBS Live Dashboard FNMA 3.5 103-28 : +0-04 FNMA 4.0 105-21 : +0-02 FNMA 4.5 106-25 : +0-01 FNMA 5.0 108-01 : +0-01 GNMA 3.5 105-08 : +0-02 GNMA 4.0 107-32 : +0-03 GNMA 4.5 109-09 : +0-03 GNMA 5.0 110-31 : +0-02 FHLMC 3.5 103-18 : +0-05 FHLMC 4.0 105-07 : +0-01 FHLMC 4.5 106-08 : +0-02 FHLMC 5.0 107-24 : +0-03 Pricing as of 4:04 PM EST Afternoon Market Updates A recap of MBS Market Updates provided by MND Analysts and streamed live to the MBS Live Dashboard . 1:28PM : ALERT: Limited Reaction to Good-But-Not-Great 10yr Auction Bond markets have…

• Mortgage Rates Flat to Slightly Improved After Auction, Greece News

  Matthew Graham

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:46 pm

  Posted To: Mortgage Rate WatchFor several sessions in a row, Mortgages Rates have moved in the opposite direction from the previous session, although even the bigger examples of these movements haven't been enough to nudge 3.875% out of the "best-execution" position. The same back-and-forth movement continued today as rates improved ever so slightly after rising slightly yesterday. Keep in mind, that the term "rates" in this context refers to the combination of the interest rate itself and the closing/borrowing costs required to obtain that rate. We explain more about Best-Execution…

• Mortgage Rates Flat to Slightly Improved After Auction, Greece News

  Matthew Graham

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:10 pm

  Posted To: MBS CommentaryFor several sessions in a row, Mortgages Rates have moved in the opposite direction from the previous session, although even the bigger examples of these movements haven't been enough to nudge 3.875% out of the "best-execution" position. The same back-and-forth movement continued today as rates improved ever so slightly after rising slightly yesterday. Keep in mind, that the term "rates" in this context refers to the combination of the interest rate itself and the closing/borrowing costs required to obtain that rate. We explain more about Best-Execution calculations…

• Ally said to be Shopping Mortgage Unit

  Jann Swanson

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:05 am

  Posted To: MND NewsWireOne of the financial institutions that are party to the reported settlement agreement with the attorneys general of the majority of the states is reportedly on the auction block. According to Bloomberg News, Ally Financial is talking with private equity firms about selling its mortgage unit, Residential Capital LCC , through a pre-package bankruptcy. Any sale of the company would be complicated by its recent financial history. The company was founded as General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) in 1919 by General Motors as an intermediary to provide financing for the…

• Bond Markets Improve Following 10yr Auction and Fed Selling

  Matthew Graham

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:01 am

  Posted To: MBS CommentaryAfter the 10yr auction, production MBS and the long end of the yield curve didn't move much at first. But it now seems that some additional bid for the 10yr was on hold until after the Fed's Scheduled selling that ended at 2pm. As that was wrapping up, 10's made another move lower in yield to test the the pivot point just over 1.96% that can be seen in the chart below. First, here's the full text of the MBS Live alert that went out after the auction: Limited Reaction to Good-But-Not-Great 10yr Auction (1:28PM) Bond markets have reacted in a generally positive way to…

• 

  Trulia Blog - Real Estate Blog

• How do you love Trulia? Tell us, and you could win $500

  Andrew

  3 Feb 2012 | 5:33 pm

  Valentine’s Day is coming up, and we’ve been looking for just the right way to show you how much you mean to us. Rather than buying you candy or flowers, we figured that you would know what you’d want, especially if we gave you $500 to play with. We’re giving away $500 for you to spend however you want at Best Buy, Crate & Barrel, Macy’s, Target or Whole Foods. (We figured there wasn’t much you couldn’t get between all those stores.) But we’re not going to just give it away. It’ll take 5 seconds of you whispering sweet nothings in our…

• Trulia Insight Helps Agents Identify Quality Leads

  Stephen R, Head of Industry Marketing

  12 Jan 2012 | 5:00 am

  One theme that we commonly hear from real estate professionals is a request to improve the varying quality of leads they receive from online sources.   As a response to this agent need, today Trulia is proud to announce Trulia Insight, our newest product that helps agents get access to the highest quality leads on Trulia. Trulia Insight gives real estate professionals access to valuable lead prequalification information as well as consumer home search preference data, helping them identify and convert the best leads from Trulia into transaction-ready clients.  Enhanced features in the…

• Trulia Data Pledge for Listing Syndication and Display

  Ginger Wilcox

  10 Jan 2012 | 9:51 pm

  At Trulia, we work hard to balance the needs of both the consumers who visit our site and the agents, brokers and MLS organizations we partner with.   Ensuring data accuracy and integrity is paramount to delivering an exceptional search experience for our users. Trulia’s top priorities are to provide highly accurate listing information to consumers, to connect consumers with real estate professionals in a timely manner, and to be the #1 source of clients for real estate professionals. To demonstrate our commitment to our industry partners, Trulia has created a data pledge for listing…

• The Trulia PR Team’s Favorite Homes on Trulia

  Cristin

  31 Dec 2011 | 6:00 am

  At Trulia, we spend a lot of time looking at houses. When you see so many amazing homes on a daily basis, it’s hard to pick a favorite. We challenged our mighty PR team of Ken, Daisy, Cristin and Vanessa to pick their favorite home currently for sale on Trulia and explain why. While each of their chosen homes are stunning, it’s the reason WHY they picked that home that really says it all. Ken Shuman - Head of Communications I moved to California almost 13 years ago but I will always be a sucker for cape cod style shingle houses.  This home on the Marblehead Neck is the perfect…

• 5 Events that Rocked Housing in 2011

  Jed Kolko, Trulia's Chief Economist

  30 Dec 2011 | 9:00 am

  Before we welcome in the New Year, Trulia’s Chief Economist looks back at 5 events that really mattered for housing in 2011 - and beyond. Government, the mortgage industry and forces of nature all shook the housing market in 2011. They had both an immediate impact and slow-burning effects, setting the stage for a bumpy 2012 with more foreclosures, political battles and local market risks. 1) Robo-Signing Reverberations The “robo-signing” scandal - where banks were accused of approving foreclosures with incomplete or incorrect documentation - exploded in October 2010, but…

• 

  About.com Real Estate Business

• Loan mods on decline as banks opt for short sales | Breaking News | PE.com - Press-Enterprise

  7 Feb 2012 | 11:57 pm

  Loan mods on decline as banks opt for short sales | Breaking News | PE.com - Press-Enterprise. This article reports some major re-default percentages for loan modifications and that short sales ...Read Full Post

• Florida grants real estate licenses to felons

  2 Feb 2012 | 12:31 am

  Florida grants real estate licenses to felons - Letters - BradentonHerald.com. The link is to a letter to the editor.  In NM we have to be fingerprinted and have a background check.

• Are You Alienating Friends & Social Contacts?

  22 Jan 2012 | 3:41 am

  Social media use by business, and definitely by real estate professionals, is growing by leaps and bounds.  And, if you read here much, you know that I'm a big fan of Google+, the new social spot on the Web.  However, there's a lot of disagreement about how much to engage our prospective customers on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and now Google+.  Some would say, and they practice it, that if a little works then a lot must work better.  I do know that when I connect with a real estate professional in Google+, if I start getting multiple posts/day, especially if they're…

• Don't Call an Inspector an "Idiot" in Email!

  19 Jan 2012 | 6:54 am

  What have you called an inspector lately?  Or, how about an appraiser?  It's probably best that we do this in a room alone, not in a mass email. 'Idiot' comment spurs lawsuit.

• Google+ Shakes Up the Search World

  19 Jan 2012 | 4:14 am

  Just this week, Google+ became an integral part of Google Search results with "Personal Results."   It's creating quite a stir, some negative.  Twitter is in a snit because they think Google has an unfair advantage, and others just think it's not going to be useful....Read Full Post

• 

  Lansner on Real Estate

• Really? Facebook fat cats to bid up home prices

  Jeff Collins

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am

  Real estate news and views from around the globe that make you go, “Really?” California Housing Market Braces for Facebook Millionaires — New York Times Starbucks coffee: now served in cargo containers — Inman news World Trade Center hits 90th floor: Touring the Other World Trade Tower — Wall Street Journal WTC $3.8B Over Budget, Authority Leaders Promise Oversight Reform — GlobeSt.com Truly sickening decor: This rug can make you seasick — MSNBC Brooke Shields’ Neighbor-Enraging Renovation Revealed! — Curbed.com Other recent Reallys and…

• Historic O.C. post office may be sold

  Mary Ann Milbourn

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:43 pm

  The U.S. Postal Service is considering whether to sell the Beach Center Station, a fixture in downtown Huntington Beach since 1935. Richard Maher, a USPS spokesman, said employees at the facility at 316 Olive Ave. were told last week that agency officials are studying a sale of the property. He said no decision will be made until after May 15 when a Congressional moratorium on closure of postal facilities  is scheduled to end. If the USPS decides to proceed with a sale, public input will be sought before a final decision is made, he said. The decision to study the sale of the Huntington…

• Foreclosure deals harder to find

  Jeff Collins

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:13 am

  Click to enlarge Bank-owned homes and other foreclosure resales made up a smaller proportion of Orange County transactions in 2011 than in prior years, a sign that distressed homes are less of a drag on the local housing market. An average of 22.8% of the homes sold in O.C. last year had been through foreclosure in the previous year – the smallest proportion since 2007, figures from DataQuick show. The bulk of those homes are bank-owned repossessions. Foreclosure resales’ proportion of the market was down from 23% in 2010 and down from 32% in 2008 and 2009. However, foreclosure resales…

• Mazda buys Irvine complex for $28 million

  Jon Lansner

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:34 am

  Mazda North American Operations — the Japanese automaker’s U.S. branch headquartered in Irvine — bought a complex of three Orange County buildings for $27.75 million, says broker Voit Real Estate Services. Mazda spokesman Jeremy Barnes said his company decided it made sense from a cost standpoint to purchase the Irvine office/industrial space it used for its U.S. research and development work that the company had been leasing. The 155,499 square-foot Mazda North American Operations R&D facility is home to about 170 employees. The complex includes 1421 Reynolds (R&D…

• Really? Did Feds blow $33M on real estate deal?

  Jeff Collins

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am

  Real estate news and views from around the globe that make you go, “Really?” A stately, 10,000-square-foot ocean-front mansion that the U.S. government sold in 1999 for $12 million is back on the market — for $45 million. The State Department: Better at diplomacy than real estate?  — Washington Post Luxury Bermuda home can be yours for a cool $45m — Royal Gazette Historic Bermuda Estate on Grape Bay Beach Listed at $45 Million — JustLuxe.com Also … A Mortgage Tornado Warning, Unheeded‎ — New York Times At least 8 more years in prison for NY…

• 

  Realty Times Real Estate News Channel

• Agents: Not All Web Browsers Are Equal

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 pm

  So what, exactly, does a web browser actually do and how can picking the right one put your real estate business at a competitive advantage? Put another way, real estate professionals deserve a browser that has the best out-of-the-box features, free of complications and with zero difficulty.

• Get Out Of Debt

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 pm

  Reducing your debt-load can be the next, and biggest step, towards owning a home of your own. This is because you must have a strong credit score to buy in today's market and a strong credit score comes from healthy spending habits and low debt ratio.

• Home Equity Use No Longer Home Equity Abuse

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 pm

  A record-breaking refinancing trend finds most homeowners putting cash into the deal or not taking cash out, a trend that reflects faith in the value of the home as an investment.

• 

  Inman News Headlines

• An end to property tax deferrals?

  tomkelly

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:39 pm

  Some senior advocates fear other states will follow in Oregon's footstepsread more

• Zillow releases mortgage app for Android devices

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:23 pm

  Company released iPhone version of Mortgage Marketplace in June 2011read more

• 10 hottest markets for out-of-area house hunters

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:21 pm

  Trulia: Florida metros account for 7 top spots on listread more

• Popular neighborhood attributes: kid-friendly and hip

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:57 am

  Robot Workshop reports most popular search termsread more

• The legendary pads of Grammy winners past

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:25 am

  Homes where icons from the Grateful Dead to 'The Boss' made historyread more

• 

  Developments

• Key Dates in the Foreclosure Mess

  WSJ Staff

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:00 pm

  The foreclosure mess and multibillion-dollar settlement, expected as soon as Thursday morning, unfolded over a year of tussles among banks, federal officials and attorneys general. Here are some of the key dates: June 2010 - Ally Financial Inc. employee Jeffrey Stephan says in a sworn deposition that he signed hundreds of foreclosure documents daily without reviewing them as required. September – Ally Financial suspends some foreclosure sales and evictions to review its practices. - J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. suspends foreclosures in 23 states with court oversight of the foreclosure…

• Builder Economists Push Back the Bottom of the Housing Market…Again

  Robbie Whelan

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:19 pm

  ORLANDO — Every year around this time, tens of thousands of housing industry professionals gather at the National Association of Home Builders’ convention, usually held in Florida, to talk shop and network with other builders, marketers and suppliers. One of the best-attended educational sessions at the International Builders’ Show is the economic outlook talk hosted by the NAHB’s chief economist, David Crowe. This year, he was joined by Freddie Mac Chief Economist Frank Nothaft and David Berson, chief economist with mortgage insurer PMI Group, to discuss their…

• New Twist in Democrats’ Push for Mortgage Debt Relief

  Alan Zibel

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:25 pm

  A former Fannie Mae employee has told congressional staff members that executives at the mortgage-finance company canceled the launch of a pilot program to cut loan balances for troubled homeowners due to “philosophical” disagreements in 2010 after months of internal study. The disclosure Wednesday is the latest twist in an effort by congressional Democrats to prod Fannie and sibling government-controlled mortgage finance company Freddie Mac to provide principal write-downs to homeowners who owe more on their homes than their properties are worth. An internal dispute over this issue at…

• Touring the Other World Trade Tower

  Eliot Brown

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:06 am

  Eliot Brown/The Wall Street Journal Construction at New York’s 4 World Trade Center in February. Slide show Redevelopment of the World Trade Center site is now evident in the Lower Manhattan skyline, mostly with the under-construction One World Trade Center, now more than 90 floors up. But just across the 16-acre site, another tower—4 World Trade Center—is rising just as fast, if not as tall. The building is slated for completion at the end of 2013, and unlike One World Trade, it’s being constructed by a private developer, Larry Silverstein. View a slide show of the progress.

• Real Estate News: It’s Hardly a Ball for 11 Times Square

  WSJ Staff

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:53 am

  Rob Bennett for The Wall Street Journal Empty floors at the 11 Times Square building are visible from neighboring buildings. The owners say they are not sharply discounting rents. Here is a look at real-estate news in today’s WSJ: It’s Hardly a Ball for 11 Times Square: The risks of speculative office building, especially during a real-estate slump, are obvious at the 11 Times Square skyscraper. Just stand on the sidewalk and look up. Trump, Colony Chosen for Washington Project: The U.S. General Services Administration chose a proposal from a venture of Donald Trump’s hotel…

• 

  WSJ.com Video - Real Estate

• One of the Highest Skyscrapers in U.S. Auctioned

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:23 pm

  The Southeast's tallest skyscraper, Atlanta's Bank of America building, went on the auction block Tuesday. (Video: Fox 5)

• An American Mansion Mediterranean-Style

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:25 am

  This 12,000 square feet Mediterranean-style home in Connecticut was inspired by the owner's childhood in southern France. The mansion boasts an inner patio and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the Long Island Sound. The house is listed $12.9 million.

• Hong Kong Apartment for $3.9 Million

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:46 pm

  This 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath apartment in Hong Kong's Mid-Levels neighborhood is selling for $3.9 million. WSJ's Andrew LaVallee and Deborah Kan discuss.

• Luxury Loft in TriBeCa

  6 Feb 2012 | 3:19 pm

  This sleek loft in an old apothecary building in TriBeCa boasts maple floors, nearly 360-degree views of New York City and the Hudson River, and countertops made with the same marble found in the garden at Museum of Modern Art.

• Slower Office Construction Could Mean Higher Rents

  6 Feb 2012 | 7:23 am

  WSJ's Eliot Brown reports unsettled lenders are facing higher costs while investors are shying away from starting new office buildings. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn

• 

  BBC News - Your Home

• House prices 'up 0.6% in January'

  6 Feb 2012 | 8:43 am

  UK house prices increased by 0.6% in January, according to the latest survey from the Halifax.

• 'Sale and rent back' closed down

  3 Feb 2012 | 4:54 am

  The sale and rent back industry has been almost completely closed down, says the Financial Services Authority.

• 200,000 homes 'at flooding risk'

  31 Jan 2012 | 6:09 am

  The Association of British Insurers estimates that up to 200,000 flood-prone homes could face insurance problems next year.

• House prices fell by 1.3% in 2011

  30 Jan 2012 | 4:20 am

  House prices in England and Wales fell by 1.3% last year, to an average of £160,000, according to figures from the Land Registry.

• Mortgage rates 'to be volatile'

  27 Jan 2012 | 3:58 am

  Brokers are telling new borrowers to expect mortgage rates to see-saw in the coming months, owing to economic uncertainty.

• 

  NYT > Foreclosures (Robosigning Scandal and Settlement Talks)

• States Negotiate $26 Billion Deal for Homeowners

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  Nearly two million Americans could benefit from mortgage relief from the nation’s biggest banks, as part of a broad government settlement to be announced as early as Thursday.

• Push to Avert Foreclosures Hits Court Logjam

  7 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  Court hearings meant to protect New York homeowners from foreclosure are hopelessly slowed by endless paperwork and requests for additional information.

• DocX Faces Foreclosure Fraud Charges in Missouri

  5 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  The charges against DocX, which provided home foreclosure services to lenders across the nation, are one of the few criminal actions to follow reports of widespread improprieties against homeowners.

• In a Queens Neighborhood, Signs of Uneven Burdens From a Housing Crisis

  5 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  Amid talk of a recovering economy, housing woes continue to plague parts of New York City, falling particularly hard on blacks.

• Mortgage Relief Plan Is Closer to Winning Support of California

  4 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  Potential support from California and New York would come in exchange for tightening provisions in order to preserve the right to investigate past misdeeds by the banks, and stepping up oversight.

• 

  Housing News

• Chinese Inflation Rate Picks Up

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:45 pm

  China's inflation rate rose in January, which may dash hopes that the country's central bank will soon take more action to support economic growth there.

• Home Prices Pop in Hot Valley Turf

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:35 pm

  Market in Menlo Park, Where Facebook Is Based, Surges 52.7%, yet Tech Boom Fails to Provide a Lift in Majority of Bay Area The current technology boom has rippled out into the housing markets in Silicon Valley's core towns, but the ripples aren't reaching much beyond that, as home values fell at the end of last year in a majority of the Bay Area.

• Builders group sees pickup in housing this year

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:21 pm

  The chief economist for the National Association of Home Builders says he expects U.S. sales of new homes and single-family home construction to improve this year over 2011, when they hit record lows.

• Housing starts remain robust, good for GDP

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:11 pm

  The corporate logo of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation , or SociA©tA© canadienne d???hypothA ques et de logement , is shown.

• China's Central Bank Pledges Support for Housing Market: Economy

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:01 am

  China's central bank pledged support for first-home buyers as a crackdown on real-estate speculation threatens to trigger a property slump in the world's second- biggest economy.

• 

  Foreclosure News

• Bank of America Tower in Atlanta Foreclosed; Sells for Half Price

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:14 am

  The recent forced public auction of Bank of America's signature 55-story office tower in Atlanta is yet another example of the U.S. foreclosure crisis.

• Big States Set To Make Mortgage Deal Real

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:04 pm

  New York and California will join just about all the other states in a settlement with the nation's largest banks aimed at helping homeowners struggling with loans bigger than the value of their homes, according to a person familiar with the talks.

• Builders group sees pickup in housing this year

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:55 pm

  The U.S. housing market will begin to mount a turnaround this year, building toward a solid recovery in 2013, according to a forecast issued Wednesday by the chief economist of a homebuilding industry trade group.

• Bank of America, Wells and Chase pay homeowners to avoid foreclosures

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:45 pm

  In the aftermath of the historic housing bubble, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and J.P. Morgan Chase are among the mortgage servicers offering large cash incentives for troubled homeowners to give up their homes without going through foreclosure.

• Number Of Homes In Foreclosure Down

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:31 am

  The number of homes in foreclosure shrunk by 130,000, or 8.4%, in 2011, according to a report from CoreLogic, an economic research firm.

• 

  HUD Press Releases

• OBAMA ADMINISTRATION RELEASES JANUARY HOUSING SCORECARD

  6 Feb 2012 | 4:07 am

  WASHINGTON--The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury today released the January edition of the Obama Administration's Housing Scorecard - a comprehensive report on the nation's housing market. Data in the January Housing Scorecard underscore fragility as the overall outlook remains mixed. Inventories of existing homes for sale and the overhang of homes held off market improved over the last two quarters and foreclosure starts continued to fall in December. However, data on new home sales and home prices offered mixed signals, while…

• HUD ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL $31.5 MILLION TO FUND HOUSING FOR VERY LOW-INCOME SENIORS

  3 Feb 2012 | 4:07 am

  WASHINGTON - Hundreds of very low-income senior citizens will have access to affordable supportive housing thanks to $31.5 million in housing assistance announced today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The funding announced today (see attached list) will help non-profit organizations in five states produce additional accessible housing, offer rental assistance, and facilitate supportive services for the elderly.

• HUD SECRETARY ANNOUNCES DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR UTAH STORM VICTIMS

  2 Feb 2012 | 4:07 am

  WASHINGTON-U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Utah and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms in November and December.

• HUD SECRETARY ANNOUNCES DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR ALABAMA STORM VICTIMS

  2 Feb 2012 | 4:07 am

  WASHINGTON-U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Alabama and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding last month.

• TEMPORARY DISASTER PROGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF HURRICANES IKE AND GUSTAV TODAY - REMAINING FAMILIES GIVEN MORE TIME TO TRANSITION

  31 Jan 2012 | 4:07 am

  WASHINGTON - A rental assistance program that temporarily housed nearly 20,000 families who were displaced by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav in 2008 officially ends today with only 3,500 households still enrolled in the program. To help these families find permanent housing solutions, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will provide $28 million to convert eligible families to its Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program.

• 

  Planetizen - Urban Planning, Design and Development Network

• New DC Zoning Code Goes Back to the Future

  Jonathan Nettler

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:00 pm

  David Alpert provides a thorough analysis of the first third of Washington D.C.'s proposed new zoning code, and finds a return to kind of development patterns that formed the neighborhoods residents treasure today. read more

• Using the Wrong Metrics for Creating Great Streets

  Jonathan Nettler

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:00 pm

  Gary Toth considers the damage to the quality of our streets and urban environments caused by the use of travel projection models and Levels of Service (LOS) as performance metrics. read more

• Effort to Make NYC Streets Safer Paying Dividends

  Jonathan Nettler

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pm

  Jane E. Brody reports on the safety features New York City has instituted as part of an ambitious effort to completely re-engineer city streets. read more

• House and Senate Transportation Bills on a Collision Course

  Jonathan Nettler

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:00 am

  As the bi-partisan Senate transportation bill cues up for its first vote on Thursday and the partisan House bill gets roughed up in committee, the prospects for reconciling the bills seems dim. read more

• Using Adaptive Reuse to Scale the Urban Future

  crwolfelaw

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  Chuck Wolfe uses the urban scale adaptive reuse of the Roman Emperor Diocletian's retirement palace in Split, Croatia to argue for blending the past and future on a broader scale. read more

• 

  housing market

• Bernanke Gives Muted Praise for Government Foreclosure-to-Rental Program

  7 Feb 2012 | 10:29 am

  The Federal Reserve chairman answered questions on housing from the Senate Budget Committee.

• 'Mixed Signals' in Obama's January Housing Scorecard

  6 Feb 2012 | 1:47 pm

  Weak home prices and foreclosure completions continue to hang over housing.

• Taxpayers Shouldn't Have to Pay for Underwater Mortgages

  6 Feb 2012 | 1:45 pm

  Rewriting mortgages punishes lenders while doing little for the economy.

• Cost of More Foreclosures to the Economy Is Too High

  6 Feb 2012 | 1:45 pm

  Government should lead the way on right-sizing underwater mortgages.

• Obama's Mortgage Plan About Politics, Not Economics

  6 Feb 2012 | 1:45 pm

  Obama's housing plan is a political trick that carries little economic impact.

• 

  Business Insider

• YIKES: Greek Unemployment Rate Surges To 20.9%

  Sam Ro

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:32 am

  Things just can't seem to get better in Greece. We just learned the Greek unemployment rate jumped to 20.9% in November, up from 18.2% in October. For some context, here's a historical chart from Reuters' Scott Barber. Please follow Money Game on Twitter and Facebook.Join the conversation about this story »See Also:CITI'S BUITER: There's A 50% Chance Of A Greek Exit From The Eurozone And Here's How It Would HappenThe Euro Rockets To A 2012 High Amid Reports That A Greek Deal On Austerity Is At HandHow Policy Shocks Like The 2011 Debt Ceiling Debate Cost The U.S. Millions Of Jobs

• Business Insider Launches A New Military And Defense Vertical

  Robert Johnson

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:59 am

  The United States is a military juggernaut that's spending nearly one-fifth of its annual budget on defense in 2012: $671 billion, which is more than any other country in the world spends on national defense. But most of us have little idea how it's actually being portioned out, and what that means to military members, the government and everyday citizens. Nearly 1.5 million active duty servicemembers are stationed across the globe, doing things that are often as unsavory as they are heroic.  The effects that all that money and all those troops have on the world are two vastly…

• European Markets Rally Ahead Of BOE And ECB Interest Rate Decisions

  Sam Ro

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:45 am

  The world is waiting to hear from the ECB's Mario Draghi and the Bank of England's Mervyn King regarding each of the respective region's monetary policies. Meanwhile, European markets are inching up with the Euro Stoxx 50 is down 0.6%. Britain's FTSE 100 is up 0.3%. Germany's Dax 30 is up 0.8%. France's CAC 40 is up 0.5% Spain's IBEX 35 is up 0.7%. Italy's FTSE MIB is up 0.5%. Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse is down after announcing a bigger than expected Q4 net loss as it cuts costs. Asian markets are also down after China reported reported higher-than-expected inflation.  But even…

• Credit Suisse Reports A Big Q4 Loss, Will Cut Bonuses By 41%

  AP

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:30 am

  GENEVA (AP) — Credit Suisse Group posted its first fourth-quarter net loss since 2008 as Switzerland's second-biggest bank continued its drive to reduce its exposure to potentially-risky investment banking at a time when Europe's economy is facing problems related to a raging debt crisis. The bank said Thursday that its net loss in the fourth quarter amounted to 637 million Swiss francs ($698 million), way down on analysts' expectations for a more modest loss of 431 million francs. In the equivalent period in 2010, Credit Suisse posted a 841 million francs profit. Credit Suisse's share…

• Google Is Painting A Big Fat Target On Dropbox (GOOG)

  Matt Rosoff

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:25 pm

  Google is getting close to launching Drive, an online storage service that would compete with Dropbox and Microsoft's SkyDrive. That's according to Amir Efrati of the Wall Street Journal, who reports that the service will launch in "weeks or months." Google Drive will let users store photos, documents, and videos, then access them from any device with a Web connection, including smartphones. It will also make it easier to share huge files -- instead of attaching a file to an email message, users will simply send links to the file, which will be automatically stored in Drive. This is almost…

• 

  Credit.com News + Advice

• Consumer Credit Surged Once Again in December

  Credit.com

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:30 pm

  The holiday season and improving economy convened to create a significant increase in the amount being borrowed by Americans across a number of different loan types during the month of December. Overall, the amount being borrowed by consumers jumped 9.3 percent in December 2011, which is notable because that came after November’s month-over-month increase of 9.9 percent, according to the latest monthly statistics from the Federal Reserve Board. Those two increases are in contrast with the significantly smaller rise seen in October of just 3.3 percent. [Related Article: Consumer Credit…

• Eastwood Meets the West Wing

  Adam Levin

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pm

  I am a New Yorker. I am a Giants fan. They made my day last Sunday. Sorry, Gisele. Like over 100 million of you, I saw the Chrysler commercial and, for the record, Clint Eastwood made my day. Now, in the interest of full disclosure—my college flame was the granddaughter of a famous Chrysler design engineer—so I confess that I have a warm spot in my heart for those guys, but that said, how can you not appreciate the concept of “This is not a country that can be knocked out with one punch?” Isn’t that what we Americans are all about? [Free Credit Calculator: Use…

• Debt Paydown: Time for an Attitude Adjustment

  Chris Geoffrey

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:30 am

  I have been lazy and sliding backwards on more than one front. I did not track my spending or food intake for a couple of weeks.  I spent more than I should have and I gained a couple of pounds instead of losing weight. Blame it on the rain, the snow, the cold—how do I blame it on the warm sunshine and 65 degree temperatures in Iowa in the middle of winter? Today is a new day.  I caught up with my backlog over the weekend and I am back on track with my spending and my food tracking.  If I write it down, I don’t spend it or eat it.  It holds me accountable. To…

• Big Hospital Bill? Negotiate!

  Gerri Detweiler

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:09 am

  Brett Goldstein is used to dealing with big numbers. After all, he runs a pension service company. But nothing quite prepared him for the shock of the medical bills he received after his daughter broke her leg and spent less than 24 hours in the ER. The total tab? Around $30,000. Although Goldstein had health insurance, his daughter had broken her leg in a fall on someone else’s property, and their insurance would pay the bills. All he had to do was forward them to the property owner’s insurance company. That twist, though, led Goldstein deep into the complicated world of medical…

• Foreclosure Mediation Can Help Homeowners

  Credit.com

  7 Feb 2012 | 2:30 pm

  While critics have said that foreclosure mediation mandates will only serve to slow down the process and create considerable issues for borrowers and financial institutions, a recent study found this is not the case. Currently, there are 19 states that mandate homeowners go through a mediation program before their property can be foreclosed upon, and data collected from those programs suggest that not only do they not prolong the process, but they also save money, according to a report from the National Consumer Law Center. In particular, the fees associated with these mediation programs…

• 

  NHC Open House Blog

• Ethan Handelman enters the digital boxing ring

  7 Feb 2012 | 10:58 am

  by Blake Warenik, National Housing Conference and Center for Housing Policy Our own Ethan Handelman is fighting for help for homeowners struggling in the wake of the burst housing bubble. His is one of several perspectives in the U.S. News and World Report's Debate Club, Should the government help homeowners with underwater mortgages? Debate Club allows readers to choose the winning side. Ethan, Asst. Sec. Raphael Bostic at HUD and Peter Tatian at Urban Institute argue yes, while the Cato Institute's Mark Calabria and George Mason University's Anthony Sanders argue against the government…

• House votes to abolish guaranteed funding for transit, could threaten housing funds

  3 Feb 2012 | 10:25 pm

  The U.S. House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee today terminated the guaranteed trust fund revenue for transit and gave it to the highway program. This dedicated funding stream established during the Reagan Administration comes from an excise tax on gasoline. Under this new provision, the burden for funding mass transit would fall entirely on the annual appropriations process, meaning lower funding and much more uncertainty for public transit.This directly threatens housing. HUD and the Department of Transportation fall under the same appropriations subcommittee, which means…

• Obama’s housing plan, piece by piece

  2 Feb 2012 | 12:24 pm

  by Ethan Handelman, National Housing Conference President Obama’s announcement of his housing plan was welcome, but it includes more pieces than brief news coverage necessarily notices. Secretary Donovan provided much helpful detail in his remarks, and the fact sheet is a good reference. If you’re looking for a place to start, here’s a quick guide to the parts of the plan and what they might mean for communities and households across the country. The Obama Administration's Housing Proposals – Topics Refinancing plan Homeowner Bill of Rights Pilot REO property sale Forbearance Lending…

• National Housing Conference responds to housing announcements

  1 Feb 2012 | 12:39 pm

  by the National Housing Conference Statement from Ethan Handelman, Vice President for Policy and Advocacy “President Obama’s announcement today reinforces what we all know—we need coordinated action at many levels to restore housing markets, help struggling households, and support a broader economic recovery. That action must, by necessity, be bipartisan and cooperative. We urge Congress to take up these proposals in a spirit of bipartisanship and the Administration to move swiftly to implement the elements that it can do on its own.” “More, however, is needed. Secretary Donovan, in…

• White House proposes new refinancing plan

  1 Feb 2012 | 6:33 am

  by Ethan Handelman, National Housing Conference This morning, President Obama announces a new refinancing plan to help homeowners lower their monthly payments. Early reports in the Wall Street Journal and AP say the program is aimed at privately held mortgages that could be refinanced with new loans from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). In effect, this would broaden the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) changes made last year to cover more than just Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans. The new plan would require Congressional action—a tall order in an election year, especially…

• 

  Oh My Apartment

• Notice Requirements for Landlords Entering Rented Property - By State

  Oh My Apartment

  6 Feb 2012 | 10:32 am

  Below are the notice requirements for the amount of notice landlords must give tenants before they enter a rented property (in non-emergency situations). For more details, see your state’s landlord-tenant statutes. Source: Nolo.com Related Posts:Security Deposit Return Laws: Landlord Deadlines By StateRental Security Deposit Limits by StateCalifornia “Notice to Quit” Requirements ChangeTenant Security Deposit Cleaning Fees: What Can Your Landlord Legally Deduct?Apartment in Construction: Your Rights as a Tenant

• Security Deposit Return Laws: Landlord Deadlines By State

  Oh My Apartment

  30 Jan 2012 | 10:52 am

  There are laws on security deposit return, particularly on the amount of time a landlord has to return a tenant’s security deposit after vacating a property. For details on your state’s specific procedures for returning security deposits, see your state’s landlord-tenant statutes. Source: Nolo.com Related Posts:Rental Security Deposit Limits by StateTenant Security Deposit Cleaning Fees: What Can Your Landlord Legally Deduct?What is the Statute of Limitations for Security Deposits?What Cleaning and Repair Charges Can a Landlord Deduct from Your Security Deposit?Security…

• Moving Tips: How to Pack for a Move

  Oh My Apartment

  23 Jan 2012 | 3:41 pm

  Packing typically isn’t a chore people enjoy, but it is something most of us have or will have to do at some point. While packing before a move isn’t necessarily enjoyable (or easy), it is a necessity. Learning how to properly pack and transport your furniture, appliances, household goods, and electronics it critical to ensuring that the contents of your home be protected while in transit. Read our tips below to reduce of the chance of damage during your upcoming move. Kitchen Appliances — Small You’ll need: - Blank newsprint or your own towels and linens -…

• Best Houston Apartments - Great Uptown Area

  Oh My Apartment

  16 Jan 2012 | 11:25 am

  The Great Uptown neighborhood of Houston, Texas is one of the most highly sought after locations on ApartmentRatings.com and now we’ve made finding your dream apartment even easier. Check out the top five apartment complexes in the area, each of which has glowing recommendations by over 75% of ApartmentRatings.com users. Listed in descending order, each complex has been reviewed by at least 10 ApartmentRatings.com users; key amenities and resident comments are highlighted. 1. Three Fountains III Recommended by 94% of users; 4.5 overall rating This 2-story complex has 200 units ranging from…

• A Guide to Living in Austin, Texas

  Oh My Apartment

  9 Jan 2012 | 10:08 am

  Living in Austin, a city where having character counts and being “weird” is welcomed, is an experience enjoyed by 1.2 million Texas residents. Austin’s culture and lifestyle vacillates between New Urban and classic ways. A place where laid back, old fashioned neighborhoods collide with bustling modern areas, Austin, the capital and fourth largest city in the state of Texas, is a blend of pedestrian-friendly communities where residents have easy access to cafes, shops, clubs, galleries and more. Awards According to Small Planet Guide*1, Austin, Texas sports a few Top 10 awards…

• 

  "climate change" - Google News

• Climate change, resource depletion trigger dramatic global change - Korea Times

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:29 am

  Korea TimesClimate change, resource depletion trigger dramatic global changeKorea TimesBy Park Eung-kyuk One of the biggest challenges facing mankind and governments across the globe is tackling the dire consequences of climate change, pollution and the destruction of the ecosystem, and natural resource depletion due to the mindless Climate Change: Shun the Non-BelieversThe Montclarion (subscription)all 2 news articles »

• US indicts Romanian over NASA climate change hack - ZDNet UK (blog)

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:07 am

  Updated NewsUS indicts Romanian over NASA climate change hackZDNet UK (blog)By David Meyer , 9 February, 2012 09:06 Follow @superglaze US authorities have charged a Romanian hacker with causing massive damage to NASA equipment in an attack that took place just over a year ago. 25-year-old Robert Butyka, whose handle was Convicted Romanian man accused of hacking into JPL computersPasadena Star-NewsAlleged JPL computer hacker indictedPasadena Sunall 220 news articles »

• Singaporeans supportive of climate change actions - Channel News Asia

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:05 am

  Straits TimesSingaporeans supportive of climate change actionsChannel News AsiaSINGAPORE: Singaporeans on the whole feel a sense of responsibility in playing their part to address climate change. This is according to a survey commissioned by the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS) to gauge the levels of public awareness, Eight in ten Singaporeans feel they need to do something about climate change TODAYonlineMajority of Singaporeans support climate change actionStraits Timesall 4 news articles »

• Climate plan for Stockton has hefty price tag - Stockton Record

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:03 am

  Climate plan for Stockton has hefty price tagStockton RecordBy Alex Breitler STOCKTON - The city has a tentative plan to combat climate change, more than three years after reaching a legal settlement with the Sierra Club and then-Attorney General Jerry Brown. Whether the plan will ever be put into action is and more »

• Island Nations Eyeing World Court in Campaign to Address Climate Change - The American Lawyer

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:46 pm

  Scientific AmericanIsland Nations Eyeing World Court in Campaign to Address Climate ChangeThe American LawyerAP Small island nations, whose very existence is threatened by the rising sea levels brought about by global warming, are seeking to take the issue of climate change before the International Court of Justice. Johnson Toribiong, president of Palau, What Drives Public Opinion About Climate Change?Columbia Journalism Review (blog)Popular Opinion on Climate Change Traced to Political ElitesScientific American“Climate critical to farm policy decisions”The HinduThis is Cornwall -ABS…

• 

  Real Time Economics

• Despite Recession’s Toll, Young Adults Are Optimistic

  Conor Dougherty

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pm

  Young adults were hard hit by the recession but a new survey finds they are optimistic the economy will turn eventually, and that both they and their children will earn enough money to live how they want. About 41% of the public thinks young adults have borne the brunt of the recession, according to a poll to be released Thursday by the Pew Research Center. That belief meshes with reality: the share of employed 18-24-year-olds, at 54.3%, is at its lowest level since those records began in 1948. From 2007 to 2011, younger workers saw their earnings fall more steeply than workers in older age…

• Study Finds Lack of Mobility Not Holding Back Employment

  Michael S. Derby

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:58 pm

  Negative housing values haven’t prevented enough homeowners from moving to get a new job to have a big impact on overall unemployment in the U.S., a paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston said. The research was made available Wednesday, and written by economists Alicia Sasser Modestino and Julia Dennett. The study explores the widely held belief that holds unemployment has in part remained stubbornly high because negative home equity values are preventing the unemployed from selling their home to pursue a new job. Put another way, many have believed the challenge of selling a…

• EU Commissioner Says Austerity Focus Feeding Recession

  Ian Talley

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:29 am

  An over-reliance on slimming government budgets is feeding the euro zone’s recession, European Union Labor Commissioner Laszlo Andor warned in an interview. “We need a smarter fiscal consolidation than before, which means that the wrongly calibrated fiscal consolidation measures probably contributed to the deceleration of growth and this second dip,” the EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion said after meetings with the Obama administration, International Monetary Fund and World Bank officials this week. Although the job of labor commissioner…

• Monti: Germany ‘Invented the Market Economy’ in Postwar Europe

  Alessandra Galloni

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:04 am

  Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti has offered up a little refresher (and perhaps slightly revisionist) course in economic history. In a wide-ranging interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Monti — a longtime economics professor — hailed the Germans for being the founders of Europe’s post-World War II market economy. Bloomberg News Mario Monti, Italy’s prime minister The Germans “are, after all, the ones, in postwar Europe, who invented the market economy. This is not a U.K. construction,” Mr. Monti said. We asked whether he meant the “social” market economy…

• Fed’s Williams: If Recovery Falters, QE3 Is on the Table

  Michael S. Derby

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:01 am

  If the economic recovery falters, the Fed should provide more stimulus through bond buying to get things back on track, a top central bank official said.

• 

  Paul Krugman

• WWS 594, Economics of the Welfare State, Class #1

  By PAUL KRUGMAN

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:55 pm

  Getting academic.

• The Power (Law) of Twitter

  By PAUL KRUGMAN

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:24 am

  News you can't use.

• Jobs and Values

  By PAUL KRUGMAN

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:43 am

  It's the economic prospects, stupid.

• Wages and Values

  By PAUL KRUGMAN

  7 Feb 2012 | 2:02 pm

  Follow the lack of money.

• Uh-oh, It's Morning in America

  By PAUL KRUGMAN

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:36 am

  Not allowed with a Democrat in the White House.

• 

  Calculated Risk

• Zillow: House prices declined 4.7% in 2011, Forecasts 3.7% decline in 2012

  CalculatedRisk

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:01 pm

  Another view on house prices from Zillow: Home Value Declines Pick Up in Fourth Quarter, But Zillow Forecasts Smaller Declines in 2012The Zillow Real Estate Market Reports, released today, show home values decreased 1.1 percent from the third to the fourth quarter of 2011 to $146,900. On an annual basis, this represents a 4.7 percent decline. December’s data show that sequential improvements in year-over-year numbers have stopped, and the pace of monthly depreciation has once again picked up, with December’s monthly depreciation rate at 0.6 percent. ... [W] believe 2012 will be a…

• WSJ: Mortgage Settlement could be announced Thursday, to include Florida, California, New York

  CalculatedRisk

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:20 pm

  From the WSJ: Banks Near $25 Billion Pact on Foreclosure ProbeGovernment officials are on the verge of an agreement worth as much as $25 billion with five major banks ... Federal officials were planning to announce the accord Thursday morning, but the timing could yet be pushed back as some details had yet to be ironed out. Among them: the precise size of the agreement and the number and identity of participating states. ... The Obama administration made a full-court press over the past four days to secure the support of key state attorneys general, including those from Florida, California…

• Las Vegas House sales up 12% YoY in January, Inventory off sharply

  CalculatedRisk

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:24 pm

  This is a key distressed market to follow since Las Vegas has seen the largest price decline of any of the Case-Shiller composite 20 cities. Prices, as of the November report, were off 61.6% from the peak according to Case-Shiller, and off 9.2% over the last year. Prices just keep falling. Sales in 2011 were at record levels, more than during the bubble, and it looks like 2012 will be an even stronger year. From the LVGAR: GLVAR January 2012 Housing StatisticsGLVAR reported that 48,186 local properties were sold in 2011, including 38,153 single-family homes and 10,033 condominiums and…

• The impact of changes in the participation rate on the unemployment rate

  CalculatedRisk

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:27 am

  Yesterday Goldman Goldman Sachs economist Sven Jari Stehn argued that the labor force participation rate would remain "broadly flat at 63.7% through the end of 2013". He argued there would be a cyclical boost to the participation rate this year from the recovering economy, but a structural decline in the participation rate due to demographics. (Note: some decline in the participation rate has been expected over the next couple of decades). The updated population controls from the 2010 Census showed a higher percentage of younger and older workers compared to the prime working age group (25 to…

• MBA: Refinance activity increases as mortgage rates fall to record low

  CalculatedRisk

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:33 am

  From the MBA: Refinance Activity Increases as Rates Hit Survey Lows The Refinance Index increased 9.4 percent from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index increased 0.1 percent from one week earlier. The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($417,500 or less) decreased to 4.05 percent, the lowest rate in the history of the survey, from 4.09 percent ... The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $417,500)decreased to 4.29 percent, the lowest rate in the…

• 

  Econbrowser

• Value added

  James Hamilton

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:05 pm

  How could we boost American employment and GDP? One philosophy is to try to do more of what's already working. Source: WSJ. In January 2012, there were 4.7 million fewer Americans working than in January 2007. But one sector that has bucked the trend is oil and gas production. A story in today's Wall Street Journal notes that if you look at oil and gas extraction and its support activities, oil and gas pipeline construction, and oil drilling and machinery, you'll find 158,500 more people working today compared to 5 years ago, or a 33% increase. The article goes on to point out that employment…

• A Conference on "Analyzing (External) Imbalances"

  Menzie Chinn

  7 Feb 2012 | 10:22 am

  Last week I had the opportunity to attend an IMF conference (organized by Olivier Blanchard, Krishna Srinivasan, and Hamid Faruqee) focusing on the critical issue of assessing the sources of the pre-crisis imbalances in systemically key countries. The proceedings also had a forward looking component, highlighting the difficulties of determining when external imbalances are problematic. The conference proceedings are here. To place the topic in perspective, here is the graph of current account imbalances, from the September 2011 World Economic Outlook: Figure 1: Current account balances, as a…

• A Plea for Aspiring Economic Analysts to Read the Footnotes

  Menzie Chinn

  6 Feb 2012 | 11:29 am

  Actually, not even the footnotes -- just the text accompanying data releases (in this case it's the second paragraph, in a box, of the release). Although, I must admit, this long rant by FoxForum contributing writer Noel Sheppard just made me laugh and laugh and laugh, thus making an otherwise bleak Monday brighter. From "CNN's Crowley Does Two Segments on Jobs Numbers Without Mentioning Plummeting Participation Rate" When I saw CNN's Candy Crowley on Sunday tease an upcoming State of the Union segment saying she'd be discussing Friday's unemployment report after a commercial break, I was…

• Economic conditions improving

  James Hamilton

  5 Feb 2012 | 2:55 pm

  Last week's data suggest that the U.S. economic recovery is continuing to gain some strength. On Wednesday the Institute for Supply Management announced that its PMI manufacturing composite index rose to 54.1 for January, its highest value since June. A reading above 50 signals that more establishments experienced improvements than saw deterioration in key measures during January, and a value above 52.7 is a weak indicator of above-average real GDP growth. ISM's non-manufacturing index came in with an even stronger reading of 56.8. Manufacturing PMI. Source: Calculated Risk, Auto sales,…

• Messages from the January Employment Release: Accelerating Improvement for Now

  Menzie Chinn

  3 Feb 2012 | 2:35 pm

  Employment growth accelerates along several dimensions: nonfarm payroll, an alternative measure of nonfarm payroll, private employment, hours, and civilian employment (report here). However, JEC vice chairman Brady (JEC-Republicans) states in a press release: "Job Numbers Mask Underlying Job Weakness." Figure 1: Nonfarm payroll employment from January release (blue), and from December release (dark red), and civilian employment adjusted to conform to NFP concept (green), 000’s, seasonally adjusted. NBER defined recession dates shaded gray. Source: BLS via FRED, BLS, and NBER. Not only did…

• 

  Virginia News

• 4 teens indicted in Va in attack on...

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:41 am

  Four teenagers face assault and gang-related charges stemming from an attack on former NFL player Ed Beard.The teens already were facing assault charges stemming from the Oct.

• Panel halts bill on health exchange

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:26 pm

  Faced with opposition from Gov. Bob McDonnell and House Speaker William J. Howell, a state Senate subcommittee has bowed to the reality that no legislation will be approved in this General Assembly session to create a state exchange for health insurance benefits.

• Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell to headline Kent County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:21 pm

  Kent County Republicans today said Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will present the keynote address at the party's Feb.

• Virginia set to approve anti-gay adoption bill

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:07 pm

  Republican Gov. Robert McDonnell has said he plans to sign the anti-gay adoption bill if it reaches his desk.

• Poll: Obama edges Romney in Virginia

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:52 am

  President Obama has inched ahead of Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney in the battleground state of Virginia, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.

• 

  The Virginian-Pilot

• ODU scorches the nets against W&M, wins 70-51

  HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:04 pm

  WILLIAMSBURG Second shots? Old Dominion had no need. The Monarchs made so many of their first ones over several key stretches of a 70-51 win over William and Mary on Wednesday. ODU hit its first nine of the game to open a 21-7 lead. The Monarchs hit their last five of the first half, turning a shaky-looking seven-point lead into a 19-point halftime bulge. The outcome was typical Monarch-vs.-Tribe stuff. ODU (16-10, 11-3 CAA) has won nine straight in the series and remained a game behind conference leaders Drexel, George Mason and Virginia Commonwealth. The Rams come to the Constant Center on…

• Faith remains that troubled church could see revival

  HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  Folks of a mature age know the term "bad penny." For the uninitiated, it means something negative that recurs way too often. Just when you think you've buried a bad penny, it pops up again. The saga of a church in downtown Portsmouth fits the moniker aptly. Fortunately, there's still a glimmer of hope that the building, in the shadow of Interstate 264, can be transformed into something special, something vibrant. The church anchors a corner at Washington and South streets. Its tall spire seems to rise ever upward. "It's a great church," Edward Perry, who…

• Chesapeake has taken no action on city manager search

  HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  CHESAPEAKE It became official two weeks ago: City Manager William Harrell was leaving his post. The next day, Harrell tendered his letter of resignation: "As you know, I have been selected as the president and CEO of Hampton Roads Transit." Now, nearly seven weeks after it became apparent Harrell was a front-runner for the position and would likely resign during a difficult budget year, the City Council has taken no action - official or unofficial - to consider who might take over. Mayor Alan Krasnoff said because the council has not had a formal meeting since Harrell's…

• Unwise expansion of death penalty

  HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  This week, as Virginia’s lawmakers debated whether to expand the death penalty, the state prepared to exonerate a 56-year-old man who has spent his adult life being punished for a 1978 rape in Williamsburg that he didn’t commit. Based on the victim’s identification, Bennett S. Barbour, then 22, was convicted and spent 4½ years in prison. DNA tests unavailable then – and denied to the man in 2004 – now show that he is innocent of the rape of a college student 34 years ago. Since 2005, when Virginia began testing old biological evidence, at least nine defendants have been found…

• Deal offered to Portsmouth lawmaker could ease tolls

  HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:00 pm

  RICHMOND Gov. Bob McDonnell's aides have dangled millions in toll-reducing road funds in front of a local Democrat in hopes of avoiding a Senate stalemate over his proposed two-year state budget. During informal discussions, officials in the Republican administration have offered $300 million in transportation dollars to Sen. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth. That money could lessen the financial impact of coming tolls on the Midtown and Downtown tunnels. An impending $1.84 peak-hour fee on those tubes has elicited anger among local residents, including about 40 people who traveled to the…

• 

  AlexTimes

• The Broadway stars are out in ‘Josephine Tonight’ at MetroStage

  David Sachs

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:43 am

  “Josephine Tonight” hurtles down the track at lightning speed with a fast-paced, musical bonanza about legendary entertainer Josephine Baker’s early life and meteoric career, from her days as a street performer and on to Harlem’s Cotton Club and Paris’s Folies Bergere. Broadway veterans Sherman Yellen, who wrote the book and lyrics, the show’s late composer Wally Harper, and the megawatt choreographer Maurice Hines, who co-directed, combine forces in this world premiere production at MetroStage.  Working with a cast of five seasoned actors whose bios read like a New York playbill…

• Activist Boyd Walker officially declares Alexandria City Council run

  David Sachs

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:47 am

  Activist Boyd Walker will run in the Democratic primary for city council, the lifelong Alexandrian announced Monday at a local Democratic Party meeting. The 43-year-old joins a ballooning slate of Democrats hoping to clinch one of six available slots to oppose Republicans: Donna Fossum, Sean Holihan, Tim Lovain, Charles Sumpter Jr. and Justin Wilson, and incumbent council members Del Pepper and Paul Smedberg. “I definitely think there’s an undercurrent that people are not entirely happy with a lot of decisions our council has made recently,” Walker said. “So I think there will be an…

• Planning guru Donna Fossum declares run for Alexandria City Council

  David Sachs

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:41 am

  West End resident Donna Fossum, a 22-year member of the city’s planning commission, announced she will run as a Democrat for city council Monday. The need for more West End representation on council and the city’s handling of the waterfront redevelopment and Beauregard corridor plans sprung the 63-year-old into a campaign, she said. Fossum was the lone planning commissioner to vote against the waterfront plan. “One thing that’s become so obvious to me … we have a city that is very, very well educated and very committed to participating in civic issues,” Fossum said. “There are…

• Waterfront fight heading to circuit court

  Derrick Perkins

  7 Feb 2012 | 12:13 pm

  An offshoot of Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront Plan made good on a longstanding threat Tuesday, asking the circuit court to nullify the 5-2 vote approving the city’s shoreline blueprint. “We felt at some point we had to take action,” said CAAWP cofounder Andrew Macdonald during a press conference held on the steps of the city courthouse. “We had to take legal action.” The lawsuit, to be filed within the next several days, comes at the behest of three waterfront residents: Beth Gibney, Marie Kux and April Burke. Represented by attorney Roy Shannon, the trio is…

• Out of the Attic: The Swann-Daingerfield mansion on Prince Street

  cvanvliet

  7 Feb 2012 | 11:29 am

  Around 1802, Thomas Swann, a prominent Alexandria attorney who also served as the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, built a two-story house at the southeast corner of Prince and South Columbus streets. The brick home was built in the Federal style popular at that time. In 1833, Henry Daingerfield purchased the property for $6,250. A successful importer and shipping merchant, Daingerfield was likely responsible for some of the remodeling that took place over the next 50 years. A third floor and a grand ballroom were added to the original structure, as were a mansard roof and…

• 

  Falls Church News-Press Online

• N. Va. Dem Lawmakers Mobilize to Assail GOP Extremism in Richmond

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:31 pm

  Warn of 'Divisive' Laws Easing Guns & Discrimination Northern Virginia's Democratic state legislative leaders are playing a major role in calling out a wide range of discriminatory and dangerous laws that have passed both chambers in Republican-controlled General Assembly. With the legislative session at its halfway point, State Sen. Dick Saslaw, whose 35th District represents the City of Falls Church and Franconia-based State Del. Mark Sickles were slated to lead a press conference in Richmond today assailing the "wave of divisive social legislation" being passed, and expected to be…

• Another 3 Jump Into F.C. City Council Fray, More Expected

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:57 pm

  Long-time Falls Church civic activist Phil Duncan made it official this week, announcing his first-ever run for elective office in the Little City. The son-in-law of four-term mayor Carol DeLong filed his papers to run for the City Council this spring, joining two other citizens who tipped their hands this week about their intentions to run for the three contested seats in the May 1 election.

• New F.C. Assessments Reveal Overall 4 Percent Housing Hike

  2 Feb 2012 | 1:00 am

  The total taxable assessed value for all properties in the City of Falls Church as of Jan. 1, 2012, is $3,229,692,600, a four percent increase from January 1, 2011, the City's Public Information Office revealed today.

• 

  InsideNova - News - local

• Alexandria paramedic critically injured on I-395

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:10 pm

  An Alexandria paramedic fell 20 feet from the roadway into Four Mile Creek while responding to a vehicle fire Wednesday evening.

• Quantico, NORAD making some noise tonight

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:51 pm

  A noisy night may be in store for those who live near Quantico Marine Corps base.

• Bullets strike car in Woodbridge

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:47 pm

  Police are looking for a white coupe similar to a Toyota Scion after a drive-by shooting that left a car with bullet holes Tuesday.

• Washington and Lee mock convention features BIG political names

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:08 pm

  Ann Coulter and James Carville kick it off Thursday, with what will surely be a heated debate

• Bristow man sentenced for fatal crash

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:53 am

  A jury found Mark D’Amico, 22, guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the May 18, 2009 crash that killed John ‘Trey’ Roseberry.

• 

  This Old House: Kitchen And Bath

• How to Build a Grilling Station

  24 May 2012 | 6:00 am

  Create extra storage and work surface from garden accessories and sheet metal

• Colorful Small Appliances

  3 Feb 2012 | 9:15 am

  In shades such as tangerine and teal, these kitchen staples are so cheery, you'll want to leave them on the countertop for all to see

• Anatomy of a Modern Vintage Kitchen

  3 Feb 2012 | 9:15 am

  Learn pros' tricks for creating an open-plan, multipurpose space with just the right dose of old-fashioned charm

• From Unused Space to a Home Office Full of Smart Storage

  1 Feb 2012 | 9:10 am

  The creative redesign of a dysfunctional entry area yields welcoming built-in nooks for books and a desk, plus an ingenious box-within-a-box powder room

• Create a Shaker-Style Kitchen

  18 Jan 2012 | 9:15 am

  Historically influenced furnishings and handcrafted accents conceal the thoroughly modern amenities of this cooking-and-eating area

• 

  Apartment Therapy

• Clare & Thierry's 1905 Echo Park CraftsmanHouse Tour

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:30 pm

  Name: Clare Vivier & Thierry Vivier Location: Echo Park - Los Angeles, California Size: 2000 square feetYears lived in: 10 yearsClare and Thierry did what many of us love to see - restored and appreciated the character of an over 100-year-old Craftsman home. They made the home comfortable and contemporary for their needs, but also complemented its original architecture. Thierry even built two bungalows in the backyard, which look like they were original to the home, for extra storage and his office. More Read More...

• Before & After: Molly's IKEA Rast Turned Campaign Chest

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:15 pm

  Molly sent us an email sharing her take on the ever popular with DIYers IKEA Rast dresser. She wrote: After searching for a campaign piece I could fit in my dining room and having unsatisfying results, I decided to redo the Ikea Rast dresser (like many before me!). More Read More...

• Bright & Energetic: Hanging Pendants in Multiples

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:00 pm

  What's better than one gorgeous pendant making a dynamic impact in one of your favorite rooms of your house? Why, several gorgeous pendants, all working together to create a unique-to-you lighting arrangement sure to brighten up any space. More Read More...

• Make a DIY Ruffled Lamp Shade Tatertots & Jello

  8 Feb 2012 | 3:30 pm

  Lampshades are like throw pillows when you're in need of a quick and inexpensive fix to change up a room. Here is a simple Anthropologie inspired DIY shade that will cozy up any space. More Read More...

• Alternative to Baby Gates: Half Doors Kelly Rae Roberts

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:45 pm

  We just got rid of our last baby gate. Ours were the standard white metal gates that did their job well, but weren't visually appealing in the least. Unlike other items for baby, designers have left the baby gate market virtually untouched. In this case, taking matters into your own DIY hands may be the best option. More Read More...

• 

  Business and financial news - CNNMoney.com

• Behind Romney's Bain retirement deal

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:39 am

  Working in private equity can be lucrative. But leaving private equity can really pay, as everyone has learned recently from Mitt Romney.

• Fewer young adults hold jobs than ever before

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:32 am

  The share of young adults with jobs has hit its lowest level since the government started keeping records just after World War II.

• BIG STATES JOIN IN DEAL

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:21 am

  Regulators, banks and state attorneys general are on the verge of announcing they have a mortgage settlement deal to help homeowners this week. New York and California will join just about all the other states in a settlement with the nation's largest banks aimed at helping homeowners struggling with loans bigger than the value of their homes, according to a person familiar with the talks.

• Fisker is not another Solyndra ... yet

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:14 am

  When Fisker Automotive announced it was laying off about two dozen workers at its Delaware factory, comparisons arose to Solyndra, the solar cell manufacturer that went bankrupt despite billions of dollars in U.S. government help.

• New nuclear reactors set for approval in Georgia

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:10 am

  The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is expected to approve licenses to build to two new nuclear reactors Thursday, the first approvals in over 30 years.

• 

  Reuters: Business News

• Greeks fail to strike deal to take to Brussels

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:21 am

  ATHENS (Reuters) - Greek leaders failed early on Thursday to agree on reforms and austerity measures, the price of a bailout to avoid a messy default, forcing Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos to go to the country's financial backers with an incomplete deal.

• Credit Suisse slumps to Q4 loss

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:05 am

  ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse posted a surprise fourth-quarter net loss as its investment bank struggled and it took almost 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.1 billion) of charges as it slashes costs and risky assets to meet stiffer capital rules.

• Euro, shares gain on Greek deal hopes

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:57 am

  LONDON (Reuters) - European stock markets and the euro extended two months of gains on Thursday as Greece edged closer to a bailout deal and investors bet a brace of central bank meetings would offer further support for the move into riskier assets.

• Analysis: Fears of slowdown fade as economy shows some muscle

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:34 am

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A few months ago economists were all but certain the U.S. economy would slow sharply at the start of this year, with many warning that recession risks were growing.

• ECB to face Greece questions, hold rates

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:52 am

  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - All eyes will be on what the European Central Bank is willing to do to help Greece when it holds its monthly policy meeting on Thursday, with interest rates expected to stay on hold ahead of a major funding operation later this month.

• 

  U.S. News

• Military Says US Forces Will Still Fight Taliban Next Year

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:40 pm

  Despite talk of 2013 end for combat ops, military officials say fighting will continue beyond next year.

• Rick Santorum's Wins Fueled By Evangelicals

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:50 pm

  Santorum may push Romney to the right on social issues

• Giant Milky Way Black Hole Vaporizes Planets and Asteroids

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:52 pm

  Scientists believe a giant black hole in the center of the galaxy has been eating asteroids and planets.

• Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich Don’t Get the Social Safety Net

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:46 pm

  Converting safety net programs to block grants would be a huge step backwards.

• Obama's Common-Sense Deficit

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:30 pm

  Forcing contraception on Catholics is one of several puzzling decisions the president has made.

• 

  MarketWatch.com - Top Stories

• Europe Markets: Europe stocks gain on Greek deal hopes

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:52 am

  European stock markets edge higher Thursday as investors follow developments in Greek debt talks.

• Asia Markets: China data, Greece uncertainty weigh Asia stocks

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:38 am

  Japanese and Australian shares fall while Hong Kong stocks end flat after a choppy trading session, as an unexpected increase in Chinese inflation rate and uncertainty over Greek debt negotiations keeps investor sentiment subdued.

• Earnings Watch: Updates, advisories and surprises

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:31 am

  A roundup of the latest corporate earnings reports and what companies are saying about future quarters.

• Caixin Online: A world flying blind

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:44 pm

  The outlook for the global economy is gloomy and leaders lacking vision are to blame. Eventually, this will come back to haunt us, Andy Xie writes in a commentary for Caixin Online.

• Currencies: Dollar eases slightly against rivals

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:39 pm

  The dollar index eases slightly amid some signs of progress on Greece’s ongoing debt negotiations.

• 

  USATODAY.com Feed

• TelyHD puts video calls on TV at a lower price

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:23 pm

  Tely Labs thinks its TelyHD set-top box can succeed where other video-calling services have failed.

• New York, California to sign mortgage settlement

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:23 pm

  New York and California have agreed to sign the settlement between states and the nation's biggest mortgage lenders over foreclosure abuses.

• Goodbye potato chips; Hotel mini-bars turn exotic and even healthy

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:47 pm

  Hotels are revamping their mini-bars. They're adding upscale products, healthier choices and customized menus.

• Stocks are up, but they're still cheap

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:45 pm

  Stocks are soaring, but investors who buy in now may still be getting a deal of a decade based on metrics of how pricey the market is.

• Doritos Ad Meter winners each receive a $1 million bonus

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:30 pm

  Doritos ad creators each receive a $1 million bonus for getting top rankings on Ad Meter.

• 

  Finance News Pro

• Currency trading tips – Buying foreign currencies

  Charles

  2 Feb 2012 | 7:17 am

  You may be planning to become a successful forex trader over the period of time. Read this article and you will get to know the most effective currency trading tips and become a successful forex trader. The first and foremost thing is to know how the foreign exchange market works and moves. The currency trading market is influenced by a number of factors. It includes policy decisions, economic data releases, fluctuations in interest rates, etc. Therefore it is very necessary for the foreign exchange traders to spend quality time in understanding these factors and their possible results on…

• Payday loans – A quick and painless way out of financial crisis

  Charles

  31 Jan 2012 | 8:03 am

  In the last few years, many people have fallen into financial hardship. Credit cards happen to be a temporary solution for many in such times, but they are being more expensive with rising variable interest rates. People having bad credit need immediate cash. For them, payday loans are a unique and variable alternative to traditional credit cards. If you are one feeling trapped due to financial bind, considering a payday loan would be the right solution. You don’t have to go through a credit check while applying for a payday loan. You will be qualified for a loan based on your income…

• Seven Misconceptions About Bankruptcy

  Charles

  18 Jan 2012 | 10:04 am

  Bankruptcy is such a taboo subject in American society that most people don’t know much about it besides its role in Wheel of Fortune game play. Because of the lack of discussion there is regarding bankruptcy, many people carry with them ideas about the process that do not reflect reality. In order to clear out the confusion for our readers, we contacted Macey Bankruptcy Law who were so kind as to provide us with the following list of seven major misconceptions about filing for bankruptcy: Misconception #1: Bankruptcy is a death sentence to credit. Indeed, traditional lines of credit…

• The Pros and Cons of Instant Credit Card Applications

  Charles

  9 Jan 2012 | 7:05 am

  One of the greatest advantages of internet is that one can apply for an instant credit card on line. To get an access to instant credit card one has to fill up the forms or application on line. The online services are provided by most of the credit card companies. These kinds of services are offered by the credit card companies to satisfy their customers and also to sign up new customers. The response from the company is very fast, the only thing that you need to do is just fill up the application on line and get the answer via e-mail instantly. Let me tell you that it is not as easy as it…

• Do forex trading with the four most efficient tips

  Charles

  6 Dec 2011 | 7:13 am

  Is forex trading too complicated to understand or does it sound like a scam. Well, if this is the case, then you will find many others feeling the same like you. Millions of traders have lost their money in the forex market numerous times. Forex trading is definitely not a scam. At times, it is quite confusing to understand. If you are finding hard to understand something, it does not mean that it is a scam. The forex market cannot be mastered with only few basic suggestions, you can start to get a better understanding of how to get successful in the market with the following four tips. Stop…

• 

  WSJ.com: US Business

• Banks Near $26 Billion Pact on Foreclosures

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:26 am

  Government officials are on the verge of an agreement worth as much as $26 billion with five major banks, capping a yearlong push to settle federal and state probes of alleged foreclosure abuses by lenders.

• Barclays Falls Short of Big Dreams

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:25 am

  In 2009, Barclays chief Robert Diamond laid out an ambitious plan for the venerable British bank "to be the premier global investment bank," a goal he hoped to achieve "over the next couple of years." The bank is far from achieving that goal.

• Rio's Profit Slumps 59%

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:17 am

  Rio Tinto, one of the world's largest mining companies, said profit slumped 59% in 2011 after it booked a $9.29 billion impairment charge, mainly against its struggling aluminum business.

• Vodafone Hit By Europe Woes

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 am

  Vodafone reaffirmed its annual guidance, despite ongoing difficulties in Europe that led to a fall in third-quarter revenue.

• Diamond Ousts Top Executives

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:55 am

  Diamond removed two top executives and said it would restate two years worth of financial results, after an internal probe found it had wrongly accounted for payments to walnut growers.

• 

  WSJ.com: Markets

• Concentrating on Petrobras Projections

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:44 pm

  Petrobras sits on an important oil discovery and Brazil's government wants it to play the leading role in developing the resources. So much for diversification. The worry is if profit and cost projections prove too rosy.

• Foreign Deal on Tax Dodging

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:40 pm

  The Treasury Department and the governments of five European nations reached broad agreement Wednesday on a proposal to prevent U.S. taxpayers from dodging taxes through foreign accounts.

• U.S. Plans to Sue Banks Over Bonds

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:25 pm

  Federal securities regulators plan to warn several major banks that they intend to sue them over mortgage-related actions linked to the financial crisis.

• Caesars Shares Surge on Debut

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:20 pm

  Shares of Caesars Entertainment zoomed higher on their first day of trading, up 70% in the afternoon.

• Cisco's Profit Up Amid Restructuring

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:17 pm

  Cisco reported a big jump in profit, its first such gain in a year, as the company's turnaround plan seems to be having positive effects.

• 

  The Financial Services Roundtable SmartBrief

• Republican FDIC nomination could accelerate financial appointments

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:24 am

  President Barack Obama's appointment of several nominees for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.  -More- 

• Jobless rate underscores weakness, Bernanke says

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:24 am

  Although the jobless rate has dropped in the last five months, the 8.3% rate continues to be a drag on the economy, Federal R -More- 

• Rule requires anti-money laundering programs for nonbank lenders

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:24 am

  The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is now requiring nonbank mortgage lenders to set up anti-money laundering programs a -More- 

• Banks are prepared financially for mortgage-fraud settlement

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:24 am

  Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial are not likely to suffer if a $25 billion settleme -More- 

• Framework for more secure code designed to stop hackers

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:24 am

  Poorly written applications for online banking and mobile services have made financial firms ripe for cyber-attacks, but bank -More- 

• 

  Today's Real Estate News

• Zillow releases mortgage app for Android devices

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:23 pm

  Company released iPhone version of Mortgage Marketplace in June 2011read more

• 10 hottest markets for out-of-area house hunters

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:21 pm

  Trulia: Florida metros account for 7 top spots on listread more

• Popular neighborhood attributes: kid-friendly and hip

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:57 am

  Robot Workshop reports most popular search termsread more

• The legendary pads of Grammy winners past

  inmannews

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:25 am

  Homes where icons from the Grateful Dead to 'The Boss' made historyread more

• 'Will work for food': real estate survival stories

  AlishaAlwayBraatz

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:10 am

  You need to eat, and so do your clientsread more

• 

  National Commercial Real Estate News From CoStar Group

• Retail Outlook: Cautious Optimism as Tipping Point In Shopping Center Rents Expected In 2012

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:37 pm

  Retail property rents are expected to begin to rise later this year as demand for store space in shopping centers and malls slowly soaks up available space and, combined with the dearth of new space under development, finally tips the supply and demand balance. Improvements in market fundamentals are starting to spread into secondary markets and smaller shopping centers typically occupied by Mom-and-Pop businesses, according to CoStar’s 2011 Retail...

• Good Vibrations the Continuing Theme for the Multifamily Business

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:15 pm

  Overlooking the fact that the 20- to 34-year-old renters driving the robust apartment market are probably too young to remember the Beach Boys, apartment REIT Camden Property Trust played the surfer anthem on its pre-earnings conference call music to set the theme for the ongoing apartment industry rebound. "Our pre-conference music was chosen today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys," explained Richard J. Campo, chairman and...

• Forest City To Divest its Land Business, Some Retail

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:13 pm

  After starting out in the land development business 60 years ago, Forest City Enterprises Inc. will reposition or divest its land holdings and is actively reviewing alternatives to do so. Instead, Forest City is launching a new, four-year strategic plan that will focus its business on its core rental products - apartments, office and retail - in its core markets of New York, Washington DC, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver....

• Slower Than Expected Job Growth Could Be the Norm Thru 2020

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:11 pm

  There was good news and bad news for commercial real estate in the employment numbers that came out this past week. While the 243,000 jobs added in January was certianly good news, the projections of slower population growth and a decreasing overall labor force are expected to lead to slower civilian labor force growth through 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Slower job growth means slower real estate space demand. Industries...

• Graphic Packaging Inks 109,556-SF Office Lease

  7 Feb 2012 | 11:29 pm

  Graphic Packaging International, a packaging manufacturer, leased 109,556 square feet at RiverEdge Summit at 1500 RiverEdge Parkway in Atlanta, GA. The company will initially move its headquarters into 86,525 square feet in the first quarter of next year, but iStar Financial, the owner, will also build a state of the art, 23,000-square-foot product development center that will be attached to 1500 RiverEdge Parkway. The property is a nine...

• 

  Zillow Blog - Real Estate Market Stats, Celebrity Real Estate, and Zillow News

• $26B Foreclosure Deal Will Help Underwater Homeowners, But What About the Housing Market?

  Laura Vecsey

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:56 pm

  New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman wants to retain rights for further investigation and potential charges. SOURCE: AP After months of high-stakes negotiations by state attorneys general for a multi-billion dollar settlement with banks over mortgage services abuses, a deal was finally announced Wednesday night. In a country where homeowners face $700 billion in negative equity, the news is an opening salvo for one of the biggest drags on the U.S. economy. Settlement funds will be doled out under a complicated formula, but banks will be incentivized to help homeowners the most…

• A Record January: 30 Million Unique Users, 53 Homes Per Second on Mobile

  Amy Bohutinsky

  8 Feb 2012 | 2:41 pm

  We’ve closed the books on a record traffic month at Zillow.  More than 30 million unique users visited Zillow’s websites and mobile apps during January. The growth was across all segments, but particularly strong in mobile, where Zillow has the most popular suite of real estate apps across every major platform.  During January weekends (prime home-shopping days), up to 40% of Zillow’s traffic came from a mobile device. These mobile shoppers viewed over 140 million homes during the month on mobile – that’s 53 homes per second! In the real estate industry, we’re often asked how…

• 5 Tips For Dealing With a Seller Who is “Just Not That Into You”

  Brendon DeSimone

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:21 am

  As Valentine’s Day approaches, most people go shopping for flowers, chocolates, gifts, or someone new to share their life with. In the real estate world, buyers are out shopping for that perfect home to “settle down with.” Given the ups and downs of a real estate search and the love affair many buyers have with potential homes, many real estate agents feel their job is one part agent, one part therapist, and one part matchmaker. Buyers go to multiple open houses over the course of weeks or months in hopes of falling in love. Just like the search for a partner, a buyer has…

• Zillow Launches Zillow Mortgage Marketplace Android App

  Erin Lantz

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of the Zillow Mortgage Marketplace Android App, which provides personalized loan quotes, lender ratings, real-time mortgage rates and mortgage calculators all in one place. We first brought Zillow Mortgage Marketplace to mobile in June 2011 with the launch of Zillow’s first mortgage app on the iPhone.  Since then, the financial calculators on the Zillow Mortgage Marketplace iPhone App have been used more than 1.5 million times, proving people want access to mortgage and financing information when they are out looking at homes. On Android, we…

• Happy 6th Birthday, Zillow!

  Zillow Team

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:21 am

  Wow, what a year. As we turn 6 today, we can’t help but look back on an amazing 5th year for Zillow.com, Zillow Mobile and Zillow’s websites. It was a year chock-full of Zillow news, including a home giveaway sweepstakes, acquiring two companies, and going public — all of this in between feature releases and additions to the hottest kid on the block — Zillow Mobile, which offers the most popular suite of real estate apps across every major platform. Let’s do a rundown of Zillow’s accomplishments as a 5-year-old: Zillow Mobile Keeps Growing Yikes, where do…

• 

  Real Estate Investing For Real | A BiggerPockets Investment Property Blog

• Our Real Estate Investing Model in Detail

  Michael Zuber

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:00 am

  The questions I get most frequently via email from the BiggerPockets audience are:- Can you tell me more about your model? - Why do you think it works? - Can I copy your model in my market? - How can I participate in it?Instead of responding to emails weekly around these topics, I thought I would take the time to write up a detailed review of our model.  I will take you through a specific deal we have just locked up and hopefully answer the majority of the questions we receive.Step 0: Learn your market and establish relationshipsOur model starts with doing the homework required to…

• How the Robo-signing Settlement will Affect You

  Steve Cook

  8 Feb 2012 | 8:52 am

  As the result of a massive settlement negotiated between states and lenders that is almost complete, major changes are in the offing that will significantly change the way lenders, especially the largest banks, service defaults and foreclosures.  For investors, especially those who invest in major foreclosure markets in states in participating, the settlement will have a significant impact on foreclosure prices and inventories.More than 40 states will sign onto the settlement, which may be finalized this week.  At this is being written (Tuesday, February 7), several major states have yet to…

• Purposefully Planning Your Retirement – What Is Time To You?

  Jeff Brown

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:05 am

  Over the last 35+ years I’ve spoken with literally hundreds of people convinced they were seriously preparing for retirement. The problem for many is one of scale. For a couple in their 40s who make $80,000 yearly between them, $250,000 is one heckuva lotta money. Yet, if they’re 45, retiring at 65, turning that  amount into $1 million would require 20 consecutive years of just under 7.2% annual yield. No losing years allowed. ‘Course, they’re gonna have a down year or two, right? That means a few months to a few years on the ol’ treadmill catchin’ up to…

• Are Housing Solutions Really Part of the Real Estate Problem?

  Chris Clothier

  7 Feb 2012 | 10:00 am

  Cash is KingIf you’ve been paying attention recently to the drivers of the real estate market, you may have noticed that there is a decided uptick in the number of ‘Cash Purchases’ taking place throughout the country.  Some estimates put the actual number of cash transactions at over 100,000 monthly across the U.S.  This development though has raised some interesting questions among industry experts as to whether or not this is a good thing.  Some actually want to place blame on cash buyers, who are overwhelmingly investors, for driving the values of real estate down.  Others see…

• Response Rates for Direct Mail at Different Times of Year

  Sharon Vornholt

  7 Feb 2012 | 8:35 am

  Do you track the response you get from your direct mail campaigns each time you send one out? I hope that everyone said yes, because you should be. Tracking your response from each mailing is the only way you can figure out if it’s working like it should. It’s imperative that we spend those precious marketing dollars wisely in our business.The two main groups of people I mail to regularly are probates and absentee owners.  I have never sent a direct mail campaign out to probates in the month of December for obvious reasons. Previous mailings have also taught me that absentee owners are…

• 

  Appraisal Scoop

• Nice Guys Finish LAST! Clients file complaints after getting appraisers to "Second Guess" their own appraisals.

  Brian Davis

  8 Feb 2012 | 7:22 am

  T.J. McCarthy, of T.J. McCarthy & Associates, Tinley Park, IL has the following assessment of the AMC and Lender practice of making post-closing calls to appraisers to question how some of the adjustments were made and get appraisers to second-guess...

• Bring Back the Cost Approach

  Brian Davis

  7 Feb 2012 | 7:45 am

  Bring Back the Cost Approach: The Cost Approach to value has been discounted and even eliminated in residential real estate appraisal in recent years. Here are some reasons why it needs to be revived. By Harry E Davis In the...

• Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signs AMC legislation

  Brian Davis

  4 Feb 2012 | 8:12 am

  Originally posted by Kim Shindle On February 3, 2012 @ 6:00 am In Association News,Government Affairs- http://www.PARJustListed.com Appraisal management companies will now be regulated in Pennsylvania, thanks to legislation signed by Gov. Tom Corbett on Thursday. House Bill 398 [1]...

• Appraisal and AMC Fees Separated on Revised Settlement Forms

  Brian Davis

  3 Feb 2012 | 1:28 pm

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released the second proposed version of a new Consumer Disclosure Form Feb. 1 that includes clear disclosure of any fee paid to a “Local Appraisal Company” and to an “Appraisal Management Company.” The Appraisal Institute...

• The 1004D - Appraisal Update and/or Completion Report - Uses and Misuses

  Brian Davis

  3 Feb 2012 | 1:08 pm

  Guest Author: Ken Shure, Certified Residential Appraiser in the Los Angeles, California area. Contact: kbshure@Yahoo.com The 1004D form issued by Fannie Mae has two distinct sections. The first section is utilized to produce a summary appraisal report associated with a...

• 

  Financial Times - US homepage

• New Greek demands threaten debt deal

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:40 am

  Political leaders fail to agree pension cuts in all-night talks on budget targets ahead of emergency meeting of eurozone finance ministers

• Euro firms despite Greek deal delay

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:50 am

  Lack of a Greek debt deal is not enough to destroy underlying bullish mood

• Credit Suisse suffers fourth-quarter loss

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:43 pm

  Tough markets, cautious clients and regulatory and capital requirements weigh on Swiss bank

• Pension fund urges female director for Facebook

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:52 pm

  California State Teachers’ Retirement System also wants the group to increase the size of its board and to split the role of chairman and chief executive

• Chinese inflation jumps to 4.5%

  8 Feb 2012 | 6:37 pm

  Chinese inflation jumped in January, breaking a streak of five straight monthly declines, due to rising food prices ahead of New Year

• 

  naked capitalism

• The Top Twelve Reasons Why You Should Hate the Mortgage Settlement

  Yves Smith

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:25 am

  As readers may know by now, 49 of 50 states have agreed to join the so-called mortgage settlement, with Oklahoma the lone refusenik. Although the fine points are still being hammered out, various news outlets (New York Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal) have details, with Dave Dayen’s overview at Firedoglake the best thus far. The Wall Street Journal is also reporting that the SEC is about to launch some securities litigation against major banks. Since the statue of limitations has already run out on securities filings more than five years old, this means they’ll clip…

• Philip Pilkington: The Upcoming Greek ‘Deal’ – Recognition of Reality or Complete Evasion of the Truth?

  Yves Smith

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:24 pm

  By Philip Pilkington, a writer and journalist based in Dublin, Ireland Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty and dies with chaos – Will Durant Well, it looks like the Greeks are going to get a deal on their debt. Provided they continue to destroy their economy through austerity measure, of course. But then why should it be otherwise – why on earth should logic rule when crass moralising is so much more palatable? But there are a couple of problems with the current ‘arrangements’. As Marshall Auerback wrote yesterday: Suppose Greece finally does get a deal? I realize…

• Wolf Richter: Angela Merkel’s Desperate And Risky Gamble

  Lambert Strether

  8 Feb 2012 | 9:59 pm

  By Wolf Richter, San Francisco based executive, entrepreneur, start up specialist, and author, with extensive international work experience. Cross posted from Testosterone Pit. Following the German-French council of ministers in Paris on Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy gave a joint press conference about the crisis in Greece, among other topics. They agreed on everything. They urged the Greek government and all political parties to implement structural reforms and meet the Troika’s demands for deeper budget cuts. Without them, the next bailout tranche…

• Mortgage Settlement Pretty Much a Done Deal as New York and California Join

  Yves Smith

  8 Feb 2012 | 5:23 pm

  News stories in American Banker, the Wall Street Journal, and now Huffington Post all indicate that New York and California will join the so-called mortgage settlement deal. From Loren Berlin at Huffington Post: “It’s hard to see any state staying out of the deal if California is in,” said the source…. “Even if the final settlement number is $25 billion, it pales in comparison to the scope of the problem,” said Margery Golant, a Florida-based attorney who represents homeowners and formerly served as assistant general counsel at subprime mortgage giant Ocwen…

• Wired’s Embarrassing Whitewash of Foxconn

  Yves Smith

  8 Feb 2012 | 1:35 am

  Wired’s Joel Johnson has written a stunning bit of PR for Foxconn, now-controversial supplier to the consumer electronics industry, duly wrapped in credibility-enhancing guilt over Western materialism. The article, “1 Million Workers. 90 Million iPhones. 17 Suicides. Who’s to Blame?” pretends to be about Foxconn’s factories. But Johnson admits he’s a tech toy writer who apparently has no knowledge of manufacturing (I know I’ve had only limited contact with manufacturing, yet reading his piece, I’d bet serious money that I’ve seen more…

• 

  Alpha.Sources

• First Act of Greek Default Proceedings Drawing to a Close

  CV

  23 Jan 2012 | 1:00 am

  Global stock markets are up about 10% since the beginning of the year, volatility has collapsed, US economic data continue to defy even the mild slowdown proponents and the ECB seems to have backstopped the European banking system.  Yes, my dear reader. This is how quickly you move away from the apocalyptic abyss and back to normal. My base case is that we are close to excess complacency in equity markets and a sell off is overdue, but it is exactly also under these circumstances (where smart money start to hedge) that the market may deliver one final run up to get everyone and the…

• Banking follies in the eurozone

  CV

  18 Jan 2012 | 12:00 am

  Edward Hugh has a brilliant analysis of recent events in the eurozone and especially how banks are leveraging the liquidity provided by the ECB to "cleanse" their balance sheet of bad assets and essentially exchanging these for freshly minted euro deposits at the ECB. I think we should be very clear what is going on here; this is essentially a covert recapitalisation of the European banking system and the ECB is in every sense of the word acting as a lender of last resort.  Here is the relevant part;   Another area where the transfer of liquidity doesn’t show up as a change in…

• ECB/Fed Support for the European Banking System - 750 billion USD, and counting ...

  CV

  4 Jan 2012 | 11:00 pm

  One point that I have been shouting from the proverbial roof tops in my research, to partners and colleagues is that 2012 may well be the year when all major central banks will be conducting both conventional and unconventional monetary easing at the same time. I think this is a very strong testament not only to the severity of the ongoing debt crisis in the developed world, but also to the propensity of central banks to choose inflation as the  desired route to recovery. We need not initially discuss whether they are deploying the proper set of policies or even whether such policies…

• Merry Christmas to all Alpha Sources' Readers

  CV

  24 Dec 2011 | 1:12 am

    Hello everyone. Here is to a Merry Christmas and a great new year. As you might have noticed, posting has been a little less frequent this year, but such is life when work comes in the way. We are working on some very interesting initiatives at Variant Perception regarding blogs and online presence which will allow me to post more content here.  For now though, have a great Christmas weekend.     best   Claus

• New Macroeconomic Resource - Variant Perception's Trusted Sources

  CV

  13 Dec 2011 | 8:55 am

  I normally do not mix business and pleasure but in this case they are such a close match that I think an exception is warranted. The small independent macro research firm I work for is consequently in the process of restructuring its website and is opening up its Trusted Sources which was previously restricted to clients. VP Trusted Sources is a collection of content providers and their content that we deem to offer high quality and value adding financial and macroeconomic analysis worthy our own, investors' and other researchers' time.  Obviously, skilled and…

• 

  Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

• Consumer Credit "Demolishes Expectations" Really? No Not Really! The "Non-Bounce" in Non-Revolving Credit

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:26 pm

  Joe Weisenthal writing for Business Insider reports Consumer Credit Demolishes Expectations, Grows $19 Billion. It's hard to think that the economy is going into any kind of recession with numbers like these. For the second straight month we just got a HUGE number on consumer credit Consumer credit expanded by $19 billion in December. That's far more than the $7 billion that was expected by economists. This chart from Reuters' Soctty Barber basically tells it all. The data on which that chart was produced was the Consumer Credit - G.19 government report. Demolishing the Revolving Credit Side…

• Will Le Pen Be on the Ballot Against Sarkozy and Hollande? Does it Matter?

  8 Feb 2012 | 4:30 pm

  Not many people realize this but in spite of polling anywhere between 16% and 22% in recent election polls, Marine Le Pen might not be included on the French presidential ballot. The reason is Le Pen needs 500 signatures by elected officials supporting her campaign. Le Pen says she only has 350. I had been aware of this for some time but figured she could scrape up 500 signatures from a pool of 47,000 or so bureaucrats eligible to sign. Perhaps not. Please consider Le Pen attacks all sides over 'pathetic' poll Far-right Front National leader Marine Le Pen slammed a poll in a Sunday newspaper…

• Bernanke Finally Says Something That Seems to Make Sense "8.3% Unemployment Understates Labor Weakness"; Critique of Bernanke's 2014 Pledge; Perfectly Useless Projections

  8 Feb 2012 | 10:19 am

  I nearly always disagree with Bernanke on monetary and fiscal policy. Specifically, the Fed ought not have a monetary policy for the simple reason the Fed should not exist. Indeed, the Bernanke Fed and the Greenspan Fed have both proven beyond a shadow of a doubt they do not know what they are doing, where the economy is headed, or anything else of relevance in setting monetary policy. However, on rare occasions, Bernanke can say a few snippets that seem to make complete sense. For example, Bernanke Says 8.3% Unemployment Understates Labor Weakness. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke…

• Spotlight China: Electricity Consumption Drops Sharply; Central Bank Vows Housing Support; Oil Imports From Iran Fall Again; Asia Real-Estate Bull Turns Bearish

  8 Feb 2012 | 12:54 am

  Inquiring minds are tired of the spotlight on Greece (believe me I am as sick as anyone of Groundhog Day). Given the world will not end when Greece defaults, whether in March of this year or next, let's turn our attention to a country far more significant. Chinese Electricity Consumption Fell Massively In January Business Insider reports Chinese Electricity Consumption Fell Massively In January, And The Chinese New Year Doesn't Explain It Ultra-brief note here from Nomura's Zhiwei Zhang : According to the China Securities Journal, China's electricity consumption in January fell by 7.5%. We…

• Postponed Due to "Political Suicide"; Flag of Germany Burned, Could This be a Trigger?

  7 Feb 2012 | 6:41 pm

  Greece bailout talks that were postponed on Friday to Saturday, then Saturday to Sunday, then Sunday to Monday, then Monday to Tuesday. They have been postponed again, this time for a reason that makes perfect sense "Political Suicide". The New Work Times reports Greece Puts Off Decision on Austerity Measures Amid a Strike Protesting Them As thousands of Greeks walked off the job in a general strike on Tuesday to protest stringent new austerity measures, there was a growing sense that the country was reaching a critical point in its efforts to survive the debt crisis. Greek political leaders…

• 

  SeekingAlpha.com: Home Page

• Rough Seas Ahead For Shipping

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:35 am

  By Sean O'Connor:I apologize for the use of puns in the following article, it's simply too easy. As investors, we're constantly out looking for the best deals on the market. It's common nature for people to seek the greatest value in their purchases whether it's a can of soup, a new car, or a little piece of a company. Many of these people are looking towards the shipping industry as one which has been knocked down and is looking to come rising back up.Unfortunately for these investors, they could be riding the bull straight off the cliff in this circumstance as many of the shipping companies…

• Cramer's Mad Money - What Keeps Me Up At Night (2/8/12)

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:32 am

  By Miriam Metzinger: Stocks discussed on the in-depth session of Jim Cramer's Mad Money TV Program, Wednesday February 8. What Keeps Cramer Up At Night? Stocks mentioned: Darden (DRI), Whole Foods (WFM), Disney (DIS), Nokia (NOK), Diamond Foods (DMND) Cramer complained that people on Twitter are saying he has gotten too bullish. He responded that there are things that worry him and keep him up at night, but there are great things happening to stocks as well. The worries: 1. Possible armed conflict between Israel and Iran. Stocks may take a hit, and oil prices will continue to rise.2. Price of…

• NYSE Euronext Merger Off, Where To From Here?

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:31 am

  By Ry Frank:About one year ago the German stock market Deutsche Boerse and the NYSE Euronext (NYX) agreed to a merger of the two stock exchange companies. The deal valued the NYSE Euronext at $9.5 billion or about $40 per share. The all stock transaction would have left NYSE shareholders owning 40 percent of the world's largest stock and derivative exchanges company. Now approximately one year after the merger was announced, European officials announced they would not approve the merger which would make the new company the dominant player in the European financial markets. Post merger…

• Gold Confirms Investments In China Will Eventually Be Worthless

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:23 am

  By John Lindauer:There is reason to believe investments in China will eventually be worthless for firms such as PetroChina (PTR) and China Life (LFC) and that the supply chains of companies sourcing in China such as Apple (AAPL) and Walmart (WMT) will eventually be broken. The question now is how soon? (There is an entire December 26 Seeking Alpha article "Why Investments in China Will Eventually Be Worthless" explaining why this will occur.)Presently there is an implicit social contract between the Chinese people and their ostensibly communist government: the people don't challenge the…

• Recent Insider Buys: 13 Industrial Goods Stocks

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:16 am

  By Insider Monkey: Academic research has shown that corporate insiders have an edge over ordinary investors, especially when it comes to purchasing stocks. Even small insider purchases are marginally profitable. On the other hand, insider sales have not outperformed the market historically. The reason is simple: insider sales are often motivated by diversification or liquidity needs, but insider purchases are not. Insiders usually have a lot of exposure to their company's performance. It does not make sense for them to increase their exposure, unless they know that their purchases have a high…

• 

  Dollars & Sense Blog

• Manifesto of the Appalled Economists; etc.

  Chris Sturr

  6 Feb 2012 | 3:04 pm

  Thank you, Jesus. De nada. (1)  Manifesto of the Appalled Economists: Hat-tip to David Barkin for the link to the English translation (which has apparently been around for over a year already) for this document, originally out of France, subtitled CRISIS AND DEBT IN EUROPE: 10 PSEUDO “OBVIOUS FACTS”, 22 MEASURES TO DRIVE THE DEBATE OUT OF THE DEAD END.  A good read alongside our current lead article, Why the United States Is Not Greece, our take on the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, courtesy of John Miller and Katherine Sciacchitano.   (2) Davidson on Wolff and Other Purveyors of…

• The Davos Class, Greenway, Romney’s taxes, etc.

  Chris Sturr

  2 Feb 2012 | 9:14 am

  Punk Mum, by Banksy   I resolve to try, in 2012, to do more posts with fewer items. But here’s a link dump of stuff that’s been accumulating on my browsers: (1) Susan George on “The Davos Class”: The Transnational Institute has a great report called The State of Corporate Power 2012: Exposing the Davos Class.  The lead article is an excerpt from Susan George’s book Whose Crisis, Whose Future?. Here’s a tidbit: ‘“All for ourselves and nothing for other people” seems in every age of the world to have been the vile maxim of the masters of…

• New Issue, plus Various Occupy Links

  Chris Sturr

  19 Jan 2012 | 1:31 pm

  Occupy the Stairs--by a kid in Lansing, W.Va. (Hat-tip to Jenny B. for today’s potentially irrelevant image.) (1) New Issue! Our Jan/Feb 2012 issue is finally at the printers.  Print subscribers should get their magazines in a week to ten days; e-subscribers should get their full-color pdfs in about twenty minutes. Not a subscriber? Please subscribe right now, here. I have posted two articles from the new issue to the website:  Jeannette Wicks-Lim’s The Great Recession in Black Wealth, and John Miller and Katherine Sciacchitano’s Why the United States Is Not Greece. (2) …

• ASSA/AEA Protests; Repubs on Bain; Davidson

  Chris Sturr

  13 Jan 2012 | 3:14 pm

  "I Was Wrong" (1) ASSA/AEA Protests: I apologize for the delay posting–I was in Chicago for the annual meetings of the Allied Social Sciences Association, a/k/a the American Economic Association and its marginalized poor cousins.  My last post mentioned the protests that were planned. Here is an article I whipped out for the Boston Occupier (the print newspaper of Occupy Boston) on the protests, which were a blast: Occupy the AEA! The movement takes on free-market economists at their annual meetings in Chicago. By Chris Sturr In January 2009, as economists gathered in San…

• #D17; OB eviction; Gar everywhere; Eurozone; odds and ends

  Chris Sturr

  16 Dec 2011 | 1:30 pm

  (1) D17: Big protests in NYC and elsewhere to commemorate the third month of #OWS.  Click on the image above for info about NYC events; visit your local Occupy’s website for info about protests near you.  I know some places are having rallies in support of Bradley Manning whose birthday is tomorrow and who is finally getting a pre-trial hearing, after more than 500 days incarcerated. (2) #OccupyBoston evicted: Since my last post was about the imminent eviction of #OccupyBoston from Dewey Square in the Rose Kennedy Greenway, you may have figured out that that happened.  I think it…

• 

  NYT > Business Day

• Austerity Talks Hit a Wall in Greece

  By RACHEL DONADIO and NIKI KITSANTONIS

  9 Feb 2012 | 2:22 am

  The prime minister of Greece said talks with foreign lenders would continue Thursday after they stalled over proposed pension cuts.

• Nuclear Commission Expected to Vote on New Reactors

  By MATTHEW L. WALD

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:50 am

  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has not given a license to build since 1978, a year before the Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania.

• Austerity Measure Talks Are Stalled in Greece

  By RACHEL DONADIO and NIKI KITSANTONIS

  9 Feb 2012 | 1:37 am

  Prime Minister Lucas Papademos and leaders in his government pledged to resume talks to reach an agreement on measures required for a bailout.

• Regulators Order Inspections for Entire Airbus A380 Fleet

  By NICOLA CLARK

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:11 am

  The news that A380 wing bracket cracks could be more widespread comes at a time when Boeing is grappling with what it said were minor defects on its 787 “Dreamliner.”

• Green Column: Should Plastic Bags Be Banned?

  By KATE GALBRAITH

  9 Feb 2012 | 12:11 am

  Governments around the world are wrestling with the question of what, if anything, to do about plastic bags, and there are few figures to support any of the arguments.

• 

  bank-o-meter.com

• February, Wednesday 08, 2012

  Sinclair Noe

  8 Feb 2012 | 11:11 pm

  DOW + 5 = 12, 883SPX + 2 = 1349NAS + 11 = 291510 YR YLD +.01 = 1.98%OIL +.63 = 99.04GOLD – 12.90 = 1733.00SILV - .21 = 34.04PLAT + 14.00 = 1668.00Once again we had a quiet day on Wall Street, and the justification du jour was everyone was waiting on Greece. Which is kind of silly. Greece is finalizing details of a debt reduction deal, an orderly default on Greek bonds. They will swap the old bonds for new bonds at about 30 cents on the dollar. Quite a few private sector investors will take a hit, but very few if any are taking the full hit. These bonds have been trading lower over a period…

• February, Tuesday 07, 2012

  Sinclair Noe

  7 Feb 2012 | 11:11 pm

  DOW + 33 = 12, 878SPX + 2 = 1347NAS + 2 = 290410 YR YLD +.06 = 1.96%OIL + 1.74 = 98.65GOLD + 25.00 = 1744.90SILV +.47 = 34.15PLAT + 36.00 = 1647.00I talked with a friend this weekend about the unbelievably better than expected jobs report on Friday. My friend was a bit surprised that I viewed the report favorably. I tried to explain that the report was deeply flawed, seriously imperfect, and likely not accurate, however it is probably still the best report to track the jobs picture, even with strange seasonal adjustments. The debate continued that the jobs report was certainly nothing more…

• February, Monday 06, 2012

  Sinclair Noe

  6 Feb 2012 | 11:11 pm

  DOW – 17 = 12,845SPX -0.5 = 1344NAS – 3 = 290110 YR YLD -.05 =1.90%OIL - .93 = 96.91GOLD – 6.00 = 1720.90SILV +.01 = 33.78PLAT -10.00 = 1629.00Today was supposed to be a deadline for Greece to accept its punishment and fall into line. The Greeks were expected to strike a deal for an orderly debt default, which would secure a $170 billion dollar bailout for the Greeks, and avoid a disorderly meltdown of Credit Default Swaps, which could in turn cause a meltdown of the European shadow banking system, which could in turn cause a meltdown of the Euro-banks, which in turn could cause a…

• February, Friday 3, 2012

  Sinclair Noe

  3 Feb 2012 | 5:34 pm

  DOW + 156= 12862SPX + 19 = 1344NAS + 45 = 290510 YR YLD +.12 = 1.95%OIL +1.44 = 97.80GOLD – 32.50 = 1726.90SILV -.69 = 33.77PLAT – 7.00 = 1626.00The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent in January. The economy added 243,000 jobs, the biggest monthly increase in nine months. The results were about 100,000 stronger than most estimates. Revisions added a total of 60,0000  jobs to payrolls in November and December.Gains in employment last month were broad-based, including manufacturing, construction, temporary help agencies, accounting firms, restaurants and retailers. Manufacturing…

• February, Thursday 02, 2012

  Sinclair Noe

  2 Feb 2012 | 4:24 pm

  DOW – 11 = 12,705SPX + 1 = 1325NAS + 11 = 285910 YR YLD - .02 = 1.83%OIL – 1.25 = 96.36GOLD + 15.40 = 1759.40SILV +.65 = 34.46PLAT + 11.00 = 1635.00Tomorrow is the big monthly jobs report. We all want to know the condition of the economy and jobs are the key to the other elements of a healthy economy such as: consumption, profits, credit, debt, deficit reduction, tax revenues, and the financial markets. The jobs report can move the markets and yet the jobs report tomorrow won't really provide as much information as we want and need. The jobs report is based on a survey sample and there…