Philosophical Thoughts of a Road Warrior; Part I
With a tip of the hat to Virginia Woolf, William Faulkner and Dennis Miller; as I drove from Katy TX to the West side of Houston, I watched through the side-windshield of the Mobile Command Center traveling at 75 mph the freeway at the lines going by me in the rear view mirror and reflecting on ... more...

Housing Bubble, Interest Rates, Timber Costs; What Has Changed?
What has really changed in the housing market with regards to timber dumping from Canada, lumber costs since the Professional Building Magazine issue in Sept. 2001. How is this affecting the housing market or the predicted housing bubble burst which was suppose to cripple the economy. We have seen ... more...

Debt Collectors; And what you can do to Get Them Out of your Life
FTC opinion letter on validation Section 809(a) of the FDCPA, 15 U.S.C. 1692g(a)This will be a pretty long lesson and will cover an integral part of validation which is the receipt of the initial or first contact with the debtor by a collector which usually gets thrown in the trash can if the ... more...

Hurricane Katrina And The Impact On Real Estate Prices
In the wake of Hurricane Katrinas wide path of destruction, the real estate market will be affected perhaps in ways not fully understood or expected. If recent hurricane recovery history holds true there will be several good things to come out of all destruction. Lets hope so as those who live in ... more...

Smokers, Death Benefit Arguments, and Poly-behavioral Addiction
Do Governments Save Money by Watching Smokers Die Prematurely?This was the conclusion of a report, commissioned by Philip Morris, who looked at the cost of smoking in the Czech Republic in 1999. They concluded that tobacco can save a government millions of dollars in health care and pensions ... more...

A School Loan Consolidation Primer
"Hey Dad!", my son screamed from our front door, "I did it, I was accepted to Boston University.". My momentary exhilaration was overshadowed by the financial realities of college, especially private college. A quick calculation of my costs for 4 years of tuition, and expenses came to roughly $250 ... more...

Federal PLUS Loans
As a student entering college, it is very unlikely that you have a few spare checks lying around that you can cash and magically use to pay for college. Most college-aged students, ranging from late teens through mid-twenties, have no line of credit and cannot receive much money in loans if they ... more...

Student Loan Consolidation What Are The Main Advantages?
Consolidating your student loan enables you not only to take advantage of lower rates, but you can also lock in that rate for the life of your loan. What benefits do you get from consolidating your student loan? Basically, the key benefits are one lower fixed rate; one low monthly payment and one ... more...

Using the Services of a Housing Association
The purchase of a home is one of the biggest decisions any person can make, and many first time home buyers are intimidated by the home buying and mortgage application process. Those considering the purchase of a first home should check to see if there is a housing association in their area ... more...