4/23/08 Newsletter

In BOICE MAIL this week...

"Pic" of the week:





Some people just don’t like to get their picture taken.

http://photowebs.blogspot.com/2008/03/natures-best-photo-awards-by-national.html

Best Nature Photo Awards by NG (National Geographic)

Headline Mortgage News:

* “Burning down the house”; A correlation between foreclosure activity and questionable home fires. This LA Times article is entitled “Arson to avoid foreclosure?”: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-arson21apr21,0,3776892.story


* Will Congress make things worse? Mortgage bailout plans might actually lengthen the housing decline. Read this article from CNNMoney.com – “Many problems with mortgage bailouts”: http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/22/news/economy/housing_rescue/?postversion=2008042211


* The Mortgage Bankers Association says mortgage loan applications were down 14.2% last week (from the week before): http://www.mortgagebankers.org/NewsandMedia/PressCenter/62116.htm

* Remember the “S & L Crisis” 20 years ago? What if Fannie and Freddie needed a government bail-out? Some think this is possible and would be 2-4 time more expensive. Read about it in this CNN Money article entitled “The trillion-dollar mortgage time bomb” : http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/21/news/economy/fannie_freddie/?postversion=2008042217


* Another Acronym-HVCC: Appraisers, you’ve head about it…Have you read it? The following link is known as the Home Valuation Code of Conduct. This document is one of the results of the 03/03/2008 agreement between several other Acronyms: FNMA, FHLMC, OFHEO and the attorney general of New York: http://www.ofheo.gov/media/agreements/3308HomeValuationCodeofConduct.pdf


Thought for the Week:

I haven't failed. I've found 10,000 ways that won't work. -Benjamin Franklin








Is it real or is it Photoshop? This photo has been bounced around the internet as an example of a very creative paint job on a bathroom floor. You might hesitate before walking into this room, right? Actually it’s not a real bathroom at all. Just an entry to a Worth 1000 photo contest in 2005.

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/bathroom-painted-floor.shtml

http://www.snopes.com/photos/arts/bathroom.asp

And finally, Appraise That!



Forget trying to appraise it…where is it and what is it? We’ve received this photo from several people during the past few weeks. According to Snopes, this is not a “Redneck Mansion”. It is actually “an outdoor theater set, one used by the Theater het Amsterdam Bos for a 2005 production of the Anton Chekhov play Ivanov”….so now you know.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/architecture/redneck.asp

http://www.sonnyradio.com/redneckmansion.htm


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BOICE APPRAISALS

885 Woodstock Road, Suite 430-305
Roswell, GA 30075
Office# 770-926-5284
Fax# 866-870-0930
http://www.boiceappraisals.com/

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11/7/07 E-newsletter

In BOICE MAIL this week...

"Pic" of the week:





3-D sidewalk painting: This is one of talented artist, Kurt Wenner’s sidewalk drawings done with colored chalk. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mr. Wenner did his first commissioned mural at age 16. This one has been dubbed “Dante’s sidewalk”. To learn more, go to http://www.kurtwenner.com/artist.htm





Headline Mortgage News:

WAMU and eAppraiseIT accused of pushing values. New York attorney general files a lawsuit. Same old thing, just bigger players? See this Seattle Times article:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003989314_wamu02.html

Top 10 “Great American Towns” – According to CNN Money, Fort Collins, Colorado is number one. Find out why and who the other 9 are: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/index.html

A bright side to the housing bubble bust: This LA Times article points out that “lower housing prices could keep businesses from leaving the region because their workers could afford to buy houses”. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-op-kotkin4nov04,1,2411436.story?coll=la-news-comment&ctrack=1&cset=true

Will shareholders boot Beazer Homes CEO? The stock is down almost 80% this year and this Forbes article quotes a shareholder advisory group accusing McCarthy of “the most stunning leadership failure in the entire homebuilding industry”. http://www.forbes.com/markets/2007/11/06/beazer-ctw-closer-markets-equity-cx_ra_1106markets47.html

Credit ratings slide for major home builders. S&P pummels the industry according to this Forbes article: http://www.forbes.com/markets/2007/11/02/homebuilders-mihomes-sandp-markets-equity-cx_ra_1102markets36.html?boxes=relstories

IndyMac reports a 203 million dollar quarterly loss. This is a sharp contrast to one year ago when IndyMac posted an 86 million dollar profit. Late payments and reduced investor demand are blamed. Check out this MSNBC article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21658018/

Greenspan recommends reducing home inventory. “get rid of probably 200,000-300,000 excess units in inventory” he says. Refer to this CNN Money article: http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/06/news/economy/bc.japan.us.greenspan.ap/index.htm?postversion=2007110608


Thought for the Week:

"To be cheerful about 2000, consider only this. Of the 30 major elections that will be held, 16 will be in countries that 25 years ago were dictatorships."
"The World In 2000", published by "The Economist"




Trouble “brewing” for the landlord; this photo was taken in an Ogden, Utah townhouse shortly after the tenant moved out. Other than an apparent strong affinity for Coors Light, this guy was described as an excellent tenant. Believe it or not, this photo was taken after some of the cans had already been removed and the tunnel system for navigating from room to room had been collapsed. It is estimated there were 70,000 empty cans in the home. The tenant had deliberately shut off the water to the townhouse. Why not? He certainly wasn’t dying of thirst!
Source: http://snopes.com/photos/odd/beercans.asp






How to keep more of your own paycheck:

We just sent our oldest son to college and almost had to get a second mortgage just to pay for the text books! A great way to lower those costs is to buy used textbooks online at some of the following sites: CheapestBookPrice.com, AllBookstores.com, Biblio.com, AbeBooks.com, A1Books.com, BookFinder.com, ValoreBooks.com and Textbook411.com are all good sites for this purpose. Amazon is also doing big business selling college text books, and there are some British book websites that offer science textbooks for about 40 percent off the domestic price (even when you factor in the cost of international shipping.) Don't buy your books before class starts. Go the first day and ask your professor if you can buy a prior edition and try to find it used.



And now, for this week's fun freebies!

SURVEY COMPANY THAT SENDS AMPLES AND COUPONS ON A REGULAR BASIS
http://www.vocalpoint.com/p4screener/Page1.aspx

Tylenol - Printable Coupon $5 on off
http://www.tylenol.com/page.jhtml?id=tylenol/news/subpcccoldmed.inc

NO COST HOLIDAY MAILING ADDRESS LABELS
http://www.pva.org/site/Survey?SURVEY_ID=2020&ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&autologin=true

Free burger on your birthday at Red Robin restaurant
http://apps.fishbowl.com/a/redrobin/join/agegate.asp

SURVEY OPPORTUNITY $75 + WEBCAM
http://www.surveywriter.net/in/survey/survey52/food.asp
20/20 Research is recruiting individuals to participate in a 1.5-hour online focus group taking place on Thursday, November 15th. Each participant will be mailed a webcam with set-up instructions for use in the online streaming video discussion group…and can keep the webcam (valued at $50). The $75 honorarium will be mailed at the conclusion of the group discussion


And finally, Appraise That!





This “tree house” is suspended by cables. One of the most unique houses ever, it must be exciting on a windy day. This model is called the “Free Spirit Sphere” and it is rumored to cost between $100,000 and $250,000 if you are interested. It is made from laminated wood and seems a bit “pricy” for a 8 foot wide home with no bathroom. More photos below.
http://www.freespiritspheres.com/index.htm
http://www.inhabitat.com/2005/06/07/bubble-treehouse/#more-152
To see more photos, etc go to http://www.funmansion.com/html/Most-Peculiar-Tree-House.html



Brought to you by:
BOICE APPRAISALS (High Speed, High Standards)
885 Woodstock Road, Suite 430-305
Roswell, GA 30075
Office# 770-926-5284
Fax# 866-870-0930
www.boiceappraisals.com

Love our new "Boice Mail" more than life itself? If you'd like to subscribe or let us know what you think of our e-newsletters each week write to us at tom.boice@gmail.com

October 24, 2007

In BOICE MAIL this week...

"Pic" of the week:



A punctured water balloon shot with high speed photography (1000 frames/sec). These tests were conducted to “get preliminary insight into the rupture of water balloons in a low-gravity environment”. Why we need this kind of research might be more enlightening than the photo itself. If you would like to see movies of “water balloons in space”, go to:
http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/balloon/HS.HTM


Headline Mortgage News:

Big price cuts from home builders. The nations 15 larges home builders have nearly $8 billion in debt. They are doing what’s necessary to move their inventory. Check this article from the International Herald Tribune: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/07/bloomberg/bxhomes.php

Tax Shelter…or just “shelter”? It might be wise to think of the place where you live as a “home”, not an “investment”. This Newsweek article broaches the concerns of many of today’s homeowners: http://www.newsweek.com/id/52608?GT1=10450

Too much house, not enough income – Those who thought the “dark side” would never appear in residential real estate would never happen, may be going through what is described in this article called “How to lose your home in a few easy steps”. Source msnbc News: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21082646/

How long with the housing woes last? According to this Bloomberg.com article, the “U.S. Housing Decline Threatens to Last Into 2009” http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&refer=columnist_wasik&sid=aOaXXjyhYd4c

Real business in a Virtual world; You’ve probably heard of “The Sims Online”. Maybe your kids access “Disney’s Toontown”. But have your ever heard of “Second Life”, “There” or “Cybertown”? Businesses are beginning to stake out their claim in these cyber worlds which are becoming more than just a place for role-playing “gamers”. See this report from The Conference Board: http://www.conference-board.org/utilities/pressDetail.cfm?press_ID=3205


Thought for the Week:

"A mind once stretched by new thoughts can never regain its original shape."
Albert Einstein




Not as bad as it looks! This is just one scary tattoo. This bizarre photo was found at: http://www.hourlylaff.com/pic-coolest-tattoo-youll-ever-see/








How to keep more of your own paycheck

Do you…Skype? The popularity of this popular “Voice over IP” phone system has it price. It has been targeted by several “Trojans”, “worms”, etc. according to this article in eWeek.com:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2200670,00.asp

Phone companies charging fees to not use long distance
Do you need yet another reason to dump the three monopoly phone companies -- Verizon, AT&T and Qwest -- and their outdated landlines? Well, here it is: Verizon is playing dirty pool by getting into the AT&T game of charging customers a fee for long distance even if you don't use long distance. The Verizon fee is a couple of bucks a month, but AT&T had been charging people between three and five dollars to not use long distance! So unless you absolutely need a landline, why not liberate yourself? Here's the problem the phone companies are facing: They fought very hard to be able to sell long distance, but then people started using their cell phones, pre-paid cards, the Internet and/or cable phone companies to make their long distance calls. In fact, the cable companies usually offer unlimited long distance. So now the monopoly phone companies are fighting a losing battle.

Drying your razor blades extends shelf life
Studies show that if you just dry your inexpensive razor after use it can last up to a year!

And now, for this week's fun freebies!

CA Anti-Virus, plus CA Anti-Spyware 2008 – AVP08LNC03E
$0.00 ($45 minus 2 rebates at buy.com)
Detects viruses, spyware and other online threats
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=205690321&adid=17653&dcaid=17653

And finally, Appraise That!







Dar al-Hajar – Yes, this is a real home; Located in Yemen, it was built in the 1930’s for the Imam Yahya. You can actually tour the first 5 floors of this palace, which has been restored for visitors.










Source: http://www.traveladventures.org/continents/asia/daralhajar.shtml

Brought to you by:
BOICE APPRAISALS
885 Woodstock Road, Suite 430-305
Roswell, GA 30075
Office# 770-926-5284
Fax# 866-870-0930
http://www.boiceappraisals.com/

Boice Mail Sept 19, 2007

In BOICE MAIL this week...

"Pic" of the week:





Guatemala City sinkhole; In March 2007 this 330 foot deep sinkhole swallowed several homes and caused the evacuation of 1000 people and was blamed for three deaths. According to articles, it emitted foul odors, shook the ground and rushing water could be heard from its depths.
http://www.rxbbx.com/blog/2007/02/24/guatemala-sinkhole/
http://www.ordena.com/digg/sinkhole.html

(See more photos at the end of this newsletter)


Headline Mortgage News:

Builders circle the wagons – Starts & permits drop to 12 year low – According to this article in CNNMoney.com, builders “slam the brakes on new projects”.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/19/news/economy/housingstarts/index.htm?postversion=2007091910

Foreclosure filings may exceed 2 million in 2007 according to Realty Trac – Nevada, California and Florida lead the pack. Read about it in this CNNMoney.com article by Les Christie:
http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/17/real_estate/August_foreclosures_way_up/index.htm

Fed cuts interest rate ½ point – Will this stop the bleeding? According to this LATimes.com article, there are winners and losers and it is not clear that housing will revive:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rates19sep19,1,655303.story?coll=la-headlines-business

H&R Block announces 575 to be fired at Option One Mortgage (a wholly owned subsidiary). This is in addition to 615 jobs lost last May. For more info, click on this Reuters article in the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/11/AR2007091101634.html

A housing problem rising faster than foreclosures; The high cost of rent – this AP article found at msnbc.msn.com, states “the number of working family renters paying more than half their income for housing has soared from 1 million to 2.1 million since 1997”.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20776771/


Thought for the Week:

"Madness is rare in individuals - but in groups, parties, nations, and ages it is the rule."
Friedrich Nietzshe




This photo is an entry from the “Why women live longer than men” photo contest…And this one was 7th place? http://www.gophergas.com/funstuff/womenlivelonger2.


How to keep more of your own paycheck

Metro and Cricket eyeing merger
Metro PCS and Cricket may be getting ready to merge. These companies are like the Southwest Airlines of the cell phone business. They run extra-lean operations and undercut traditional cell phone operators by a handsome margin, passing the savings on to customers. With Metro and Cricket, flat-rate calling usually starts at $30/month for unlimited calling. The only problem is that if you travel, you may or may not be able to use your phone because Metro and Cricket don't have coverage across the country. Metro is now looking at the possibility of buying Cricket's parent company. If this happens, it would create a fifth major player in the telecommunications industry.

And now, for this week's fun freebies!

Free Back-ups: It has been reported that this is a product you can use to make sure you don’t lose those valuable photos, music files and office documents on your PC. Ever heard of a company called Mozy? This company will give you FREE 2 GB of storage. If you want, you can do unlimited data backups for less then $5.00 a month. So, for less then $60 a year, you can store all of your valuable data in a secure place.
This is how it works:
1) Sign-up for an account at this URL: http://www.mozy.com/?ref=3f9a896b&kbid=38254&m=5
2) Download and install a small application.
3) Select the files you want saved.
4) Lastly, this software will copy your data to a secure server at a trustworthy site.
So, if your computer crashes or your child accidentally deleted a file, No Problem. Open the Mozy icon and pull it back to your computer.

Get up to 4 FREE tickets to a live show in your area during the month of October! Free Night of the Theater 2007 sponsors this program to help introduce more people to shows in their communities! To see which theater in your town is giving away free tickets go to www.freenightoftheater.net


And finally, Appraise That!








The “House in the Clouds” is located in Thorpeness, Suffolk County, England. It was built in 1923 to hide the town’s unsightly water tower. The living area was the five stories below the house shaped structure which enclosed the tank. Later, when Thorpeness connected to an alternate public water supply, the tank was dismantled and the additional living area was built out.






Brought to you by:
BOICE APPRAISALS

885 Woodstock Road, Suite 430-305
Roswell, GA 30075
Office# 770-926-5284
Fax# 866-870-0930
order at: www.hotlynk.net
www.highspeedhighstandards.com

9/12/07 Newsletter

In BOICE MAIL this week...

"Pic" of the week:
















A "Raft Dive"? This photo was taken by Ryan Mayer over the Florida Skydiving Center in Lake Wales, Florida. http://www.skydiveradio.com/pics.htm


Headline Mortgage News:

Countrywide tightens its belt – Countrywide to cut 12,000 jobs; expects new mortgages to decline by 25% in 2008. This article about the nations largest lender (60,000 employees) can be found the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/business/08lend.html

Is the housing slump pushing us toward recession? Maybe not, but odds are rising says John W. Schoen of MSNBC
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20626839/

Portland, Seattle, Texas bucking the trend; booming despite the housing bust says MSNBC's Allison Lin:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18336819/

John W. Schoen of MSNBC responds to the question: "When will housing prices stop falling?"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20536640/

Stock analysts watching the housing market
AP article reported in MSNBC News
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20326143/

Thought for the Week:

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it."
George Bernard Shaw














I hope she has lots of room to slow down. This photo of a unique mode of travel was found at http://www.hourlylaff.com/pic-that-has-bad-news-written-all-over-it/



How to keep more of your own paycheck

Free e-mail on your old cell phone
What if you have a regular old cell phone that doesn't get e-mail and you want it on your phone without all the extra fees and having to buy a new phone? There is now a service called Teleflip that sends your emails to your regular cell phone for free. You can also send e-mails for free. Make sure you have unlimited text messaging when using this program though because each e-mail is logged as a text. Go to TeleFlip.com and try getting free e-mails on your regular phone.


And now, for this week's fun freebies!

Free Sample Purex Natural Elements Laundry Detergenthttp://tinyurl.com/ywhj36
2 Free Cups Of Soyogurt From Wildwood Foods http://tinyurl.com/2n3nm5Free Sample Of Tasters Choice Coffeehttp://tinyurl.com/lx97h


And finally, Appraise That!






The "Rotor House" by designer Luigi Colani takes space efficient living to a new level. Within this tiny home is a rotating "merry-go-round" divided into 4 quadrants. With your remote control, you can spin this section into your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or living room. Hopefully nobody wants to start dinner while you are taking a bath.
http://mocoloco.com/archives/000694.php

Brought to you by:
BOICE APPRAISALS!

885 Woodstock Road, Suite 430-305
Roswell, GA 30075
Office# 770-926-5284
Fax# 866-870-0930
order at: www.hotlynk.net
www.highspeedhighstandards.com

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6/24/07 Newsletter

In BOICE MAIL this week...

"Pic" of the week:



This picture can be found at various internet sites. I haven’t been able to determine its original source, but it does play with your mind, doesn’t it?
http://refwd.ourmemorybox.com/2005/08/re_fwd_pictures_that_play_with_your_mind_o.html

Headline Mortgage News:

Reuters: Housing starts down, but permits rise:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2007-06-19-housing-starts_N.htm

Subprime lending “fell off a cliff in the first quarter”. Housingwire article:
http://www.housingwire.com/2007/06/22/survey-subprime-lending-volume-clobbered/

Top foreclosure zip codes; The “F” word (Foreclosure) migrates from Rust Belt to Sun Belt. Read about it in this CNN News article:
http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/18/real_estate/foreclosures_hardest_hit_zips/index.htm?postversion=2007061915

Looking for the positive spin? NAR predicts “Gradual Upturn”:
http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2007/home_sales_projected_to_fluctuate.html

“All work and no play” does what? In this RIS Media article, Ty Freyvogle, an outstanding entrepreneur, suggests some ways to balance work and “mental health” time:
http://www.rismedia.com/wp/2007-06-04/six-summer-suggestions-for-entrepreneurs-to-help-balance-work-and-life/


Thought for the Week:

“Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners”
Laurence Sterne

If you think you’re too “slow” to play in the big leagues, you’ll like this photo.

How to keep more of your own paycheck

The cheapest gas prices in town. Try the link below. MSN updates this information every night. Just enter your zip code and get a display of the cheapest and most expensive gas stations in the area.
http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx?zip=&src=Netx

Cheap to free International calls. JaJah and Rebtel are two communications companies that are changing the international communications game. They are both offering cheap to free international calling. You can go to their websites at Jajah.com and Rebtel.com to see exactly how they work. They are easy to use and can save you tons so check them out.


And now, for this week's fun freebies!

Summer movies for the kids

F*R*E*E movies for 9 week on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10:00 AM
http://www.uatc.com/freefamilyflicks/index2.jsp
http://www.edwardscinemas.com/freefamilyflicks/index2.jsp

10 weeks of movies for kids on weekday mornings. Tickets for all 10 movies can be purchased in advance for $5 or can be purchased individually at the box office for $1 each. http://www.cinemark.com/summermovieclubhouse/index.htm


And finally, Appraise That!


Ever dreamed of living on a boat?
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php?tip_AttractionNo==10204
Built in the 1920’s by Miles Kellogg in Encinitas, CA, the SS Moon and SS Encinitas are a couple blocks from the beach. Assisted by his young son who helped every day after school, Mr. Kellogg built these apartments from scrap lumber that was too short for standard ceiling heights. A popular “drive-by” site, these may be the most photographed buildings in this beach town today.

Brought to you by:

885 Woodstock Road, Suite 430-305
Roswell, GA 30075
Office# 770-926-5284
Fax# 866-870-0930
order at: http://www.hotlynk.net/
http://www.highspeedhighstandards.com/

Love our new "Boice Mail" more than life itself? Ask to be added to our weekly distribution list at tom.boice@gmail.com