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.






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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/

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6/6/07 Newsletter

In BOICE MAIL this week...

"Pic" of the week:


Sometimes you need to read the fine print
http://signsoftheweek.blogspot.com/2006/05/caution-this-sign-has-sharp-edges.html
Want to create your own “Caution” sign? Go to http://www.caution-road.signgenerator.net/


Headline Mortgage News:

“US house sales soar on dive-bombing prices” …”The worst is clearly behind us”
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article1837088.ece

Is there any strong segment in the real estate market? Sure…foreclosures. Click here for a recent article from RealtyTrac: http://www.realtytrac.com/ContentManagement/pressrelease.aspx?ChannelID=9&ItemID=2445&accnt=64847

0.5% decrease in the U.S. Leading Indicator is due primarily to a decrease in building permits. See details in this article from the Conference Board:
http://www.conference-board.org/economics/bci/pressRelease_output.cfm?cid=1

Housing affordability – The percentage of households who can afford an entry-level home in California is 25% according to this CAR article: http://www.car.org/index.php?id=Mzc0MjA=

New technology could hammer the spammers; Preliminary approval has been given to a “promising antispam technique” according to this C/Net News article:
http://news.com.com/Promising+antispam+technique+gets+nod/2100-1029_3-6185904.html?tag=nefd.top

Contruction spending continues it 13 month slowdown. This link will take you to a US Census Bureau report:
http://www.census.gov/const/C30/release.pdf

How can you tell when the homeowner designed the home himself?
Appraisers call this "functional obsolescense".

Thought for the Week:

Albert Einstein’s formula for success:
“If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z. Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.”

How to keep more of your own paycheck:

Do you ever listen to Clark Howard on the radio? He’s really great and knows how to help us average Joe’s save our hard-earned money. Here is what he had to say last week:

Have you heard of airfare envy? It’s when you buy a ticket and find the same itinerary for less money afterward. The good news is that there are a handful of airlines that will give you a voucher for the difference if you ask. They are Alaska, Southwest, United, USAir and JetBlue. So how do you know if the fare goes down on your particular flight? There is now a site that e-mails you when your flight goes down in price. It's called yapta.com and you must register to get the alerts. Then, you must jump on the deal immediately. Of course, it will take a little while to figure out if it’s worth it. But for now, it’s a great way to save money on flights. On the other hand, keep in mind that some airlines charge outrageous fees if a cheaper flight comes along and you want to buy it. American and Continental charge $100. Delta charges $50, Frontier charges $35 and Northwest charges $25. Shame on those airlines, says Clark.

For more of Clark Howard’s consumer tips, go to http://clarkhoward.com/


And now, for this week's fun freebies!

Kaspersky Anti-Virus 6.0 - $0.00 (after rebates)
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202693413&adid=17654&dcaid=17654

Hundreds of Free Magazines to choose from
http://tinyurl.com/fayvz

Free USB Drive When You Order a Catalog
http://www.sunusb.com/cataloguerequest.html

Thousands of free "How To" Videos. Categories include Automotive, Beauty, Hobbies, Crafts, Food & Drink, Lots More
http://tinyurl.com/yoespg


And finally, Appraise That!

The “Kettle House” is located in Galveston, Texas. Originally constructed by a man who built storage tanks for oil companies, the top apparently began to rust and was replaced with a wood frame roof. If you are interested, it doesn’t look currently occupied…
http://www.agilitynut.com/vessels/7a.html

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/

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More pictures of the Kettle House

Trina

In BOICE MAIL this week...

"Pic" of the week:


This image captivated viewers when it began circulating on the Internet in August 2004.
Snopes has been unable to find information about the origins of this picture. www.snopes.com/photo/arts/footprint.asp

Headline Mortgage News:

Where does your state rank in Mortgage Fraud? MARI Releases its “Ninth Periodic Case Report” to the MBA. See this report in the Mortgage Fraud Blog: http://www.mortgagefraudblog.com/index.php/weblog/permalink/maris_ninth_periodic_report/

Florida took the top position, followed by California and Michigan. Georgia, the perennial #1 state in mortgage fraud has slipped to a distant fourth. For a PDF of the 23 page report, click here: http://www.mortgagefraudblog.com/images/uploads/MBA9thCaseRpt.pdf

“The Upside of Subprime” With all the bad news, economist Susan Lee reminds us there’s a good side to subprime lending. American Public Media article: http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2007/05/15/PM200705156.html

Too much inventory – Number of listings continues to rise a the sagging housing market tries to find its footing. CNN Money article looks at what a difference a year makes: http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/16/real_estate/home_inventory_growing/index.htm?postversion=2007051718

Is anyone’s home going up in value? Yes, there are still some markets where prices are expected to rise. This CNN Money articles tells you the top 5 and bottom 5 of our nation’s 100 biggest markets: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/real_estate/0704/gallery.fastest_and_slowest_growers/10.html

Thought for the Week:

“Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” John Watson

This is a rare photograph of a Freddie Mac investigator questioning a loan officer on some suspected flip transactions he obtained financing for (see the above link to the MARI "9th Periodic Case Report")

How to keep more of your own paycheck

Years ago my wife created a big spreadsheet for all the grocery stores around town, trying to decide which store was the least expensive. Of course, the price of items changed from week to week, making one store the better deal one week and a different store less expensive the next, depending on sales. One thing she noticed was that some of the best deals to be had consistently were found at the big warehouse clubs. Her favorite is Costco. A study by the Economic Research Service at the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture shows that you save a substantial amount of money shopping at warehouse clubs and Wal-Mart Supercenters. Hey, anywhere you can buy tires and cool whip is quite a store.

The study was done over a five-year period, and, on the same quantity of an item, you will save from 5 to 20 percent. As a result, those stores represent about a third of grocery store spending these days. Costo even pays cash back at the end of the year up to 2% of purchases. Alternatively, regular supermarkets use "high-low" pricing, where some items are extremely cheap and others are marked up significantly. The supermarkets tout the low, sale items in advertisements to lure you in, but they hope you'll buy the higher-priced ones when you're there. The only bad thing about the big clubhouses is you have to be able to resist some of that great stuff and be able to control impulse buying.

And now, for this week's fun freebies!

Coolmax 2.5” USB Hard Drive Enclosure - $0.00 after Rebate
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=204317207&adid=17654&dcaid=17654

Kasperskey Internet Security 6.0 – free after rebate at Buy.com go to: http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202693446&adid=17653&dcaid=17653


We have several birthdays coming up in our family soon and found this great web site that lists all of the restaurants in your area that will give you a free meal or dessert on your birthday. Check out http://tinyurl.com/3po8s

Bluebell Ice Cream company will also give you a free half gallon of ice cream on your birthday by going to www.bluebell.com/Registration.aspx

Free Wedding Songs CD when You Registerhttp://www.theknot.com/may_locations.html

Free One Year Subscription to Marriage Todayhttp://www.marriagetoday.org/site/PageServerpagename=magazine_subscribe

Create a Free Wedding Websitehttp://www.mywedding.com/main/couple_sites.html



And finally, Appraise That!

This is actually a bed and breakfast located on the big island, Hawaii above Waiohinu Village, close to Volcanoes National Park and Kailua and Hilo. Unique architecture, indeed. See the view from this deck in the addtional photo below. http://unusuallife.com/2006/04/02/hawaii-honeymoon-hobbit-house/

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? Be added to our weekly distribution list by writing to tom.boice@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from YOU!

May 7, 2007 Newsletter

In BOICE MAIL this week...

"Pic" of the week:


How to tell if your boat is too small. (Verified from snopes.com as authentic. Picture taken off South Africa.)

Headline Mortgage News:

Mortgage applications inching upward according to this CNNMoney report:
http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/02/real_estate/mortgage_applications/index.htm?section=money_realestate

Are “Green Homes” gaining momentum? According to this CNET article, “Green homes appear poised to move from the novelty wing of the housing market to a mainstream product.”
http://news.com.com/2100-11392_3-6178556.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&subj=news

Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI) – This NAR stat is considered a near term market indicator. Read this NAR article and learn about the current “lowest level in four years” figure.
http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2007/phs_mar07_pending_home_sales.html

Is business pretty “dead” right now? One mortgage broker used the identities of deceased persons to steal more that $1.2 million. See this short article in Originator Times:
http://originatortimes.com/content/templates/standard.aspx?articleid=2374&zoneid=5

If you are considering a remodel project, you may want to see this CNNMoney article on the “5 dumbest renovation fads”:
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/real_estate/0704/gallery.renovations.moneymag/index.html

Thought for the Week:

"Takers ultimately lose, but givers win forever. This is a rule the universe never breaks."
Douglas M. Lawson

Mobile home of the future? – Will this be how we colonize distant planets in the future? This picture is an internet contest entry. See: http://www.povcomp.com/entries/200.php

How to keep more of your own paycheck

What's going on with Vonage these days? People who have loved the service are upset that the company may go under. Some say it's highly likely that the company will go bust. Not only is Verizon attacking the company in court, but Vonage has also done a poor job of satisfying customers in recent months. You probably want come up with a back-up plan for when the company shuts down, and you might want o check out sunrocket.com. Sunrocket has a different business model, whereby you pay for a year up front. It's $199 a year, plus junk fees, and you get unlimited calling. It works out to about $17 a month. The one unknown is how people will port their numbers once Vonage goes bon voyage. The company won't be concerned with helping people port their numbers to another company once they've gone under. So, you probably want to make the switch now. Other VOIP services are Packet8 and Lingo. Check them out.


And now, for this week's fun freebies!

This week it's all about cars...

Automotive Lubricant Sampleshttp://www.nyeautomotive.com/ask.htm

Sample Kit from Caplugs.comhttp://www.caplugs.com/kits.asp

Free Car Care Guideshttp://www.carcare.org/car_care_guide/consumer2.shtml

Car-pons - Free Automotive Coupons http://www.car-pons.com/

Free Car Keychain for Surveyhttp://autosurvey.hitart.com/

Sample of Armour All Glass or Cleaning Wipeshttp://www.aa-ownercenter.com/index.php

Free National Corvette Museum Magnethttp://www.corvettemuseum.com/freegift/

Sample Bottle of Dri Wash 'N Guardhttp://www.waterless.8m.com/request.html

Free Cheap Car Insurance Quoteshttp://usaautoinsurance.org/

Automotive Interiors & Accessories, Inc. - Sample Request http://www.automotiveinteriors.com/samples/carpeting_$3.htm

Free Auto Carpeting Sampleshttp://www.autostyles.com/acsallsamples.htm

Free 2007 Fuel Economy Guide http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/altfuel/feg_orderform.html

Sample of Knight Shield Professional Car Care productshttp://www.knightshieldinc.com/ContactUs.htm

Free MagnaFine Auto Air Freshenerhttp://www.magnefine.com/forms/form.html

Pennzoil More Miles Club http://www.pennzoil.com/moremilesclub/default.html

Sample of Speed Brite Auto Wax & Cleaner http://www.galladechem.com/speedbrite/sample.htm

Free Tire Gauge Keychain for Car Ins Quote Survey http://yourcar.headplug.com/

Free Automotive Film Sampleshttp://www.gilafilms.com/free-samples.htm

Free Car Air Freshener Sampleshttp://airfresheners.homestead.com/Sample2.html

Free Samples for Auto Body Shopshttp://www.autobodyonline.com/samples.cfm

Free Swissol 60 Page Car Care handbookhttp://www.swizol.com/E/US/KontaktHandbook.htm

Free Water Washable Air Filter Oil Samplehttp://www.qwiktimeproducts.com/page2.html

And finally, Appraise That!

I’m guessing the cat is his butler?

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/

4/20/07 Newsletter

In BOICE MAIL this week...

"Pic" of the week:

Water bridge over the Elbe River in Germany. At a cost of 6 years and 500 million euros, this 918 meter suspended tub of water connects Berlin’s inland harbor with ports along the Rhine River. This photo was taken during the 2003 opening.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/architecture/waterbridge.asp#photo

Headline Mortgage News:

“Visionary” or “Delusional”? Beautiful model agents, celebrity names and theme
buildings. New York’s Michael Shvo of SHVO Marketing says today you must sell “lifestyle” not “real estate”.
Is his “branded building” marketing sustainable? See this article in Business Week online:
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/apr2007/db20070418_171740.htm?chan=search

California paradox; less are selling, but prices are higher.
Read about this at DQNews.com:
http://www.dqnews.com/RRSCA0407.shtm

Panic sale? H&R Block sells its sub-prime mortgage company.
Did they relinquish Option One at the bottom of the market?
Click here to read a CNN News article:
http://money.cnn.com/2007/04/20/news/companies/bc.hrblock.takeover.reut/?postversion=2007042016

Will reduced mortgage activity effect prime lenders as well,
or is it just the sub-prime market? WMC Mortgage layoffs may reach 75% of their work force.
See this article in HousingWire.com:
http://www.housingwire.com/2007/04/20/commentary-mortgage-job-losses-mounting/#more-681

Countrywide CEO selling his stock. Coincidence? Morningstar cautions against “reading too much into it”.
See this HousingWire.com article:
http://www.housingwire.com/2007/04/19/countrywide-ceo-continues-to-unload-stock/

Mortgage interest rates edging back down. Realty Times article:
http://realtytimes.com/rtcpages/20070420_rates.htm

Thought for the Week:

"The highest result of education is tolerance"
Helen Keller

This is actually a sculpture (a self portrait, no less) by Ron Mueck, an Austrailian artist, shown here on display at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. No, this isn't him, this is the sculpture. His work is very realistic, perhaps a skill he developed when he was a model maker for the film industry. If you would like to see more of his work go the the following

link: www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/ron_mueck/

How to keep more of your own paycheck

Google has released a new product called Goog-411, which is a free telephone based information service that could replace toll 411 calls. This is great if you are driving around and want to call ahead to make a reservation at a restaurant or something. By calling the toll free number from your cell phone, you say the business you are looking for and they will connect you for free.
http://labs.google.com/goog411/ There are many people who are not into computers or the Internet, but they make a lot of long distance calls. So, how can you get unlimited long distance calling without using Internet telephony? There is a gadget called the “Chatterbug” that hooks into your phone jack and it is always $9.95 a month. You don’t need a computer or any other lines or wires. All you need is the jack. If you have questions, you can call customer service at 866-690-3919. Lots of retirees have two homes. You’re allowed to register two addresses and you never pay more than $9.95 a month as long as you take the device with you to each place.

And now, for this week's fun freebies!

Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors is holding their 31 Cent Scoop Night on May 2nd nationwide from 5 pm - 10 pm.
http://www.baskinrobbins.com/Promotion/31cent.aspx

Free Smoothie at Smoothi King!
http://www.fishbowl.com/clt/smoothie/lp/join/join.asp

If you live near a Sonic you can print out this coupon for free Tater Tots http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/681/cpnprttotsbdrb0.jpg Sign up your children for their Wacky Pack Birthday club and you'll get a free kid's meal for your child's birthday at http://wackypack.kidsbirthdayclub.com/sign_up.cfm

Tuesday, April 17 - 12:00 Noon - 8:00 p.m. is Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day! Every year two real guys named "en Cohen and Jerry Greenfield celebrate the first anniversary of their ice cream shop by giving away free ice cream as a way to say "Thank You" to their customers. This year, over 350 Ben & Jerry's shops around the country will celebrate Free Cone Day. To find a location near you click on http://www.benjerry.com/sugarland/index.cfm

And finally, Appraise That!


Perhaps the architect was inspired the to Biblical story of Johah.

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