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To qualify for a rebate check from the Fed Gov. in the recent economic stimulus package your adjusted gross income needs to be less than $75,000 for single individuals filing a 2007 tax return. The phase out is 5%, which means that anyone with an AGI of $87,000 or more doesn't get a check. This...

<p>How long have you been saving for your down payment? How much longer do you estimate you'll need to save? What is your savings strategy and vehicle of choice (CDs, gold, investments)? What do you do to save extra money each month?</p> <p>I'm very interested in what post-bubble home buyers...

IR, That link isn't working. BTW I'm through the first few chapters of Irrational Exuberance and Shiller is discussing behavior finance briefly, which he attributes to the run up of the millenium market to a large degree, so this sounds like a good supplementary read.

Shouldn't construction costs be at an all-time low in comparison to days of old considering the following factors? 1) Cheap immigrant labor and extremely cheap ILLEGAL immigrant labor 2) New building materials and lower cost of these materials through new production processes (ie drywall...

Any thoughts on whether or not this would actually get implemented by lenders? http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/20/real_estate/OTC_refinance_plan/index.htm?postversion=2008022016 Mortgage crisis: Don't forgive debt, just postpone repayment A new plan from the Office of Thrift Supervision...

I would have thought lenders would start doing this long ago when prices started dropping off a cliff. In a bubble market lenders would be happy to foreclose on a house--giving the occupants no financial counseling and as few options as possible--sell it, and make a profit. Of course, this...

Time frame is 2-3 years. I hope to god I'm not renting for another 10.

IR, Am I not helping to stimulate the economy by lending all of my savings to a bank who in turn lends it to individuals and businesses? The borrowers who are going to benefit, not the savers. More people will come out of the wood work to borrow my savings (that a bank is...

Americans don't need more infrastructure to provide electricity, highways, and universities, we need more cheap disposable Chinese particle board furniture and iPhones!

After the big rate cut by the Fed on Tuesday my ING Direct APR dropped to 3.65%. Putting my savings into a "high yield" savings account doesn't make sense anymore when inflation is higher (CPI was 4.1% in December) than the return I can earn on lending someone else my money. This means...

Awgee, San Juan has a nice brand new high school. Gemini, Do a search on san clemente. We had a lengthy discussion about it a while back.

Any other ideas? I'm still looking for an office...

I know how you feel. Its kinda like missing being hit by a fully loaded 80,000lb 18 wheeler doing 90mph downhill. Thank god I didn't succumb to an interest only or negative amortization loan like my friends in the last few years. If you don't mind, I'm going to go chase that...

I swear the Santa Ana winds must be gusting at gale speeds of 50-60 MPH in Irvine right now. Perhaps Irvine will blow away? FYI, Beaufort scale for winds found on wikipedia athttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale

Bonus tip: If you really want to start saving for a house right away, open an ING direct account (a high yield savings account, the ones at the local WaMu or BofA only pay you pennies) and dump your monthly savings into there. That way your savings is isolated and you won't be tempted to...

Being 26 I can offer a few words of advice since I have just about finished learning the ropes of money management. To be able to save up for a house, you need to be able to manage your money and learn how to save as an independent adult. I think everyone is different, but for me, the real...

Bartender. Hard times deserve hard liquor. Oh wait, there aren't any pubs in Irvine...

I just dumped $40,000 of my home savings into a 9-month ING direct CD at 4.55%, however, from what I've seen shopping around lately it seems like prices in Irvine for everything from gasoline to produce are going up more by the matter of 10-15% in the last year rather than the standard ~3%...

Wow I missed the biking thread? Bummer! For local hiking, check out Laguna Wilderness park off the 133 and El Moro Park off PCH near Crystal Cove. Both are excellent local hiking spots with ocean views (and breezes). I would avoid both of them for about a week though due to the rain we...

hs_teacher, My cousins are all 4-10 years older than me (ages 30-36) and they bought during the late 90s and early 2000s and built up a tremendous amounts of equity. If I were just a few years older I could be in a nice 2,500 sq ft home right now instead of my 850 sq ft apartment with...