decades

Apache is functioning normally

[Editor’s note: We’re trying something new–collaborative thought pieces written by the Geek Estate Mastermind community. The goal is to make the absolute best argument possible, derived from the collective expertise of members. The first two articles are bull and bear arguments for industry search and IDX, a topic initiated by Greg Fischer over a year ago.

Bull: The industry must not cede search to the portals. Meeting Buyer Expectations and Owned, Perpetual Lead Generation Are Table Stakes to Agency. The full argument is here.

Bear: The portals have already won the minds of buyers. Search is an undifferentiated lost cause. If you can’t “win,” why play at all?

Without further ado, here we go with the bear argument…]

By: Drew Meyers

There’s simply no way for the real estate industry to compete in search against Zillow and other established portals with years of brand and SEO headstarts, particularly with the growing cost of providing a killer search experience across mobile and tablets. Even if the industry invested the needed capital to build a portal, the cost to reach buyers is too expensive.

Let’s define real estate industry search as any agent or brokerage website, MLS, or tech initiative majority funded by those parties. It’s worth noting that while Redfin is a brokerage that who has cracked the top three, that’s a unique situation that started at the beginning of “online real estate portals” and has unfolded over 15 years.

To change, buyers need motivation/incentive: Why in the world would a home buyer visit a brokerage’s sub-par IDX site to search for homes, when a better search experience on Zillow or Redfin is one click away? Agent and brokerage websites are all cut from the same mold; very few use their virtual real estate to differentiate on client experience and service opportunities.

The industry’s core competence is not consumer technology. Never has been, never will be.

The agent’s value proposition is about more than helping clients find a property. It’s about overseeing the entire transaction and making it a seamless experience from end to end. Helping buyers find a home with their own technology is not required to maintain relevancy.

HOW THE PLAYERS ARE FARING

A list of the top 20 real estate websites in September 2019 shows largely the same incumbents as those that graced top 20 lists a decade ago when I was at Zillow. From a 2013 top 10 list, Yahoo! Real Estate, FrontDoor, MSN are no longer. No new entrant has meaningfully broken through the ranks.

According to SimilarWeb, here’s the landscape with October 2019 data:

You can see the full rankings for the real estate category here.

Cliff Notes

Zillow Group: We can keep this short and sweet. Complete domination.

Redfin: I am beyond impressed with their slow, steady march up the rankings–now, firmly cemented as a top three search portal. They are the only brokerage anywhere in the list that benefited from an early start and deep tech/engineering roots.

Realtor.com: They keep coming out with ad campaigns and have grown their traffic, but I haven’t seen much product innovation for several years. 

Yahoo! Real Estate: A top three site for over a decade that is no longer. Somehow, I didn’t notice when Yahoo! shut it down in 2016 (along with other major verticals). It’s absurd they didn’t even take advantage of the massively powerful domain they had. Why not at least keep the landing page up, and funnel organic SEO traffic to a partner for a fee? That’s what AOL did. I guess I’ll never know.

Compass: Everything I’ve heard and read says they are focused on creating leverage with unique supply, aka coming soon and exclusives. That strategy seems at serious risk with the recent Bright MLS decision.

Broker Public Portal / HomeSnap: Gaining traffic by getting agents to email listings to their entire sphere? Cool. Anything differentiated or strategically defensible? Nope. I understand the broker’s perspective, I just don’t buy it.

Consumer MLS Websites: I didn’t understand the consumer MLS portal strategy nearly a decade ago. I understand it even less today. I’m scratching my head as to why the flawed strategy is being tried again. There is still no way a buyer would switch to a website like this when the alternative is Zillow or Redfin. Remove HAR.com from the equation, and the entire category is a colossal failure. 

ABANDON THE GHOST TOWN

I spoke with agents 10 years ago without IDX sites who still found a way to sell millions in real estate. Greg Fischer launched FWLocal.com in 2013 without one. If you think it’s a requirement to serve clients, you’re sorely mistaken. Even those who pay for and advertise IDX solutions know consumer usage rates are abysmal. Most IDX websites are, in fact, ghost towns sitting idle in their tiny speck of cyberspace.

Beyond that, IDX perpetuates the long-standing confusion surrounding online real estate search: buyers don’t understand who the agent showing up on the listing detail page is (it’s not the listing agent). It reinforces the status quo under the guise of innovation and stymies competition by encouraging parity in a crowded market. The mass-implementation of IDX has diluted the value prop of the end user experience, further driving home browsers to the major platforms. 

Clients are already using Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, or Realtor.com to search for properties. It’s possible to pay for My Agent, getting all the branding that you get with IDX solutions without the hurdle of figuring out how to drive traffic and compete on user experience. That’s likely why Zillow got out of the game–they sold Diverse Solutions. If they were bullish on IDX, why would they sell their IDX company?

Traditional lead funnels are a waste of time. Why not wait until the buyer is ready to talk to you. Wouldn’t you rather speak to buyers when they are actually ready to speak to an agent, not six, nine, or even 18 months prior to that.

Disassembling IDX in its current form would provide increased transparency around buyer and seller agency, as well as the stage in the process a consumer should seek agency, and from whom. Only then can the industry rid itself of its decades-old obsession to clone the portals and focus on places where it is proving real value with differentiated offerings–alternative/innovative financing, trade ins, and packaged ancillary services (discounts with moving vendors, utility/service transfers, school searches, community/lifestyle amenities).

OPPORTUNITY IN THE MIDST

Agents and brokers can’t compete in search against the established order of portals: The audience lead is simply too big, the capital investment requirement too great, and customer acquisition too challenging. The money, incentive, and patience to battle Zillow for a decade is simply not in the cards. Not to mention, a core competence in consumer tech is lacking entirely.

Search is not dead. Opportunity exists in curation (green homes, modern, etc), fixer-uppers, and teardowns when structures become irrelevant.

Breaking through in search is incredibly unlikely for anyone–but not impossible. Successful execution is far more likely to come from an outside entrant. But a search solution by the industry is even more far-fetched, having the added nightmare of 1099 contractors at every turn, years between consumer use cases, and being built from the perspective of “helping the agent.”

By abandoning a hopeless fight, the industry saves itself from throwing away capital better spent cultivating relationships and, more importantly, the mental bandwidth that is better spent serving clients. Don’t cede the fight? Regardless of who the perceived opponent is, that war is over and has been over since Zillow acquired Trulia. Checkmate, real estate industry search–and IDX.

Wrap-Up

Thanks to the contributors to the thinking behind this bear argument:

The bull argument (spearheaded by Ted Adler from Union Street Media), which has already been published for members, is available in full here.

If you’re interested in learning more about membership in the Geek Estate Mastermind, which I usually describe as a think-tank for real estate tech, have a read here.

Source: geekestateblog.com

Apache is functioning normally

Plenty of strange things happened after the latest housing boom and subsequent bust, but this is perhaps one of the most interesting byproducts.

An insurance company named AmTrust Financial has come up with an innovative insurance policy known as “Underwater Mortgage Protection,” or UMP for short.

Put simply, it protects you financially if your home goes down in value and you need to sell at a loss.

Over the past several years, scores of homeowners have been forced to sell short or simply walk way because their mortgage balance exceeded the depleted value of their home.

A UMP policy is designed to cover the shortfall a homeowner in this position might encounter when selling after a significant home price decline.

How Underwater Mortgage Protection Works

  • If you need to sell your home
  • But your outstanding loan balance exceeds the sales price
  • Underwater Mortgage Protection can cover some or all of the shortfall
  • In exchange for a paid premium

Assuming you need to sell your home when underwater on the mortgage, you’ll complete a claim form.

AmTrust will then assist in the sale of your home by “guiding the listing and the closing of the home sale to maximize the price and minimize the marketing time in a down market.”

This entails having an “asset management specialist” obtain a market value for your home and determine a listing price with a real estate agent.

For the record, they also use an AVM to obtain the appraised value of your property when you originally take out a policy.

If for some reason your home doesn’t sell within a short period of time, the company could offload the property via auction as well.

Once the property is sold, a check will be written on your behalf that covers the full payoff of your home loan, along with customary seller closing costs and transfer taxes.

At that point you can walk away as if the sale were standard, without any damage to your credit score that might otherwise be assessed when going the short sale or foreclosure route.

AmTrust provides a few common scenarios that would lead a homeowner to sell when underwater, including divorce, relocation, and unemployment. The UMP policy would mitigate any losses related to selling under these circumstances.

Just like other forms of insurance, the premium cost is based on the corresponding risk. For homeowners with higher LTV ratios and larger loan amounts, the premium will likely be higher.

It’s unclear what all the underwriting parameters are, but it’s possible that it could be more expensive in areas where home price fluctuation is more common.

UMP Requirements:

– The property must be your primary residence (and owner-occupied for the entire policy term)
– It must be owned by the insured as of the policy date
– You must hold a fully-amortized mortgage from an institutional lender
– You cannot be underwater on the mortgage
– You can only have one policy in force
– It must be in an eligible state

It’s currently available in the following states:

– Alabama
– Arizona
– Georgia
– North Carolina
– Oklahoma

From that list, I’d say Arizona homeowners would benefit most, given the tremendous price swings that have occurred there over the past several decades.

Coverage is offered for both fixed-rate mortgages and ARMs, but isn’t available for interest-only mortgages, reverse mortgages, HELOCs, or loans with a negative amortization feature.

The policy term is 12 months and guaranteed to be renewable for an unlimited number of additional periods until you pay off your mortgage, refinance, modify your loan, or release the mortgage in some other way.

Does Underwater Mortgage Insurance Make Any Sense?

  • Insurance never seems like a good deal until you actually need to use it
  • The same principle probably applies to UMP
  • The difference is it’s entirely optional coverage unlike say auto insurance
  • And buying a home is also a choice, so if you think there’s a good chance you’ll be underwater you may question the home purchase to begin with

Insurance always seems like a raw deal because it only protects you if something goes terribly wrong.

The same is kind of true with UMP. If your home doesn’t lose a lot of value, and you don’t need to sell when it does, you’ll simply pay premiums for nothing more than peace of mind.

And this type of coverage probably only makes sense for those who put very little down on their homes, seeing that these will be the first people to slip into an underwater position.

Unfortunately, these same individuals tend not to have much left over to pay for extraneous costs like underwater mortgage insurance.

If a homeowner suspects they overpaid for a home or bought near the top, and doesn’t want to be trapped if home prices plummet, paying a small premium for price protection could make sense.

But then you have to question why you’re buying a home to begin with. If you can’t absorb a price decline, or thinks prices are inflated, maybe you shouldn’t go through with the purchase.

These policies may also be limited in how much they pay out in the event of a claim. And we all know home prices fell a lot more than 10-20% in a lot of areas of the country during the most recent crisis.

So you could still be left hung out to dry.

Read more: Do I need mortgage protection insurance?

(photo: Heather)

Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com

Apache is functioning normally

When it comes to picking an apartment or home, you have options. You have options in terms of style, location and even building material. Whether you’re looking for a largescale studio loft or a beautiful old brownstone, every option comes with its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages.

Below is a breakdown of the basics of living in a brick building. From common questions to maintenance expectations to safety features, price and everything in between, this article should cover any issues you encounter and help you decide if a brick building is right for you.

Brick suits all styles

Whether you’re a minimalist who wants nothing more than pristine white walls and clean sight lines or you’re more of a traditionalist with your eye on something overflowing with elegance and class, brick is versatile enough to not only fit your desired aesthetic but to enhance it, as well.

Brick is striking when it’s raw and untouched. Brick is beautiful when painted in a bright white or bold, deep black. It even looks good in small sections of the wall to add a little texture to the picture.

Natural light complements brick and warms up a dark and uninviting room. Long story short, brick can do it all. Use your creativity to unluck its full potential.

Brick is timeless

The first human-made bricks date back to 7000 BC. It doesn’t take an anthropologist to realize that appeal of brick is so much more than initially meets the eye. Brick has protected the human population from the elements for centuries. While the bricks of today are not the same as the bricks of yesteryear, there’s still something innate in the human psyche that connects to the brick aesthetic and finds a primal comfort in it.

In a more practical sense, brick is great for resale value. So, if you’re looking to sell your home or condo and buy yourself a new one, brick is always a good investment, regardless of the kind of abode you’re looking to buy.

Is building with brick eco-friendly?

Short answer, yes.

While bricks are not a natural resource, they’re made from natural materials. The primary of which is clay. Clay is abundant on Earth and, as of now, is in no danger of falling into a shortage anytime soon.

While the brick-making process does require the use of heavy machinery in a few steps, it’s still a process that’s widely considered eco-friendly in the building industry. That said, there are also a number of companies that have emerged over the past couple of decades that specialize in the creation of recycled bricks. These bricks are often made of a combination of sand and recycled plastics and can last as long as traditional bricks.

Brick is great at keeping the inside temperature separate from the outside. That means, if it’s hot outside, brick is going to hold your cool A/C air in and keep the hot summer air out. The same goes for cold weather, brick will hold the heat in your home more effectively than other materials while not allowing the cool air to seep in, either.

Are brick buildings fireproof?

Brick buildings are not fireproof. While bricks on their own are extremely fire resistant, when they’re combined together with mortar, they become less so. So, a brick building can still catch on fire and it can still burn. However, it will do so much more slowly than houses made of wood or other building materials.

In addition to being more resistant to fire than other building materials, brick also holds up better than much of its competition against severe weather. While brick does absorb some water during storm weather, it’s near-impossible for severe storm winds and rain to actually penetrate into the brick in any significant or damaging way.

While unexpected fires and city-stopping severe weather events are not overly common occurrences, they do still happen. Living in a brick building is a great way to curb your risk of being affected by something entirely out of your control.

How do termites and pests fare against brick?

Like fire and severe weather, brick is also great at protecting against pests like termites and even rodents. Termites can’t do damage to brick or concrete and, while they can slip through any cracks and get into the more vulnerable areas of your apartment, it’s much more difficult for them to do so than it would be in a wood-built apartment or home.

The same goes for rodents and other pests. Sure, if there’s a crack and they stumble upon it, they’ll get in. But, a solid brick build will prevent unwanted guests from creating their own entry to your home and inviting their friends to join in.

Is brick more expensive?

Does brick improve the value of your apartment or home? Yes. Does it also make the apartment or home cost more? Also, yes.

Brick, like other things in life, costs more than its lesser counterparts. So, while you’re paying more upfront to live in a brick apartment or home, you also save money down the line thanks to brick’s eco-friendly attributes and stronger overall structure than other building materials.

Does brick ever need repair?

On occasion, brick may need repair or, as the brick and mortar people say, “repointed.” “Pointing” is the outside section of mortar in between bricks. This is the most vulnerable section of a brick wall and, as such, will be the first place to show significant wear and tear.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that, on average, repointing is something that only needs doing every 25 to 30 years. So, if the brick in the apartment or home you’re looking at appears in good condition, odds are you’ll never have to worry about repointing or repair unless your moving in for the (very) long haul.

How can I hang pictures on my brick walls?

Along with being stronger and more difficult for predators to penetrate, brick is also more difficult for nails and screws to penetrate than the average interior wall. One way to get your pictures up and properly displayed on your exposed brick wall is to break out the power tools and drill directly into the brick. While this is effective, it can also call into question the structural integrity of the bricks and provide more opportunities for pests to infiltrate your walls.

Thankfully, we live in the modern world and every problem has a solution. And you can find that solution on the Internet. If you’re having a tough time finding an easy way to display your things on your brick walls, fear not. Simply look up “brick clips” and find the one that’s right for you. These cheap little gadgets make hanging pictures on brick walls a breeze and they don’t damage your bricks as much as nails or screws.

There’s real beauty in brick

Living in a brick home or building comes with its fair share of pros and cons. That said, the pros undeniably outweigh the cons overall. So, if you’re renting a home right now and deciding between that brownstone in the burbs and the cookie-cutter apartment downtown, we stay stick with the brick. But hey, it’s up to you.

A native of the northern suburbs of Chicago, Carson made his way to the South to attend Wofford College where he received his BA in English. After working as a copywriter for a couple of boutique marketing agencies in South Carolina, he made the move to Atlanta and quickly joined the Rent. team as a content marketing coordinator. When he’s off the clock, you can find Carson reading in a park, hunting down a great cup of coffee or hanging out with his dogs.

Source: rent.com

Apache is functioning normally

The audience notices when television series producers try to squeeze too much juice out of the rind. The law of diminishing returns? More like the law of diminishing re-runs!

Some television shows should have quit while they were ahead. Too often, that’s just not how Hollywood works.

1. The Walking Dead

Photo Credit: American Movie Classics.

The rare zombie show that receives high critical praise, The Walking Dead eventually became a dead show walking thanks to repetitive plot points, bizarre characters, and increasingly belief-defying storylines. Nearly every Walking Dead fan will give you a similar evaluation: Great, but 11 seasons was far too much.

2. Grey’s Anatomy

Photo Credit: American Broadcasting Company.

Nineteen seasons! That’s how long Dr. Meredith Grey and her band of merry physicians have remained on the air. Many marriages have grown stale after 19 years. How could a television show expect to capture the viewers’ imaginations for darn near two decades (and counting)?

2. Grey’s Anatomy

Photo Credit: American Broadcasting Company.

There’s only so much to do in a hospital, but you don’t let go when you’ve got the coveted 20-to-70-year-old female viewer demographic in a stranglehold. We’re going to need a doctor over here!

3. That 70’s Show

Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Eight seasons is hardly overdoing it for a comedy show as popular as That ’70s Show. Unfortunately, however, the show went downhill quickly once Topher Grace’s Eric and Ashton Kutcher’s Kelso became increasingly sparse (both actors were increasingly pursuing film roles).

4. Two and a Half Men

Photo Credit: Warner Bros Television.

Remember when Charlie Sheen was a bona fide television star? America loved them some Charlie Sheen, along with his cast members on Two and a Half Men. After Sheen revealed himself to be a raving lunatic, the show proceeded for four more seasons with Ashton Kutcher in Sheen’s place.

4. Two and a Half Men

Photo Credit: Warner Bros Television.

Kutcher is entertaining enough, but he’s not a 1-for-1 replacement for Charlie Sheen. And thus, Two and a Half Men slowly fizzled and faded away.

5. The Simpsons

Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Television.

Arguably the best-animated comedy series of all time, The Simpsons has become a parody of itself. Still a plump cash cow after nearly 40 seasons on the air, the comedy aspect of The Simpsons has been lacking for years. Aye, Kurumba, let The Simpsons be d’oh-ver already.

6. Arrested Development

Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Television.

Loyal fans of Arrested Development will attest that the original show ended far too early. As a result, the cult classic never got the expected ratings of a Fox primetime comedy and was canceled after three seasons.

6. Arrested Development

Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Television.

But the two rebooted seasons that aired almost a decade after the original’s cancellation fell flat. Many feel that three seasons of can’t-miss comedy was plenty.

7. Riverdale

Photo Credit: The CW Network.

Slated to end after seven seasons, Riverdale is a hip twist on Archie Comics. With that pitch, it’s a miracle that Riverdale made it on the air for one episode.

7. Riverdale

Photo Credit: The CW Network.

But after attracting a sizable, youthful audience, the Riverdale creators have discovered the fickle nature of a young audience. As teen viewers get older, Riverdale stays the same age. Unfortunately, that’s not a good thing.

8. The Big Bang Theory

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Television.

How much Sheldon is too much Sheldon? Some might say one season is too much, Sheldon. So, The Big Bang Theory’s twelve-season run (with inexplicable popularity throughout) is overkill. Although, considering CBS immediately unleashed Young Sheldon on viewers, did The Big Bang Theory ever really end?

9. Glee

Photo Credit: Twentieth Century FOX.

The quirky Glee was like karaoke night on primetime television. A show many avoided like the plague was absolutely must-watch TV for a large population segment. But even hardcore Glee fans will admit that Satisfaction or Vague Feeling of Content would have been more appropriate show titles as the seasons wore on.

10. Roseanne

Photo Credit: Paramount Television.

The Roseanne reboot ended unceremoniously, which may obscure the similarly ungraceful final seasons of the original show. One critic notes that the show became increasingly un-Roseanne-like as writers clawed for new storylines, including infidelity and the Conners winning the lottery.

Source: Reddit.

Image Credit: Troma Entertainment

We’ve all been there – sitting through a movie that we can’t help but cringe at, but somehow it still manages to hold a special place in our hearts.

These 10 Terrible Movies Are Still People’s Favorites

10 Crazy Good Movies Where Women Are the Bad Guys

Image Credit: Lionsgate

Are you looking for a movie night with a twist? Look no further than these Reddit-voted top ten films where women take on the destructive bad guy role.

10 Crazy Good Movies Where Women Are the Bad Guys

15 Cover Songs that are Better than the Original

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Sometimes, a cover of a song ends up doing far better than the original. Some covers are so good that we didn’t even realize the cover version wasn’t actually the original.

15 Cover Songs that are Better than the Original

10 Celebrities Who Are Universally Disliked

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

People will always have preferences and something to say about celebrities. What you might love may not be the same for others. Whether it’s about their past behaviors, legal issues, or feuds with other celebrities, here is a list of celebrities people just cannot stand.

10 Celebrities Who Are Universally Disliked

25 Extraordinary Sequels and Remakes That Outshine the Originals

Image Credit: Rosebud Releasing Corporation

Every once in a while, a movie sequel or remake surpasses the original film. After polling the internet, “Name a single movie where the sequel or remake was better than the original?” Here are the top-voted responses.

25 Extraordinary Sequels and Remakes That Outshine the Originals



About the Author




Source: financequickfix.com

Apache is functioning normally

The audience notices when television series producers try to squeeze too much juice out of the rind. The law of diminishing returns? More like the law of diminishing re-runs!

Some television shows should have quit while they were ahead. Too often, that’s just not how Hollywood works.

1. The Walking Dead

Photo Credit: American Movie Classics.

The rare zombie show that receives high critical praise, The Walking Dead eventually became a dead show walking thanks to repetitive plot points, bizarre characters, and increasingly belief-defying storylines. Nearly every Walking Dead fan will give you a similar evaluation: Great, but 11 seasons was far too much.

2. Grey’s Anatomy

Photo Credit: American Broadcasting Company.

Nineteen seasons! That’s how long Dr. Meredith Grey and her band of merry physicians have remained on the air. Many marriages have grown stale after 19 years. How could a television show expect to capture the viewers’ imaginations for darn near two decades (and counting)?

2. Grey’s Anatomy

Photo Credit: American Broadcasting Company.

There’s only so much to do in a hospital, but you don’t let go when you’ve got the coveted 20-to-70-year-old female viewer demographic in a stranglehold. We’re going to need a doctor over here!

3. That 70’s Show

Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Eight seasons is hardly overdoing it for a comedy show as popular as That ’70s Show. Unfortunately, however, the show went downhill quickly once Topher Grace’s Eric and Ashton Kutcher’s Kelso became increasingly sparse (both actors were increasingly pursuing film roles).

4. Two and a Half Men

Photo Credit: Warner Bros Television.

Remember when Charlie Sheen was a bona fide television star? America loved them some Charlie Sheen, along with his cast members on Two and a Half Men. After Sheen revealed himself to be a raving lunatic, the show proceeded for four more seasons with Ashton Kutcher in Sheen’s place.

4. Two and a Half Men

Photo Credit: Warner Bros Television.

Kutcher is entertaining enough, but he’s not a 1-for-1 replacement for Charlie Sheen. And thus, Two and a Half Men slowly fizzled and faded away.

5. The Simpsons

Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Television.

Arguably the best-animated comedy series of all time, The Simpsons has become a parody of itself. Still a plump cash cow after nearly 40 seasons on the air, the comedy aspect of The Simpsons has been lacking for years. Aye, Kurumba, let The Simpsons be d’oh-ver already.

6. Arrested Development

Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Television.

Loyal fans of Arrested Development will attest that the original show ended far too early. As a result, the cult classic never got the expected ratings of a Fox primetime comedy and was canceled after three seasons.

6. Arrested Development

Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Television.

But the two rebooted seasons that aired almost a decade after the original’s cancellation fell flat. Many feel that three seasons of can’t-miss comedy was plenty.

7. Riverdale

Photo Credit: The CW Network.

Slated to end after seven seasons, Riverdale is a hip twist on Archie Comics. With that pitch, it’s a miracle that Riverdale made it on the air for one episode.

7. Riverdale

Photo Credit: The CW Network.

But after attracting a sizable, youthful audience, the Riverdale creators have discovered the fickle nature of a young audience. As teen viewers get older, Riverdale stays the same age. Unfortunately, that’s not a good thing.

8. The Big Bang Theory

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Television.

How much Sheldon is too much Sheldon? Some might say one season is too much, Sheldon. So, The Big Bang Theory’s twelve-season run (with inexplicable popularity throughout) is overkill. Although, considering CBS immediately unleashed Young Sheldon on viewers, did The Big Bang Theory ever really end?

9. Glee

Photo Credit: Twentieth Century FOX.

The quirky Glee was like karaoke night on primetime television. A show many avoided like the plague was absolutely must-watch TV for a large population segment. But even hardcore Glee fans will admit that Satisfaction or Vague Feeling of Content would have been more appropriate show titles as the seasons wore on.

10. Roseanne

Photo Credit: Paramount Television.

The Roseanne reboot ended unceremoniously, which may obscure the similarly ungraceful final seasons of the original show. One critic notes that the show became increasingly un-Roseanne-like as writers clawed for new storylines, including infidelity and the Conners winning the lottery.

Source: Reddit.

Image Credit: Troma Entertainment

We’ve all been there – sitting through a movie that we can’t help but cringe at, but somehow it still manages to hold a special place in our hearts.

These 10 Terrible Movies Are Still People’s Favorites

10 Crazy Good Movies Where Women Are the Bad Guys

Image Credit: Lionsgate

Are you looking for a movie night with a twist? Look no further than these Reddit-voted top ten films where women take on the destructive bad guy role.

10 Crazy Good Movies Where Women Are the Bad Guys

15 Cover Songs that are Better than the Original

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Sometimes, a cover of a song ends up doing far better than the original. Some covers are so good that we didn’t even realize the cover version wasn’t actually the original.

15 Cover Songs that are Better than the Original

10 Celebrities Who Are Universally Disliked

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

People will always have preferences and something to say about celebrities. What you might love may not be the same for others. Whether it’s about their past behaviors, legal issues, or feuds with other celebrities, here is a list of celebrities people just cannot stand.

10 Celebrities Who Are Universally Disliked

25 Extraordinary Sequels and Remakes That Outshine the Originals

Image Credit: Rosebud Releasing Corporation

Every once in a while, a movie sequel or remake surpasses the original film. After polling the internet, “Name a single movie where the sequel or remake was better than the original?” Here are the top-voted responses.

25 Extraordinary Sequels and Remakes That Outshine the Originals



About the Author




Source: financequickfix.com

Apache is functioning normally

(The Center Square) – Gas prices and mortgage rates continue to rise as polling shows Americans remain worried about the economy.

Gas prices hit an average of $3.85 per gallon of regular gas nationally Tuesday, up from $3.58 a month ago. Incumbent presidents usually take criticism for gas price increases, and President Joe Biden is no exception, taking fire for his work to discourage domestic oil and gas leasing and pipeline development.

“Joe Biden wants us to believe that we are helpless victims incapable of controlling our own destiny, and that OPEC or ‘corporate greed’ determine oil and gas prices, but all he needs to do is reverse his radical green policies, allow the fossil fuel industry to operate, and we’d see prices drop to Trump era levels as domestic production increases,” Daniel Turner, executive director at the energy workers advocacy group, Power the Future, told The Center Square. “Such actions could even secure his re-election, but Biden could never admit American fossil fuels are good and necessary, even at his own political peril.”

Meanwhile, average mortgage prices last week hit 7.09%, the highest in two decades. This time last year, the average rate was about 5.13.

“The economy continues to do better than expected and the 10-year Treasury yield has moved up, causing mortgage rates to climb,” Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist, said in the group’s rate announcement. “The last time the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage exceeded seven percent was last November. Demand has been impacted by affordability headwinds, but low inventory remains the root cause of stalling home sales.”

Mortgage rates have been steadily pushed up as the Federal Reserve hikes rate to combat elevated inflation, which soared earlier in the Biden administration before tapering off in recent months. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index, a key marker of inflation, has increased nearly 17% since President Joe Biden took office while wages have failed to keep up.

Meanwhile, polling shows Americans are still concerned about economic issues. The Center Square Voters’ Voices Poll, conducted in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights, found that inflation and the economy are still top concerns for Americans.

That poll of 2,500 registered voters found inflation and price increases were the most commonly cited concern for Republicans and Independent voters and comes in second for Democrats only to climate change.

That concern has become a political headache for Biden, who has seen his approval rating dip underwater as he continues to take fire for higher prices.

Republicans were quick to blast Biden over the weekend as buying a house became even more expensive.

“Homeownership in America is now a lot less affordable as mortgage rates have reached the highest level in over 20 years,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., wrote on social media. “This is what [Bidenomics] looks like.”

Biden, though, has defended his work on the economy, pointing to the relatively low unemployment rate, the slowing of inflation, and the rebound from COVID-era lockdowns.

“The Inflation Reduction Act is delivering for the American people,” Biden wrote on social media Sunday. “It’s lowering costs for families, restoring fairness to the tax code, creating good-paying jobs here in America, addressing the existential threat of the climate crisis, and more.”

Source: livingstonparishnews.com

Apache is functioning normally

How do you know if your business is headed for a crash? Will your income fall off a cliff in 60 to 90 days or will you keep your momentum? 

Before there were reliable Seismometers, earthquakes were even more destructive than they are today. Entire cities were built on fault lines and there would be no warning before destruction would ensue. Before tornado sirens, tornadoes would hit and no one would have time to hide in cellars and basements. There was no warning to take action. Before planes and pilots had the ability to detect and report turbulence to the planes around  them, turbulence would seemingly come out of nowhere and surprise the passengers, wreck their  lunch trays, and freak everyone out. Now they have on-board weather radar and better reporting so they can warn everyone and steer around the disturbances. 

Fortunately, we now have seismometers, tornado sirens and turbulence indicators, but what about your early warning signs? How do you know when you’re heading for a crash before you’re actually experiencing turbulence, earthquakes or a tornado to your own income stream? 

Five early warning signs you’re headed for a crash 

Warning Sign: you’re blaming everyone and everything for your lack of momentum

The blame could be put on market conditions, your broker, lack of inventory, higher interest rates or what party is in office.   

Solution

Put down your ‘blame-thrower’ and embrace these affirmations: 

“If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me!” and “I’m a do-er, I do things now, I get things done!” 

Warning Sign: You’re not exercising

If you’re experiencing a lack of energy or feeling depressed or unmotivated, it could be because you’ve stopped your work out routine.

Solution

There’s an African proverb that says: “When you pray, move your feet!” Get back to exercising, but make it even better for your business. Join OrangeTheory,  Zumba, CrossFit or form a walking club in your neighborhood. Being around other people gives you an opportunity to talk about real estate while you’re getting back on your exercise routine! 

Warning Sign: You’re not following a profit-driven schedule

Hoping, waiting or speculating for your next few transactions is not a plan. Your daily, profit-driven schedule must include proactive lead generation, furiously fast lead follow-up, pre-qualifying, presenting, negotiating and closing.

Solution

Set a specific, short-term goal of generating new, pre-qualified appointments and leads. If you need three new listings in the next 30 days, your short-term goal is to set at least one new listing appointment this week. What are you doing today to achieve that goal? 

Warning Sign: The overconsumption of negative news

You could also call this one the association with negative people or incessantly doom-scrolling. How do you feel when you spend your time this way? 

Solution

Follow a media-free morning or media-free day. Unless what you’re watching or listening to is in support of your powerful mindset or providing you valuable market or business knowledge, step away from that media! 

Warning Sign: You’re not making enough contact with people ready to transact

Are you conflict-avoiding, contact-avoiding and hiding out from potential business? 

Solution

Are you in a position to hear the word ‘no’ every day, so you can hear the word ‘yes’ more often? If not, you’re not having enough conversations about real estate. You must make a minimum number of contacts every day in order to meet or exceed your goals. If you have to do 18 transactions this year, you must make 18 contacts every workday, until your skill drives that ratio down to a lower number. 

Follow these solutions to your early warning signs and soon you’ll be back on track and ready to take on the world. Don’t ignore your early warning signs, if you do then you’ll have a big crash ahead! 

Tim and Julie Harris host a podcast for real estate professionals. Tim and Julie have been real estate coaches for more than two decades, coaching the top agents in the country through different types of markets.

Source: housingwire.com

Apache is functioning normally

Zillow Group Inc. is offering mortgages with just a 1% down payment as it tries to attract house hunters facing the most-unaffordable market in almost four decades.

The 1% down payment program is even lower than Freddie Mac’s best of 3%, with Zillow offering to pay 2% of the down payment at closing, according to a statement Thursday.

It comes after mortgage rates in the US hit a 22-year high Thursday, further squeezing would-be homebuyers. The average for a 30-year, fixed loan was 7.23%, the highest since May 2001 and up from 7.09% last week, Freddie Mac said in a statement Thursday.

The 1% offering comes as Zillow looks to grow its customer base and may “even the playing field with larger competitors,” Bloomberg Intelligence said, but it will likely hurt margins and paying 2% at closing could prove costly in the long term.

Zillow is offering the new program in Arizona first before expanding to other markets. The company shuttered a similarly ambitious foray into home flipping in 2021 after steep losses.

Source: nationalmortgagenews.com

Apache is functioning normally

Average mortgage rates for 30-year and 15-year mortgages fell to all-time lows this week, Freddie Mac said in a report on Thursday.

The 30-year average is 2.86%, breaking the prior low of 2.88% set in the first week of August, and the 15-year average is 2.37%, beating last week’s record low of 2.42%, the mortgage financier said.

The rates are driving demand in the housing market, helping to counter-balance an economic slowdown that showed signs of worsening after the COVID-19 pandemic flared in some of the nation’s largest states in recent months, said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

“These low rates have ignited robust purchase demand activity,” Khater said.

U.S. home sales surged at a record pace in June and July as purchases that were delayed during pandemic lockdowns were shifted later in the year.

Seasonally adjusted existing-home sales jumped 25% in July, beating the prior record monthly gain of 21% set in June, the National Association of Realtors said in an Aug. 21 report.

The supply of homes on the market was the lowest for any July since NAR started tracking the data about five decades ago, said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.

Existing home sales in 2020 likely will total 5.4 million, a gain of 1.1% from last year, Yun said. Sales of new houses probably will rise 17% to 800,000, Yun said.

Early in the pandemic, before it was clear the Federal Reserve’s intervention in the bond market would drive mortgage rates to all-time lows, Yun projected home sales in 2020 would plummet 15% this year.

“The buyers are coming in because of the low interest rates – that’s the No. 1 reason in my view,” Yun said in an interview.

Source: housingwire.com