2010 Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension and Expansion, a Good Deal?

Posted on : 22-01-2010 | By : admin | In : Financial News

Tags: Credit Extension, Deal, Good Deal, Tax Credit Extension

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2010 Homebuyer Tax Credit Extension and Expansion, a Good Deal?

Posted on | January 21, 2010 |

If you are thinking of buying a home, there really haven’t been many opportunities as good as today’s buyer’s market.

According to The National Association of Realtors, affordability is the best it’s been since the 1970’s, and with the extension and expansion of the Home Buyer Tax Credit, it’s an even better deal.

Despite recent reports of IRS delays and the inability to e-file when applying for the first time home buyer credit, it’s still worth it – if you’re looking to buy a house for a home, and not for profit. The credit was

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Rich history and rugged good looks – world’s most beautiful castles

Posted on : 21-01-2010 | By : admin | In : Financial News

Tags: Castles, Good Looks, Rugged Good, Rugged Good Looks

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They may no longer be used for repelling enemy hordes or otherwise defending the kingdom, but these castles still have their rugged good looks.

Bamburgh Castle
Bamburgh, England

Fortifications have stood on this rocky outcrop near the North Sea since the 5th century. In the 12th century, King Henry II acquired the structure, and later it was snapped up by William Armstrong, a wealthy Victorian industrialist. Still owned by Armstrong’s descendents, the castle has served as the location for several movies, including Roman Polanski’s 1971 version of Macbeth. After you tour the castle, which is open to the public from March to October, hop over to nearby Holy Island for a visit to Lindisfarne Castle.

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The Simple Dollar Weekly Roundup: Bugs Edition

Posted on : 21-01-2010 | By : admin | In : Financial News

Tags: Bugs, Simple Dollar

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Lately, I’ve been working with a coder to help me with some back-end issues with The Simple Dollar, as there have been a few bugs floating around in the software I use to update the site, the most onerous of which is that some small fraction of comments seem to disappear before I ever get to see them in the moderation queue. He’s also implementing a few features, such as automated text elements in posts (like the “shelter” bit in the Trimming the Average Budget series, which I couldn’t figure out how to change for about a week).

Anyway, over the next month, you might occasionally see some minor bugs pop up here and there on the site. Don’t swe

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How Much Will a Credit Score Go Up After Bankruptcy Comes Off?

Posted on : 20-01-2010 | By : admin | In : Financial News

Tags: Bankruptcy Comes, Comes, Credit Score

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Yes, your credit score will go up after a bankruptcy comes off your report, but how much it will go up is largely dependent on what you’ve done since you initially had your debts discharged.

Your rating will likely go up somewhere between seventy five and one hundred and fifty points, but again, this is largely dependent on what’s happened in your recent financial history. Shortly after your discharge is complete it’s important to start working on rebuilding your finances. You can start off with a secured credit card at your bank, work up to small secured or unsecured loans, and over the years graduate to unsecured cards and other endeavors, always making sure to make your payments on time and in full.

If you’ve done all of this over the years then your rating has probably already improved a great deal, and you probably have a good rating already. Once yo

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Bankruptcy lawyer lists in Buffalo Grove

Posted on : 20-01-2010 | By : admin | In : Financial News

Tags: Buffalo Grove, Grove

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Scott J. Kofkin and Sandra R. Kofkin have listed for sale a four-bedroom, 3.1-bath home at 465 Parkchester Road in Buffalo Grove for $445,500.

David Schwabe of RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest is the agent for the listing. The 3,216-square-foot home was built in 1991 in the Parkchester subdivision.

Mr. Kofkin is a partner at Kofkin, Springer, Scheinbaum & Davis, a Roselle-based firm that concentrates primarily in bankruptcy and related matters, including consumer and business cases, trustee and creditor representation, adversary litigation, appeals and creditor workouts.

Ms.

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Cheques will be phased out if alternatives found

Posted on : 20-01-2010 | By : admin | In : Financial News

Tags: Found, If Alternatives

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It has been reported that by 2018 cheques could be phased out altogether in the UK, but that this will only happen if suitable alternative for cheques are found. The data has been released by the UK Payments Council, which has set the date of 2018 to try and encourage alternative forms of payment to be developed and used so that the end of the cheque will not have such a huge impact on consumers.

Whilst many people have stopped using cheques in favour of credit and debit cards, many consumers, such as older consumers, still tend to feel more comfortable using cheques as a form of payment. In addition to this many people still use cheques to make payments on bills and to pay for online or mail order purchases.

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REITs Are Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

Posted on : 20-01-2010 | By : admin | In : Financial News

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The Dow Jones REIT Index more than doubled in 6 months last year when it rocketed ahead from 85 to 181. After reaching an interim high in September, it has been struggling while most popular averages have been roaring ahead. The REIT index fell 5-10% off its high for 3 months. In the middle of December, REITs were hot, taking the index to 192 after which it pulled back pretty much hugging its former high level of 181. The inability to record new highs while other stocks were (especially high yielders) suggests that REIT investors are holding their breaths, waiting for the other shoe to drop.REITs have 2 big advantages at this difficult time for financial companies.

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