Lifehacker: Tips and downloads for getting things done

If you find living in the digital age a bit overwhelming - the e-mail, the iPod, etc - Lifehacker's "tips & downloads for getting things done" show how technology can actually make life simpler......(ya, right!!!)

Have fun, enjoy & relax!

Lifehacker, tips and downloads for getting things done

(Synopsys, HP, Nvidia, TriQuint, Solar World, Genentech, Lattice, Yahoo, Intel, FEI, Netflix, Sun Microsystems, Radisys, IDT)

Weekly Mortgage Matters!

Keeping you updated on the market!
For the week of February 25, 2008

MARKET RECAP

The interest-rate party was fun while it lasted, but it appears to be over – at least for awhile. Depending who you ask and when you asked him, the 30-year fixed-rate prime conforming mortgage spiked as much as 41 basis points (according to Bankrate), or as little as 32 basis points (according to Freddie Mac). Either way, the 30-year benchmark is well above levels this time last week, and even this time last year, exceeding 6.4% in some markets.

The punchbowl was swiftly removed because of a rising threat of inflation. The Labor Department reported that consumer prices jumped 0.4% in January and are up 4.3% in the past 12 months, nearing a 16-year high. Even stripping out sharply rising food and energy costs, prices rose 0.3%.

The same day inflation reared its ugly head, the Federal Reserve disclosed that it reduced its forecast for economic growth this year to between 1.3% to 2%, half a percentage point below the level of its previous forecast offered in October. Fed officials blamed the decelerating outlook on slumping housing prices, tighter lending standards and higher oil prices.

Somewhat remarkably, housing eschewed its familiar role as red-headed economic stepchild. For the second straight month, homebuilder confidence rose, according to the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo index of builder sentiment. The index increased to 20 in February, up from 19 in January. Disaggregating the index, sentiment increased to 24 in the Northeast, 15 in the West, 24 in the South and remained at 16 in the Midwest.

Perhaps the increased confidence resulted from an unexpected increase in new home sales, which inched ahead 0.8% to an annual rate of 1.01 million homes in January, and the fact that traffic in model homes picked up in January, according to the NAHB.

THAT '70S SHOW

The 1970s was known for more than just bad haircuts, polyester suits and unreliable automobiles; it was also deemed a prolonged period of economic morass. Those of us with long memories remember “stagflation” – a word coined by the Brits to define the years from 1970 to 1981, a period marked by 15% annual inflation rates, three recessions and unemployment approaching 10%.

The word “stagflation” is reappearing in contemporary vernacular. Some pundits are lamenting that 2008 is beginning to resemble 1978. There are similarities, to be sure: namely rising oil and commodity prices and easing productivity growth rates. But that's as far as the resemblance goes. Today's circumstances are far different: the inflation rate is much lower, unemployment is only 4.9% and the Fed is much more aggressive at cutting inflation off at the knees.

How much more aggressive the Fed will need to get will depend on this week's producer price index. Credit markets were caught off guard by last week's rise in consumer prices. If producer prices negatively surprise as well, we could see the Fed do a 180 on interest rate cuts, which would make a 6.4% 30-year fixed-rate mortgage seem like a bargain, at least into the relevant future.

(Synopsys, HP, Nvidia, TriQuint, Solar World, Genentech, Lattice, Yahoo, Intel, FEI, Netflix, Sun Microsystems, Radisys, IDT)

Monthly Newsletter!

(Synopsys, HP, Nvidia, TriQuint, Solar World, Genentech, Lattice, Yahoo, Intel, FEI, Netflix, Sun Microsystems, Radisys, IDT)

Zilpy

Seems to be a new kid in town - information for:
1) Where to invest next?
2) Where's the best place to rent?
3) How much can I rent for?

All of this @ Zilpy

What Is Zilpy?

Zilpy is a free online rental market facts and analysis service dedicated to help you make better rental and investment decisions.

We do exactly what you would do if you had to do the analysis yourself – collect data from all available sources (newspaper classifieds, online classifieds, apartment rentals, etc.) and filter the data based on your criteria (proximity, property type, crime rate, population, income, etc). We do all this heavy lifting for you so that you can concentrate on your real goal: find the right rental property.

Looks to me like this could be a winner!


(Synopsys, HP, Nvidia, TriQuint, Solar World, Genentech, Lattice, Yahoo, Intel, FEI, Netflix, Sun Microsystems, Radisys, IDT)

Weekly Mortgage Matters!

Keeping you updated on the market!
For the week of February 18, 2008

MARKET RECAP

Scheduled economic news was scarce last week; actual economic news was another matter. Not surprisingly, the mortgage and housing markets garnered most of the headlines on what was reported.

To state the obvious, the economy's fate still hangs on the value of home prices. On that front, the news was discouraging. According to Zillow.com, a real estate data service, 39% of people who purchased a home two years ago owe more than they own. Adding insult to injury, Fannie Mae reported that it expects home prices will decline 4.5% this year and 2.6% in 2009.

Fortunately, more help is on the way. Congress passed an economic stimulus plan that raised the maximum loan sizes for some conforming and Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgages. The new conforming limit will vary by metropolitan area. In some places it will remain $417,000; in pricier areas, like San Francisco, it will rise to $729,750. Most of the country though will fall between these bookends.

Project Lifeline, a federal government and mortgage-servicer sponsored program for people on the verge of losing their homes, offers additional hope. Project Lifeline is unique in that unlike previous government programs, the benefits won't be confined to borrowers with adjustable rate mortgages. On the other hand, it will exclude anyone who is currently bankrupt, who hasn't missed more than three months of payments, or who is less than 30 days away from foreclosure. It will also exclude vacant or investment properties.

KILLING PATIENTS WITH CURES?

When things go wrong, the first response from politicos is to “do something.” Unfortunately, doing something usually means doing something that will only exacerbate the problem. To wit, Senator Hillary Clinton's proposal to freeze all subprime mortgages, and possibly all ARMs, at their teaser rates for five years.

Senator Clinton's proposal is good news for people who bought more house than they could afford. But it's bad news for the rest of us: It virtually assures that mortgage funds will dry up and rates will soar. Higher mortgage rates, in turn, will mean still lower home prices, which will mean a spike in the number of mortgagees sitting on negative equity. In short, Senator Clinton's proposal will instigate a viscous downward spiral that could easily decimate the mortgage and housing markets for the next decade.

The fact is that the mortgage industry is actively addressing its problems. The Mortgage Bankers Association reports that “repayment plans and loan modifications were put in place for 869,000 homeowners in the second half of 2007, including 545,0000 subprime borrowers who entered into 395,000 repayment plans and 150,000 loan modifications. Based on 1,446,000 average monthly delinquencies of 60 days or more past due during the second half of 2007, 45.3% received a formal repayment plan.”

The best prescription for what ails us still might be lower rates. Prime 30-year fixed-rate mortgages remain 25 basis points below 6% on average, while 15-year fixed-rate loans hover just above 5%. Additional interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve will likely push these rates even lower, providing additional relief for a sick housing market.

(IDT, HP, Intel, Yahoo, Netflix, Genentech, Solar World, Lattice, FEI, Nvidia, TriQuint, Radisys)

Market Action Report

Market Action Report

RMLS January 2008 reporting period!

(Intel, FEI, HP, Netflix, TriQuint, Genentech, Solar World, Lattice, Nvidia, Sun Microsystems, Radisys, IDT, Yahoo)

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Trendgraphix Facts and Trends

Below is a "picture" of what's happening in a particular price range & neighborhood.

Area Code = 97123
Price = $200,000 - $500,000
Property Types = All
Sq Ft = All
Both Resale & New Construction
These charts go back 15 months!

If anyone out there is reading this (LOL!), please do not hesitate to e-mail me your info or neighborhood to post here......Enjoy!








(Netflix, HP, Yahoo, Genentech, Solar World, Intel, Sun Microsystems, Nvidia, FEI, Lattice, Radisys, TriQuint)

Weekly Mortgage Matters!

Keeping you updated on the market!
For the week of February 4, 2008

MARKET RECAP

The action came fast and furious last week, which was to be expected given the surfeit of news and data. Leading the charge was the Federal Reserve, which did what most pundits expected by lowering the fed funds rate another 50 basis points to 3.0%.

Fear of recession is the primary reason the Fed has been slashing the fed funds rate over the past two weeks, and the fear is well-grounded: Gross domestic product grew at a 0.6% annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2007, a palpable slowdown from the 4.9% pace in the previous quarter. The slowdown provided the Fed with the fodder for its aggressive response, which had been criticized by some observers as an overreaction to volatile markets.

Additional support for aggressive action was supplied by Friday's employment report, which showed that non-farm payrolls fell 17,000 in January, the first drop since August 2003. Gains in health care, retail trade and leisure were offset by declines in manufacturing, construction and financial services.

Of course declines in manufacturing, construction and financial services are tied to declines in new-home sales, which decreased 4.7% to an annual pace of 604,000 in December, the fewest since February 1995, and followed a 634,000 rate the prior month. For the year, sales dropped 26%, the most since records began in 1963, while the median price of a new home fell to $219,200 in December from $244,700 a year earlier.

BACK AND FORTH

One of the more distressing issues last week was the drop in the median price of new homes, but that data needs to be juxtaposed against the long-term trend. New home sales rose 50% between October 2001 and October 2005. In that context prices are still higher over this decade. No one can say with certainty when home prices – new and existing – will return to the long-term rising trend, but when they do they will likely be subtle at first, then immediately perceptible.

All truth be told, short-term trends change and markets work. Lower mortgage rates coupled with lower home prices – both at multiyear lows – will swing the pendulum back in our favor. As has been mentioned many times in this space, falling prices clear the path for future growth. This time is no different.

(HP, Solar World, TriQuint, Lattice, Yahoo, Genentech, Nvidia, Sun Microsystems, FEI, Intel, Radisys)

Angie's List - Newsletter Feb 2008

ANGIES LIST

http://magazine.angieslist.com/

(HP, Lattice, Intel, Genentech, Nvidia, Solar World, Yahoo, Radisys, Sun Microsystems, TriQuint)

Trendgraphix Facts and Trends

Below is a "picture" of what's happening in a particular price range & neighborhood.

Area Code = 97124
Price = $200,000 - $500,000
Property Types = All
Sq Ft = All
Both Resale & New Construction
These charts go back 15 months!

If anyone out there is reading this (LOL!), please do not hesitate to e-mail me your info or neighborhood to post here......Enjoy!









(Intel, HP, Nvidia, Yahoo, Sun Microsystems, Triquint, FEI, Radisys, Genentech, Solar World, Lattice)