“If a good political compromise is one that has something for everyone to hate, then last night’s bipartisan debt-ceiling deal is a triumph,” says the WSJ this morning: “The big picture is that the deal is a victory for the cause of smaller government , arguably the biggest since welfare reform in 1996.” Enough of a “balanced approach” for you, Mr. President? It’s the momentum, stupid (see below). Above, image of Kitty Hawk Class aircraft carrier . By Sissy Willis of sisu “ I’m with you on this, ” twitters Mary Katharine Ham as others out here in the twittersphere and blogosphere with whom we usually agree are scoffing at debt-ceiling-deal headlines this morning like the Wall Street Journal’s “ A Tea Party Triumph ” or Mark Thiessen’s piece in the WaPo , “ How the Tea Party ‘hobbits’ won the debt fight .” Here’s MK: Is it a giant victory for American people [...]
By TH Sissy Willis of sisu “Did you say that?” we twittered Illinois Michigan Congressman and transcendent presidential candidate Thad McCotter (above) a moment ago, wounded that our constitutional-conservative hero — he of the Red Eye , Seize Freedom silver tongue — had reportedly said something so profoundly shtupid: “We cannot unite America if we divide the movement,” McCotter warned. “Consequently, the time has come for the Tea party to grow up and the Republican Party to wake up and come together to serve and save this great nation.” Time to grow up? From our venerable roost here on the Medicare side of the henhouse we lashed out with wounded pride … Read full post here . [...]
RIPD ( Rest in Peace Department) is the name of the Men-in-Black type movie that’s coming out about a year and a half from now. A cutie-pie crew of scouts were out in our yard yesterday (above) taking shots of our own house to use as the out-the-window views of the main house, the decreptit home of our old pal Eddie across the lawn now shuttered and robbed of its copper piping. That’s the kind of place we call home. They’re going to reconstruct an interior for most of the action in Readville near Dedham, a few miles west of Boston. By Sissy Willis of sisu What a revelation [...]
Every month I like to read the National Association of REALTORS® Existing Home Sales Report to see how Lawrence Yun is going to positively interpret the data being reported from all the US housing markets. Last month he blamed the weather, this month apparently the problems were due to contract cancellations. Regardless, he is still quite certain that we are in the midst of a housing recovery. [...]
Wow…I’m writing this with shaking hands, still stunned that it has happened. Wow…I’m writing with shaking hands, still stunned that it has happened. And I didn’t even know it had… Going through my morning emails before work, I came across the following: [...]
A short sale is when a lender accepts a discount on a mortgage to avoid a possible foreclosure auction or bankruptcy. For example: A homeowner, who is facing foreclosure, has an existing first mortgage of $300,000. The market value of the home is $210,000. To make a long story short, the lender accepts the offer for $210,000 and the home is sold. That‘s a short sale [...]
Did you know that there are 492 different real estate companies in Tallahassee that are members of our local Board of REALTORS®? Considering that we will only record between 2,000 and 2,300 home sales in Leon County this year, that means the average realty company will only participate in about 9 sales (each sale has the opportunity for two offices involved). Have you considered why this is important to know if you have to sell a home in Tallahassee ? Nine home sales barely provides enough income for a single real estate agent, let alone an entire real estate company in Tallahassee. [...]
If I’ve heard it once, I have heard it a thousand times from home sellers … “Why can’t we just start at this (higher price) and reduce it later if we’re not getting any offers?” After all, if somebody is not in a hurry to sell a home , what can it hurt to try to get a higher price than current market conditions indicate for a home’s value? I have been advising home seller’s in this depreciating real estate market to either wait 5 to 10 years to sell, or sell as fast as possible to get the highest price for their homes. But many home seller’s are hurting for cash or equity and they are hanging on to the hope that they can beat the market, so today I went in search of empirical proof that the initial asking price is so very critical for today’s home seller. Note : If you want to see how to get the top dollar for your home while selling as fast as possible, take a moment to view our progressive home selling plan which utilizes active, passive, and progressive home marketing systems. I decided to track two key real estate statistics [...]
“ She just paints whoever inspires her ,” twitters Mandy Nagy — aka Liberty Chick — whose mother’s deep, dark and delicious portrait of Andrew Breitbart (detail above) caught our eye in the thrust and parry of the social media matrix yesterday. Breitbart’s using the image as his new Twitter avatar . “Your face was a good one to paint (while listening to “Burning Down the House ),” quipped artist Nagy. “Like Andrew Breitbart only more so ,” we chimed in. ( View Nagy Gallery here ) By Sissy Willis of sisu . “ Why bother to remember when you can just use Google ?” runs the ars technica headline teasing the latest scientific findings of where our social-networking heads are at: The potential to find almost any piece of information in seconds is beneficial, but is this ability actually negatively impacting our memory [...]
Thomas Paine wrote in his famous war cry, “ These are the times that try men’s souls. ” He was right then, and he would be right today as well. Have you ever seen more flagrant, gross, or outrageous violations of morality, common sense, or our beloved Constitution than exists in the past few years? If you are a student of history and a master of critical thinking, the answer is an immediate and loud “No!” Our Founding Fathers (FFs) knew their obligation was to truth, not politeness. They also knew that when wicked leaders rule, the pattern of history is that truth is outlawed. First they start by regulating your actions, then your speech, and then, in defiance of all reason, the idea of regulating human thought actually becomes rational. And learn this now: no freedom in history has ever been snatched from humanity without first being regulated “for our own good.” Cyrus Nowrasteh It is with this knowledge that I have undertaken a task that could get me into trouble, for the nation’s “own good.” I am personally sponsoring a private online viewing of THE PATH TO 911 this September. It is the definitive docudrama of what led to 9/11, beginning with the 1993 WTC bombing and ending with the collapse of the towers. Why do I need to undertake such a task? Because in spite of paying 40 million dollars to have it made, in spite of planning to give it to high schools across the country to use when they taught about the worst attack on American soil in our history, in spite of promising to release it within 6 months of its premiere, in spite of expressing their goal to show it every year on the anniversary of 9/11, in spite of 27 million people watching it over two nights when it debuted in 2006 for the 5 th anniversary, in spite of garnering 7 Emmy nominations, and in spite of writer/producer Cyrus Nowrasteh ’s vigilant determination to research thoroughly and bring us the truth (which he did, and beautifully so) Disney has refused to not only release it on DVD, but has refused to ever ever ever show it again, not even on the anniversaries. [...]
Artie Rodriguez, Country/Western singer and songwriter I met him at the 50 th Anniversary Commemoration of the start of the still ongoing Korean War, at Arlington National Cemetery. Out of 1500 musicians who had answered the call from the Department of Defense Korean War Commemoration Committee, Artie Rodriguez and his original song were chosen to sing at the event. Like me, he was the son of a Korean War Veteran, and he, too, had been inspired by his dad, Arthur Rodriguez, for whom he was named. [...]
We have closed a lot of short sales in Tallahassee , and I can tell you that there is a lot of confusion among home buyers and home sellers alike, so I thought a quick article could help explain the process that you will likely encounter if you decide to sell your home through a short sale . Currently, 526 out of the 2,473 homes for sale in Tallahassee are listed as short sales, which represents roughly 21% of the listings. The current trend of closed home sales are up to 13% (1 out of every 8). Short Sales – By The Numbers The process that buyers and sellers undergo in a Tallahassee short sale is very different than what occurs in an arms-length home sale. Because a lender(s) must approve of the agreement reached between buyer and seller, there is a third-party involved in the decision making flow [...]
“The first-ever presidential forum on Twitter was undercut by the commander-in-chief himself, as President Obama answered questions from average Americans with a tide of talking points that went uninterrupted and unchallenged , short-circuiting the event’s populist potential,” summarizes the Boston Herald’ s Jessica Van Sack, who watched Twitter Founder Jack Dorsey’s “ Twitter Town Hall ” so we didn’t have to. Above, a comely attendee lifts her iPad beside the East Room door at what one critic who blogs at Harvard Business Review is calling “ a Meaningless Marketing Stunt .” (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images) By Sissy Willis of sisu “How can we make Twitter Town Halls better in the future? And not just for the US government , but any government,” twittered Twitter co-founder and enthusiastic Obama supporter Jack Dorsey following yesterday’s predictably stilted , “first-ever presidential forum on Twitter,” unwittingly revealing a fundamental misunderstanding of American Exceptionalism and the Shining City … How to make future Twitter Town Halls better? As we twittered in response, Try to remember that here in the USA town halls are not for the GOVT but for the PEOPLE . Read full post here . [...]
In case you didn’t see the update on twitter the July edition of the Tallahassee Real Estate Supply And Demand Report has been published and is available for download. It shows the relative supply of homes by area and price range in Tallahassee, and the trend is very disappointing. As a reminder, the relative supply of homes is the measurement of the current inventory, shown in terms of months of supply, based upon the current rate of demand. The Tallahassee MLS reports that our supply is now at 13.5 months, which is the highest we have seen our relative supply soar since October 2009. Falling demand is outpacing the falling real supply of homes, and that is why relative supply is on the rise. [...]
“ For the beauty of the earth , For the Glory of the skies…” Grapefruit and lilacs for breakfast Down East early morning. By Sissy Willis of sisu On this Fourth of July a republication of our timeless May 25, 2008 post “ Because we sailed too close to the shore “: “ I’m savoring the revealing contrast between Drake’s seafaring ‘reach for the stars’ vision and Michelle Obama’s landlocked ‘ audacity of whining ‘ (Powerline’s expression),” we wrote in the comments of Bird Dog’s totally awesome “Annual re-post: Sir Francis Drake’s Prayer (1577 ) at Maggie’s Farm . Sir Francis: Disturb us Lord, when We are too pleased with ourselves , When our dreams have come true Because we dreamed too little, When we arrived safely Because we sailed too close to the shore… Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, To venture on wilder seas Where storms will show Your mastery; Where losing sight of land, We shall find the stars. What we said two Mem Days back still applies, big time: “Sunrise this morning over Eastern Point across the river from Goomp’s, headquarters for the family’s Memorial Day salute to the awesomely brave and good and true fellow Americans who give their all so we might enjoy such natural wonders . [...]
I just love when we get questions from readers at the Tallahassee Real Estate Blog, as it usually produces the kind of information that people who are in the market to buy a home or sell a home are seeking. After a recent post about NAR’s “temporary” position on the state of the housing market , I received several questions about my views and market measurements. The question with the best grammar came from long-time reader Patrick, who was curious about the real market value of a home . He wrote: All this talk about another five years of stagnant or declining prices (with which I agree) got me to thinking- If a buyer believes that the market value of a given house will decline by another 10-20% in the near term, and the seller is in the market now to avoid getting hit with that decline, what is the realistic price for the house? Is it today’s price (assuming that price is well-researched and reasonable for the neighborhood comps. [...]
I just finished reading the most recent Existing Home Sales Report by Dr. Yun (chief spin-master for the National Association Of REALTORS®) and was not surprised to see the normal bending and twisting of the housing data to form a “why things are improving” article on real estate. But I was surprised at his conclusion that the problems in the real estate market are temporary . Just to make sure that my less than stellar grasp of the English language was not failing me, I quickly Googled the term “ temporary ” to make sure I understood what it really meant: temporary [ˈtɛmpərərɪ ˈtɛmprərɪ] adj not permanent lasting only a short time I can happily report that temporary means what I thought it means … “lasting only a short time.” If one considers that the age of our planet is about 4.6 billion years, and the humans have walked the earth for about 2 millions years, and the age of the United States is 235 years, then I would agree that these housing market woes are indeed temporary. But if you want to sell a home in the next 5 years, then you will not think the housing market decline is just temporary. [...]
Stephen K. Bannon, Director of the epic Palin documentary “The Undefeated” — “a story of empowerment for modern women and their daughters” — talked with Stacy McCain about “ the gap between the reality of Sarah Palin and the perception created by the media ” at the Right Online conference in Minneapolis last weekend, where the film was previewed before what Bannon calls “the vanguard of this revolution, the bloggers.” By Sissy Willis of sisu “ Sarah Palin Reportedly Quits Bus Tour Halfway Through ,” snarked the headline at Talking Points Mem o this morning, seamlessly spinning a speculative Real Clear Politics story about “one of the most unpredictable political figures in America” into their Palin’s-a-Quitter narrative of choice: Former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin has reportedly packed in her bus tour… halfway through. Oh, and lest we forget how stupid she is, a bit of shopworn, gratuitous boilerplate thrown in to keep the natives happy: The bus tour was launched over Memorial Day weekend, and was particularly scrutinized after one event in Boston where Palin badly flubbed the story behind Paul Revere’s ride. The card-carrying commenters piled on with glee, signalling their membership in the tribe … Read full post here . [...]
“ What I would like to see is a little bit more of the GOP contenders’ not hesitating to call one another out on their records ,” Sarah Palin told Judge Napolitano on his Fox Business show “Freedom Watch” yesterday, adding “We condemn the Democrats … for not having vetted their own candidate. Obama wasn’t vetted by the press, but he also wasn’t vetted by his own party.” What a novel idea. Using primary debates to inform the public rather than conceal what the candidates are really up to. See Palin Promotions’ “ Gov. Palin on Freedom Watch: ‘Love to Give White House Fits ” for an excellent summary with quotes, and watch the interview here . Props to twitter buddy Brian of The Right Scoop for putting up the vid [...]
It only took two days after her surprise announcement that she was indeed a candidate for President for Rep. Michele Bachmann’s supporters to turn against her, to question her judgment, and to stop focusing on the qualifications she did so well at introducing us to on Monday night. Debbie Schlussel, who has been a big supporter of MBach and her strong support of Israel (come on – what other Republican candidate has her Israel creds ?), decided it was her duty to dig up some half-truths on Bachmann Campaign Manager Ed Rollins. Instead of letting Bachmann have her moment in the sun, and to let people focus on the work she has done throughout her career, she tried to shift the focus to a non-issue. Not smart, especially when this is someone she likes and should support 110% Rep. Bachmann does her homework. Her record in Congress has proven that she makes educated and principled decisions that are right for the country, not right for a media cycle, or even the leadership of her own Party [...]
Are you under water in your house? You might be surprised at just how many homes in Tallahassee have larger debt loads than their value. This topic came up in a comment made by a reader last week, so I thought it was worth further exploration. When we say that a house is under water , all this means is that the owner owes more money on the house than could be gained through a sale. So just how do we estimate the number of underwater homes in Tallahassee? [...]
We think it is fair to assume that the Little Kitteh that came to dinner — above staring at things we don’t see in the early morning light — is of above average intelligence and education in the school of hard knocks. By Sissy Willis of sisu “I think it is fair to assume that most Harvard graduates are of above average intelligence and education and tend to believe in such things as evolution and global warming. It seems most Republicans do not ,” sniffs warmenist Edward G. Shufro, M.B.A. ’58 in a letter to the editor of the May-June issue of Harvard Magazine . [...]
“ I hate that stupid picture of me in the blue . I’m standing in the mirror making a weird face, why would anyone use that?” twittered a sadder-but-wiser Gennette Cordova this morning in a series of 140-or-fewer-character expressions of disgust with media distortions of her image, both physical and psychological, since last Friday, when Andrew Breitbart’s Big Journalism broke the Big Story that came to be known as Weinergate . Above, Photoshopped “mirror” images of Cordova based upon her Twitter avatar . By Sissy Willis of sisu “If calling out publications for their inaccurate/shoddy journalism is stirring the pot, so be it,” twittered justifiably miffed Seattle journalism student Gennette Cordova this morning, attempting to regain her balance in the aftermath of being mugged by the reality of business-as-usual journalistic spin . [...]
“ I can see the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown from my front porch !” we twittered early afternoon. Sarah Palin stopped off there this morning on her “ One Nation ” bus tour of the nation’s historical sites to retrace the footsteps of our Founding Fathers along Boston’s Freedom Trail (above with daughter Piper and mother Sally Heath at Old North Church . Steven Senne/AP photo), before heading north to a clambake “with some key NH Republicans ” in Seabrook, New Hampshire. Meanwhile in other headline-grabbing news an upstaged Mitt Romney announced his 2012 candidacy at Doug and Stella Scamman’s Bittersweet Farm in Stratham, NH, and the Weinergate plot thickened (pardon our pun). See below for more. [...]
In my second viewing of the Greta Van Sustern interview of Sarah Palin last night I took a look at the overall messages and stylings of two very different Fox News Channel women. The spirited passion of Mrs. Palin’s deeply held love of country was in stark contrast to the dry skeptical flat attorneyesque delivery of Ms.Van Sustern. The ever attractive former Governor was animated with optimism while Van Sustern acted like the garage door you hit the tennis ball against. On one seat the viewers see Sarah, open collared and conversant with energetic gestures punctuating her points [...]
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