1. Use a family plan. You may want to find some "family" to add to your smartphone plan to start trimming your bill. AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, as well as other carriers offer family plans that aren't just limited to those in your family. You can essentially add anyone to your "family" and still take advantage of the savings. Here's the potential savings by bulking your plan: AT&T smartphone individual plans (which include voice, unlimited messaging and data) start at about $75 per month. A family plan that covers three users for similar features costs $145 a month--about $48 per person. A family of five? The monthly cost is $40 per person. 2. Trade in old phones. Don't just dump your old cell phone in a drawer. Web sites such as GreenPhone.com and CellTradeUSA will let you trade y... 10/07/2011

The recession had sparked home owners to be more modest with designs of kitchens and bathrooms, but the improving economy is making home owners want more out of their house. Residential architects are reporting that home owners' preferences are tilting toward larger kitchens and bathrooms, and in some cases, home owners are saying they want even more than one kitchen and more bathrooms, according to the latest American Institute of Architects' Home Design Trends Survey, which mostly focused on kitchens and bathrooms. "We are not seeing the same level of demand for larger and additional kitchens and bathrooms as we saw during the peak of the housing market, but there has been a shift away from downsizing those rooms that has taken place over the last two years," says AIA Chief Economist ... 10/07/2011

Police Tase Lawn-Mowing Neighbor A Lakeland, Fla., man tried to fight the neighborhood eyesore but ended up in a fight with police. Joseph Florence, 57, was fed up with his neighbor's overgrown lawn so he decided to mow and water the lawn himself. But Florence's neighbor didn't appreciate his goodwill gesture and called police to complain that Florence regularly came over to mow his lawn. That's when things got even more bizarre. When officers questioned Florence, who they say had been drinking heavily, they say he became increasingly agitated and aggressive in talking about his neighbor's ugly lawn. So when police went to arrest Florence, they say he tried to hit the officers in the face and choke one of them. Florence was tased by police, and ultimately both officers ended up in the h... 10/07/2011

More investors are taking on the risk of flipping homes, despite falling home prices and sluggish real estate markets across the country. But investors say there are still profits to be made in the house flipping business. Nearly 1 million homes were bought as investment properties in 2010, according to the National Association of REALTORS®, and a record number of buyers purchasing properties with cash currently are flooding the market. Flipping homes for profit is easier in rising markets, but not many markets are reporting increases in home prices, analysts say. In Washington, D.C., Justin Konz of RestorationCapital says his clients are going through four of five properties a month and are making gross profit margins of 35 percent or higher.Where to Find the Deals Flippers mostly are ... 10/07/2011

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually, costing retailers about $4 billion a year. An estimated 12 million barrels of oil are required to make that many plastic bags. The greatest shallow-water offshore wind energy potential in the U.S. - which is 1,000 gigawatts of electricity, or one quarter of national demand - lies off the Atlantic Coast, reports the Interior Department. According to a McKinsey & Company report, through energy efficiency measures, the U.S. has the potential to reduce annual non-transportation energy consumption by roughly 23% by 2020 - the equivalent of taking the entire U.S. fleet of passenger vehicles and light trucks off the roads. More Facts: Earth tilts 23.5 degrees on its axis, causing our season... 10/07/2011

Cell phones, who doesn't have one? I might leave my wallet at home, but if I leave my cell phone at home,  I am turning around to get it. Why do criminals love our use of cell phones? Because we have gotten to the point of letting our guard down. How many of us have purchased an airline ticket or ordered and paid for an item over our cell phone? What about banking? A lot of banks now have mobile applications. Your bank's website may be secure but how secure is your Internet connection? There are approximately 6.8 billion people in the world and we're close to 5 billion cell phone subscriptions. So the criminals have figured it out. For less than $40 you can buy a scanner and listen to almost anyone's conversation.  So, don't let a smart phone be the reason you find yourself in a possibl... 10/07/2011

Best Places to Retire Many people dream of moving to a new location in retirement. When you are no longer tied to your job you can finally take off for a warmer climate, pursue your hobbies, or simply move closer to your grandchildren. Selecting a place to retire requires a great deal of thought and planning. Use our Best Places to Retire search tool to find a place that has both beautiful scenery and big city amenities. You can also search based on budget criteria including the cost-of-living and home prices. Moving to a lower cost locale than where you live now can give your nest egg a much needed boost. If you think part-time work might be a part of your retirement years, consider places where the economy is growing and the unemployment rate is low. Make sure that any place you move ... 10/07/2011

Here is a breakdown of the births for the last century, its shows you the size of each generation. The Baby Boomers are the largest, with a total of 78 million in the yellow. Second place goes to Generation Y with roughly 73 million. After the graph we have some descriptions for each generation.       The G.I. Generation (1901-1924) - is the generation that includes the veterans who fought in World War II and who came of age during the Great Depression.The Silent Generation (1925-1945) - born notably during the Great Depression (1929-1939) and World War II (1939-1945), The Silent Generation was raised to expect and ask for little. As such, this generation more readily accepts fate and hard work.Baby Boomers (1946-1964) - are widely associated with privilege, as many grew up in a time of... 10/07/2011

Home sales and prices are still dropping around the country as huge inventories of foreclosures and short sales continue to weigh on many markets. So how can traditional sellers stand out in a crowded real estate marketplace? CNNMoney.com recently highlighted several keys to getting a home sold in a tough real estate market. 1. Cut your price by a lot. Buyers nowadays want to feel they are getting a "steal," real estate experts say. But some sellers may be tempted to list a property above fair market value just to test out the market and see if they can get a taker. In the past year, about 25 percent of sellers who initially listed their homes too high ended up having to reduce the price, according to Trulia.com. "The first 30 days on the market are the most important," says Elizabeth K... 10/07/2011

Justifying Staging to Get Properties Sold June 14, 2011 by barbschwarz · Leave a CommentFiled under: Home Trends  By Barb Schwarz, Stagedhomes.com I was recently interviewed by a real estate publication and I thought I would share the answers I gave to the reporter's questions here at the Styled, Staged & Sold blog. What's new in the world of home staging? How has it changed in the last two years? The pendulum is swinging; the public is now becoming the driving force to make sure their home gets staged for sale.  Real estate professionals are still crucial in driving the world of home staging but many real estate agents hang back to the point where now the seller is the one asking, "Aren't you going to tell me to get my house staged?" The down economy also has driven the need for home s... 10/07/2011

By Amanda Gengler and Elizabeth Fenner May 9, 2011: 2:12 AM ET Peter and Lauren Meyer of Montclair, N.J., had to make dramatic price cuts to nab a buyer. Their starting price in February 2010 was $1.149 million. After 5 price cuts, the home sold in November 2010 for $808,000.   (MONEY Magazine) -- If you're in the market to sell your home, you probably feel you can't catch a break. Nearly five years into the housing bust, when many experts thought the real estate market would at least have stabilized, sales and prices are still dropping in most of the country. In February existing-home sales tumbled 9.6% from the previous month, and the median price of a single-family home dropped to $157,000 from $163,900 the previous year, according to the National Association of Realtors. (Latest hom... 09/28/2011

When it comes to cultivating a credit score, you've probably got the good citizen routine down cold. You pay on time, try to wipe out the entire balance every month and never close too many accounts at once. Beyond the basics, though, many consumers are still in the dark about what makes their credit scores go up and down. "We have had so many people over the years who don't understand what goes into a credit score," says Dave Jones, president of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies. "They just live with the old wives' tales." Consumers understand that the credit utilization ratio -- the total amount of revolving credit someone uses in a month, compared to the amount of available credit they have -- is a major factor in calculating a score. But did you know... 09/28/2011

Mobile Phones can ignite fuel or fumesMobile phones that light up when switched on or when they ring release enough energy to provide a spark for ignition Mobile phones should not be used in filling stations, or when fueling lawn mowers, boat, etc.Mobile phones should not be used, or should be turned off, around other materials that generate flammable or explosive fumes or dust, (I.e., solvents, chemicals, gases, grain dust, etc...)TO sum it up, here are the Four Rules for SafeRefueling:1) Turn off engine2) Don't smoke3) Don't use your cell phone - leave it inside the vehicle or turn it off4) Don't re-enter your vehicle during fueling.Bob Renkes of Petroleum Equipment Institute is working on a campaign to try and make people aware of fires as a result of 'static electricity' at gas pump... 09/28/2011

Don't be intimidated by the prospect of buying your first home. While the process may seem daunting, once you break the process down you'll see that you can certainly do it. Today's marketplace is perfect for buyers in that mortgage rates are low and there are plenty of homes to choose from. Here's how to get started: 1. Get approved for your mortgage loan before you house shop. It's no fun looking at homes that are way above what you can afford. If you are preapproved for $200,000, you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by narrowing down your prospects from the beginning. Shop for a good rate at your normal bank and then see what traditional mortgage lenders have to offer as well. 2. Narrow down your choice of locations. It's important to look down the road at things like loca... 09/28/2011

Good negotiating in real estate isn't about coming out victorious over the other side, it's about understanding the seller's motivations and striking a deal that satisfies all parties as much as possible. The following tips can help you survive the negotiation of a real estate purchase: Don't focus on price only Many buyers make the mistake of thinking that price is the only point up for negotiation. Buyers can often negotiate quite a bit of value into a contract in addition to the number on the bottom line, such as a preferred closing date, the seller paying or contributing toward closing costs, concessions for home repairs, and so on. Don't move too slowly Real estate can be an aggressive commodity, and buyers who rest on their laurels run the risk of losing out on desired properties.... 09/28/2011

before you get serious about purchasing a home, take these tips into consideration. * Pay down your debt. Before you even apply for a mortgage, it's important that you reduce your debt load. The smaller it is, the better for your debt-to-income ratio, which lenders use to determine how much they'll allow you to borrow. Items like car loans, child support and alimony, credit card bills and student loans are all factors that the lender will consider. Paying down debt can have the added benefit of improving your credit, as well. * Check up on your credit. Having good credit is another essential element in smart home buying - it can affect how lenders view you, and the terms of your mortgage. The better shape your credit is in, the better your potential to get the mortgage of your dreams. E... 09/28/2011

Tax Deductions for Vacation Homes By: Donna Fuscaldo Published: November 17, 2009 Tax deductions for vacation homes vary greatly depending on how much you use the home and whether you rent it out.   Is your vacation home a vacation home? If you bought your vacation home exclusively for personal enjoyment, you can generally deduct your mortgage interest and real estate taxes, as you would on a primary residence. Use Schedule A to take the deductions.The IRS even allows you to rent out your vacation home for up to 14 days a year without paying taxes on the rental income. You might be able to deduct any uninsured casualty losses too, though you can't write off rental-related expenses. (More on those below.) If the home is rented for more than 14 days, you must claim the income.Now, if you ... 09/28/2011

Justifying Staging to Get Properties Sold June 14, 2011 by barbschwarz · Leave a CommentFiled under: Home Trends  By Barb Schwarz, Stagedhomes.com I was recently interviewed by a real estate publication and I thought I would share the answers I gave to the reporter's questions here at the Styled, Staged & Sold blog. What's new in the world of home staging? How has it changed in the last two years? The pendulum is swinging; the public is now becoming the driving force to make sure their home gets staged for sale.  Real estate professionals are still crucial in driving the world of home staging but many real estate agents hang back to the point where now the seller is the one asking, "Aren't you going to tell me to get my house staged?" The down economy also has driven the need for home s... 09/28/2011

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps. When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode If you look you will see that the... 09/28/2011

Things to Consider When Purchasing a Home There are many issues to evaluate when considering a home purchase including what you can afford, what kind of loan best suits you, the property itself and once you find your dream house, how much you are willing to pay for it. How Much Can You Afford?   Before starting your search for a home, you must decide how much you can afford. Generally speaking, it is recommended that the down payment be a minimum of 5-20% of the purchase price. In addition, there are two other standard thresholds to consider in terms of how much of your monthly income should be spent on housing. Your total housing costs (mortgage, interest, property taxes, insurance) should not exceed 28% of your income. The combination of your housing costs and all other monthly debt (... 09/28/2011