Chio151

The sprint off was interesting. I'm sure it got Cardinal nation all in a huff. Totally disrespectful to the game of baseball.

Gotcha, I could totally see cases like that. There are certainly situations where I saw people with unrealistic expectations on price. I think the best thing to do is live on realtor.com for a bit and get an understanding for what homes are going for. Also though, check zillow.com and see what suggested values are and (most importantly) what homes actually sell for. Don't be afraid to lowball and ask for many conditions in the offer. It's a buyers market.

Not sure what price of home you were looking at Patrick, but 100,000 seems a bit excessive in difference between the two cities. One huge factor in Brookfield's favor is the lower taxes. Waukesha & Wauwatosa had such high taxes that we basically ruled them out. When we were looking we found that a very similar cape cod home in Waukesha would be 150,000 and in Brookfield 170,000. However, due to the difference in taxes, the Brookfield home would be a lower monthly payment. Also, keep in mind that with a starter home we are talking about relative value and the ability to gain/resell more than absolute square footage value. Don't get trapped into that mindset. A small home in a desirable neighborhood where more expensive homes surround it is generally a safe bet. Always make sure to avoid buying the 'nice' house in a blah neighborhood. Having bought 2 homes in Waukesha County in the last 5 years, I think you'll be very happy with the current prices. Golden opportunity with the prices, rates, and govt tax breaks.

Yeah, I'd say you'd start at 5000 for just a low-end guy to do it. To match the really nice look of your house seamlessly, I'd think more. Contractors may vary quite a bit, so I'd look at some free estimates. There are also some services that allow you to do some work yourself to save money.

I actually enjoy it, it's a nice old-fashioned lemonade. Good and tart. z

What you can demand is that a toxicity report on the mold is done at the seller's expense. Some mold in the corner of a basement is normal and treatable. However, there are types of black mold that are highly dangerous. It's a simple and cheap test. Also important though, is to check the house for water damage, grading, warping, etc. If there is mold, then there are likely grade issues. If there are grade issues then there may have been flooding, water damage, and possibly foundation issues. These would be even bigger deal breakers. In this market, you can put a lot of these expenses on the sellers. If you have *any* concerns, I would recommend a foundation expert.

I wonder if they will change the background color like on the extraSUPERRRbrightY3llow!!!1 Packers plates.

I thought Wendling was going to be awesome and block field goals all the time. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif I have to say though the swimming pool thing is more impressive -- just from a technique standpoint.

Queue highlifevoice.... http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif A gas grill is grilling because there is direct contact between the flame and food - and less carcinogens. I would always suggest owning both. There is no way I'm waiting for coals after work, but it's nice once and a while.

I guess I have to ask... why would you make the assumption of a 5% foreclosure rate for those receiving the credit? The national foreclosure rate has never been that high. I would peg the foreclosure rate linked to those receiving the credit much closer to historical averages in the 1.5% or so range. Like I said, banks won't give people money right now unless they are exceptionally sure of the probability of collection. Furthermore, the vast majority of current foreclosures have to do with subprime lending. That's not happening anymore, either. The foreclosure rate might rise another couple times in the next 6-12 months, but 5% for existing mortgages seems quite high. I don't think new mortgages are going to get anywhere near that.Thanks for the good discussion on this. In my extremely generalized numbers I was using the assumption that new home buyers carry a greater foreclosure rate than people on their 2nd or 3rd home. While the national average as a whole may be less than 5%, the percentage for new home buyers would be higher. I would need to confirm that. I hope you are right that the extreme subprime lending has ceased. If so, there is always a lagging effect on the rest of housing stocks. If we can decrease that, it will help everyone. I just feel that targeting the supply of new foreclosures is more important than increasing the demand to purchase them. By increasing the purchasing of foreclosed homes instead of decreasing the stock, you are effectively allowing the median price to dwindle. There are recent numbers saying that the vast majority of home purchase increases in December were the acquisition of foreclosed homes. That's great, but it creates deflationary market. We need to turn off that spigot.

You are correct in the sense that it is more difficult to get loans now than it was 5 years ago. However, even making the assumption that 95% of the people who receive the credit will not end in foreclosure, you still have a 5% foreclosure rate -- which is devastating. Maybe there will be some good coming from this credit. But I think a great deal more good could have come from working more through the FDIC to prevent foreclosures at the ground level. That way, you are reducing housing stock, preserving prices, and adding some security to the market. Even more than that, look at why people are foreclosing in the first place. There are two primary reasons: loss of income or loss of equity. So, we need to add more jobs and stop home prices from falling. Doesn't matter how you do that, as long as you are effective at it. It's a good debate. Maybe 40% of the population just shouldn't own homes: http://www.calculatedrisk...ate-declines-to-2000.html

It doesn't. It was one of the worst aspects of the whole bill, but also one of the easiest political sellers. http://www.calculatedrisk...will-not-boost-house.html If you have an economic crisis largely influenced by banks lending to people that purchase homes they cannot afford, why is the solution to make it temporarily easier for people who cannot afford homes to purchase them? I apologize to those who were about to use the credit, but I wish it had been eliminated. If they would study the Japanese model, the best investment of stimulus funds is making down payments on large infrastructure and technology that can create long term jobs. The healthcare IT, the broadband, the green technology, the science and education money, and even *some* roads are good uses for the stimulus. Everything else is just temporary. Overall though: a solid 'B' on the final bill.

Yes, one cover letter and resume per company. Chances are, it will be the same recruiter looking at many internship possibilities. It is their job to assess fit. Make them feel smart. Tell them what you like to do and what you want to become. They will make the call.

It almost sickens me that Sheets isn't an option to return. I wish he would just sign somewhere so we could forget about it.

Yeah, the whole duel thing got silly. Not my favorite episode at all. They've really watered down Jim's character. Also, Dwight is funnier when is more of a side character.

Okay, we're at a 3 right now. My snot froze. We haven't reached a 4, my spit still reaches the ground.

It's still nice out, what gives? I was expecting my snot to freeze. I do not care for all this winter hoopla. I just want the news to give me a few easy guidelines for each day: 1. Normal Winter 2. Switch to pink bottle of washer fluid 3. Snot freezing 4. Spit does not reach ground. When we reach 4, school can be called.

He was tearing up at the end of the season because he thought he wouldn't be back. He also had a quote along the lines of "This makes up for all the lows of the previous years." I don't think there's any evidence that he wasn't bothered, and I think there's evidence to the contrary.Okay, then I'm wrong. I just get the sense that there isn't a lot of loyalty or appreciation back to the organization. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Great post. Thank you for trying to look at it objectively. For me, it is about emotional investment and constantly being disappointed. I was so frustrated that after all these years we finally made it to the playoffs and fittingly he wasn't available to help. He didn't even seem too bothered. To me, it's not the time he's missed or how he was injured - it's the why. I'm of the impression that he does not do much offseason conditioning and does not go the extra mile to stay healthy. It's probably the wrong impression, but it's what I've got to work with. If he comes back, I'll be all for it though.

Everyone is ending up in Boston. Really, could they build a JV squad too?

On-board GPS is cool to watch on the headsets. I flew on British Midlands a couple years ago and they actually had three video cameras on the outside of the plane that you could watch on your headset. Watching the nose camera as the plane was landing was sweet.

You guarantee Hoffman the closer role until he fails. He's a professional, he gets it. Just offer him the second guaranteed year. I think he'll be running next year still.

I am shocked to this day that there are (many) people I know who see no issue with driving 'a little' drunk. Understand this: it will ruin your life. Until we find a way to control the inbred opinion that people can assess their own sobriety level and driving ability, we will not make any progress. In the meantime, make some mandatory minimums on 2nd and 3rd offenses. I'm sick and tired of all these sleazy lawyers advertising how they can work the system to ensure your are available to kill someone next time.

I don't think Wall-e got enough credit for how technically brilliant it was. Clearly, to me, it has become the gold standard for 3d animation.

I can't even describe the level of animosity I have towards that franchise and what it says about baseball. Every true baseball loving American should also hate the Yankees.