Cars

I have been doing some traveling lately, mostly due to my work. To my surprise I have seen quite a few new cars on the road, and one of them I see a lot is the Hyundai Genesis. It's a nice car, and although I am not in the new car market this is one I would be looking at if I were. Another car would be the Toyota Corolla. My wife used to have a Toyota Corolla before she met me, and she is a such sweetheart and would let her then 16 year old brother borrow the car. I've heard some stories about how she'd come out to her car in the morning and find mud on the bottom and tumbleweeds sticking out from underneath. According to her brother, that car took a beating and kept on running like a charm. It's still a touchy family subject.

The choices are hard for me because I would need a nice tow vehicle. I like to be on the water, so I need something to tow a boat or jet ski, and I like the look of the Toyota Land Cruiser. I know a few people with these and they love it.

If you are into getting really good gas mileage, then the Toyota Prius is the car for you. You get 48mpg in the city and 45mpg on the highway. The good thing about the high MPG, is you can drive a long ways and not have to stop to gas up. All I would be stopping for is to let Howard out. I wonder which vehicle Howard would like the best? My guess is the Toyota Land Cruiser. He's a big guy and would need more space than a Prius.

Pests

When we looked at the house we recently purchased, there were a ton of Ants and when I say a ton I mean a ton. The person who lived here didn't like to have any treatments for any pests. To me that's just disgusting. We had a pest inspection done and got a nice pest inspection report back. When you buy a house, be sure to get a pre-purchase pest inspection done. They are well worth the money, and they inspect your entire house. You can ask for a copy of the inspection after its complete.

We hired a pest control company to control the ants and within a day they were all gone with none to be seen ever since. They are safe for your pets too, once the application has dried. Even if you already own, it's not a bad idea to get a pest inspection done. You can see if you have any around, and if you do you can prevent any damage or control further damage. There are so many options, and some are pretty high tech like the thermal camera that is used by a pest inspection company in Sydney with some nice testimonials.

My 2 Cents

A long time ago, my dad told me 3 things run this country:

1. Communication - The media is a very powerful tool. Just Barrack Obama.
2. Education - From our grade schools to our universities minds are being molded and shaped.
3. Transportation - Gas prices affect the cost of everything. Did you see prices drop on any goods that were raised when gas was over $4/gallon. No? Me either, but I guarantee that when gas prices go back up, prices on goods will go up again.

I read a blog of someone crying about how they had lost over $30,000 on their 401K this year, which is sad and I felt bad for them, but then they said that 'social security isn't looking so bad now.' WHAT? Do you think that there is going to be funding for social security if your 401K is circling the drain? I don't, and I have never in my life wanted to depend upon the government for my financial security.

I truly do not understand the mindset of those individuals who think that the government should support them. I don't want the government to tell me how to live my life, but that is what is being taught and now, Barrack Obama is the answer to everyone's prayers and it baffles me. It sickens me when people chant, "Obama! Obama! Obama!" instead of "USA! USA! USA!" We didn't hear people chanting, "Clinton! Clinton! Clinton!" or "Bush! Bush! Bush!" Not like we do for Obama. Nothing against the guy, but it is scary to see someone in power worshipped like he is. Pretty soon I have a feeling we'll be the United States of Obama.

There are three parties in this country:

1. A very strong Democrat party who leans toward socialism, and is ruining, I mean running our country.
2. A very weak Republican party who does not know what has hit it, and sides with the Democrats because they don't want to ruffle feathers.
3. A conservative party who wants smaller government, less spending, fewer taxes, and a price to pay instead of a bailout.

Remember AMC, American Motor Corp from the 1960's? They failed...life goes on.

I may get slammed by some of you who disagree with me for what I have said, but I just wanted to say it while I'm still free to do so.

Howard Checking In

Howard had surgery on his ear. Read about his experience here.

Caceres

Cáceres is a nice luxury gated community of town homes in Houston, TX, right inside the loop. They have a very unique design and are a short 3-5 minute commute to downtown Houston. These Houston town homes are really nice with a ton of upgrades. I have been through Houston, and it looked like a pretty nice place to live. Be sure to check it out if you are in the market for a new town house in Houston.

This website has a lot of information www.caceresliving.com. Here are a few facts I got from the website, it has Green space living – almost every town home enjoys a view of one of the six parks within the Cáceres community. You won't be too crowded, because it has 19 custom homes, 34 villas, and 67 town homes. Seeing this place makes me want to move there.

The Best of NYC

Its time for some East Coast Real Estate talk. We will start with NYC real estate. I wonder if the housing market has held up since the Stock Market has not done so well? Other than real estate, the Stock Market is another hobby I have. Although I would not trade my simple life, it would be fascinating to be a stock broker on the NY Stock Exchange floor, and to see what it's like to live in the best of best places such as a 5th Avenue penthouse. Click here to see a very nice place.

Space is very limited in NYC, so when something is built they get top dollar, and of course they build nothing but the best and very luxurious. If you want to see a sample here is a good source.
These places have everything from a water garden to a white glove doorman, and the views are unbelievable. Feel free to check it out.

Here is a link to a blog that you may find interesting as well.

Retirement

A few years ago I knew a guy who was cashing out and moving to Mexico. In the back of my mind I was thinking hhhhmmm, why would he want to move to Mexico? Now I hear about more and more people leaving the USA and buying in areas like Puerto Vallarta.

My sister has been there several times, and loves it. She takes her vacations there year after year, and I think out of curiosity the next time she goes, which should be very soon knowing her, I will ask her to pick up some real estate magazines for me of "Puerto Vallarta Real Estate"
I am a real estate magazine junky, but if you would rather just see"Homes for Sale in Puerto Vallarta" through the internet you can click the links. Maybe you just want to browse the
"International Real Estate" market.

It can be confusing to buy real estate in this country, let alone thinking about investing out of the country in Puerto Vallarta. The links above should have some very helpful information for you. Maybe you are not in a position to buy now, but it is never to late to think about how you want to spend your retirement years.

If you are looking to retire soon, and have some extra cash laying around, check out some international spots. You never know what you'll find. If that does not interest you, perhaps you could leave me in your will. I would not be mad at you for that. Really. Then I'll be checking out the international market.

My First Home

My very first home on my own was a sailboat similar to this one (minus the seals). I loved the boat life. It was simple and cheap, but as you grow up you want better things in life, like a real home.

I was self-employed, so getting a loan was not easy. I didn't even have a rental history. I just paid slip rent to the City of Santa Barbara. I had to shop around for places like Advantage Home Rates. I was able to get a loan, and have owned three homes since the boat life. There are still a lot of people who are self employed, and if they want a loan they might want to look at places like this one.

There are also those who are buying the houses that have been trashed by the previous owners, which you can get pretty cheap right now. A good source for a loan for a place like that would be Advantage Home Rates. Then there are individuals who have bad credit, but still have a good job yet have had some bad luck along the way, but want to be a home owner. It is still possible to get loans. It may take some work, but it can be done.