Then reward yourself with ice cream…Visit a participating Ben and Jerry’s scoop shop on today from 5-8pm, and you’ll get a free scoop of ice cream. Democracy never tasted so sweet.
In this neighborhood, a larger number of people have these characteristics than in surrounding neighborhoods:
Education: Bachelor’s degrees, Did not complete college
Employment: Work in business and financial occupations, Work in computer or mathematical occupations, Work in management-level occupations, Work in office and administrative support occupations, Work in sales and related occupations
People & Culture: Born in the Midwest, Retirees, Wealthy retirees.
The main types of people are…
Rat Racers - Dual-income suburban families. These married couples with children lead very busy lives, with most bringing in two paychecks per household. Education level varies from high school to college.
Affluent DINKs - High-income, kid-free couples living in the suburbs. Middle-age Dual Income No Kids couple bringing in two attractive incomes. Most are highly educated and are employed in management professions. A high proportion are homeowners.
Self-sufficient Seniors - Suburban seniors who live alone. More than 40% either live alone or live with non-relatives. Some are homeowners. Education level varies from high school or lower to college.
Candy corn was invented by George Renninger in the 1880s and produced by the Wunderle Candy Company. By 1900, the Goelitz Candy Company, now Jelly Belly, started mass producing the candy.
The National Confectioners Association estimate 20 million pounds of candy corn are sold each year.
From the Daily Journal of Commerce
Mayhem in the credit, stock and housing markets may look like bad news, but it actually presents some great opportunities for young adults.
The turmoil is bringing prices down to levels that might afford them an economic toehold and, perhaps, a house. By buying low, young people may decide to start a decades-long investing habit. They can take their medicine early and flourish later.
However, serious challenges await the generation that will be asked to repay the loans that the federal government is taking out now. College seniors are graduating into a recession that economists predict will last for a year or longer, and jobs are hard to come by. Benefits like health insurance and 401(k) plans are even scarcer.
If there is one word that best describes how twentysomethings can navigate these waters it is “invest.” Invest, invest, invest. Put money into retirement accounts and the stock market. Build a down payment and get into the housing market. Invest in yourself by continuing to add skills and knowledge. It’s hard to invest all over the place at once, especially if you’re earning a lousy salary, but it will all bear fruit.
It is good to take a long-term view. Everything you do now may seem small, but it will change where you are when you turn 30, 40 and 50.
Here are some specific ways that young adults can make the most of the current mess.
• Invest automatically. If your company has a 401(k) plan, participate to the fullest amount you are permitted. If it doesn’t, create your own automatic retirement savings plan by opening a Roth Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and authorizing a set amount to be deducted from your checking account every month. You won’t miss the money, and down the road you’ll be happy you have it.
• Put that money in the stock market. Recoveries always come after a fall, and they often move quickly. The market crashes of 2008 allow you the opportunity to buy in at low prices. You don’t have to learn to pick stocks; simply find a low-fee, broadly-based index fund from a no-load mutual fund company such as Fidelity Investments or Vanguard Investments and you’ll participate in that recovery.
• Create a savings account and stash something in it each time you get paid. Consider this your down payment/grad school/new car/wedding account. Keep it in the same bank as your checking account so you can easily transfer money into it.
• Start building your career, even if you don’t have a good job. Start networking in your field by joining a professional association and going to meetings. Take extra classes or learn skills on your own that will give you an edge over other job candidates. Apprentice yourself to a mentor.
• Build a solid credit profile. If you don’t have a credit card, get one. If you have one, make sure to make payments on time every month. Use the card only for items you can afford to pay in full at the end of the month, or for true emergencies. Check annualcreditreport.com to see your credit profile.
• Buy your own health insurance, if you don’t get it at work. Even a broken leg can wipe you out if you’re living hand to mouth. You’ll get better care when you do need it. And health insurance is typically cheap for young people. Shop at ehealthinsurance.com.
• Get real estate savvy. This may not be the best time to buy a house, but it is a good time, and that’s likely to last for a while. Start scouting neighborhoods and then use mortgage calculators to determine what you can afford.
• Get money savvy. If you start in your 20s, you’ll still be behind Warren Buffett, who was investing in his teens. But you could become a financial whiz by the time you’re 35, with plenty of time left to put that expertise to use. Start slow and learn a little bit more all the time.
• Defer gratification. You may feel like you’ve already delayed ‘real life’ and grown-up things long enough. But a few more years of living with student-caliber furniture, an older car, fewer restaurant meals and Netflix instead of movie theaters will pay off down the road.
• Get help. Even tightening your belt may not leave you enough cash to invest in a house, a career and a retirement all at the same time. But presented with those worthy causes, your parents or grandparents may be able and willing to help a bit.
The National Association of Realtors reported that existing home sales rose 5.5 percent in September compared to August. More importantly, sales volume was 1.4 percent higher than the 5.11 million-unit pace in Sept. 2007, the first year-over-year gain posted in existing home sales since November 2005.
NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun: “The sales turnaround which began in California several months ago is broadening now to Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Rhode Island. The South was hampered by much lower home sales in Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.”
Calculated Risk points out that September 2007 sales were impacted by the credit crisis that started in August 2007. The current wave of the credit crisis will probably impact sales reported in October and November.
Also see Orgonian Article from from today Incentives bring gains in new home sales
From Forbes
Money goes further some places in the United States than it does in others.
Housing, in particular, has remained most affordable in the South and the Midwest. That’s because of less stringent building, an abundance of land and growing populations in the South, says Daniel McCue, a research analyst at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.
To determine the cities that offer the best quality of life for the least amount of money, Forbes magazine calculated the ratios between a city’s median home price and its median household income. It also factored in projected job growth. And it compared median income to Moody’s Economy.com’s cost of living index.
Here are the 10 cities that it found to offer the best value.
Cities Where Residents Get the Most for Their Money
According to the Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association, between 2000 and 2006 there was a 30% increase in the number of people exercising at home, especially among baby boomers concerned with maintaining their health. About one-third of new and potential home buyers list a home gym as essential or desirable, according to NAHB. The space falls just behind home offices and theater rooms as the most popular specialty area.
Home gyms also are sprouting in spare bedrooms, multi-use family rooms and garages. A few years ago, home gyms were more focused on several single-specialty machines like the Ab Roller or the ThighMaster, says Steve Jordan, president and owner of Steven Jordan Acceleration, a fitness boutique in Los Angeles. Today’s home gym is minimalist. Cables are neatly tucked away, and machines are adjustable to fit any body type and fitness level. “The consumer realizes that exercise and movement can be done in small spaces or on equipment that has multiple uses,” says Jordan, who has designed home gyms in spaces as small as 4 by 4 feet.
In today’s home-gym market, the look of the equipment is just as important as the function. Manufacturers are using “home-friendly” materials and colors, including wood grains and brushed stainless steel.
A recent survey of the 13 largest publicly traded U.S. homebuilder entitled Greener Pastures for America’s Homebuilders? A Survey of Sustainable Practices by the Homebuilding Industy found that, while every major homebuilder has incorporated some environmental and efficiency programs and products into some of their new homes, none has fully embraced the emerging market of sustainable building design and construction. This study of the sustainable policies, programs, and performance of the nation’s largest homebuilders revealed that the industry has a long way to go before any of the companies can truly claim to be addressing the risks and opportunities inherent in the environmental and climate change dilemmas.
Local builders that ranked among the nation’s Greenest large-scale homebuilders include D.R. Horton and Centex.
Home buying and homeownership professionals will lead workshops for future homeowners, current homeowners and seniors. Free ice cream and activities will occupy the kids. Emanuel Hospital Atrium (501 North Graham), Saturday, October 25, 10:00 am to 2:30 pm. For more information, visit the event website.
Also, don’t forget about the Remodeling 101 seminar which is also tomorrow, Saturday, October 25.
by Eric Mortenson, The Oregonian
Portlanders know it as Pioneer Courthouse Square, a former downtown parking lot turned gathering spot, MAX train hub and the place where that bronze man, Mr. Allow Me himself, is eternally offering to share his umbrella. We call it the Living Room.
The American Planning Association calls it one of the top 10 public spaces in the country, on the list with New York’s Central Park and the Santa Monica Beach in California.
The planning association this week included Pioneer Courthouse Square on its list of the country’s best public spaces, streets and neighborhoods. The designations are intended to honor places and policies that “exemplify exceptional character” and “offer better choices for where and how people work and live,” according to a news release.
The seven other 2008 Great Public Spaces are: Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza, Prescott, Ariz.; Union Station, Washington, D.C.; West Side Market, Cleveland, Ohio; Mellon Square, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Waterplace Park, Providence, R.I.; Waterfront Park, Charleston, S.C.; and Church Street Marketplace, Burlington, Vt.
Pioneer Courthouse Square is a one-block square bordered by Southwest Morrison Street on the north, Southwest Yamhill Street on the south, Southwest Broadway on the west and Southwest Sixth Avenue on the east.
The site was home to Central School, which was Portland’s first public school, then to the Portland Hotel, which was completed in 1890. Meier & Frank bought the site in 1951, tore down the hotel and built a two-story parking structure. The company’s later proposal to build an 11-story parking garage was turned down by the city and touched off a sweeping downtown planning effort. The city eventually bought the site and selected architect Will Martin to design the square. It opened in 1984 and today attracts an estimated 26,000 people a day.
In 2005, the Project for Public Spaces ranked Pioneer Courthouse Square third among the top 12 public squares in the U.S. and Canada.