Honestly, worries about the mailbox and other people's access to it is one reason why I have a post office box now...
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Daily Real Estate News | January 21, 2011 | Share
Thieves Target Tax Documents, Watch Your Mail
Tax season is here, which means you need to take some extra caution when receiving your important tax documents in the mail and ensure they don’t fall into the wrong hands, identity theft experts warn.
Year-end credit card summaries, W-2s, 1099 income tax forms, and brokerage statements contain critical information about you, such as your full name, Social Security number, and account numbers. In the wrong hands, that type of personal information can put you at risk for identity theft.
"People don't understand that 'walkers' follow mail carriers and look through your mail for any bonanza they can find," says Linda Foley, chairman of the Identity Theft Resource Center. "Mail thieves know the prime time is between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Others take advantage of the dark of night and/or consumers' tendencies of not checking mailboxes each day."
Some experts warn that some thieves are even opening envelopes and making copies of documents and then resealing your mail and placing it back in the mailbox -- so you never suspect a thing.
Here are some suggestions from experts on how to better protect your mail:
Purchase a secure, locked mailbox for your home or get a post office box to prevent others from accessing your mail.
Get your mail soon after it arrives and avoid having mail left in your mailbox for long periods of time. Put a vacation stop on your mail if you are going to be out of town.
If you think your mail has been stolen, contact your creditors or bank about your bills and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to investigate any missing mail or mail theft. You can file a mail theft complaint online at https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/contactUs/filecomplaint.aspx or call 1-877-876-2455.
Source: “Mail Thieves Are Waiting for Your Tax Documents,” The Dallas Morning News (Jan. 17, 2011)
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011012104?OpenDocument
Friday, January 21, 2011
Interest rates...
I know the rates are still really good, but be aware of changes~
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Daily Real Estate News | January 21, 2011 | Share
30-Year Mortgage Rates Inch Up
The rates on 30-year fixed mortgages increased slightly this week, with average rates rising 4.74 percent from 4.71 percent the previous week, Freddie Mac reports.
In November, 30-year rates had reached a 40-year low at 4.17 percent but have been inching upward ever since.
Here’s how other rates fared for the week:
15-year loan rates dropped to 4.05 percent from 4.08 percent.
5-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 3.69 percent, down slightly from 3.72 percent the previous week.
1-year ARMs were up slightly to 3.25 percent from 3.23 percent last week.
“Mortgage rates were little changed during the holiday week amid reports that inflation remains tame,” says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. The housing construction market as well as home builder confidence still remain low, Nothaft notes.
Source: “Tame Inflation Figures Leave Mortgage Rates Mixed,” Freddie Mac (Jan. 20, 2011) http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011012105?OpenDocument
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Daily Real Estate News | January 21, 2011 | Share
30-Year Mortgage Rates Inch Up
The rates on 30-year fixed mortgages increased slightly this week, with average rates rising 4.74 percent from 4.71 percent the previous week, Freddie Mac reports.
In November, 30-year rates had reached a 40-year low at 4.17 percent but have been inching upward ever since.
Here’s how other rates fared for the week:
15-year loan rates dropped to 4.05 percent from 4.08 percent.
5-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 3.69 percent, down slightly from 3.72 percent the previous week.
1-year ARMs were up slightly to 3.25 percent from 3.23 percent last week.
“Mortgage rates were little changed during the holiday week amid reports that inflation remains tame,” says Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac vice president and chief economist. The housing construction market as well as home builder confidence still remain low, Nothaft notes.
Source: “Tame Inflation Figures Leave Mortgage Rates Mixed,” Freddie Mac (Jan. 20, 2011) http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011012105?OpenDocument
We need more jobs!!!
Surprise, surprise. We need more jobs!!!
"Daily Real Estate News | January 21, 2011 | Share
Job Recovery is Vital for a Strong Economy
With the exception of financial companies, corporate profits in 2010 were the highest ever, which should bode well for U.S. job recovery, says NAI Global Chief Economist Peter M. Linneman. “This could be a real stimulus for the economy,” unlike government efforts which just shifted existing funds around, he says.
The problem so far is that this $1.3 trillion of excess cash isn’t translating into new jobs. Linneman, who made his remarks during a Jan. 18 webcast, attributes the inactivity to uncertainty over political policies and regulation. But he adds that once corporations achieve a level of certainty, spending “could pick up much quicker than people realize.” “I’m very optimistic about this happening,” he says.
Yet, even if job growth returns to normal rates of approximately 1.7 million new jobs per year, it will take about five years to replace the 9 million lost jobs and absorb current vacant office space. “About 85 percent of vacancies today are due to job loss, not overbuilding,” Linneman says.
Jobs are also the catalyst for multifamily demand growth, says Linneman. With more than 2 million “pent-up households," there will be more households than units waiting for them if the economy begins to add jobs at a more normal pace."
Source: "Global Economic Outlook Web Conference," Peter Linneman, NAI Global (Jan 18, 2011)
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011012101?OpenDocument
"Daily Real Estate News | January 21, 2011 | Share
Job Recovery is Vital for a Strong Economy
With the exception of financial companies, corporate profits in 2010 were the highest ever, which should bode well for U.S. job recovery, says NAI Global Chief Economist Peter M. Linneman. “This could be a real stimulus for the economy,” unlike government efforts which just shifted existing funds around, he says.
The problem so far is that this $1.3 trillion of excess cash isn’t translating into new jobs. Linneman, who made his remarks during a Jan. 18 webcast, attributes the inactivity to uncertainty over political policies and regulation. But he adds that once corporations achieve a level of certainty, spending “could pick up much quicker than people realize.” “I’m very optimistic about this happening,” he says.
Yet, even if job growth returns to normal rates of approximately 1.7 million new jobs per year, it will take about five years to replace the 9 million lost jobs and absorb current vacant office space. “About 85 percent of vacancies today are due to job loss, not overbuilding,” Linneman says.
Jobs are also the catalyst for multifamily demand growth, says Linneman. With more than 2 million “pent-up households," there will be more households than units waiting for them if the economy begins to add jobs at a more normal pace."
Source: "Global Economic Outlook Web Conference," Peter Linneman, NAI Global (Jan 18, 2011)
http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2011012101?OpenDocument
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