Wednesday, September 19, 2007

A Short Sale Could Save You From Foreclosure

Short Sales are a valid alternative to getting completely mired in the foreclosure process. The important thing is to not ignore notices from your bank or lender; call their collections department immediately and see what kind of alternatives you have.

I love it when someone explains the process so well that I don't have to. One of my favorite bloggers is a Realtor® in Minnesota and she explains the short sale issue perfectly here. Read what Bonnie Erickson has to say; it might help you avoid getting into a real mortgage fix. Peace Out-3C

Rail Freight Enhancement Could Alleviate Traffic Congestion

The Heartland Institute did a report on traffic, freight and otherwise. They are a group that focuses on transportation issues. In this report they outline the value of increasing rail usage for freight carriers nationwide. One of the benefits is traffic congestion. Another one is wear and tear on the highways.

How many times have you been on a highway to find that 18-wheelers are slowing traffic considerably? They need to be on the roads (I tell myself), because we all need our goods and services. But it can get aggravating. When I lived in the DC area there were almost daily gridlock situations due to heavy truck traffic. The NJ Turnpike even has separate lanes for trucks for this reason.

They point out that a National focus should be improved rail quality because......

".... there are signs the growth cannot continue with the nation's current rail infrastructure. Freight train average operating speeds dropped from 24 miles per hour in 1990 to 21 miles per hour in 2000, reflecting at least in part constrained capacity, according to Cox. The problem is especially bad in the Chicago and Los Angeles areas and along the East and West Coasts...."

They also discuss the advantage to passenger rail service...but Wendell Cox, a Senior spokesperson for the Heartland Institute, feels that without continued new rail services, a concentrated effort should be made to at least improve the rail services from a freight carrying perspective. The article is really worth a read. Peace Out - 3C