Supporting Our Local Shops and Stores

This aggravated me a bit. The website for Newsnet Five featured a story about shopping: how to use the local stores to find exactly what you want and then go online and buy the items elsewhere. Even shoes, the article exclaims, can be tried on locally so you know exactly what you want, and then you can take your business to the Internet and save money.

First of all, most of us have limited disposable income. I hear that. But I can't help but think that taking our support away from local stores hurts our economy and therefore affects our pocketbooks anyway. Secondly, there are shipping costs to consider so how much are you really saving by buying it on line? Thirdly....okay I guess you see where I am coming from without beating the drum too loudly.

The article talks is about Angie Lau the consumer reporter for Channel Five. I don't have a gripe with her when she is saving us money locally. I just don't see encouraging people to buy somewhere else. Am I wrong? Is there such a huge mark up in a storefront operation that enables you to truly save enough to overcome shipping costs? I checked on line, picked a pair of shoes from the Steve Madden website (example used by the 'consumer savings' article). The shoe was priced on line at $79.00. It costs (according to their website) $14.95 to ship one pair of shoes. I called Nordstrom and they said $82.00 is the price for the same shoe.

Do the math. You can read about her (Angie Lau's) 'discoveries' and 'suggestions here. Peace Out - 3C

Interest Rates To Hold Steady...For Now

At least for now. A Market Watch article by Greg Robb. The Federal Reserve has been pretty consistent at keeping the rates low....their target goal remains 5.25%. I gather what was intriguing about this is that the concern for inflation has still not translated into a change in Federal Reserve Policy - which has stayed the same since August 2006 and earlier.

Translated, to me, it means the FR feels our market will recover on it's own without a need for tweaking on their part. To read more about the Market Watch coverage of this new development, go here.

For those of you who are stock and Market wonks, here is Market Watch's 'take' on Ben Bernanke and his style compared to Alan Greenspan. Apparently we no longer have to watch how the Chairman is carrying his briefcase to see if interest rates will rise or fall :-)

Mortgage rates for the week are hovering around 5.75% for a 30-year fixed rate loan. I found it curious that a 30 year market loan rate is listed as better than a VA Loan this week. If you are curious about other types of rates/loans, check out this week's results here.

Loft Living In Cleveland

Have you ever thought about living Downtown or more importantly, living in a loft? For people who like open space in their homes, living a 'loft' lifestyle could be the way to go. There is an article in Crain's Cleveland today written by Zachary Lewis. He interviews a loft-dweller who just happens to reside in the Grand Arcade. His story is interesting because he aptly describes one cool aspect of buying a loft: designing your own space and being able to feel like it is truly created by you.

Some people may choose to try out 'loft living' as renters. The Bingham in the Warehouse District is a terrific example of apartment living for lofters (I just made up that word!) Browse their website and see for yourself.

Several true advantages to loft-living Downtown: close to transportation (leave your car at home, save gas, take RTA to the airport). Another advantage is all the natural beauty that surrounds you - great architecture, the lake, scuplture.

This is a fun article at Wise Geek who I believe is a Chicago resident. Cool take on loft living and lifestyles. Peace Out - 3C

Perspective on Tax Abatement Policy: A Knee Jerk Reaction?

Roldo Bartimole of Lakewood is a writer who is featured on Lakewood Buzz, a cool local website if you want to learn about the goings on in that city. He said something that rang true for me. Mayor Jackson proposed a change to the tax abatement policy - not an elimination of it. Regardless of how people vote on this issue, it seems to me we avoided healthy dialogue by 'side taking' early in the game.

Read what Roldo has to say here. My thinking goes like this: for us to come up with creative ideas to move Cleveland forward, we need to not be so quick to stop dialogue. Just my two cents.

It's almost June, and probably there will be an extension of the current policy. I just get tired of things becoming a 'for' or 'against' on issues like this...important issues that need discussion. UrbanOhio (The Forum) is one of the few places I've seen a healthy discussion on the topic. If you are interested, check it out here.

Clues to the Foreclosure and Housing Bubble Mess

Many of us have spent time scratching our heads about the housing bubble and the foreclosure issue. Mortgage lenders themselves were not the only ones involved in creating this mess. For example, if you got an overvalued loan from a predatory lender, how and more importantly why did the appraiser sign off on that loan?

If you live in an area where housing prices skyrocketed, how did the homes continue to get past an appraisers eye at so much over the 'last home sold' amount?

This article by David Cho in today's Washington Post does not surprise me, probably will not surprise you. But it does give some specific insight, due to comments from a mortgage appraiser with a company called New Century, who talked about the pressure she and other apppraisers were under to look the other way and sign off on appraisals for 'bad loans.' Peace Out - 3C

Sweet Gum Trees: Cleveland's Ornamental Tree Torture

When I 'Google' Sweet Gum Trees, all the write ups are flowery, glowing and supportive. What wonderful trees with their gray gnarly barks and statuesque glory. What beautiful leaves. Who wouldn't want one? I hate to tell you, but I don't want one! I live in Cleveland where the Sweet Gum Tree is the City's ornamental tree of choice. At least in my neighborhood.

Raking leaves every Fall is one thing. Until I moved to my current house and had to start raking up Sweet Gum spikey pods (my scientific name for them) I did not really understand the true meaning of an exercise in futility.

Of course you have to rake them because they will chew the heck out of your lawn mower blades otherwise. This is my fourth Spring here, and I find myself mumbling under my breath as I rake: why did the City plant them in the first place! They have to be bad for the sewers and they certainly are no fun for homeowners trying to stay on top of yard work. The squirrels can't enjoy the fruits because of the spikes on the pods, so are these pods really the definition of obscenity (no social redeeming value ?) I will leave that thought for you to decide but I know how I vote!

Then last week I looked at the newly planted tree in my neighbor's tree lawn. It's about two years old now. Lo and behold, there were about 30 or so Sweet Gum pods on it! My neighbors were on their porch as I raked my own pods. I shouted to them, 'I can't believe the City of Cleveland is still planting these trees!' They nodded and smiled supportively (although I could be wrong, maybe they thought I was a whack job).

I suppose it's not the kind of thing you really call your Councilman about. I mean, Marty Sweeney has much more important things to worry about.....doesn't he? :-) Peace Out - 3C

Protest High Gaseoline Costs with a "Gas Out" Day on May 15th

I received an email asking me to support a 'Do Not Pump Gas on May 15th' protest. It's hard to think of any reason why this would be a bad idea! I wanted to check it out and see how widespread the 'gas out' might be. I found this post by Todd and Tyler who say they are cheap :-) I think in this regard it's admirable.

Then I found this link to an on line paper in Kentucky. And then this posting on a local Seattle site. There have been other organized protests like this. In the past, gas prices have dropped either before or after the gas out day. So I am advertising it here -- and asking you to tell all your friends and ask them to tell all their friends.

The difference this time is it's organized as an event for all Internet users. They say 73 million plus users; I can't verify the accuracy of how many users there are, but I know the numbers are high. It's a good cause! Peace Out - 3C