From Jimmie Foxx to Yaz, Tris Speaker to King Kelly, George Wright to Cy Young the Red Sox voices of the past will be intricately involved in history a few hundred miles south of Fenway this October, while their decedents try to bring home another pennant. On October 19-20, Christie’s will present “The Golden Age [...]
The post Wicked Awesome Auction: Own A Piece Of Red Sox History appeared first on Boston Sports Then & Now.
The good news:
While the exact numbers will vary depending on where you live, the latest survey of real estate experts forecasts that home prices will end 2016 up 4.5 percent on year-over-year basis.
And the bad:
Looking forward, they also expect the annual pace of home value appreciation to slow to 3.6 percent in 2017, 3.2 percent in 2018, 3.1 percent in 2019 and to 2.9 percent in 2020.
House prices have always varied greatly by location, but never more so than during the current housing recovery. Prices are—and have been—rising at very different rates in major markets.
Since the housing boom and bust gave way to recovery, the U.S. housing market has seemingly split into two unequal parts: Middle America, and coastal America. Home values are growing rapidly in markets on both East and West Coasts as hot job markets help keep demand for housing high, and more slowly in the Midwest and Heartland, where negative equity is still pervasive and job growth scant.
As a result, Americans—especially younger millennials—are moving away from Middle America and to the coasts in large numbers, whether for jobs, lifestyle preferences or both.
This June, home prices in San Francisco were rising 9.5 percent on a year-over-year basis while prices in Chicago rose only 1.4 percent.
More than half of those experts in the survey said they believed this trend has either already begun to reverse or will reverse in coming years.
Another 11 percent said this trend was actually an illusion, and that coastal markets are no more or less popular now than they’ve always been relative to Middle America. Just 25 percent of experts with an opinion said the coastal/Middle America split was likely to be permanent.
Of those experts who said the trend was likely to reverse, a majority (56 percent) said job growth in the middle of the country—driven by companies looking for cheaper alternatives to the coasts in which to expand—would eventually lure residents back to the Heartland.
Similarly, almost a quarter (24 percent) said Americans would migrate inland in search of more affordable housing, and 13 percent said Americans would start to seek the most traditional lifestyle that the middle of the country has to offer. Only 2 percent said climate change is likely to force residents away from the coasts.
In addition to the coastal/inland divide, the housing market has also experienced a notable shift between urban and suburban communities. The suburban home – long a symbol of success, stability, and the American Dream—may be losing some of its luster as urban homes grow in value more quickly.
Local factors, like employment and income growth, transportation infrastructure improvements like new highways and mass transit, and new home construction will have as much or more impact on home prices in your community than national or regional factors.
So far, coastal markets have been doing well. Prices are up, and many have started to think they’re on their way back to pre-crash highs. However, thanks to all the possibilities discussed above, that may not be the case at all.
If you’re in a hot coastal market, this can mean three things for you:
This, of course, depends on your location.
Welcome to the TMS current mortgage rates blog. There’s some economic data out today, but first, your daily mortgage rate forecast/advice.
Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates.
Mortgage rates started the week on a downward trajectory, and that trend is continuing today. The yield on the 10-year U.S. treasury note (the best market indicator of where mortgage rates are going) is currently trading around 1.56%. That’s two basis points lower from where it closed on Monday and over ten basis points lower from where it was this time last week.
The week after a Fed meeting is usually lacking in excitement, and this one has been par for the course so far.
The most exciting this to happen so far this week was the presidential debate. Donald Trump, who hasn’t minced words about the Fed before, took the opportunity early on to attack the Fed for keeping interest rates low in order to not disturb the markets before the election. He said, “When they raise interest rates, you’re going to see some very bad things happen, because they’re not doing their job.”
Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates.
Because Hilary Clinton’s regime would basically be a continuation of Obama’s policies, if rates were raised and chaos ensued, there would be many Americans who would rethink their desire to continue down the current policy path. It’s difficult to hang your hat on speculations, however, there’s virtually no chance that Fed Chair Janet Yellen would keep her job if Donald Trump was elected. He has said so himself. She’s a liberal, he’s a republican–they’re not going to mix.
Now, I don’t know exactly what goes on during those Fed meetings, but they did basically come out and say that the markets are primed for a rite, but we’re holding off for now. I can’t confidently say that the Fed is withholding on a rate hike due to political motivations, however, I can certainly understand why Donald Trump would be suspicious. The general consensus is that Hilary Clinton would keep the status quo and would therefore be better for the markets than trump.
The takeaway right now is that mortgage rates are trending lower. We get the third estimate for second quarter GDP on Friday, which is the piece of data this week with the most potential influence, but I’m not expecting much movement.
Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates.
Mortgage rates have been on a downward trajectory the past few days. That means that right now is a great time to lock in a low rate on a refinance or a purchase. There’s nothing on the immediate horizon that signals a spike in rates, but the market doesn’t always forecast well. The safe decision is to act now while rates are low.
Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates.
The 20 city home price index is unchanged from July. That puts it at 5.0% year over year.
Consumer confidence is up in September, coming in at 104.1.
Vice Fed Chair Stanley Fischer is set to speak at 11:15am this morning.
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
Steam showers are pricier than your average shower, but considering all the benefits, we’re sure you’ll agree that it’s worth the investment. Bearing in mind how much the cost is, as much as possible we would want to maintain the state of our newly installed steam shower as it is. The trick is to be on top of things and not wait until the damage becomes hard to fix, and to do that, follow the tips below:
Weak Steam Output
After about 20 showers its good practice to clean the steam generator
Fill the tank with between 5 to 10 grams of citric acid diluted with about 1.5 liters of warm water.
Let it set for 12 hours before turning it on to heat the water. This will vaporize the citric acid.
The steam generator will have a manual drain valve. This valve should be drained approximately every 2 months. You may have to remove any large clumps by hand. Source: Bathroomz
Inspecting for Tightness of Seals and Joints
Silicone seals, water supply joints, valves, and nozzles should be checked at least once a year. If the silicone seals are loose, replace them. Sealing the doors and walls is quite easy. Nozzles, joints, and drainage systems can be tightened or repaired using the most basic plumbing skills. Source: DoItYourself
It’s Worth It to Squeegee
Water can leave behind minerals that create a whitish haze over glass doors and tile. The longer the minerals sit, the harder they are to remove. So a quick squeegee after the last shower of the day will make cleaning easier in the long run. Source: HGTV
A Natural Alternative
A mixture of baking soda and water makes a scum-fighting scrub that many experts swear by. Measurements for the mixture will vary depending on how much you need. To get started, try using a half-cup of baking soda, and then add water as needed to make a thick paste. Using a nonabrasive sponge, scrub the glass and rinse it with vinegar. Source: Houzz
Maintaining Steam
Hot, damp areas are perfect incubators for mold and mildew. After using your steam shower, open the door to dry out your bathroom, and run the exhaust fan to suck out the steam.
Every few months, flush the unit to get rid of calcium deposits. Source: Houselogic
Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com
The post 5 Tips on Maintaining Your Steam Shower appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.
In our latest post on Bitcoin Mining Profitability, we discussed the basics of Bitcoin, what it is, and how to mine it. This post discusses the bitcoin block chain, what it is, how it can be used, and why it’s here to stay.
To understand Blockchain, you need to know a little about Bitcoin, or digital currency. Bitcoin in a nutshell is a global peer to peer payments networking that is open to all with a computer or smartphone, open source, decentralized from banks, have no middle men, no issuers or acquirers. Bitcoin is a type of digital currency in which encryption techniques are used to regulate the generation of units of currency and verify the transfer of funds. Bitcoin operates independently of a central bank, and unlike bank accounts, Bitcoin wallets are not regulated or insured by the FDIC. Transactions are made without any middle men, which means, no banks, and for that reason, has become a popular investment for diversification. There are no transaction fees and no need to give your real name. Bitcoins are stored in a “digital wallet,” or virtual bank account, which exists either in the cloud or on a user’s computer. Several marketplaces called “Bitcoin exchanges” allow people to buy or sell Bitcoins using different currencies.
Is Bitcoin going to be the Friendster, MySpace, or Facebook of digital currency? Only time will tell, but what’s important is the value of the blockchain protocol which is discussed below. The fact is that the creator of Bitcoin effectively created a much larger concept – a completely open source, disruptive, free, and decentralized system for organizing and exchanging all types of information.
A Blockchain is a public ledger database of all Bitcoin transactions that have ever been executed in the Bitcoin network. It is the protocol that Bitcoin is built on top of. It is constantly growing as ‘completed’ blocks are added to it with a new set of recordings. The blocks are added to the blockchain in a linear, chronological order.
The Internet we use today is the Internet of information, and the blockchain is the Internet of value – the Internet is a communications protocol, while the other is a value exchange protocol. Both share the same concept and success, that being the open protocol that everyone can innovate and build around. If you go back to the 90s, it was hard to imagine how the Internet would impact our businesses. Today, it has impacted almost all. The blockchain today is like the Internet in the 90s and is said to be more substantial than the Internet and will impact the world around us much more.
If you wanted to innovate and finance your payments in any sector, there were really no open systems and many interested businesses were limited to their own geographical areas. By having a baseline protocol that allows the world to build and innovate around finance, many things can now be done.
It’s cheap, fast and give instantaneous capability to transmit value as an alternative currency, but most importantly is a ledger so dependable, that it can go as far as governments to put their currency on the blockchain as well.
Think of the underlying protocol of the bitcoin blockchain as the Internet in it’s early days. The Internet was not as useful/valuable back then as it is today without applications like browsers, email clients, google, etc. Today in 2015, the bitcoin blockchain is still in early stages and not as usable to us as consumers the same way as in the 90s, until Internet startups started building the infrastructure to make the Internet usable and now is a global household technology today, but is constantly growing at an even more rapid pace than the early Internet due to the technologies available today, and companies are investing millions and more every year to continuously build on it’s infrastructure.
The Bitcoin network is today 280 times more powerful than the top 500 super computers in the world. That power alone in securing the network grows more yearly. Mass adoption will likely com from markets like:
From a retail perspective, currently only 25% of the worlds population has the ability to buy things online. The bitcoin blockchain protocol enables every person on the planet with a phone to have equal access and expands the total addressable market to global overnight. With the blockchain, undeveloped countries whose majority populations do not currently use a banking system are enabled to have high quality financial services and the ability to shop and transmit money with low expenses. Businesses would be able to participate beyond local markets. Being decentralized from banks, and having no middle men, no issuers or acquirers enables businesses to have better margins, profits and competitive discounts to consumers.
The payment systems we used today were developed in the 1950’s and were not designed for the Internet – have fraud/trust issues, international restrictions, multiple fees, compliance issues, etc. International buyers are subject to fees, setup bank accounts, etc. You could not do new options like micro payments – ex. new applications built around the blockchain protocol, instead subscribing to 200 cable channels you can now pay for things like channels individually.
In addition to retail are many other advantages like in real estate. International buyers could eliminate certain steps like setting up a bank account and international fees. Instead of having a paper deed that gets “recorded” you would also have a digital deed that was secure, encrypted, and unique, to ensure that the passage of title to the buyer is clean and documented indisputably forever. Information would be available instantly as well, thus saving time for all.
Why Use Digital Currency?
The blockchain protocol is here to revolutionize financial systems, title companies, and any other value and ledger-based system. It’s already making its mark, infrastructure is continuously being invested in, and is here to stay.
One problem with Bitcoin is that it uses a public record to store all transactions that are made, which means unfortunately that its users are very easily compromised. Anyone can see the transactions in total holdings of one another.
Shadow Project
Project Shadow has created it’s own E-cash system called ShadowCash which uses an anonymous cryptographic transaction protocol. It utilizes dual-key stealth addresses,t raceable ring signatures & non-interactive zero-knowledge proofs (NIZKP). This makes ShadowCash the firstu ntraceable and unlinkable money system invented. ShadowCash introduces a much higher level of privacy and anonymity and makes it a significant improvement over other systems like Bitcoin, Coinjoin, DarkSend (DASH) or helix.
ShadowCash is an underlying currency. It goes beyond other digital currencies to make transactions invisible to the public eye, but still nearly seamless for users, who can conduct their business privately anywhere in the world.
ShadowCash makes use of dual-key stealth address and ring signatures enabling easy and secure transactions. The blockchain is secure by a Proof-of-Stake protocol, users earn an annual 2% income on their SDC holdings when staking.
Learn More about the Shadow ProjectThe post What is a Blockchain, and why is it here to stay? appeared first on Information Technology Blog.
Getting a greater number of Instagram followers places a brand in front of many more people and in turn is a great investment. So, how do you get more eyes on you or your brand – well here are some great tips from the guys at Instamacro to help.
Let people know that you have joined Instagram by getting the word out. When first signing up, Instagram gives you the option of following and sharing your new account with contacts on your phone contacts along with your Facebook friends. Go further by promoting your Instagram account on other social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Include the Instagram Follow Button on your blog or website. Let the subscribers of your newsletter know about your Instagram account through a short email.
Keep in mind however that it is not only about informing people that you have joined Instagram but also about giving them a justification for following you on Instagram.
When you are creating your Instagram profile, you need to define your purpose to followers clearly. You need to define exactly who you are and what you are involved in. What sets apart your brand? Give careful thought to your target audience on Instagram with your social media strategy when building your brand page.
You have the freedom to be creative and playful with your description, particularly if your audience understands it. GoPro’s Instagram profile presents an informative and creative bio that highlights exactly what the company does in a fun way.
You also need to include a link along with your bio. It is an important piece of real estate and you have to think carefully about where you would like to send your audience. GoPro aims to engage with its Instagram followers by referring them to a landing page for their Karma drone that is coming soon.
Think of all the short videos or unique images your brand can provide to attract Instagram followers. You can choose to feature your product as Warby Parker does. Alternatively, you can do like American Express did and offer a “behind the scenes” look. You could even be like Lululemon and feature videos and images that highlight values and principles that your brand stands for.
Regardless of your choice, if you are able to articulate what your account is all about clearly, the higher your chances of acquiring more followers on Instagram.
Instagram uses hashtags just like Twitter for search and organization purposes. However, you can use up to 30 different hashtags unlike Twitter. To get the highest possible level of interaction, ShortStack recommends that you use not less than 11 hashtags. Use websites such as Top-Hashtags to find trending hashtags and join in on the conversations taking place on Instagram. This is yet another way to get a fresh set of eyes on your Instagram account.
You must always keep in mind that social media isn’t a soapbox. You need to ensure that you interact with your audience by also commenting and liking other people’s pictures and videos. Did somebody just post a video or picture of your product? Reach out and comment or like the post. Never forget to track and like mentions of your brand. Finally, never forget that human connection is always at the heart of every social media strategy.
Working together with other Instagram influencers within your industry is yet another great strategy for promoting your brand. For instance, Cathay Airlines collaborated with Jessica Stein, a travel blogger, for a project titled #lifewelltraveled. You do not even have to team up with someone in your industry all the time. To gain an additional number of followers for their brand, Bonobos sought out promotion from a comedic personality.
When reaching out to an influencer on Instagram, it is good to think about what you can offer them. Some of the ideas include free merchandise, product sample, or even offline exposure. Whatever it may be, it is important to address the influencer’s question of “What do I get out of this?” before you request them to do anything for you. With regards to finding influencers, you have to search for popular users on Instagram. Rolling Stones has complied an amazing list of Instagram influencers that you can use to get the ball rolling.
Host an activity that will encourage engagement to invite users to come follow your brand on Instagram such a photo contest. A good example is the #bareselfie campaign by Lancôme. Lancôme created a unique hashtag and image criteria for the competition: just post a photo of yourself while you are not wearing any makeup. The content was an amazing success and enjoyed massive engagement during the campaign.
Another company that used a photo sharing campaign is CLIF Bar. The company used the campaign to increase engagement with its community. CLIF Bar has launched a campaign titled #MeetTheMoment by drawing on its popularity among outdoor enthusiasts. Each time a person shared a picture of their outdoor adventures along with the #MeetTheMoment hashtag, CLIF Bar donated a dollar to one of its nonprofit partners.
The post 5 Awesome Tips For Getting More Instagram Followers appeared first on Information Technology Blog.
There are various email and online scams that have plagued our inboxes for many years. Some emails try to get you to open a zip file, click a link to execute a virus, or open a back door to your computer. Many others try to phish your sensitive information and many others are scams that target your bank account. Many of these emails scams almost seem legit, until you get far deep into it that sometimes it’s difficult to turn around or get your money back. Here are some scams you should be aware of. Don’t get caught in these traps!
Many are on alert about phishing scams, virus, and credit card fraud, but not many are educated about bank account scams that target a victim’s cash reserves. Often people are not aware of how the other party benefits from these scams. Here is some information on a few scams that you should be on alert and aware of:
Phishing Scams are typically done by email spoofing or messaging, often directing users to enter account details at a fake website that looks and feels almost identical to the real one.
How to avoid scammed: Always look at the domain to make sure it matches the real website. Sometimes domains might be skewed to look like the real one, so make sure it is is the domain that is supposed to be there. If you are unsure, call the company’s support directly. Do not click links, download files, or open attachments. Never email personal or financial information and beware of links that ask for it. Beware of popups and guard against them and spam. Protect your computer with antivirus, firewall, spam filter, and anti-spyware software. Check your online accounts and statements regularly and change your passwords as a precaution.
Have you ever got an email or phone call that you just won a lottery, sweepstakes, or foreign lottery without ever participating? These can also often come in the form of a beneficiary fund award. Well, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. The victim would participates might be sent a large check deposit into their personal checking account. Crooks may request information about your bank account or debit card giving them full access to your checking account. They will them be asked to wire a portion of the funds to pay for government taxes and administrative fees.
How to avoid scammed: Take note that if you didn’t enter, you didn’t win. It is illegal to participate in foreign lotteries via mail/phone in the United States. Also, if you win a lottery, you are not responsible for paying the taxes or fees directly to the government.
The “Charity Fraud Scam” may come in the form of an email or phone call. The scam involves requests for sympathetic donations. Crooks will request information about your bank account or debit card giving them full access to your checking account.
How to avoid scammed: The safest way to give to a charity is by choosing a familiar organization. Always be cautious about giving your information to individuals who reach out to you by phone or email.
The “Check Cashing for a Stranger Scam” can work online or in person. However you obtain the check to be cashed, ultimately, the other party will ask you to cash the check because they do not have a bank account. In exchange, they will give you cash for your time and trouble. You may walk away feeling accomplished, but here’s the catch. The check in the bank has not yet cleared, and you just pulled money from your funds and handed it over to the criminal.
How to avoid scammed: Never cash a check for anyone. People can get their checks cashed at a check cashing business for a fee and therefore does not make sense that they are asking you to do it for them.
There are many forms of “Work at Home Job Scams”. One of these scams involves offering a job that requires people to transfer funds through their checking accounts. The victim is often offered a commission in exchange for facilitating money through their personal account.
How to avoid scammed: If you are offered a work from home job for minimal work and high pay, it sounds too good to be true, and probably is. Any job opportunities that involve sending money in advance or a portion via wire transfer is probably a scam. If you receive a check in return, make sure that the check clears prior to committing to anything and that there are no discrepancies, typos, or red flags that might cause the check to be fraudulent.
The “Check Overpayment Fraud Scam” often targets online auction and classified ad sellers. The fraudulent buyer often pays a seller with a non-cash payment (check, money order, U.S. postal money order or other similar items) for more than the amount of the item. Scammers will often be pushy as they need to act quickly to prevent the seller from verifying the check. The seller may be asked to deposit the check immediately or wire a difference to the buyer. The fraudulent check will eventually bounce and be returned which will cost the seller a return fee, a wire transfer fee (if applicable), and accountability for the check amount which they are unable to reverse.
How to avoid scammed: Avoid accepting check, money order, U.S. postal money order or other similar items as payment when selling online. You can avoid being a victim as well by calling the bank to verify legitimacy, where payment was issued.
Related:
Be careful of today’s ATMs and Card Readers
How to Protect Yourself Against Phishing Scams
How to Report Spam Email
How to Avoid Email Scams
Originally posted 2015-08-10 00:00:53. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
The post How to Avoid Email Scams appeared first on Information Technology Blog.
