RISMedia » Today’s Home Spun Wisdom http://rismedia.com Leader in Real Estate Information and News. Real estate industry news, profiles, and articles for agents, brokers, and consumers. National print magazine available. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:19:03 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Consumer Credit Jumps by $19.3 Billion in December http://rismedia.com/2012-02-09/consumer-credit-jumps-by-19-3-billion-in-december/ http://rismedia.com/2012-02-09/consumer-credit-jumps-by-19-3-billion-in-december/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:12:52 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66823 (MCT)—For better and for worse, consumers are starting to take on more debt—much more, surprisingly.

The Federal Reserve reported Tuesday that consumer credit outstanding surged in December at a 9.3 percent annual rate, thanks mostly to strong car sales and …

]]> (MCT)—For better and for worse, consumers are starting to take on more debt—much more, surprisingly.

The Federal Reserve reported Tuesday that consumer credit outstanding surged in December at a 9.3 percent annual rate, thanks mostly to strong car sales and …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-02-09/consumer-credit-jumps-by-19-3-billion-in-december/feed/ 0 Do Your Part: Don’t Waste Those Food Scraps http://rismedia.com/2012-02-08/do-your-part-don%e2%80%99t-waste-those-food-scraps/ http://rismedia.com/2012-02-08/do-your-part-don%e2%80%99t-waste-those-food-scraps/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:55:10 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66767 (MCT)—I consider myself a pretty good gardener, a common sense “greenie,” and a person who does her best to reduce, reuse, and recycle. But, there’s something I must admit. For years now, I’ve resisted composting. It just seemed a bit …

]]> (MCT)—I consider myself a pretty good gardener, a common sense “greenie,” and a person who does her best to reduce, reuse, and recycle. But, there’s something I must admit. For years now, I’ve resisted composting. It just seemed a bit …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-02-08/do-your-part-don%e2%80%99t-waste-those-food-scraps/feed/ 0 2012′s Top 10 Romantic Homes http://rismedia.com/2012-02-07/2012s-top-10-romantic-homes/ http://rismedia.com/2012-02-07/2012s-top-10-romantic-homes/#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:47:29 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66721 No matter where you go, you can’t miss it. Stores are starting to fill with bright red heart-shaped boxes of candy and greeting card shelves are bursting with Valentine cards. Gals are starting to get dreamy in anticipation over the …

]]> No matter where you go, you can’t miss it. Stores are starting to fill with bright red heart-shaped boxes of candy and greeting card shelves are bursting with Valentine cards. Gals are starting to get dreamy in anticipation over the …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-02-07/2012s-top-10-romantic-homes/feed/ 0 Q&A: Credit Aside, Abandoning Home Has Consequences http://rismedia.com/2012-02-06/qa-credit-aside-abandoning-home-has-consequences/ http://rismedia.com/2012-02-06/qa-credit-aside-abandoning-home-has-consequences/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:51:34 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66657 (MCT)—QUESTION: I have been relocated, and my property is underwater. My credit is not important to me, so I am thinking about just walking away from my house as opposed to taking the trouble of doing a short sale.…

]]> (MCT)—QUESTION: I have been relocated, and my property is underwater. My credit is not important to me, so I am thinking about just walking away from my house as opposed to taking the trouble of doing a short sale.…

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-02-06/qa-credit-aside-abandoning-home-has-consequences/feed/ 0 Tales from the Field: A Homeowner Who Fought Foreclosure and Won http://rismedia.com/2012-02-05/tales-from-the-field-a-homeowner-who-fought-foreclosure-and-won/ http://rismedia.com/2012-02-05/tales-from-the-field-a-homeowner-who-fought-foreclosure-and-won/#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:02:56 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66605 (MCT)—Foreclosure commonly represents the end of a struggle. A borrower can’t pay a mortgage, loses a home and moves on.

But Karen Mena, a 38-year-old county worker, never gave up. Mena fought even after her San Bernardino,  Calif., home was …

]]> (MCT)—Foreclosure commonly represents the end of a struggle. A borrower can’t pay a mortgage, loses a home and moves on.

But Karen Mena, a 38-year-old county worker, never gave up. Mena fought even after her San Bernardino,  Calif., home was …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-02-05/tales-from-the-field-a-homeowner-who-fought-foreclosure-and-won/feed/ 0 Divorce Can Ensnare Home Sales http://rismedia.com/2012-02-04/divorce-can-ensnare-home-sales/ http://rismedia.com/2012-02-04/divorce-can-ensnare-home-sales/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:02 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66567 (MCT)—Months after they agreed to split up, Jaimie and Michael Bolnick continued to live together as they tried to sell their house in Oakland, N.J.

“It was really hard,” Jaimie Bolnick recalled. “You’re living in the house and trying to …

]]> (MCT)—Months after they agreed to split up, Jaimie and Michael Bolnick continued to live together as they tried to sell their house in Oakland, N.J.

“It was really hard,” Jaimie Bolnick recalled. “You’re living in the house and trying to …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-02-04/divorce-can-ensnare-home-sales/feed/ 0 How to Apologize http://rismedia.com/2012-02-02/how-to-apologize/ http://rismedia.com/2012-02-02/how-to-apologize/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:46:19 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66523 (MCT)—Apologizing isn’t so much an art as a sport. When approached as a skill to build, governed by a few simple rules, the apology almost always achieves its goal—despite any fumbles during delivery. When it’s over, everyone wins.

Degree of …

]]> (MCT)—Apologizing isn’t so much an art as a sport. When approached as a skill to build, governed by a few simple rules, the apology almost always achieves its goal—despite any fumbles during delivery. When it’s over, everyone wins.

Degree of …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-02-02/how-to-apologize/feed/ 0 The Many Faces of Business Casual http://rismedia.com/2012-02-01/the-many-faces-of-business-casual/ http://rismedia.com/2012-02-01/the-many-faces-of-business-casual/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:49:49 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66477 (MCT)—Good news for facial-hair enthusiasts. After six decades of flagrant beardscrimination, Walt Disney Co. has lifted its ban on employee goatees and other face fuzz.

It’s a bold move by a notoriously conservative company. As Walt Disney himself once did …

]]> (MCT)—Good news for facial-hair enthusiasts. After six decades of flagrant beardscrimination, Walt Disney Co. has lifted its ban on employee goatees and other face fuzz.

It’s a bold move by a notoriously conservative company. As Walt Disney himself once did …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-02-01/the-many-faces-of-business-casual/feed/ 0 Do Your Part: Top 7 Ways to be Less Trashy http://rismedia.com/2012-01-31/do-your-part-top-7-ways-to-be-less-trashy/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-31/do-your-part-top-7-ways-to-be-less-trashy/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:41:30 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66429 (MCT)—Who really wants to contribute to our growing landfills? There are things we toss away everyday that make up the bulk of our trash and they don’t even belong in our garbage bins. Here are my Top 7 ways to …

]]> (MCT)—Who really wants to contribute to our growing landfills? There are things we toss away everyday that make up the bulk of our trash and they don’t even belong in our garbage bins. Here are my Top 7 ways to …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-31/do-your-part-top-7-ways-to-be-less-trashy/feed/ 0 Hot Property: Quick Purchase for New Clipper http://rismedia.com/2012-01-30/hot-property-quick-purchase-for-new-clipper/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-30/hot-property-quick-purchase-for-new-clipper/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:55:41 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66389 (MCT)—L.A. Clipper Chris Paul may be quick down the court, but he moves pretty fast when it comes to buying multimillion-dollar real estate too.

The All-Star bought and closed on the Bel-Air home of singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne for $8.495 million …

]]> (MCT)—L.A. Clipper Chris Paul may be quick down the court, but he moves pretty fast when it comes to buying multimillion-dollar real estate too.

The All-Star bought and closed on the Bel-Air home of singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne for $8.495 million …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-30/hot-property-quick-purchase-for-new-clipper/feed/ 0 Integrative Medicine: Vitamin D Can Help Turn Health Around http://rismedia.com/2012-01-29/integrative-medicine-vitamin-d-can-help-turn-health-around/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-29/integrative-medicine-vitamin-d-can-help-turn-health-around/#comments Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:02:10 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66337 (MCT)—The winter season is upon us, with a lack of daylight hours, cloudy days and temperamental weather. And so we pack on the winter pounds, get the winter blues, and go into relative metabolic hibernation until spring arrives. But what …

]]> (MCT)—The winter season is upon us, with a lack of daylight hours, cloudy days and temperamental weather. And so we pack on the winter pounds, get the winter blues, and go into relative metabolic hibernation until spring arrives. But what …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-29/integrative-medicine-vitamin-d-can-help-turn-health-around/feed/ 0 PODS Moving and Storage Helps Put Finishing Touches on ‘Up’ House http://rismedia.com/2012-01-28/pods-moving-and-storage-helps-put-finishing-touches-on-up-house/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-28/pods-moving-and-storage-helps-put-finishing-touches-on-up-house/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:00:42 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66307 When Clint Hamblin heard that the famous house in Utah, a replica of the home in the movie ‘Up,’ was for sale, he knew he and his wife had to buy it. Now, the California couple is nestling into their …

]]> When Clint Hamblin heard that the famous house in Utah, a replica of the home in the movie ‘Up,’ was for sale, he knew he and his wife had to buy it. Now, the California couple is nestling into their …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-28/pods-moving-and-storage-helps-put-finishing-touches-on-up-house/feed/ 0 An Eye for Modern Living http://rismedia.com/2012-01-26/an-eye-for-modern-living/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-26/an-eye-for-modern-living/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:22:51 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66251 (MCT)—Megan Schoenbachler is distracted. While giving a tour of her family’s Marmol Radziner-designed house in Venice, Calif., she notices the light and the angle from the second-floor master bathroom, looking over the courtyard hot tub and toward the kitchen on …

]]> (MCT)—Megan Schoenbachler is distracted. While giving a tour of her family’s Marmol Radziner-designed house in Venice, Calif., she notices the light and the angle from the second-floor master bathroom, looking over the courtyard hot tub and toward the kitchen on …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-26/an-eye-for-modern-living/feed/ 0 Requesting A Raise? 5 Tips to Remember http://rismedia.com/2012-01-25/requesting-a-raise-5-tips-to-remember/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-25/requesting-a-raise-5-tips-to-remember/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:53:33 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66181 (MCT)—Asking for a raise in a weak economy may seem like a long shot. Or maybe even job suicide. But experts say that if you’re valued by your employer and carefully present your request, a pay increase is sometimes possible. …

]]> (MCT)—Asking for a raise in a weak economy may seem like a long shot. Or maybe even job suicide. But experts say that if you’re valued by your employer and carefully present your request, a pay increase is sometimes possible. …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-25/requesting-a-raise-5-tips-to-remember/feed/ 0 Hot Property: Melanie Brown Lists Tarzana Home http://rismedia.com/2012-01-24/hot-property-melanie-brown-lists-tarzana-home/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-24/hot-property-melanie-brown-lists-tarzana-home/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:34:01 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66137 (MCT)—Singer Melanie Brown —Scary Spice from her days with the Spice Girls —and her husband, producer Stephen Belafonte, have put their Tarzana, Calif., compound on the market at $3.45 million.

The country French-style house, which was recently renovated, contains a …

]]> (MCT)—Singer Melanie Brown —Scary Spice from her days with the Spice Girls —and her husband, producer Stephen Belafonte, have put their Tarzana, Calif., compound on the market at $3.45 million.

The country French-style house, which was recently renovated, contains a …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-24/hot-property-melanie-brown-lists-tarzana-home/feed/ 0 Big News for Business Travel In 2012 http://rismedia.com/2012-01-23/big-news-for-business-travel-in-2012/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-23/big-news-for-business-travel-in-2012/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:58:57 +0000 beth http://rismedia.com/?p=66095 (MCT)—With the new year upon us, I turned to two close observers on opposite sides of the business travel industry to predict what road warriors will see in 2012.

In one corner we have Lane Dubin, deeply invested in business …

]]> (MCT)—With the new year upon us, I turned to two close observers on opposite sides of the business travel industry to predict what road warriors will see in 2012.

In one corner we have Lane Dubin, deeply invested in business …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-23/big-news-for-business-travel-in-2012/feed/ 0 Is It the Flu or Just a Cold? http://rismedia.com/2012-01-22/is-it-the-flu-or-just-a-cold/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-22/is-it-the-flu-or-just-a-cold/#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:02:48 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=66029 (MCT)—Do you have a cold or the flu?

Flu season is upon us in full force and, unfortunately, your chances of being exposed to the miseries are greater than you think.

Three of four (75 percent) of the 1,044 Americans …

]]> (MCT)—Do you have a cold or the flu?

Flu season is upon us in full force and, unfortunately, your chances of being exposed to the miseries are greater than you think.

Three of four (75 percent) of the 1,044 Americans …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-22/is-it-the-flu-or-just-a-cold/feed/ 0 Need to Get Away? Here’s What’s Trending in Travel for 2012 http://rismedia.com/2012-01-21/need-to-get-away-heres-what%e2%80%99s-trending-in-travel-for-2012/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-21/need-to-get-away-heres-what%e2%80%99s-trending-in-travel-for-2012/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:00:45 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=65995 (MCT)—I’m not sure I’d pay $15 to pitch a tent in someone’s garden. And I don’t plan to use Facebook or LinkedIn to pick my seatmate on a flight to Amsterdam. But I’m high on travel to Cuba after spending …

]]> (MCT)—I’m not sure I’d pay $15 to pitch a tent in someone’s garden. And I don’t plan to use Facebook or LinkedIn to pick my seatmate on a flight to Amsterdam. But I’m high on travel to Cuba after spending …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-21/need-to-get-away-heres-what%e2%80%99s-trending-in-travel-for-2012/feed/ 0 Clever Disguises Hide Decorating Problems http://rismedia.com/2012-01-19/clever-disguises-hide-decorating-problems/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-19/clever-disguises-hide-decorating-problems/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:19:45 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=65957 (MCT)—Just about every home has an eyesore. Maybe it’s a wonky window or flooring that’s seen better days. It grates on your nerves, but fixing or replacing it is too expensive, too impractical or too far down the priority list.…

]]> (MCT)—Just about every home has an eyesore. Maybe it’s a wonky window or flooring that’s seen better days. It grates on your nerves, but fixing or replacing it is too expensive, too impractical or too far down the priority list.…

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-19/clever-disguises-hide-decorating-problems/feed/ 0 Why Aren’t You Pursuing Your Dreams? Tips from a Pro http://rismedia.com/2012-01-18/why-arent-you-pursuing-your-dreams-tips-from-a-pro/ http://rismedia.com/2012-01-18/why-arent-you-pursuing-your-dreams-tips-from-a-pro/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:17:51 +0000 susanne http://rismedia.com/?p=65895 When Keith Gockenbach went on his quest to join the Champions Golf Tour, he knew it would teach him about golf. What he didn’t know is that it would teach him more about life.

“Ever since I was a child, …

]]> When Keith Gockenbach went on his quest to join the Champions Golf Tour, he knew it would teach him about golf. What he didn’t know is that it would teach him more about life.

“Ever since I was a child, …

]]> http://rismedia.com/2012-01-18/why-arent-you-pursuing-your-dreams-tips-from-a-pro/feed/ 0