Real Estate News - Schaeffer Appraisal Services

Report: Attorneys General Near $25B Foreclosure Settlement With Big Banks

2/8/2012 8:58 PM

With holdout attorneys general in California and New York set to sign on, multiple reports Wednesday night said a nationwide foreclosure settlement with five major banks could be made official as early as Thursday...Read More

4 Ways Bonds Can Fit Into Your Portfolio

2/9/2012 9:29 AM

Since the early 1980s, interest rates have been on a secular decline. Since the credit crisis, governments across the world have worked to flood global financial markets with liquidity, which includes low interest rates, to try and stoke economic growth. This has served to push most interest rates to all-time lows, be ...Read More

The Cheapest Cars To Insure

2/9/2012 11:07 AM

While auto insurance rates are largely based on personal factors, including a person?s age, gender, driving record and address, the particular make and model of vehicle you choose can significantly affect your rates. According to an extensive survey conducted for Insure.com, minivans, mid-priced crossover SUVs and pickup trucks are among the m...Read More

Mini Meds For Maxi Greed

2/10/2012 12:12 AM

Within a certain part of Italy that mints its own coins and has a standing army outfitted in designer togs from Michelangelo, when one makes a mistake, the correct and only exclamation is Mea Culpa. Well actually it?s more like Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa ? but even Italians are known to abbreviate their Latin for the sake of exped...Read More

Sovereign Debt and Deficit by Country

2/9/2012 11:00 PM

In Freedom Investing 2012 I analyzed the latest Index of Economic Freedom from The Heritage Foundation. Here I present some simple analysis of sovereign debt and deficit by country using data from the Heritage Foundation...Read More

The Website That's Trying to Take The Banks Out of Lending

2/9/2012 5:22 PM

Trey Rumph was a successful pharmacist in Tennessee, but he had a dream: a party store. He sunk every dollar that he had into acquiring the property, but when it came down to buying balloons, masks and streamers, he came up a bit short. He tried to get a loan, but even for a man with his financial security, the banks were staying tight...Read More

How The $25 Billion Foreclosure Settlement Will Really Affect The Housing Market

2/9/2012 3:31 PM

Well, struggling homeowners, that long-anticipated mortgage relief plan President Obama has been alluding to has finally been reached. Today the Department of Justice announced that its 16 month-long investigation into bank-related foreclosure abuses, following the robo-signing debacle of fall 2010, has culminated in a $25 billion mortgage rel...Read More

Thursday Sector Laggards: Advertising, Airlines

2/9/2012 11:11 AM

In trading on Thursday, advertising shares were relative laggards, down on the day by about 1.4%. Helping drag down the group were shares of Groupon (GRPN), off about 10.6% and shares of Focus Media Holding Limited Adr (FMCN) down about 2.9% on the day...Read More

Thursday Sector Leaders: Transportation Services, Cigarettes & Tobacco Stocks

2/9/2012 11:09 AM

In trading on Thursday, transportation services shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 2%. Leading the group were shares of Roadrunner Transportation Systems (RRTS), up about 10.6% and shares of Student Transportation (STB) up about 1.2% on the day...Read More

Pepsi Reports Earnings

2/9/2012 11:08 AM

Pepsico (PEP) shares dropped in early trading thus morning after the company forecast 5% lower core constant currency EPS for 2012 over last year. This is due to several strategic and macroeconomic factors...Read More

Earnings Wrap: AKAM, SIRI

2/9/2012 11:07 AM

Akamai (AKAM) shares surged this morning after the company reportedly posted better than expected 4th quarter earnings. GAAP net income for the 4th quarter increased 42% over last year to $0.33 per diluted share. Revenue for the 4th quarter jumped 14% to $324 million. This compares to$285 million from last year's 4th quarter...Read More

Cheapest Cars To Insure

2/9/2012 11:07 AM

Which car you choose can have an effect on your insurance premiums. Here's which models can save the most cash...Read More

Investors Need to Summon Elephant's Memory before Charging Back to Stocks

2/9/2012 10:16 AM

It?s an all-too-familiar scenario: the stock market begins to build momentum and those investors sitting on the sidelines fret they are missing the next great rally. Mom and Pop investors wait some more, only to watch the market-index arrows continue to point up, and then continue to sit and wait, still worried they are missing their chance...Read More

5 Places For Your Cash Instead Of Money Markets & Treasurys

2/9/2012 9:29 AM

EverBank World Markets of St. Louis, Mo. recommends these alternative fixed income investments instead of U.S. money market accounts or even long term Treasury bonds that pay under 2.2% interest...Read More

You are Missing Thousands of Dollars in Tax Breaks and Savings in Your W-2

2/9/2012 9:16 AM

Tax forms are arriving in your mailbox as we speak. Most people usually open them, glance at them to make sure all the information is correct and then file them in the folder labeled with the tax year. They only see the light of day when pulled out to staple and send in to the IRS. Most people don?t take the time to take a closer look a...Read More

Earnings Roundup: CSCO, GRPN

2/9/2012 7:53 AM

Cisco Systems (CSCO) announced earnings that beat analyst expectations, and raised its quarterly dividend. The networking equipment manufacturer reported earnings of $2.6 billion, or 47 cents per share during the fiscal second quarter and revenue of $11.5 billion. Analysts had expected earnings of 43 cents per share and revenue of $11.23 billion....Read More

Analyst Moves: YUM, AGNC

2/9/2012 6:59 AM

Yum! Brands (YUM) was upgraded today by Goldman Sachs (GS) from sell to neutral with a price target of $66, as the company's growth in China is accelerating, and U.S. demand should soon pick up, as well...Read More

'Sick Lawyer' Excuse Not Enough To Escape IRS Penalties

2/9/2012 5:19 AM

It's hard to offer an excuse the IRS has never heard for they hear some doozies. It's important to consider the context and the specific penalty in question. Some penalties might be waived for one condition but not for others. Take the estate tax...Read More

Gift Guide: How to Not Screw Up Valentine's Day

2/8/2012 7:21 PM

Are you seriously mailing a baby in a wooden box for Valentine?s Day? C?mon guys, you?re better than that...Read More

The Forever Portfolio

2/8/2012 4:46 PM

This story appears in the Feb. 27, 2012, issue of Forbes magazine...Read More

These articles are property of Forbes.com and protected by copyright.