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Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

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  “Just Thinking” There are so many old sayings that we use, or at least we used to use, that we say out of habit and know what we intend them to mean but have no idea of the origin. Here are a few that I came up with and how they came to be, let me know if you have any that I missed. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater - Used as a caution against rejecting all parts of a plan because there are problems with parts of it. This came from the household before there was running water, a large tub was filled and the family would take turns bathing, starting with the father and descending by seniority. By the time the baby had its bath, the water was so dirty that it was difficult to see through it. Bite the bullet - To endure something painful or difficult with courage. This comes from times when soldiers would bite on a bullet during surgery to cope with the pain before painkillers. Going Cold Turkey – To quit something abruptly without gradual steps. One theory on this that when a
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Consumer Sentiment Hits 30-Month High as Mortgage Rate Optimism Grows

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The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index (HPSI) report for September 2024 is in, and by the looks of it, consumer optimism has significantly improved.  The overall index went up 1.8 points from August to 73.9—its highest level in over two years.  The most likely reason for that is the general expectation among consumers that mortgage rates will continue on a downward trend over the next 12 months.  According to Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey for September, a record 42% of consumers expect rates to decline—up from 39% the previous month and 24% in June. This also compares to 31% who expect rates to remain the same and 27% who expect them to rise.  Source: Fannie Mae Also, nearly four in ten (39%) survey respondents expect home prices to increase in the next 12 months—up from 37% in August—shedding some light on why the improvement in overall consumer sentiment hasn’t yet translated into a boost in home sales.  Overall perception of homebuying conditions went up a tick this mon
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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The Top Reasons Homeowners Are Selling in 2024

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  Check Out This Weeks Newsletter Zillow’s latest seller report includes recent data on seller motivation—specifically major life events and specific changes sellers are looking for in their next home. It also highlights the decision-making process for buyers across  generations , including the time spent considering their decision (before listing) and the share of sellers who consider renting out their property rather than selling it. Read on for the highlights. Life Events Drive Homeowners to Sell Nearly eight in ten sellers (78%) cited at least one major life event as a factor behind their decision to sell. The most common was a change in household or family size, with more than half of all sellers (51%) citing it as a strong motivator. In second place, more than two-thirds (37%) cited a job change or transfer (37%). Life events most likely to motivate homeowners to sell/move:  Change in household or family size (51% of total sellers) New job or job transfer (37%) Working remotely m
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Baseball Lessons

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  “Just Thinking” Its fall kids are back in school, football is in full swing and its playoff time for major league Baseball. After 162 games the top 6 teams from each league fight it out for the chance to compete in the fall classic. The World Series, the best of seven game series to determine baseball’s champion for this year. It’s historic, it has happened every fall since 1903, the tradition, the pageantry, the history.  The brightest stars shine in the World Series, so many epic events are forged in our memories forever. Rudy Giuliani throwing out the 1 st  pitch after 9/11, Bill Mazeroski’s Walk-Off Home Run in 1960, Kirk Gibson’s Limping Home Run in 1988, The Shot Heard 'Round the World, Bobby Thomson's walk-off home run to put New York Giants into the 1951 World Series, the Boston Red Sox breaking the "Curse of the Bambino" and winning in 2004 after an 86 year drought, Joe Carter’s Walk-Off Home Run for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993, David Freese’s Heroics for
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Apocalypse Wow

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 “Just Thinking” I was talking to Cole (Son #3) last night and he told me that he and his buddies watched “Apocalypse Now” the other night, he hadn’t seen the movie before (my bad). We took some time and talked about what an impactful movie it was, the Vietnam war, the surreal atmosphere and haunting visuals, how young Martin Sheen was how imposing Marlon Brando was. How far outside the box Francis Ford Coppola went in showing the humanity and the horror of war. We talked about how Coppola used Robert Duvall and Marlon Brando who were both featured actors in the Godfather. Our conversation got me thinking got about not just “Apocalypse Now’ which came out in 1979 but “The Godfather” 1972 and “The Godfather II” 1974 the actors that were involved and the impact they had on our culture. Marlon Brando who started as Vito Corleone, the patriarch of the Corleone family in “The Godfather” and Colonel Kurtz. the rogue officer in “Apocalypse Now”. Brando was an established actor who won his fir
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Housing Affordability Improves for the First Time Since 2020

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  Today, we bring you news of a much-anticipated (or at least much-desired) improvement in housing affordability, thanks to two recent Redfin reports. The first report, dated yesterday (September 24) reveals a 1.4% year-over-year reduction in the household income required to afford a median-priced home—the first annual improvement since June 2020. Byron Lazine broke down the news in today’s  Hot Sheet , tying in consumer sentiment on the U.S. economy. The second report, published a day later (i.e., today) shows half of all homes listed have gone stale, still unsold after 60 days on the market. That’s good news for buyers, especially those keen to take advantage of today’s lower mortgage rates. Read on for the highlights. The Income Needed to Afford a Median-Priced Home Dropped 1.4% YOY As of Redfin’s data for August 2024, American homebuyers need an annual income of $115,454 to afford (not just buy) a median-priced U.S. home. That’s 1.4% less than they needed one year ago—and the first
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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Remembering Gene Wilder

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 “Just Thinking” We watched a documentary on Netflix this week, “Remembering Gene Wilder” and it really impacted me, I think it was because his movies were a timeline of my formidable years. We think of Wilder as the actor who played the Waco Kid, Willie Wonka or Young Frankenstein, but he was so much more, not just an actor, but a writer, director and producer who was active for forty plus years. He was born Jerome Silberman in Milwaukee and moved to New York after finishing his service in the Army. He started as a stage actor in off Broadway, he was in a production with Anne Bancroft who was dating Mel Brooks at the time, who was working on a new film. Although it was very early in the process, this led to his first major film role as Leo Bloom in the 1967 film “The Producers”, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. His first film role was that of a hostage in the 1967 motion picture “Bonnie and Clyde” starring Warren Beaty and Faye Dunaway. Althou
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Location: Martinez, CA 94553, USA
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