Millionaire

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Perhaps not surprisingly, eight of the 10 most expensive housing markets in the nation can be found in California, at least according to the latest Home Price Comparison Index from Coldwell Banker.

The real estate company evaluated average home values for select 2,200 square foot single-family homes with four bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths in 315 markets in the U.S., finding that La Jolla, CA was the most expensive at $1,841,667.

On the other end of the affordability spectrum was Sioux City, Iowa, where a comparable home would cost just $133,459, despite its waterfront status on the Mississippi River.

The California vs. Midwest trend runs deep, with eight of the most affordable homes found in the heartland of the United States.

Notables include Akron, Ohio, Arlington, TX, and Eau Claire, WI, where all the homes average a sales price below $150,000.

In California, places like San Francisco, Beverly Hills, and Newport Beach topped the list, all with prices above $1.5 million.

Aside from California cities dominating the least affordable list, Greenwich, CT and Boston, MA also made the top ten, with sales prices of $1,787,000 and $1,493,750, respectively.

Of course, you needn’t be a multi-millionaire to live in California, that is, if you choose to live in the most affordable city, Bakersfield, where the average sales price runs at a more reasonable $273,457.

But if you want more freedom to choose, consider Idaho, where the home price variance between the most affordable and least affordable market is just $217.

Coldwell said the cumulative average sales price for the four-bedroom homes tracked in the index was $403,738, a 4.4 percent discount to the $422,343 price in the 2007 study.

(photo: amagill)

Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com

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Oh, boy. While taking my daily scroll, I uncovered a thread asking, “Which celebrity looks like they smell bad?” Here are the top-voted responses.

1. Post Malone

Image Credit: Shutterstock – Ben Houdijk

“It’s 100% Post Malone,” suggested one. Another joked, “People wish he were Post Cologne.” A third shared, “He said in an interview, “I won’t wear any deodorant or anything, but I have a musk, and it’s just kind of, like, naturally enticing to females.”

2. Harvey Weinstein

“Harvey Weinstein, but he smells terrible, according to reports. Like rotten flesh and poopy,” alleged one. “He has Fournier’s gangrene.”

Another confirmed, “My stepdad died of that. And yes, he stank to high heaven in his last few months. It wasn’t his fault, and he was very hygienic. But when your colon is rotting, you stink—really awful way to go.”

3. Bam Margera

One person said, “Bam Margera,” before another confessed, “When I met him, he just reeked of alcohol. Like he bathed in whiskey.” A third stated, “I met him while working at a Walmart. I can confirm he had an odor, but he was still very nice to me.”

4. Jared Leto

Image Credit: Shutterstock – Fred Duval

Jared Leto looks like he uses his sweat as cologne,” one suggested. A second alleged, “I worked with Jared Leto on a film set > 10 years ago. I can tell you that he smells fine but was a HORRIBLE human.”

“He treated his a-istant (for the film) like trash, was an entitled queen overall, and got a security guy fired because that guy laughed as Leto tripped out of his trailer while drunk. I was a huge fan until then.”

5. Mickey Rourke

Someone volunteered, “Mickey Rourke. He was the first person I thought of when I saw this question.” Others discussed rumors of him smelling back in the 90s before one joked, “I a-umed he smelled like Abercrombie.”

6. Kid Rock

“Kid Rock. He looks like he smells like he just smoked McDonald’s,” said one. Another claimed, “I worked at a radio station, and Kid Rock came in for an interview. He smelled like a dumpster after a fire.”

Funny, he keeps saying he’s a man of the people; Kid Rock’s humble origin story took place on a luxurious estate in wealthy Macomb County, Michigan. Rock, whose real last name is ‘Ritchie,’ grew up the son of millionaire William ‘Bill’ Ritchie, who owned several lucrative car dealerships, and Susan Ritchie, who instilled in Rock ‘a spirit of philanthropy.”

“They raised Rock, who once claimed to be ‘straight out the trailer,’ on six well-groomed acres, where he could pick fresh apples from his family’s orchard.”

7. Brad Pitt

Image Credit: Shutterstock – Andrea Raffin

“My first thought when opening this post was that Brad Pitt always looks a little greasy… but I’m sure I’m just being ridiculous,” one confessed. Next, people reminisced about him reportedly having issues on the set of Interview With a Vampire with Tom Cruise.

However, one fan argued, “For what it’s worth, I was an extra on a movie and stood next to Brad Pitt for a few seconds, and the man smelled incredible – to the point that it’s still what I remember the most clearly years later. He was wearing some expensive-smelling cologne.”

8. Russell Brand

One user admitted, “Russell Brand LOOKS like he stinks, but I can vouch the man smells incredible.” Another added, “I hugged Russell Brand at one of his shows. He does NOT smell at all.” A third argued, “He looks like he smells like patchouli.”

9. Pete Davidson

One user voted “Pete Davidson.” “He smells like cigarettes and stale pizza. I’ve met him several times and been in his hotel rooms. I can say he is a VERY nice fellow. But he chain smokes like crazy,” a second suggested.

Finally, a third said, “I get that he looks that way, but he didn’t pull the women he did without smelling amazing. I will die on this hill.”

10. Johnny Depp

Image Credit: Shutterstock- Denis Makarenko

“Johnny Depp looks like he forgets his deodorant a lot,” suggested one. “First person I thought of, and I’m surprised I had to scroll this far down to find it. All those scarves keeping the wine sweat insulated? No way he doesn’t smell,” answered another.

Source: Reddit.

25 Extraordinary Sequels and Remakes That Outshine the Originals

Image Credit: Rosebud Releasing Corporation

Every once in a while, a movie sequel or remake surpa-es the original film. After polling the internet, “Name a single movie where the sequel or remake was better than the original?” Here are the top-voted responses.

25 Extraordinary Sequels and Remakes That Outshine the Originals

These 7 Celebrities are Genuinely Good People

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We’ve all heard the famous adage that “no publicity is bad publicity,” and while it tends to be accurate, there are certainly exceptions. But what about those few stars who stay out of the limelight and get along without a hint of trouble? 

These 7 Celebrities are Genuinely Good People

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Have you ever known someone and thought you liked them—until you learned about their hobbies? Then you get to know them and then you’re like, “Wow, red flag.” Well, you’re not alone.

These 10 Activities Are an Immediate Red Flag

15 Cover Songs that are Better than the Original

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Sometimes, a cover of a song ends up doing far better than the original. Some covers are so good that we didn’t even realize the cover version wasn’t actually the original.

15 Cover Songs that are Better than the Original

These 11 Movies Are So Bad You’ll Wish You Could Unsee Them

Photo Credit: Lightstorm Entertainment / TSG Entertainment II

The movies we love best are a combination of excellent characters, plots, stories and cinematography. But if these factors can make great movies, they can also make terrible movies—the ones that make people cringe, the ones we swear they’ll never watch again.

These 11 Movies Are So Bad You’ll Wish You Could Unsee Them



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Source: financequickfix.com

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On Good Morning America today, self-made real estate millionaire and Shark Tank star, Barbara Corcoran, shared her thoughts on the U.S. housing market and answered a few questions from viewers. And of course, the first question that came from ABC’s Robin Roberts: Why are mortgage rates so high? 

“It’s the only tool the federal government has for controlling inflation and getting hold of our economy, and they’ve wanted to slow it down, and it’s worked. A year ago, it was 9%, that was our inflation rate, now it’s down to 3%, and they’re going to hold firm until it gets exactly where they’ve targeted,” Corcoran answered. And that magic number for the Federal Reserve is 2%. 

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate reached 7.49%, as of the latest reading per Mortgage News Daily’s rate index. In the 52-week range, that’s the high (and it’s much higher than the low of 5.72%). It’s also a 22-year high, signaling that the era of 3% rates are long gone. But, Corcoran says, they’ll come back down, without specifying what they’ll come down to or when that’ll be—she only hinted that mortgage rates will come down enough to bring would-be buyers back to the market. Still, she said, the effect of record-high mortgage rates on the housing market isn’t necessarily what you’d expect. 

“The housing market is surprisingly strong; everybody’s surprised by it,” Corcoran said. “Houses are not staying on the market. They all sell. One-third of them sell for over-ask price, and there are just not enough houses to go around, so as a result of that, the housing market is as strong as ever—and it’s so frustrating for buyers.” 

And she’s right; there aren’t enough houses to go around. There’s a shortage of homes across the country, and what’s happening with mortgage rates has only tightened new supply further because of the so-called lock-in effect. Borrowers with a below-market mortgage rate are much less likely to sell their homes (and buy something new) because their monthly mortgage payments are almost guaranteed to be much higher, with rates hovering above 7%. That’s one less seller and buyer, which constrains both sides of the market. After giving a brief rundown on the housing market, Corcoran pivoted to answering viewers’ questions. The first asked if housing would be more affordable in future, given that it’s hard to find a home that’s not overpriced at this time. 

“There’s not a lot out there,” Corcoran said, adding that everyone is having a hard time right now: “But I can tell you this, house prices are not going to come down.”

When mortgage rates come down, Corcoran nearly said, all hell would break loose, before she realized she might not be able to say that on TV. Buyers waiting on the sidelines will jump into the market, “and houses are going to go up in price all over again,” she added. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they go up by as much as 10% or 15% when that happens.”

It’s not the first time she’s said as much. Corcoran, again on Good Morning America, previously noted that home prices are going to “explode” the minute mortgage rates come down, as would-be buyers rush back into the market. So her advice for people looking to buy a home in the current market is to adjust their expectations, which, she noted, isn’t easy, especially when you know your neighbor bought their house at a lower price and lower mortgage rate. But Corcoran also explained that buyers should shop around for their mortgage rate, which can help. When answering another viewer’s question, Corcoran said it’s a good time to consider an adjustable rate mortgage, (which is simply a home loan with an interest rate that adjusts over time based on the market). Her advice, however, for people that have adjustable rate mortgages that are about to reset was a bit more blunt. 

“Well, you really only have two choices: You either pay the bank or you get out of town,” Corcoran said, eliciting laughter.

Lastly, Corcoran was asked about any tips she can give to those thinking about selling their home. And while she said sellers have it easy, Corcoran did suggest that they hold off, at least for now.  

“You really don’t need any help,” Corcoran said. “Everything is selling today…But if it was my house, I would wait until next year when all the buyers come off the sidelines when interest rates come [down]. I’m going to get a lot more for my house than I would get right now. So they have no problems. Nobody’s feeling bad for the sellers.”

While national house prices have held firm over the past year—only falling 1% between May 2022 and May 2023 according to the Case-Shiller National Home Price Index—home prices in some overheated markets like Austin are down over 10%. Then again, some Midwestern and Northeastern markets are up over 8% during the same time period.

Source: fortune.com

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TOMS Shoes found Blake Mycoskie has been keeping busy lately.

After making headlines a while back with his staggering $100 million pledge to support psychedelic research (which has the potential to develop treatments for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental health issues), Mycoskie tied the knot with former model Molly Holm.

And while we don’t know where the happy couple spent their honeymoon, we do know that they won’t be spending any time at Mycoskie’s house in Costa Rica — as the TOMS Shoes founder has recently listed his Playa Hermosa retreat for sale.

Priced at $4.2 million, the house is co-listed by Andrea Bissinger and Reese Langston of 2Costa Rica Real Estate.

Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate
Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate

To provide a little background for those who aren’t familiar with his work, Blake Mycoskie first introduced the ‘Buy-One-Give-One’ concept in 2006 — where his footwear company would match every pair of shoes sold with a new pair of shoes to someone in need through partnerships with non-profit organizations and was the first of its kind (now defunct).

His trail-blazing approach to social entrepreneurship soon led him to launch other product lines, including eyewear, apparel, and coffee. 

Close to winning a million dollars in the second season of the reality TV show The Amazing Race, which he participated in with his sister, Mycoskie continued his journey to South America, where he witnessed the difficulties children faced in attending school without shoes.

Later, a subsequent trip to Argentina gave him a strong impetus to establish a for-profit business while adopting giving back to the community as its core business model. 

In 2019, TOMS announced it was searching for new ways to participate in charity work beyond its pioneering concept. Fast forward two years, the company now donates a third of its profit to grassroots organizations, such as those working to end gun violence.

Inside TOMS Shoes founder ‘s idyllic escape in Costa Rica

Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate
Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate

The millionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist’s scenic coastal home in Playa Hermosa at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica is truly a one-of-a-kind surfer’s paradise.

‘‘Playa Hermosa”, which translates as ‘Beautiful Beach’, is a name that has come to encapsulate the pristine natural beauty of this very beach, offering future owners a tranquil haven of peace, serenity and comfort in the popular town of Santa Teresa.

Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate

Just a two-minute walk from the area’s thriving surf precinct welcomes a stunning stone walkway that leads to the main entrance, revealing a beautifully landscaped garden that wraps around the entire indoor living space. Inside, every designated zone opens up to the outside with floor-to-ceiling windows, making each space in the home stand out.

See also: Prince’s former Beach House in the Caribbean, now known as Emara Estate

Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate

This luxury Costa Rica estate boasts two open-floor homes — a one-story residence and a two-story house with a central path separating the common living areas and bedrooms, providing much-needed privacy. 

Designed by prolific architect Benjamin Garcia Saxe, the magnificent private abode sits on a 12,368-square-foot lot with a tropical jungle-like concept completed in 2020.

Founder and design director of Studio Saxe, Saxe’s design is inspired by his quest to explore human relationships with the natural environment through architecture. And the result is astounding, a perfect fusion of modern design and the unspoiled beauty of nature. 

The dual-home compound spans 6,458 square feet, featuring a total of 6 bedrooms, 6 full baths, 2 half baths, as well as a cinema, a children’s playroom, bike storage, and a swimming pool.

Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate
Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate
Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate
Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate
Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate
Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate

The two-story main house has a spacious balcony in the second-floor bedroom, a fantastic way to welcome each new day and soak up the gorgeous Costa Rican morning sunshine. 

But what’s even more striking is its double-height living room clad with elevated wooden screens raised above an exposed steel beam, seamlessly integrating with the rest of the outdoor space to create a breezy yet cozy and intimate atmosphere.

And to top it all off, the covered outdoor kitchen features three elongated wooden chandeliers that accentuate the overall design, creating a harmony between simplicity and elegance. The magical sound of the ocean waves in the background — it’s music to the ears.

Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate

Stepping into the communal areas of the property, the kitchen island takes center stage with a built-in cooktop that completely opens up to the family room and transitions to a modern pool lounge, removing the boundary between the interior and exterior parts of the house – indeed, making it the heart of the home. 

Incorporating clerestory windows in the kitchen and family room that date all the way back to ancient Egyptian temples adds an extra note of charm and brings in additional natural light while keeping the house cool all year round — a testament to Saxe’s meticulous attention to detail and flair for design. 

Another notable amenity of this modern beach home is the resort-style semi-open bathroom with a vanity overlooking the garden through partially white-painted walls, a relaxing oasis to unwind after a busy day. And the best part – the bathroom is naturally ventilated, evoking a sense of connectedness to nature.

Photo credit: Andres Garcia Lachner courtesy of 2Costa Rica Real Estate

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Is the ‘Knives Out: Glass Onion’ house real? (Spoiler: Yes, and it’s in Greece)

Source: fancypantshomes.com

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The American Automobile Association (AAA) says that, on average, it costs 52.2 cents to drive one mile. To drive a Ford Focus like mine 20,000 miles per year, the average cost is 37.6 cents per mile.

How close are the AAA estimates? I ran some numbers.

Based on the purchase price of my vehicle ($16,500), the interest paid ($1,300), and the number of miles on the odometer (81,762 in 66 months), I calculated that for the past year my average cost per mile is $0.2170 over 20,274 miles. But that’s only for the car itself. I’ve also accumulated the following operating expenses:

  • Fuel: $1,646.37 ($0.0812 per mile)
  • Insurance: $762.93 ($0.0376 per mile)
  • Service: $507.07 ($0.0250 per mile)

My total cost-of-ownership per mile is 36.1 cents, which is not far from the AAA estimate of 37.6 cents. My total cost to run the Focus for the past year was $7,514, which is about 5% less than the national $7,967 annual average cost-of-ownership.

I encourage you to run numbers for your car. It’s easy and enlightening. After calculating your current automobile costs, you can explore “what if?” scenarios. For example, how much do rising gas prices affect your costs?

My Ford Focus gets roughly 310 miles on eleven gallons of fuel, for an average of 28.2 mpg. If fuel is at $3.00/gallon instead of $2.00/gallon, I’m paying 10.3% more — $725/year — to run my car.

How much does it affect your cost-per-mile to choose a luxury car instead of something practical? I recently found myself fighting the new car itch. I wanted a new BMW or Audi. A commenter wrote:

In The Millionaire Next Door, one of the best-performing groups in terms of net worth was what the authors called something like “used car prone”. This class of person buys a car that is 3 to 5 years old, and drives it for many years. The authors spend a lot of time discussing this class because it is statistically most likely to have a very high net worth compared to annual income.

If I were driving a new BMW 325i, my total cost of operation would be 60.1 cents per mile, a 68.8% increase over the cost with my Ford Focus.

Examine your driving habits in relation to how much it costs to run your vehicle. For example, driving seven miles into Portland and seven miles home costs me about five bucks. Now the trip to my favorite cheap taco place doesn’t seem so cheap any more.

If I drive 38.6 miles to work and back every day, I spend one hour and $13.93 for the privilege. (When I lived closer to work, my 11.4 mile round-trip cost me twenty minutes and $4.11.) My wife and I plan to drive from Portland to San Francisco for a week-long vacation this summer. We will log about 1200 miles, which will cost me $425. (According to Travelocity, round-trip airfare for two would run $442, so this is basically a wash.)

For more information on the cost of automobile ownership, read the AAA driving cost study for 2006.

Source: getrichslowly.org

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Are you questioning whether having kids is right for you? We understand your hesitation. In today’s world, it’s not a shock when people decide to forego parenthood and pursue different life paths or family structures. Between monetary concerns, mental health considerations, personal values, or lifestyle choices, there are many reasons why some decide that having children isn’t for them (or even their potential little ones). 

1. Kids Can Be Annoying

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user shared, “Kids are annoying AF. Also, in this Economy, I can’t afford [anything]. How tf am I supposed to have a kid as well??” 

2. You Should Really Want Them First

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor shared wisdom: “Better to want kids but not have them than to have them and not want them. You don’t need reasons not to want kids. You better have really good reasons to have kids.”

Another user asked, “Why should I have really good reasons for having kids?”

“Because having a kid is a life-changing responsibility. For life. That’s not a quirky little decision of ‘Yeah, why not?’” one user replied.

Another commenter added, “That doesn’t mean it requires a really good reason. You just have to be a responsible adult that wants a kid.”

One Redditor concluded, “So you don’t need a good reason; you just have to be good at parenting.”

3. Kids Are a Lot of Work

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

 A user commented, “Too loud, too sticky, too smelly, too dependent, incomprehensible beings, I lack patience. I like the quiet; I like my sleep. I like my child-free life.” 

4. Kids’ Medical Concerns Add Up

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user elaborated on his reasons and posted, “I can’t afford them, and I know my genes are volatile. My offspring would be almost guaranteed to inherit my medical issues.”

5. You Have Childhood Trauma

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One user added, “Childhood trauma makes the idea of raising a child unthinkable. Also, an inability to work normal hours and provide for a child.”

6. You Don’t Like Kids

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor elaborated, “I don’t like kids. Nope, they’re not cute. They cost a lot. I hate loud noises. I am not a morning person. So, no to waking up early to prepare food for kids. I don’t have enough patience.

“I can’t even be responsible for myself most times; why would I want to bring another human? I prefer my solitude. I won’t be able to function as a human mom. I’m a dog mom, but that’s good enough for my caring nature.”

7. Kids Are Expensive

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user posted, “Tons of $$$.”

Another user calculated, “Based on statistics, it takes around $300 000 to raise a kid until 18 without any emergencies, and this was like 4-5 years ago. It’s probably like 50k more now.”

8. Having Kids Can be Selfish

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

“More important question: why should you want to have kids? There’s literally no unselfish reason to do so,” one Redditor commented.

Another user answered, “No reason to get rude towards people who do want kids.”

The OP responded, “Not being rude. It’s just a fact.”

Another user asked, “I’m curious: why do you think it’s selfish to want to have kids?” 

The OP answered, “I don’t think that….. It’s a fact. People, the majority of the time nowadays, have children as an accessory to their own lives. You are neglecting the fact that they are bringing a whole human into this world. To make an entire soul(s) endure the ups and downs of life on earth just to fulfill your own personal feelings of having a child is nothing but selfish.

“So again, I ask? What reason is there… outside of selfishness on their own decision… to have one? I’m genuinely curious as to a reason why a person should that is beyond their own decision to do so.”

9. You Don’t Want Them to Suffer on Earth

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor shared his frustration, “I am mad this is the planet I’ve been stuck on, So I occasionally feel like I would not want to be responsible for another human having to experience what this life is like sometimes.”

Another user countered, “Earth is beautiful, though.”

10. You Don’t Want to Pass On Health Issues

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user shared, “A rare genetic condition runs in the family; it has been found in my sister and me too, it s-cks, and I don’t want to pass it down, and even if I don’t, I have a sick mom, I know how hard it is on the child. I don’t want to be the sick mom to another kid.

“I’m autistic, very sensitive to noise, textures, and smells, and will go crazy if I can’t have quiet/alone time. So I wouldn’t be a good mom, and I’d end up traumatizing the kid. I’m terrified of what pregnancy and giving birth do to a woman’s body.

“That doesn’t mean I’ll never decide that I want a baby. But I’d be irresponsible for that.” 

11. You Don’t Think Life is Worth While

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user posted, “This world we live in is horrible; I hated going to school for the first 21 years of my life. I hate that all I have to live for is working to be able to afford to live. Why would I subject someone to live this life in this world? Also, I think people forget that their kids will eventually be grown—and often, parents fall short when teaching morals or how to be a good person; I know my parents didn’t teach me things I wish they did. What if they turn out to be a killer or [sexually abuse others] no matter how hard I try to be a good parent? Yeah, it’s a no. If I ever decide I want a child, I’ll adopt a teen or something.” 

12. You Don’t Like Pregnancy and Childbirth

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One user shared, “Pregnancy and birthing. Even if I was a millionaire and could afford kids and all their expenses, I could not birth them. I don’t want my [body] ripping down to my [butt]. Then there’s always a chance of dying. And you could go through all of that, and your kid may just die anyway. Not worth the pain.”

13. You’ve Lost Interest in Children

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

One Redditor also shared, “Lost interest after 30. I’m not in good health to have kids. There is stuff I want to do that I couldn’t do when I was younger. I didn’t have the money to travel anywhere where I wanted to take up expensive hobbies. Plus, there are plenty of children in foster care that need a home if there is a small chance I change my mind.”

Do you agree with the others’ perspectives in this article? Share your comments below!

Source: Reddit.

These are 10 Things That Completely Destroyed The Love in a Relationship

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There’s no question that relationships can be confusing, but here are some of the top things to avoid if you want to keep your relationship healthy!

10 Actors and Actresses People Refuse to Watch Ever Again

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We all have a favorite actor or actress, but most of us have a least-favorite as well. Check out this list of actors and actresses people never want to see performing again!

Top 10 Worst Human Inventions of All Time

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Some inventions are world-changing, and some of them, well, they change the world in the wrong ways. Here are some of the worst inventions Redditors could think of.

10 Famous Celebrities Who Look Like They Smell Terrible

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We’ve all had moments of hygiene faux pas—but these celebrities just look like they don’t take care of themselves at all.

10 Terrible Fads People Are Glad Died Out

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Every fad has its time in the limelight, but some of them come and go faster than others; and some just need to die out right away. Check out this list of fads of which people were happy to see the last.



About the Author



Source: financequickfix.com

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Robert Kiyosaki, Robert Allen, and Loral Langemeier would have you believe that in order to get rich all you need to do is throw your money into real estate, sit back, and let the profits come. It’s not that simple. There’s risk involved. You have to know what you’re doing.

Jon forwarded a link to what he calls “a personal finance trainwreck”. He writes: “If this guy is for real (and there appears to be some suspicion about that) then, wow. Unbelievable.” Casey at iamfacingforeclosure.com thought he could make a killing at real estate. He wanted to reach Financial Independence quickly.

I’m a 24-year-old aspiring real estate investor from Sacramento, California. After going to few seminars I bought eight houses in eight months across four states with no money down. I fixed and sold two and then ran out of cash. I am now facing foreclosure on six five houses. I’m learning my lessons, finding solutions and blogging about it.

Casey’s story is fascinating. Here’s a young man who read Kiyosaki and Allen, and who is trying to find riches by following their advice. He’s trying to make money quickly, and is struggling, but is willing to share the gory details. In one entry, Casey writes that he and his wife are running out of money. They’ve been living on credit cards, which are now maxed out. He’s afraid he might have to get a job.

I can’t just do a job. I do not want to give up my dream of financial independence. If I get a full-time job, I will continue doing my business and investing on the side. Finding time to do both will be hard (tried it before many times). If I must do that, I will. But it will probably take much longer to reach my goals.

An hourly job has limited earnings potential. Getting a 3% raise every year is not my idea of upwardly mobile. Making $25/hour writing code seems like a waste of time when I can sell a real estate contract for $5,000 after doing 5 hours of work = that’s $1000/hour!

So if I can work really hard for one month and find just 2 deals, I can make $10,000. That’s much better return on my time.

Casey received many responses (the comments are the best part of the site), some helpful, some angry, some flabbergasted. Some are all of these at once.

You’ve just nailed the difference between fantasy and reality. […] You are in the process of learning the difference between GAMBLING and INVESTING. Everything you’ve done so far has been gambling. Investing requires that one balance the risk with the rewards, diversify, and be dedicated. Some investments will fail, but a wise investor won’t have too much tied up in any single thing (like real estate purchased on a guru-drunken binge). Investments are made with money that one could stand to lose. Investing is not done by leveraging oneself up to the eyeballs and beyond, hoping for a miracle.

You can see television interviews with Casey (choose “House Flipper Part One” or “House Flipper Part Two” from the menu in the middle of the page). His story is also featured in two articles from the San Francisco Chronicle:

Langemeier, Kiyosaki, and Allen are inspirational. Some of their ideas may even be useful. (Prlinkbiz — who I’m sure will have something to say about this entry — is a huge Kiyosaki fan, and seems to be making his principles work for her.) But these folks preach that their methods are sure-fire ways to wealth and success. They overpromise in an attempt to sell books and seminars. Langemeier says she’s created 200 millionaires, and that she can make one out of anybody. Yet I can find no independent evidence that this has occurred. I’m not saying that it hasn’t happened, but I’m skeptical.

The only sure-fire way to wealth and success is to spend less than you earn, to save the difference, and to invest that savings for growth.

Follow-Up on Casey Serin, the Man Who Would Be Rich

Casey stopped by Get Rich Slowly yesterday and had this to say:

I don’t see why a person CANNOT get rich quick… but still do it in an honest and safe way. Whenever you hear “Get Rich Quick” you think somethhing bad.

And yes, if you read my story, it DOES sound like i’m just a big screw-up. AND YES.. I did do some stuff that I am NOT proud of (liar loans). However, I am learning my lessons and hoping to make a comeback.

I am determined to find a way to make an honest buck in real estate in a down market. My mentor “Rich Dad” did it. It took him only about 10 years. Now he has 20K+/mo in PASSIVE income from REAL ESTATE.

Is 10 years too quick? What about 5 years?

That’s an interesting question. How quick is too quick?

It’s not impossible to get rich quickly — the day before I wrote about Casey, I shared advice on how to handle sudden wealth — but it’s dangerous to focus on quick wealth as a goal. I’m convinced that people get rich quickly by chance, not by intention. If get rich quick schemes worked, more people would do them. You’d read and hear documented tales of success. But they don’t work. They’re mostly scams designed to transfer money from saps like Casey into the hands of others.

My advice for Casey is this:

If you have a burning passion to make these sorts of plans succeed, then pursue them with only a portion of your finances. Follow tried and true personal finance wisdom with most of your money. Take 90% of what you earn, and do the boring stuff with it: pay off debt, start an emergency fund, invest for retirement. You are so young right now, that if you would invest just $5000 each year until you’re 50, you could retire then as a millionaire. (Assuming 10% returns.) This is with almost no risk. Why try to get rich all at once? Why not ride it out?

If you’re dead-set on trying to get rich quickly, then don’t use all of your capital to do so. Do the safe stuff with 90% of your money. Save the remaining 10% to make real estate purchases. If you strike it rich, great. But if you don’t, then at least you haven’t mortgaged your future. This isn’t ideal for most people, but you have the drive and desire, so it gives you something to play with. But this means that you’ll have to work in order to meet your goals.

I don’t want to kick Casey’s dreams. Dreams are good, and I think people should pursue them with gusto. Too many people make a practice of telling others why their plans won’t work instead of lending support. But when your dreams are at odds with reality, you need to re-evaluate.

$2 Million in Debt in Two Years

Casey Serin of I Am Facing Foreclosure held a two-hour conference call to take questions from readers and to explain his situation. I didn’t hear the call, but I did read the entire transcript (part one, part two).

For those of you unfamiliar with him, Casey Serin is the Napoleon Dynamite of real estate investing. He took real estate seminars from Russ Whitney and read books by Carleton Sheets. He bought into the “get rich quick” mentality. In October, the San Francisco Gate wrote:

After spending a year and upward of $15,000 (borrowed on credit cards) going to real estate seminars and buying home education courses from everyone from Russ Whitney to Bruce Norris and, of course, the aforementioned Robert “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” Kiyosaki, Serin embarked on his brilliant career as a real estate flopper, er, flipper. “I wanted to move toward financial independence,” he told me by phone from his home in Sacramento, referring to “passive income,” a key tenet of the “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” scriptures (“Don’t work for money, allow money to work for you”).

Most people take these seminars and read these books but never do anything. Serin heeded the advice of these gurus. In his own words, he “bought 8 houses in 8 months in 4 states with no money down looking to fix ‘n flip.” He bought these houses between October 2005 and May 2006, after the U.S. real estate market had already begun to decline. He ended up $2.2 million in debt, and he’s been blogging about it ever since.

Serin’s story bugs a lot of people. He made many mistakes. He lied on his loan applications (and continues to rationalize this by saying it’s “industry standard policy”). He exhibits no regret. He continues to live a normal (even lavish) lifestyle despite being deep in debt. He refuses to pay anything on his debt because he doesn’t think it’ll make any difference. He refuses to take a job. He doesn’t take any action to improve his situation. He seems to be a publicity whore. Despite his failures, he believes that he can still get rich quick in real estate if he only finds some sweet deals.

I don’t get angry at Serin. I just think he’s dumb. He continues to pursue a way of life that is just not tenable. He’s trying to bypass the “hard work” portion of the American Dream. I consider his story a stark counterpoint to my message of “get rich slowly”. (Trivia: Casey went to high school with Ramit of I Will Teach You to Be Rich. The former tried to get rich quickly and failed. The latter teaches sensible entrepreneurship and personal finance advice, and has succeeded.)

As I said, I read the entire transcript of Serin’s two-hour conference call. It’s an amazing glimpse into the mind of a young man who wants wealth now. Since I know most people don’t have the time to wade through the entire thing, I’ve culled the best parts to share here.

The first thing that strikes you when reading Serin’s stuff is that he doesn’t seem to have learned his lesson. He’s two million dollars in debt, but he’s still convinced that there’s a quick fix for this mess.

Besides real estate, I’m also looking at other opportunities. With this exposure I’ve had, I’ve made a lot of interesting contacts in different industries, not just real estate. I’m talking with a gentleman in Southern California who’s a silver broker, for example. The silver and gold and precious metal market right now is on the rise, and whenever there’s turbulence, or any kind of a war, or anything crazy with the economy, that’s a good place to put your money. I’m definitely looking at that. I’m looking at stocks, but individual stocks, not mutual funds — the performers, the companies that are about to take off, that you’re able to make some money; for example, with penny stocks.

I want to mail Serin a box of personal finance books. I want to send him Dave Ramsey, Your Money or Your Life, the words of John Bogle. I want him to read real personal finance advice that works. But I’m afraid the books would go unread. (Does anyone have his address or know how to get it? Maybe I really will send him some personal finance books.)

At times Serin seems to have learned something. Regarding “no money down” deals, he says:

If I was putting my own cash down, I would have been a lot more careful. That’s what happens when you have a real down payment. Anybody out there who’s looking to do a no money down deal, I say, you have to be careful. Don’t treat the no money down as just a free deal for you.

But other times it seems he hasn’t learned a thing:

I love those no doc loans, they’re the best because you’re never stating anything so no one can ever go back and say you were lying on your application.

One caller tried to explain the concept of “buy low, sell high” to Serin, but he didn’t want to hear it.

CS: Well, you know, if you’re going to do flipping in a down market, here’s the biggest thing. Buying is going to be easy. There’s tons of people giving houses away, including myself. You come to me; I’ll give you my houses away. Just take them over, or whatever; save me from foreclosure. So, buying is not going to be the hard part. Selling is the tough part. You have to get really good at selling your properties, and in a down market, you probably don’t want to buy anything that’s not a first-time-buyer home.
[…]
SC2K2: I just can’t handle how brainwashed you’ve been by all those seminars.
CS: Oh, yeah?
SC2K2: The way you make money in a down market, is you wait for the prices to bottom; you buy in paying very little; and then you sell when they’ve gone way up. Yeah, your Rich Dad probably —
CS: That’s the long-term strategy. Are you saying you can’t do quick flips on the way down?
SC2K2: You know, Casey, there’s no way you would be able to handle quick flips.

Serin isn’t interested in a long-term strategy. He wants his money now. He doesn’t see that this is precisely where he’s going wrong. While he’s focused on quick riches, he’s neglecting basic personal finance. For example:

I thought at the beginning it would be such an awesome story, a comeback story and show so much success to be able to pay everything back, but at the same time I think I had a bit of a wishful thinking going on, because I didn’t realize when I first started what kind of a hole I was in. The hole’s so big that at this point, I’m really out of options.

Yeah, but here’s what’s going to happen. I pay a credit card — even fifty bucks — that doesn’t do anything to the collection process. Here’s what happens: it’s going to go and get discharged, and then they’re going to try to sue me and try to get that money. So that fifty bucks could have been used better in something where I can actually make money, perhaps doing another deal —

And:

GDS: What’s your FICO now?
CS: I actually don’t know because I haven’t logged into Washington Mutual in a while and I probably should have done that before this call, but last time I checked it was in the high 400’s, 490 I believe or something along those lines. It might be lower now because I’m going to have two official foreclosures showing up on my record any time.
GDS: Well, it doesn’t go below 450, so it doesn’t get much —
CS: It might be interesting to see if I might be a person that actually gets a 450 FICO score. I might be one of the few amongst some of my friends. I’m hoping other people don’t do the same thing I did.

The end of the conference call is the best part. A caller named Nacho tries to push Serin to think about his situation, about the things he’s done.

CS: Not everyone’s going to be successful and self-employed. But don’t you know self-employed doctors or lawyers or successful realtors or anybody who doesn’t have a W-2 but still makes money? It’s not like W-2’s the only…
NACHO: But you haven’t been successful! So isn’t it time to try something else? Supplement your side jobs with a real job.
CS: Well, you know, I never said I’m not going to get one. I’m definitely considering that, and since I do still have money coming in through some of those other sources, it allows me to stay flexible so I can still kind of be in real estate a little bit, and other opportunities.
NACHO: Do you understand that the real estate market is tanking? Do you have a grasp of that?
CS: Oh, yeah. That’s why I’m looking at other investing opportunities, not just real estate.
NACHO: And do you understand that you bought in at the worst possible time? You do understand that, right?
CS: It’s not like you can’t make money in a down market. My local Rich Dad, he made his fortune in the last downturn in California. But of course he had a lot more experience.
NACHO: Did he have decent credit? Was he able to secure loans?
CS: Well, he could secure loans. He had money partners. He had mentors. See, I kind of started off without any mentors guiding me, and that’s kind of one of my problems. And I didn’t have any construction experience.
NACHO: You know what, Casey? I don’t think mentors is your problem. I think you’ve got enough with these guru mentors. I think that that’s the last thing you need. What you need is a swift kick in the ass, from somebody who’s going to tell you the truth. Seriously. Someone who’s going to tell you the truth.
CS: I appreciate you being upfront and giving me a little dose of reality, as you said.
NACHO: Well, that’s how I roll. I’m always trying to keep it real. I’m just trying to let you know, man, that you need to start looking at things differently. You’ve been going a certain way and it’s not working out for you, and you really need to change the way you’re viewing life.
CS: Well, I appreciate it.
NACHO: Because everybody that you owe money to is going to get shafted, and then, in turn, taxpayers are going to have to pay — you know, foot the bill.
NACHO: Are you worried about going to jail?
CS: I’ve already kind of addressed it, but the thing is, if I live my life in fear, what good is that going to do?
NACHO: And you don’t think that you deserve to go? You don’t think that what you did was basic thievery?
CS: Well, the thing is I wasn’t out to rob banks, I was out to make a business, and I screwed up.
NACHO: But Casey, you got everything fraudulently. Come on, you knew in your heart that that was the wrong thing to do.
CS: Part of me was thinking that maybe I shouldn’t be doing stated income loans, because even though everyone seems to be OKAY with it, I had a little bit of a gut instinct. I should have listened to it; you’re right.
NACHO: And you understand that when you do things wrong like that, sometimes you have to pay the piper?
CS: Oh, yeah. And do you think I’m paying the piper?
NACHO: No, not yet. Not by any means, no.
CS: You don’t think that all the financial stress and the issues I’m going through is not enough?
NACHO: Absolutely not, Casey. I think you should be out there working your ass off — two jobs if necessary — paying five bucks a month on every single bill if that’s what it takes to pay this stuff down. I think you should be calling your creditors and making some sort of payment arrangement for you to —
CS: You know what? Check this out; put yourself in my shoes. Even if I get three or five or ten jobs right now I’m not going to be able to catch all my loans up, so they’re going to go to collections, and they’re going to start suing me. So if the only good thing I can really do right now is bankruptcy protection or refinance all those loans.
NACHO: If you pay five dollars a month on any bill, they can’t send it to collection, Casey, do you understand that?
CS: Sure, they can.
NACHO: No, they can’t.
CS: If I don’t pay the full monthly payment — I can’t just keep letting them go… That means I can just pay a dollar on all my loans and they’ll just keeping indefinitely. They’re not going to do that.
NACHO: I’m not talking about the foreclosure loans, I’m talking about the credit card bills.
CS: Even the credit cards.
NACHO: Casey, you have to do something to try and right this wrong. Who’s the guy who has the blog – I am [$334,442 in unsecured debt. I am 23. Will I make it ?] dollars, whatever the hell it is, in debt.
CS: Yeah, the guy eating Ramen and stuff. Yeah, he’s eating Top Ramen; he’s doing all this other stuff.
NACHO: He’s doing the right things. If you would do those things, people would be behind you. People would be giving you suggestions and telling you what to do. Do you understand that?
CS: Well, you might have a good point there. But I wonder if that guy’s really for real, though. Do you think a person can survive on Top Ramen for six months?
NACHO: Oh, yeah. Sure.
CS: Do you think he can eat that crap and still be healthy and still be safe?
NACHO: Yeah, throw some vegetables in there. Casey, the last thing you need to worry about right now, seriously, is eating your vegan — your mildly vegan — seriously, you throw some vegetables and a little bit of whatever, some chicken in the Top Ramen, and it’s fine. Have some beans and rice; that’s fine. Buy a big-ass bag of beans and a big-ass bag of rice and cook it up. Have oatmeal for breakfast —

Casey Serin may or may not be a good guy. I can’t tell. He seems likeable enough. But he has succumbed to the idea that the best way to make money is through tricks and games. I’m not saying that you have to be a wage slave all your life in order to get money to save for retirement. But there are clear, safe paths to wealth and happiness. They take time. They take effort. My goal is explore these paths with you. It’s too bad Casey’s not along for the journey.

Source: getrichslowly.org

Apache is functioning normally

From a few of our recent discussions, I get the sense that some people are uncomfortable with the notion of frugality. These are some actual comments:

  • “Frugality should not be about a total excision of quality of life. Unfortunately, this is how it seems most personal finance writers talk about it.”
  • “I dislike this philosophy of ‘work hard all your life so you can retire and live a modest but comfortable life’. That’s an awful way to lead a life”
  • “All this discussion of living modestly is crap.”

I don’t mean to pick on individual commenters — these statements are representative of many that I’ve read lately. While I understand these sentiments, I think it’s important to understand that frugality is not a dirty word. In fact, frugality is a valuable skill for building wealth.

Frugality Is NOT a Dirty Word

In The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas Stanley and William Danko collected and analyzed data from surveys of more than 1,000 millionaire households. They concluded:

What are three words that profile the affluent? Frugal frugal frugal. Webster’s defines frugal as “behavior characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources.” The opposite of frugal is wasteful. We define wasteful as a lifestyle marked by lavish spending and hyper-consumption. Being frugal is the cornerstone of wealth-building. … [Millionaires] become millionaires by budgeting and controlling expenses, and they maintain their affluent status the same way.

Frugality means choosing to make the most of your money, to focus on everyday costs, to recognize that small amounts matter. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a skill that nearly anyone can practice, and it lays the groundwork for sound financial habits that can be used throughout your life. Frugality keeps you focused on goals.

A New Way to See the World

All the same, it’s important not to confuse frugality with depriving yourself. Frugality doesn’t mean living like a pauper. If you read an article someplace (even at Get Rich Slowly) that says, “Give up your daily latte and you can save big bucks,” but the concept makes you feel like you’d be cheating yourself, then don’t do it. Frugality is about making smart choices to reach your goals; it’s not about living a life devoid of pleasure.

But always keep the larger goals in mind. If you’ve adopted a lifestyle of thrift or frugality, you are not being cheap when you buy generic food at the grocery store. You are not being cheap when you don’t purchase an iPhone or a Nintendo Wii. You are not being cheap — you are choosing a different set of values. You are working toward a greater goal. You are not depriving yourself — you have elected to live debt-free, or to follow a spiritual ideal, or to save for a trip around the world.

When you adopt a frugal lifestyle, you change your value system. You may acquire less Stuff, but you could gain more time, more freedom, more peace-of-mind. Making any lifestyle change — acquiring a frugal mentality, beginning an IRA, starting a diet — requires that you remain focused on the Big Picture. If you lose track of why you’re making sacrifices, the sacrifices become a burden.

Thrift is not an all-or-nothing proposition. There are different degrees. It’s important to discover what works best for your budget and your situation. Focus on your financial goals and make conscious choices that make you happy. Don’t bankrupt your future for gratification today, but don’t live so parsimoniously that you cannot enjoy the present.

Embrace the Get Rich Slowly mantra: Do what works for you.

Frugality in Practice

Over the past eighteen months, I’ve published an irregular series exploring my own adventures in frugal living. Here are some highlights:

Source: getrichslowly.org