Apache is functioning normally
Our shoes reveal a lot about who we are, and there are many situations in which we need a wide selection of different shoe styles and colors; for work, for socializing, or just a casual pair to feel comfortable in.
If you have a small closet and a growing footwear collection, fear not. It’s totally possible to organize shoes in small spaces, you just need some space-saving shoe organizing methods and a few products to help.
small closet to allow for further purchases.
Try these organization methods at home to free up shoe space in your closet
After organizing your clothes in a small closet, the next task is always your shoes. The last thing you want to do is to dirty, damage, or even lose your most-loved shoes.
These tips will save you space and time searching for your favorite pair.
1. Declutter and prioritize
The first step is to start decluttering your shoe collection, you need to know exactly where all of your shoes are, their condition, and how many you have and need.
Take out all your shoes and assess which ones you truly need and wear regularly. If you notice that there are some damaged shoes or pairs that no longer serve you, put them in separate piles for donating or discarding.
Once you have been through all of your footwear, you will have freed up space in your closet which will make organizing the space easier.
2. Utilize vertical space
Often because we have a small closet we automatically assume that there is no room in it, but that is not always the case. Vertical potential is often overlooked and instead, it should be used to our advantage.
Vertical space is especially useful when it comes to organizing shoes, not only does it allow us to see our shoe collection easily, but it also helps us take up space that would otherwise be unused.
A shoe riser is an effective and simple way to use up your vertical space in the closet and essentially increases the amount of shoe storage space you have on your shelves.
Professional organizer Caroline Guntur says that she relies on shoe risers, available at Amazon, and uses them in all small closets for her clients: ‘It allows both pumps and flats to be stacked instead of just side by side, this automatically increases the amount of shelf space available for your shoe collection.’
Camilla Frederico, one space that is often overlooked is the closet door itself.
‘If the back of your closet door is bare, an over-the-door shoe organizer can make the most of this space,’ she says. ‘They also happen to store several pairs of shoes at once. Additionally, they can also double as storage for accessories!’
Over-the-door organizers, at Wayfair, will help take the clutter away from inside the closet, conjuring up space from nowhere and making it much easier to see everything.
Relaxing Space. ‘It will maximize your storage and you can easily see which shoes you have.’
Stackable clear shoe boxes, at Amazon, not only save space but also protect your shoes from dust. Furthermore, the clear view allows you to simply locate the shoes you want at any time.
Inspire Clean. ‘Store out-of-season shoes in a separate location, such as under-bed storage or a different closet, and swap them out as the seasons change.’
Rotating your shoes seasonally allows you to align your footwear to the clothes in your closet. For example, you are more likely to wear your summer sandals versus winter boots during the warmer months.
Consider how often you are going to be wearing each type of shoe and create space by removing the pairs not needed for now.
washing machine; however, those made with leather, suede, rubber, or vinyl should not be placed in the washer.
When you organize a closet that has limited space, you have to keep in mind that each closet is different, it is best to choose the storage and organizational solution that works for you and your space. These organization ideas will set you up for having a manageable and functional closet in no time.
Source: homesandgardens.com
Apache is functioning normally
As with many things in life these days, it all started with an episode of the Peter Attia podcast.
In this edition, our nation’s most Badass Doctor was interviewing a guest I initially dismissed as not overly applicable to my own lifestyle. A young,excessively handsome dude who happened to be a writer with a new book out. But the headline of the episode was just intriguing enough to get me to click.
“The Comfort Crisis”
Wow, what an amazing turn of phrase, and what a concise summary of the core of this whole Mustachianism thing I’ve been trying to express for the past dozen years.
While the news headlines cry constantly about our nationwide personal debt crisis or health crisis or any other number of things that suggest that life is so hard these days, I have always seen the opposite: on average, we Americans seem to have a problem of ridiculous overindulgence and easiness in our lives, and our main problem is not recognizing it, and the damage it does to us.
So of course I had to click, and then listen to the whole two hour episode, and then buy the book, and then spend the past month reading and digesting it in small, meaningful chunks like the modern-day chunk of scripture-like wisdom that it is. And wow, am I glad I did so.
The author is Michael Easter, a former writer for Men’s Health magazine was also once catastrophically addicted to alcohol – and descended from a long family line of ancestors with the same affliction.
He was lucky to catch himself from that fall in time to save his own life, and that story alone makes the book worth reading as someone who has stood by helplessly as loved ones battled with addiction. But I think his history with overindulgence in the hollow comforts of alcohol also gives him an edge on writing about the battle between comfort and hardship on the bigger stage of life in general.
So what is The Comfort Crisis about, and how can it make all of our lives better?
The best part about this book is just what a damned good writer this Easter guy is. Like many of the most fun popular science books*, it follows a split narrative which jumps back and forth to interweave the story of an insanely difficult caribou hunting trip he joined in a remote pocket of Alaska, with the appropriate bits of science, psychology and cultural commentary that help us explain and learn from each chapter of the epic shit he had just endured. This allows us to process and apply the lessons in our own lives.
For example, have you ever wondered why the type of bored, rich suburbanites who populate the board of your local Homeowner Association and whine about unacceptably tall weeds or unauthorized skateboarding on Nextdoor are so insufferable?
Why can’t they do something better with their time?
It turns out that there’s a scientific explanation for these unfortunate people, along with most of our other problems:
The tendency of humans to always scan our environment for problems, regardless of how safe and perfect that environment is.
The book cited a study in which researchers told people to look for danger, in an environment which gradually became safer and safer:
“When they ran out of stuff to find they would start looking for a wider range of stuff, even if this was not conscious or intentional, because their job was to look for threats.”
“With that in mind, Levari recently conducted a series of studies to find out if the human brain searches for problems even when problems become infrequent or don’t exist.“
“As we experience fewer problems, we don’t become more satisfied. We just lower our threshold for what we consider a problem.“
In other words, even when our lives are virtually problem free, instead of appreciating our good fortune we just start making up shit that we can complain about instead.
And then our politicians cock their greasy, finely-tuned ears in our direction and make up policies to appease our mostly-insubstantial concerns. And they invent their own trivial “wedge” issues to get us to all bicker about our different cultures and religions, suddenly caring about things that would not have even been problems if nobody told us they were.
And there’s America’s weakness in a nutshell, and meanwhile our strength comes entirely from the times we choose not to waste our time stooping to this level.
Meanwhile, the opposite effect holds true: people who survive in rougher environments than us end up more resilient and less prone to complaining.
In a series of recent interviews, Ukrainian people living in the war zones of their occupied country were asked “is it safe to live where you live?” and a strangely high percentage still said “Yes” – not all that different from the responses of US residents when asked the same question about their own cities.
This adaptation principle also explains why some first generation immigrants tend to build businesses and wealth while their own offspring in second and third generations are more likely to become complacent and spend it down. As an immigrant myself, I can see why this is: conditions were just slightly more harsh and less comfortable and wealthy where I grew up, so I adapted to those conditions as “normal” which made the United States seem posh and easy by comparison. Which made it easier to spend less money and accumulate more.
Tree Therapy
The trap of pointless worry is just one of the many revelations of The Comfort Crisis. It also gives insightful explanations for why spending time in Nature boosts our mental and physical health, while cubicles and car driving grind us down.
There’s something in our biological wiring that responds instantly and powerfully to everything natural, in ways that you can’t get anywhere else.
Even placing a single plant into a hospital room will measurably improve the recovery of almost all patients from almost all ailments. So can you imagine the power of the medicine you are inhaling if you step into a real, living forest? And what if you spent several hours there, or even several days?
Later, we get lessons on our human adaptation towards the ratio of effort to reward:
It’s proven the harder you work for something, the happier you’ll be about it,” |
And our bizarre natural aversion to physical exertion:
A figure that shows just how predisposed humans are to default to comfort:
2 (two). That’s the percent of people who take the stairs when they also have the option to take an escalator. |
Which is remarkable, given the absolutely insane cost this tendency imposes upon us.
Moving your body, even a bit, has enormous benefits – again to almost all people towards reducing the probability and severity of almost all diseases. So can you imagine the benefit of moving your body for several hours per day in a natural environment, and including heavy load bearing and bits of extreme exertion?
These things are not speculative pieces of alternative medicine. They are known, easily and reproducibly tested, and proven to be the most effective things we can possibly do with our time.
So why, the actual fuck, are people still sitting inside, watching Netflix, driving to work, and then driving to the doctor’s office to get deeper and deeper analysis of a neverending series of exotic and mysterious and unsolvable problems with their physical and mental health?
We should at least start with the stuff we know is essential – maximum outdoor time every day, heavy exertion including with weights, minimal time spent sitting and driving, and minimum junk food, sugar, and alcohol. You definitely don’t have to be perfect, but just understand that these are the big levers for physical and mental health.
Only then, once you reach these minimum basic things for human survival, should you expect that more exotic and niche medicines and treatments are the only course of action.
By all means, follow your doctor’s orders and don’t just dump all of your medications down the sink because of this MMM rant. But at the same time, realize that the stuff that is hard and uncomfortable is very likely to be the stuff that improves your life the most.
It’s all the stuff that Mr. Money Mustache has been telling you since 2012, but with more detail and less distraction. This book is a concentrated packet of advice for solid living.
Real Life Inspiration from the Good Book
In a happy coincidence, I happened to be in the middle of some hard stuff** of my own as I worked my way through The Comfort Crisis and I found the perspective quite useful and transformative to apply hot off the press.
Normally somewhat of a homebody, I had embarked on a solo journey for some Carpentourism deep in the mountains of Southwestern Colorado. I had my whole life shrunk down into the new Model Y including food, bed, and the necessary tools and materials to tackle a pretty long laundry list of tasks on two different construction projects (fixing up a mini-resort property in Salida, and starting construction on a small cabin in Durango)
The trip immediately took a turn towards the dramatic as I climbed into the mountains and drove straight into the most torrential rainstorm I have ever seen, then accidentally broke a traffic law in a remote mountain town right in front of both of the local police officers ($115 fine and two points off my license), then five minutes after that had a small pebble hit my brand-new windshield which instantly spread into a crack that spans the whole thing, all before finally limping into Salida to unpack and get started on the work.
“Big deal”, I can already hear you saying, “Retired man experiences two minor incidents while taking a vacation in his luxury car.”
And you’re right, and that is exactly my point.
My life is so stable and comfortable that even these two miniature challenges threw me off balance, and I arrived in a slightly bummed and stressed-out state. But I still knew that in the bigger picture, they are good for me if I accept them as I accept them as the lessons they are rather than choosing to continue to worry about them.
As the trip went on, more things happened, almost as if The Comfort Crisis book were trying to prove a point. I drove three hours deeper into the mountains and up the steep dirt road to arrive at my second friend’s piece of land – a plot of forest in the mountains just outside of Durango.
My work days in that high desert environment in the peak of summer were hot and physically demanding. It was hard to keep my tools, and my food supply in the cooler, and myself protected from the scorching sun (and a strange neverending blizzard of tree pollen) while still getting the job done. There was no indoor plumbing and we had to be very careful with our limited water supply. And then at the end of each day I had to reshuffle everything and set my car back up as a bedroom and crawl in for the night. Alone and far from home.
But instead of feeling depressed as I experienced this constant hardship, the opposite thing was happening: I felt more alive and more badass with each passing day. I got better at being a feral forest man.
One day, my co-builder and I decided to take the afternoon off and head to the wild, remote Lemon Reservoir for some paddleboarding. We didn’t bring our phones or any other conveniences or amenities – just two boards and the minimal clothing required for swimming. And we headed out into a stiff headwind and little whitecap waves, laughing at the freedom of the experience.
It was hard, and slightly scary, as we got further and further from the shore. Progress was slow even with serious paddling, and we didn’t have any particular plan beyond the spirit of “let’s GO!”
But again Michael Easter was there whispering in my ear, saying,
“Is this difficult, Mustache? GOOOOoood! Then you’d better keep going!”
So we did. And we got way out into that lake, to a point where the water was shielded from the wind by the mountains on the other side. And it was awesome.
We cruised over to the shore to explore a particularly scenic meadow, coated with the softest green mossy grass and exuberantly colored wildflowers, and set at an impossibly steep angle. And damn I wished that I could have taken pictures, but in a strange way this forced me to burn that spot more thoroughly into my memories using my own senses instead.
Then we headed back out into the center of the lake, set down the paddles, and just laid down on our boards to let the wind and the waves take us back towards the far end of the lake where we had started. And what a strange, serene feeling it was, floating on just a tube of air over two hundred feet of cold blue water, feeling like a jungle man with no cares and no plans and no material possessions. It could have been scary, but instead it was one of the best and most relaxed moments of my life.
Eventually, this week of forest living and exertion had to come to an end so I could get back to my own town to be a Dad again. But it ended with a final reminder of the principles of the Comfort Crisis – after so many days relatively extreme work and a relatively sparse food supply, I had grown used to a healthy background hunger. Which is yet another thing that we are meant to experience as humans – being satisfied and free from hunger all the time is neither normal nor healthy.
But when my hosts took me out on the town for a final night thank you dinner at the Mexican restaurant, the immense Burrito platter I consumed turned out to be the most delicious meal of my life.
Purposeful Hardship vs. Purposeful Spending
There has been a lot of talk directed at the FIRE community recently about how bad we are at spending our money, and how we all need to loosen up. And there’s a small amount of truth to it, as my local friends Carl and Mindy recently admitted during a grilling on the Ramit Sethi podcast.
But we also need to keep this whole idea of excessive comfort in mind, and the damage it does to the natural human condition.
It’s great to spend money on adventures and improving yourself, being generous to others, and making the world a better place.
But it’s also way too easy to fool yourself into thinking you “want” things that just make your life easier and easier.
So your job is to catch yourself before this happens, and learn to keep things challenging, even as you upgrade the rest of your life experience.
In other words: buy yourself better tools, not softer chairs.
—-
* Another great book that follows this style is Wired for Love by neruroscientist Stephanie Cacioppo – highly recommended for reading in parallel with a lover, whether new or old.
** not actually hard by reasonable human standards, but it seemed hard by my comfort addicted first world standards
Source: mrmoneymustache.com
Apache is functioning normally
In these languid—and, for much of the country, excruciatingly, unbelievably hot—days of summer, the timeless allure of a large, cool body of water beckons. And while heading to the lake is, for some, an occasional destination, for others it’s a way of life.
Sure, some of America’s more famous lake towns are pricey. But there are others that are surprisingly affordable, offering lakeside living for bargain-basement prices. The data team at Realtor.com® dug into the data to find some of the cheapest lake town real estate in the nation.
It helps that there are a lot of lakes in America. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there are just shy of 7 million bodies of water in the U.S. and in adjacent areas along the borders. Of those, 5.76 million are classified as a lake or pond, and 134,000 have official names.
Each of the lake towns we found has a unique charm, blending natural beauty and local culture. All of them are nestled in the most affordable regions of the country, especially the Upper Midwest to the Deep South—areas known for their low cost of living. As it turns out, they’re also ideal places for lake house shoppers not looking to stretch their budget.
As famously avid lake admirer Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “A lake is a landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.”
To find the most affordable lake towns, we looked at all the home listings for the past year within a half-mile (roughly a 10-minute walk) of a named lake or pond. (Named bodies of water exclude reservoirs and lakes that folks can’t swim or boat on.) Then we calculated the median prices from July 2022 through June 2023 for homes in those areas to pinpoint the most affordable lake towns in 2023. Only towns with at least 50 home listings over that period were included.
We excluded big cities, because we’re looking for places where the lake plays a large part in the local culture. And we didn’t include extremely small towns, because you’ve got to have at least a few shops and restaurants to keep you busy when you’re not on the water. And we included only the single most affordable lake town in any state, to ensure geographic diversity.
So let’s set sail to the most affordable lakeside real estate in 2023.
Median list price: $154,900
Median list price per square foot: $76
Population: 29,534
Danville, a relatively small town in east central Illinois along the Indiana border, is home to Lake Vermilion. The human-made reservoir provides drinking water for the city, but it has also become a popular fishing and boating location. Cabins and docks line its forested edge.
The town was an industrial hot spot for the region from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, as a major coal mining town and a rail hub. Abraham Lincoln was known to visit the town and once delivered a speech from the balcony of the home of a prominent Danville resident.
The median home listing within a half-mile of Lake Vermilion over the past year had a price tag 65% below the national median list price of $445,000 in June. A three-bedroom home within walking distance of Lake Vermilion, with hardwood floors, a garage, and a big yard, goes for $120,000. And for just over $100,000, home shoppers can find a two-bedroom condo about as close to the lake.
Median list price: $140,000
Median list price per square foot: $79
Population: 2,838
Rogers City is the smallest of any of the spots on our list of affordable lake towns, just shy of 3,000 residents.
Situated on the banks of Lake Huron, about 45 minutes from Cheboygan, Rogers City residents have quick access to multiple parks along the lakeshore. They include Harbor View Park on the southern corner, Seagull Point Park on the northern tip of the town, and several in between, including the Rogers City Yacht Harbor and Lakeside Park.
Rogers City has been host to multiple salmon fishing tournaments in the summer, including the vividly named Fat Hogs Fishing Frenzy and the more straightforward Rogers City Salmon Tournament.
It’s also home to the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum and the Presque Isle County Historical.
A large three-bedroom home with a garage and a brick fire pit in the backyard can be found for $165,000, a short walk from Rogers City’s North Shore Park and beach.
Median list price: $122,750
Median list price per square foot: $83
Population: 12,651
The western tip of northern New York state, in the Chautauqua-Allegheny region, is known for its lakeside getaway culture. And although some of the area’s real estate is quite pricey, the lowest home prices within a half-mile of a lake can be found in Dunkirk at the edge of Lake Erie.
The area was first occupied by the Indigenous Erie and Seneca tribes, then colonized by the French, who erected the Dunkirk Lighthouse at Point Gratiot in 1826. This helped the town become a significant regional port for coal and lumber shipping. It’s now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Dunkirk has multiple beach parks, and it hosts several summertime events, including an annual strawberry festival, arts and music festivals, and a “Fly-In Breakfast,” which welcomes pilots from all over to the small lakeside town.
Duke McLachlan, a real estate agent with Howard Hanna Hold Real Estate in neighboring Jamestown, says that from June through August, life in this area is all about the lake, for residents and visitors alike.
“It’s the whole Chautauqua area,” McLachlan says. “The local economy really picks up.”
Buyers will find the most listings just before and after prime lake season. Sellers know they can find buyers looking forward to the summer in April and May. Meanwhile, other sellers will list in September and October after they used their homes for the summer.
Median list price: $129,900
Median list price per square foot: $86
Population: 10,465
Minnesota is called the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” for a reason: The state has 11,842 of them.
So don’t drop your oar in the water when you hear that Fairmont, a small town in southern Minnesota near the Iowa border, sits on a string of five small lakes. These include George Lake, in the northern part of Fairmont, and Budd Lake, near the center of town.
All five offer boating and fishing—and there is very affordable real estate near two of these bodies of water.
The median home that was listed over the past year near both Lake George and Budd Lake is less than half the national list price. The real estate near Budd Lake is a little pricier, due to its proximity to the center of Fairmont, and a couple of developed parks along its edge.
For those who want to live and work near the water year-round in the “City of Lakes,” Fairmont’s local economy is driven by the local Mayo Health System hospital, two small colleges, and a couple of modern industrial companies.
Median list price: $126,900
Median list price per square foot: $91
Population: 4,977
Cherokee Village, a small town in central northern Arkansas about 20 miles south of the Missouri border, boasts seven lakes in total.
Lake Cherokee, the smaller of the two lakes where we found low-priced homes, has a park and private docks. Meanwhile, Lake Thunderbird, the town’s largest lake, has a public marina and the town’s public recreation center, which has two swimming pools and a minigolf course.
For just under $290,000, a homebuyer can get a 1,200 square-foot, two-bedroom house with a backyard dock on Lake Thunderbird. For those looking for homes costing less, just across the street from Lake Cherokee, a two-bedroom townhome can be found for as little as $120,000.
Median list price: $169,900
Median list price per square foot: $95
Population: 9,305
Pickwick Lake, a popular boating and fishing destination, was created by the Pickwick Landing Dam on the Tennessee River near where Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi meet.
The lake is known for record-size smallmouth bass and catfish. Local fishing guides say 2- or 3-pound smallmouth bass are the norm—and catches of 5 to 6 pounds are not uncommon.
History lovers will also appreciate the small town of Sheffield. It became a major wartime aluminum smelting location in the 1940s, boosting the nation’s aircraft production. It’s also the hometown of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
And it’s where you’ll find the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where a litany of modern musical icons came to record, including The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Cher, and Wham! The studio faded and was repurposed for several years, before a documentary reignited interest and a restoration brought it back to life. It’s now a museum during the day and a working studio at night.
Median list price: $135,000
Median list price per square foot: $96
Population: 65,440
Lorain is a small city on Lake Erie, in the far western corner of the Cleveland metro area. Like the other Great Lakes locations on our list, Lorain was once an industrial production mecca, dominated by steel.
Now, says Bill Swanzer, a real estate broker at The Swanzer Agency Realtors in neighboring Amherst, Lorain mixes a classic lake culture with good access to the city.
“You’re only 20 or 30 minutes from the Cleveland Browns‘ stadium,” Swanzer says. “So you can get to all the big-city things—live sports, live music, shows.”
But for Lorain residents, Lake Erie’s offerings are right in the backyard.
“The lake’s always been a big draw for us,” Swanzer says. “You’ve got kayaking, boating, fishing, swimming—you’ll see Jet-Skis on the water and parasailing.”
Median list price: $139,900
Median list price per square foot: $97
Population: 11,276
Two Rivers is uniquely situated on Lake Michigan, such that it remains cooler than nearby areas on hot summer days—earning the town its nickname “Cool City.” It became a summertime destination for folks looking for a reprieve from the heat.
The moniker is memorialized just about everywhere, from the annual Cool City Car Show & Cruise, the Cool City Brewing Co., and Cool City Coffee Shop to the Cool City Charters and Cool City Cleaners.
Summer activities include swimming and sunbathing at Neshotah Park & Beach, and hiking and camping in Point Beach State Forest, just north of town. There’s also boating and fishing on Lake Michigan and the town’s—you guessed it—two rivers. It’s also only about 30 miles southeast of Green Bay, offering relatively quick access to a big city nearby.
But what’s especially cool about Two Rivers for us is the low price of homes near Lake Michigan. Take this recently listed two-bedroom home with an updated bathroom and floors about a block from Lake Michigan, priced at just $134,000.
Median list price: $185,000
Median list price per square foot: $106
Population: 9,299
About 30 miles east of Wichita is Augusta and its 190-acre human-made lake on the north end. Augusta Lake, lined with parks, grassy embankments, and walking trails, is a community center of sorts. There are Little League tournaments, concerts, disc golf, and the town’s Fourth of July celebration, in addition to the standard lake activities like fishing, boating, and kayaking.
The town is known for its historic buildings, many of which have been added to the National or State Register of Historic Places.
Of course, we’re interested in the home prices, which are inexpensive, even for a relatively affordable state like Kansas. A three-bedroom, ranch-style home six doors away from Augusta Lake can be found for just $150,000.
Median list price: $285,000
Median list price per square foot: $125
Population: 7,565
Homes within a half-mile of Prestwood Lake are the most expensive of any place on our list of affordable lake towns—but they’re still about 35% less expensive than the national median list price.
Lauri McLeland, a Realtor with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Segars Realty in Hartsville, says it’s not uncommon to see small speed boats and jon boats on Prestwood Lake, and even some kayakers on Black Creek, which leads into the lake.
But although there’s a decent amount of housing within that half-mile of the lake, it can be a tight market for buyers looking for something right on the water.
The small South Carolina town, about an hour northeast of the state capital of Columbia, is a tight-knit community, says McLeland. Word of someone selling their home can lead quickly to an offer from another local looking to get closer to the water.
“Prestwood is a really pretty lake,” McLeland says. “There’s not a lot of housing right on the lake, and some of those sell before they even hit the market.”
Source: realtor.com
Apache is functioning normally
Looking at the average U.S. household, 82 percent have at least one Internet-connected TV device. For some, that means a large Smart TV that’s perfect for streaming movies and playing video games. Others may take it a little smaller, but there’s nothing better than the big screen.
Whether secured on the wall with a TV mount, or atop a TV stand, this device is valuable because it provides hours of entertainment. You’d hate to have to spend hundreds of dollars replacing it if the screen cracks during a move. That’s why it’s important to take extra care, up to the point of deciding to hire professional movers, when it’s time to relocate your TV securely to a new home.
Preparing your TV for a move
Your television may look sturdy, but it’s actually one of the most fragile items in your home. There are rules on how to pack a television for moving, but the process starts with detaching your TV from its current location.
Begin with all the cords. Unplug everything from the TV, securing longer cables with a bungee cord or twist tie. Keep all power cords related to the TV together and in their own plastic bag, which you need to label “for the television.” It’s also not a bad idea to create a single box of all your electronic accessories, for easier unpacking.
Remove the batteries from your remote control, as well as add the controller to the bag with the power cord.
Next, you need to separate the flat-screen TV from the wall mount if you’ve got it hanging. Take off all of the mounting hardware before you move it. If you have the legs or a stand installed at the base of the flat-screen TV, you’ll need to remove those pieces, as well. Make sure to bag and label all parts.
Dust left on a TV screen can actually scratch it, so make sure at this point you wipe the entire TV, including the television screen, with a microfiber cloth to eliminate lingering particles.
Keep your TV standing upright as much as possible during this process, although, if you do have to lay it flat, it’s OK as long as you don’t box it up that way.
How to pack a television for moving
The ideal way to pack a TV for moving is within the original TV box, using the original packaging materials that came with the device. This is already set up for you to properly pack your TV, so whenever you buy new electronic devices, if possible, store the box somewhere safe, just in case.
An original TV box often includes both the protective sleeve for the flat screen and foam pieces to go at each corner that is the exact shape you need.
Even if you just have the original box and not the packing material, this is still the best bet, but it’s not your only option.
Using a TV box
Missing an original TV box doesn’t mean you’ll struggle to get your flat screen safely packed. Most moving companies and box stores offer a specialty box just for your television. These typically start at $20 and go up in price, but they’re the exact right shape for a large TV. They also often come with special packing supplies like foam corner cushions and a screen protector. Some are even adjustable for different-sized TVs to ensure a perfect fit without empty space to jiggle your device.
What’s even better, these boxes make it easy to get your TV inside while still in an upright position. Often, you just have to slide your television right into the box and seal it with packing tape.
One thing to note if using these types of boxes to pack a flat screen is that only one TV fits into each box. If you have multiple televisions, you’ll have to get more than one moving box.
Packing a flat-screen TV
Regardless of whether you’re using the original box, there’s a right way and a wrong way to pack it up and get it to your new home. Flat-screen TVs always belong in the upright position when getting boxed up and moved out. This is because a flat-screen TV is weight balanced when vertical. When you put the TV flat, you upset that balance, and as the television jiggles during the move (which it inevitably will do even if it’s just a little), you’re increasing the risk of the screen cracking or developing issues that could lead to picture distortion the next time you turn it on.
Even if you keep your TV upright as you box it and get it to your car or a moving truck, how you secure it is also important. Never lay the box flat, but instead place it vertically between two other sturdy items to hold it in place. Heavy objects like a couch are more secure during a move, so can protect your TV. A mattress is another good object to place a television against. It’s already padded enough to protect your device. Other pieces of furniture, like a dresser, can work as one side of your television sandwich, as well.
This strategy will work great in a moving truck, but for your car, anything soft and secure filling up the extra space around a TV in the box will keep it protected. Other boxes or even blankets will do the trick.
Can you lay a TV flat when moving?
The official answer to this question is no. Flat-screen TVs, which most are, shouldn’t lay flat. However, if you need to lay your TV down while you’re disassembling it, say while taking off the legs or the stand, that’s OK.
To do this safely, lay out a towel or blanket on a flat surface first. You want the TV to lay on soft padding for protection. Place the TV on the now soft surface, screen-side down. A screwdriver will most likely take care of all the disassembly.
Once done, return the TV to a vertical position, and place it between two sturdy objects to shield it from any bumps until you’re ready to box it up.
Bubble wrap is your friend
Even with no separate box for your TV, it’s possible to keep it safe. Preparing a TV for moving box-free means treating it more like a piece of furniture. Moving blankets make great protective packaging, but save it for the final layer of the wrapping.
To start, you could seal up the whole TV in plastic wrap. This sticky stuff provides an added layer of coverage against scratches and dings. You can put foam pieces on the corners, as well.
If you’re worried about the screen specifically, bubble wrap is a great packing material to secure your TV. However, if you’re taping it on, make sure packing tape never touches the screen itself.
For a pro tip, put a layer of tape around your TV so the sticky side faces out. Then, apply bubble wrap to the tape. Easy peasy.
Keeping your TV safe no matter how you move it
Even if you’re using a moving company that will pack up your larger items themselves, there are a few more things to know about moving a TV the right way.
- Avoid leaving electronics in humid areas. Don’t leave a TV outside in the summer or anywhere you think humidity could build up. If it’s unavoidable, put some silica gel packets around your TV before packing it.
- As you’re cleaning out drawers, keep an eye out for user manuals. If you find the one for your TV, toss it into the bag with the cords. It could come in handy when setting up your television in your new home.
- If you’re worried about forgetting how to put everything back together, take a photo with all the cords plugged in before you disassemble and wrap the TV. This will provide a great reference.
The goal should always be to get that flat-screen TV to the moving truck as protected as possible. This really is one item you don’t want to have to replace before you’re ready.
Readying your TV for moving
Taking all the proper precautions when packing up that flat-screen TV is the only way to ensure it arrives at your new home in tip-top condition. Then, it’s just a matter of finding the perfect place to install it, setting up your favorite streaming services, popping some popcorn and enjoying your first movie in your new place. The rest of the unpacking can wait, right?
Source: rent.com
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Mortgage rates are continuing to move higher and higher in 2018. It’s a trend that seems to be here to stay for the indefinite future, as the economy strengthens and the Federal Reserve follows through with more increases to the federal funds rate.
If you’re considering taking action on a purchase or refinance, we strongly recommend that you act soon, if possible. Read on for more details.
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Market Outlook 1.16.18 from Total Mortgage on Vimeo.
Where are mortgage rates going?
Rates rise again in Freddie Mac PMMS
We’re moving quickly through another week, and as expected, mortgage rates are inching higher but remaining in a fairly tight range.
Click here to get today’s latest mortgage rates (Jul. 23, 2023).
Here are the numbers in the latest Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, which got released this morning:
- The average rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose five basis points up to 4.04% (0.6 points)
- The average rate on a 15-year fixed rate mortgage moved up five basis points to 3.49% (0.5 points)
- The average rate on a 5-year adjustable rate mortgage stayed flat at 3.46% (0.3 points)
This is the first time the average rate on a 30-year fixed has crept over 4.00% since July. Here is what the Freddie Mac Economic & Housing Research Group had to say about rates this week:
“The U.S. weekly average for the 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose above 4 percent for the first time since last summer to 4.04 percent in this week’s survey. This is the highest weekly average for the 30-year fixed rate mortgage since May of 2017.
Some may be wondering if this is the last time we’ll see a three handle on the 30-year mortgage rate. Never say never, but inflation is firming, the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book indicates broad-based economic growth and labor markets are tightening. This means upward pressure on long-term rates, like the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, is building.”
Rate/Float Recommendation
Lock now while rates are low
Mortgage rates continue to move higher. This is a trend that we expect to stick around for a while now, which is why we’re recommending that borrowers take action on a purchase or refinance, sooner rather than later.
It really only takes a few minutes online to get a free rate quote. Don’t want to deal with an online form? No problem–just give one of our mortgage specialists a call and they can quickly get you started.
Click here to head to our Mortgage Builder and figure out how much you could save.
Today’s economic data:
Housing Starts
- Housing starts for December came in at an annualized rate of 1.192 M.
- Permits came in for December at an annualized rate of 1.192 M.
Jobless Claims
Applications filed for U.S. unemployment benefits came in at 220,000 for the week of 1/13/18. The four-week moving average is now up to 244,500.
Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey
The Philly Fed General Business Conditions Index moved to a 22.2 in January.
EIA Petroleum Status Report
Get the GreenLight and close in 21 days*
Notable events this week:
Monday:
- Nothing: Markets Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Tuesday:
- Empire State Mfg Survey
Wednesday:
- Industrial Production
- Housing Market Index
- Beige Book
- Fedspeak
Thursday:
- Housing Starts
- Jobless Claims
- Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey
- EIA Petroleum Status Report
Friday:
- Consumer Sentiment
*Terms and conditions apply.
Source: totalmortgage.com
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A new housing development built along a canal near the Mokelumne River is viewed on May 22, 2023, near Stockton, California.
George Rose | Getty Images
Lawrence Yun has as big a stake in the Federal Reserve’s moves as any economist: As the chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, his industry is a target of the Federal Reserve’s efforts to tame inflation with higher interest rates.
But the housing’s industry’s bigger problem right now may be the bond market, and specifically, spreads between treasuries and mortgage rates that suggests homebuyers’ economic challenges may not decline even as the Federal Reserve is nearing the end of its interest-rate hikes. There is a historically-wide difference between the 10-year treasury bond, a benchmark for pricing mortgages, and the actual price of an average 30-year loan. Usually around 1.75 percentage points, and as low as 1.3 in 2021, the so-called mortgage spread is hovering at more than 3 percentage points now. And that is propping up mortgage rates, keeping home owners from selling their homes and buying nicer ones, and hurting first-time buyers, Yun said.
“Buyers know 3.5% mortgages aren’t coming back,” Yun said. “So 5.5% would bring out buyers.”
Why mortgage spreads should move lower
Logically, mortgage spreads should move down sharply from here, thanks to the recent spate of good economic news, and bring relief to home buyers who have seen affordability deteriorate sharply since 2020.
Traditionally, spreads widen when markets fear a recession. They spiked before the financial crisis of 2008, for example. Collapsing spreads help revive housing activity after a recession arrives, or can prop up the housing market in a crisis, which happened in 2021 as the Covid pandemic threatened an economic crash. But as the Fed began raising interest rates in March 2022, mortgage rates rose even faster than bond yields.
The case for wide spreads this past year was two-fold. Partly, it was rooted in the idea that the 10-year treasury yield would rise as the Fed hiked more. Fear of a 2023 recession also contributed — evidenced by a sharp widening of spreads in March, after Silicon Valley Bank failed.
Now, both cases are evaporating. Last week’s inflation report showed consumer prices rose just less than 3% for the 12 months ending in June, down from more than 9% a year earlier. Low inflation should persist into the fall, because the government’s measure of housing inflation lags private market data that has been moving lower since last summer. The consumer price index is expected to only start to reflect the now year-old dip in rents and home prices in parts of the U.S. by year-end.
At the same time, the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank’s tracking estimate of second-quarter economic growth now sits at 2.3% belying predictions of an early-2023 recession that were widespread.
The recent inflation news pushed the 10-year treasury lower, touching 3.76% after reaching 4.09% earlier in July. Mortgage rates also dropped, to 6.89% last Friday from a recent peak of 7.22%, according to Mortgage News Daily. But the spread between the two was little changed.
How much the big mortgage spread costs homeowners
If the spread between 10-year bonds and mortgages were to revert to normal, it would make a huge difference in monthly payments for home buyers.
On a $500,000 mortgage, for example, a 7% interest rate spits out a monthly payment of $3,327, plus taxes and insurance. That falls to $2,934 if rates go to 5.8%, which would represent a 2 percentage-point gap between treasuries and mortgage rates, and to $2,777 with mortgages at a spread of 1.5 percentage points — back within the range of the long-term average, 1.75 points.
The closing of spreads alone would save that borrower $6,600 a year in payments. A $500,000 loan would typically require about $150,000 in pretax annual income.
“People consider changing their cable company for $30 a month,” Yun said. “$600 a month is a big number.”
A narrowing of spreads last fall, which reversed in February and March, helped stabilize a falling real estate market, according to Logan Mohtashami, lead analyst for HousingWire in Irvine, Calif.
But bond market and housing experts are skeptical of whether the spreads will narrow, and mortgage rates fall, as fast as homebuyers might like.
The Fed is widely expected to raise the Fed funds rate at its meeting on July 25-26, with futures prices implying a 96.1% chance of a quarter-point increase, according to the CME Group Fedwatch Tool. That will support Treasury yields, at least in theory.
More than that, the Fed has stopped buying up mortgage securities as the bonds on its balance sheet mature. That depresses the price mortgages can command in secondary markets or from federally-backed loan buyers like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and puts pressure on lenders to demand wider spreads from borrowers, said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategy director at U.S. Bank in Seattle.
Banks may also seek bigger spreads on loans made in the next few months because of the risk the mortgages will be repaid quickly when borrowers refinance next year as rates fall, he added.
“One might attribute it to quantitative tightening,” Haworth said. “The Fed is a seller.”
Indeed, the Fed has signaled that it doesn’t want mortgage rates to fall soon, according to Mohtashami, citing comments made by Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank president Neel Kashkari who said in February that lower rates and a hotter market would “make our job harder” in controlling inflation.
“I assumed the spreads would stay high until the Fed cried Uncle and started cutting rates,” Mohtashami said. “If the banking crisis hadn’t happened in March, they would be lower.”
But markets have defied the Fed before, as recently as this week, when the 10-year Treasury yield dropped even as traders remain convinced the central bank will hike rates at least once more.
If the drop in inflation is sustained — a big if — and rising consumer confidence pushes any recession further into the future, markets are likely to reset interest rates with or without the central bank.
The Fed will raise rates at least once more, but the second rate increase many investors have expected may be delayed or canceled if inflation stays tame, said Doug Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae. That would let last week’s modest dip in mortgage rates continue, even though Fannie doesn’t expect the central bank to cut interest rates until at least early next year, he said.
How banks think about lending rates
Fannie Mae’s forecast calls for rates to be near current levels through 2023. But the Mortgage Bankers Association of America sees the 30-year rate dipping to 5.2 percent next year.
Banks’ reaction to changing spreads may be tricky to predict, Duncan said. On the one hand, banks would have to watch out for more prepayments if interest rates come back down, pressuring them to keep spreads wide, he said. But that might be overwhelmed by an increase in the value of mortgages that banks already own, as loans from the late 2010s and 2020 that pay lower rates regain value they lost as rates rose, he said. In that case, more banks would probably be more willing to let spreads fall, he added.
Mortgage rates could come down quicker than expected if banks respond to rising mortgage-bond values by relaxing spreads, Duncan said. When the Fed tried to talk markets into tightening credit in 2013, mortgage spreads actually became smaller, loosening mortgage credit, Haworth said.
“Unless rates go back to 3 percent, banks are still going to be better off, even if prepayments pick up,” Duncan said.
Source: cnbc.com
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Most families need to stick to a budget when they travel. But tracking daily expenses, especially in a foreign currency, can be tricky. Here are some easy tips to make it easy to keep track of how much you’re spending.
Before you leave:
- Create an email folder for your trip. Each time you make a booking, place the itinerary confirmation and receipt into the folder. You can use the folder to help you build your final itinerary before you leave, too.
- Set a daily budget that includes lodging, food, transportation, and entertainment. During the trip you can track your spending against this goal.
- Find out how much it costs to get money, and know which source is the cheapest. For example, what fees does your bank charge for using an international ATM and withdrawing foreign currency? What about your credit card? What is the exchange rate? If you expect to travel a lot, you might consider opening a Capitol One credit card with no international transaction fees.
On your trip:
- Develop a rule-of-thumb for converting between currencies. You’ll do a better job of reining in your purchases if you know how much you are spending. Your rule-of-thumb doesn’t need to be exact. For example, at today’s rate of 1.57 US Dollars to the Euro, I would multiply any price I saw by two and then subtract 20%. (Meaning a 30 euro item is approximately $60-$12=$48.) This accounts for any transaction fees, and slightly overestimates the cost of each item so that there aren’t any nasty surprises when I return home.
- As you get receipts, write on each what it was for.
- Bring an envelope for receipts. If some expenses are deductible, reimbursable or shared, bring separate envelopes for each type of expense. At the end of each day, empty your receipts from your wallet into your envelope.
- Keep the cash for the day separate from the rest of your cash. For example, you get $300 out of the ATM and you want that to last you 4 days, so that’s $75/day. Put $75 in an easy to access part of your wallet and you put the rest in a harder to reach spot. If you see yourself going into the hard-to-reach spot, you know you’re going over budget.
- If you need a more detailed accounting that includes smaller cash transactions, or want more accountability, carry a small notebook. Record each transaction in the notebook (including snacks, bus rides, etc). Each evening, total your expenses and note where you wasted money and can do better the next day. This tip helped us cut our budget significantly by doing things like buying bottled water and snacks at local grocery stores to carry with us when we travel.
Not only will having a detailed accounting of how much you spent on your trip help you keep expenses down, it will help you do a better job of estimating expenses for your next trip before you leave home.
J.D.’s note: On our trip to Europe last summer, I did all of these things based on reader advice. They worked like a charm. I was able to adhere closely to my intended budget. This may sound like too much work, but it really alleviates a lot of hassle, making travel easy and care-free. Photo credit: Refracted Moments.
Source: getrichslowly.org
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If you’re a parent hoping to send your child to college someday, you’re probably well aware that higher education costs have skyrocketed over the past 10-plus years.
Tuition and fees for the 2022-2023 academic year averaged $10,940 at public colleges (for in-state residents), $28,240 at public colleges (for out-of-state residents), and a whopping $39,400 at private colleges. And the price tag for an undergraduate degree typically goes up every year. Any way you look at it, college is a huge expense for families.
The good news, however, is there are a number of ways to make college more affordable for parents, everything from tax-advantaged college savings accounts to merit- and need-based scholarships to federal student loans.
Smart Ways to Pay for College
What follows are four key strategies that can help you cover the cost of a child’s college education — without going broke.
1. Starting Early With a Savings Plan
There are a variety of accounts to help parents save for college. While you can simply put money aside each month (or year) in a regular savings account, there are advantages to using a savings vehicle that is specifically designed for college savings. Here are two to consider.
529 Savings Plans
A 529 savings plan is a tax-advantaged investment account designed to help save for future education expenses. Your contributions to the account are made with post-tax dollars but, as long as the money stays in the account, no income taxes will be due on earnings. When you take money out to pay for qualified education expenses, those withdrawals may be federal income tax-free — and, in many cases, free of state tax too.
While 529 plans used to be limited to higher education, the funds can now be used for kindergarten through grade 12, as well as certified apprenticeship programs and qualified student loan repayments.
💡 Quick Tip: You can fund your education with a low-rate, no-fee private student loan that covers all school-certified costs.
Coverdell Education Savings Account
Like a 529, a Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA) is a tax-advantaged account designed to help save for a child’s future education expenses. Contributions are made on an after-tax basis, but earnings aren’t taxed. When you withdraw the money and use it for qualified education expenses, the investment profits are tax-free.
However, Coverdell accounts come with income and contribution caps. Contributions are capped at $2,000 per year, and you can only make them until your child turns 18. To open and contribute to a Coverdell ESA, your income must be below a certain limit ($110,000 for single filers; $220,000 for married couples).
Coverdell ESA funds must be withdrawn when the beneficiary turns 30, or rolled over to another eligible beneficiary in the family.
2. Looking for Ways to Get Free Money
When figuring out how to pay for your kid’s college, there are numerous resources available, including scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial aid. These sources of “free money” can provide significant assistance to students based on academic merit, extracurricular achievements, or financial need.
Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will automatically match you with any federal scholarships and grants you’re eligible for, but there are other types available. You can look for additional funding options on your own using a search engine like FinAid or SoFi’s Scholarship Search Tool.
You can also research various scholarships offered by corporations, foundations, and non-profit organizations related to your child’s interests and intended field of study.
In addition, your child also can check out the high school guidance department for any information, and you may want to make an appointment with a school counselor to get any tips that might help your search.
If your child has a college selected, funding information is usually available on that school’s website as well.
Recommended: How Do You Find Non-Academic Scholarships for College?
3. Considering an After-School Job
Encouraging your child to work part-time during high school or college can contribute to funding their education and teach valuable life skills. A part-time job provides them with their own income, reducing their dependence on student loans and parental contributions.
Many colleges offer work-study programs where students can work on campus or in community service roles while earning money for their education expenses. In addition, summer jobs or internships can be an excellent way for students to save for college during their break.
However, it’s important to strike a balance between work and academics to ensure that your child’s studies remain a top priority. You may need to help your child manage their time efficiently to avoid overworking themselves and compromising their academic performance.
A job won’t pay for everything, but it will pay for some things, and that could mean fewer costs to cover with savings or financing.
4. Researching Student Loan Options
With the high cost of getting a degree these days, you may not be able to avoid taking on at least some student loan debt. You and your child may want to take some time to research and understand all the student loan options out there — both federal and private — and how they work well-ahead of senior year.
The amount a student can borrow in federal loans will depend on their year in college, status as dependent or independent, and the type of loan or loans they take out.
Parents of dependent undergraduate students also can apply for Direct PLUS Loans to help pay for education expenses that aren’t covered by other federal financial aid.
Federal student loans usually have more benefits than loans from banks or other private lenders, so be sure to compare the benefits of each private student loan program, as well as the interest rates and terms.
For example, federal loans offer deferment and forbearance along with programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and income-driven repayment plans. Private lenders don’t usually offer such perks and protections. It’s generally recommended that students exhaust all federal loan options prior to borrowing private student loans.
While researching different options for private student loans, you may encounter different ways for you and your child to apply, such as taking on a private student loan yourself or acting as a cosigner for a private student loan.
There are, of course, pros and cons to both of those options, so it’s important to do your due diligence on the private lenders you may be considering. What benefits do they offer? What are their rates and terms? Is there any fine print?
If your child doesn’t qualify for enough federal student aid to cover the cost of attending college, private student loans may be a viable option to look into to close the gap.
💡 Quick Tip: Parents and sponsors with strong credit and income may find much lower rates on no-fee private parent student loans than federal parent PLUS loans. Federal PLUS loans also come with an origination fee.
The Takeaway
There’s no one-size-fits-all way to pay for college. Students and their families may end up using a blend of savings, scholarships, grants, work-study, and different types of student loans to finance their education. When looking at aid options, you may want to prioritize federal sources of aid before borrowing private student loans.
If you’ve exhausted all federal student aid options, no-fee private student loans from SoFi can help you pay for school. The online application process is easy, and you can see rates and terms in just minutes. Repayment plans are flexible, so you can find an option that works for your financial plan and budget.
Cover up to 100% of school-certified costs including tuition, books, supplies, room and board, and transportation with a private student loan from SoFi.
SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.
SoFi Private Student Loans
Please borrow responsibly. SoFi Private Student Loans are not a substitute for federal loans, grants, and work-study programs. You should exhaust all your federal student aid options before you consider any private loans, including ours. Read our FAQs.
SoFi Private Student Loans are subject to program terms and restrictions, and applicants must meet SoFi’s eligibility and underwriting requirements. See SoFi.com/eligibility-criteria for more information. To view payment examples, click here. SoFi reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at any time. This information is subject to change.
External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.
Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.
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Source: sofi.com
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Local renters take pride in calling St. Louis home thanks to a diverse selection of neighborhoods, easy commutes around the city and plenty of restaurants and bars to enjoy. There are more than 100 parks designed to invite residents outdoors and sports teams with winning records to get behind. This is St. Louis.
With so much to offer, there’s almost too much in St. Louis to really discover all the best spots yourself. That’s why our experts are weighing in. They know The Gateway City inside and out and are passing along their favorite spots to you.
1. Forest Park
Who doesn’t want a way to enjoy the outdoors in St. Louis and get access to fun activities for free? Nobody! Forest Park provides the best of both. Basically creating its own neighborhood, this is one of the country’s greatest urban parks. Within its 1,300 acres, you’ll find five major cultural institutions in addition to nature preserves, a lake and more.
“I love that our fabulous zoo and museum are all free, and the park has great little walking paths,” share Julia Noack of Julia Noack Photography. Forest Park is her favorite summer destination in St. Louis.
In addition to the St. Louis Zoo and the St. Louis Art Museum, Forest Park is also home to the Missouri History Museum, the MUNY and the St. Louis Science Center.
2. The Grove
Stretching almost a mile long, The Grove is home to over fifty businesses including places to drink, eat, dance and shop. There’s even a tattoo parlor or two. Among all there is to enjoy here, one place stands out as the favorite for Sydney from Perennial Artisan Ales. The whole crew likes Grace Meat + Three the best.
“The amazing food is what brought us in, but the hospitality and atmosphere make us feel home. Fried chicken with a Grace Hominy Lager is the fave around here,” says Sydney.
3. The rest of Midtown
According to Tori Wright of Victorious STL Photography, the Midtown neighborhood of St. Louis is where it’s at. As the city’s geographic center, the area packs in a lot to do and see. It’s also the location of St. Louis University, so it draws a large number of college students to entertain.
For Wright, her Midtown hidden gems include catching a show at the Fabulous Fox, sipping coffee at the High Low Coffee Shop, watching the sunset on the rooftop at the Angad Arts Hotel and finally having a delicious meal at the food hall inside City Foundry.
4. The International Photography Hall of Fame
“When I have a day off,” shares Kristi Foster of Kristi Foster Photography, “I love going downtown to the International Photography Hall of Fame. There I can rejuvenate my creative side!” This impressive museum in Grand Center honors individuals who’ve made a significant contribution to the world of photography. It also preserves historic photographs and cameras for visitors to check out.
A walk through the International Photography Hall of Fame means going on a journey through hundreds of years of photography. Not a trip you can embark on in many other places.
5. Lemp Mansion
Source: facebook.com/TheLempMansion/
Both a restaurant and an inn, Lemp Mansion is a definite stop for all locals in St. Louis. According to the entire team at Hammond’s Books, “you can’t say you’ve been in St. Louis if you haven’t been there.”
Situated in the historic neighborhood of Benton Park, try and grab a dinner reservation on Sundays for their all-you-care-to-eat chicken dinner, served family-style. If you want to stay a night, Lemp Mansion has four different suites to pick from. The venue also hosts special events and does its own ghost tour.
6. Cherokee Street
Source: facebook.com/cherokeestreetofficial
Yes, an entire street can be a hidden gem within a city, mostly because you may not even realize how much Cherokee Street has to offer. Randy Vines from STL Style loves it because it’s an, “unfiltered, creative, unapologetically raw South Side corridor full of immigrants and artists and dreamers and makers that packs a bigger cultural punch than any other street in the city.”
Vines claims this street actually has it all, from “tamales to tattoos to open mics to impromptu parades.” He appreciates everything that operates within this space without pretense, calling it an area, “defined by both tradition and experimentation…a perfect blend of urban life.”
Crossing through multiple St. Louis neighborhoods, you’ll find bits of Cherokee Street in or beside many popular spots, including:
7. The Japanese Garden
A part of the Missouri Botanical Garden, this particular spot is a favorite for Lauren Throrp of Bonboni Mercantile Co. This 14-acre garden is one of the largest Japanese gardens in North America and perfectly highlights cultural influences through botanicals.
The Japanese Garden includes waterfalls, bridges, a lake and expansive lawns that foster a feeling of openness
8. Tower Grove Park
Whether it’s to picnic, take a stroll or visit the farmer’s market, Tower Grove Park is another hidden gem in that it has so much more going on than meets the eye. Mary Henesey, Co-Owner and Buyer of Urban Matter calls the park an “incredible space,” and tries to regularly visit the farmers market either on Tuesday afternoons or Saturday mornings.
When she wants to grab a bite and enjoy it within the park, Henesey prefers to stop at Navin’s and get a barbecue order to go.
Other popular spots in St. Louis
The fun in St. Louis is definitely not limited, even when talking to the local experts. In fact, it’s hard to limit the go-to list in any way. Some other places in the more popular neighborhoods, including Tower Grove South, Central West End, Botanical Heights, and more cover all types of activities.
For fun:
For a cup of coffee:
For a good meal or a good cocktail:
For shopping:
Seek out your favorite hidden gems in St. Louis
This list is just the start of all the special places to be found for those who call St. Louis home. This is a city that’s so much more than that famous arch So, get out there, find your favorite neighborhood and look closely at what other locals are missing. You may be the next person to discover a real hidden gem in this fantastic city.
Source: rent.com
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For the third week in a row, mortgage applications decreased.
Mortgage applications fell 3.1% in the week ending June 4, and refis took the biggest dip, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association.
“Most of the decline in mortgage rates came late last week, with the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage declining to 3.15 percent,” said Joel Kan, the MBA’s vice president of economic and industry forecasting. “This likely impacted refinance applications, which fell 5% for both conventional and government loans. But purchase applications were up slightly last week, and the large annual decline was the result of Memorial Day 2021 being compared to a non-holiday week, as well as the big upswing in applications seen last May once pandemic-induced lockdowns started to lift.”
Compared to last year, fewer people are applying for purchase mortgages, the MBA reported, as home prices continue to rise and prospective buyers avoid astronomical bidding wars. Demand is still strong overall, especially in certain markets in the South and West.
“Housing demand is still far outpacing supply,” Kan said. “The average loan size on a purchase application edged down to $407,000, below the record $418,000 set in February — but still far above 2020’s average of $353,900.”
The mortgage ecosystem is fractured – Here’s how to fix it
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The refinance share of activity decreased to 60.4% of total mortgage applications from 61.3% the previous week. The FHA share of total mortgage applications decreased to 9.5% from 9.6% the week prior, but the VA share of total mortgage applications increased to 11.2% from 10.9%.
Here is a more detailed breakdown of this week’s applications data:
- The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances ($548,250 or less) decreased to 3.15% from 3.17%
- The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances (greater than $548,250) decreased to 3.29% from 3.34%
- The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 3.12% from 3.16%
- The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to 2.52% from 2.56%
- The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs decreased to 2.54% from 2.81%, with points increasing to 0.39 from 0.29 (including the origination fee) for 80% LTV loans
Source: housingwire.com