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U.S. Housing Starts Fall 3 Percent in August

Housing starts in August fell 3 percent to an annual rate of 1.13 million units (SAAR), according to a recent Census Bureau report. “The small dip in August housing starts is minor considering the sustained momentum we’ve seen in housing overall in 2015,” says Quicken Loans Vice President Bill Banfield. “When you couple the slow […]
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Great Spaces: Tommy Lee Jones Sells Pristine Polo Ranch

That’s probably not the headline you would expect to see regarding the home of the number one man in black and all around mean-muggin’ moviestar, but it’s true. Tommy Lee Jones (“No Country for Old Men,” “Men in Black,” “Lincoln”) is letting go of his San Saba Polo Ranch, located in Wellington, Fla., which he […]
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Financial Safety Tips to College Students

Fall starts soon, and college students are making new friends and finding a sea of opportunities. And while many of those opportunities will lead to bright futures, there are some that college students should remain vigilant of—especially when it comes to offering up their bank or personal information. With that said, the Independent Community Bankers […]
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Top 10 Friendliest College Towns in America

This month thousands of college students across the country headed back to campus. Skout, a global app that helps you meet new people and expand your social circle, recently reviewed 12 months of data among 18-24 year olds using its app to uncover the country’s friendliest college towns. Skout looked at college towns across the U.S. […]
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Top 20 Home Buying Destinations in the Americas

Whether looking for a place to retire, searching for vacation homes, or daydreaming about living “somewhere sunny and 75,” Americans are searching online for a home away from home. So where do Americans want to move? Not surprisingly, most Google searches for home listings are in laid-back tropical countries, but Canada is also in the […]
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How to Use Airbnb Safely

(TNS)—The well-publicized Airbnb horror story of a young man who says he was held captive by his host in Spain this past July raises the question of how to use the popular site safely. As was widely reported by The New York Times, on NBC’s “Today” show, and elsewhere, Jacob Lopez, 19, from Massachusetts, was […]
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Common Myths about Boosting Property Value

Determining items that add value to your client’s property can sometimes be vexing. They can spend a lot of money on improvements thinking they’ll add value to their home, but it won’t matter if the appraiser doesn’t agree. So how do you know which things add value? Jamie Chapman, a director of solution consulting at […]
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Great Spaces: Live It Up on Kiawah Island

Looking for a little island living? How about a lot of island living? This South Carolina home offers 200 feet of stunning ocean frontage, classic architecture and every bell and whistle imaginable. Located on South Carolina’s posh Kiawah island in the pristine Vanderhorst Beach neighborhood, this eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom house spans over 15,182 square feet. Originally […]
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How to Protect Retirement Assets from Stock Market Volatility

(TNS)—You’ve been through volatile markets before. You know not to sell in a panic. But if the recent market gyrations have your attention, putting a few rainy-day strategies in your retirement game plan—particularly if you are in your 60s—can help you make the best of the situation. Delayed retirement credits—the 8 percent per year pickup […]