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AAA Travel Offers Chance to Win Spectacular Disney Dream Vacation - Earthtimes

Winner will receive a five day / four night stay for a party of four at a Disney Resort hotel at either Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort ORLANDO, Fla. , July 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During the ...

Classic Florida cup maker booming with business - msnbc.com

For more than six decades, the Tervis Tumbler company has made plastic cups in Florida with the basic selling point that they're insulated and nearly indestructible. As fashions changed from Bee Bop to Disco to reality ...

A Thank You Letter to a Time Share Sales Team and How Not to Sell a Time Share Vacation - Associated Content

After moving on to the next person (translation I normally sell to the first time people but for those who are going to need more arm twisting we bring in the big guns), a person who in most cases who says ...

Florida Leisure Vacation Homes Helps Stranded Family After Orlando Vacation Home Scam Nightmare - PRLog (free press release)

PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 12, 2010 – Local Orlando news station WESH Channel 2 recently reported about a family of 16 from all over the country, meeting in Central Florida for a family reunion, who arrived in ...

Miami Existing Home Sales Rise, Home Prices Edge Up in 2Q - YAHOO!

In the Miami Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), sales of homes – including existing single-family homes and condominiums – increased 27 percent in the second quarter of 2010 compared to the second ...

Place in the Sun: Florida Vacation Homes at Half Price - PRLog (free press release)

PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 09, 2010 – Where is your desirable place in the sun for relaxation and fun? Gorgeous place in the sun wherever you want in the world. Global Properties Specialist and world traveler Paul F ...

'Day-at-the-beach' a tougher sell for Gulf Coast vacation rental property owners - Examiner

Core Logic , in a report that denotes value as real property value combined with the value associated with the amenities of beach front access, says the cost of the oil disaster to home values along the Gulf's coastal ...

Obama Gulf trip part vacation, part sales pitch - Arizona Daily Star

President Barack Obama is taking his family to the Florida Panhandle for a weekend trip billed as part family vacation, part presidential sales pitch, as he looks to boost the region's sagging tourism industry ...

Gulf Coast Homes to Lose Up to $56,000 in Value as BP Spill Spoils Beaches - Bloomberg

A for sale sign sits outside a beachfront home along the Gulf of Mexico in Perdido Beach, Florida.Photographer: Kari Goodnough/Bloomberg Gulf of Mexico coastal homes may lose as much as $56,000 each in value ...

BP Spill May Cost Gulf Coast Homes $56,000 Apiece in Value - BusinessWeek

Aug. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Gulf of Mexico coastal homes may lose as much as $56,000 each in value as buyers shun areas marred by the worst oil spill in U.S. history, according to CoreLogic Inc. Waterfront ...

Resolved Question: I need help with my statistics class?

PLease if anyone can help me with this assignment- email me or reply to this post. The bottom of the assignment has charts that you need to see, but this will not let me post the charts. I am willing to $$$ for the help with this assignment as long as it is reasonable of coure. Please help. I have done some/ most of it, but I am lost at the charts. Please email and I will reply with the actual assignment. 1. Place these variables in the following classification tables. For each table, summarize your observations and evaluate if the results are generally true. For example, salary is reported as a continuous quantitative variable. It is also a continuous ratio scaled variable. a.Salary- b.Gender- c.Sales volume of MP3 players- d.Soft drink preference- e.Temperature- f.SAT scores- g.Student rank in class- h.Rating of a finance professor- i.Number of home computers- 2. What is the level of measurement for each of the following variables? a.Student IQ ratings. b.Distance students travel to class. c.Student scores on the first statistics test. d.A classification of students by state of birth. e.A ranking of students as freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. f.Number of hours students study per week. 3. What is the level of measurement for these items related to the newspaper business? a.The number of papers sold each Sunday during 2006. b.The departments, such as editorial, advertising, sports, etc. c.A summary of the number of papers sold by county. d.The number of years with the paper for each employee. 4. For each of the following, determine whether the group is a sample or a population. a.The participants in a study of a new cholesterol drug. b.The drivers who received a speeding ticket in Kansas City last month. c.Those on welfare in Cook County (Chicago), Illinois. d.The 30 stocks reported as a part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. 5. Alexandra Damonte will be building a new resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She must decide how to design the resort based on the type of activities that the resort will offer to its customers. A recent poll of 300 potential customers showed the following results about customers’ preferences for planned resort activities: •What is the table called? Basic Table •Draw a bar chart to portray the survey results. Bar 1- Like planned activities Bar 2- Do not like planned activities Bar 3- Not sure Bar 4- No answer Professor Salazar- I do not know how to use excel or anything to make charts or pie graphs and I could not get a hold of anyone to help me so this is all I could do. I would rather submit this than nothing. I don’t know what else I can do. The same for the pie chart. I was able to get the percentages and the correct distance between each color, but no labels. •Draw a pie chart for the survey results. Vacation Activities 1.(Purple)- Like planned activities (21%) 2.(Burgundy or red)- Do not like planned activities (45%) 3.(Yellow)- Not sure (26%) 4. (Aqua)- No answer (8%) 6The following chart summarizes the selling price of homes sold last month in the Sarasota, Florida, area. a.What is the chart called? Line chart b.How many homes were sold during the last month? c.What is the class interval? d.About 75 percent of the houses sold for less than what amount? e.One hundred seventy-five of the homes sold for less than what amount? 7.A chain of sport shops catering to beginning skiers, headquartered in Aspen, Colorado, plans to conduct a study of how much a beginning skier spends on his or her initial purchase of equipment and supplies. Based on these figures, it wants to explore the possibility of offering combinations, such as a pair of boots and a pair of skis, to induce customers to buy more. A sample of cash register receipts revealed these initial purchases: a. How many classes would you recommend? b. What class width would you choose? c. Construct a Frequency Distribution table d. Construct a Histogram e. Construct a Frequency Polygon f. Construct a Cumulative Frequency Curve more

Resolved Question: How can people hurt babies I don't get it?!?!?

"29-year-old Robert E. Hensley of Unicoi, Tenn. is accused of slapping his girlfriend’s 8-year-old son. He’s also accused of duct taping his girlfriend’s pug to the dog’s body and rubbing the dog’s butt in the kids’ faces. Prescription drugs and alcohol may have been involved" " 43-year-old Manuel De Jesus Rosales of Lehigh Acres, Florida is a brutal killer. He’s accused of slitting the throat of his own daughter while in a drunken rage. Not content of just slitting the throat of his own daughter while she looked on he also slit the throat of his 3-moth-old grandson, the daughter’s son. Unfortunately the baby did not survive the attack. After slitting the baby’s throat he allegedly presented him to his daughter saying “here’s your bastard. " "25-year-old Randy Thomsen of Las Vegas, Nevada has been charged with beating and kicking his 4-month-old son and putting him in a freezer and closing the door on him. The infant suffered a fracture skull and broken ribs which Thomesn allegedly tried blaming on a fall. " "Police in Grapevine, Texas arrested Julio Cesar Garcia, 20, and Branda Duran, 19, after witnesses at a party allegedly saw them passing a bong to their 13-month-old son. Witnesses say that the boy put his mouth around the top of the bong and was playing with a bowl of weed." "20-year-old Anthony Parra of Queens, New York is accused of putting his girlfriend’s daughter into ICU by scalding the 11-month-old girl. These stories are almost becoming old hat. It has all the usual elements. Boyfriend was babysitting while mom was at work, baby starts to cry boyfriend flips out and harms the child. " "McALLEN, Texas - A man accused of fatally beating his 2-year-old stepdaughter when she wouldn’t stop crying as he watched a World Cup game has been charged with capital murder." "29-year-old Peter James Wilson of is accused of slashing the throat of his 5-year-old step-daughter while on vacation in Hoodsport, Washington. Allegedly Wilson argued with his wife over how the children should be disciplined and then told his wife “not to worry that he would take care of it." "19-year-old Marlon M. Hines of St. Charles County, Missouri, has been charged in the May 31st death of his 12-week-old daughter. Hines is accused of ‘applying pressure’ to his daughters chest while he was trying to change her. He was allegedly ‘frustrated’ because his daughter soiled herself several times. Hines allegedly applied so much pressure that he fractured his daughter’s ribs and lacerated her liver. The cause of death was internal bleeding from the liver." "Police in Salinas, California have arrested 20-year-old Samantha Tomasini and 38-year-old Patrick Fousek after they allegedly tried to sell their baby to a pair of women in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart for $25. Police say the pair appeared to be tweaking on meth. Tomasini allegedly admitted to even breastfeeding the baby while high on meth. " "New York State Police were called to the Vienna, New York home of Adam Theall’s parents. The 21-year-old Theall was threatening to kill his 3-month-old son if police responded. He made good on his promise. When a New York State Trooper arrived at the scene Theall shot his infant son with a shotgun without hesitation." "Police in Wells Township, Ohio have arrested an unnamed 49-year-old woman for prostituting her 14-year-old daughter so the woman could get crack. It’s alleged that she started pimping out her daughter at the age of 10.' "Police in Louisville, Kentucky have arrested 29-year-old Bobbie Nelson, 38-year-old Denise Haynes, and 48-year-old Tommy Harris for allegedly not only running a meth lab with kids in the house but having the lab in the kids’ room." "19-year-old Staci Lynn Barbosa and 23-year-old Jonathan Edward Vandergriff of Bullhead City, Arizona have been arrested in the brutal death of their one-month-old The boy was brought to the hospital with extensive injuries and the baby died from his injuries. The baby had broken ribs, a broken femur, malnourished, dehydrated and showed signs of shaken baby syndrome. Police also say that the baby was raped by his own parents. " "23-year-old Kayla Neighbors of Greenwood, Indiana was arrested last week for slamming her infant to the ground while tweaked out on meth. Her neighbors were concerned because she was screaming about dropping her baby. When her neighbors found her baby and handed it to her she looked at the baby then threw it on the parking lot pavement." "34-year-old Stephanie Rochester of Boulder, Colorado has been charged in the smothering murder of her 6-month-old son Rylan. She allegedly killed her own son over fears that he may have Autism. " more

Voting Question: Why isn't alcohol illegal and why the hell do people think it's ok to do METH AND OTHER DRUGS?!?"?

Resolved Question: Why isn't alcohol illegal and why the hell do people think it's ok to do METH AND OTHER DRUGS?!?"?

Resolved Question: I am 51 and had been dating a man for8 years. I told him he needed to move out of his fathers house and buy?

his own home.(he moved in with his dad after his divorce.) WE worked on this house for 2 years!!Im talkin I layed tiles, put up drywall, sanded , mud, taped, blueprinted an addition, picked out he cabinets , the granite, the stone for the fireplace....talked him into an addition off the back,...turned out BEAUTIFUL....we moved in together for 3 years. I absolutely Loved my home.....Woops, I shoulnt have said "MY". You see, there were sooooo many times I would feel sooooo alone. HE WOULD come home and not even ackowledge me, I repeatedly found myself saying "you act like you dont care about me or my well being. Its like he didnt appreciate anything I did. Makin great dinners, makin sure he had everything he needed,, not askin him for ANYTHING., cuttin his dads grass, our grass and the older gentleman next door....well you get my drift. Well, in the month of march, I had the month from hell. It all started when I had a gall bladder attack well..then the docters told me i had blockages (Heart) oh and my thyroid completely had to come out!aNYWAY i WAS VERY VERY STRESSED.Turns out I am fine. But the nite I got home was Tuesday from my angiogram (of which turned out good) and I was very relieved. I found a duffle bag downstairs with My boyfriends summer (some new) vacation clothes in it. I was livid. He said he was going to florida to visit his son,,Thursday hes leaving for about 2 weeks. I asked when he was gonna tell me, he said he knew I wouldnt like it and I was already upset about what has been happening. I had been tellin him I would pay to fly down to visit his son but he didnt want me to go obviously. I said if he did this I would leave, Well, he was gone for 12 days. I dont think he thought i would actually leave. Well, I paced up evrtything and left. He caled me ater 3 weeks and said something about me needing my mail, .. make a long sory short, we are seeing each other again, but I think he likes it just like it is.......dating!!! Economy is makin things difficult rite now, he sells real estate, so did I till I was forced to take a job to pay my bills. I feel like he doesnt really love me. I see him on friday nite and he sits at home hoping someone will buy a house where he works the rest of the week. I can go for aweek without speaking. weird huh/ more

Resolved Question: Ok friends, I need some advice...?

I'm a 26 year old guy, going to be 27 in August.....I was born in England, moved to NY when I was like 1 or 2, raised out in NJ....had a relatively normal, happy childhood, graduated highschool, went to college for a while but was only able to get my associates degree.....because of this horrendous economy my parents were forced to sell our home in 2005 and move down to Florida....I went with them in hopes of getting my bachelor's degree at USF. Soon as I got down here I realized it was a major mistake, to say I experienced a tremendous culture shock is a major understatement....no disrespect, but Florida is retarded...at every angle, I realized it was a huge downgrade. I couldn't relate to anyone, job prospects were slim to none, I found the lifestyle to just be unsophisticated, laid back and dull. So after endlessly debating in my mind for about four months, while going to school, working nowhere jobs I decided to pack my car up and move back to Jersey. My car was the only thing I had at the time, and it had been damaged in a slight accident, people can't drive down here...the road system is a nightmare, I have no idea who the city planners were down here but they must have been native Floridians....if you've never been, don't come....unless its for a short vacation...thats the only thing its good for. When I got back to Jersey, it was a relief...but I was looking at the place with different eyes...it didn't seem like home anymore and my time in Florida left a lasting impression on me. I had a job at a hospital, not great and I couldn't really make ends meet but I was happy to be out of Florida and that was what kept me motivated, I kept thinking at least you're not in Florida, or whats the alternative? Going back to Florida. Needless to say, I was completely overwhelmed, my life had taken a unexpected turn in a decidely negative direction. Everything I had grown accustomed to had crumbled, I was living with siblings, slightly older more established who were struggling with my parents move as well. We had a lot of trouble getting along. I was 22, feeling like dead weight...just couldn't catch a break at any angle, felt isolated and completely lost. This led to some trouble involving a DUI and joyriding charge....completely not my M.O. the stress and circumstance was just too much....couldn't afford to stay. My folks gave away my car to charity, which was the only thing I really had at that point....I was going to be on probation, so they decided it would be best for me to complete it down here. Total nightmare, 23, no car, back in Florida which I hated initially but now a year later it was infinitly worse.....i was now officially living that unsophisticated, zero ambition floridian lifestyle that I fled the state a year earlier to avoid. On probation for a year, working nowhere jobs, utterly isolated....the life I was trying to reconnect with back in Jersey was completely unrealistic at this point....lost. Got through the probation, wasting a year of my life, college prospects flushed down the toilet....but I had some money saved up...so I decided to start a new life in Vancouver, Canada with an aunt but she was the worst, I thnk she has severe psychological issues that she isn't even aware of.....came back to Florida having wasted all my savings. Then at 24, working nowhere jobs, thinking about going back to school...trying to get something substantial together all the while just despsing Florida...wasting more and more time....25 had a job at a pharmacy, part-time determined to make something happen with it....ended up taking some summer classes last summer 09' But just not into it at this point, wasted so much time and money on various scooters trying to get my life together and it just doesn't seem to be coming together down here....I can go back to school in the fall with student loans...but I'm still broke, infact 600 dollars in debt from school and scooter payments...at this point I just want to get out of here before I waste anymore time......but I want to go somewhere substantial where I can stay an finally have some semblance of a life...I'm a fairly bright dude who used to have a reasonably positive outlook...but that is starting to fade and I need to get it back before its too late. I'm thinking about going out to the UK, because I have citizenship, family I can stay with....but I dont want it to be a repeat of what happened 3 years ago in Canada. This isn't a sob story, I would really like some intelligent, realistic advice on what any of you think I should do, or what you wuld do in my situation or if you have any idea of what somene like me could do in the UK for a living or to establish myself.....I appreciate it guys....cheers, I'm trying to stay optimistic. more

Voting Question: Which type of loan should we use to get a mortgage for a home we are planning on living in?

My husband is Active Duty military and we used a VA loan to buy our first home which we are now in the process of selling in North Carolina. We have moved overseas and live in military base housing. My husband has 4 years left in the military and we have always planned to move to Florida when he retires from the military since our families live there. The home prices in Florida right now are so low we want to take advantage of them and buy our post-military home now. From what I can tell the only home loans in Florida are primary residence and vacation homes (you can't get a mortgage for a rental property). Since we will not own a primary residence when we purchase this home and we do plan on this being a primary residence can we use a primary residence loan? The vacation loans require such a huge down payment and we cannot use a VA loan for a vacation home loan (which requires no down payment or PMI). We would like to have little to no down payment as we would have no trouble making the payments on the home since we live in military housing and the homes are soooo cheap! I don't want to empty my savings account to buy the home but I don't want to let these home prices slip us by when we are planning on living there in just a few years. What are our options for loans?When I talked to Bank of America about home loan options they said in the state of Florida you cannot get a mortgage loan for a rental property. In Florida you can get a primary residence or vacation home loan. That is not to say that you can't rent out your vacation home or your primary residence if you eventually move out of it. You just can't get an investment property loan in Florida according to Bank of America. In my original post I states we were living in military base housing overseas. I am not familiar with the parental gift option. Both of my parents have passed away so I doubt this would work. My husband's family already lives in Florida only 15 minutes away from where we want to buy. They are not in a position to give us a "gift" to help purchase a home. more

Resolved Question: Should I stay or should I leave my wife and stepkids?

Should I stay with my wife and kids in the cold Midwest or go by myself to Florida? My wife and I have been married for a three years. We have been together for six years. She has two young children from a previous marriage. Ages 7 and 12. The kids get on my nerves a lot, but I do love them. My wife and I have had a lot of issues over the past year. The problems caused by me and include: talking with other women online behind her back which include a woman who my wife had a threesome with at a party and emailing an ex-fiancee, smoking marijuana, and talking about moving to Florida even after she had told me she would never leave our home because her family lives here. I believe my desire to move to Florida is the biggest issue currently. Right now I own a home in the Midwest (mortgage is under my name only) where we get 70+ inches of snow every year. I have recently been offered a job in Tampa which is where I have always wanted to live. The job pays 9K more than I make right now. I do like my present job (in the same field) but the job in Florida appears to offer more challenging work which would boost my career. I have been vacationing in Florida for years and I have a brother who lives there. When I was drunk recently I told my wife that I was moving to Tampa and I wanted her and the kids to come too. She got very angry and told me to go. She said she wasn't moving because her family is here and she doesn't want to leave them. That is the first big issue that has occured recently. The second thing I did to hurt our marriage further was to begin smoking a "legal" pot that is sold at head shops. I smoked some last week and became so high I couldn't even stand up. My wife knew something was wrong with me so I told her what I did. She then kicked me out of the house. After a week of living apart she has agreed to give me one last chance. We have been going to marriage counseling together (twice) and I have been attending NA meetings. My question is this. Should I stay here in the Midwest and try to make my marriage work or should I move to Tampa? The marriage counseling seems to be helping me more than my wife. She feels that the counselor is on my side and making excuses for my bad behaviors. She has said that I should go by myself and there is no reason for her to go there. She did however say that she will continue going. She also says that I open up to the counselor and people at NA meetings, but I don't talk to her. Lately I have been trying to be more open and honest with her. The problem is though that the more I tell her the more mad she gets and the less she trusts me when I tell her about things I have done in the past. For the past week I have been a good guy with no drugs, lying etc. As I said I am trying now, but it may be too late. I have reservations about leaving. They include: losing a wife I love, losing the only kids I have ever known as my own, having to most likely foreclose on my house, possibly taking a job that appears better but in reality is not. My desire to leave comes from the beliefs that: my marriage may be too far eroded to save, I hate the gloomy Winters here, more opportunity in the new job. Please provide any advice that may be helpful. Thanks. more

Resolved Question: Should I stay with my wife and kids in the cold Midwest or go by myself to Florida?

My wife and I have been married for a three years. We have been together for six years. She has two young children from a previous marriage. Ages 7 and 12. The kids get on my nerves a lot, but I do love them. My wife and I have had a lot of issues over the past year. The problems caused by me and include: talking with other women online behind her back which include a woman who my wife had a threesome with at a party and emailing an ex-fiancee, smoking marijuana, and talking about moving to Florida even after she had told me she would never leave our home because her family lives here. I believe my desire to move to Florida is the biggest issue currently. Right now I own a home in the Midwest (mortgage is under my name only) where we get 70+ inches of snow every year. I have recently been offered a job in Tampa which is where I have always wanted to live. The job pays 9K more than I make right now. I do like my present job (in the same field) but the job in Florida appears to offer more challenging work which would boost my career. I have been vacationing in Florida for years and I have a brother who lives there. When I was drunk recently I told my wife that I was moving to Tampa and I wanted her and the kids to come too. She got very angry and told me to go. She said she wasn't moving because her family is here and she doesn't want to leave them. That is the first big issue that has occured recently. The second thing I did to hurt our marriage further was to begin smoking a "legal" pot that is sold at head shops. I smoked some last week and became so high I couldn't even stand up. My wife knew something was wrong with me so I told her what I did. She then kicked me out of the house. After a week of living apart she has agreed to give me one last chance. We have been going to marriage counseling together (twice) and I have been attending NA meetings. My question is this. Should I stay here in the Midwest and try to make my marriage work or should I move to Tampa? The marriage counseling seems to be helping me more than my wife. She feels that the counselor is on my side and making excuses for my bad behaviors. She has said that I should go by myself and there is no reason for her to go there. She did however say that she will continue going. She also says that I open up to the counselor and people at NA meetings, but I don't talk to her. Lately I have been trying to be more open and honest with her. The problem is though that the more I tell her the more mad she gets and the less she trusts me when I tell her about things I have done in the past. For the past week I have been a good guy with no drugs, lying etc. As I said I am trying now, but it may be too late. I have reservations about leaving. They include: losing a wife I love, losing the only kids I have ever known as my own, having to most likely foreclose on my house, possibly taking a job that appears better but in reality is not. My desire to leave comes from the beliefs that: my marriage may be too far eroded to save, I hate the gloomy Winters here, more opportunity in the new job. Please provide any advice that may be helpful. Thanks. more

Resolved Question: Does this investment idea exist?

So I'm from Canada, and the economy didn't hit us nearly as hard as certain parts of the US. There are many places that are great vacation spots with CHEAP houses(I was looking mainly at Pheonix and places in Florida) that normally would have been like 3 times as much. I wanted to get a group of people(investors) together and split the cost of these houses, and rent them out as either vacation homes or rent them out to people during september-may and then rent as vacation from june-august, and then when the economy turns around, sell the houses for a larger amount than it was paid for. So what im asking is 1. is this even a good idea? 2. does something like this exist already?*Sorry I left a few things out. It's a very rough sketch, kind of just came into my mind. I do have a contact in Pheonix that could hire someone to do the cleaning after each visit, unless of course I was to rent the house out to live in, then the renters would be responsible + a DD. Also, I was just going to get my real estate liscence in the summer, and I guess grab some type of intl. real estate liscence if need be and choose the houses myself(I have enough airmiles to get to Arizona and back a few times). I can also handle all the bookkeeping myself and would just charge a very small commission for those things. *And those tax issues seem like a problem, BUT I believe as a Canadian, even with foreign direct investment in real estate in the US, alot of the tax is reimbursed by the Canadian government. more

Resolved Question: Would it be a financially sound decision to cash out our 401K to buy a second home?

My husband and I want to move to Wisconsin within the next 2-3 years when he's done with his Masters Degree and after we sell our current home. My brother (who is much better off financially that we are) is taking money out of his 401K to buy a vacation property in Florida. With the market the way it is, he was able to buy a resort condo for a great price. His rationale is that the stock market is so volatile right now that it makes more sense to take the money out of his 401K and spend it on something that he and his family can enjoy, and that he can use as his retirement home. That got me thinking that maybe it would be a good idea to buy a place in Wisconsin now so we can take advantage of the slump in the real estate market. We could use it as a vacation home until we move there, or rent it out for a few years until we get jobs up there. I found a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house in a great location (2 blocks from a park with lake access) that is only $150,000. We have almost 2/3 of that in our 401K, so if took every penny out for the down payment, we'd only have a $50,000 mortgage. At current rates, the monthly payments would be about $300 a month + taxes & insurance, which we could afford, but would put us in a position where we would not be able to do much more than work and pay the bills. Whether it's this house or any other, is it a good financial decision to take everything out of a 401K right now to invest in real estate? What are the tax ramifications of using retirement money before retirement? more

Resolved Question: I have inheritance, but I feel like it's wrongfully being kept from me?

Where to start. Okay, my Grandmother passed away almost 3 years ago. (February being the 3rd year). I was in the Will as told my my Grandmother AND my Mother. Well, my Aunt is the (I think it's called Power of Attorney?) and unfortunately we don't get along. I have asked my Mom a million times, and she keeps claiming "It's still tied up with the lawyers". I find that hard to believe after 3 years. Also, my Mom went from living paycheck to paycheck to buying a new car, taking multiple vacations and remodeling her WHOLE house within a year of my Grandmother's death but she's still claiming she hasn't received her inheritance either. One thing I have to point out here is I come from a very very small, greedy family. As a child, my Mother would open my birthday and Christmas cards and replace the money with a lesser value. My Grandparents were very wealthy. My Grandmother's house sold for a little over 300k and that's not counting all the assets inside the home, bank accounts, rental houses etc. I KNOW I have a good amount coming to me, but I can't get ANY answers from my Mother or Aunt. Unfortunately I do not know any of the lawyers handling this Will. I can't contact my Aunt because we do not get along. Right now I am unemployed and can't find work anywhere. I've reached out to my Mother begging for help and all she ever says is to contact my Aunt. I don't know what to do anymore and I feel like whatever they are doing to keep this inheritance from me is illegal. If my Aunt controls the Will, does she have the right to keep MY money from me? Also, does anyone know if it REALLY takes close to 3 years to settle? Something seems fishy and I don't know what else to do. I don't want to contact a lawyer and burn more bridges. My Mom and Aunt are the only family I have left. They are super close yet the exclude me from everything. I've lost my Dad, my Grandparents, Uncles...everyone. Also, I should mention that since my Grandmother passed, my Aunt also bought a beach house in Florida. It's very clear to me that they have received what is theirs. Are they spending mine? Please help?Also, if I go to the County Clerks office for a copy of the Will, will my family be notified? Again-trying to do this quietly without burning more bridges until I have to.Thank you so much for all of the help. By the way, I am 33 years old. However they still treat me like I am 12. I had NO idea the Will is a public record. I am definitely going to look into that today! I am 100% about being included in the Will, that's not an assumption. My Mother told me one month after the death that I am in the Will. I asked for a ballpark number and she always got defensive. I did squeeze out of her that it's 10k +. She's VERY mad that a Granddaughter is in the Will. When we had a fight about it last year, my Mother threw a small pendant at me and said "Why the f*** should a Grandchild get anything anyway? This is ALL my Grandmother left me" (as she threw the pendant in my face). I guess they find it unfair that I was in the will and not a daughter.GUESS WHAT I FOUND PEOPLE!!! I just got the Will from public records online, and boy I am definitely a BIG part of it. I just called and left a message for the lawyer who signed it. more

Voting Question: Would it be wise to live in one city & pay for a house in another city?

Ok so i live in a place where a trailer, in a no soo good area will easily cost you $150,000-$200,000 and to top it off the trailer will most likely be 20-30 years old, if not older. I dont even want to mention what a house would cost in a decent area ( i live on an island). But right now im renting, and my rent is $1,100 a month (with no utilities included) and this is apperently a good deal from what ive heard. I get payed roughly $17.00 an hour, plus some commision each month that i never depend on. So me and my wife to be want to buy a house, we have a two year old daughter and we feel its time to really start living like a family....but like i said renting/buying is just way too expensive here. We have been thinking of moving further up Florida where weve been seeing decent houses for $40,000-$50,000 but are willing to spend up to $100,000 (we have a relative giving us $50,000 towards the home we pick, they just sold their house here for $850,000)and we would only have to pay half of the $100,000... So weve been trying to decide on if i should live up there and sacrifice my pay (id probably only get paid half what i do now up there) or should i/we live down here until we get most of it payed off, or all of it and commute back and forth every now and then to check up on things, and we could kind of use it as our vacation home until we are fully moved in. i dont know what to do because if i stay here im affraid ill und up broke or in debt, also we have hurricanes almost every year that cause some major flooding where i live, and the preperation alone for that can cost a couple thousand in food, hotels if needed, repairs, etc. and if i move away i wont get paid as much or who knows if ill even find a job. Ive kept every job ive had for nearly five years, if not more so its not me im worried about, but the economy.Sorry i guess i should have mentioned that if i were to stay here id live at my mothers who has a seperate part to her house kind of like an apartment and id pay no rent...its HUGE so id be confortablr there. more

Resolved Question: What would you do if your parents did this....?

Well I am in college and I had saved up about $2000 in a savings account all through out High School. Even when I worked my dad never let me spend a dime saying I should save it for buying a car or for college expenses. Well things have been really tight around my house for about 2-3 years and my mom needed some money last year and I gave her about $200 or so that I had earned while at college through work study. I had been given an almost full scholarship to a private school and all I had to pay was $2000 loan every year which is cheaper than most public colleges. While at school I payed for my books, transportation to and from home, and everything else through the work study money I earned. I didn't really spend money on shopping so I did have enough money for necessities outside of what the school covered. Now that I am home I wanted to get a drivers license finally but my mom told me my dad had used the $2000 in my savings account (b.c it was a joint account). I didn't really care because I knew whatever I would need my dad would take care of while I was at home for the summer (including joining a gym, paying for driving classes, etc...) However, It's been over a month since vacation and he hasn't given me money for anything besides the gym (and even that I am paying the monthly dues out of my pocket he just gave me the cash for reg. fee b.c I didn't have any). Even then even though I was annoyed I didn't take it to heart b.c times are rough for a lot of people but when I found out from my mom that he had used my savings on a failing business deal. I got really angry b.c he took my money for something everyone was telling him not to invest in and that was failing. Not only that he's now planning a family vacation for 6 to Orlando..for Disney World or Universal studios or even BOTH! Who wouldn't really want to go there, I've never been and a part of me still wants to go, but I don't think its the right time. I just want to do what NEEDS to be done and even though my driving isn't a necessity neither is going to florida. I know this is SUPER long but ...now my mom b.c she feels bad about the entire situation wants to sell her jewelry from her wedding days so I can take care of what ever I need to. First, I don't want to take her money Second, I do want to get stuff done but I don't know what to do, I feel horrible doing that to her especially since my dad's foolish spending is what's causing this. My mom tries talking to my dad but he says he'll talk later and he'll work it out but he never does! What should I do? sorry for the long storyI had been looking for a part time job since spring break when I came home but since I am only here for the summer..a lot of places don't want to hire me. Yeah, my mom said the same thing from now on I cant let my dad have access to my money, just b.c he doesn't care. I was just feeling so frustrated b.c I don't think I ask for much and I understand b.c of whats happening in the economy and he's struggling with jobs that he'd need money but planning a vacation..just...confuses me. more

Resolved Question: wrote a short story and would love feedback?

The Real World Leora B. Kurtzer Jeffrey Boone had just come home from a long day at work. As he walked into the house his children jumped into his arms. He read a note that his wife had left him on the table. "Hi honey, won't be home till around twelve-ish, I left some money for pizza…" the usual note these days. Barbara Boone was a tax attorney and since it was tax season and she had to work long hours Jeffrey sort of took on being mom as well. All Jeffrey needed was 10, 15 minutes of relaxation. He ordered the pizza and left his children in the dining room to enjoy it while he escaped upstairs, his bedroom, his television. Finally he had some time to himself, no boss, no notes, no children. No one could stand between him and catching up on the day that had been so easily forgotten with the load of work he had done. Click. CNN was on. Jeff laid down on his bed and put his hands to his head as a sign to any intruder that he was relaxing. He transfixed his eyes on the television just in time to hear CNN's theme song indicating that the main news was about to start. "Today, Joe Bennet was arrested from his home in Malibu after authorities found a drug stash in his house," the news reporter said, " his daughter was the one who called the police after witnessing her father selling drugs to kids from her school and offered it to her as well…" she sat there in a room waiting to be questioned. Had she done the right thing? She didn't even know what was right anymore. Ten hours ago she had called the police on her cell phone from her school. Nine hours and thirty minutes ago her father had been taken into custody…because of her. She longed to be like the other kids in her class, normal families, normal social lives, and normal lives. She however was alone. Her mother had died when she was eight because of an overdose, her father was now in jail, and no one had thought of her when they had made their life changing decisions… "Further questioning is taking place and the trial is scheduled to take place in another two weeks. We would like to go to Tom June, with new updates on the situation in the Middle East." "Thanks sally," tom said after a short lag time, "there has been another attack in Sderot, two people were killed, five injured…" Aaron waited in the waiting room while they operated on his sister's legs. It seemed like a century had passed since he had been playing in the living room with Sarah. He had gone to the bathroom and as he walked out there was a huge bang. He had ran... but he was too late, when he came into the room he saw his sister in a puddle of blood. And now he was in the hospital just sitting in the waiting room wishing he could do more than just wait, wishing it had been him. He opened up a psalms book. Why her she is only six, why her? "We'll be back with tonight's news after this small commercial break." Click. "…I'm Stacy Mendelson." "And I'm Derek Windsor, fox news." "Now it's been three weeks and still no sign of poor little Jessica saunder. She was kidnapped while her family was vacationing in Florida. Her parents only realized she was missing when they were about to leave the beach. Experts are saying that she was taken probably in the water," Stacy reported. "yes because of her small age and size it did not look odd to any of the people at the beach. There however has been no ransom asked or anything of that sort, not even a clue of where she could have been taken to after the beach." Derek continued. "yes what's interesting is that it wasn't even the parents who called the police it was a lady of no connection to the family who called 'I saw a man holding girl who was crying, he looked very aggressive and something did not seem right then I saw some other men join and they threw the poor little girl in the back seat that was when I decided it would be better to call the police rather than not so I did'…" Mary saunder sat down at her table. She hadn't slept in weeks; all she could think of was her little darling angel not sleeping. Mary feared sleep because that was when the nightmares came, the nightmares of the worst possible scenario that Jesse could be in right now. She wanted her daughter back to hold and hug and kiss whenever she wanted to. She felt like life had stopped. Why did such an innocent girl have to have this pain. Her friends had been supportive and comforting but it seemed like they had stopped caring like they had gone on with life. She didn't understand this how could they move on when she felt glued to that time at the beach? Click. "And we're back. I'm Tom June with more news from the Middle East. There was a car bombing in Baghdad today. The car was filled with bombs and was being operated from a nearby shop. Ten people were killed 7 injured, and three American soldiers who were guarding that area were killed as well. Back to you sally…" Tears dropped on to the baby Private John Whitaker would never see. It had been only a couple of hourssince Amy Whitaker had heard the news from the army. Her husband who had been fighting in Iraq for only half a year had been killed in a car bombing. Amy had talked to John a day ago, the last time she would ever speak to him. She wished she had said so many more things to him. She wished she could have talked for one more minute with him. She wished he could see their baby. But he was gone. Amy was left as the sole parent of her baby. She felt angry and sad and alone all at the same time. She couldn't grieve for the loss of her husband because she still had a baby to take care of. He had gone off on his duty to his nation and had left her to do both parents' duty for their family. Why had John felt that his duty to his nation was more important than his duty to his family? "The President will be taking a second trip to Israel in another two weeks. The two countries plan on finalizing new peace treaties with their neighboring countries, discussing security measures and giving backland to the Palestinians. In the meantime the United States will be playing host to the Syrian president who arrives in Washington DC on Friday…" The president sat down in the oval office as ten different people came in all at once, all discussing different topics... "Here is the welcoming speech for when the Syrian president comes..." "I've got Rice on line two, sir..." "Will you be able to visit the children's hospital today..." "New York Times wants a quote on your upcoming trip to Israel..." he wanted to shout freeze! He needed a break but he only had around seven more months in office… make the most of it, he thought to himself. He was president this is what people expected of him. He had survived seven years of it so far… but the pressure was just building up... peace that would never be acquired between two nations who hated each other, a war that had no end, meetings with foreign countries that truly had nothing to do with the United States. All of these were holes that he haddug himself into, bottomless pits. And as President everyone expected a happy ending after eight years. If humans make mistakes why do they rule over other mistake-prone beings? "Daddy, Sam is copying me," "Jeanie took Paul's bear!" Jeff's children screamed from downstairs. Click. Back to the real world Jeff thought. He looked down at his watch as he left his bedroom and walked downstairs. It was already eight, time to put the kids to sleep. It was only after he tucked them all in that he realized truly how tired he was. He went back to the bedroom, got ready for bed and tucked himself in. And he dreamt as usual without being affected by the hardships of the real world. more

Resolved Question: i wrote a short story and would love feedback?

The Real World Leora B. Kurtzer Jeffrey Boone had just come home from a long day at work. As he walked into the house his children jumped into his arms. He read a note that his wife had left him on the table. "Hi honey, won't be home till around twelve-ish, I left some money for pizza…" the usual note these days. Barbara Boone was a tax attorney and since it was tax season and she had to work long hours Jeffrey sort of took on being mom as well. All Jeffrey needed was 10, 15 minutes of relaxation. He ordered the pizza and left his children in the dining room to enjoy it while he escaped upstairs, his bedroom, his television. Finally he had some time to himself, no boss, no notes, no children. No one could stand between him and catching up on the day that had been so easily forgotten with the load of work he had done. Click. CNN was on. Jeff laid down on his bed and put his hands to his head as a sign to any intruder that he was relaxing. He transfixed his eyes on the television just in time to hear CNN's theme song indicating that the main news was about to start. "Today, Joe Bennet was arrested from his home in Malibu after authorities found a drug stash in his house," the news reporter said, " his daughter was the one who called the police after witnessing her father selling drugs to kids from her school and offered it to her as well…" she sat there in a room waiting to be questioned. Had she done the right thing? She didn't even know what was right anymore. Ten hours ago she had called the police on her cell phone from her school. Nine hours and thirty minutes ago her father had been taken into custody…because of her. She longed to be like the other kids in her class, normal families, normal social lives, and normal lives. She however was alone. Her mother had died when she was eight because of an overdose, her father was now in jail, and no one had thought of her when they had made their life changing decisions… "Further questioning is taking place and the trial is scheduled to take place in another two weeks. We would like to go to Tom June, with new updates on the situation in the Middle East." "Thanks sally," tom said after a short lag time, "there has been another attack in Sderot, two people were killed, five injured…" Aaron waited in the waiting room while they operated on his sister's legs. It seemed like a century had passed since he had been playing in the living room with Sarah. He had gone to the bathroom and as he walked out there was a huge bang. He had ran... but he was too late, when he came into the room he saw his sister in a puddle of blood. And now he was in the hospital just sitting in the waiting room wishing he could do more than just wait, wishing it had been him. He opened up a psalms book. Why her she is only six, why her? "We'll be back with tonight's news after this small commercial break." Click. "…I'm Stacy Mendelson." "And I'm Derek Windsor, fox news." "Now it's been three weeks and still no sign of poor little Jessica saunder. She was kidnapped while her family was vacationing in Florida. Her parents only realized she was missing when they were about to leave the beach. Experts are saying that she was taken probably in the water," Stacy reported. "yes because of her small age and size it did not look odd to any of the people at the beach. There however has been no ransom asked or anything of that sort, not even a clue of where she could have been taken to after the beach." Derek continued. "yes what's interesting is that it wasn't even the parents who called the police it was a lady of no connection to the family who called 'I saw a man holding girl who was crying, he looked very aggressive and something did not seem right then I saw some other men join and they threw the poor little girl in the back seat that was when I decided it would be better to call the police rather than not so I did'…" Mary saunder sat down at her table. She hadn't slept in weeks; all she could think of was her little darling angel not sleeping. Mary feared sleep because that was when the nightmares came, the nightmares of the worst possible scenario that Jesse could be in right now. She wanted her daughter back to hold and hug and kiss whenever she wanted to. She felt like life had stopped. Why did such an innocent girl have to have this pain. Her friends had been supportive and comforting but it seemed like they had stopped caring like they had gone on with life. She didn't understand this how could they move on when she felt glued to that time at the beach? Click. "And we're back. I'm Tom June with more news from the Middle East. There was a car bombing in Baghdad today. The car was filled with bombs and was being operated from a nearby shop. Ten people were killed 7 injured, and three American soldiers who were guarding that area were killed as well. Back to you sally…" Tears dropped on to the baby Private John Whitaker would never see. It had been only a couple of hours sinsince Amy Whitaker had heard the news from the army. Her husband who had been fighting in Iraq for only half a year had been killed in a car bombing. Amy had talked to John a day ago, the last time she would ever speak to him. She wished she had said so many more things to him. She wished she could have talked for one more minute with him. She wished he could see their baby. But he was gone. Amy was left as the sole parent of her baby. She felt angry and sad and alone all at the same time. She couldn't grieve for the loss of her husband because she still had a baby to take care of. He had gone off on his duty to his nation and had left her to do both parents' duty for their family. Why had John felt that his duty to his nation was more important than his duty to his family? "The President will be taking a second trip to Israel in another two weeks. The two countries plan on finalizing new peace treaties with their neighboring countries, discussing security measures and giving back lanland to the Palestinians. In the meantime the United States will be playing host to the Syrian president who arrives in Washington DC on Friday…" The president sat down in the oval office as ten different people came in all at once, all discussing different topics... "Here is the welcoming speech for when the Syrian president comes..." "I've got Rice on line two, sir..." "Will you be able to visit the children's hospital today..." "New York Times wants a quote on your upcoming trip to Israel..." he wanted to shout freeze! He needed a break but he only had around seven more months in office… make the most of it, he thought to himself. He was president this is what people expected of him. He had survived seven years of it so far… but the pressure was just building up... peace that would never be acquired between two nations who hated each other, a war that had no end, meetings with foreign countries that truly had nothing to do with the United States. All of these were holes that he hadthat he had dug himself into, bottomless pits. And as President everyone expected a happy ending after eight years. If humans make mistakes why do they rule over other mistake-prone beings? "Daddy, Sam is copying me," "Jeanie took Paul's bear!" Jeff's children screamed from downstairs. Click. Back to the real world Jeff thought. He looked down at his watch as he left his bedroom and walked downstairs. It was already eight, time to put the kids to sleep. It was only after he tucked them all in that he realized truly how tired he was. He went back to the bedroom, got ready for bed and tucked himself in. And he dreamt as usual without being affected by the hardships of the real world. more

Resolved Question: Im 22 and feel like I wasted my life?

This might be a little bit long, but I need some advice. To start off I'm 22 years old and my friends already have careers or about to get them in the next year or so. I feel like I don't know what to do with my life, an I feel really lost. A summery of my life. I was adopted at 1 day old. At age 7 I was diagnoised with Bipolor Disorder type 2 ( from age 7-22 i have been on about 20 different meds for bipolor and none have helped) I grew up with my parents being super over protected of me, and not letting me experiance life when I should have. On top of that my adopted father was verbally and pysically absuive. At age 13 my parents seperated, and I was stuck with court ordered visitation schedule. By age 13 the divorce was finalezed wihin the first 2 months of my freshman year of high school. Since the divorce both parents claim to have no money, which has put all of us in major problems ( I believe someone is lying). I was alone and started making bad choices throught senior year such as, losing my virginity at age 14, started drinking, smoking weed, smoking ciggirettes at age 14/15. I left town at ag 18 to live with a guy i met at a carnaval in gary county, IN (east chicago). Came back 6 months later not really doing anything besides partying. I wasnt allowed to live with either parent so I was basically on my own to survive. From age 18 my drinking and smoking(both forms) got worse. By age 19 I started using powder cocaine and became addicted really quickly, to the point of using 6 days a week. At age 20 I met a guy who was also a drug addict and moved in with him. WE got into a relationship, that involved heavy drinking and powder cocaine use, and he would steal from stores to sell the items to dealers to feed our drug and alcohol needs. This was also a very abusive relationship (psyical,verbal, mental, and emotional) By the age of 21 or so I cleaned up and stopped using powder cocaine (cold turkey) and smoking weed, because of about 3-4 almost drug overdoses). I was enrolled in school from age 18-22 but kept dropping out within the first 2-6 weeks, because of lack of motivation, boredom, and feeling it wasnt doing anythng for me and I was learning stuff that was total irrelevant. I met my birth family and discovered their is drug and alcoholisim in the family and I have it. ( I will NOT go to AA or NA, so please do not suggest it!!!) I wasnt allowed to get my permit licence till i was 19 ( took drivers ed in high school, was allowed to get it, still don't know why) The reason i got it was from being a desinated driver and another drunk driver hit us and the judge would drop everything(florida law doesnt care). I didnt get my offical licence till I was 21. Both parents have still to this day refuse to buy me a car ( but 1 rent lives in a 2 story house, drives a 2001 honda accord, and lives off alimony because she hasnt worked since 1986, and the other rent has been paying rent to live in the same apartment for 10 yrs, drives a 2006 honda pilot, and takes about 6-10 work related "breaks"/vacations a year) Because of that happening I applied and received an college internship to work at Disney. I had a great time, until I came back home this January. My adopted mom allowed me to move back in and I was enrolled in school as a full-time student, (We still dont see eye to eye on anything and thats why i left when I was 18) I couldn't find a job so I became depressed and dropped out of school again. As you can see I have had a pretty messed up life, worse then most people. Nothing really motivated me besides going out and having a good time(drinking, karaoke, night clubs, concerts, ect). I know my talents, strong points, and interests but dont know what to do as a career. Anouther major factor is I have the type of personality where I cant be bossed around. I have known since a small age that i will never be able to work for the man, I have to be the boss ( i have had about 20 jobs since age 16 from retail-resturant-sales-marketing-customer service) nothing motivates me to stay( usually hours, money, or co-workers/managers). I dont want to be in my thirtys and being in the same position I am in right now. I need advice from anybody that has been throught this, or knows some one that has and what to. I AM NOT repeat NOT religious nor will i ever be so please DO NOT mention anything about god. I have been up for about 4 hours because I couldn't sleep thinking about this wit already 3 panic attacks. I feel really lost in life right now, and need help!!! more

Resolved Question: Should we move to Florida from the Midwest?

Asking senior citizens as we value your wisdom and also you may have already faced such a move in your life. I would really like people who currently live in Florida to answer please so I can get a "local's" perspective. My husband and I are both college graduates. Though we make mortgage payments, even with the current economy, we could sell our home for more than what we paid and end up with a profit. My husband and I feel we could both get decent jobs in Florida and one of us would probably move first and rent until the house sells or until the other one of us gets a job there also. I work in healthcare. Also with the prices of homes right now in Florida, we would then be able to pay cash and outright own the home we buy in Florida. And, we would not have any other debt. We do not have any family here where we currently live nor do we have family in Florida, but we do have friends who live there and we vacation there often. We are so tired of the cold, and we also believe it would be a healthier lifestyle for us. Is there any reason anyone can think of why we shouldn't move? Even with not having debts and if our house in FL was totally paid for, should the economy be a concern? Thank you in advance for responses--making a big move is always nerve-wracking, but that's why we would try to do it in steps.Wow! Thanks for the responses so far, very interesting and helpful! More info about our situation--I actually did live in FL for about 6 months in my 20's and loved it. My husband is originally from a warm climate and also loves the heat. So, for us heat and humidity is not a problem. Currently we live in Chicago and while we love the city and its diversity, for those of you who haven't lived in this type of climate--imagine bone chilling winters, dangerous ice on the roads, having high utility bills during the worst months. While we are not senior citizens yet, we are starting to feel arthritis only during the cold months. We are very active and it's very hard to spend days and months indoors because the weather is too biting cold and there's too much ice and snow to even go anywhere. The air quality from pollution is not good. As far as work, we have a lot of experience behind us, but we would definitely have jobs first before making the move. more

Resolved Question: We are in a recession right? So where are people getting the money to shop, vacation, buy new cars etc?

You hear it on the news and you read about in the paper on a daily basis, we are in a recession, people are losing their jobs, homes, retirement funds etc, however, during the Christmas season it was business as usual, despite what the media has told us, people were shopping until they dropped, literally. Homes are being built and purchased, cars are being sold, and during the Christmas weekend, my husband and I took a much needed break and spent 4 days in Florida, and let me tell you, the airports were packed, with many travelers going wherever. We did visit Disney World while we were there, and it too, was packed with people and lots and lots of kids. There were people there in groups, wall to wall. Okay, so my question is, am I missing something here? I am not disputing that there are many many people out of work and losing their homes, but there must be a heck of a lot of people not paying much attention to the economy, because they are truly spending. We cut back by not buying Christmas gifts, and instead hosted a dinner, and told everyone, we were going away instead of shopping. We saved for 6 months, and used no charge cards, to make this trip. My neighbor's daughter works at a local discount center and she said they were selling flat screen tv's so fast they could hardly keep them in the store. She said most of the buying was done with credit cards, So what gives? Are people really not that worried about whats going on, are they just ignoring it and hoping for the best, is it more hype than truth to our economy? I know its been said that spending helps the economy, but Enlighten me, please. No rude, obnoxious answers, please.rawen, you would have been better offer not responding to my question! I wanted to get peoples opinion about spending in the recession, this had nothing to with my going to disney world, and how we went. We also did use credit cards to vacation, which many people are doing, putting themselves further into debt! thats my point! read before you respond!correction, we did NOT use credit cards!thanks to everyone who did put more thought into their answer, before responding! more

Resolved Question: Should I not viisit my friend before leaving Florida?

I am on vacation and I have 3 days before I go home. I called a friend I have not seen in 10 years to visit him and to meet his family and within 30 minutes of my arrival he tried to sell me on some multilevel marketing called "associated companies", He wants me to come back with my wife to watch a 30 minute video. I am disgusted and I feel I would rather spend that time with my own family who are not trying to sell me anything. Am I being unreasonable? or is this a friend better left in the past? more

Resolved Question: Ladies I need your advice, How do you cope?

this isn't a should I stay or go question, it's a give me tips, or steps on how to make this easier. First let me explain that I am very much in love with my boyfriend. we have seriously discussed getting married to the point where I suspect he is ring shopping. however my issue lies in missing him. you see my relationship started three years ago as an online romance/ friendship, it blossomed into this beautiful relationship. with it's share of problems of course. the biggest issue being the distance. You see I live in the city that never sleeps, fast paced and constantly moving, and he is, well, from Tennessee. not quite the same (much slower). after about two years of being together we decided to move in together, I mean we'd visited for the two years on and off even took a vacation together to florida. we assumed we were ready for the next step, and we were. however neither of us could sustain him here we didn't have enough money to keep him living in nyc. it's expensive. so unfortunately my dream ended three months after it began and he was forced to move back to tennessee. the absolute worst day of my life. since then he's being looking steady for jobs to earn as much money as possible to come back to new york with as much as 100+ applications out there selling all of his personal effects, anything short of stealing or begging for it (although that's next) and I find now that he's gone I am horribly depressed, I can feel him hold me, I still smell him in my sheets, when I close my eyes I see his beautiful face. I have no motivation, I cry constantly, I'm irritable, and have become so bitter. I was so happy when he was here, now I just feel so alone, everyone in my family turned against me because they want my dead grandmothers money so I have no one to turn to and he's promised to try harder than every before to get back here. my issue is I don't know how to function now that he doesn't live with me. I was so settled and happy ready to begin anew and start my chapter with him. I hate going places I've taken him, and I find I rarely want to leave the house. is there any way to deal with this depression of missing him like I do (without the use of therapy and anti-depressants) long enough to be sane until he comes home to me again. please don't be rude, I am completely whole with him and right now I feel so empty. so if any ladies knows what that feels like or may know of a way to help please help me deal. I miss him so much and I just want him homeok well since I failed to mention this part I might as well now. 1. He hates tennessee and so do I 2. I am a student in nyc it's why I can't just up and move 3. I'd love to get the hell out of here after I graduate, hell that's the plan 4. it's just so he can be with me now because he hates where he lives and I am stuck here. and again try not being rude...oh and the first time he moved, he did live with me. I live in my deceased grandmothers home, my aunt pays rent she's a B**ch enough said, anyway. he's not "allowed" to stay with me anymore part of the reason we had to get him his own place, this story is huge...ok...also I don't own a car, I'm looking for jobs since I am a full time student....too far of a commute is out of the question. more

Resolved Question: When do oranges ripen?

My family and I recently went on vacation in Florida, and I planned on stopping along the road to buy home grown oranges. However, we didn't see a single truck selling the fruit! My daughter thought maybe it wasn't orange season yet, so now we're both wondering...when are oranges ripe enough to be picked and sold in the Florida area?? more

Resolved Question: Any other women here married to canadians who also were married to canadian wives at the same time?

Did you help them buy a house in canada, which they sold at huge profit and did not share with you? Did they also take your money? Did they use your lovely American home [Florida, in my case - oh they LOVE Florida] for free vacations? I'm just wondering .... more

Resolved Question: How is the real estate market in Naples?

My husband and I are from Toronto, and are interested in purchasing a townhouse in Naples as a family vacation home and rental property. The townhouse is new and is being sold by the builder. How is the real estate market in Naples? Is it less affected by the sub prime problems? Have the property values in Naples fallen as much as in other cities in Florida? more

Resolved Question: Short Sale Questions ?

I am trying to short sell my vacation home on the beach. I am in sales and making about 1/3 what I used to. I have a 1st mortage for about $350,000 and a 2nd of about $75,000. It looks like the first will get $325,000 on the short sale so I should just be 1099'd for the balance. the 2nd Mortgage will take $3000 to release the lien but has make it clear I am liable for the 72K. Should I try to negotiate with them on a lower amount before the sale goes through ? What would stop me from getting them to agree to say 40K and then stop paying on the 40K since I don't have it. If i could borrow money what would you think they would take to get paid ASAP ? What loan terms do you think they would give me ? Lastly, am I dumb for signing papers before any agreement ? I am afriad if I don't, they might call the sale off and then I am stuck with the house. I know in Florida they can't take my primary house or hit my paycheck. What would they do ? Thanks Fletch more

Resolved Question: How can I leave everyone I love and move to Florida? I have lived in Arkansas for 25 years but I need change..

I lived in a small area, but it is the home of Wal-mart so in my 25 years it has gone from a place where everone in town can be found at the pool hall or the coffee shop to a place where you don't go grocery shopping after dark. Ironic that Wal-mart is what caused this mess, yer you can't even go to their stores around here without being robbed. It just isn't home anymore. My husband and I decided out of nowhere on a recent Florida vacation that we were going to go home and sell our properties in AR and move to FL but I can't seem to get past leaving my family. Thay won't move with me. I tried to convince them but they won't. We are all very close, but they have as many reasons to stay as I have for leaving. What makes it so hard is my father is my best friend and he is not very healthy. What if I lose him? But if I wait, the home prices will go back up and I may not be able to afford to move if I wait a few years. I may not have much time left with my dad though. What should I do?I know one thing for sure I want to leave this area. whether I go to Florida or not. People bring up an intersting point in saying it would be a shame to leave if you aren't sure because it is so hard to get back once you have given it all up and left. I want out of this area, I am just not sur if I am prepared to go 1200 miles out of this area, yet I feel if I am going to do it, I should go ahead and go to the place I have always dreamed of living. It is just so far away from my comfort zone. Not to mention my family. more

Resolved Question: help please?

41.The objective of industrial policy is a.unclear, since the policy has no economic basis b.to restore the primacy of mature industries, such as steel and automobile production c.to spread manufacturing industry more evenly across the nation d.to encourage economic development in poorer nations e.to give domestic industry an advantage over foreign competitors 42.The concept of "clustering" refers to a.locating new firms in a geographic area where competitive firms have not located b.locating new firms in a geographic area where many other firms have already located c.locating new firms in a geographic area already thick with firms in the same or related industries d.encouraging established firms to relocate to the South and Northeast e.encouraging workers to move nearer to their employers 43.The economic theory that states that as time passes, economic systems become much more similar, with common rates of growth, common employment levels and common rates of inflation is known as a.divergence theory b.parallel path theory c.convergence theory d.non-competing economic systems theory e.static state theory 44.In double-entry GDP accounting, a.the value of output produced must equal the value of resource payments generated in producing that output b.government is not counted because most of government spending is for transfer payments c.payments to resources must equal the value of goods sold to households d.inventories are counted twice, once as investment and once as output e.intermediate goods are counted twice, once as a type of output themselves and once as part of final output 45.Gross Domestic Product equals the a.total output of all goods and services produced by resources located in the U.S. b.market value of all goods and services produced by resources located in the U.S. c.market value of all final goods and services produced by resources located in the U.S. d.value added to the economy by intermediate goods and services minus original cost e.value of total sales of goods and services produced in the U.S. 46.Which of the following best describes an intermediate good? a.It has no value to the seller. b.It has no value to the buyer. c.It is purchased by a household for future use. d.It helps produce another good. e.It is sold at a discounted price by middlemen. 47.Which of the following is the best example of an intermediate good or service? a.any good bought by a household, rather than a firm b.pizzas bought at a restaurant c.legal services hired by a public accounting firm d.sunglasses worn on a summer vacation in Florida e.a professional performance of "The Phantom of the Opera" 48.Which of the following would not be included in GDP as a form of consumption spending? a.Ann takes Tim out to a restaurant for dinner. b.Ann and Tim buy a microwave oven. c.Ann and Tim buy vegetables to prepare soup at home. d.Ann prepares Tim's income tax return. e.Tim buys Ann flowers. 49.Which of the following expenditures are not included in the consumption component of GDP? a.maid service b.purchase of a new home c.a new videocassette recorder d.a restaurant meal e.tax preparation service 50.Other things equal, increased imports decrease GDP. a.True b.False 51.U.S. imports are a.not added to U.S. GDP because they are produced abroad b.added to U.S. GDP because they are consumed domestically c.added to U.S. GDP because they represent an increase in inventories d.added to U.S. GDP as government purchases because the government decides what goods may be imported e.not added to U.S. GDP because they are intermediate goods 52.Use the following data to calculate GDP: consumption = $2,000; gross investment = $600; government purchases = $500; net exports = -$40; transfer payments = $340. a.GDP = $2,720 b.GDP = $3,060 c.GDP = $3,140 d.GDP = $3,400 e.GDP cannot be determined due to insufficient data 54.Katrina pays $40 for a meal at a fancy restaurant. The ingredients used in it probably cost the restaurant $10. The value added to GDP by the purchase of this meal is a.$30 b.$40 c.$70 d.$40 plus the wages paid the chef and waiters e.$40 plus the profit earned by the restaurant's owner 55.In the resource market, a.businesses borrow money to buy the capital resources they need b.businesses sell services to the households c.firms provide the resources to the households d.households sell the resources to firms in return for factor payments e.resources flow from the business sector to the household sector more

Resolved Question: What is the smartest and ballsiest thing you can think of that someone you know has done?

I went on vacation to Florida with my friend and his family one year. His aunt from back home called, because she was driving by their house and saw that people were in their house. A few minutes later, my friends mom came into the place we were staying yelling Riiiiiiichiiiiiiiieee!!! Her and my friends brother Richie started screaming at each other. All we could hear was yelling and banging from upstairs. Turns out, my friends brother sold the keys to his house to his friends for the week. $100 up front, and $100 when he got back. more

Resolved Question: does this sound like a scam? I am trying to sell my car online, this is the response I got.?

Thank you very much for the prompt response. Though the offer is satisfactory. I am purchasing this item as a gift to my Son in-law. get back to me as we are planning to purchase this unit before we left Ocala,Florida .We will be leaving for a vacation (its my son In-law's award week as well as our church seminar season ) we should be off to UK but will be returning after a few months from this long vacation. Based on this , i will like you to help participate in the shipment of this unit from your base down to our new home .I already located a freight consignment agency here in the UK that will help finalize all shipping and clearing activities. All necessary expenses based on shipment will be handled by me in care of the freighting i.e paper works, shipment fees freighting arrears, ,and insurance fees and bill of lading will be remitted on the payment to enable conviniency on both sides. payment will be endorsed to you in no time from my associate.clients in the united states which will include all expenses(ie shipping as well), i will proceed in giving you further instruction on how to go about shipment in collaboration with the freighting agency to provide a home to home pick-up /delivery service after you have gotten and cleared payment from your bank to avoid delays . Send your response My phone lines are restricted for now due to so many congregational calls.I will be online after todays activities . Get back to me as soon as possible for us to know how to make payment arrangements as well as shipping . God bless you Note:send me the full names,contact phone and (street address and not P.o box )address to which a certified check payment will be sent to In no time ,as well as you state the final asking price. Note: send a the contact details and item amount more

Resolved Question: Is this heaven?

We live with in 50 minutes of the Panama City Beach Florida. We have a houseboat on the local river within ten minutes of our house. Our home is located on a small farm with a swimming pool and large pole barn for intertaining. Is this heaven here on Earth, we think so and we are interested in a simiair place somewhere in the Mountains or out west where a Christian couple would like to swap vacation spots. We are not interested in buying or selling, just a recipical agreement with someone as for as vacations go.I too, believe in a Spiritual Heaven and I do not think that i live there.To boing---If I sound like whatever you said then it is because I am happy with what I have. I have a neet frame home on a small farm and I am proud of what God has sent my way. To be content with what God bless's you with is really a gift. more

Resolved Question: Has anyone ever heard of trading houses?

No, I don't mean the show "Trading Spaces" & I'm not talking about trading homes on a temporary basis for vacation. We're in Florida and we have a modest house in a decent neighborhood, but we want to move up north, either OR, WA, or NC. The market is in a funk right now & it's tough to sell, so I was wondering if I'm just nuts or is it possible to trade homes (permanently) with someone who wants to move down here? I don't even know if it's possible, but I know a bit about buying & selling homes, and if it's like any other "sales contract" as long as both buyers agree, then there's taxes & such to work out, but that's it isnt it? Here's what I'm thinking, say someone in NC wants to move to FL, we both have comparable houses, we both get appraisals, whoever comes in higher, the other pays the difference, they both go to each others closings & viola! Switcheroo! I've searched high & low on the net & found nothing, maybe I should ask a realtor. Great idea though isn't it?I looked up 1031 exchanges, but it seems to deal mostly with commercial real estate. Are there any sites with listings? more