Euro reaches new lows

Friday, July 15, 2011

On Tuesday, the Euro fell to a new record low in relation to the Swiss Franc, and to multi-month lows against the U.S. Dollar and Japanese yen; all considered by investors to be safe currencies during times of economic turmoil.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that recent comments from the newly installed head of the International Monetary Fund, France’s Christine Lagarde, resulted in a sell-off of the Euro. At a roundtable discussion in Washington, Lagarde noted that the IMF had not yet reached discussion of terms and conditions of a second Greek bailout plan. In fact, a representative from the IMF is currently meeting with Eurozone policymakers to draft such a new proposal. The yield differential between Italian bonds and German bonds has spread to more than 300 basis points, something not seen in over a decade and evidence of investors’ concern.

Adding to the Euro’s woes is the upcoming release of the bank stress tests on Friday. The European Bankers Association said that they expect the data release to shed new light on the Eurozone’s banking situation. Representatives of several of the Eurozone’s governments, including Germany, have requested that the association consider releasing fewer specific details for fear that investor panic will ensue. The inadequacy of the capitalization rates has been an issue with the European Central Bank, whose president recently called upon Eurozone banks to make every effort to put their balance sheets in order.

For the time being at least, an unsubstantiated rumor reported by the Wall Street Journal states that the Eurozone’s central banks’ purchase of periphery debt has helped to quell the downward momentum of the Euro.

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10 March

Wikinews 2020: An ‘Original reporting’ year in review

Friday, January 1, 2021

After an active year of original content published on the English-language Wikinews, we take a look back at some of the two dozen-plus original reports from our contributors during 2020.

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10 March

Home Path Mortgage: Tips For Buying Fannie Mae Bank Owned Foreclosure Homes

By Simon Volkov

Fannie Mae’s Home Path Mortgage program offers mortgage lenders and borrowers cash incentives to buy bank owned foreclosure homes. In addition to offering properties at substantially discounted prices, Home Path only requires a minimal 3-percent down payment along with flexible mortgage terms.

Homes for sale through Home Path Mortgage include single family homes, townhouses, and individual condominium units. Fannie Mae bank owned properties are sold in “as is” condition. Most properties require some level of repair, so buyers should engage in due diligence prior to submitting an offer.

Depending on property condition and location, Fannie Mae occasionally makes minor repairs to improve the home’s marketability. Houses in need of significant repair work may qualify for Home Path’s renovation program which allows borrowers to acquire additional funds for repair through the home mortgage loan.

Home Path Mortgage can be an excellent option for first time home buyers and individuals unable to provide a large down payment. One unique feature of HomePath is borrowers are allowed to use down payment funds provided by outside resources. Down payment assistance money can be obtained as a loan or gift from family, friends, employer, non-profit group or charitable organization.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=133cGv1q05Y[/youtube]

Buyers of Home Path Mortgage properties can also apply for down payment assistance funds through the Department of Housing and Urban Development Neighborhood Stabilization Program. NSP grants are available to individuals and real estate investors who wish to purchase Fannie Mae bank owned foreclosure homes.

Not all Fannie Mae homes qualify for special financing and down payment assistance programs. Interested buyers can locate qualified properties through the HomePath Mortgage website at HomePath.com.

Buyers can apply for financing through the mortgage lender of their choice. It is best to comparison shop to determine which lender offers the lowest interest rate. An additional 1/4-percent interest can add thousands of dollars over the duration of the home loan.

Prior to submitting an offer on Home Path properties, buyers must obtain bank prequalification. Although prequalification does not guarantee financing, it does let borrowers know how much money they can afford to borrow. Prospective buyers can apply for prequalified lending through the mortgage financier of their choice.

Buyers of HomePath foreclosure properties can obtain up to $8000 tax credit against homes purchased prior to June 30, 2010. First time home buyers can receive an $8000 tax credit, while homeowners can receive a $6500 tax credit if they upgrade to a more expensive home and have resided at their current residence for five or more years.

Additionally, Fannie Mae is offering a 3-1/2-percent incentive to buyers who purchase and close on HomePath properties prior to April 30, 2010. Buyers may receive up to 3.5-percent of the final sale price for closing costs; purchase of Whirlpool appliances, or a combination of settlement costs and appliance purchases. Mortgage lenders may impose restrictions on use of the 3.5-percent incentive, so buyers should consult with their mortgage service provider for guidance.

Individuals interested in buying Fannie Mae foreclosure homes through Home Path Mortgage should take advantage of the federal housing tax credit and cash incentives prior to scheduled deadlines. Learn more about Fannie Mae’s home buying program and locate a list of participating lenders at www.HomePath.com.

About the Author: Learn more about buying Fannie Mae bank owned foreclosure homes and the

Home Path mortgage

program from real estate investor and author, Simon Volkov. Simon offers hundreds of real estate, investing and personal money management articles via his website at

SimonVolkov.com

.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=511232&ca=Real+Estate

9 March

Haze crisis over Malaysia prompts talks with Indonesia

Thursday, August 11, 2005

A week-long choking smog-like haze over Malaysia has prompted crisis talks with Indonesia. Lingering smoke from forest fires on the Indonesian island of Sumatra are the primary cause. Farmers regularly burn scrub and forest to clear land during the dry season, but this is the worst haze since 1997.

Air quality in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur is so poor, health officials are advising citizens to stay at home with doors closed. Some schools have been closed to keep children from being exposed to the haze. Schools that chose to remain open are keeping children indoors and require them to wear protective masks when they are forced to venture outdoors.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport was unaffected but smaller flights from Subang airport were suspended.

Malaysia’s Environment Minister, Adenan Satem, and Commodities Minister, Peter Chin, will meet with Indonesia’s forestry minister and officials from its environment ministry in Medan, according to Malaysian media. Malaysia has offered to send firefighters to fight the forest and scrub fires estimated at numbering more than 300.

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9 March

Two-millenia-old Chinese guard gets unwanted new recruit

Friday, September 22, 2006

Legendary Emperor Qin Shi Huang of China had one more terracotta warrior guarding his tomb, recently. Pablo Wendel, an art student from Germany, disguised himself as one of the clay sculptures surrounding Qinshihuang in his final resting place, now a museum.

Police protecting the northern China museum searched for an extended period of time, as Wendel stood silently, among several thousand sculptures. When police found the 26-year-old performance artist, who later told them he was fascinated by the monumental display, they carried him away “as if he were a log.”

China was united by Emperor Qin Shi Huang over 2,200 years ago. The tomb in Xian, once the capital of China, is open to the public as a museum.

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9 March

How the Army Corps of Engineers closed one New Orleans breach

Friday, September 9, 2005

New Orleans, Louisiana —After Category 4 storm Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans, on the night before August 29, 2005, several flood control constructions failed. Much of the city flooded through the openings. One of these was the flood wall forming one side of the 17th Street Canal, near Lake Pontchartrain. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is the primary agency for engineering support during such emergencies. A USACE team was assessing the situation in New Orleans on the 29th, water flow was stopped September 2nd, and the breach was closed on September 5th.

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9 March

Plumbers Do More Than Just Drains

byadmin

For any person living in a coastal area such as Boca Raton, one of the most important things to have available is a handy and reliable plumber. Coastal areas are always susceptible to plumbing issues because drainage is always a problem. Logically there are not many places that the water can go because there is a lack of elevation.

Preventative Maintenance

One of the most common plumbing issues in coastal areas is drainage backup. Now there are a number of ways to remedy the issue. First and foremost is to always maintain the drains within a home or building. For maintenance, the best thing to do is to purchase household drain cleaning products and apply them to the drains on a regular basis.

The typical drain cleaning products that are available in most stores and home improvement centers contain a combination of sodium hydroxide, sodium nitrate, sodium chloride, aluminum, and a few other undisclosed ingredients. When poured into a drain these products act as a cleaner to scrape away any build up and thus clearing the drains for perfect flow.

Calling a Professional

In some cases, the regular maintenance procedures are just not enough. That is when a person just needs to call a Plumber Boca Raton. These licensed professionals have more expertise and plumbing tools at their disposal to determine the exact plumbing problem and fix it right away. The plumber can use a camera to see inside the drain so that they can located exactly where the clog or back up is.

Once the clogged or backed up area of the drain has been located, a plumber in Boca Raton can then use his or her professional plumbing tools to effective remove or clean the drain thoroughly. This might mean a simple scraping of the inside of the drain with a motorized steel brush or it may involve newer technologies like water jetting.

Water jetting is actually a safer and more effective way of cleaning the clogged or backed up drains that the old way of using steel rotating brush. The extra pressure that the water jet can create will loosen the debris more effectively and actually at a faster rate. The result is that it takes less time to clean the drain, which in the end saves the customer money too.

Overall, in Boca Raton it is important to locate a good and reliable Plumber. Once one has been found it is very wise to keep their contact information close by. Plumbing emergencies can arise in an instant and typically require immediate attention. Having a plumber’s contact information ready at all time can save a person from having to cope with an absolute disaster.

9 March

News briefs:May 05, 2010

Wikinews Audio Briefs Credits
Produced By
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Written By
Blood Red Sandman, Turtlestack, Tempodivalse
Listen To This Brief

Problems? See our media guide.

[edit]

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9 March

Need Cash? Sell Gold Jewelry And Watches To A Gold Buyer In Okc

byAlma Abell

Americans are looking everywhere to find money to pay their bills. Recently they’ve learned that their gold, silver and platinum jewelry has value. Not as jewelry to be resold, but as scrap metal. Pawn shops and jewelers are competing for their business. If they don’t need a lot of money in a hurry they can start with broken chains and single earrings. This is jewelry that they no longer use, so they should use it to create some value. They have to be careful in deciding which gold buyers in OKC will get their business.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-AsMlftcVY[/youtube]

They should begin by monitoring the price of gold. There are websites that post the daily price for it. They should also buy a small scale so that they know how much each piece weighs. That will give them a good indication of their gold portfolio. It’s also a good idea to have the jewelry appraised. It would be a big disappointment to bring their jewelry to a Gold Buyer in OKC only to find out that it was gold-plated fashion jewelry. If a person was depending upon it to pay an car repair bill, they would need to find another source of income in a hurry.People should also go to reputable stores such as gold buyers in OKC. They have established a reputation over the years as a company that pays a fair price for all forms of gold. They have a staff of appraisers that will value a piece of jewelry and offer cash on the spot. Of course a person has the right to turn down the offer and leave the store. It pays a person to watch the gold trend carefully if they have a lot of gold jewelry, coins or watches. They can then decide for themselves, if they feel that a top in the market has been reached.

Another method is to use the gold as a bank account. When they have an unexpected expense like a prescription or need a winter coat, they can sell part of their collection. Because they’ve had each piece appraised they have some idea of its value to a gold buyer.

9 March

Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Libertarian candidate Larry Stevens, Kitchener-Conestoga

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Larry Stevens is running for the Libertarian Party in the Ontario provincial election, in the Kitchener-Conestoga riding. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

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8 March