MOST HOUSING MARKETS SHIFTING IN FAVOR OF BUYERS, BUT PHOENIX BUCKS TREND By KTAR.COM – KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Taylor Kinnerup contributed to this report. Used by permission. Conditions for homebuyers are looking up in most of the nation’s housing markets, according to a real estate website, but Phoeni

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “Between you and me, sir, I’ll have to see him before I’ll believe he’s invisible.” ~ Lester Cole, screenwriter for “The Invisible Man Returns” DOES IT STILL FIT? Last year, scientists reported creating an “invisibility cloak.” The device bends electromagnetic radiation around

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it.”  ~ Lillian Hellman EVALUATE THIS! So, when was the last test or exam that you took? Or have you experienced a recent evaluation of your work? Many of us, even if we’re “the boss,” have to go throug

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “We stand at the crossroads each minute, each hour, each day, making choices. We choose the thoughts we allow ourselves to think, the passions we allow ourselves to feel, and the actions we allow ourselves to perform. Each choice is made in the context of whatever value system

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “People fail forward to success.”  ~ Mary Kay Ash   FAILING FORWARD!  It’s been observed that although experience can be the best teacher,  you get it by taking the exam before you’ve actually taken the course! Quite expectedly, many of us don’t perform well initially when att

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “Let us then be up and doing With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow   EVER NOTICE THE CHANGE?  You may have noticed that towards the end of summer your energy level begins to sag. Depending on the h

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “The best laid plans o’ mice and men often go astray.” ~ Haw (“Who Moved My Cheese?”)   DON’T GET TOO COMFORTABLE! Are you enjoying the good times? Have you achieved your goals and become comfortable in the knowledge that you have reached the zenith of your life and career? Bu

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “You’ve failed many times, although you may not remember. You fell down the first time you tried to walk. You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim, didn’t you? Did you hit the ball the first time you swung a bat? Heavy hitters, the ones who hit the most home runs, a

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace – and what did th

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “Your imagination is the preview to life’s coming attractions.”  ~ Albert Einstein YOU’RE THE STAR! Do you believe Orville & Wilbur were first to fly because they had a hammer, nails and a free weekend? Think the television was created by accident? Did Bill Gates just stumble

IS 2019 A GOOD TIME TO BUY A HOME IN PHOENIX? This is a hard question to answer across the board, because there are so many personal factors involved. But from a market standpoint, 2019 could be a great time to buy in the Phoenix area. Here are some of the reasons why: • Mortgage rates are still hov

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”  ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes   STUCK IN PORT?  Imagine the Pearl Harbor attack of 1941 going unanswered . . . Many of our ships found

8 Helpful Small Kitchen Appliances by Kathryn Weber There’s no question that large kitchen appliances get the job done. But when you need something done quickly or efficiently, sometimes it’s the little devices that offer big benefits. Here are eight that can help your kitchen efficiency and make me

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.”  ~ Dante   STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!  Think there’s any “moral crisis”  going on in our country right now? What about in our city? Our schools? Our neighborhood? W

THE GROCERY STORE SCOOP: Debunking Common Myths When you enter a grocery store, you’re suddenly faced with thousands of options. You want to get the staples you need and you want the best nutrition for your family, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed. How do you know what’s your best choice? “Options l

REMODEL NOW, SELL LATER? Q: Dear Jay, My husband and I and our two children live in a home that was built over 30 years ago and have never updated or remodeled. We’re planning on selling our home in three years when both of the kids are in college but, until then, we would like to make some improvem

INSPIRATION FOR TODAY: “We know we’re getting old when the only thing we want for our birthday is not to be reminded of it.”  ~ Unattributed THEY SAY IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY!    As you ponder possible New Year’s resolutions this month, consider this new spin on birthdays. Imagine that today it’s your bir

KIDS AND MONEY: THE GIFT OF A PROMISING FUTURE by Steve Rosen Instead of showering your child or grandchild with stuff and more stuff, give a gift that has more permanent value: a 529 college savings plan. And while shopping for a plan can be complicated and confusing, new research on 529s from Morn

WHAT DOES 2019 HOLD IN STORE FOR THE REAL ESTATE MARKET? The 2019 forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, some sun, and a chance for rain, according to an analysis by the Realtor.com economic team. NAR chief economist, Danielle Hale makes her predictions as we end the current year. • While higher pr