Advice for the New Year

I've spent the better part of the year reading about the Housing Bubble at Housing Panic, among other sites. Google "housing bubble," read and weep.

Some predict a full-blown Depression will result from the greed, with bank failures and massive unemployment and homelessness. Others claim we'll go through an inflationary period with static wages.

To help my friends and readers live below their means and prepare for the future, some favorite DIY and economizing sites:

Hillbilly Housewife
Do-it 101
DIY Network
Ron Hazelton
BuildIt Solar - save energy!
Frugal Homemaker
Miserly Moms
Frugal Families

More in another post :-).

powered by performancing firefox

Another Washington Parish blog

Listed at NOLA.com - here.

powered by performancing firefox

Another Louisiana blog

Found it at We Saw That:

CenLamar.

They get a lot of visitors - give 'em a few more! Good reading about our neighbors to the west. Whoops, all of our Louisiana neighbors are to the west, lol.

Will add it to the blogroll ASAP - when Darling Son isn't itchin' to play Second Life

powered by performancing firefox

Speaking of real estate...

I went over to Realtor.com and looked up what's for sale in 70427. 79 properties as of this moment.

Seems a bit odd to see a number of apparently livable small homes offered for around $50k, and only one rental. We short of rental property here? I didn't know.

The Daily News classifieds have a few homes for rent - One for $700, and one offered at $550 per month or buy it for $42k.

Are the apartments in Bogalusa all full? Or don't they advertise?

powered by performancing firefox

NAR will bite the dust?

Via the Marin Real Estate Bubble blog:

A Chicago district court cleared the way Tuesday for the Department of Justice to proceed with its antitrust lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

The DoJ contends the NAR is engaging in anti-competitive behavior against online home brokers.

Hmmm. The internet results in better, lower-priced service, and the dinosaur NAR acts like a jerk and tries to protect their interests.



Here are the filings at the DoJ site, for you legal beagles who understand such stuff.

powered by performancing firefox

Daily News Watch

They didn't update their site in an age.

Now they have. But if you search the archives for articles between Dec. 7 and Dec. 19, there's nothing, nada, zero, zip.

Sheesh.

Food reviews at Amazon

Read 'em. They're a scream.

powered by performancing firefox

A-maze-ing

Corn maze in Hickory. Or maybe it's a maize maze?

Closed this year due to Katrina. Open again in 2007.

Sounds like a fun activity with the kids, huh?

New disaster program sign-up begins

Read all about it here. Aid is available for producers who suffered losses due to the 2005 hurricanes.

Apply at local FSA offices or USDA Service Centers.

Fact sheets are online at www.fsa.usda.gov under "disaster assistance programs."

Lock up your cows!

A couple jerks swiped a calf, got caught:

Two Tangipahoa Parish men were arrested on theft and criminal trespassing charges in early December for allegedly stealing a calf from a Ponchatoula cattlewoman, Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Bob Odom said.

“During the holidays people start looking for ways to get quick cash so livestock owners need to be aware of what is going on in their pastures. Know how many animals you have out there and be sure to report any that come up missing,” Odom said.

A 17-year-old from Hammond and Bradley Hayes, 18, 175 Nellwood Drive in Ponchatoula, were booked by the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Department after an investigation by Department of Agriculture and Forestry Brand Commission Officer Scott Lee of Kentwood.