My Mind on Mortgages

Last week I wrote this post in response to an article in the NY Times that addressed the issue of whether or not your mortgage is a moral obligation or just an economic one.  The topic is gaining more and more attention as more and more homeowner’s watch the value of their home fall further [...]

Flying home from Dallas yesterday I picked up the latest issue of The Week which is a weekly magazine which acts as an aggregator of other published materials.  If you haven’t ever checked it out before you can do so here.
In the “Last Word” column they featured this article on the usage of checklists from [...]

Here are a couple classic shots from Aaron’s annual “Ugly Sweater” party.  Happy Holidays from the S & J Lending Team!

It just so happens that The Economist included a briefing on the derivatives market in this weeks print edition at the same time which my financial planning curriculum is covering the subject.
In studying these instruments for financial planning purposes I know first hand that these tools are difficult for most people to wrap their heads [...]

Our November 2009 newsletter is out and available.  They will be hitting mail slots this weekend.  You can click this link to view a copy.
The cover story covers details about the extension and expansion of the home-buying credit.
The article on the reverse side is about my academic pursuits at the University of Portland.
Enjoy!

We watched this video in my financial planning class this past Saturday.  This guy does a great job of explaining what a Credit Default Swap (CDS) and Credit Default Obligation (CDO) are.  The presenter also does a nice job of showing how a tangled web of these derivative contracts can lead to heightened systematic risk.  [...]

Apparently there is a new biography about Ayn Rand’s life out on the shelves.  I plan to purchase it in the near future.  Here is a link to the NY Times book review.  Maybe this will motivate me to finally get “The Fountainhead” up on my book review page.

Call me a geek if you’d like to: My new HP12C arrived today and it feels like Xmas around here.
In case you missed it here’s the background to this post.
Now it’s time to name the new one. Please leave suggestions in the comment box below.

The expiration of the $8,000 first-time homebuyer credit is only 52 days from today.  For those who qualify for the $8,000 credit they must close on their transaction no later than November 30th.  And although there has been much speculation about an extension of the credit; to date nothing has been passed by Congress and [...]

It is with great sadness that I report that today, after 8 years of loyal service, my partner who helped me originate over 700 loans since 2002 has passed away.  Don’t worry, Aaron is fine, I’m referring to my HP 12C.  If you have any loving memories of my HP 12C please feel free to [...]