The Shopping Nazi

Saving Money One Product at a Time

Beetle or Cooper

This week we have heard reports about gas prices are going up. After hitting a low of close to $3 per gallon for most of January, we are expecting gas prices to start climbing again. With gas prices climbing, the cost of driving our vehicles one mile has started to increase. For those of you who commute any distant to and from work, it will be a big impact on your budget. Like through out mo...

Wonderful World of Trade Shows

Las Vegas is a great place to go for a getaway vacation. It is also know as one of the most popular places to hold a trade show. If you look at the Las Vegas Convention Convention Center there is back to back trade shows. Still for someone like me, who happens to love trade shows, it is not practical for me to spend so much time in Vegas. In fact there is another location where I can go to a tr...

Do I Need Fancy Cleaners?

It is SuperBowl Sunday! There are going to be a lot of living rooms filled with football fans enjoying the big game. There is going to be some emotional highs and lows through out the game. Drinks and food is going to get spilled. Afterwards there will be some cleaning that need to be done. Depending on wild the party gets will depend on how much cleaning will need to be done. In preparation fo...

Gas Mileage Lies

On morning news there was a sniped about a lady who sued Honda for misrepresentation of their gas mileage. It was in small claims court, but still won $10,000. Interesting! It has become pretty much accepted, by all of us, what the sticker gas mileage would be under ideal condition. I am glad someone has stepped up to say, "We are not going to take it anymore!" When I look at different makes...

Touch Screen Desktop Computers

I first saw touch screens computers in the food processing industry back in the late 90's. Since then the technology and the price has been slowly been dropping. As a result we now see more cell phones with touch screens than without. The overall adoption of a touch screen desktop computer has been slow mostly because of the cost. We are seeing the price going under the $1,000 mark. This makes ...

Social Responsible Buying

Last week the name Foxconn and Apple were in all the headlines. It was not about great profits, or some new electronic gadget. It was about the inhumane treatment of the workers in China. What is interesting to note is that Foxconn does not just manufacture electronics for Apple. Foxconn manufacture over 50% of the electronics sold in the United States. Mistreatment of works or labors misbeh...

Secrets of Shopping Wal Mart

Midday on any Saturday or Sunday, at Wal Mart, finds families and couples getting their weekly shopping done. We are at the end of January. People are starting to recover from the Christmas shopping madness. Walking we were greeted by a your 60 oriental lady. I think it is great that Wal Mart seek to find jobs for elderly on fixed incomes. After a quick stop by the cosmetic section for some...

Search for a Practical Usable Tablet

Since before Thanksgiving I have been slowing giving into the idea of getting a tablet. I have looked at all the major brands of tablets and eReaders. I have been trying to imagine how often I would use it. I watch how other people would use their tablets. While attending a local trade show I noticed a large majority of the vendors were using iPads. There were only a few who had other tablets....

Cruise or Not to Cruise

Here we are at the end of January 2012. Texas is getting heavy rains. Snow and Cold is covering most all of the northern hemisphere. I close my eyes and think of a hot summer day with the sun beating down on may face. Then in an instant, I jump into a nice cool swimming pool. Yes, what better time to plan a summer vacation than when the chilling cold is biting your bones, and the sky is all gloomy...

When Not to File an Insurance Claim

Have you been in an auto accident or had water damage from the washing machine over flowing? Then got on the phone calling your insurance company for a claim that was only for a few hundred dollars. Did you know you do not have to file an insurance claim every time you are eligible to file. If you read your insurance policy carefully, you will find you will be penalized if you file ...

Your Loan is Approved! Maybe Not?

Posted By: Craig Ballhagen on February 9, 2010 in Home, Housing - Comments: Comments Off

It is pretty exciting news for first time home buyers when your loan officer calls to say, YOU ARE APPROVED! That is great news! Hold on, not so fast! Maybe not?

If a home buyer is applying for a conventional loan with less than 20% down, private mortgage insurance approval is necessary. Potential home buyers and Realtors, need to know that just because the lender has issued a loan approval, it doesn’t mean the deal is done.