Archive for July, 2011

Why The US Government Needs Their Own FICO Score

With all of the talk about the national debt, isn’t it curious that our federal government can be in debt by literally trillions of dollars and yet it is nearly impossible for hard working Americans to secure a loan to purchase a home? The government has the audacity to put restrictions on whether we can get credit or not, and yet they themselves spend freely, with no apparent concern over when (and if) they can pay their own bills, endangering our economy on a global scale. Maybe they should pay attention to their own FICO score.

FICO scores are increasingly important in today’s economy. The reality in the housing market right now is that unless you have nearly perfect credit, it is difficult to get a home loan. The only way to keep good credit is by paying your bills on time. On the face of it, that shouldn’t be terribly difficult if you have a job and don’t purchase more than you can afford. However, if you find yourself in a crisis, your credit score will take a nosedive, very quickly. The people that already do have homes are getting very little grace from their own banks if they have a family disaster that impacts their finances, whether it might be unexpected medical bills or the loss of a job.

Dire things happen when the government can’t pay their bills. We are seeing more and more people who work for their local, state and federal governments who are being laid off or furloughed for an extended period of time, putting them in a difficult position. Without knowing whether their job will continue, or when, they are unable to move on to a new position or career, effectively putting them in job limbo. All of this is happening at the same time the government at large is arguing about larger government or smaller government and refusing to pay the people they have already hired. When these government employees are furloughed, disaster begins to trickle down. The government can’t pay their employees, so those employees can’t pay their bills. Lucky for the government – they don’t have a FICO score to maintain.

The bottom line is that nobody is getting a break. Things we need to buy every day are more expensive than ever and people need their jobs in order to pay their mortgages. Banks are more skittish than ever because of the recent downturn in the economy and require their note-holders to pay their mortgages on time or face penalties. When you add the government’s erratic behavior to the mix, the trickle down effect means that no one is getting the help that they need, and there is nothing left in the cupboard for a rainy day. People are living on fumes.

What’s the solution? For you and me, it’s to be careful with our jobs and our finances. For the government, it’s to help the people that really need help without being hypocritical. It’s time for the government to pay attention to their own FICO score. We’d all be better off for it.

The bottom line is: If the Federal Government credit rating is slipping, The States credit rating is slipping and your Local cities credit rating has slipped.

Location of Most Celebrity Homes

For most, celebrity homes tend to be a source of fascination and to just gawp at the locations where the rich and famous permanently or temporarily live is already exhilarating. It would even be more breathtaking to have that one-off chance of seeing the stars in person.

When talking of real estates, these celebrity homes are chosen in as much as average Joes buy and sell estates. Most are preferred because they are most convenient when it comes down to workplace, friendship and colleague, school, and transportation matters. Although privacy can be a big factor, celebrity homes are selected on the bases of affordability, practicality and where celebrities generally spend their time. Well, it is not much of a top-secret about where these homes are. So, let us take a brief tour around the best and most wonderful locations of celebrity homes, and have a feel of their grandeur lifestyle.

Being the primary home base for movie, television and recording industries, it is considerably a given fact that Los Angeles has become the terrain for most celebrity homes. Beverly Hills or West Hollywood area, for most of the grander L.A. region has come to be the area where a lot of the top names in the movie business either buy or lease. Santa Monica and Malibu have become well-known beach communities.

Home to many television’s daylight, night-time and late night shows, and Broadway, Midtown Manhattan is substantially the chief destination for most stage actors. Many of New York’s suburbs are home to a lot of the glitterati.

Several musicians, fashion icons and athletes choose to live in Miami and nigh Fort Lauderdale. There are even over thirty celebrity homes in Miami. One famous basketball personality has his celebrity home on Starr Island, and other icons are from the same locality. Lots of former Miami Hurricanes, Florida Marlins and Miami Dolphins celebrities reside in the area as well.

Chicago, a dwelling place to the “Second City” group, is known for being home to some of the top actors and comedians. Local sports prodigies are relatively visible, and much obviously, the new president gives pride to Chicago’s celebrity standing either.

Atlanta, home to the rising Southern rap and hip hop genre, has indeed become a leading city in the industry of music. Famous hip hop, RNB and country stars have their homes situated in the city.

Nashville City is home to many of the country music’s promising personalities. Celebrity homes of some actresses and singers are in nearby Franklin, Tennessee.

Home to the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, the NBA’s Bobcats and NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte of New Carolina is also a definite spot for celebrity homes.

Being the state capital of Texas and the location of the University of Texas, Austin draws a variety of personalities, from a company CEO, to well-known road racing cyclist and actors. It is where some of the music industry’s stars also dwell.

It is the home or the celebrity residing that we are eager to find out more about. Celebrity homes are likely to have unique styles and marvelous features, like swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, helicopter landing pad, high-end electronic equipment, and home spas, Jacuzzis and gyms. In the light of all the knowledge of celebrity houses however, it is also very essential to understand and consider the privacy that these celebrities hope and ask for. They are also human beings. A celebrity’s life is already full of contradictions. Try not to add more to that.