What’s going on guys? As the summer gets hotter, we start to use much more water, whether to cool down, or drink. In order to save some money on water bills, in my primary residence as well as investment properties, I took a trip to the Department of Public Works and got some free aerators.

After installation, they claim to save you 4% on your water bill. I was only able to receive one set per household unit, but I’m sure you can keep going back for more. Check it out!

It is best to install these first on your rental properties as tenants are much less likely to help you save water, especially if their utility costs are included in their monthly rent.

See you in seven!

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to my full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox.

Hello again folks! Now, I know what most of you are thinking right now, after reading the title to this post: Are you kidding me?!? And with good reason too, I might add.

For those of you not familiar with Oakland, California, please check out their Wikipedia profile here. For the rest, let me first clarify. When I said hot, I never meant it in a positive way.

Anyways, it immediately caught my eye, when Oakland 94606 was named one of the top 10 “hottest” real-estate markets in the country, in Zip Realty’s second-quarter Home Hunter Report.

Zip Realty is an online real-estate company that went public in 2004. It turns out, that the reason they bestowed the “hottest” honor on this particular Oakland area, was based on the number of offers on homes that were higher than their lists prices. The reality is that these days, this is principally happening when bargain-basement foreclosures prompt bidding wars between buyers.

So, is this something to get excited about? Nah, not so much. It just goes to show that the media can put a positive spin on just about anything to raise public moral. The truth? The economy is just as crappy as it was six months ago, and the rich are just getting richer. Oakland residents are unable to pay for their houses, so they are losing them to foreclosure at high rates. Then, the rich scoop them up at bargain prices, and rent them back to the residents!

Nice scam, eh? That’s business! Keep it here folks. Be back in seven.

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to my full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox.

Welcome back to another segment of how to get rich and stay rich, clothing and accessories style! Today, I will be talking about another one of men’s essentials, the man’s umbrella, and the symbolic swagger that comes with it.

It is difficult to say when we considered umbrellas disposable. Perhaps it was long after some schmuck created the collapsible version. And in reducing it to a mere functional tool as opposed to an accessory, the true symbolic meaning of the man’s umbrella – the sword, the vestigial battle-axe, the swagger stick – became lost.

So, today I am going to show you how I added my first man’s umbrella to my collection. And on a budget to boot!

Now, if money were not an issue, I’d run out and purchase a silver handle, bespoke Brigg Umbrella for $3,000.00 plus, in a heart beat. But, I’m on a budget. But, I’m not sacrificing my taste in quality.

So, instead I scoured eBay for an old Fox Paragon umbrella, manufactured by British steelmaker Samuel Fox. I managed to find two (a men’s and women’s) for around $40.00 a pop. I then contacted and sent the two units to the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn and the only known expert umbrella man left in the United States, Gilbert Center. Check it out!

Center recanopied both the paragons in pristine black nylon, striped rust from the frames, polished the brass tips, and gave one of the faux ivory handles a bit of TLC. The result? two rapier-thin 1950s umbrellas that total less than $120.00 each.

So, go out there guys and gals. Find your own umbrellas before the rainy seasons begins. Or, use it to dispatch evildoers and hail cabs. When properly cared for, your umbrella can last a lifetime. Just remember, your umbrella shouldn’t fold up in your briefcase, and should not be sold in bargain bins. It should be able to fend off thugs!

See you in seven!

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to my full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox.

So it finally happened. Someone out there stole my credit card number and bought a bunch of phone card charges with it. Funny thing is, I never lost my card. It was still in my wallet!

So people, beware of identity theft: protect yourself. Now more than ever in this economy. My deduction is that when I gave the waiter at a restaurant my card to pay for the meal, the number was swiped. I did some research and found out that international phone cards do not need more than a credit card number to re-charge. The culprit then takes these fresh cards and sells them for less than face value. Viola! Instant 100% profit for the scumbag.

As you may have already seen, in the recent months, there have been different scams and frauds in the news, as well as some credit and debit cards being compromised from a certain processor.

I would like to share a few effective ways on how you can keep your accounts safe:

- Check your account statements for fraudulent activity every month. If you see any suspicious charges, notify your financial institution immediately.

- Sign up for Online Banking to keep track of your transactions in real-time.

- Do not call unknown phone numbers or visit suspicious web addresses.

- Do not give out account numbers or other personal financial information, unless you initiate contact.

- Shred personal and financial information before recycling.

- Ignore any correspondence with urgent requests for personal financial information. Many scammers will include upsetting or exciting messages to get people to react immediately.

- Review your credit report annually (or tri-annually, like I taught you). Visit Annual Credit Report dot Com.

- Use cash for smaller transactions.

Luckily, I called my bank in time and reported the incident. All is safe. See you in seven-ish!

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to my full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox.

Hi guys! I was trolling on the internet the other day and came across this article that I found would be of interest you readers. It is called, “How Do I Negotiate in Real Estate.” Now, I do not agree with everything in the article but I do think that it is a good read for anyone who is thinking about any major purchases in the near future.

The article hit upon topics like, Should I Rely on the Agent? It warns that a Realtor, though charged with a fiduciary duty, may not always be on your side. his may be true. Remember, the agent gets nothing if the deal doesn’t close. The seller will always want more and the buyer will always want to pay less. So, think about this next time you work with an agent.

Another section I found interesting was, Are You Your Own Worst Enemy? Many people are so scared of getting ripped off that they will be so intent on not acting like a fool, they do not notice the most obvious pitfalls. Others do not want to seem incompetant and will act like such a know-it-all that it puts sellers and seller agents off.

Further down the article, you will find discussions on how to negotiate successfully, how much to offer, and whether or not to lowball. All in all, not a bad way to spend ten minutes on reading. You are, after all, improving yourself.

If you like this post then please consider subscribing to my full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by Email and have new posts sent directly to your inbox.