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Showing posts from April, 2017
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Now is the time to purchase new construction Trump slaps 20% tariff on Canadian softwood   WASHINGTON (AP) – April 25, 2017 – The Trump administration moved Monday to impose a 20 percent tariff on softwood lumber entering the United States from Canada, escalating an intensifying trade dispute between the two countries. The president announced the decision during a gathering with conservative media outlets at the White House Monday evening. Trump's initial comments were relayed by four people who were in the room and confirmed by an administration official. On Twitter, Breitbart News White House correspondent Charlie Spiering quoted Trump as saying, "We're going to be putting a 20 percent tax on softwood lumber coming in – tariff on softwood coming into the United States from Canada." The Commerce Department later announced it had reached a preliminary determination and would impose countervailing duties ranging from 3 percent to 24 percent on import
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Major changes coming to credit score calculations          The math behind your credit score is getting an overhaul, with changes big enough that they might alter the behavior of both cautious spenders as well as riskier borrowers. Most notably for those with high scores: Abiding by the golden rule of "don't close your credit card accounts" may now hurt your standing. On the other side, those with low scores may benefit from the removal of civil judgments, medical debts and tax liens as factors. Beyond determining whether someone gets approved for a credit card, a credit score can affect what interest rate and what spending limit are offered. The new method is being implemented later this year by VantageScore, a company created by the credit bureaus Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. It's not as well-known as Fair Isaac Corp., whose FICO score is used for the vast majority of mortgages. But VantageScore handled 8 billion account applications last year, s
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Forget millennials: Gen X driving today’s market                 Millennials often get all the attention, but members of Generation X are really the ones driving the housing market lately. Gen Xers – adults between the ages of 37 and 51 – make up the second largest share of home buyers, comprising 28 percent in 2016, according to data from the National Association of Realtors ®  (NAR). They're also buying the largest, most expensive homes compared to any other generation. The median price of homes purchased by Gen X buyers is $261,000, and the median size of the homes is 2,100 square feet, according to NAR. Further, Gen Xers boast a median household income of $106,600 – higher than any other generation. Some Gen Xers are drawn to previously owned homes for their charm and character, while others prefer new homes so they can customize design features, NAR data shows. Gen X buyers are also the most likely to purchase a home in neighborhoods that are co