Recent content by varelse

Savvy realtors have already figured out how to exploit Zillow. Since the foolish thing is just an automated formula with wild variance (see previous post), they have found that they can do a better off-the-cuff appraisal themselves and present it to potential customers. Since it's usually...

Amusing anecdote: If I enter the room count of my house, its appraisal drops 20%. However, if I enter the room count of a comp from my original appraisal that was <1% higher in value at the time, its current value jumps 400%. Oh well, it seemed like a cool site. I do like how it will...

I bought my house with significant remodeling done to it - they gutted the interior and started from scratch. Anyway, I'd say the thing is accurate if I tag on the wholesale price of the remodeling. Which doesn't seem to be reflected at all in the pricing.

Everyone around me told me to buy GOOG. Even my girlfriend was pumping it to me. I asked her if she'd play Russian Roulette for $1M a round. She declined and seemingly suddenly understood my take on the sucker. I do think it will stabilize around $300 though, but were it to overreact to...

Wages, profits from sales of assets, interest, and inheritances. Pretty much everything that brings in the money if I missed anything.

Every year I figure out the zero-point where if there were a flat-tax with an exemption equal to the median US income, I'd pay the same taxes. That comes out to 16-18%. I think Prohibition shows us what would happen with the Fair Tax: a huge black market and higher crime to support that...

1. 20% Flat Income Tax, no deductions except 2. A $40K exemption from taxes The end of my zero-sum tax plan game... Addenda if you want to get fancy: 1. Eliminate taxation for dividends at the corporate level. 2. Eliminate taxation on reinvested dividends. 3. Eliminate caps on...

Just a survey: I'm betting on $300 myself.

That's 'cuz they *are* mostly right ;-)... It's those times that they're wrong that make all the difference...

Could have been employee #3 of The Yost Group (the guys who made 3D Studio)... I feel your pain...