April 28, 2019

Want to sell your home and buy another? Sellers may be more willing to work with you

A home sale contingency is a common inclusion in a real estate contract. With this provision accepted, the buyer can sell their existing home by a specified date. Then, the contract can proceed and the buyer can purchase the new home from the seller. This arrangement to sell your home and buy another makes things easier for a repeat buyer looking to move on to a second or subsequent home.

Problem is, no seller is crazy about a contingency that makes it easier to sell your home and buy another. In recent years, it was harder to get sellers to agree to this. That’s because it was more of a seller’s market and there was more competition for homes for sale. But new data show that sellers may be more willing to work with buyers who have a home to sell. That’s good news for buyers.

Learn more about this latest trend by reading my newest article published by The Mortgage Reports, available here.

April 21, 2019

My podcast gets pulpy

In episode #10 of the Cineversary podcast, host Erik Martin invites Filmspotting podcast co-host Adam Kempenaar to join him for a bowl of Fruit Brute cereal, a Big Kahuna burger, and a $5 milkshake from Jackrabbit Slims as they honor the 25th birthday of Quentin Tarantino's masterwork "Pulp Fiction." Erik and Adam explore why the movie is worth celebrating all these years later, its cultural impact and legacy, what we can learn from the picture today, how it has stood the test of time, and more.

To listen to this episode, click the "play button" on the embedded streaming player below. Or, you can stream, download or subscribe to the Cineversary podcast using Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Anchor, Breaker, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Google Play Music, Overcast, Pocket Casts, PodBean, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher, and TuneIn.

Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at tinyurl.com/cineversarypodcast, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/cineversarypodcast, and email show comments or suggestions to cineversegroup@gmail.com.

April 7, 2019

Time's up for high tolerance

If the #TimesUp and #MeToo movement has taught us anything, it’s that undesired sexual advances and inappropriate sexual contact and comments are top of mind in the workplace today, and for good reason: Women and men alike are fed up with this behavior, and they’re less likely to tolerate it any longer.

But despite the outing of accused high profile business moguls like Harvey Weinstein and Les Moonves, sexual harassment remains a big problem in the work environment—for both big and small businesses.

For proof, ponder the latest data. A 2018 Stop Street Harassment report reveals that 38 percent of women and 13 percent of men suffer sexual harassment on the job. According to a 2018 Hiscox Workplace Harassment Study, 41 percent of female employees and over one-third of all workers say they’ve been harassed at work; 78 percent of those accused are men, and 73 percent hold a senior position to the accuser; and 45 percent of employees have observed a co-worker’s harassment in the workplace. Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported that sexual harassment claims for the year ending Sept. 30, 2018, increased 12 percent over the prior year.

Being able to respond appropriately to an employee’s sexual harassment complaint, should one arise, requires a better grasp of what constitutes sexual harassment and effective implementation of policies, processes and training. I write about this topic in my latest article for The US Chamber of Commerce's new website, CO–, geared toward small business owners. Read the full story here.

April 1, 2019

Let there be (smart) light

For its first 140 years, the light bulb hasn’t given us much to get excited about—you turn it on and off with a switch and replace it when it burns out (likely prematurely). But today, if you crave more control as well as practical and creative options that can transform the way you illuminate your home, there’s an innovative alternative: the smart bulb. It uses LED and wireless technology that allows you to conveniently manage and program your lights using an app or voice assistant, set a desired mood, and reduce your electric bills.

For some bright ideas on how to choose and implement smart lights in your home or office, read my newest article for The Costco Connection magazine, available here.