Lifestyle Columns
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Tenant disappears, leaving landlord in the lurchJan 09, 2010 10:00 pm - Q. I was renting my condominium to a guy, who just disappeared after about four months. After I got the place rented again, I tracked the guy down and filed a lawsui...
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Don't refi for the wrong reasonsJan 09, 2010 10:00 pm - In a recent article on lifestyle mistakes by mortgage borrowers, I gave an example of such a mistake that touched a nerve on the part of some readers. I said in the arti...
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Crack in sump may not be a problem if basement is dryJan 09, 2010 10:00 pm - Q. I bought a new home last year, and it seems like there is always something to repair. The house is only eight years old, but I decided to replace the sump pump, a...
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Documenting false income to gain a new mortgage is a crimeJan 09, 2010 10:00 pm - Q. I will try to make this short. I bought my condo in 2006. My mortgage rate becomes adjustable in 2011. I am upside down $85,000. I originally bought for $435,000;...
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Despite stop signs, idea of marriage enters the pictureJan 08, 2010 10:00 pm - Q. For the last seven months, I have been exclusively dating a man who I am crazy about. When we first met, he told me he had been single for 15-plus years and "didn...
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Extend the life of your paintbrushes with these easy tipsJan 07, 2010 10:00 pm - Sometimes you can get away with buying cheap paintbrushes or pads. These usually are meant to be thrown away after each project. But some of us like to use really good b...
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Most people won't owe taxes after selling home at a profitJan 07, 2010 10:00 pm - Most sellers can keep up to $500,000 of their profit away from the Internal Revenue Service, even if they then decide to rent a new home instead of purchasing one. Q...
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Is Reitman's 'Up in the Air' a Scrooge clone?Jan 07, 2010 10:00 pm - I have seen Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air" five times now, and I've decided that the rom-com is an update of the Charles Dickens' holiday classic "Christmas Carol" with...
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'Young Victoria' director on Chicago: 'It's lovely'Jan 07, 2010 10:00 pm - Normally, an explanation of why people kill people and the secret to writing good historical dramas don't pop up in the same conversation. But a chat with British actor,...
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A number of products help reduce air leaks around your attic openingJan 07, 2010 10:00 pm - Q. I use the attic floor for storage. When I recently went up there, I noticed there is no insulation or weatherstripping on the cover into the attic. Will I save en...