(Benjamin Franklin)

My dad used to tell me “Everything in moderation.”

Benjamin Franklin believed that passion is a desirable trait.

But, it must be applied only in pursuit of a reasonable objective.

I would add one more qualifier, OBTAINABLE.

Pursuit of the unobtainable is a waste of time and effort.

Do you have any goals for your life?

If you make a list, scratch out the ones that are unreasonable.

And zero in on the ones whose result would be “A life worth living!”

If not today, when?

(Charles Dickens

Good advice from Charles Dickens.

He was a famous English novelist who was considered the greatest novelist of the Victorian Age.

His works included A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, A Tale Of Two Cities and Great Expectations.

His advice to us is very profound, but hard to take because it’s hard to set past misfortunes aside and plan a better future.

But, that’s what we must do.

If not today, when?

The number of US cities where first-time homebuyers are faced with at least a $1 million price tag on the average entry-level home has nearly tripled in the past five years, according to new research.

A Thursday report from Zillow indicates that a typical starter home is now worth $1 million or more in 237 cities, up from 84 cities in 2019, underscoring America’s ongoing home affordability crisis.

“Affordability has been strained across the board,” Orphe Divounguy, a senior economist at Zillow, said.

“We see the largest number of million-dollar starter homes in expensive coastal markets.

We see them in markets with very low homeownership rates and we see them in markets with more building regulations.”

Almost half of the US cities with $1 million starter homes are in California. New York, New Jersey, Florida and Massachusetts.

Move To Another Employer-The best way to get a good raise is to move to another employer. Many have gotten a 20% and higher raises with the move. (Forbes.com)

Research Is Necessary– If you intend to stay with your present employer, you must find out the average pay for your job classification.

Presentation Of Accomplishments– You must be able to present a printed document describing the results you’ve had in your area of responsibilities.

Timing?– Don’t request a raise if the company is struggling financially. If, however, you have made a substantial accomplishment to the company’s success, the timing is right.

Focus On Your Results, Not your Time With The Company!– A reminder to your boss that you’ve been in your job a long time is the wrong thing to say. It gives your boss a guilt trip. Length of service doesn’t deserve a raise, RESULTS DO!

A toxic mix of surging rental rates and vanishing support for renters has catapulted evictions above pre-pandemic levels in some major cities.

Evictions have increased most significantly in Sun Belt cities where housing affordability has worsened and where renters often have fewer protections.

Tenant eviction filings are well above the pre-Covid average in Gainesville, Florida (+46%); Las Vegas (+43%); Houston (+42%); Phoenix (+35%); Nashville, Tennessee (+31%); and Fort Worth, Texas (+25%), according to records tracked by the Eviction Lab at Princeton University.

Experts blame a combination of higher rent, the expiration of Covid-era protections and policies that make it easier for landlords to evict tenants in some cities and states.

For the past two years, potential homebuyers have faced a double whammy of high prices and high mortgage rates.

But a recent report from real estate marketplace, Zillow, found that nearly one in four home sellers offered price cuts in June.

That’s the highest level for that month since 2018.

Also, the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell this week to its lowest level since mid-March.

This, along with a jump in new home construction and the expectation the Federal Reserve could begin cutting interest rates in September, could make buying a home more affordable in the future. (CNN)

Let’s hope so!

It’s an effort to stay in touch with distant relatives.

You just don’t have the intimacy with them and their kids.

And you miss many of each other’s significant events.

One of our sons and his wife had airline tickets to visit us last week.

The big power outage caused them to have to rent a car and drive for eight hours.

Their effort was greatly appreciated by our entire family.

It’s expensive, both in time and money. for either party to visit the other.

But, it’s important to maintain and enrich the relationship and to encourage the next generation to follow.

Although FACETIME enables both parties to see each other, it doesn’t replace an in-person visit.

Reciprocal visits can keep your relationship maintained and nurtured.

If not today, when?

It’s important to thank them while they are still available.

None of us have had accomplishments without the help of others.

I wish my dad was still alive.

He was the best role model anyone could ever hope for.

My spouse has blessed me in so many innumerable ways.

Dr. Roy Klages was the Marketing professor who sent me to a meeting where I met my future wife.

Who has made a difference in your life?

Yep, they’re beginning to be installed in Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama.

According to the American Rounds website, the distributor of the machines, AI technology scans the customer’s ID and facial recognition.

It can then verify the customer’s identity.

People objecting to the machines said that human workers, unlike vending machines, can evaluate the mental and emotional state of a customer. (CNN)

Well, there you have it, ammo available 24/7.

It was a good match from the start.

We were both 22 years old.

We had the same religion.

We both just graduated from college.

Both of our parents stayed together…

… “Till death do us part.”

We both wanted children.

We made major decisions together.

A piece of advice: If you have a disagreement today, it does not ever come up again.

We are both very grateful for this blessed day!