Latest news with #house
The Guardian
2 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Why do I still see my siblings as the people they were in childhood?
I am spending a lot of time at my late mother's house, sorting things out, wondering why she had so much asafoetida and thinking about the past. Every time I'm there, my sister asks me to water the garden, and I never do. Then she says: 'Please, just do the window boxes, otherwise the plants will die,' and I still don't. 'I may come and take the potted plants away, or you could take some, if you want to kill them in your own house?', she says, and still I ignore her, because I don't know anything about gardening. So it follows that, being my sibling, she doesn't either. No amount of evidence to the contrary – her own, frankly magnificent garden – can convince me otherwise. This is a two-way street. She is a fashion designer and exquisite draughtsperson – which I, also, after many decades, have yet to wrap my head around – but she can't drive, and if ever she is a passenger when I'm driving, she is on red alert, pointing out things – mainly other cars, pedestrians, trees – as if, without her intervention, I would plough straight into them. Our brother is a skilled decorator and, when he uses words such as 'primer' and 'dust sheet', I can't help looking at him as if a cat is talking. He is a photographer by profession, and, even if we point the same phone at the same object, he creates images that are unfathomably deeper and more pleasing than mine. I look on this not so much as a knowledge base he has that I don't, and more like an act of hocus-pocus. My other brother is a maths teacher, my other sister is a physicist, and I cannot describe how fanciful I find it that they may really be doing these jobs. Obviously, I have to pretend to believe it. I don't even know whether you get wired in childhood to think all knowledge is equally distributed because otherwise it isn't fair, or that every fine difference in skillset is just a question of whoever is younger catching up. But no amount of adulthood can overturn it. Anyway, I couldn't help but notice that, after it rained, the garden looked amazing. It's possible my sister is right on this one thing. Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Think You're Ready to Buy a House? Ramit Sethi Says This One Mistake Could Ruin You
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Many people view buying a house as a critical piece of the American Dream, but if you approach it in the wrong way, you can become house poor and wind up in a troubling financial situation. Financial personality Ramit Sethi wants to help people avoid that fate and has laid out some ground rules for buying a house. Even though housing prices have continued to soar, Sethi advocates for putting 20% down. He says that some people think the rule no longer applies to them due to rising costs and opt for 3% down payments instead of 20% down payments. Don't Miss: He offers a blunt analysis for anyone who is considering the 3% down payment route. "That is inviting disaster," Sethi stated. These are some important details Sethi mentions for aspiring homeowners. A House Is One Of The Biggest Decisions Of Your Life Sethi brings up the gravity of buying a house, labeling it as the biggest decision of your life. In the pecking order, deciding which house to buy may only fall behind choosing your spouse. A house is a substantial purchase, as it's the biggest expense item for most people. Monthly mortgage payments will eat up the majority of your budget. The 28% rule suggests that a mortgage shouldn't take up more than 28% of your budget. However, more people have been creeping higher than the 28% threshold for their purchases. Sethi doesn't tackle the 28% rule in this video, but he is also a fan of that rule. He explains that it's okay to inch monthly mortgage payments to a little above 30% of your budget if you have to, but you shouldn't extend too far beyond the 28% threshold. He's more direct in this video about making a 20% down payment. While it's easier and faster to buy a house with a 3% down payment, you don't want to rush to choose a spouse either. Saving money and delaying your path to homeownership will put you in a better position when you are ready to make a 20% down payment. Trending: With Point, you can get up to $500,000 in cash from your property with no monthly payments and no income requirements — even if your credit isn't perfect. What Happens When Your House Needs Repairs? Homeowners who only make 3% down payments on their homes will have higher monthly mortgage payments. They'll also have to deal with private mortgage insurance premiums until they have 20% equity in their homes.
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Orillia's great flag challenge names most patriotic street
Orillia's great flag challenge resulted in one street being named the winner with 95 Canadian flags per house.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Why do I still see my siblings as the people they were in childhood?
I am spending a lot of time at my late mother's house, sorting things out, wondering why she had so much asafoetida and thinking about the past. Every time I'm there, my sister asks me to water the garden, and I never do. Then she says: 'Please, just do the window boxes, otherwise the plants will die,' and I still don't. 'I may come and take the potted plants away, or you could take some, if you want to kill them in your own house?', she says, and still I ignore her, because I don't know anything about gardening. So it follows that, being my sibling, she doesn't either. No amount of evidence to the contrary – her own, frankly magnificent garden – can convince me otherwise. This is a two-way street. She is a fashion designer and exquisite draughtsperson – which I, also, after many decades, have yet to wrap my head around – but she can't drive, and if ever she is a passenger when I'm driving, she is on red alert, pointing out things – mainly other cars, pedestrians, trees – as if, without her intervention, I would plough straight into them. Our brother is a skilled decorator and, when he uses words such as 'primer' and 'dust sheet', I can't help looking at him as if a cat is talking. He is a photographer by profession, and, even if we point the same phone at the same object, he creates images that are unfathomably deeper and more pleasing than mine. I look on this not so much as a knowledge base he has that I don't, and more like an act of hocus-pocus. My other brother is a maths teacher, my other sister is a physicist, and I cannot describe how fanciful I find it that they may really be doing these jobs. Obviously, I have to pretend to believe it. I don't even know whether you get wired in childhood to think all knowledge is equally distributed because otherwise it isn't fair, or that every fine difference in skillset is just a question of whoever is younger catching up. But no amount of adulthood can overturn it. Anyway, I couldn't help but notice that, after it rained, the garden looked amazing. It's possible my sister is right on this one thing. Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnist
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
I've had an affair in EVERY decade of my marriage: In my 20s it was revenge. In my 30s I wanted someone who listened. In my 40s I needed a boost. And then my 50s betrayal changed everything...
Sitting in the kitchen of our oldest friends' house – somewhere we could talk away from the children – I watched, detached, as my husband Andrew tried to defend his affair. 'It was just sex,' he said. 'It didn't mean anything. I know how you must feel, but please believe me when I say that.'
