I don’t know. While the earth is warming on average, the weather fluctuations are becoming more extreme even on the colder side with the occasional broadening of the polar vortex. So warmer averages with more surprise frosts could be in the cards.
“Therefore a decision was made to exceptionally and temporarily increase the regulatory limit to 15% - only for this year,” she said.
“The 2026 growing season will be remembered as one of the most unusual in Champagne’s history, marked by severe spring frosts of historic intensity, an exceptionally early flowering period and five heatwaves throughout the summer.” it added.
Oh the adorable optimism. To borrow from Homer, “the most unusual, so far.” I don’t think climate change is done with Europe yet.
Those were the median in 2023:
Total loan costs, which include origination fees and discount points, also increased between 2022 and 2023, with faster increases for Hispanic white and Black borrowers. The median total loan costs for home purchase loans in 2023 was $6,684, up by 12.2 percent from $5,954 in 2022. The median total loan costs for refinance loans reached $7,329 in 2023, compared to $4,979 in 2022–a 47.2 percent increase. Notably, Hispanic white and Black borrowers experienced faster increases in the median total loan costs for home purchase loans in 2023 compared to 2022 than Asian and non-Hispanic white borrowers.
Like any median, it’s the 50/50 midpoint, so some payed less others more, but it is usually in the range of 3-6% of principal.
Most folks have already hit the highlights like Linux support, customer service, pricing, etc. another I haven’t seen is the toolkit for devs and server hosts. I host a ton of game servers, and for most steam games it really is a trivial cookie cutter application of steamcmd to get a Linux dedicated server up and going. And because the devs built for the platform, the admin features all often use simple steam IDs for game permissions, making it easy to manage that functionality as well with a group of friends.
Basically, a ton of things just work consistently. Not to mention the pricing and early access fosters a lot of creativity. And my barotrauma, enshrouded, ut2004, TTT, prop hunt, vrising, etc servers are all basically an identical launch config with a slightly different appid and it all just works.
You don’t get that from the pirated versions or from gog generally.
What you’re saying is mostly correct but the conclusion that a 0.25% rate reduction could pay off in less than a year is overly optimistic for most any borrower in the US mortgage market.
Using their example:
As interest rates fall, millions of borrowers may be able to refinance and get more affordable payments. As interest rates eased down to 6.5%, about 2.5 million borrowers could already refinance and save at least 75 basis points (0.75%) on their interest rate, according to data from ICE Mortgage Technology. A reduction in rate from 7.25% to 6.5% would result in a $200 monthly savings on a $400,000 loan with a similar term. If interest rates fall to 5.5%, more than 7 million borrowers can potentially refinance, and over 5 million of these refi candidates got their mortgages in the past three years.
So a .75% reduction saves $200 a month on their example mortgage, meaning that to make a refinance break even in less than a year would require origination and other fees to be less that 12*$200 = $2,400, and that’s with 3x greater reduction in rate than your statement.
Given that the 2023 median refinance fees were around $7,000, often ranging from 3%-6% of the principal, you would need a more substantial rate reduction to break even on 0.25 in one year, and in that range would likely have a 8-10 year break even.
Which is fine if you strongly expect to stay in the house for at least that long.
Note: while pre-approval letters didn’t generally obligate you to use that lender, the general statement that a contract isn’t a contract until money changes hands isn’t correct as consideration under a contract can take many forms, so talk to a lawyer about your specific situation.
The rest of the advice is good. Shop around for mortgages, look at mortgage brokers and credit unions, keep your old payment to accelerate payment (though it might be better to invest the difference depending on rates), and to run the numbers for your actual mortgage as the refinance market changes is all sound.
It’s interesting; I was listening to a recent NPR Planet Money podcast about why the US doesn’t have guaranteed vacation like all other high income countries. Much of it boiled down to history and politics, but one point that stuck out to me is that unions actually at one point opposed guaranteed vacation days, because if the government has laws for worker rights and leave, it reduces the demand for unions.
I don’t know how much of a factor it is today, but for reference, I have a highly sought set of skills and experience in the US, and I get 35 paid holiday days per year, virtually unlimited sick leave, a two for one 401k match, comprehensive medical and dental, continuing education stipend, etc. Not guaranteed by law, but provided as work incentives.
I wonder if much of the middle class here didn’t have such things, how many more laws or unions we would have to get them.
Dead Man’s Fingers
Gift article from the NY times explaining.
But influx from the state, taxes on second homes, deferred payments to pension programs, and a host of compromises. He in no way raised $12Bn in new revenue through taxes to cover the deficit.
Lots of people have lied, but one situation stood out.
Years and years ago I trained in MMA with two guys who were brothers from Europe and we competrd in martial arts tournaments around the country. This was before MMA really took off, so think lots of gyms with competition mats hosted by regional kyukushin and other styles of karate dojos. We grew pretty close, training, competing, traveling.
One day get a call from one of them from jail. With no accent like they had always had. They had abducted a 17 year old highschool kid and murdered him execution style in the middle of nowhere after being paid by a drug dealer the kid owed weed money to. And they had priors for abuse against minors.
Never had a perception of a person do such a complete 180 so fast. Literally makes your head spin. Never really trusted strangers until I did independent verification of their backgrounds after that. They completely lived a lie to a whole crowd of us while training and competing. Just crazy to think about.
Delaware is pretty much a sandbar with corn off of Maryland’s coast.
The core of the DC metro is encircled by interstate 495 (the capital beltway or just the beltway) which forms a ring around DC proper and a bit of Maryland and Virginia. The wider region is often called the DMV: DC, Maryland, and Virginia region.
Inside the beltway and just outside is pretty urban and tends to be expensive. Cost decreased the further outside of the beltway you go. The DC metro serves the region with light rail with connections to the bus system and heavy rail (MARC and Amtrak). Manny employers will provide metro passes so it’s with asking about.
Virginia to the south tends to be less expensive than Maryland to the north of the Beltway. That said there are differences in public transit and other municipal services. Maryland taxes are higher but you get more services. What matters is knowing what those services are and if you will benefit from them.
The DC light rail has three main points you might connect in from outside the beltway. The orange and silver line, which run to the West of DC. The yellow line which ends at Huntington station in Alexandria Virginia to the South of DC by Reagan airport. And the red line which makes a U shape with both ends to the north or northwest of DC. All have parking garages or bus systems you can connect to. You can use the metro trip planner to see what a commute time would look like DC SmartTrip).
I moved here from the West Coast, and while I prefer the West Coast I didn’t regret coming out here but eventually I’ll probably head back once I’ve done the career tour I set out to accomplish here.
There are great restaurants, but they are harder to find. You really can’t trust Google reviews as it seems everything is 4.4 stars.
Be aware of the prevailing traffic patterns during commuting hours before moving. What looks like a 1 hour trip could be 3 at the worst traffic times. Louis of folks go in early and leave early to avoid the traffic and congestion, if that is an option. Ideally, live as close as you can afford to the end of the metro line with the shortest trip to work. Electric scooters can be a good last mile from metro to office.
I work in the beltway and am lucky with a 20-30 minute commute because I live close to a metro station, so it is doable.
You will want an umbrella. I came over, west coast climber in the Cascades, never owned an umbrella before, etc. Get an umbrella. It never rains, but it pours.
Happy to answer any other questions. I’m not on all the time but will check for replies when I login, maybe once every day or two.