How long does it take to sell a house in York County?

Posted on May 14, 2012 by sean adkins

Many real estate agents have been busy with an uptick in home showings as potential buyers have grown more serious about making offers on local properties.

“Stabilizing home prices and historically favorable affordability conditions are giving buyers more confidence,” said John LeCates, president of the Realtors Association of York & Adams Counties.

Between Jan. 1 and April 30, the number of homes sold in York County climbed 8 percent from 996 sold in 2011 to 1,073 sold this year, according to data released Thursday by the association.

Also, during that same time period, the median sale price of a local home fell 2 percent from $137,385 to $135,000.

Posted in Do it yourself, Investing, Newspapers, payment, Real estate, Sean Adkins, Your money | Leave a comment

Buying a share of Facebook

Posted on May 14, 2012 by ashley wislock

Last week, Lauren posted about her conversation with a local stock broker who reported that there’s plenty of interest in York about buying some Facebook stock.

For many people, it may be the idea of owning a little part of the company, rather than serious trading. In that spirit, CNN.com found some ways to buy just one share of Facebook stock when it begins trading publically, probably later this week, CNN reports.

Sites like Oneshare.com will sell to the casual investor, who’s more looking for a token share of their favorite company.

It’s a pretty cool idea.

I think it would make a cool Christmas or birthday present to get one share of someone’s favorite company for them, like Disney.

What about you — are you going to be looking into buying some Facebook stock when it goes public?

Posted in Ashley Wislock, For Investors, Stocks | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Weird product: Would you buy it?

Posted on May 13, 2012 by ashley wislock

Ladies in Japan don’t have to worry about overheating this summer when they can’t find some air conditioning: an “ice bra” according to a D.C. Fox News station.

Read this super cool product description:

Each cup contains special gel packs that remain soft and supple when frozen but give wearers a “super cool feeling.”

The boned side of the bra conveniently holds a mini fan, and each cup is designed to resemble a small fish tank, which manufacturers say makes the bra “visually cool.”

The bra is finished off with decorative mint leaves and wind chimes, which dangle between the breasts and aim to “produce coolness in the senses of smell and hearing,” Triumph said.

I don’t know about you, but it sounds complicated for something I’m going to wear underneath the clothing that people will see.

I mean, wind chimes, fans and fish tanks – all at once?

I think I’ll pass.

But what about you – would you try out this product?

Posted in Ashley Wislock, Shopping, Your money | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Want Facebook stock? A local broker says there’s plenty of interest in York.

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Lauren Boyer

Facebook's IPO is set to begin May 18.

Just checked in with Russ Allen at Edward Jones in York Township.

He said he’s been getting loads of serious inquiries from dozens of local clients about Facebook’s initial public stock offering.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the IPO is scheduled for May 18.

Still, Allen says nothing is set in stone when it comes to IPOs.

It’s hard to give clients answers.
Continue reading →

Posted in Investing, Lauren Boyer, Stocks, Your money | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pack a healthy lunch for work to fuel yourself and stop junk food cravings

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Emileigh Clare

Quinoa with Black Beans and Corn can be made ahead and brought into work for a healthy lunch to stop junk food cravings.

It’s that awkward time between breakfast and lunch. The office candy jar a few desks over is somehow telepathically communicating “eat me” to your stomach. Thoughts of the vending machine and the variety of salty potato chips behind the glass are making you salivate. Even the box of leftover stale bagels from yesterday is starting to look good. Was that cream cheese even refrigerated? Whoops. Oh well.

Does this sound familiar? Do you struggle with finding healthy food in your office?

Millions of Americans struggle with the temptation of unhealthy food. We are inundated with it everywhere we go, and the office is no exception. Whether it’s a few weekly trips to a Chinese buffet with co-workers, several handfuls of animal crackers on the hour, or a morning ritual of a glazed doughnut and latte, your health can suffer. Your work productivity can suffer, too.

Continue reading →

Posted in Emileigh Clare, Office life, On the job, The working world, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

You know gas prices were high when…..

Posted on May 7, 2012 by ashley wislock

I nearly swerved in my car coming back to York this weekend when I saw a gas station practically giving away gasoline.

OK, OK, they were charging $3.69 per gallon for regular, but compared to a few weeks ago, when we were poised to soar over $4 a gallon, $3.69 is a bargain.

The average price for a gallon in York County is now $3.707, according to GasBuddy.com. Hallelujah!

According to Time.com gasoline has dropped for several reasons: recent lukewarm jobs reports have created worries that supply could go down, while supply has steadily risen in the past several weeks.

Here’s hoping prices continue to fall headed into summer!

Posted in Ashley Wislock, Gas Prices, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Target to stop selling Kindles

Posted on May 6, 2012 by ashley wislock

After an internal memo was leaked, Target has confirmed that it will stop selling Kindles soon, according to CNN.

No end date was given and no specific reason was given – though CNN pointed out that Target recently began selling the Kindle’s main tablet rival – the iPad.

According to the Verge, which first obtained the leaked memo, the Kindle represented a “conflict of interest” for the chain, though it wasn’t fully explained.

This doesn’t seem like a really smart move for Target, since the Kindle is arguably the most popular e-reader on the market, but iPads are also wildly popular, so it could be that the chain saw the move as a strategic trade-off.

Time will tell if they made the right decision.

Posted in Ashley Wislock, Retail, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rutter’s hopefuls: A conversation with two applying for work at the York County chain

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Lauren Boyer

Madison Bowe, left, and Alex Firth apply for jobs at Rutter's on Thursday.

Met some cool cats hanging out at Rutter’s in Jacobus Thursday during the convenience store chain’s job fair for the new location in Loganville.

I tried to yap with the prospective employees and put their minds at ease as they waited for their interviews.

We’ve all been there. It’s a tense situation. Continue reading →

Posted in Jobs, Lauren Boyer, Rutter's | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Any ideas on how to rid my lawn of dandelions?

Posted on May 2, 2012 by sean adkins

They’re yellow and they resemble flowers, but they’re not pretty.

For the past month, my lawn mower and I have waged a war against the scourge known as the dandelion. These landscaping pests pop out of the ground overnight to rear their ugly yellow or white heads.

I find that I’m cutting the lawn about twice a week to keep these weeds at bay. I’ve been reluctant to use chemicals since I have two dogs who routinely roll around on the grass.

Any tips on how to get rid of what is ruining an otherwise well-kept yard?

Posted in Do it yourself, Economic Outlook, On the job, payment, Real estate, Sean Adkins, Your money | 1 Comment

Remembering your first car

Posted on April 30, 2012 by ashley wislock

This Corsica is similar to my first car. Photo from: autos.msn.com

This weekend, I took a trip down memory lane.

My parents – the whole family, really – are searching for a first car for my 16-year-old sister. And since this is not “My Super Sweet 16,” it’s going to be a used car, and will probably be at least 10 years old.

I’m not going to get into my feelings about my sister’s protests that she can’t possibly drive the station-wagon that’s in perfect shape because “it’s ugly” – instead the whole process has reminded me of my first car.

It was around 2004, and the car was made in 1988. It cost me $91, which was to transfer the title and tags from my recently passed Uncle Joe to my parents. Its rearview mirror was also laying on the front seat and the back seat was covered in bird seeds (my uncle had a pet bird he took everywhere with him).

But I didn’t care – it was my ticket to freedom. Or at least, my ticket to being able to drive myself to work and school – the two places I frequented in those days.

I drove that car until it ground to a halt two years ago. Then I purchased my current ride, a Honda Accord, which is fancy enough to contain cupholders, something my Corsica didn’t feature.

What are your memories of your first car? How much did you – or your parents – pay for it? Did you have a lot of say in what you got to drive around?

Posted in Ashley Wislock, Vehicles, Your money | 2 Comments