ST. PAUL, Min., – April 24, 2014. A bipartisan bill which would ban law enforcement from obtaining cellphone location tracking information without a warrant passed the Minnesota state senate on Tuesday. The vote was 56-1. SF2466 was introduced by Sen. Brandon Petersen (R-Andover) and cosponsored by two democrat and two republican senators. It reads, in…
"The damage inflicted on U.S. households by the collapse of the housing market and recession wasn’t evenly distributed. For households headed by someone 40 years old or younger, wealth adjusted for inflation remains 30 percent below 2007 levels on average. Net worth for older Americans has already recouped the losses. With fewer young people owning homes, not as many are benefiting from the rebound in home prices. What’s more, heads of households under age 40 aren’t benefiting as much from a boom in equity prices, which have hit record highs this year. About 27 percent of 18 to 29 year olds owned stocks as of April 2013, compared to 61 percent of 50 to 64 year olds." Continue reading →
"In 2009, Fannie Mae rolled back a mortgage rule that prevented real estate investors from financing more than 4 properties at once. At the time, investors were limited to 4 properties financed, which included their primary residence. Today, the maximum number of allowable, simultaneously financed properties is 10. You wouldn't know it, though -- few banks actually offer the program. This article describes how to get a mortgage if you have 5-to-10 homes in your portfolio. So, why don't all banks participate in the 5-10 Properties Financed program? The probable answer is that underwriting a 5-property-owning investor's mortgage application can be very hard work." Continue reading →
"After a roller-coaster decade of boom-bust-boom, the U.S. housing market is going downhill just when many economists thought annual sales would be heading up. Sales of previously owned properties in March tumbled 7.5 percent from a year earlier to the slowest pace in 20 months, while purchases of new houses sank 14.5 percent from February, according to reports this week. Mortgage applications to buy homes plunged 19 percent from a year earlier, indicating slowing demand during what is typically the busiest season for deals. Mortgage interest rates are rising from record lows as the central bank withdraws its stimulus, and investors are now retreating." Continue reading →
On Nov. 4, Floridians will go to the polls and vote on a state constitutional amendment that would legalize marijuana for medical use in the Sunshine State. Regardless of whether you think marijuana makes for good medicine, proper constitutional order demands a “yes” vote on Amendment 2. The federal government currently bans marijuana for any…
That statement sums it all up pretty nicely – if you care about the constitution, that is. Those who want to “enforce all laws” – are insane. Or just criminals. Or both.
A Missouri state constitutional amendment proposal is moving through the process, now just steps away from a vote of the people this fall. Introduced by Sen. Rob Schaaf, Senate Joint Resolution 27 (SJR27) was passed through the House Downsizing State Government Committee late last week. It had previously passed in the senate by a 31-1…
the power at stake here – to receive ambassadors – is expressly given to the President in what appear to be mandatory terms (he “shall” receive ambassadors).
A bill that would make it extremely difficult for the federal government to enforce the Obamacare insurance mandate in Missouri recently passed through a state house committee. House Bill 1314 (HB1314) would ban Missouri from taking any action that would “compel, directly or indirectly, any person, employer, or health care provider to participate in any…
HB2158, a bill that would put severe restrictions on the use of drones by government officials within the state of Pennsylvania, was introduced on Apr. 7 by Rep. Gordon Denlinger (R-99). It was promptly referred to the Judiciary Committee where it will need to pass through a majority before it can be voted upon by…