General
Not necessarily related to a particular state or location, but valuable information nevertheless.
The yips claim another victim
I have been thinking about the yips these last two days. You know the yips, that disease that causes us to miss short putts with annoying frequency and then infects all other aspects of our game. When...
The worst run industry in the world
U.S. airlines are always moaning about the cost of fuel. Logic would dictate that they pass those costs along to the flying public, based on how much fuel we use per passenger (that is, how many...
The end of personal responsibility?
In 1984, my wife and I moved to Connecticut from New York City. We bought a house in a nice neighborhood 12 miles outside of Hartford at a bargain price. Two years later, after some modest cosmetic...
Friday roundup
The mostly brick homes in the North Shore Country Club are well tended to and reasonably priced. Many lots are available by owners. To the best of my knowledge, Picasso did not play golf. Let's face...
Oceanfront properties a metaphor for housing market
Whether a result of over speculation or beach erosion, it seems as if every other house is for sale on North Topsail Island. Life is imitating the U.S. housing market on the coast of North Carolina, and...
A real estate investor's credo: God's amenities a better bet than Man's
Financial risk is low when you buy into a stable, mature community like Champion Hills in Hendersonville, NC. But don't expect a windfall either. On March 20, I wrote here about one of our readers...
Foolish things to avoid when looking for property in a golf community
Something for everyone: The Landings at Skidaway Island, near Savannah, is a viable option for a golfer married to a non-golfer. The golf on the 4,500-acre community's six private courses is...
Five-star house location on course at Camp Lejeune
During my walk around Camp Lejeune's Gold Course on Saturday, I noticed just three houses, all on one street about a five-iron off to the right of the 17th hole. Perched above the New River, the...
Up in the air: Another rotten day of flight
I violated one of my principles of air flight yesterday: Never fly to a destination inside 16 hours drive by car. By the time you drive to your local airport, park your car, take the shuttle bus to the...
Lawrence Yun's snake oil cure for the shanks
Consider you are out playing a round of golf. You dead-shank every other shot on the first eight holes and triple bogey every one of them. Then, from the fairway on the par 5 ninth, you shank yet...
Open houses: Vacancy rates put pressure on prices; rentals challenge neighborhood cohesion
The latest vacancy rate data from the U.S. Census Bureau are ugly. Nationwide, the rate rose to 2.8% in the fourth quarter of 2007, up from 2.7% in the third quarter. In formerly hot markets, the...
Recession mentality: Tough times can be gratifying for some
During a recession in the late 1970s, I worked for the J.C. Penney Company in its corporate office in New York City. I was interviewing a buyer for underwear and socks for an article in the company...