All posts tagged: purchase

Before Your Next Amazon Purchase, Make Sure You Look for These Secret Deals

Before Your Next Amazon Purchase, Make Sure You Look for These Secret Deals

Published by skeptic

Shopping on Amazon is one of the easiest ways to save on just about any item you need. You probably know about the fast and free shipping offered to Prime members, but if you’re looking to squeeze even more savings out of Amazon, we have a trick that you shouldn’t miss.  Amazon Resale typically offers discounts for lightly used or open-box items, but many of those prices are discounted to reflect the price of current sales. Below, we’ll fill you in on where to look to find an even better deal on the stuff you have your eye on.  For more, check out the best smart home deals and the best Amazon deals for under $100. Taking advantage of Amazon Resale deals can be a great way to pay for an item over time. Prices for a product or service you are shopping for can vary widely from one retailer to the next. To make sure you really are getting the best deal as you browse products, you’ll want to check prices. CNET’s Chrome Shopping extension can help you …

Ant McPartlin makes new family purchase ahead of baby’s birth

Ant McPartlin makes new family purchase ahead of baby’s birth

Published by skeptic

Ant McPartlin is expecting his first child with his beautiful wife, Anne-Marie Corbett, and on Monday, he was spotted with a brand-new car.  The I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here presenter, 48, was seen in photos – obtained by The Sun – getting out of a swanky new Aston Martin, reportedly worth £193,000, near his £6 million Wimbledon home. The five-door vehicle will be the perfect fit for when his new bundle of joy arrives. Ant is already the doting stepdad to Anne-Marie’s two daughters. © GettyThe couple are about to welcome their first child together Previously speaking to The Telegraph back in 2021, Ant made a rare comment about his wife’s children and it’s clear they get on well.  “I’ve got two step-daughters, 13 and 15, and they are more socially aware at that age than I was in my mid-20s – than I still am,” he said. Whilst neither Ant nor Anne-Marie have officially confirmed their pregnancy news, Anne-Marie has been pictured simply glowing in a series of photos with a beautiful baby bump after the …

Mega C919 purchase by China’s flagship airline lifts homegrown jet in competition with Boeing

Mega C919 purchase by China’s flagship airline lifts homegrown jet in competition with Boeing

Published by Sam

Air China’s eye-catching agreement to buy 100 domestically made C919 jets is expected to turn heads overseas and further elevate interest in the relatively new planes as the reputation of rival Boeing has been grounded by safety concerns. The order size from China’s flagship airline also ensures years of additional business for the C919’s state-owned manufacturer, the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), which could in turn attract investment and more purchases, according to analysts. Air China, a Beijing-based carrier with 196 flight destinations including more than 60 overseas, said on Friday (Apr 26) that it had signed an agreement with COMAC to buy the C919s from this year through 2031. Sweetening the deal, the airline said it had negotiated a “rather large price discount” off the listed total of US$10.8 billion for the order. The purchase comes as Boeing – which makes up half of the US-European duopoly with Airbus – has been grappling with a series of safety scandals in recent months. In response, the US aviation regulator blocked Boeing from expanding production …

Mortgages Move Up for Homeseekers: Today’s Mortgage Rates on April 25, 2024

Mortgages Move Up for Homeseekers: Today’s Mortgage Rates on April 25, 2024

Published by skeptic

Today’s average mortgage rates Mortgage Refinance Today’s average mortgage rates on Apr. 25, 2024, compared with one week ago. We use rate data collected by Bankrate as reported by lenders across the US. Mortgage rates change every day. Experts recommend shopping around to make sure you’re getting the lowest rate. By entering your information below, you can get a custom quote from one of CNET’s partner lenders. About these rates: Like CNET, Bankrate is owned by Red Ventures. This tool features partner rates from lenders that you can use when comparing multiple mortgage rates. Mortgage rate trends Over the last few years, high inflation and the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes pushed up mortgage rates from their record lows around the pandemic. Since last summer, the Fed has consistently kept the federal funds rate at 5.25% to 5.5%. Though the central bank doesn’t directly set the rates for mortgages, a high federal funds rate makes borrowing more expensive, including for home loans. Mortgage rates change daily, but average rates have been moving between 6.5% …

Mortgage Rates Go Up for Homeseekers: Mortgage Interest Rates for April 16, 2024

Mortgage Rates Go Up for Homeseekers: Mortgage Interest Rates for April 16, 2024

Published by skeptic

Today’s average mortgage rates Mortgage Refinance Today’s average mortgage rates on Apr. 16, 2024, compared with one week ago. We use rate data collected by Bankrate as reported by lenders across the US. Current mortgage interest rates If you’re in the market for a home, here are today’s mortgage rates compared to last week’s. Product Rate Last week Change 30-year fixed 7.13% 7.02% +0.11 15-year fixed 6.64% 6.44% +0.20 10-year fixed 6.51% 6.37% +0.14 5/1 ARM 6.79% 6.60% +0.19 30-year jumbo mortgage rate 7.40% 7.20% +0.20 30-year mortgage refinance rate 7.11% 6.97% +0.13 Average rates offered by lenders nationwide as of April 16, 2024. We use rates collected by Bankrate to track daily mortgage rate trends. Mortgage rates change every day. Experts recommend shopping around to make sure you’re getting the lowest rate. By entering your information below, you can get a custom quote from one of CNET’s partner lenders. About these rates: Like CNET, Bankrate is owned by Red Ventures. This tool features partner rates from lenders that you can use when comparing multiple …

What Is the True Cost of Buying a House in 2024?

What Is the True Cost of Buying a House in 2024?

Published by skeptic

Today’s housing affordability crisis doesn’t inspire much optimism, but buying a home isn’t impossible.  Expensive home prices and high mortgage rates coupled with low housing inventory are creating ongoing challenges for prospective and first-time homebuyers. According to the most recent Home Purchase Sentiment Index from Fannie Mae, just 19% of people believe it’s a good time to buy a home. If you’re determined to become a homeowner in 2024, you’ll need to go in willing to compromise.  You’ll also need a solid grasp of the total cost of owning a home — not only the listing price but loads of one-time transaction fees, which you’ll need to include in your budget before attending open houses and planning a move. Read on to get a better idea of how much you need to buy a house in 2024. How much money do you need to buy a home? When you start thinking about buying a house, you’re likely focused on the amount you have in your bank account for a down payment. While a down payment …

US Breaks Oil Price Ceiling Of In Latest SPR Purchase

US Breaks Oil Price Ceiling Of $79 In Latest SPR Purchase

Published by skeptic

By Irina Slav of OilPrice.com The latest crude oil purchase that the Department of Energy made as part of refill plans for the strategic petroleum reserve cost an average of over $81 per barrel, exceeding the $79 ceiling set by the federal government. Per an Argus report, the DoE declined to comment on why it had bought the oil despite the higher price hinting at more news to come later today. Back in 2022, to arrest an inexorable climb in retail fuel prices, the White House announced a release of 180 million barrels of crude oil from the strategic petroleum reserve. Critics warned the move would have a limited effect on prices but compromise the energy security of the country by reducing the level of crude in the SPR. The final amount of oil released from the SPR ended up exceeding 180 million barrels with the DoE pledging to replenish the reserve in a timely fashion but only when prices were favorable. The SPR is currently close to a 40-year low as a result of the …

No, the NAR Real Estate Settlement Probably Won’t Drive Down Home Prices. Here’s Why

No, the NAR Real Estate Settlement Probably Won’t Drive Down Home Prices. Here’s Why

Published by skeptic

A landmark settlement with the National Association of Realtors rattled the real estate industry earlier this month. If approved by a federal court, it could alter how homes are bought and sold in one of the most unaffordable housing markets in decades.  Will the NAR settlement significantly impact consumers’ pocketbooks? Although the decision has been widely touted as a game-changer for home costs, it’s sparked more confusion than clarity.  “It’s too early to tell how this might affect the housing market in the long term, but we don’t expect any immediate impact on home prices,” said a spokesperson for Zillow.  In the settlement, NAR will pay $418 million to resolve a class-action lawsuit accusing the real estate giant of inflating sales commissions and fees. New rules could alter a longstanding business model in which the home seller pays a commission to their agent as well as the buyer’s agent.  The high sales commission customarily paid to agents — often 5% to 6%– isn’t what drives expensive home prices today. Market forces like limited inventory and …

How the Federal Reserve Impacts Mortgage Rates

How the Federal Reserve Impacts Mortgage Rates

Published by skeptic

Wong Yu Liang/Getty Images The Federal Reserve’s interest rate bumps over the last two years helped push average mortgage rates into unaffordable territory, leaving prospective buyers on the sidelines and keeping the housing market immobilized. Since last summer, the Federal Open Market Committee has kept the federal funds rate steady at between 5.25% and 5.50%. If interest rates stay higher for longer, that doesn’t bode well for homebuyers. Though the Fed outlined a plan to lower interest rates at least three times this year, inflation hasn’t yet proven to be on a steady downward trend toward the central bank’s 2% annual target.  The Fed has to be confident that cutting borrowing rates won’t accelerate economic growth and drive up costs again, said Alex Thomas, senior research analyst at John Burns Research and Consulting. “While inflation is elevated, job growth is strong, real wages are rising and the stock market is near all-time highs, there’s no reason to rush [rate cuts],” Thomas said.  Future economic data will play a major role in determining when — and by …