There are many legends and stories about the Chinese New Year. We would like to share with you the three most popular ones. 1. The Legend of Why New Year Is Celebrated Chinese New Year’s Day is called Guo Nian (过年) in Chinese, which can mean ‘celebrate (a new) year’ or ‘overcome Nian’. The character 年 (Nián) could mean a ‘year’ or ‘the monster Nian’. In ancient times, there was...
Real Estate
By Ilyce Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin (washingtonpost.com) January 24, 2022 Covid-19, as we’ve pointed out in previous columns, is a trend accelerator. When it comes to buying a home, covid-19 has been the best of times (lowest mortgage rates in history during 2020 and part of 2021) and worst of times (home prices are skyrocketing). As we ended 2021, the United States was short between 5.5 million and...
We hug others when we’re excited, happy, sad, or trying to comfort. Hugging, it seems, is universally comforting. It makes us feel good. And it turns out that hugging is proven to make us healthier and happier. According to scientists, the benefits of hugging go beyond that warm feeling you get when you hold someone in your arms. Read on to find out how. 1. Hugs reduce stress by showing your...
By Elena Cox Jan 17, 2022 Homebuyers these days are one stressed-out group, and they have plenty of questions. They want to know how high mortgage rates will rise. How to win insane bidding wars. Whether to join the suburban rush or the big-city retreat. Whether the open kitchen, modern farmhouse, and “cottagecore” designs are still a thing. But amid all the confusion and consternation, there’s one...
By Kathy Orton (washingtonpost.com) January 6, 2022 What a difference a year makes. One year ago this week, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate sank to its lowest level in history. This week, fixed mortgage rates followed long-term bond yields and rose to their highest levels in 20 months. According to the latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average climbed to 3.22 percent...
By Erin Flaherty (realtor.com) As a real estate agent in upstate New York, I can say with confidence that home sellers are in a great mood these days. And who can blame them? In this seller’s market where homes go fast and for top dollar, many sellers are excited to cash in and make a killing. In many cases, they’ll succeed—yet this wild exuberance can also go overboard. Such bullish optimism could...
By: Margaret Heidenry (realtor.com) Dec 9, 2021 Phew, 2021 was busy. Some of us returned to work, others headed back to school, and all of us went back out (hello, restaurants and arenas!). So it’s little wonder you might have missed some of the Realtor.com advice we gathered in the past year. So here’s an update: We spent the past 12 months researching and writing about every real estate subject...
Grab your pet’s best outfit and join us in celebrating the “NATIONAL DRESS UP YOUR PET DAY!”, and get a chance to win $50 Amazon gift card! Read the instructions below to know the steps on how to join this event! Here is how to join: Stay tuned for our official post for this event in our facebook and instagram page. Share your stylish pet pics under the post’s comment section. Add...
There’s no doubt that January 1 can feel like an inspirational time—the resetting of the calendar can get nearly anyone to feel ready to make changes in their lives. But if you’ve ever embarked on an ambitious New Year’s resolution, only to feel burnt out by mid-January, you’re not alone. In fact, one survey found that nearly two-thirds of those who set resolutions give up within the first...
As we come to the close of 2021, the question each of us faces is whether we are ready to enter a new year. We can simply function as if engaging 2022 will be like all the other years of the past, or we can prepare ourselves emotionally, intellectually, socio-politically and spiritually for what may in fact be the “fundamentally new.” I do not believe 2022 will be the same as it has always been. The...