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Mortgage applications to buy homes dropped almost 40% year over year in the last few months of 2022, and refinance applications were down almost 90%, according to a December Mortgage Bankers Association forecast report.
NerdWallet: What latest mortgage company changes mean for your home loan
It’s been a bumpy ride for mortgage companies lately. Some lenders have gone out of business, merged with other companies or narrowed their focus. And more changes are likely in 2023. more
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Rev. Sherry Mahar
Weekly reflections: Spring cleaning
It’s a time to do a thorough cleaning, top to bottom, inside and out. It usually involves identifying areas that need a quick spruce-up as well as the areas that need a deep cleaning. more
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Tom Margenau
COLUMN: How retirement benefits are figured
After doing this column for so many years (more than a quarter century now), I’ve learned there are two kinds of potential Social Security beneficiaries. more
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Scene from “The Fabelmans”
REVIEW: Spielberg and his actors earn their Oscar nominations with ‘The Fabelmans’
Director Steven Spielberg has earned his reputation as one of Hollywood’s greatest directors several times over, so it’s no surprise that he makes a solid film out of his own life story. more
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Following a family budget is challenging, especially when unexpected costs pop up, including those related to the high prices at the grocery store and rising interest rates. Financial experts say you can overcome those obstacles by creating a flexible approach to managing your money.
NerdWallet: Learn to follow some family budgeting tips that actually work
When Tom Snyder coaches people in his church about how to budget, he starts by encouraging them to track their spending. more
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ROUNDING THIRD: ‘If first we honor and respect, then love will not grow old’
For Valentine’s Day, I give you a poem I wrote a few years ago about a couple I knew. I hope that you, if you haven’t already, find love this special day — or in the near future. more
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F.O.C.U.S. Time: Celebrate Life
The party hats were properly placed on the table. The bouquet of balloons indicated a celebration. The bright youthful colors welcomed the thought of a birthday celebration. more
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Ben Aldridge, left, Kristen Cui, center, and Jonathan Groff in a scene from “Knock at the Cabin.”
REVIEW: Open the door for the spooky ‘Knock at the Cabin’
Horror director M. Night Shyamalan is known for his spooky and tense thrillers, and “Knock at the Cabin” delivers exactly that with its potentially apocalyptic storytelling. Without giving away … more
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Rev. Katie Yahns
COLUMNS: Love in a time of grief
Hearts, flowers, romance, and special dinners for two seem to be everywhere as we approach Valentine’s Day, right around the corner. more
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Workers install two of 105 solar panels on the roof of a barn in this AP file photo. The Inflation Reduction Act includes tax credits and rebates for homeowners who make energy-saving updates to their homes. Tax credits are available now for updates like new windows, doors, air conditioners, insulation and solar panels.
NerdWallet: New tax credits, rebates can launch eco home updates
If you’ve been holding off on home improvements, a new law signed last year and now in effect as of Jan. 1, 2023, may provide a fresh incentive. more
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COLUMN: Organization, support among keys to managing your health care
Managing your health care, or the care of a loved one, can be overwhelming, especially if complex medical conditions are involved, or the list of providers and prescriptions is long. more
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A workman aligns a plank before cutting it for use at a new housing site in Madison County, Miss. Taking on a home renovation or even a simple repair project can turn disastrous — and expensive — without proper planning. When deciding whether to don safety glasses and get started or pay a professional, consider personal abilities, the time commitment and potential costs.
NerdWallet: How a data nerd approaches DIY home improvement projects
I started 2021 by buying an 1885 hulk of a home, sight unseen, with visions of restoring its earlier grandeur. more
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JOHN DAVID FAY
ROUNDING THIRD: Inconveniences of a life long lived
The other day I was offered a “senior” discount, which I, of course, accepted. Hey, I’ve earned it if they want to give it. more
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The pub at Hotel Solsville in Madison serves an assortment of fried fare one would expect from a traditional tavern, including the Hodge Podge, which invites you to choose your own combo of tavern treats.
MV Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins: Historic Hotel Solsville filled with locals, libations, and comfort food
As farmers, friends and travelers fly down Route 20 in New York’s Madison County, they catch a glimpse of a sign at the intersection of County Route 41. more
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Teddy is ready to find his forever home. Almost a month ago, Teddy was headed to a surgical center to have mast cell tumors removed from his hind leg. Today, his leg is healing great and he’s ready to start meeting potential adopters. Adopters will need to monitor for more tumors that could arise in the future but we hope this surgery will allow Teddy to live his best years yet. Teddy is 10 years old, and he came to us when his owner could no longer care for him. He is a great, well-behaved dog. He rides really well in the car. Teddy also did well when tested with other dogs here. He has not yet been tested with cats. Teddy is now neutered, current on vaccines, and microchipped. His adoption fee has been sponsored. Apply online to adopt: https://www.anitas-sshs.org/adopt/apply/Dog. Anita’s Stevens-Swan Humane Society, 5664 Horatio St., Utica, 315-738-4357, www.anitas-sshs.org.
PICK A PET: Teddy, Kit Carson and Bronx
These local pets are looking for a new home. more
Donna Thompson
VALLEY MUSINGS: Processing last fall’s squash crop - finally
One of the success stories in last year’s vegetable garden was our crop of butternut squash. more
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Grandmaster Clifford Crandall Jr., right, demonstrates cane self-defense with Eric Stalloch in class.
Senior activity: get hooked on training with a cane (VIDEO)
There are so many areas you can train in. The one I am suggesting now is one that I have trained in for more than 50 years. It is in the use of the cane. more
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REVIEW: Race relations can’t be saved on the off-putting ‘You People’
Another Netflix original, another largely disposable, but entirely watchable in a pinch, movie. This time it’s the romantic comedy “You People,” which arguably fails at being both romantic and … more
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Lt. Scott B. Swires
COLUMN: Coming to the end of your rope
The funny thing about New Year’s Resolutions are that they are about the past more than about the future. more
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Lou Parrotta
COLUMN: There was a time when the circus called Utica home
The Robinson brothers, natives of the Albany-Schenectady area, relocated with their parents to Utica in the early 1800s. more
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