Thursday, December 21, 2017

Buying a Car: Should You Pay With Cash if You Can? - Autotrader

Buying a Car: Should You Pay With Cash if You Can? - Autotrader

For example, say you want to buy a $25,000 car and you can afford to purchase it with cash. If you want to spend your cash, that's great: It means you won't have a payment or another care about the car's financing. But let's say you shop around for a good interest rate and end up with 1 percent financing for 3 years after a $5,000 down payment.

In that case, you'll keep your leftover $20,000, and while you have a car payment, the total interest comes to just $300. The question you must ask yourself is whether it's worth $300 to have that $20,000 in your bank account rather than tied up in your car. Most people would rather have the money in the bank or invested, where it's likely that they'll quickly earn back the entirety of the loan's $300 cost.


Read full article from Buying a Car: Should You Pay With Cash if You Can? - Autotrader

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Cars

Toyota RAV 4
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/toyota/rav4
The 2018 Toyota RAV4 finishes in the bottom half of our rankings. Its drab cabin materials give it a low-rent feeling compared to rivals. However, this crossover offers stable handling and lots of standard driver assistance and advanced safety features.

the last few RAV4 model years have received ratings of three to 3.5 out of five from J.D. Power


Toyota covers the 2018 RAV4 with a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.
The 2018 RAV4 has a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It received five out of five stars for its side crash test and four stars in the rollover and frontal crash categories. The RAV4 aced every crash test at Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which named it a 2018 Top Safety Pick.
Every RAV4 comes with a rearview camera and Toyota Safety Sense P (which consists of a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control). Available safety features include front and rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and a bird's-eye-view camera that provides a 360-degree view around the car.

A rearview camera and Toyota Safety Sense P (a safety bundle comprised of a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control) are included in every edition

Shoppers searching for the best bang for their buck will want to pay particular attention to the RAV4 XLE. For about $1,100 over the base price, you’ll get an enhanced infotainment system that includes goodies like navigation and Siri Eyes Free. You can add on a few extras through the numerous packages Toyota offers for this trim. One of the best deals is the aptly named Extra Value "Plus" package, an $890 bundle with blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and a proximity key. Other available add-ons include enhanced smartphone integration, heated front seats, and front and rear parking sensors.

Average Price Paid
$26,557
Estimated MSRP
$28,049

Cold Area Package —includes heated fabric front-row seats with 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel and wiper de-icer


Cold Area Package with options
$2,175
STARTING MSRP
$27,700

TOTAL PRICE (MSRP) (AS BUILT)15
29875
but only with adventure or above

Toyota RAV4 Platinum
The range-topping RAV4 Platinum boasts an 11-speaker JBL sound system, smartphone integration via the Entune App Suite, a 7-inch touch screen, a bird's-eye-view camera with a 360-degree view around the car, a heated steering wheel, and a hands-free liftgate with height adjustment. Prices start at $34,750.




2018 Subaru Forester
In government crash safety tests, the 2018 Forester earns five stars in overall and side-impact categories and four stars in frontal crash and rollover categories (all categories have a max of five)
The base trim doesn’t offer much beyond the standard features, and you’re probably best to look past it. Ditto for the Premium. The two trims that offer the most features are the Limited and Touring. If you don’t care about the EyeSight system, the Limited is the trim for you. If you do want it, go with the Touring. It comes standard with almost every feature the Forester offers, and it doesn’t cost much more than getting the Premium and adding EyeSight
Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring
The 2.5i Touring starts at $33,090. The Touring comes standard with pretty much every feature you can get in a Forester, including the EyeSight system, power-folding rear seats, and a heated steering wheel.
whether limited above contains All-Weather Package
Subaru Forester 2.5i Touring
The 2.5i Touring starts at $33,090. The Touring comes standard with pretty much every feature you can get in a Forester, including the EyeSight system, power-folding rear seats, and a heated steering wheel.

Honda CR-V
The 2018 Honda CR-V earns a five-star overall crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It received five out of five stars in both the frontal and side crash tests, and four stars in the rollover test

A rearview camera is the only driver assistance feature that comes standard in the 2018 CR-V. Move above the base trim for the Honda Sensing suite of technologies, which includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, road departure mitigation, and adaptive cruise control. All but the base CR-V also come with automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert. However, if you want something as simple as rear parking sensors, you'll have to buy it as an option, regardless of trim level.
The 2018 Honda CR-V comes in four trim levels: LX, EX, EX-L, and Touring. The base LX model comes with a 2.4-liter engine, while all other models feature a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional for $1,400.
For the best combination of features and value, go with the CR-V EX. In addition to the turbocharged engine, the EX comes with a healthy list of conveniences such as heated front seats, a moonroof, satellite radio, and a touch-screen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. You'll also get a good number of driver assistance and advanced safety features.
Honda CR-V EX
The CR-V EX retails for $26,950. It adds dual-zone automatic climate control, proximity key entry, push-button start, remote start, a moonroof, heated front seats, a 12-way power-adjustable driver's seat, a six-speaker stereo, four USB ports, satellite radio, a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, road departure mitigation, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert. A heated steering wheel is optional for $500.
AWD 1400
Back-Up Sensors $528 x
Total MSRP as Built $28,878 MSRP

http://shop.honda.com/cr-v.aspx?ef_id=1:1:1&CID=SEARCH_HRM_GOOGLE_FY18EVERGREEN_OTHER_SHOPPERS&gclid=CjwKCAiAsejRBRB3EiwAZft7sERWYkhP_ETieIm3u29wWic_uaPscUYA_MSBqJaYnrtPqvU3sXbLExoCJngQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.caranddriver.com/honda/cr-v/specs/2018/CR-V-SUV/397482
4 doors, 5 passengers, front-wheel drive; 28/34 mpg city/hwy (est)

Not only is a backup camera standard on all CR-V models, it provides multiple views: from the top, a wide view, and a normal one. The base LX features guidelines, but they don’t move with the steering wheel like in every other model.


Active safety and driver-assistance features usually come at a cost, either as exclusives to higher trims or as expensive options. The CR-V breaks the mold by making its full suite of Honda Sensing safety and driver assists standard starting on the EX. Along with the most common alerts, the CR-V has automatic high-beams, a rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver-attention monitor to prevent snoozing behind the wheel. These functions can be disabled and will not default back to “On” when you start the vehicle. Another helpful driver assist is Honda’s automatic brake hold. Once the CR-V comes to a complete stop, the driver can take their foot off the brake, and the vehicle won’t move until the driver presses the accelerator. This feature can be activated or deactivated by a switch on the center console.

The CR-V also lacks the roadside assistance offered by the competition.
VehicleLimited WarrantyPowertrain WarrantyCorrosion ProtectionRoadside AssistanceScheduled Maintenance
2017 Honda CR-V3 years / 36,000 miles5 years / 60,000 miles5 years (unlimited miles)3 years / 36,000 milesN/A
the EX is one heckuva deal. We didn’t even stop in the options aisle on our way to the checkout, as our well-equipped CR-V EX totaled $27,735.

https://www.edmunds.com/honda/cr-v/2018/#edm-entry-pricing
We're torn between the EX and the EX-L as a recommendation. The latter has desirable luxury features such as leather upholstery, a programmable power liftgate and a premium audio system. We liked it enough to buy one for our long-term test fleet. But do you really need those amenities in your compact crossover? If you just need a practical utility vehicle, the cheaper EX offers generous features of its own, including a sunroof, and it comes standard with the same turbocharged engine and a 7-inch touchscreen.

2018 rogue nissan
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/nissan/rogue








  • Third row no longer available
ProPILOT Assist advanced driver assistance system now available








  • Underpowered engine
  • Noisy transmission
This is a very competitive class, and some lower-priced rivals may offer more power, better handling, or more of the features you want. The Rogue does offer a lot of safety features for the money, and it's the only model in the class with a semiautonomous driver assistance system.

Several advanced safety systems come standard in the 2018 Rogue, including blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and a rearview camera. Few rivals have as many systems in their base trims. Optional safety features include adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, pedestrian detection, a 360-degree camera, and the new-for-2018 ProPILOT Assist system. This advanced driver assistance system can autonomously steer, accelerate, and brake the Rogue under certain conditions. Of course, drivers still need to stay alert and be prepared to take control if necessary.
Most buyers should buy the middle SV trim. It only costs around $1,200 more than the base S model, but it adds lots of features – like a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, and dual-zone automatic climate control. You can further add to the SV with a few option packages. If safety is a top priority, consider the top-of-the-line SL model. It has more advanced safety systems and is available with the all-new ProPILOT Assist system, which can autonomously accelerate, brake, and steer in certain conditions.
All trims come equipped with a four-cylinder engine, an automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is a $1,350 option in all models.
Nissan Rogue SL
The range-topping SL model costs $31,060 and has leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, a nine-speaker Bose premium audio system, HD Radio, navigation, lane keep assist, pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree camera.
The SL Premium package ($1,820) comes with a panoramic moonroof and LED headlights. The SL Platinum package ($790) adds an electronic parking brake and the ProPILOT Assist advanced driver assistance system. The SL Platinum Reserve Interior package ($250) comes with upgraded leather seats and unique piano black interior trim pieces. Packages in the SL model are progressive, meaning you need the SL Premium package if you want the SL Platinum package, and both the SL Premium and SL Platinum packages if you want the SL Platinum Reserve Interior package.
2018 BMW X1
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/bmw/x1
The X1 comes in one trim level for 2018, the sDrive28i, which starts at $33,900. Add another $2,000 for xDrive (BMW's all-wheel-drive system). These figures are a smidge higher than the sticker prices of the Mercedes-Benz GLAAudi Q3, and Infiniti QX30.
The CR-V EX/EX-L/Touring’s blind spot warning system uses digital cameras monitored by computer to alert the driver to moving objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The X1 doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.
To help make backing safer, the CR-V EX/EX-L/Touring’s cross-path warning system uses wide-angle radar in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The X1 doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/honda/civic
The 2018 Honda Civic sedan starts at $18,840. Hatchback and coupe models are priced slightly higher at $19,900 and $19,250, respectively. The base trim includes features like a rearview camera, Bluetooth, a 5-inch display screen, and a USB port. Competitors like the Kia Soul ($16,100) start at a much lower price and come with similar standard features, but the Civic offers Honda Sensing in the base trim for $1,000 on sedan and coupe models. Honda Sensing adds features like forward collision warning, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2018 Civic five out of five stars in frontal, side, and rollover crash tests culminating in a five-star overall rating.

The Civic comes in three body styles: sedan, hatchback, and coupe. The Sedan comes in five main trim levels: LX, EX, EX-T, EX-L, and Touring. The EX trim is your best bet. It comes with many desirable features – including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a larger 7-inch touch screen, and a moonroof – that you can't get in the base trim. It also comes standard with Honda LaneWatch.



Do You Need an All-Wheel-Drive or Four-Wheel-Drive Car? | Edmunds

Do You Need an All-Wheel-Drive or Four-Wheel-Drive Car? | Edmunds

Car shoppers looking at any vehicle with all-wheel drive (AWD) or four-wheel drive (4WD) as an option face a difficult decision. Is AWD that much safer and worth the roughly $2,000 premium these systems command?


Read full article from Do You Need an All-Wheel-Drive or Four-Wheel-Drive Car? | Edmunds

Monday, December 18, 2017

Difference between a bed frame and rails - and which one you need.

Difference between a bed frame and rails - and which one you need.

Growing up in our family's furniture store it was very common for a customer to walk in and ask for bed rails. Now if a salesperson simply sold them exactly what they asked for then 7 out of 10 times the customer would have gotten something they didn't want or need. That's because most people don't know the difference between bed rails and bed frames. Luckily, you're about to find out.


Read full article from Difference between a bed frame and rails - and which one you need.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

When Is the Best Time of Year to Buy Large Appliances?

When Is the Best Time of Year to Buy Large Appliances?

The exception to point number one is refrigerators. Unlike the other major appliances, most manufacturers roll out their new models of refrigerators in the summer. This means that last year's models get discounted during the spring.


Read full article from When Is the Best Time of Year to Buy Large Appliances?

Friday, December 15, 2017

Right Size Refrigerator for a Family of Four | Tech Life - Samsung

Right Size Refrigerator for a Family of Four | Tech Life - Samsung

Choosing a refrigerator for a family of four means selecting a model that matches your household configuration, food preferences and kitchen layout. With prices that can range from $500 to 10 times that amount and more, you can find models with minimal features all the way up to built-in units with deluxe flexible storage options. How much capacity you need depends on considerations beyond just the number of people under your roof.


Read full article from Right Size Refrigerator for a Family of Four | Tech Life - Samsung

Saturday, December 9, 2017

America’s 10 worst states to live in 2017

America's 10 worst states to live in 2017

The Bluegrass State is in the heart of tobacco country, and residents here would do well to lay off the local product a bit. More than a quarter of adults are regular smokers in Kentucky, the highest rate in the country. The state also has the nation's highest rate of cancer deaths and one of the highest rates of cardiovascular deaths. But Kentucky does have one of the lowest violent-crime rates.


Read full article from America's 10 worst states to live in 2017

Thursday, November 16, 2017

PayPal Cashback Mastercard Entices With High 2% Rewards, No Fee - NerdWallet

PayPal Cashback Mastercard Entices With High 2% Rewards, No Fee - NerdWallet

The PayPal Cashback Mastercard®, issued by Synchrony Bank, offers 2% cash back on all purchases with no limit on the amount of cash you can earn and no expiration date on the rewards. Cardholders can redeem their cash directly to their PayPal account at any time; there's no minimum redemption amount.


Read full article from PayPal Cashback Mastercard Entices With High 2% Rewards, No Fee - NerdWallet

Friday, October 27, 2017

忍不住了,上来骂人了。关于Sacramento 和Fremont - 北美华人e网|海外华人网上家园 - Powered by Discuz!NT Archiver

忍不住了,上来骂人了。关于Sacramento 和Fremont - 北美华人e网|海外华人网上家园 - Powered by Discuz!NT Archiver

以前三块馒头学区最好的是戴维斯。现在也是很好的,但是10/10/10的学区有rocklin, granite bay,folsom 这几年也上的很快。其他的好区eldorado hills 都是医生律师等在住。elk grove 随着华人越来越多学区也在慢慢变好,但还是稍微差了点,所以房子也更便宜。但elk grove 生活是非常方便的,那里还有苹果分部,比较小就是了,有一些BI 的工作。其实最好的就是搬来三块馒头,老婆照发政府工,老公WFH或去东面一些high tech 找找工作,家庭收入20万小日子的确可以很爽

Read full article from 忍不住了,上来骂人了。关于Sacramento 和Fremont - 北美华人e网|海外华人网上家园 - Powered by Discuz!NT Archiver

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

What are the best mortgage lenders in the Bay Area? - Quora

What are the best mortgage lenders in the Bay Area? - Quora

  • Wells Fargo - According to dollar amount and number of mortgages closed, they do 1 out of every 5 mortgages in the Bay Area which is the most of any lender. They have a team of over 300 underwriters in their portfolio team (most loans in the Bay Area will fall into this bucket due to higher loan sizes) and they are competitive with pricing.
  • First Republic - Highest level of service you will receive due to their focus on affluent clients.  They can do loans that don't fit the box and don't follow traditional underwriting guidelines since they focus on the entire relationship.
  • Citibank - Very competitive with pricing; especially with their Jumbo product (>$625.5k loan amount).
  • Union Bank - Flexible with underwriting; especially their ARM products. This is the destination of choice for mortgage brokers since they are one of the few lenders out there that will approve loans with less than 7 years out of bankruptcy/foreclosure/short sale.
  • Bank of America - Very competitive with pricing. Customer service and image has been hurt by slower underwriting turn-times and employee turn-over but don't count them out.  Many top producers are still there who can still deliver a timely loan closing and great customer service.

Read full article from What are the best mortgage lenders in the Bay Area? - Quora

Thursday, October 19, 2017

About GreatSchools' ratings system and methodology

About GreatSchools' ratings system and methodology

The Student Progress Rating (also known as "growth") measures whether students at a school are making academic progress over time. Specifically, the Student Progress Rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on reading and math assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. This data is less common for high schools, which in many states do not take state standardized tests in more than one grade. It is also important to note that it is possible for schools with already-high-performing students to receive a high Student Progress Rating, or for schools with high test scores to receive a low Student Progress Rating. The key advantage of growth is that it's less correlated with socioeconomic background than proficiency. The goal of the Student Progress Rating is to provide transparency into schools that are improving student outcomes regardless of the student's starting point in terms of academic achievement.


Read full article from About GreatSchools' ratings system and methodology

The murky middle: What an average school rating means | Parenting

The murky middle: What an average school rating means | Parenting

While state test scores are far from perfect, the results of very high-rated or low-rated schools do tell you something about the baseline academic performance of most of the students in that school. "When a school's rating is a 2, you know that students at this school are scoring lower on state standardized tests on average," explains Sam Brown Olivieri, who heads the GreatSchools data team. "Across all grades and subjects, students are scoring lower than most other students in the state."


Read full article from The murky middle: What an average school rating means | Parenting

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Home Buying: What is HOA? Why we pay HOA fees? What are the benefits? How to avoid HOA? - Trulia Voices

Home Buying: What is HOA? Why we pay HOA fees? What are the benefits? How to avoid HOA? - Trulia Voices

If you don't want to pay these fees, it's simple don't buy in a development where there are fees. Before buying anything you should definitely find out if there are fees, if so how much, and what they cover. These neighborhoods often have all sorts of rules and regulations and their not necessarily bad but you need to know before you buy.

Read full article from Home Buying: What is HOA? Why we pay HOA fees? What are the benefits? How to avoid HOA? - Trulia Voices

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

What are credit inquiries and how do they affect my FICO Credit Score?

What are credit inquiries and how do they affect my FICO Credit Score?

Soft inquiries are all credit inquiries where your credit is NOT being reviewed by a prospective lender. These include inquiries where you're checking your own credit (such as checking your score in myFICO), credit checks made by businesses to offer you goods or services (such as promotional offers by credit card companies), or inquiries made by businesses with whom you already have a credit account.

Hard inquiries are credit inquiries where a potential lender is reviewing your credit because you've applied for credit with them. These include credit checks when you've applied for an auto loan, mortgage or credit card. Each of these types of credit checks count as a single credit inquiry. One exception occurs when you are "rate shopping". That's a smart thing to do, and your FICO score considers all inquiries within a 45-day period for a mortgage, an auto loan or a student loan as a single credit inquiry. This same guideline also applies to a search for a rental property such as an apartment. These inquiries are usually recorded by the credit bureau as a type of real estate-related inquiry, so the FICO Score will treat them the same way. You can avoid lowering your FICO Score by doing your apartment hunting within a short period.


Read full article from What are credit inquiries and how do they affect my FICO Credit Score?

Sunday, October 15, 2017

House

https://zaq.us/buy-house/

美国买房 | 在美国看房买房贷款全攻略
https://zaq.us/buy-house/

https://bettermoneyhabits.bankofamerica.com/en/home-ownership/buying-mortgage-points-lower-rate
Mortgage points, also known as discount points, are fees paid directly to the lender at closing in exchange for a reduced interest rate. This is also called “buying down the rate,” which can lower your monthly mortgage payments.
  • The interest rate reduction you receive for buying points is not set and depends on the lender and the marketplace.
  • Buying points may give you a tax benefit. Contact a tax professional to see whether doing so might affect your tax situation.
  • Points for adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) typically provide a discount on the loan’s interest rate only during the initial fixed-rate period. Run the numbers to ensure that your break-even point occurs well before the fixed-rate period expires. For Bank of America customers, however, if rates go up during the adjustable period, your rate will be lower based on the points you initially purchased.
  • If you need to decide between making a 20 percent down payment and buying points, make sure you run the numbers. If you make a lower down payment, you may be required to carry private mortgage insurance (PMI). Check to see if this additional cost would cancel out the benefit you’d get from buying points and lowering your interest rate. The Affordable Loan Solution® mortgage from Bank of America can help eligible low- and moderate-income borrowers secure a home loan with a down payment as low as 3 percent and no PMI required.
https://www.fool.com/mortgages/2017/02/28/30-year-vs-51-arm-mortgage-which-should-i-pick.aspx

For most borrowers, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is a better option

As of January 2017, only 5.4% of borrowers are choosing adjustable-rate loans, and for good reason. Simply put, with interest rates still just above record lows, the probability that rates will be lower once the initial teaser rate expires is not good.
At the current average of just 4.17%, 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are cheap enough that it's simply not worth taking the risk of a big increase in the mortgage payment a few years down the road.
To illustrate this point, consider that although the overall percentage of buyers who currently choose ARMs is still low, it has gone up considerably in recent months, in response to rising interest rates. In January 2017, the average 30-year mortgage rate was 4.31%, and 5.4% of buyers chose an ARM. Just two months prior, in November 2016, the 30-year mortgage rate averaged 3.81%, so just 3.9% of buyers found an ARM appealing enough to use.
As I mentioned, the 5/1 ARM mortgage comes with a lower interest rate, but its cost is certain only for the first five years. For this reason, it could be the best choice for a buyer who knowsthat he or she will own the home just for a few years and wants to keep expenses as low as possible.

http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_9ce16ddd0102w52l.html
北湾(North Bay)

主要区域: Marin County, Sonoma County, Napa County, Solano County

在金门大桥 (Golden Gate Bridge)北方的旧金山湾区通常被称做北湾(North Bay)。除了一小部份地区外,北湾是一个极为富有的地方:马林县经常被列为全国最富有的行政区,这里有着最好的眺望旧金山市的豪宅。北湾是美国著名的酒 乡和美食之都,据全美称90%的葡萄酒都产于此,阳光,温暖,葡萄酒,吸引了很多富人选择在北湾养老,湾区的米其林三星级餐馆,大多都藏匿在这个酒乡里, 最大名鼎鼎的要算美国著名厨师Thomas Keller的法国餐馆French Laundry了。北湾也是湾区里唯一没有通勤铁路服务的地区;较小的人口密度与跟湾区其他地区无陆地直接相连是北湾缺乏公共交通工具的主要原因,金门大 桥是此区往旧金山唯一的道路。

旧金山市区(The City of San Francisco)

旧金山或称“圣 弗朗西斯科”、“三藩市”。 重要海军基地和著名的贸易港。工商业发达,也是美国西部最大的金融中心。 位于美国西海岸圣弗朗西斯科半岛,面积47平方英里,三面环水,环境优美,是一座山城。气候冬暖夏凉,阳光充足,年平均气温在20℃左右,被誉为“最受美 国人欢迎的城市”。随着越来越多的高科技公司驻进旧金山,如今(2013年)城市里许多大型项目都在如火如荼的建设中,最让人期待的要属跨湾客运站工程 Transbay Terminal,有时间我会详细介绍旧金山市区的发展动向及主要开发项目。

东湾(East Bay)

主要房产热点城市: Fremont, Berkeley, Newark, Union City, Emeryville, Albany, San Ramon Valleys. Dublin and Pleasanton

东湾的华人社区 传统上以Oakland华埠为中心,但近年来在其他小城市也发展了华人购物中心,尤其以Fremont最为吸引华裔。这里有湾区最好的学区之一 Mission San Jose,也有湾区最受欢迎的爬山之地Mission Peak,Pleasanton Hill山上布满了远离城市喧嚣的豪宅,随着消费群体的增长,去年感恩节Livermore新开了一家高品质的outlets购物中心。

相较于湾区其他地方,东湾的房价比较便宜,但是气候却是最宜人的;没有旧金山的冷,也没有南湾的热。

半岛(The Peninsula)

包含城 市:Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, Burlingame, Colma, Daly City, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Pacifica, Portola Valley, Redwood City, Redwood Shores, San Bruno, San Carlos, San Mateo, South San Francisco and Woodside. 这里是湾区房产最热门的区域。

介于旧金山和南 湾的地区是旧金山半岛,当地常简称为“半岛”(The Peninsula)。这地区由圣马刁县的数个中小型城市和近郊社区和圣塔克拉拉县西北部份所组成,也包含数个太平洋岸边的城镇。2013年全美房价十大 右邮编,仅半岛就占3席,且高居榜首前两位,分别是邮编为94027的Atherton和邮编为94022的Los Altos Hills,两地房价中位数高达670万美元和540万美元。另外邮编为94028的Portola Valley排名第9,这是Palo Alto的后山。虽然有许多富有家庭居住在此,半岛居民的组成是相当多样化的。这里许多城镇在二次世界大战后时期前仅是乡村生活的中心,战后,许多中产和 富有家庭迁移至此,也带动当地发展。自1980年代起,中产和富有家庭的数量因硅谷高科技产业的繁荣而急速成长。来自外国的许多当地家庭,也是居民组成多 样化的原因之一。

南湾 (South Bay,San Jose and Silicon Valley)

包含城市:核心城市San Jose, 郊区:Santa Clara, Milpitas, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Campbell, Los Gatos 远郊:Morgan Hill and Gilroy



Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Nutrition guidelines for young children (ages 2 to 4) | BabyCenter

Nutrition guidelines for young children (ages 2 to 4) | BabyCenter

The USDA recommends getting at least half of your grains from whole grains.

How much preschoolers need daily:

Children 2 to 3 years old: 3 ounces.

Children 4 years old: 5 ounces.

How much is in an ounce of grains: An ounce of grains equals one slice of bread, 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked pasta or cooked cereal.


Read full article from Nutrition guidelines for young children (ages 2 to 4) | BabyCenter

Sunday, August 27, 2017

氣喘兒有前兆!孩子半夜咳嗽咳不停要注意 | Pubu 電子書城

氣喘兒有前兆!孩子半夜咳嗽咳不停要注意 | Pubu 電子書城

氣喘兒人口和10年前相較,呈倍數成長,王志堯醫師從生物免疫學觀點呼籲,氣喘是免疫系統過度反應的過敏疾病,免疫系統的職責和保衛國家的軍隊一樣,要經常進行常規訓練,才能擁有精實水準,避免一再誤判情事,釀成過敏症狀。他建議,多做戶外活動及運動,接觸大自然的洗禮,是鍛鍊免疫系統維持平衡的好方法。

江伯倫教授也提醒,想預防氣喘發作,要注意溫度、濕度的改變,特別留意保暖及除濕工作,避免外在環境一再刺激不穩定的氣管。運動方面,他推薦具有減敏作用的游泳,可訓練氣喘兒適應溫度與濕度,可降低氣喘發作率。

氣喘2大特徵要警覺 

1、經常咳嗽,尤其是夜晚、清晨咳不停,痰較多:父母親若發現3、4歲小孩晚上睡覺時會夜咳,有時是半夜咳不停,咳到不好入眠,或是清晨一起床,溫度一改變,就開始咳嗽,而且持續好幾個星期,江伯倫教授說,這常是氣喘前兆。

2、呼吸時發出咻咻、喘氣聲:一般幼兒呼吸不會發出咻咻聲或伴隨喘氣聲,若聽到小孩呼吸時有咻咻的聲音,夾雜著喘氣聲,就可能是氣喘。江伯倫教授表示,有些幼兒運動後的喘氣聲很大,這也要注意可能有氣喘。


Read full article from 氣喘兒有前兆!孩子半夜咳嗽咳不停要注意 | Pubu 電子書城

Saturday, July 29, 2017

2017 Men’s Conference @ROLCC – Fishercoder

2017 Men's Conference @ROLCC – Fishercoder

  • Sources of pressure: family, job, connections, etc.
  • How to win over pressure:
  • Belief in God (确认主的同在)
  • Removal of pessimism (除去消极思想)
  • Be committed in routine (在小事上忠心)
  • Pray for God's lead (祷告寻求神的带领)
  • What if we fail:
  • Accept truth (接受事实)
  • Be humble to learn (存谦卑的心学习)
  • Faith in God's ability (确信神永不误事)
  • Questions to discuss in your group:
  • What's the most pressing pressure you're facing right now? (在你现在的环境中,你所面对最大的压力是什么?)
  • What's your normal way of handling pressure? Is it effective? (你通常面对压力的方法是什么?有效么?)
  • What's the most helpful message you heard today? (你觉得今天的信息对你最有帮助的一点是什么?)

  • Success

  • How do you define success? (什么是成功?)

  • Principles of being successful:
  • (认识自己的长处与短处)
  • (要有清楚的目标)
  • 学习做一个解决问题的人
  • 不要怕失败
  • 要有热情
  • 要为每天的生活做选择
  • 从成功到有意义
  • 从物质到价值
  • 从追求到给予
  • 从堆积到培育
  • 讨论问题
  • 请分享一下你现阶段的生命目标?什么是你的热情所在?你觉得最大的难处是什么?
  • 有哪些事是你正在做来达成目标,去除拦阻的?

  • Connections

  • A good web of connections is the KEY to happiness

  • Principles of dealing with connections:
  • In family:
  • What they want is your time and attention! Put your laptop and cellphones away! Just spend time with them!
  • Love your wife, never ignore her
  • 爱,就是用心去注意她
  • 要常纪念妻子的爱与付出
  • 爱火是可以重燃的
  • Be kind/nice/patient to your wife, your children will mimic you and have the same attitude to their mom
  • If you're rude, inpatient to your wife, then your children will be the same to their mom, and then their future spouses, this will have permanent damage!
  • 要教养你的儿女,不要缺席
  • 明白"属灵的头"的角色
  • 用生活的榜样来教导
  • 按孩子的需要来带领
  • 要花时间陪伴他们
  • Have daddy-daughter date time! Set it up as a weekly routine, just spend time together, no interruptions, this is the key to building a strong parent-child relationship!
  • In workplace:
  • 要学习与人相处共事
  • 对上司保持良好的沟通
  • 对同事保持团队的互动
  • 要选择你要相处的人群
  • 要学习去帮助别人
  • 关系就是通路
  • Questions to discuss in your small group:
  • In your personal life, what's your most tough questions in handling connections/relationships?

  • Wealth

  • Wealth for Christians

  • Principles for Christians wealth manangement:
  • 确认神是我们一切所有的主
  • 作神忠心又有见识的管家
  • 要殷勤筹划
  • 要慷慨奉献
  • 要拜托债务
  • 储蓄与投资
  • 投资在永恒
  • 提早退休,投身服事
  • 遗产规划,让钱财被神所使用

Read full article from 2017 Men's Conference @ROLCC – Fishercoder

Monday, July 10, 2017

美国理财 - 简书

美国理财 - 简书

401K是美国的养老金一种。每年总投资的上限是18K。

有些公司会match你投资的一部分。比如我选择每月工资的7%投资,公司会追加3.5%。

白拿的钱当然得要,所以至少要投到公司match的最大额度。

401K的本质是基金定投。你可以选择有限种类的基金,一般30-40个,大多是标普指数,国际股指,国债指数等常见的。

我的风险偏好比较高,所以是10% 国债基金,90% 股票指数基金。其中我用S&P 500指数 + Extend Market Index 组成了一个模拟 Total U.S. Index Fund 的 Fund。剩下的投了Total International Index Fund 来分散风险。

组合如下:

  • 40% - FID 500 INDEX PR (FUSVX)
    • 25% - FID EXT MKT IDX PR (FSEVX)
  • 25% - FID INTL INDEX PR (FSIVX)
  • 10% - VANG TOT BD MKT ADM (VBTLX)

401k可以在退休后支取,对于盈利部分不用交税。如果提前支取要交罚金,大概10%。

IRA

类似于401k的养老金,每年上限5500。主要是给没有401k的公司。任何人都可以投。

IRA的好处是选择面非常的广,有些券商可以选择近千种fund。

我投了Vanguard的2050,懒人之选。主要是Vanguard不支持rebalance。它是fund of funds:一种帮你配好了组合的fund。并且每隔一段时间帮你调整比例到预设值。

  • 54.0% - Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund
  • 36.0% - Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund
  • 7.0% - Vanguard Total Bond Market II Index Fund
  • 3.0% - Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund

好处就是买完不用再操心动态调整比例了。坏处就是自己没法定制比例。


Read full article from 美国理财 - 简书

Thursday, July 6, 2017

What Is Retro Pay? | LegalMatch Law Library

What Is Retro Pay? | LegalMatch Law Library

Retro Pay, or "retroactive pay", refers to money that is owed to an employee for work that was done in the past at a much lower wage rate. Retro pay becomes a common workplace dispute when there is confusion over when new pay rates are to be applied. 


Read full article from What Is Retro Pay? | LegalMatch Law Library

Friday, June 30, 2017

美商婕斯集团(Jeunesse)是传销欺诈公司吗?_sunyisnof_新浪博客

美商婕斯集团(Jeunesse)是传销欺诈公司吗?_sunyisnof_新浪博客

最近家里人做起了美商婕斯(Jeunesse),于是费些心思查了下这家公司的底细。结果,呵呵,多半是骗子。

这些查美国公司底细的手法应该通用,就写在这里吧。

用作对比的公司是如新和安利。其中安利11年销售额达113亿美元,超过雅芳成为全球最大直销公司,而如新以22亿美元排名第八。两家公司都在在中国拥有合法直销执照。婕斯公司以1.26亿美元排名78。
Jeunesse-StreetView2.jpg
接下来就是收集的一些资料。

首先,看维基百科,在英文维基百科上无法找到JeunesseGlobal公司。

其次,在FDA(美国食品药品监督管理局)没有查到任何注册信息。

之后,在多家企业黄页上没有查询到企业信息。

至少说明它在美国没有名气,肯定不是什么『全球领先的XXX公司』。

Jeunesse-StreetView1.jpg

当然这还不是关键,美国保健品的小作坊也挺多的。下面这些才是硬伤!

首先依据百度百科,得知其总部在美国佛罗里达州(Florida,简称FL)奥兰多市(Orlando)。

第一:通过http://alexa.chinaz.com查其网站(http://www.jeunesseglobal.com/)流量,发现其网站访问30.2%来自中国,16.8%来自澳大利亚,11.4%来自罗马尼亚,8.3%来自美国。对比如新,网站访问23.8%来自美国,7.0%来自中国;安利,70.8%来自美国,7.3%来自中国。这个Jeunesse真是一个美国公司?

基本上是中国人在访问。至于第二大流量来自澳大利亚,可能与其网站架设在澳大利亚有关。而GDP与我国河南省相当的罗马尼亚么,苏联解体东欧剧变后,那也是个传销相当猖獗的地方。

另外,47.93%的页面浏览都指向 backoffice.jeunesseglobal.com (销售人员的后台,下同);相比之下,如新 myoffice.nuskin.com 的页面访问占全站的5.79%;安利 showsell.amway.com 的访问量仅占全站访问量的0.19%。这家公司的网站访问都是销售人员撑起来的?它到底有顾客么?

第二:通过查询其网站注册信息(http://whois.chinaz.com/www.jeunesseglobal.com),得知其具体注册地址为:650 Douglas Ave(道格拉斯大街650号) Suite 1040(1040房间) ,Altamonte Springs(俄拉蒙特泉城,奥兰多附近一城市), Florida 32714(佛罗里达州,邮编32714) United States(美国)。
在谷歌地图上搜寻,看到这个地方。通过街景地图,看到附件中的建筑。地址无误,街景图2中可见Jeunesse标志和650的门牌号码,但这就是号称占地22000平方英尺(约合2200平方米)的公司总部?

美商婕斯集团(Jeunesse Global)总部街景图。更新日期2012年10月。

总部街景图放大,可见门牌和商标

总部鸟瞰图。图中建筑长约60米,最宽处宽约38米

(不过,从鸟瞰图中估算建筑长60米宽38米,确实是2280平米哈。不过,这难道能算很大么?平方英尺这个单位真是好啊,一平米大概有10平方英尺了。)

Jeunesse-BirdView.jpg

下面这些它根本无法解释!

第三:在美国注册公司虽然的确很简单,但注册必须在州务卿办公室处登记备案。而在佛罗里达州州务卿网站(http://www.dos.state.fl.us/)上没有查到该企业的注册信息。

第四:公司商标Jeuness右上角有个带圈的R,表明其是注册商标(Registered),而在美国专利与商标局网站(http://www.uspto.gov/)查不到任何信息。

最后是个旁证:产品之中那个ProPectin,有效成分就是果胶(http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/果胶)。至于果胶,就是加入酸奶啊果冻啊增加粘稠度的东西。那玩意儿能排出体内的放射性铯?网站上引用的唯一一篇文献我看了,还真敢拿着鸡毛当令箭啊。而且食品级的果胶都是一大箱一大箱地卖的,它标199美刀还真敢卖!

其他的没细看。这个产品倒是槽点多多。

顺便看了下这个网站。日均8万 IP 20万 PV,PageRank 却只有1。做这么一个小网站10000块肯定够了,运营的话每年大概5000块钱就行。

骗几个人就回本了。。。

而这家公司是美元结算,销售人员必须提供信用卡信息。呵呵。

只要对方愿意,随时可以划你的钱。真盗刷了跟银行还扯不清。

—————————————————————————

首先,我又没说假话为什么不能这么讲?!


其次,真心希望婕斯的相关人员在宣传时也能说明该公司是一家新兴公司,而非像百度百科中一样宣传。无论是厂房,研发,计算中心还是客服团队,婕斯相比安利雅芳都相差甚远。这一点上只宣传不对比是不公平的。


第三,对于其销售模式不愿多说,但其多款产品及宣传存在低级错误,比如果胶抗辐射,比如用成人干细胞做的产品没有抗原性,这种低级错误让我怀疑整个公司的水准!

Read full article from 美商婕斯集团(Jeunesse)是传销欺诈公司吗?_sunyisnof_新浪博客