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Use the word ‘fee’ vs the words ‘compensation‘ and ‘commission‘ There are a variety of reasons for making this shift. Due to the commission litigation, “commission” and “compensation” have become hot-button words. Sellers have repeatedly heard through the media that they only need to pay their half of the commission. Using the word “fee” opens up an infinite number of possibilities for how the sellers may choose to help the buyer — for example, a credit to repair the roof or to provide the buyer with an interest rate buy-down. Buyers are more likely to push back on paying their…

At the center: American gymnast Jordan Chiles and Romanian gymnast Ana Bărbosu, whose razor-thin fight for an Olympic medal has already blow up into threats of legal action and vows for “justice.”The drama kicked off last Monday during the floor exercise in Paris.Initially, Chiles finished fifth with a score of 13.666. But after her coach filed an inquiry, arguing Chiles should’ve been awarded more difficulty points, her score was upped to 13.766 — enough to net bronze.The stunning about-face unfolded in real time. Bărbosu, who’d been awarded bronze before the inquiry, looked up at the scoreboard mid-celebration to see that…

Stars like George Clooney frequent this scenic corner of northern Italy, but you might be surprised by how affordable it can be. Here’s an insider’s guide. Source link

Josh Gad is steaming mad at Germany’s flagship airline … he says his international travel experience on Lufthansa has been a complete nightmare … and he’ll never book them again. The “Frozen” star is going nuclear on Lufthansa on social media, accusing the airline of sticking him back in coach seats despite paying for business class on a flight from Frankfurt to Greece … a demotion Josh says is “insane.” It only gets worse from there … Josh says when he landed in Athens, he had an email from Lufthansa informing him his luggage wasn’t on the flight. Josh says…

Refinance activity last week hit its highest level since August 2022, when mortgage rates were closer to 5%. But it’s far too early to celebrate. Refinance activity received a major boost last week as mortgage rates declined on the back of expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates and a possible recession looms. The dollar volume of refinance applications increased 32.8% for the week ending Aug. 9 from the previous week, according to Fannie Mae’s Refinance Application-Level Index (RALI). RALI dollar volume rose 94.4% compared to the same period in 2023 when the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate surpassed…

U.S. crude oil prices fell 2% on Tuesday, as slowing global demand overshadows tensions between Iran and Israel.The market has shifted its focus back to fundamentals after the International Energy Agency and OPEC flagged softening consumption in China this week.Here are Tuesday’s energy prices:West Texas Intermediate September contract: $78.40 per barrel, down $1.66, or 2.07%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil has gained 9.5%.Brent October contract: $80.78 per barrel, down $1.52, or 1.85%. Year to date, the global benchmark is ahead 4.87%.RBOB Gasoline September contract: $2.37 per gallon, down more than 6 cents, or 2.68%. Year to date, gasoline is up 13.1%.Natural…

Thomas Kwoyelo has been found guilty of dozens of crimes against humanity committed between 1992 and 2005.A Ugandan court has found Thomas Kwoyelo, the only commander of the feared Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to be tried in the East African country, guilty of multiple counts of crimes against humanity. “He is found guilty of the 44 offences and hereby convicted,” lead Judge Michael Elubu said on Tuesday at the International Crimes Division (ICD) of the High Court in the northern city of Gulu, where the LRA was once active. He added that Kwoyelo was found not guilty of three counts…

Katie Holmes’ daughter is leaving the nest!The 45-year-old actress opens up about how she’s feeling about her 18-year-old daughter, Suri Cruise, whom she shares with ex-husband Tom Cruise, going off to college in an interview with Town & Country published on Tuesday.”I’m proud of my daughter,” Holmes tells the outlet. “Of course, I will miss the close proximity, but I’m really proud of her and I’m happy.”Back in the day, Holmes attended Columbia University. She reflects on her own college years when imagining her daughter’s future.”I remember being this age, this time of beginnings. It’s exciting to learn about yourself,…

Great Rooms A visual diary by Design Editor Wendy Goodman. The Parlor: The 1910 house overlooks the Catskill Mountains. Elliott, left, and Daisy are on the sofa. The papier-mâché desk and chairs were made by Phoebe Sung and painted by daughters Freya and Coco. The zebra painting is by McGregor, and the flower painting is by Kayo Lennar. Cold Picnic’s Sweetie rug is on the floor. Photo: Annie Schlechter A farmhouse was always Phoebe Sung and Peter Buer’s dream. But more than that: “We wanted land and space that our children could continue to return to for the rest of…

It’s a challenging time to be a home improvement retailer.While consumer spending is down in part because many American families are running out of money, the homeowners who make up most of the customer base for the segment are doing reasonably well financially.”The consumer remains engaged — our consumer in particular remains quite healthy,” Home Depot CEO Ted Decker said Tuesday on the company’s second quarter earnings call.Decker said home values had increased by 50% over the past four years, leaving owners with some $13 trillion of additional wealth in the form of equity.The problem now for Home Depot and…