Here's why credit trumps debit almost every time

A very savvy, sharp-eyed reader of this column called me and told me that according to Dave Ramsey, a well known personal finance guru, the consumer who uses a debit card has the same protection as a consumer who uses a credit card to make a purchase. We talked for a few minuets and then after getting off the phone, did our own research.

BLAME: Where it belongs

Reading Steve Cameron’s article in the Aug. 24 paper, he is upset by the president laying blame on all participants. The protesters had a right to be there with a permit granted by a judge. The counter-protesters did not have a permit so they were an unlawful assembly.

Early signs point to continued recovery

Rising prices show stability

We now have six consecutive months of average price increases in the Coeur d'Alene/Dalton areas of our multiple listing service. With that succession and the continued increases in sales over last year, we will now refer to this as a trend.

Where market slows prices still rise

One would have to bet that when fewer homes are for sale, fewer will sell. That would be a safe bet in most environments. In fact, that appears to be the case in the Coeur d’Alene market where 8 percent fewer listings led to a 6 percent decline in number of homes sold when compared to last year. Unless otherwise attributed the figures reported here are of single-family homes on less than 2 acres of land. Still demand remains high and the average price for a like dwelling will cost a buyer 14 percent more on average than it did last year at $293,145.

Home sales ahead of last year

Tax rebate, low interest rates, modest prices credited for increase

COEUR d'ALENE - Kootenai County home sales through April remain well ahead of last year's pace, according to the Coeur d'Alene Multiple Listing Service.

Avista plans to add gas, wind

Commission taking public comment on plan through Dec. 5

To meet an expected 1.6 percent annual growth in electrical load over the next 20 years, Avista Utilities plans on adding about 1,000 megawatts of capacity and reducing another 447 through energy efficiency savings.

The price was right

Cd'A woman appears on Mother's Day episode of popular game show

Looking back on the journey to appear on "The Price is Right" Mother's Day episode, Ulla Lack said it was pure adrenaline that saw her through. The Coeur d'Alene woman described meeting her son in the Los Angeles airport late at night, and grabbing only a few hours rest before rousing at 2:30 a.m. to find the TV studio.

Summer is in full swing Riding to stop suicides

Josh's Ride to raise awareness, money for scholarship

MULLAN - The small town of Mullan has lost five young men to suicide since 1983. Beth and Jeff Elliott's son, Joshua, is the latest, and they hope, the last.

China dominating the U.S. IPO market

NEW YORK - Chinese companies are poised to dominate the U.S. IPO market next week.

Health website problems continue

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama claimed "full responsibility" Wednesday for fixing his administration's much-maligned health insurance website as a new concern surfaced: a government memo pointing to security worries, laid out just days before the launch.

Marty and Max: Q&A to avoid first-time home buyer catastrophes

Marty sits down with local lender Alisha Neff to discuss some of the pitfalls that first-time buyers routinely fall into.

Egg prices surge to record on shortage caused by bird flu

DES MOINES, Iowa - Egg prices reached record levels on Friday after a bird flu outbreak decimated the flock, leading to the death of more than 20 million egg-laying hens over the last month in the top producing state of Iowa.

LEGION BASEBALL: Just what they needed

Northern Lakes bounces back after rough weekend, sweeps Prairie

POST FALLS — Whether it was the offense or defense, when the Northern Lakes Mountaineers needed it, they got it on Tuesday afternoon.

ATHEISTS: A word from God

A story on SRN news recently was Atheists want “National Day Of Reason” to counter “National Day of Prayer.” When I heard that I thought, they already have a National Day, April 1, “The fool has said in his heart, there is no GOD.” Psalm 14:1

Driving on the cheap?

NEW YORK - The average price of gasoline will be below $3 a gallon in 2015, the government predicted Wednesday. If the sharply lower estimate holds true, U.S. consumers will save $61 billion on gas compared with this year.

LEGISLATORS: Focus on real priorities

Our state legislators expressed concern over the governor’s executive power.

How weird are we?

For years I have been promoting the concept that you must "humanize your selling strategy." The short explanation for this plan is that you must match your sales approach to the individual or company who will buy your product. How will it benefit them?

ADVERTISING: Advertorial — Buzz words

Every industry has words that have a specific meaning to those that work in the business. When industry folks get together and start tossing these words and phrases around, they are greeted with quizzical looks from those who don’t work in that industry. The wine business is no different, wine professionals have many expressions that don’t mean much to those who don’t spend all their days consumed by, or consuming wine. It is important though for us as wine professionals to not only use the terms properly but from time to time to explain what we are attempting to communicate.

It is getting warmer

Especially in Post Falls. Overall, the Coeur d'Alene Multiple Listing Service reports an increase in activity, but the hot spot so far this year is Post Falls. Preliminary figures this year to date show an increase in the number of sales in that city to be 23 percent above last year at this time. Not only have they exceeded their number of sales, but their average price represents one of the largest improvements at $174,105 for a 16 percent increase over 2012. This increase is second only to Idaho's Silver Valley which continues the recovery reported last month with an average price increase that maintains the previous month's double-digit improvement, now at 30 percent more than last year.