Children are miracles. Little bundles of joy that drool and poop on everything. But still so adorable. And then they grow into angsty teenagers that hate us. Precious. And eventually they become working adults that we can share good conversation with. Unfortunately, sometimes they even have to wipe the drool off of our faces!

Amongst all of those other pros and cons, I would be a fool if I didn’t mention the tax advantages children offer!

I must be in a tax-y mood. Just yesterday I went over ways to check your property taxes by address. And now today… how to claim your child on your tax return.

Imagine buying a car without knowing the price of gas. Would you be more inclined to buy a sexier sports car or a more rugged SUV? I would.

How about buying an appliance without the salesperson telling you that you need to get it maintenanced every year for $50. Adds a lot to the cost, right?

So why do people buy houses without first checking what the property taxes will be? You can’t figure out your projected annual cost of ownership is if you don’t have all of the pieces to the puzzle. And if you don’t know what your expected costs are… you could find yourself in a bit of trouble. Imagine your astonishment when a $10,000 property tax bill arrives! But… but… it’s your dream home!

So, with that in mind

I came across an article on CNN Money that exemplified how it is still possible to get hired quickly during the current recession.

I’ve also written a few posts around the topic of job searching. I wrote a post for recent grads that are job hunting. Studenomics guest posted on my site with a few potential reasons why you may not have a job this summer. For those of you trying to get a job by any means, I threw out a few tips on how to use twitter to find a job. And if the recession has you down, you could always apply for a government job.

But, on to the article

Whereas summer is not officially over for another week or two, for all intents and purposes it is over for most people.

Work schedules are returning to the non-summer flexes (no more Friday half days?!), school has started (whether for you or your children), and the beaches are beginning to thin out.

So with all of that sadness happening, the least I could do is offer you a few interesting links :)

Top Articles

• Why a Degree From a Fancy College Isn’t Worth It by Neal Frankle @ fcn.
• US Dollar Must be Replaced @ Money Energy.
• The ONE Thing You Must Do to Reach Your Financial Goals @ Redeeming Riches

The topic of the crashing housing market needs no introduction unless you’ve been in a fallout shelter for the past year.

So, how bad is it? And alternatively, are there any markets doing alright?

Nationally, the median home price fell 15.6% during just the second quarter of 2009.

The stats versus the second quarter last year for the country, and by region, are below.

Metro Area State Median Home Price 2nd Quarter % Change from 2nd Quarter 2008