Personal Finance Daily: White House 'asking price' slashed to $264 million

Personal Finance Daily DECEMBER 09, 2011 White House 'asking price' slashed to $264 million By MarketWatch Don't miss these top stories: White House asking price slashed to $264 mln Get the best new-car deals in December Low-risk investing in volatile times Looking for a unique property? How about this one: 132-room house of historical significance, with 16 bedrooms and 35 bathrooms. Features tennis court, swimming pool, convenient location. No, the White House is not for sale. It never has been and it probably never will be. But the folks over at Zillow, the real estate value website, put a number on just about every property in the U.S. and the White House is no exception. The White House also is no exception to the overall decline in the housing market, Lew Sichelman notes, just a little bit tongue-in-cheek, in his Realty Q& A column today on MarketWatch. He answers readers' questions about who could authorize a sale of the White House — as unlikely as that might be (probably that would be the U.S. General Services Administration); and what it might be worth. Actually, we know it's virtually priceless. But Zillow says it's around $264 million. Good luck with that offer. Also in today's Personal Finance news on MarketWatch, some great deals that might be in your price range: new cars. If you've been thinking about getting a new vehicle, Jennifer Waters says, this may be the perfect month. December typically is the best month to find offers from dealers and manufacturers who want to end the year with a big push. — Anne Stanley , Managing Editor, Personal Finance White House asking price slashed to $264 mln No, it's not for sale, but no property has been immune to the real-estate downturn, not even the iconic White House. Read more: White House asking price slashed to $264 mln. Get the best new-car deals in December Auto manufacturers and dealers want to end the year on a high note and will bombard the airwaves with new-car sales and lease incentives. Read more: Get the best new-car deals in December. INVESTING Wall of worry still too fragile to support rally The market still hasn't worked off all of the excess optimism generated by stocks' explosive October rally — only when it does will stocks be ready to mount a big new rally. Read more: Wall of worry still too fragile to support rally. Senior lessons for freshman investors It doesn't take much money to start investing. Do homework before putting up cash, stay proactive, and keep a long-term outlook, and you'll be giving yourself a solid foundation on which to build a portfolio Read more: Senior lessons for freshman investors. Low-risk investing in volatile times If you're an individual investor concerned mostly about retirement, and have no designs to become a day trader, market-timer or algorithmic genius, then excessive market volatility isn't doing you any favors. Here's one way to smooth the ride. Read more: Low-risk investing in volatile times. ECONOMY & POLITICS Trade deficit narrows in October, lowest in 2011 The U.S. trade gap narrowed 1.6% in October to $43.5 billion, the Commerce Department said Friday. Read more: Trade deficit narrows in October. Consumer sentiment at six-month high A gauge of consumer sentiment is at its highest level in six months, led by improved expectations, according to Friday data from the University of Michigan and Thomson Reuters. Read more: Consumer sentiment at six-month high. OPEC conflicts give way to oil balance The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will return to the spotlight next week as members attempt to make up for their failure to reach an oil-production agreement at the last meeting, which has oddly given way to a relatively balanced oil market, for now. Read more: OPEC conflicts give way to oil balance. INTERNATIONAL NEWS EU agrees closer fiscal ties; Britain opts out Most European Union leaders agree to new tough fiscal rules, but Britain rejects the deal. Read more: EU agrees closer fiscal tie; Britain opts out. Croatia eyes benefits in being EU's 28th member Croatia is set to become the 28th member state of the European Union in a landmark achievement for the former Yugoslav republic, but one that comes at a time of unprecedented turmoil within the economic and political bloc. Read more: Croatia eyes benefits in being EU's 28th member. Why Merkel-Sarkozy pact is doomed to fail The idea of countries like Greece and Portugal allowing Germany and France to impose budget rules on them suggests Europe's no closer to solving its debt crisis. Read more: Why Merkel-Sarkozy pact is doomed to fail. Get the latest news on our mobile site: http://www.marketwatch.com/m MarketWatch has sent you this newsletter because you signed up to receive it. To ensure you receive this newsletter in the future, please add marketwatchmail.com to your list of approved senders. Sent to: kumaresan.selva.blogger@gmail.com Unsubscribe | Subscribe Copyright 2011 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved. MarketWatch, the MarketWatch logo, and BigCharts are registered trademarks of MarketWatch, Inc. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (updated 6/26/07). MarketWatch - Attn: Customer Service, 201 California St., San Francisco, CA 94111