According to Arkansas State Police, more than 3,000 Sebastian County teenagers were involved in auto accidents in 2006. Luckily, there is an interesting new national program that may help reduce that number. 

This new program, titled Teen Spy, uses bumper stickers to track teenagers' driving habits. Parents are able to register their teen's tag number through the Teen Spy program.

International real estate purchase in America continue to be a huge part of business for many Realtors, according to the 2008 National Association of Realtors Profile of International Home Buying Activity. 

For homeowners who depend on natural gas or heating oil to warm their homes during winter, a sharp increase in pricing compared to last year's bill is definitely coming. 

Heating oil prices futures are lingering around $3.28 plus the $1.00-or-so markup charge for retailers. This means that heating prices are almost double what they were two years ago. Natural gas prices aren't as high but they have also soared dramatically.

As the summer draws to a close, many homeowners choose to squeeze in one last vacation before school starts again. These vacationers should be very aware of the potential risks of leaving their homes empty for days and know what they can do to keep their home and possessions safe while they're away. 

Lieutenant Brent Grill with the Van Buren Police Department says, "A lot of people don't have the means or money to get home protection, so there's some other things they can do."

Last Wednesday, President Bush signed into law a housing bill in an attempt to boost the struggling housing market and bolster finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

The Senate voted 72-13 in favor of the bill on Saturday after the House passed it three days before.

Though consumer confidence has recently nosedived, inflation is on the rise, and the economy is struggling, consumers, though they are cutting back some on spending, refuse to give up certain expenditures. 

Nine out of 10 Americans said they cut back expenses or discretionary spending somewhat because of the current economy, according to a study performed by market research firm GfK Roper Consulting.

Only 11% of Americans believed it was a good time to buy things they want or need, a drop of only 5% a year earlier.

Though it's obvious that today's national housing downturn is one of the worst in half a century, the still-huge overhang of unsold homes (one of the key indicators of the market's prospects) shows that things could actually get worse, especially if the national economy slips into a recession. 

In a market whose next move is never a sure thing, it’s no surprise that half of the region’s counties have seen foreclosure rates drop while the other three struggle to fight the sluggish economy.

Arkansas customers of Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG & E) could see their bills increase by more than ten percent for electricity used after August 1. A similar increase, which went into effect on July 1, has recently affected the utility’s Oklahoma customers.

OG & E proposed last week to the Arkansas Public Service Commission a twenty-five percent increase in the energy cost recovery rider rate, one of the several components of a customer’s overall monthly bill.

As you know, Independence Day is this Friday, July 4. If you’re not sure where you can catch a fireworks show or help your children patriotically celebrate the holiday, here are some suggestions!