Jury Convicts 166 Times in Mortgage Fraud Case

After just eight days of deliberation, a Georgia jury concluded that there was sufficient evidence to convict Phillip Hill of mortgage fraud 166 times over.

His nine co-defendants, including real estate brokers, appraisers, lawyers and recruiters to the scheme, were found guilt on another 270 charges.

Phillip Hill and his company bought more than 50 houses and 250 condos at cut rates and then flipped them to straw buyers who applied for loans at inflated "appraised" prices.

The fake buyers were paid kickbacks, and Hill and his buddies pocketed millions. Investors were out $41 million.

Real estate is a tough business. It's hard to buy homes and flip them for profit when you're playing by the rules. Too bad Phillip Hill didn't.

Housewares Show 2007: Making houseguests comfortable, but not too comfortable.

I spent some time at the Home and Housewares show last week, checking out the cool new things that will be for sale soon at a store near you.

In terms of big trends, it appears that manufacturers of silicone bakeware have finally figured out that the stuff is too wiggly on its own. So, look for a new line of silicone products that include metal supports or ceramic bases.

There were a couple of new innovations in the area of blow-up beds. Insta-bed introduced a queen-size blow up bed that has some of the features of a hospital bed.

The back goes up and down, so you can sit up and read if you like. And you can adjust the air under your knees so you can sit with your knees bent.

The bed also has two air mattresses put together, so Grandma won't have to get down on all fours to climb into bed.

It costs $258, and when Grandma leaves, the bed deflates and stores easily in a closet.

Housewares show 2007: Saving Drinks and Instilling flavor

I like to cook, and in particular, I like to cook over the grill. I'm always marinating something and then looking for different ways of grilling it.

At last week's Home and Houseware's show, I saw a new product that should make it easier and faster to marinade meats and vegetables. It's called "The Marinator," and it's a state-of-the-art vacuum seal and cycling system that compresses the time you need to let meats and vegetables marinate while infusing them with more flavor.

Here's how it works. You place the food and marinate into the 12x9 base, cover with the lid and press to activate. The vacuum pump draws most of the air out and then cycles it back in. During this process, the meat absorbs more, or all, of the marinade. Five minutes later you're done.

I tried out some samples and they were delicious, each bite packed with flavor. Look for The Marinator later this year at Williams Sonoma.

If you're selling your home, you have to develop patience

I've owned my new investment condo for 3 weeks, and it's been on the market for just about 16 days.

In the grand scheme of things, I don't have much to complain about. We've had more than a dozen showings in the last two weeks, including a third showing. That buyer's agent said he's thinking about making an offer. Just about everyone who has seen the condo really likes it. Several serious buyers want to come back for second showings.

In other words, it's going really well. And yet.....

I find that I'm still anxious. Like all sellers, I find I'm nervously watching every little detail in my neighborhood. Every time Alan Greenspan utters the word "recession," I wonder how it will affect my ability to sell.

I know we're doing everything right – we've got the best-looking condo on the market at the most competitive price.

But sellers need to develop patience – especially in tough buyer's markets.

Deposit Your Check At Home, Not At The Bank

If you have direct deposit at work, or through Social Security, you already know how great it is. No more waiting for your boss to hand you your check, or waiting for it to come in the mail. No more going to the bank or currency exchange after work. Your funds are available on payday morning.

But what about other checks you get?

Recently, USAA introduced a new service for account holders called Deposit@Home. It allows you to deposit checks from home using a computer, scanner, and a secure website.

Here's how it works. You'll log onto USAA.com and type in the keyword USAA Deposit. Sign the back of your check and mark it "for deposit only" to your USAA account. Scan both sides of the check and the money shows up in your bank account.

It's fast, easy and secure to deposit checks this way. Watch for electronic deposits at home to become the next big thing banks offer.