based on almost 150 years of american history, we are due.  2.  

I've worked with a startup in San Diego and I've coached American football in Knoxville, TN and Grenoble, France.

North American Savings Bank (one of the lenders specializing in non-recourse financing for retirement accounts) for example will require 3 years seasoning before they can use a new appraised value, if it is less than 3 years they will use the original purchase price.

RE = hedge to inflation, debt becomes cheaper with older dollars.Cash = hedge to deflation, we can acquire more assets.Gold, which I love, because I'm an Austrian believer, really doesn't hold as much necessity now.The good news is, if you ever hear the mainstream media throwing the "D" word around, holy smokes things are really bad, or it's a smoke screen for something else.The even better news is that the American economic nightmare is deflation, because that would force them to actually default, or take up "Helicopter Ben" Bernanke on his last ditch effort of saving a Keynesian economy.

So we still keep (otherwise redundant) paper files and use shred bins, creating an odd mix of super high tech and super old fashioned. 

Not if you're doing your numbers in a conservative fashion.  

I have to say though that you may be able to make the kitchen even more modern by going with one of the fashionable mid-grey shades which would pull together your appliances and countertop (which you didn't mention changing).

The US Census has a bunch along with their American Community Survey.  

I also hear great things about Bank of American Fork and also Zions for construction loans. 

@Ian Brown  too funny I did see on American Greed the dude who sold counterfit wines..