Speculation is a fool’s game — and so let’s turn to the Motley Fool for some exciting debate! Housing prices have been in recovery for a while, and as this blog pointed out recently, are now officially higher than the previous high of 8 years ago. But just because we’ve reached a new high, doesn’t mean we’re in a bubble (nor does it mean that we aren’t). Three experts from the Motley Fool take both sides of the question. Of course, as always, predictions of the future should be treated just as seriously as everyone took Cassandra’s. Still, it’s fun to think about these questions.

It seems like a no-brainer. “Why pay $20,000 in interest to get $6,600 back from the IRS?” Paying off your mortgage early, either in a lump sum, or through regular, extra payments can be a smart choice for many people. However, it’s not always the case. You need to consider how long you’ll be in the house, how close you are to retirement, and whether or not a hedge against inflation makes sense for you. CNBC just released a special report that looks at when it might make sense, and when it might not, including commentary from several CFPs.

This blog has covered the status of home-buying by the Millennial generation several times now; but, all those times have been based on articles written in financial publications, and have largely been positive. If the title doesn’t give it away (Millennials can’t afford to buy houses, even though the U.S. really needs them to), this article by Professor of Law at UT Austin, Mechele Dickerson, has a slightly different take on things. OK. Maybe more than slightly. And she has lots of statistics from the MacArthur Foundation’s 2015 “How Housing Matters” to back it up.

Just last week mortgage rates were at a high for the year, but there’s been lots of news this week out of China, Greece, and even the halting of trading on the NYSE, which have caused rates to drop. What most of the articles fail to cover is the actual reason that those things have an impact. The good news is, while most of us don’t think in these terms, it’s actually not that complicated. When global investors get nervous, they flee to bonds. In particular, U.S. bonds. Because of increased competition, investor have to settle for lower yields. And since they’re getting lower yields from bonds, mortgage rates have to drop to remain competitive. And there you have it. Time to lock in! (Until the next completely unpredictable change).

Lest you thought last week’s blog about the futility of timing markets in the face of continued globalization was a one-off, rest assured, it wasn’t. With the Greek “no” vote last week, and on-going efforts to maintain Greece as part of the Euro Zone being announced every day, there’s every reason to believe that news from Europe will be affecting you for a while — and in a good way! The Washington Post covers three ways the Greek situation is (and may continue) to positively impact you, including with on-going low mortgage rates!

Did you get a raise this year? If so, was it to $4 million? OK, perhaps that’s not really a reasonable question, as perhaps you’re not the CEO of a major corporation. Still, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac CEOs just got raises to approximately $4 million per year each. Previously (since 2012), their pay had been capped at $600,000 per year as the companies came out of conservatorship. Now that the market has recovered, and the two companies are once again quite profitable, the restrictions have been lifted. For what it’s worth, the compensation is approximately what the previous CEOs were making in 2011, so it’s kind of like not getting a raise in 4 years.

Let’s be honest, there aren’t too many “fun” stories that come out about homes or the housing market, but, heading into the holiday weekend, Money magazine came out with a great one! They grabbed some information on 8 former presidential residences, from Washington’s Mount Vernon to the Eisenhower home (just like Dwight, not to have a name for his), and then grabbed some comps on similarly sized homes in today’s market. Some of them are unsurprising (we know Monticello wouldn’t be cheap), but some of them are surprisingly modestly priced (hypothetically speaking).

Many of you have already slipped away from town, tucking on a few extra days to the weekend. But whether you’re one of those lucky ones, or are working today and just planning to hang out in the back yard with friends tomorrow, we wish you a very happy and very safe Independence Day. And in order to make sure you stay safe, no matter what your plans for the weekend, here are some tips from the Red Cross. It covers fireworks, swimming, and sun. Also, it turns out the Red Cross has a first-aid mobile app. Check out the article, and download it — better safe than sorry!

Sometimes, you don’t have a lot of choice about when you sell your home. Maybe you’re relocating for work, and it has to be sold right now! And this blog has covered several times recently the fact that you shouldn’t try and time the market. But, if you have the luxury of choosing when to sell your home, summer may well be the right choice. @brunc222 is a social-media and web editor over in the U.K., and he’s put together a list of 5 reasons that summer is the best time to sell. And the reasons are equally true on this side of the pond.

Well, it’s taken a long time, but home sales are back at the top! For over a year now, everyone has been claiming recovery, but a “recovery” never feels real until it has surpassed the previous highs. We see it with the stock market all the time. The market “recovers”, but takes a while longer to surpass the previous high. For home sales, we just surpassed the April, 2006, number — the high prior to the Great Recession. Let the good times roll!