Lon Chaney's great skill as a silent film actor came about as a result of his upbringing. Both of his parents were deaf-mutes, so he learned to communicate by expressive pantomime.

David Prowse, the actor who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars films, was also in the Stanley Kubrick classic 'A Clockwork Orange'. He is the caretaker of the man who was beaten by Malcolm McDowell's character and his gang. David Prowse carries the man who is now in a wheel chair around the house.

Ronald Reagan was the only president to have ever worn a NAZI uniform. (Of course. he wore it as an actor in a movie)

Since August 2008, jumbo mortgages have been expensive and lending standards have been restrictive. But jumbo fixed rates now have dropped three-quarters of a percentage point since the beginning of the year, and standards have been easing.

"Over the last six to eight weeks, a lot of the big banks have been getting back into jumbo lending," says Dan Green, loan officer for Waterstone Mortgage in Cincinnati. "Now you can make a 20 percent down payment and go jumbo."

For most of the last two years, fixed-rate jumbo loans have been rare. Instead, lenders have offered jumbos with adjustable rates, such as 5/1 ARMs. And lenders generally have required borrowers to make down payments of 25 percent or 30 percent, or to have that much equity in a refinance.

Now, Green says, more lenders are offering fixed-rate jumbos with 20 percent equity.

Interest rates on fixed-rate home loans have continued to remain at all-time record lows for the sixth straight week. The current interest rates being offered today have encouraged many prospective new home buyers to seek their purchase.

Currently the thirty-year fixed rate mortgage (FRM) averaged at 4.50%, unchanged from the average, but much lower than this time last year when it stood at 5.25%.

The average interest rate currently being offered for a fifteen-year FRM is 3.875%, down a significant amount from this time last year when it averaged 4.69%.

The thirty-year jumbo FRM is also at extremely low levels. Currently you will find many servicers offering rates as low as 5.125% for this type of loan, far lower than a few weeks ago when it averaged 5.50%.

Update the look of the whole sink with a new faucet. New models are stylish, functional and will change the look of the whole area. Time investment for installing a new faucet is about one and a half hours.

Address any storage problems by throwing out items that are no longer used. Add a kitchen island for additional prep and storage space. Check out flea markets for vintage china cabinets or pot racks to add a stylish touch that’s not a budget-breaker. Time investment is about six hours.

Spruce up the backsplash to add a dash of color and increase the sophisticated look of the kitchen. New styles, textures and patterns are sure to please any homeowner. This also should take about six hours.

The whole look of a cabinet can change when the hardware is changed. Swap out the hardware and then give all the cabinets a good cleaning to remove any grime and then polish to keep the look. Time investment is two to five hours depending on the number of cabinets.

Go for the gadgets to give the area a new look. Install a flat-screen TV, iPod docking station or a laptop area to bring the whole family into the kitchen. Time investment: about two hours for shopping.