Mortgage Problems and the Myth of Foreclosure Help

For a number of reasons, the rate of home foreclosures is rising in the United States. In fact, the rate is up some 70% over a year ago. Part of this is due to rising interest rates that are making payments unaffordable to homeowners who bought their homes three or four years ago with adjustable rate mortgages. Many of these mortgages were set to adjust after three years, and the resulting increases in payments have left the homes unaffordable for their owners. With little recourse, thousands of owners have had to walk away from their homes. This unfortunate situation may be avoidable in some cases, particularly if the owners discuss their troubles with their lenders. Instead, many owners have answered ads posted by companies offering \foreclosure help\, hoping to find a way to keep their houses despite their financial troubles. In many cases, the owners not only fail to get the help they need, but they often end up literally giving their houses away to the companies they thought would help them keep them.



The scam is a common one that takes advantage of people in desperate situations. Mortgage companies that intend to foreclose on delinquent customers file notice with the counties in which the homeowner resides. The county posts those notices and investors make note of the addresses. With a bit of research, they determine the value of the property and the amount owed on the mortgage. The investors seek properties with large amounts of equity. They then approach the owner with an offer to \help\ them with their financial troubles. The offers vary, but the deal usually involves an offer to make good on the delinquent amounts while renting the home back to the owner for a set period of time. At the conclusion of that time period, the investors say they will offer the owner-turned-tenant the opportunity to repay and take their home back. For desperate homeowners who want to keep their houses, these offers seem like a Godsend.



Unfortunately, the deals rarely work out to the benefit of the owner. More often than not the paperwork provided with the offer includes a quitclaim deed, which, once signed by the owner, essentially gives the property to the investor. The investor, now the owner of the property, then demands an unreasonable amount of rent from the owner-turned-tenant. When he or she cannot pay, the investor evicts the tenant and sells the house, pocketing the profits. In some cases, investors have pocketed several hundred thousand dollars from a single property, all for the minimum investment of a few months\' of delinquent mortgage payments. The former owner is left with nothing.



Some states, such as Minnesota, have passed laws that severely restrict this practice, but others, such as Florida, have so far been unable to overcome large opposition from business interests. In the states with few restrictions, flyers offering foreclosure help can be found on telephone poles in just about every city. Unfortunately for homeowners who have financial trouble, the last thing they will receive if they respond to these flyers is help. Homeowners who are in financial trouble should call their lender first. The last thing lenders want to do is foreclose, so buyers would be better off calling their lender rather than trusting their home to a stranger who advertises on telephone poles.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Copyright 2006 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information regarding home equity loans, mortgages and lines of credit. He may also know something about The Debt Consolidator.

Best Online High Return Investment Company

Choosing the best online high return investment company. Investment is quite a tough ball game and everyone is certainly not cut out for the same. While some people may be shrewd investors who understand the market to an extent that they know where to invest and to what extent, there are others who are absolute novices in this field.

Whether you are a novice or an experienced investor, the first place you will look at when looking for a good investment opportunity is the Internet. Thought it would get easier? Think again! When you search the Internet for a good investment company, what you see are countless pages that enlist a large number of investment companies.

Choosing the best company from all the available options can be quite an overwhelming task. This piece of writing aims to give you some useful tips about how to choose the best investment company. Search the Internet for an online investment company. Out of the umpteen number of pages that you get as your search result, focus on the first two pages, as the results tend to become a little wayward as you go farther.

Don\'t limit your focus only to those names that you recognise from television or radio commercials. There may be several other websites that offer brilliant investment opportunities. Before signing up with an investment company, you need to assess your own choice of investment. If you want a diverse portfolio to boast of, then go in for a company that offers a wide array of investment options.

If your choice of investment is only stocks or mutual funds, then go in for an investment company that exclusively deals with these categories. You must also look at the minimum initial investment that an online company requires from you and whether you are ready to offer that kind of money or not. Certain companies require you to open a cheque or savings account with the banks that they are associated with.

Also don\'t forget to look into brokerage and other fees that the site will charge you. Also, a vital point of consideration is whether the online company will invest your dividends by itself or withhold it in the money market until you decide what you want done with it. Besides taking into due consideration all the above points, you must avoid taking your business to an investment company that charges an exorbitant membership fees or does not give you free access to your own investments

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Online Investment Plans UK

Should I Look For Financing Before I Make A Major Purchase?

Yes, yes and yes! Get your financing before you start shopping for a home, vehicle or other major purchase. By doing this beforehand you\'ll save yourself lots of money! Not only that, you\'ll be in a great position to negotiate your purchase with the seller. There are so many ways that you can shop for your financing these days. Here are some tips and information to assist you with finding out where you can start looking for your financing needs:

1) Using the internet is a great way to do research on your financing. The internet provides you with an array of financing options to choose from. You get to check on what company provides you with the best interest rate for your needs. You\'ll even find financing options you didn\'t even realize are available to you.

2) Your own bank. Go to your bank and apply for the financing you need. Get pre approved for your loan prior to making your purchase. What better place to secure your financing than your own bank! You\'re banking with them so why not consider giving them the opportunity to help you with your major purchase. Just make sure the interest rate their charging you is a good one!

3) Consider credit union financing. Sometimes you\'ll find lower interest rates for that major purchase you\'re trying to make via a credit union. Credit unions are also competing for your business as well and have become major players in the financial world these days. This is good, because you have another outlet to secure your financing from.

4) Check your local newspaper, phone book and other media sources for prospective companies that provide financing that you may consider using.

5) As a last resort, consider using the seller\'s financing provided. The seller may have competitive interest rates you may be interested in applying for to make the major purchase you\'re interested in.

So as you can see, there are several financing options available to you to secure your financing before you make your major purchase! You\'ll have the edge on your seller when you\'re getting ready to make your purchase. Yes that\'s right! You can negotiate how much you\'re paying for that home, vehicle or other major purchase before you sign on the dotted line. You\'re in the driver\'s seat because you have your money already, remember you\'re already pre approved! So, let the negotiations for your major purchase begin!

Nocita Carter is a writer and web designer that creates websites providing informative tips on various subject matter including personal finance tips on your personal finances at http://www.personal-finance-tips-for-you.com ; dating tips at http://www.mydating-tips.com and your choice of ebooks at http://www.ebook-corner-for-you.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=NocitaCarter

Bill Consolidation: Freedom From Debt?

Stated simply, bill consolidation is getting loan to pay for other loans so that the borrower is left with only one loan to finance. Debt consolidation is a step taken by borrowers for the advantages it may allow like lowered interest rates and focusing his payment to a single loan.

This often takes placing a property as collateral. When collateral is guaranteed the interest gets lower because the risk to the lending company is decreased. When the borrower fails to meet his obligations, the lending company forecloses the property as payment for the debt.

People with multiple credit cards often resort to debt consolidation. Carrying multiple credit cards is almost surefire formula to carrying high interest rates. Credit cards are one type of an unsecured loan. As such, credit cards carry high interest rates and people with multiple credit cards are often tempted to spend more than they earn.

One good way of solving this is through debt consolidation. Secured loans from the bank or a lending company (one that is covered by collateral) have less interest rates than the unsecured loans for credit cards. Paying then all his credit cards from a secured loan from the bank enables the borrower of saving from the lowered interest rate. As mentioned, this is a good way of doing it, if the habit of spending more than what one earns is not changed. The process starts again and the interest rates will soon start to climb, sometimes, worse than it was resulting to foreclosure of properties.

There are many ways to consolidate debt. There are for example the student\'s consolidation loans and the home finance debt consolidation. But no matter how it is termed, debt consolidation is little more like transferring one unsecured loan to another unsecured loan. The debt is still there and most people thought that by consolidating the loan, something has already been done. Again, nothing has been done if the habit that started it all is not resolved.

A better way to real freedom from debt is, when the debt consolidation has been done and is working, have a plan and stick to it. One of the generic approaches to that are the obvious:

Do not spend on that one single credit card the way you were spending when you have many. This seems to be very obvious and so people who have consolidated their loans starts out fine. After a while, the temptation to spend on loans starts. One of the many reason is that the interests are lowered, the other one is by habit. So once the debt consolidation is on, have the plan not to spend on the things that you can live without and stick to it.

Then, have a plan to pay for the loan that was secured with collateral. About 80% of the time, people who consolidated their loans dos not have a plan to assure the payment for the loan with an extra job and other ways of generating extra income. When emergencies strikes, the most convenient way is again to resort to additional lending and the debt grows back over time, higher interests are charged and the cycle continues.

The best way to get out of debt and gain back that freedom is to consolidate and then have a plan that one can stick to. No amount of loan consolidation will work if the habit that placed one in debt is not avoided.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides bill consolidation resources on http://www.about-bill-consolidation.info

Is Getting a 30 Year Home Loan a Good Choice?

Getting a 30 year home loan used to be a popular choice among most home owners. The reason being the total home loan payment is being spread out across a longer time period so you can pay less each month. Plus with interest rates fixed for the 30-year period, it seems a good deal. Or is it?

The one big benefit of a 30-year home loan is that you pay lower monthly payments however, you need to take into consideration that you actually pay more in interest than someone who has a 10-year home loan. So the longer the home loan period, the more you actually pay.

To illustrate the difference the home loan period makes, here is an example. Let\'s say for a 30-year home loan, the interest rate is 7%. The home loan is $100,000. That\'s means your monthly payment is about $665.00. It also means the interest paid for the 30 years is around $140,000. Now suppose for a 15-year home loan with the same interest and total home loan amount. The monthly payment is around $870.00 and the total interest over 15 years is around $56,800.

So by opting for the 15-year home loan, you actually save $83,200 in total.

A longer home loan period does offers you more flexibility in that if your financial situation were to take a turn for the worse, for example, you just lost your job and jobless for the past few months. A lower monthly home loan payment helps to alleviate some of the financial problems.

So which is better? The longer or shorter home loan plan? My recommendation is if you have the financial knowledge and your financial situation is stable, it would be a good choice to take the 30-year loan and invest the savings otherwise pay towards the monthly payments. The long term payoff of your investment may match or exceeds the money you go towards repaying your home loan.

On the other hand, if you do not have the financial stability and knowledge, I would recommend for a shorter home loan. Yes, you do pay more each month but overall you will pay less for the home loan plan. Also you get to accrue equity in your home much faster which can be used to improve your credit score or FICO.

While a 30-year or even a 40-year home loan sounds attractive to most home buyers, there are some questions that needs to be answered before getting one. It is my hope that this article can help to educate home buyers some of the points that needs to be considered seriously before choosing the home loan period.

Ricky Lim works in a finance company specialising in home loan consulting. Get more information, tools and resources on home loans, visit his site: http://about-homeloan.com

He also operates a student loan information site

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RickyLim

Zero percent Balance Transfers can damage your Health

What you are about to read may make you reassess your attitude
to zero interest balance transfer offers. I will show how these
balance transfer offers are pushing more and more people into
serious financial difficulties and I will suggest a few ideas on
how you can manage your debt better.

Credit card debt is rising at an alarming rate and many people
are now getting into serious financial difficulties. One of the
reasons is the promotion of no interest balance transfer offers
and interest free initial periods.

Like most people, I\'ve been tempted by the these offers to
change my credit cards. I\'ve taken them up on their offer and
moved my credit card debt and, for a limited time, had no
interest to pay. But \just in case of an emergency\ I usually
hang onto my old card.

Then something happens, an unexpected bill, or a wedding or
birthday gift I\'ve forgotten about. \Never mind\ I tell myself
\I can put it on the old card - there\'s plenty of credit on
there so it\'s no problem.\

A few months and a few unexpected bills later the interest free
period runs out I have to pay interest on both my new card and
the old card. Now I\'m worse off than when I started but that\'s
no problem as I can look for another card offering another
interest free period and zero interest balance transfers.

It\'s so easy and the banks and credit card companies are so
eager to lend the money that it becomes routine, until that is,
something goes wrong. You could fall ill and be off work, or,
you could lose some overtime and your wages fall, or maybe that
big deal you were relying on falls through.

It may just be that the credit card companies decide you have
too much outstanding on credit cards and you would have
difficulty paying the repayments, or simply they spot that you
are a regular churner of the debt and they don\'t want your
business.

Whatever the reason the result is that you have all the interest
to pay and you start to struggle with the minimum payments and
miss one or two. Because you\'ve missed payments it becomes even
more difficult to find the next interest free balance transfer
offer.

Now you have a real problem but it is one that can be avoided.

I could suggest that you don\'t use credit cards but I suspect
that would not be acceptable, and I am not going to suggest you
ignore the 0% offers - that would mean you paying interest when
it is not needed.

The simplest way to benefit from these balance transfer offers,
but keep your card debt under control, is to cut up your old
card when you switch to a new one.

That way you benefit from the 0% offer but minimize your
exposure to higher debt.

Once you have cut your card up though, it is essential that you
contact the card issuer and close the account. Until you close
the account the card issuer will continue to tempt you with
special offers to use your old card.

Another tip is to never pay just the minimum payment. Always pay
the maximum monthly payment you can afford. Reducing your
payments simply pushes back the time when you have to repay and
in the long term increases your payments. Use the interest free
period to reduce your debt to the minimum and if possible clear
the balance.

Credit card companies don\'t offer an interest free balance
transfer because they are feeling generous. They do it because,
in the vast majority of cases, they will be able to charge you
more in the longer term. Use interest free credit to benefit you
not the credit card companies.

Choosing a House Plan for Your Dream Home

Choosing a House Plan for Your Dream Home

First things first, when choosing a house plan you must first
find the land that you will be building on. Not all designs will
look right or even fit on certain lots, so in order to insure
that your

dream home will be a good fit for your lot, you must first
purchase the land on which you will be building.

When purchasing the lot, you have several things to consider.

Location - As the real estate agents say - location, location,
location. Whenever you are dealing with Real Estate, the
location is a very important factor in deciding for or against a
particular lot. You will of course want a lot that is within a
reasonable distance from your place of business. If you have
children or plan to, you will want to research the schools as
well. Also, you will want to make sure that the land that you
are investing in is going to rise in value. Investing in land in
an

area with upward growth potential is a great way to insure the
value of your property will rise.

Budget - Your lot must fit within the budget you have set for
yourself. You must also take into consideration whether you are
purchasing aw land or whether the lot has already been
prepped for building. A piece of property can initially seem
like a bargain until you later find out that allot needs to be
done before you an get a permit to build.

Community - You want to choose a community that has zoning laws
that allow you to build the type of home you are planning on.
Some communities have home owners associations that may need to
first approve any improvements you want to make on your land. If
this will bother you, you nay want to seek

out a lot that is not under the jurisdiction of such
associations.

Once you have purchased the land that you plan to build on, you
are ready to select a house plan for your dream home. If you are
looking to purchase a pre-made home plan, you may have to make
some small compromises as your ideas may not fit into what is
available. Another alternative is to purchase a pre-made house
plan and later have it modified to suit your particular needs
and tastes by a architect. Do know that this will not be without
a rather sizable expense, however it may still be more cost
effective than if you were to have a plan built from scratch.

When choosing a house plan, you will want to keep in mind
several key points...

Your Families Needs - If you have children, you will have
additional considerations than singes or retired people. You
will need to know how many bedrooms and bathrooms your family
requires. Do you need a playroom for your children? Do you or
your partner need a home office room? Now is the time to think
towards the future and the upcoming needs of your family. When
in doubt, build bigger. Nothing could be worse than building the
home of your dreams only to find ten years later that it no
longer is suitable for your growing family. Talk with your
partner and decide now what your family needs may be and plan
accordingly.

Building Code - As with anything, you can expect to face a
significant amount of red tape as you plan to build your dream
home. You need to talk with your contractor and make sure that
the house plan that you choose will not conflict with your local
zoning laws and home owners association rules and regulations.

Budget - You should know by now how much house you can afford.
Don't sway from the initial budget that you have set for
yourself. There is a wide selection of unique and
architecturally stunning house plans within every size range.

Style - You probably already have in mind the style of home that
you want. If not, browse thru some pre made house plans to get
an idea of what type of style you and your partner like the
best. Try to picture the different styles on your lot. Does it
look like a good fit?

As you can see, choosing a house plan for your dream home is a
fun, but serious matter. Try to plan ahead at all times and
think towards the future. It takes allot of work before you even
break ground, but in the end it will all pay off when you are
left with your own dream home.

South Beach Real Estate Options

So Many Options

It\'s true. If you\'re in the market for a South Beach Condos, there are a variety of choices. A few years ago, condo purchases were generally limited to first-time buyers and single professionals. But now, as the baby boomer generation is nearing, or at, retirement age, they\'re causing a shift in condominium perspective and development.

The baby boomers have driven housing markets for years. And this year is no exception. An unprecedented demand from the Baby Boom generation has sparked a condo craze in Miami\'s South Beach area. As the demand for condos has increased, Developers discovered more and more creative ways to meet the demand. Branching out from the standard apartment-style condos, Developers are now offering hotel and/or resort-style living as well.

If you\'re thinking about purchasing a South Beach Condo take a look at your options.

Option #1 - Standard South Beach Condo

Granted, they\'re upscale condominiums with many of the same amenities of a resort or hotel. These are properties that were designed to be condos. Prices, of course, vary with location.

The Continuum

This gated community boasts 12 acres of beautiful property that includes fountains, pools, and gardens. The Continuum is 40 stories of condos with 10 ft ceilings and wrap-around balconies. Combine that with valet and concierge services, waiters and fitness trainers, exquisite views and a thousand feet of beach, and you\'ve got resort-style living everyday!

There are 15 different floor plans to choose from, ranging in size from 1,200 sq. ft. to 4000 sq. ft. As a resident of the Continuum, you will enjoy door to ceiling sliding glass doors (that meet South Florida building code hurricane standards) that open up to your private balcony, imported marble, Kohler fixtures, whirlpools and more.

Surrounded by beautiful landscaping, the Continuum also has tennis courts, a private spa, pavilions, and four floors of fitness and treatment rooms.

Located at the Southern-most tip of South Beach, the Continuum puts you in the heart of the best that Miami and South Beach have to offer. Prices range from $1,000,000 to $15 million.

Icon

Located in the increasingly popular SoFi area, Icon\'s 270 units offer the best of both worlds. World #1 is first class shopping and dining at places like Versace, Armani, Williams-Sonoma, China Grill, Nemo\'s, and Smith & Wollensky. World #2 is the simple life. Sunsets on the Bay, moonlight walks on the beach, sunrises over the ocean, and calming tropical breezes.

Icon pampers it\'s residents with amenities such as a Heath and Fitness Spa complete with sauna and steam room, a heated bay front lap pool, 24-hour complimentary valet parking, concierge services, housekeeping service, laundry and dry cleaning valet, and a resident caf overlooking the bay. But the luxury doesn\'t stop there! Each of Icon\'s 1, 2, and 3 bedroom condos features a choice of either ocean or bay views, granite or marble kitchen countertops, imported European custom cabinets, 9\' high ceilings, walk-in closets, high speed internet service, and more.

The Setai

Over-sized balconies and unique floor plans make Setai condos worth seeing. The 40-story condominium tower features 175 residences, and unforgettable views of the ocean, South Beach, and the Miami skyline. The Setai offers you the choice of one, two, and three bedroom units that range in size from 850 to 2,800 square feet. Six thousand square foot penthouses are also available and include private decks with lap pools. Condos are prices from approximately $2,000,000 to $25 million.

Located on the north end of South Beach, The Setai offers luxury, resort-style living, and stunning views. Just minutes away from the nightlife and fine dining of South Beach.

Option #2 South Beach Condo Conversions

With the rising popularity of condominium living, some Developers have opted for condo conversions rather than build a brand new property. Real Capital Analysts, Inc, a New York-based research firm, estimated that sales of condo conversions more than doubled last year, going from $11 billion in 2004 to approximately $28 billion in 2005.

Though these made not be as luxurious as \built from the ground up\ condominiums, they are often given luxury upgrades such as stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, and top of the line carpet, window treatments, and fixtures.

Condo Conversions are excellent for first-time buyers and single professionals.

The Flamingo South Beach is a prime example of why condo conversions are so successful and popular.

With 1,689 units in three towers, The Flamingo South Beach is set to become one of the largest condo conversions in Florida. Prices will range from the $200,000\'s to the $700,000\'s for these studio, one, two, and three bedroom units. Square footage ranges from 504 to over 2000 square feet.

Conveniently located just minutes from the McArthur and Venetian Causeways, The Flamingo South Beach views of the ocean and Biscayne Bay are spectacular.

Reservations for these units are expected to begin this month, with actual sales beginning in April.

Option #3 South Beach Condo Hotels

Last but not least, there is the most recent trend in condo living - the condo hotel.

Often managed by a well-known, well-respected hotel chain such as Hilton or Ritz-Carlton, condo hotels are popular among those who are looking for either a second home or a vacation home. When you purchase a condo hotel, you have the option of participating in a rental program overseen by the in-house management company. If your unit is rented, the management company shares the income earned on your condo unit with you. In addition, the management company cleans and maintains your unit while you\'re gone, alleviating the stress of finding someone reliable or having to return and do it yourself.

Unlike a time-share, where you\'re buying a specific block of time, purchasing a unit in a condo hotel means that you can rent it out, stay in it, or sell at your own discretion.

W Condo Hotel - South Beach

A name that\'s synonymous with chic, hip, and elegant. Spacious rooms with modern design and dcor put the W Condo Hotel in a class by itself.

When completed, the W South Beach will be 19 stories of 511 units designed and decorated by Yabu Pushelberg and Costas Kondylis of Kondylis & Partners. These units will look and feel like home. Studio, one, and two bedroom units, will range in size from 600 - 1200 sq. ft., and in price from $800,000 to $5 million.

Some amenities include: private beach access, two outdoor pools, wired and wireless business center, multi-lingual staff, foreign currency exchange, two gourmet restaurants, 24/7 room service, wellness spa.

The Tides

Purchased in 2004 by the Falor Companies, this elegant, art deco-style hotel is being converted to a condo hotel. It\'s 10 stories and 45 units will undergo minor construction and updates, and are expected to be completed in the Spring. Suites will range in size from 539 to 667 sq. ft, and all of them will have ocean views. Prices will range from the $900,000\'s to just over $1.1 million.

Billed as a \boutique hotel\, The Tides will offer the same luxury living as larger condo hotels, but in a more individualized and personal setting.

The Setai - South Beach

Part of the Setai Resort, the condo hotel offers eight stories of up to 1000 sq. ft. rooms, and access to all of the resort\'s amenities.

The dcor and attention to detail at the Setai are unparalleled. Three restaurants, 24/7 room service, state-of-the-art fitness center, pools, private yacht charters, a spa and more are available to all guests and residents. Combine the first-class amenities with spectacular views of the beach and the Miami skyline, modern art deco dcor, and a first-class staff and you\'ve got a home away from home.

Prices for these units will range from $800,000 to $3 million.

With over 14 years experience between the two, Paul and Carole have the knowledge and experience to help with all of your Miami real estate needs. Carole is a native of Miami Beach and Paul has made Miami home for the last 15 years. They have both seen and experienced the dramatic changes that have taken place in the Miami real estate market over the last several years. This knowledge of the real estate market makes them the perfect choice whether you are looking for a primary residence, second home, investment property or pre construction opportunities. With millions of dollars of closed transactions, they have the experience to avoid the pitfalls of buying and selling real estate. Visit http://www.hansenhomesaventura.com for more information on South Beach real estate.

Oregon Real Estate Going Hip and Green

Located in the Pacific Northwest, Oregon is hip state that gets a lot of rain. This rain results in a beautiful green state, but doesn't put a damper on the real estate market.



Oregon



From the stunning Crater Lake to Pioneer Square in Portland, Oregon is a diverse state. The population ranges from hippies to the very conservative depending upon where you happen to be standing. There are forests, beaches, rivers and even deserts. All of this is typically within a couple hours drive from every major population center. Go skiing one day and sailing the next!



Portland



Portland is truly a big city with a small town feel. This dichotomy is a product of very careful planning, which has led to a lack of the urban sprawl seen in so many other cities. The architecture has a prominent east coast flavor, with red brick buildings on prominent display. The city is populated with coffee houses, bookstores and microbreweries. Indeed, Portland seems to be the home of the microbrew, with literally hundreds seeming to exist. For quality of life, Portland gets top marks.



Eugene



If you've watched the movie Animal House, you're familiar with Eugene. Yep, the movie was shot there. Eugene is a wonderfully eclectic mix of styles, politics and attitude. The home of the University of Oregon, the city is energized with student activities. On the other hand, Eugene also has a sophisticated side with operas, Bach classic music festivals as well as a symphony and ballet company. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about Eugene is most visitors make plans to live in the city at some point in their life.



Oregon Real Estate



Oregon real estate is reasonably priced, but fluctuate wildly depending upon the particular location you are considering. A single family home in Portland will set you back $300,000 on average, while one in Eugene will run in the $325 range. The appreciation rate for Oregon real estate is a robust for 15 percent for 2005.



If you enjoy a bit of weather and the outdoors, Oregon is definitely a state to take a look at. Just keep in mind that once you move there, you may never leave.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Raynor James is with www.fsboamerica.org - FSBO homes for sale by owner. Visit our sell my home page at www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to sell your home yourself with a free 1 month listing.

Saving Money Can Help You Avoid Bad Credit

One thing that many high schools today fail to teach students is finance management. Studies have shown that many students graduate from high school without knowing the basics of personal finance. Many of these same students will shortly be sent a credit card after their graduation and because of this it is easy to see why so many people today have problems with debt and bad credit.



Broadcasting Some Bad Habits



The news and media are a part of the problem as well. We live in a society where people are constantly told that they need to borrow money in order to pay for things like cars, houses, appliances, and other large expenses. Financial experts tout the benefits of using secured loans, home loans, or other credit tools in order to pay for the things you need. The concept of saving money is rarely mentioned. Many people borrow until they realize that they\'ve borrowed too much, and then it is too late. They end up debt they can\'t get out of, and their credit could be ruined.



Save For Your Future



Saving money is a simple way of getting the things you want. It promotes discipline, honesty, and hard work. It is also a way of building long term wealth, especially if you put the money in an IRA, 401K, or other long term investments. It is a fact that the average American who makes $33,000 per year are guaranteed to make well over $600,000 in 20 years. The problem is, after 20 years have passed, most Americans don\'t have anything to show for it. This is because they fail to save money.



Money, Money, Money



Most choose to take the easy way out and loan money from banks and credit card companies to pay for those big expenses like houses, cars, and education. These institutions will always charge interest on these loans. Consumers will never pay back what they owe. They always pay more, because interest is money that is charged on money. In effect, credit card companies become the masters, while many consumers play the role of being slaves. These institutions are guaranteed to get back more than they loan because of the interest they charge.



Because of this, it is important to save money for big purchases. Since we live in a society that is credit based, there is nothing wrong with having one or two credit cards. However, too many people end up with so many credit products that they put their financial future in danger. Saving money is a simple thing that anyone can do as long as they have a job or own their own business. You want to set goals for yourself. If you make $33,000 per year, this means that you probably make about $2,750 per month.



Imagine What You Would Do



What if you could set aside $750 of that money and save it? By the end of the year, you would have saved $9,000. Instead of carrying this balance on your credit cards, you could have it in your bank account. If you do that for another year, you would have saved $18,000. As you can see, doing this for a number of years can give you a fantastic amount of money. This is especially true if you invest a portion of it in mutual funds or other investments.



Personal Finance Training Starts at Home



Parents should teach their children about the importance of saving money while they\'re young. Don\'t count on the school system to do it, because it is likely they won\'t. Instead of buying them something when they ask for it, why not having them do chores or jobs and then pay them? This will teach them to be mature and responsible when they are young, and when they get older they will not be prone to getting credit cards or loans in order to pay for expenses; saving money can help you avoid having bad credit.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Joe Kenny writes for Card Guide, offering the latest information on credit cards in the UK, visit them today to transfer your credit card balance and start clearing credit card debt today.

Get DebtFree with Debt Consolidation

Within this short guide you\'ll find the most important online financial options available for you.

There are financial products for every credit situation and this guide will explain all you need to know before you start your search.



Consolidate your debt with a Loan



There are many loan options for those who want to consolidate their debt. If you own a home you can consolidate by applying for an equity loan.

The equity you\'ve build on your home will provide all the finance that you need to cancel your outstanding loans and other debts.

You can also refinance your home mortgage for a larger amount than the outstanding mortgage loan and use the extra cash to cancel the remaining loans, bills, credit card balances and other debts.

Though harder to qualify for, you can also apply for an unsecured loan. This kind of loans let you consolidate your debt by using the money to repay credit card balances, loans and bills without having to use an asset as collateral avoiding the risk of repossession.



Debt Consolidation Agencies



There are also certain agencies and professionals that can negotiate with your creditors so as to lower the interest rates, extend repayment schedules and sometimes, even cut a considerable percentage of your debt that can reach up to a 60%.

Usually this companies and professionals charge a small fee for their services, considering the large amount of money they will be helping you save, it\'s not such a big sacrifice.

Besides the fact that you\'ll get a cut in the interests you pay for finance, the most important thing is that you\'ll be paying down the loans principal and thus, reducing progressively yourdebt till you become debt-free.

Consolidating Debt will provide fresh air to your credit situation and will solve the problem of harassing calls from debt collectors.

There are many alternatives for debt consolidation but as any other financial decision a lot of thinking must be done and rushing in is not a wise choice.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Mary Ann Wise, a professional consultant with more than twenty years in the financial field, is currently committed to helping people in the process of securing personal loans, mortgage, refinance or consolidation loans and preventing consumers from falling into the hands of fraudulent lenders. In one of her websites: www.badcreditloanservices.com you will find
more useful tips and interesting articles on this subject and other financial related topics.

Better Than We Thought: Sacramento in March

It was no surprise the number of homes in the four county Sacramento area increased during the month of March from what we experienced in February. It was also not hard to predict that the number of homes sold in March would be less than a year ago. According to DataQuick, the overall the sales volume in the four county area increased 29% from February to 3,285 but even with the increase the number was 29.5% lower than last March. El Dorado led the way with a volume increase of almost 60%.

According to a recent article in the Sacramento Bee, \New signs of cooling housing market,\ the median sale prices in the four county area, \posted their third straight monthly gains in all but Yolo County.\ Prices fell to $410,000 from February\'s $421,500 in Yolo County which remains below its November peak of $436,500. The article goes on to point out the March median sales prices remain below highs reached last year in all the counties. Sacramento County had a median sales price of $359,000, up for the third straight month. El Dorado and Placer counties also had median prices up for the third consecutive month to $455,000 and $477,000 respectively.

Another indicator for March, available homes on the market, or inventory, continued to grow in the area. At the end of March, according to TrendGraphix, the inventory has reached 10,316 which is a whopping increase from the 3,799 reported last March. Housing Tracker, which has its own view of the Sacramento area posted inventory on April 1 as 8,103, up 440 for the month. Their latest weekly update, as of April 21st, shows the same area with 8,489 homes available so the trend or more houses coming on the market than selling is continuing.

In some of the local areas, where I have been working recently, the median price increases from last were positive, with the exception of Granite Bay.

In the three zip codes that make up Roseville (95661, 95678 and 95747) we saw volume increase across the board with zip code 95747 leading the way with 55 sales and an increase of 44.7 percent over February. In terms of median price again all three zip codes in Roseville saw increases from the previous month and from March of 2005. In 95661 the median price of $469,250 was up 2.29 percent from February and 2.2 percent over March 2005. In 95678 the median price increased 3.23 percent from February to $407,750. This represents an annual increase of 7.5 percent. In 95747 the median sales price for March was $487,000 up 13.45 percent from February and 14.6 percent from a year ago.

Please note that when looking at these smaller areas, the numbers can change dramatically from month to month because of the lower volumes and the impact one or two sales can have.

In the Rocklin zip codes, we saw volume drop by almost 18 percent in 95677 from February to 23 sales. This is also down over 32 percent from last year. In the other Rocklin zip code the volume was up by 3 sales over February to 35 sales but that number is down 56 percent from March 2005. In both zip codes we saw a drop in median price from February but up from the previous year. In 95677 the March median price of $390,954 was down from an artificially high number in Feb and down from January but slightly higher than last year (.05%). Zip code 95765 reported a median price of $505,000 down 4.7 percent from February\'s number but 7.5 percent higher than March 2005.

Lincoln, 95648 had dramatic growth in volume and the median sale price, proving this is one of the hottest communities in the county. Sales volume increased 53% to 69 sales with a median sales price of $439,000. The price increase month-over-month was 7 percent. For the year the median price paid for a home in Lincoln increased 10.7 percent.

Granite Bay, zip code 95746, volume was way up from only 11 sales in February to 37 homes sold in March. This is still 12 percent below what happened last March. The median price for March in Granite Bay was $780,250, up 7percent from last month, but like volume is below March 2005.

Finally, El Dorado Hills, 95762, sales volume was up 77 percent to 46 homes sold with a median price of $625,000 which is up 3 percent from February results and 5.9 percent from March 2005.

Over all March results in the above areas was much better than I would have predicted, especially with all the rain we had. Volumes increased more than I thought, and it is clear we are seeing some price stability and even increases. The average number of days on the market to sale is continuing to grow but with most of the rain behind us, spring break over and warm weather on the horizon I am predicting increased volume for April, continued growth in the median sales price and although inventory will continue to grow I feel it will slow during the last week of April.

Julie Jalone is an experienced professional Realtor serving buyers and sellers of residential real estate in the Greater Sacramento area including Placer, El Dorado, Yolo and Yuba counties. Some of the communities served by Julie include Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln and Granite Bay. Julie\'s husband, Michael, now retired from a successful career in banking and the Internet Service Provider industries, assists Julie with her real estate business including marketing and client communications. To learn more about Julie and Michael, take a look at their website, www.jalone.com, where you will find additional articles, monthly market analysis and Julie\'s daily weblog, \Keep it Real in Sacramento.\

Julie Jalone is an experienced professional Realtor serving the need of buyers and sellers of residential real estate in the Greater Sacramento area including Placer, El Dorado, Yolo and Yuba counties. Some of the communities served by Julie include Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln and Granite Bay. Julie is a wife and mother living in Rocklin. Michael Jalone is Julie\'s husband and now retired is helping Julie with her real estate business including marketing and client communications. Michael previously worked as senior executive in the banking industry, owned and operated Alaska\'s largest Internet service provider and worked in Mergers and Acquisitions for a large publicly traded company. For more information see their website, http://www.jalone.com , which includes listings, local real estate market analysis, news, resources for buyers and sellers and Julie\'s daily weblog, http://www.jalone.com/id59.html Keep it Real in Sacramento.

Debt Consolidation Loans for People With a Bad Credit History

You can take out a loan whenever you need money. There are many lenders who offer loans in the UK. All of them are there to take advantage of this mushrooming business. Just tell them your requirements and they may come up with a solution that is the most suitable to you. You can repay the loan in the form of easy monthly installments. Lenders offer several loan options that meet the needs of different borrowers.

This is not always as good as it looks. Some unavoidable circumstances might lead you to default or miss out at a payment or two. This leads to a bad credit score. A bad credit history includes arrears, defaults, county court judgments, bankruptcy, etc. You can obtain a fresh loan even if you have a bad credit history. Such a loan is known as a bad credit loan. Bad credit loans carry high rates of interest because a person with a bad credit history is considered as a high risk borrower and a high rate of interest compensates for the risk associated with giving a loan to such a person. If you have taken out high rate bad credit loans, the chances are very high that you will find yourself unable to repay the debt.

A bad credit debt consolidation loan can help you in this situation. Debt consolidation refers to taking out a fresh loan to replace all your existing loans. The rate of interest on the debt consolidation loan is lower than the rates on existing loans. This reduces your debt burden and helps you repay your debt.

Bad credit debt consolidation loans are meant specifically for the borrowers who have a poor credit score and are again engulfed in a debt trap. For such a borrower, it is very important to get rid of the debt otherwise he will find it very difficult to obtain a fresh loan in the future. To find a bad credit debt consolidation loan, you can take the help of the internet. You can apply for a loan over the internet and lenders may contact you if they have something that meets your requirements.

The author is a business writer specializing in finance and credit products and has written authoritative articles on the finance industry. He has done his masters in Business Administration and is currently assisting Shakespeare Finance as a finance specialist.

for more information visit our site http://www.debt-consolidation-for-the-stressed.co.uk

Tips on How to Make More Money

When I was a student in London, I had a part-time job working in a new-age bookshop near Camden Town. One day, Robert Plant, the lead singer for Led Zeppelin, came into the shop and walked up to the owner.

What have you got that's good?, he asked.

After a few moments thought, the owner walked over to the shelves and handed him one of our most popular items - a subliminal Abundance tape that promised to 'condition your mind for wealth'. Plant looked at the tape in amusement.

Actually, he said, I think I've got that one covered. What else have you got?

For the rest of us, here's some thoughts....

Your ability to make money is intimately linked to your ability to add, create, and provide value, whether to a person, a project, a company, or an enterprise. Add more value, (providing that value is recognised), and you have the potential to make more money.

In fact, I'll say it even more clearly:

Money is one of the rewards you get for adding value to the lives of others.

There are essentially four keys to making more money by adding more value:

1. Uniqueness

The more unique the value you provide, the more you will be able to exchange it for. While there are tens of thousands of actors in Hollywood, there are only about six who can reliably put ums on seats regardless of the movie that they're in. That's why there are only about six actors who are paid in excess of $20,000,000 a movie.

2. Scope

The more people you add value to, the more money you get to make. Whatever you might think of Bill Gates and Microsoft, their billions of dollars in net worth is largely accounted for by the millions of people whose lives are impacted daily by the development of Windows and its competitive Operating Systems (including all of us reading this article!)

3. Impact

The more of a difference you make in the lives of others, the more money you can demand in return. Why does a doctor get paid more than a teacher? Because most people value their health above their education.

4. Perception

If a monk adds value in a forest but no-one sees what he has done, has he really added value?

In one sense he has, but unfortunately for our poor monk, it is only PERCEIVED value that can be exchanged for hard currency.

Here are a few simple ways you can begin to put these ideas to work in your own life:

1. Rate your current job and/or business on a scale from 1-10 in relation to each of the four keys listed above. Add up your score for an added value snapshot.

Example: Selling life insurance

Our product's not very unique, so I'll give myself a 2. I reach a few hundred people a year, so I'll give myself a 5 for scope. I've seen first-hand the impact a good life insurance policy can have on a family in crisis, so I'll take a 6 for that; however, most people people seem to view life insurance as a necessary evil, so I'll give myself a 3. My current score overall is a 16.

2. Brainstorm ways to increase your score by 10 points over the next month.

Example: Playing guitar

Lots of people play guitar, but the more I work on developing my own unique sound (as opposed to just 'improving'), the more irreplaceable I become.

So far, only a few thousand people have heard my music. By uploading MP3 files to the internet, I can reach a far wider audience in a lot less time than I would just by playing clubs.

Also, while playing guitar might not be the obvious path to resolving the crisis in the middle east, Live 8 and other concerts like it have shown that music and musicians can make a difference - maybe some of my friends and I can put together a special track in aid of the people who are suffering as a result of the conflict. This might increase the number of people I can reach as well as increasing the impact of what I do.

And in terms of perception, it's the record companies I most need to recognise the value of what I have to offer. If I can get some of the industry people I know to write great things about me and why they think I'll do well, I can put together an even stronger package in pursuit of a new deal.

3. Take the next step - put the best of what you've learned into action.

Have fun, learn heaps, and remember to add value to everything you do!

Michael Neill is a licensed Master Trainer of NLP and has written over 450 articles on in the areas of business success, money, relationships, health, happiness, well-being, and spirituality. His weekly coaching column is reprinted in newspapers and magazines throughout the world, and can be found online at http://www.geniuscatalyst.com

Credit Card Debt Consolidation: Top 3 Factors to Consider

If you've got a number of credit cards and insurmountable credit card debt, then perhaps it's time to consider a debt consolidation loan. A consolidation loan is a loan that you can use to pay off all your debts, meaning that you can pay them off for less money without having to worry about lots of different bills.



For instance, if you had borrowed $3000 five years ago, you may now owe $5000 (principle plus interest). A debt consolidation program may involve eliminating some amount of interest so that you pay less than $5000.



Also, your previous outstanding balances may be on five different credit cards. You need to pay 5 bills every month. Once you participate in a debt consolidation program, all your accounts will be consolidated into one account. You now pay only one bill each month.



In a credit card debt consolidation, your average interest rate may be reduced. All your loans can also be transferred to one single card that has a lower interest rate than the ones you are currently paying.



Here are top three factors to consider for Credit card debt consolidation:



1. Interest Rate



Get the best interest rate you can if you opt for debt consolidation. This interest rate is almost as important as the one on your mortgage, but much harder to change after you've signed on the dotted line. Don't be fooled by any offers that give you a good rate for a limited time - you're going to have this loan for quite a while.

Interest rates for credit card debt consolidation loans through traditional lenders may be based on your credit score. If high, you are likely to get a credit card debt consolidation loan at a lower interest rate. If the credit score is low, credit card debt help companies may be able to help offer methods for raising your credit score.



2. The loan tenor or length of the loan



The most overlooked aspect about debt consolidation loans is that the ones with lower payments generally last a very long time - you may end up paying it off for twenty years, or even longer. You should try to find a loan that doesn't last as long, and asks for payments that are as much as you can afford.



3. A payment sum that you can manage.



Almost without exception, the loan will be secured on your home. That means that if you start missing payments, the finance company will kick you out, take ('repossess') your house, sell it, and pay back the debt with that money.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Elaine Lim used to be a research analyst from a bank and now hopes to share her expertise through publishing information on consumer credit. She hopes to help others in their financial planning, debt management and credit repair. For more free tips and resources, please visit www.credit-cards-eguide.com.

Individual Voluntary Arrangement IVA an alternative to bankruptcy

Individual Voluntary Arrangement, IVA is an alternative to bankruptcy - which could provide you with a real solution to your debt problems.

An Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is an alternative to bankruptcy. If you have a substantial amount of unsecured debt an IVA could be your best solution.

IVAs are controlled by government legislation and can only be set up by licensed Insolvency Practitioners. An IVA acts as a legally binding agreement between you and your creditors, freezing interest charges on your debt and setting an affordable monthly payment amount over an agreed fixed period (usually 5 years).

It is important to remember that you should only consider an IVA if you have sufficient money available to contribute towards repaying your debts each month or additional assets which could be taken into consideration.

Disadvantages of Bankruptcy

Notices placed in the press
Potential loss of assets such as your home, business and car
Long term effect on your ability to apply for a credit or a mortgage
Restriction to work within certain professions or hold a position of office
Your utility suppliers - gas, electricity etc - informed
Your bank and building society accounts closed

IVA could help you with:

The unpaid balance of your debts is written off - as much as 75%
One affordable monthly payment, usually for five years
Protects you from further action by your creditors
Your creditors are legally bound by the terms of the agreement
No uncertainty: you know how much you have to pay
Alternative to bankruptcy
No public notices: an IVA is between you and your creditors

Bankruptcy is not only option when getting out of serious debt?

Greg Penn
http://www.freemanjones.co.uk

How to Draw a Personal Budget that Works

Many people spend their little income haphazardly without any planning and end up getting broke before month-end. They then borrow to make ends meet and end up with more problems that they fail to repay their debts promptly.

However, this is not a prudent way of managing your personal financial affairs. Planning your personal financial affairs through prioritization of needs and budgeting income and expenses is the best way to achieving success in managing your financial affairs.

It is important first to assess your financial needs in the short, medium and long term. What are your financial objectives? What do you want to achieve in the course of time? Do you have any targets? What is your short, medium and long term needs? List all of them down.

Next categorize income and expenses on a monthly basis. Then prioritize expenses into most important, important and most important. You can use any other weighting or prioritization formula that works best for you.

After this assess costs based on consumption per month. Put figures to the expense items. Then write down your income sources and the amount you earn per month from them. List the income on the left and the expenses on the right. Add up income amounts against expense amounts and find the difference to determine surplus or deficit.

Once you have added and reduced items and figures several times and you are finally satisfied with the results, type your figures on a computer spreadsheet or word processor table and save it. You may also print it and file it for regular reference.

To make it work successfully for you, you must vow to stick to the budget. Any deviation must be absolutely necessary and funds should be made available separately to meet the extra expenditure. Where no funds are available, some cutbacks or borrowing from other expense votes. You should ensure that you refund any funds borrowed from any expense votes to enable the votes to be expended.

To be frank, most people would want to spend more and more irrespective of their financial ability. However, arbitrary unbudgeted spending may be hazardous to your financial health.

About The Author

Abdallah Khamis Abdallah is a freelance copywriter and ghostwriter. To learn more about how you and your business can benefit from viral and credibility marketing solutions visit his website at: http://www.qualitywritingsolutions.com, quantumpro@lycos.com

Financial Planning ( Organizing your Budget )

A few years back a friend of mine accidentally saw one of my paychecks, he was shocked to see that he was earning more than me. He also noted the fact that his wife worked and mine did not. This particular friend had approach me a couple of times in need of a loan to get him through until his payday. Because I had been able to help him he had always assumed that I made more than he made. Once he realized that the situation was reversed he asked me how could we possibly being doing as well as we were.

I then asked him what type of budget he and his wife use for their household finances. He replied that they did not have a planned budget for the household bills. Well, I was surprised because this friend always seem to be very organized. I asked him how he thought he could manage his money without a budget. I explained that a budget is the cornerstone of knowing where you stand financially. I mentioned a phrase that I heard from my Dad years earlier...If you fail to plan, then you should plan to fail. I think he was a little offended and a little embarrassed, but he did see my point. I told that for many years my household had operated on a budget and yes at first it was not easy. Starting a budget is the hardest part, the adjustment to being responsible to show where each dollar goes is not pleasant for most people. The longer you do it the easier it becomes because you start to take pride in sticking to your budget and you begin to see the fruits of your labor. I asked him to try by starting on the following plan, which is the same one I used when I started out. I told him to use it for 6 months and then we would see if it worked.

The plan is simple: Your money needs to be divided by percentage for uses. 33% for housing, 17% for transportation, 25% for monthly bills, 10% for donations, and 15% for savings and investing. I asked him to list all of their misc. spending and notice if any money was being wasted. The savings account is also utilized for emergency needs such as home or car repairs. Right from the start my friend said that 25% would not cover his monthly bills. I told him that he would need to use the portion designated for savings and pay off the credit cards. It turned out that they were maxed out on several cards and that was the main drawdown on their income. At the end of 6 months I met with him and he said they had paid off three of the cards and had listed their monthly misc. expenses. With that list they had realized that they were spending about $250.00 per month on things that were not neccessary. That combined with the savings on credit card payments had allowed them to put $1,000.00 in savings. They will soon have all their credit cards paid off and will be able to place more money in the savings column.

This budget is a very simple example, the actual budget for each family requires a little fine tuning to match the current situation of each household. More advanced examples will be soon posted at Wongaa.com.

T. Grimsley is a staff writer for Wongaa.com. Wongaa focuses on many of the issues facing today\'s young Americans. If you would like to get more information about this or other subjects please visit us at: http://www.wongaa.com/album1017.htm

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=TimGrimsley

Hand 'Em Out: Real Estate Flyers

Every regular consumer has had an experience of walking around a
commercial establishment. Afterwards they find themselves
furnished with a flyer or brochure of some product or service.
More recently, real estate flyers have gone from a rare few to
becoming the huge majority of flyers being handed out in these
commercial establishments. It may be safe for you to deduce, as
a real estate agent, that this trend is a result of an inherent
efficacy of the system.

And this isn\'t too far the target either. Indeed, real estate
promotional materials serve a huge purpose on-site, in home
shows, and even in commercial establishments frequented by
potential buyers. At the end of the day, these flyers have
become handy and powerful marketing tools for real estate agents
like you. Just how and why will be further clarified in this
article.

Let\'s first take a look at promotional flyers being distributed
to the general public in places frequented by huge volumes of
people. Typically you hand out your flyers to reputable looking
people who are most likely to have the means and capacity to
purchase a piece of real estate. While it may seem to the
untrained eye that at that very level you are already
discriminating against others who may potentially buy real
estate but weren\'t given flyers, never remove the inherent
characteristic of these promotional handouts: they are both
compact and easily transferable.

What does this mean? While your regular promenade-walker or mall
afficionado may not be interested in buying real estate enough
to visit an agent and browse through catalogues, a real estate
promotional flyer allows him or her to bring this brochure home
and ponder over it for a time. A brochure featuring the best
assets of the home being advertised, as well as sufficient
information as to where to contact an agent may in fact be
enough to convince a non-buyer to consider buying a piece of
real estate. The power of suggestion here is strong, and because
of the fact that this is a piece of marketing platform that the
consumer can bring home, they are given more time to take into
consideration the choice they can make.

Moreover, these promotional handouts are easily transferable
between persons. One impressed recipient of the handout who is
not interested in buying real estate may likely give the
promotional handout to a friend who is. The best thing here is
this: you are using the power of word and mouth with the
reliability of an information sheet that allows the person
referring you to give the new lead complete information about
how to get in touch with you. This translates to more solid
leads.

On location, a promotional handout also allows for your
prospective buyers to browse over the features of the house and
its excellent qualities while they tour the facility. This means
that they are given more time to take into consideration these
winning qualities of the real estate even long after you\'ve long
mentioned them. Moreover, they can bring home the said handout
and, with the help of pictures that truly communicate the
property\'s value, remind and reinforce the good impressions they
may have gotten when they visited the property.

In home shows, promotional materials allow for your prospective
clients to compare your offers to that of the next real estate
agents. In these home shows, these clients are willing to make
on-the-spot decisions about whom to leave their calling cards
with, and a well created brochure just might win them over.
After all, if your brochure contains a very convincing
description of the property you are selling, and contains
pictures that truly showcase the finer qualities of the
property, you are definitely going to find those leads you want.

It is important to remember that the efficacy of these
promotional handouts lie in how well you put the property into
paper,or how well you market the property. This means that
layout, pictures, and other inherent characteristics of the
property should be showcased prominently in these handouts.
Given that these are already very effective in suggesting the
acquisition of real estate, the best of all is that creating
these brochures is relatively cheap in comparison to other
methods of advertisement. Moreover, you can include in these
brochures sufficient information about sales agent to whom these
prospective clients can get in touch with.

Real Estate Finance Strategy that Few People Consider

If you are considering a new home loan anytime soon, and you do not want to get an adjustable rate mortgage (remember, ARMs are very strong loans), you should consider a 2/1 buydown.

This is a great mortgage program for people who require a smaller payment now, knowing that they will have more money in the following years.

Here's how it works.

You pay an additional premium on your loan amount to get a 2 percent improvement on the rate. So, if the 30-year fixed rate mortgage is 6 percent, you will get a rate of 4 percent in the first year of your loan. In the second year, your rate will go up one percent to 5 percent, and in the third year, your rate will increase to the rate it was when you locked in your loan, the 6 percent in this example.

Then, it will remain fixed at that rate, until you pay it off, sell or refinance.

For people afraid of adjustable rate mortgages, this is a very powerful loan. It's also great for people buying their first home or for newlyweds, who think they have to rent, before buying. Remember, there are many ways to get into a home. This program is one of them.

Mark Barnes is the author of the new novel, The League, the first work of fiction, based on fantasy football. He is also an investment real estate and home loan finance expert. Learn more about this suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com. Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com

Predicting the Market Using Gann Angles An Alternative Slant on Market Timing

W D Gann was a prolific writer and trader, and created a fortune of over 50 million dollars (equivalent to 500 million today!).

Many of his trading predictions were the subject of public record. For instance, he correctly predicted the 1929 crash a year in advance!

Gann died in 1955, but he still holds legendary status as a technical innovator.

By predicting the market using Gann angles, you can add a valuable tool to your trading strategy.

Assumption: By Studying the Past, We Can Predict the Future Gann based predictions of price movements on three premises:

1.Price, time, and range are the only three factors to consider.

2.The markets are cyclical in nature.

3.The markets are geometric in their design and in function.

Gann believed that human nature was constant, and this showed up in repetitive price patterns that are identifiable, and which can therefore be acted upon to increase profit potential.

Gann\'s Strategy for Trading Success

Based on the above assumptions, Gann\'s strategies revolved around three areas of prediction:

1.Price study- This study uses support and resistance lines, pivot points and angles.

2.Time study - This studies historically reoccurring dates derived from natural order.

3.Pattern study - These study market swings using trend lines and reversal patterns.

Constructing Gann Angles

Predicting the market using Gann angles requires subjective judgment and practice. Here is what you need to do:

1.Determine the time units - One common way to determine a time unit is to study the chart and look at the distances in which price movements occur. Then, put the angles to the test and see how accurate they are. The intermediate-term time frame (one to three-month) tends to produce the optimal amount of patterns compared to short term daily, or multi year charts.

2.Determine the high or low from which to draw the Gann lines - The most common way to accomplish this is to complement it with other forms of technical analysis i.e. Fibonacci levels or pivot points. Gann used what he called \vibrations\ or \price swings.\ He determined these by analyzing charts using theories such as Fibonacci numbers.

3.Decide which pattern to use - The two most common patterns are the 1x1, the 1x2, and the 2x1. These are simply variations of the slope of the line. For example, the 1x2 is half the slope of the 1x1. The numbers simply indicate the number of units.

4.Look for patterns - The direction would be either downward and to the right from a high point or upward and to the right from a low point.

5.Look for repeat patterns on the chart - The basis of this technique is the premise that markets are cyclical.

Using Gann Angles for Trading Profits

The most common use for Gann angles when predicting the market is to indicate support and resistance levels. Many other trading methods use support and resistance lines, so what sets Gann\'s method apart from the rest?

Quite simply, predicting the market using Gann, angles add a new dimension to support and resistance levels, in that they can be diagonal.

The Optimum Gann Formation

The optimum balance between time and price exists when prices move identically to time. This is present when the Gann angle is at 45 degrees.

In total, there are nine different Gann angles. When one of these trend lines is broken, the following angle will provide the next level of support or resistance.

Learn More about a Legendary Trader

Predicting the market with Gann angles is both original and innovative, and is a proven way of analyzing the market.

To learn more about using Gann trading methods please visit our web site: http://www.gann.co.uk

History Of The Federal Income Tax

The powers of Congress, and the limitations set upon those powers, are set forth in Article I of the United States Constitution. Section 8 specifies both the power to collect, Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, and the requirement that, Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.

One of the major concerns of the Constitutional Convention was to limit the powers of the Federal Government. Among the powers to be limited was the power of taxation. It was thought that head taxes and property taxes (slaves could be taxed as either or both) were likely to be abused, and that they bore no relation to the activities in which the Federal Government had a legitimate interest. The fourth clause of section 9 therefore specifies that, No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

The courts have generally held that direct taxes are limited to taxes on people (variously called capitation, poll tax or head tax) and property. (Penn Mutual Indemnity Co. v. C.I.R., 227 F.2d 16, 19-20 (3rd Cir. 1960).) All other taxes are commonly referred to as indirect taxes, because they tax an event, rather than a person or property per se. (Steward Machine Co. v. Davis, 301 U.S. 548, 581-582 (1937).) What seemed to be a straightforward limitation on the power of the legislature based on the subject of the tax proved inexact and unclear when applied to an income tax, which can be arguably viewed either as a direct or an indirect tax.

In order to help pay for its war effort in the American Civil War, the United States government issued its first personal income tax, on August 5, 1861 as part of the Revenue Act of 1861 (3% of all incomes over US $800; rescinded in 1872). Other income taxes followed, although a 1895 Supreme Court ruling, Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co., held that taxes on capital gains, dividends, interest, rents and the like were unapportioned direct taxes on property, and therefore unconstitutional.

The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution removed the limitations on Congress, paving the way for the income tax to become the government's main source of revenue; it states: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

A growing number of citizens seeks to challenge the power of the state to collect taxes by finding a way to discount the sixteenth amendment. The italicized paragraphs below are represenative of these attempts:

Lower federal courts sometimes refer to unapportioned direct taxes and similar catch phrases to describe the power of Congress to tax income. (See U.S. v. Turano, 802 F.2d 10, 12 (1st Cir. 1986). (The 16th Amendment eliminated the indirect/direct distinction as applied to taxes on income.)) This, however, does not seem to be the stated position of the Supreme Court.

Yet, despite popular opinion, the 16th Amendment did not give Congress any new taxing powers. In Treasury Decision 2303, the Secretary of the Treasury directly quoted the Supreme Court (Stanton v. Baltic Mining Co. (240 U.S. 103)) in saying that The provisions of the 16th amendment conferred no new power of taxation, but instead simply prohibited Congress original power to tax incomes from being taken out of the category of indirect taxation, to which it inherently belonged, and being placed in the category of direct taxation subject to apportionment.

The closest the Supreme Court has come to saying that from whatever source derived in the amendment expanded the taxing power of Congress was in Justice Holmes' dissent in Evans v Gore (253 U.S. 245, 267 (1920). (Holmes dissent) (Partially overruled by U.S. v Hatter. 532 U.S. 557 (2001), with respect to the prior reasoning about the compensation clause.)). In that case, the Court was considering the effect the 16th Amendment had on the compensation clause, and specifically whether the compensation of judges was unlawfully reduced by the imposition of the income tax. Justice Holmes opined that under the 16th Amendment, Congress is given power to collect taxes on incomes from whatever source derived [so it seems to me that the Amendment was intended to put an end to the cause and not merely obviate the result in Pollock. (Id.) Even in this case, though, the majority affirmed the more restrictive interpretation of the Amendment. (Id. at 262-263. (Majority opinion))

The federal income tax statutes echos the language of the 16th amendment in stating that it reaches all income from whatever source derived, (26 USC s. 61) including criminal enterprises; criminals who fail to report their income accurately have been successfully prosecuted for tax evasion. Since the language of the amendment is clearly meant to restrict the jurisdiction of the courts, it is not immediately clear why the courts emphasize the words all income and ignore the derivation of the entire phrase to interpret this section - except to reach a desired political result.

Arguments about the meaning of the current income tax has continued for nearly 100 years. Courts are reluctant to support a literal reading of the tax laws in favor of potential taxpayers, since it can lead to tax avoidance. Professor Soled points out why judicial doctrines are used against tax avoidance strategies in general,

The use of judicial doctrines to curtail tax avoidance is pervasive in the area of income taxation. There are several reasons for this phenomenon: central among them is that courts believe that if the Internal Revenue Code (Code) were read literally, impermissible tax avoidance would become the norm rather than the exception. No matter how perceptive the legislature, it cannot anticipate all events and circumstances that may unfold, and, due to linguistic limitations, statutes do not always capture the essence of what is intended. Judicial doctrines fill the void left either by the legislature or by the words of the Code. Another reason for the popularity of these doctrines is that courts do not want to appear duped by taxpayers... (Jay A. Soled, Use of Judicial Doctrines in Resolving Transfer Tax Controversies, 42 B.C. L. Rev 587, 588-589 (2001).)

Of course, if the intent of Congress was to actually reach all income then the simplest way to state s. 61 would be all income ***however realized.*** Instead, s. 61 mentions sources and other sections of the federal tax code actually lists about 20 sources of income that are specifically taxed. (26 USC ss. 861-864.) A common rule of statutory interpretation is the doctrine inclusio unius est exclusio alterius. This doctrine means [the inclusion of one is the exclusion of anotherThis doctrine decrees that where law expressly describes [a particular situation to which it shall apply, an irrefutable inference must be drawn that what is omitted or excluded was intended to be omitted or excluded. (Black's Law Dictionary 763 (6th Ed. 1990).) Since particular sources are listed as taxable in the tax law, then it is reasonable to infer that other sources of income are excluded from taxation. This argument is called the 861 source argument and the courts refuse to analyze the argument despite consistently holding against it, even going so far as to issue restraining orders against people who publish websites about it. (U.S. v. Bell, 238 F.Supp.2d 696, 698 (M.D. Pa. 2003).''

In 1913 the tax rate was 1 percent on taxable net income above $3,000 ($4,000 for married couples), less deductions and exemptions. It rose to a rate of 7 percent on incomes above $500,000.

During World War I the top rate rose to 77 percent; following the war, the top rate was scaled down (to a low of 25 percent).

During the Great Depression and World War II, the top income tax rate rose again, reaching 91% during the war; this top rate remained in effect until 1964.

In 1964 the top rate was decreased to 70% (1964 Revenue Act), and then to 50% in 1981 (Economic Recovery Tax Act or ERTA).

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 reduced the top rate to 28%, at the same time raising the bottom rate from 11% to 15% (in fact 15% and 28% became the only two tax brackets).

During the 1990s the top rate rose again, standing at 39.6% by the end of the decade.

In 2001 the top rate was cut to 35% and the bottom rate was cut to 10% by the EGTRRA, or Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act.

In 2003 the JGTRRA, or Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, was passed, expanding the 10% tax bracket and accelerating some of the changes passed in the 2001 EGTRRA.

For more free legal information on Tax Law, please visit Free Legal Information.

Chicago Mortgage Refinancing Smart Homeowner Guidebook

Mortgage shopping can be an intimidating process. To find the right mortgage you need to do you homework and shop from a variety of lenders. Doing your homework will help you avoid common mortgage mistakes and paying too much for your mortgage. Here is what you need to know to find the best mortgage for you.

Comparison shopping is the smartest thing you can do in order to make sure you do not overpay for your mortgage. When comparison shopping you need to shop smartly and compare all aspects of the mortgage, not just the interest rate. You must compare all costs including lender fees, down payment, points, and any penalties such as prepayment penalty in order to make a fair assessment of which mortgage is better.

There are a number of mistakes homeowners make while taking out a mortgage. One mistake is not protecting their credit. Your credit rating is an extremely important aspect of your mortgage qualifications. Failing to protect your credit before you apply while you shop for the best lender can cost you thousands of dollars.

To learn more about protecting your credit and strategies to find the best mortgage for your family, register for a free mortgage guidebook.

To get your free mortgage guidebook visit RefiAdvisor.com using the link below.

Louie Latour specializes in showing homeowners how to avoid common mortgage mistakes and predatory lenders. For a free copy of \Mortgage Refinancing - What You Need to Know,\ which teaches strategies to find the best mortgage and save thousands of dollars in the process, visit Refiadvisor.com.

Claim your free guidebook today at: http://www.refiadvisor.com

Chicago Mortgage Refinance

Divorce and Health Insurance Benefits

Divorce causes major issues with health insurance benefits. Many families have employer provided and/or paid for health insurance benefits that cover the entire family. It is not uncommon to see situations where the other spouse is a stay at home parent, with absolutely no access to health insurance benefits, or employed at a job with either no health insurance benefits available or those benefits available at a substantial cost. After a divorce, the spouse with the family health insurance coverage can no longer cover the other parent. They are no longer family members who can take advantage of one health insurance policy. How to then ensure that everyone stays insured does become an issue for negotiation and/or divorce litigation.



If both parties do not have health insurance benefits available and if the cost of obtaining those health insurance benefits for the other party after a divorce become prohibitive, there is one way to continue benefits without additional cost. That way is to enter into a separation agreement, but delay the divorce. That way, the parties actually do remain married and they can stay on the same health insurance plan even thought they are separed. The parties can consent to waiting for one, two or more years before either one files for a divorce. While the parties will remain married, their property, custody, and support issues will be addressed in their separation agreement. Under some circumstances, this is an optimal resolution. For example, what if both parties want one spouse to remain at home for several more years with young children, but they do still want to separate and divorce? This option works for them. They can separate, agree upon getting a divorce and all of the terms that they have to agree upon, but delay the final divorce so that they can keep cost effective health insurance benefits in place.



The above example can provide some difficulties that must be discusse in detail with your divorce attorney. For example, if you separate but do not divorce, your federal tax filing status may be affected. Also, in some states, it is not as easy as in other states to enforce a separation agreement. Or, in yet other states, it is possible for one spouse to take the advantages provided by the agreement for a year or two and then go to court and seek entirley different forms of financial relief in a divorce action. Only a divorce attorney licensed to practice in your state can advise you on these issues.



Another option for couples divorce is COBRA coverage. COBRA is a federal law which mandates that a person covered under a health insurance policy be given the right to continue that coverage, at their own cost, for a set time period if certain requirements exist. For example, if you obtain a divorce and your spouse had family health insurance coverage through his employer, the employer would have to provide COBRA coverage for you after the divorce. That COBRA coverage would require that you have the same health insurance policy, although your coverage would now be individual and not family. You would have to pay the employer's cost for that individual policy.



It is not uncommon for a stay at home spouse or a spouse who has less income or employment options to obtain COBRA coverage and to negotiate that their spouse pay for that coverage for a specified time period after the divorce. In doing so, this gives the spouse who did not have coverage available some time to either obtain employment with coverage or become financially settled and able to afford their own coverage.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Divorce Attorney Jean Mahserjian makes it easier to make it through your divorce by providing you with the essential information you need to understand the divorce process. To download free excerpts from her books, visit: www.millenniumdivorce.com

What is the Real Personal Impact of Rising Interest Rates?

My work is to help people (myself included) understand and apply the principles and strategies of financial independence. I was in the middle of preparing a lecture on analyzing financial statements to help make investment decisions, when I found myself wondering about the real impact of a rise in mortgage rates by 0.5%. So I invested a half an hour with my financial calculator and a few good web sites to do some analysis.

The real \aha\ for me came when I realized that I was in fact doing financial statement analysis - on a personal level. This is probably a skill not common to most of the population. Yet, at the same time, the majority of the population is affected by these economic changes and could benefit from a personal analysis and by the more informed decisions they could make in response.

I was considering the impact of rising mortgage rates, so let\'s look at what it takes to qualify for a mortgage. First, the property must meet certain criteria then the person seeking a mortgage must qualify for a loan (unless of course they have enough money to make a cash purchase - we can still do that you know!). A lender will want at least a 5% down payment and a total debt service ratio (TDSR) of less than 40% in most cases.

What is a TDSR you ask? It\'s simply the total of your monthly debt obligations plus costs to maintain the property and the new mortgage payment divided by your monthly gross income. This is key information if you have any credit use. Why? Because you can have a great credit rating, but if you have too much available credit, it can impact on your ability to borrow. If you have many credit cards, even if they are paid regularly and have no balance, which can impact your ability to borrow also. These are all things to discuss with your lender - before you need a loan or mortgage.

So here\'s what I did: I compared a $230,000 - 30 year mortgage at 6% and at 6.5%. If I only looked at monthly payments, the difference between the two rates was $72.08 per month. It is important to note that this exercise can be done with any other frequency of payments with similar results. And, you can personalize the results by finding a mortgage calculator online and using your own numbers or by sitting with your own financial advisor.

So what does $72 a month really mean? It will certainly buy some things, pay some bills or do well somewhere. I\'ll challenge you to seriously consider what you would do with the money. If you take this a step further, and consider the value of $72 a month actually invested somewhere - say at 4% - over the life of your mortgage it would mean about $50,000 to you. What could you do with an extra $50,000? What would an extra $50,000 mean when you\'re retired and your mortgage is fully paid? $72 a month can also be used as a loan payment on about $3,700 or at the lower rate of 6% could produce a mortgage that was $12,000 higher. What does that do for your home? All this of course, and we haven\'t even considered the enormous impact of adding $72 to your existing mortgage or loan payments - what a huge savings that could make!!

Considering that the total interest paid on a 6% mortgage of $230,000 would create total interest over the 30-year mortgage life of $262,502 compared to a 6.5% mortgage creating total interest charges of $288, 648 when you add a simple little $72 a month to your 6% mortgage you end up paying only $221,459 - a savings of 41,043!! What would you do with an extra $72 per month - really?

There is obviously a significant amount of money at stake long term, but let\'s get back to today and the discussion of total debt service (TDSR). If we use the following personal financial information we can easily see that this small jump in rates really can have a profound impact today:

Gross monthly income: $6,000
Household heat: $75
Property tax: $150
Minimum payment on $10,000 available credit on cards: $300
Car payment: $300
Mortgage payment on $230,000 at 6%: $1,368

This existing debt service would be 37%. By simply adding the extra $72 from the higher rate we bump the ratio to 38%. This would still be within some lenders qualification requirements, but at the limit for others. Now we have a situation where we are somewhat limited in our options and more likely to experience a cash crunch.

My suggestion is to learn about some of these ratios and qualification numbers and use that information to monitor your own personal financial situation. If we treat ourselves like a business, the full economic impact of rising rates can be anticipated and planned for. Awareness of the short and long term effects that changes in the economy have on our personal lives means we are more in control and able to make more informed financial decisions - both big ones like buying a home, and day-to-day ones like whether or not to buy a $3.50 snack five days a week - $70 a month!

MoneyMinding Inc. and Tracy Piercy accept no liability for the content of this article, or for the results of any actions taken or not taken on the basis of the information provided. The content is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional, personal financial advice.

Tracy Piercy, a Certified Financial Planner, offers step by step proven success principles, tools, ideas and strategies integrated with practical financial planning strategies. She has worked in the financial industry, in insurance, banking, and as a well respected investment advisor with CIBC Wood Gundy, for more than 15 years. Tracy is the author of Enlightened Wealth, a personal money journal http://www.moneyminding.com.

Advantages of Using a Credit Card for Monthly Expenses

A credit card can be a great tool for managing your monthly living expenses. Using your credit card to charge all of your bills and purchases can make life easier. When used wisely, this approach can save time and help you maximize your credit card\'s rewards program.

Establish a budget

The first step to successfully implementing this strategy is to set up a monthly budget. When you set limits for yourself, you can be sure not to charge more on your card than you can pay off at the end of each month. Start with your monthly bills (utilities, mortgage, car payments, etc), add your variable monthly costs (food, gas, entertainment, etc), and compare it to your total monthly income to establish your limit in each area. Most credit cards have online access that will allow you to keep an eye on your purchases.

Payments

If possible, set up your bills to automatically charge your credit card each month. Keep in mind that it may not be possible to charge every monthly expense to your card, but you can still take advantage of this approach with the remaining expenses. When choosing a credit card, make sure to factor in whether it is accepted by the stores in which you usually shop.

Ease the burden of record keeping

Making all your purchases on your credit card can make record keeping easier. Instead of having many transactions to record in your checkbook register throughout the month, you have only one: the check you write to pay off your credit card balance. This makes it much simpler to balance your checkbook.

Your bank statement is a record of all the transactions that have occurred in your account during a month. By paying for most expenses with your credit card, you are reducing the number of transactions that appear on this statement. The reduced number of transactions makes it easy to compare with your checkbook register. Not only can this save a lot of time, but it significantly reduces the margin of error in your records by making it easier to spot mistakes.

Maximize credit card rewards programs

Putting all your expenses on a credit card that offers rewards allows you to get the maximum benefits from these programs. The more you charge to the card, the more rewards you earn. For example, let\'s say you use a card featuring a \cash back\ reward that pays 1% for each qualified purchase. If your budget for monthly expenditures is $2,000.00 and you use your rewards card to pay for all of them, you can earn $20 per month. That totals an extra $240 each year, just for smart use of your credit card. Don\'t forget the other rewards programs, like travel rewards or store credit. When choosing a card with which to try this approach, factor in which rewards program will be most advantageous to you and your family.

Some things to keep in mind

Pay attention to fees, grace periods and interest rates when choosing a card. Make sure that the benefits of putting everything on your card outweigh these costs or other inconveniences. In addition, staying within your budgetary limitations is key to the success of this approach. You must pay off your credit card each month in order for any of the above advantages to be worthwhile.

Paying your monthly expenditures with your credit card can make things more simple and can help you leverage your credit card rewards program. Choose your card wisely by comparing interest rates, fees, and rewards programs. Establish a budget, set up your payments, stay within your limits, and start seeing the benefits.

This article has been provided courtesy of Creditor Web. Creditor Web offers great credit card articles available for reprint and other tools to help you search and compare credit card offers.