Blogs - 5 Reasons Why All Real Estate Agents Must Blog

Here are five reasons why all Real Estate Agents must blog:

Search engine optimization

Blogging helps your Real Estate website achieve a higher ranking on search engines. The key to search engine ranking is information-rich content. Blogging is the ideal format for publishing information on the Internet, and it’s really easy to update a blog. It’s just like writing an email only it’s to the whole world. Every Blog you post becomes its own web page adding yet another page of content on the web. The more content you have on your Real Estate website, the more you look like an information-rich website to the search engines.

Credibility

A blog helps to brand you as an expert in Real Estate. Blogs are the perfect place to talk about what you know, market updates, and Real Estate news and cost you practically nothing to post them. When you share your knowledge in a blog, you build the kind of trust that turns leads into clients for life. After a while, you will build up a huge inventory of postings which will be impressive, especially to the Generation X and Y home buyers.

Relationship Building

Blogs put a personal face on your Real Estate business. The personal nature of blogs makes them a powerful tool for building relationships with your clients and potential clients. There’s a lot of competition online and in Real Estate; a blog is one of the best ways to separate your business from the competition. Staying in front of these potential future clients is critical in staying in their hearts and minds when they are selling or purchasing a home.

Feedback

Your blog makes instant feedback possible. A blog is an ideal format for getting feedback from clients. Visitors can respond to your comments and link to your blog posts from their own websites and blogs. Hot topics can create a thread that engages dozens—or hundreds—of readers to post their replies. The replies will tell you a lot about what your customers want.

Up-to-date information

Blogs put information that is new and that helps you in a couple ways. First, it will give your clients and potential clients reason to come back to your site again and again. Also, the “spiders” that Google uses to crawl your site will reward you for the fresh and frequently updated content by giving you higher Search Engine rankings. Every time Google comes back to see “how you’re doing” and discovers that you and your site aren’t going to roll over and play dead after putting up your initial 8 page website, they will take note and give you an advantage over the other complacent website owners. Google is drawn to new content as a cat is drawn to catnip. Give Google all the catnip you can and reap the benefits!

Blogging helps you build the quality of relationships that can turn leads into clients for life. If you don’t have a blog, make launching your own blog one of your top priorities.

Dubai Real Estate Investment Forecast for 2007

The future prospect of real estate market of Dubai is quite good for 2007 and beyond. This is because of the fact that there is pretty intense and increasing demand for real estate in Dubai with around 5,000 new families shifting their base to Dubai every month. That is where, supply cannot keep up with demand, which in turn increases rental rates charged and of course the underlying value of completed resale properties.

Rental rates increasing
The pivotal factor here is that each and every individual, couple or family arriving in Dubai needs decent enough accommodation at the locality, which is near free trade zones, shopping malls, business areas and airport. Due to this demand, rental rates and property prices in Dubai is increasing.

New projects on hold in Dubai
Real estate prices in Dubai are also increasing because of severe construction delays. There is also tremendous shortage of construction workers in Dubai and with prices of building materials also increasing appreciably; lots of new projects are on hold. Initial signs are that supply is not about to flow into the market in the near future and therefore the profitability of the completed stock is bound to increase.

Good location
Recent studies has come to the conclusion that real estate investors who are interested in good performing property assets in Dubai require to purchase completed stock in a good location. By good location, one means the kind of location, which is not feeling the brunt of commuting issues. You may have heard in various newspapers and websites that commuting is fast becoming quite a serious issue in Dubai. If you manage to come up with a good location, then only real estate investors can be assured of brilliant returns this year and beyond.

Dubai’s off plan real estate property prospects
It has come into the notice that investors have been making brilliant profits from buying properties off plan in Dubai. If experts are to be believed, investors are just paying a deposit before flipping the incomplete units back onto a market where there is lots of demand for such kind of property stock.

Georgia Real Estate

As one of the fastest growing states in the U.S.A., Georgia is starting to attract a bit more attention than it has in previous years. The capital of Atlanta, is a thriving city, this state is gaining in both popularity and value. Georgia has a long and storied history, it was one of the original 13 colonies and one of the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Part of this state is occupied by the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and this area is home to some fantastic and awe-inspiring homes. This is one of the best sites for mountain living east of the famous Rockies. This is also one of the more diverse states in that it showcases both mountain and seafront land and properties.

The Blue Ridge Mountains are simply spectacular. This area is a favorite spot for recreation, camping, hiking and many other activities. It is also a favorite spot for secluded mountain homes, retreats and vacation homes. All it takes is a quiet drive through the area and one gets this feeling of serenity that is impossible to find in a more urban setting. The mountains are really for those who seek a more laid back style of life. If you would prefer to wake up looking out onto a pond and forest than an intersection then the Blue Ridge Mountains are the place for you. So pack up that suburban home and head for the hills!

If you still need that link to the city and it's economic core then have no worry, the Blue Ridge Mountains are the ideal spot for a vacation home. Also as a bit of a tourist destination you could realize a nice profit by renting the home out on a weekly basis to others who want to explore all that this area has to offer. Whether you are seeking a smaller weekend getaway or a year round manor style home or just a secluded cabin in the woods, the Blue Ridge area has a wealth of properties to offer to any home buyer. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and come and see what the mountain lifestyle has to offer you and your family. You may find that suddenly the city isn't as attractive as it once was!

Oklahoma Real Estate

There are many reasons to move to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma City has the excitement of being the capital of the state of Oklahoma but yet can give you the hometown feel family members crave on some of their quieter residential streets. The city has so much to offer visitors and residents including political events, downtown activities including those of the Bricktown Entertainment district and the Myriad Botanical Gardens located in downtown Oklahoma City.

General Facts:

It is the 36th largest city in the U.S. with an estimated population in 2006 of 1,172,339. In 1993 the city passed a redevelopment package called: Metropolitan Area Projects which includes a baseball park, central library, a canal to the Bricktown entertainment district and renovations to the civic center, the convention center and the fairgrounds. The "Core-to-Shore project creates a connection between the core of the city and the shores of the Oklahoma River.

When deciding on whether or not to purchase real estate in Oklahoma City it is important to look at all the areas of interest including: Weather, schools and hospitals, sports and entertainment, demographic information including median price of housing.

Weather:

Oklahoma City weather has an average annual temperature of about 60 degrees with an average rainfall of 33.36" and an average snowfall of 9.1" per year and also the skies are usually clear.

Population and Education:

Oklahoma City is the 29th largest metropolitan city in the U.S. with 635,000-employed individuals. The Median age in years of a resident of Oklahoma City is 34.1 with 403,138 households and an average of 2.52 persons per household. The median household income is $32,286. Education is valued in Oklahoma City with 28% having a high school diploma or technical school certificate and 27% having a college degree or higher.

Schools:

Oklahoma has a mix of public schools, private and parochial schools, colleges and universities and also Oklahoma city Technology Centers.

Sports and Entertainment:

Oklahoma City has everything for family entertainment including - museums, liberated arts center, children's theatre, music hall, International gymnastics Hall of Fame, Martin Park Nature Center, National Cowboy Hall of Fame and the National Softball Hall of Fame, the city zoo, the Oklahoma Opry, parks and recreation department, the Philharmonic Orchestra, and White Water bay.

In the minor leagues Oklahoma City has the RedHawks a AAA affiliate of the Texas Rangers, Yard Dawgz of the Oklahoma City Lightning, of the National Women's football Association, City Blazers of the Central Hockey League.

The New Orleans Hornets of the National Basketball Association temporarily relocated to the Ford Center during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons.

When considering a real estate decision, cost of housing, location, education, job opportunity and entertainment are all major items to discuss. Oklahoma City has all your major points of interest in a big city style without forgetting about the hometown residential needs of those who seek those comforts.

Five things that are worse than global warming

"Eeffects of global warming, whatever they are, will be measured on a scale of decades or centuries. In the meantime, beyond the unblinking stare of MTV -- far from the well-heeled audiences of London, Hamburg, and Giants Stadium -- away from the celebrity and speechmaking, humanity's collective lack of environmental wisdom is already grinding nature underfoot. While some propose spending billions of dollars to combat the uncertain foe of climate change, more pressing matters already threaten to upend our everyday lives.

At Lighter Footstep, they've rounded up five of these issues. As you watch the nonstop coverage of Live Earth on Saturday, think about the things which will still be important. Then ask yourself what you can do about it.

The End of Cheap Oil

When we think about progress -- economic expansion, advances in food production, and the creature comforts of modern living -- what we are really thinking about is cheap petroleum.

We're living at a unique time in human history. Throughout our lives, we've taken for granted the availability of plentiful, relatively inexpensive petroleum. This will not be the case for our children, or the generations which follow.

Bring up peak oil at a dinner party, and you're likely to receive the sort of stares reserved for UFO enthusiasts and those who insist the moon landings were all a fake. But peak oil is being discussed today in places such as the boardrooms of Exxon, if not in public.

Peak oil is the point at which conventional petroleum production tops out. There have been few major discoveries of conventional oil in the past decade, and existing fields command a finite supply. Beyond peak oil is a long and irreversible decline in the amount of petroleum which can be brought to market -- and this slide will coincide with a worldwide demand which accelerates from year to year.

It's not just the energy. Look around you right now and think about all the petroleum products that touch your life every day, from plastics to the pesticides which make modern agriculture possible. Conservation may help, but all these things will eventually go away -- and we have no replacement for them. Unless solutions are found before oil becomes unaffordable, our lives will change radically on the backside of the peak.

And when will peak oil happen? Some people think we may already be there. The so-called Early Peak theorists point to 2010. More conservative analysts say anywhere from 2015 to 2030. Soon enough, in any case. Long before the poles melt. If sea levels rise, they will inundate cities already emptied by the collapse of the economies which make them possible.

The Collapse of Ocean Ecosystems

We are turning our seas into sewers, and fishing marine populations to the brink of extinction.

In the Pacific and elsewhere, massive whirlpools of plastic waste turn slowly in the currents, a source of deadly and inedible food for hundred of marine species. It's not just a question of aesthetics: pollution on this scale disrupts the food chain -- a chain which reaches to your local grocery store.

Look at satellite imagery of our coastal areas and you'll see the telltale smudge of massive algae blooms which choke oxygen from the sea and reduce oceans to lifeless underwater deserts. These blooms are the direct result of unchecked agricultural runoff -- the dumping of manure and fertilizers into watersheds which eventually find their way to the world's oceans.

Meanwhile, researchers have determined that up to 29% of marine species have been overfished or so effected by human mismanagement that they are on the brink of collaspe. In some cases, species face 100% collapse no later than mid-century. These trends are still thought to be reversible, but each year that goes by makes the ultimate recovery of the oceans less and less likely.

It's difficult to calculate the impact of such widespread change to marine environments, but humanity has always been heavily dependent on the ocean for food and commerce. The problems seem more dire when expanding worldwide population is taken into consideration. There is certainly a link between climate change and stress on marine environments. But the factors over which we have more direct control are the ones doing the most damage, and the window of opportunity for addressing them is rapidly closing.

The Coming Water Crisis

From the oceans we turn our attention to an even rarer resource: fresh water.

Of all the water on earth, less than 3% is fresh. Of this, some 70% is locked in glaciers and polar ice. Our survival depends on the tiny bit which is left.

Over a billion people already lack access to a safe supply of adequate drinking water. These numbers will increase with world population. Here, again, is a clear link to climate change: as rainfall patters shift, so does the availability of fresh water.

But the real crisis is this: right now, our largest cities depend heavily on groundwater. Beijing, Buenos Aires, Mexico City -- and perhaps your own community -- draws its water from underground aquifers. These aquifers take centuries to replenish, so it's unlikely their use on this scale is sustainable.

The recent corporatization of drinking water is no accident: investors recognize the trends of shrinking supply and increasing demand. This is the reason multinational companies are snapping up neglected municipal water infrastructures and throwing themselves into the bottled water business. Water is the Blue Gold of the 21st century.

How will we replace shrinking fresh water supplies? Desalinization of sea water is an obvious answer, but desalinization is expensive energy intensive. It would require the development of a distribution system that dwarfs the one by which we currently bring petroleum to market.

We will have to seek out new ways to reprocess wastewater and reduce our current demand on groundwater supplies. While changes will necessarily trickle down to the household level and will be neither cheap nor convenient, they are unavoidable if we wish to sustain our current rate of population growth.

There are no equivalents to carbon credits when it comes to water: you can't pay someone not to consume water on your behalf. When it comes to dwindling fresh water supplies, there can be no smoke and mirrors. Stop drinking for a day, and you'll realize the pressing nature of thirst. The recent drought in the American Southwest and the threat of water rationing in places like Los Angeles are a preview of things to come.

Deforestation

We depend on Earth's forests for the quality of human life. Over half of all known species live in tropical rainforests.

Every second, 2.4 acres of old-growth rainforest disappears, never to return. That's about 78 million acres a year: the area of a medium-sized country. The pyres from the illegal harvest of irreplaceable Amazon jungle are clearly visible from space, and the effects of large scale clear cutting reverberate across the entire planet.

While you might not care or even be aware of the destruction of some exotic tropical species, the reduction of Earth's biodiversity has very real economic and environmental impact on humans. Trees cool our climate and regulate the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Much of our medicine is derived from plants located exclusively in the world's most threatened ecosystems.

The future is complex, and the sum of many actions. But such widespread abuse of non-renewable resources bodes ill for the planet's long-term sustainability.

Nuclear Weapons

Out of site, out of mind: we like to think the end of the Cold War stuffed the nuclear genie back into the bottle.

But as Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent threat to re-target European cities demonstrates, the idea that the risk of a nuclear war has abated is largely an illusion. It's not really necessary to recount the horrors of a potential nuclear exchange, other than to remind ourselves that a nuclear winter would be the ultimate environmental disaster, and humanity's last insult to the planet.

There remain approximately 20,000 active nuclear weapons, slumbering away in the missile silos, bunkers, and submarines we hide around the world. They're a miscalculation or a sharp political crisis away from being called to duty -- a sword that's been hanging above us so long that we've come to mistake it for the sky.

If the political resolve being marshaled to combat global warming could be channeled into achieving the complete destruction of these awful weapons, it would go a long way toward the safeguarding of our survival as a species.

The Future

We could have easily added a half dozen other issues to this list: pandemics like AIDS and antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis; the enormous economic disparities between the northern and southern hemispheres; and the pervasiveness of industrial toxins in our food and air.

As the old saying goes, the future is unwritten. Humanity is a versatile species, capable of great resourcefulness in the face of challenge. All is not doom and gloom. We have more than sufficient capacity to address the changes of the new century.

The attention focused on global warming has renewed a moribund environmental movement. More importantly, it has people thinking -- for the first time in many years -- about the larger issues of sustainability and the kind of future we'd like to provide ourselves and our children.

So enjoy Live Earth. Remember, though, that the real job is ahead, as is the task of setting priorities to address it.

How to Improve Your Credit Rating

Good credit really is essential. Good credit is an absolute must in our society. When we have poor credit it actually impacts our lives on many levels.

If you have negative information on your credit report, you have to do something about it. Don't ignore it. You have to get rid of it.

Your credit report is your history of paying debts and other bills. It is used by lenders to determine whether you qualify for a particular loan, credit card, or financial service.

It is important to review your credit report. If you find information in your credit report that you believe is inaccurate, correct them as soon as possible.

It is important to review your credit report. If you find information in your credit report that you believe is inaccurate, correct them as soon as possible.

Write a letter to the credit bureau and state that you have reviewed your credit report and found certain items you believe to be in error. Request they investigate these items and correct the errrors.

It is always a good thing to keep copies of all correspondence. Send your letter by certified mail with a request for return receipt.

You can't just say you are going to get rid of bad credit. You have to really mean it. You have to take the time to find out what works and stick with it. You need to know where to look.

There are many resources on the website below that have all the information you will need for building good credit. Before you leave this website you are going to discover all the information you need to eliminate bad credit, improve your credit rating and much more.

Once you're armed with the right information, you can easily get started rebuilding or establishing your credit rating.

Credit Repair Secrets That Work

Credit Repair Pays

The impact of bad credit can be significant. Over the years we have helped tens of thousands of our customers successfully repair their credit reports. Credit report repair takes effort and patience. But it is an effort that is well rewarded. We would like to offer some tips for those that would like to undertake the process themselves. It can be done!

Time for a Credit Report Check Up

The first step is to get copies of all three of your credit reports. In December of 2003 congress passed the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (also know as the FACT Act). One of the measures included in the FACT Act is the right for you to get a copy of your report one time per year from each of the credit bureaus.

The FACT Act was passed for your protection. It turns out that the credit bureaus are somewhat less than perfect. If fact, a recent study by the National Association of Public Interest Research Groups discovered that 79% of all credit reports contain mistakes.

It is also worth mentioning, for those that might not be aware, that the credit bureaus are NOT government agencies, nor are they operating under any special government mandate. They are just big business. And they are under constant scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission, who has fined the three bureaus millions of dollars for failing to cooperate with consumers in cleaning up the errors on their credit reports.

What to Look For on Your Report

If you want to do the job right you need to go though your report line by line. Your score is affected by much more that just the items that appear in the "derogatory" section. You especially need to check every account open date and high credit limit. The age of your revolving accounts as well as the relationship between your current balance and your high credit limit can have a major impact on your credit score.

Please don't make the mistake of believing that because it is on your report that it is automatically true. If you don't remember a late payment or possibly even an entire account, there is a very good possibility that it didn't happen, or it is not yours.

What to Do

Dispute every single item that you don't recognize as being correct. Dispute every item that you don't recall. The law allows for you to dispute "questionable items". Trust yourself. If you think it is wrong - it's probably wrong.

How to Dispute

Don't bother disputing more than three issues at a time. If you do, your dispute is likely to go right in the trash. The law allows for the credit bureaus to disregard any dispute that they feel is "frivolous". Our experience indicates that if there are more than three items disputed at a time the probability increases dramatically that the letter will go in the trash.

Make sure that your letter is clear, concise, and follows any guidelines that the bureaus provide. If you don't streamline your dispute, it's also likely to go in the trash. Don't tell them your life story. They don't care. Just give them the bare facts, like, "I was never late". You will find instructions with the copies of your reports. Read them carefully.

But That's Not All

Be prepared to repeat the process a second time. And if you don't get satisfaction after two disputes you have the right to demand that supporting documentation be produced. Don't be shy to make this final demand; it is often the point at which you will get satisfaction.

Don't Contact the Creditors

Deal strictly with the credit bureaus. The credit bureaus are responsible for the validity of the information that they report. Let them communicate directly with the creditors. They have open lines of communication designed for this very purpose.

8 Top Reasons Why You May Need Payday Loans

Payday Loans for Car repairs. When your bank account has the lowest balance, it seems as though the highest expenses have a way of popping up. Payday loans offer fast cash, which may help you to get any necessary car repairs to help get you back on the road. Unless you live within walking distance of school and/or work, you will need to have a vehicle. Repairs can be very expensive and, if you don't have the cash, you cannot get the service that you need. Payday loans can help you when the road to your next paycheck seems long.

Car rental. Speaking of car repairs, they can sometimes take several days. Depending on what is wrong with your car and whether or not the repair center has the necessary part(s) needed to repair it, you may be in for a wait. If you do not own another automobile, a car rental may be your only option. Ranging from $30.00 to 100.00 per day, the cost of a rental car can add up fast. Payday loans can offer you the cash advance that you need to get you back at work and help you to avoid suffering missed work and lost wages on top of expenses relating to your car repairs.

Doctor & dental visits. Today, many people face every day without having the security of health and/or dental insurance. Although this is a gamble, it is one that many people are forced to take simply because the cost is often unaffordable. When there is an illness or prescription medicine is needed, the expenses can add up quickly. Because most payday loans do not exceed $1,500.00, they can only be sought for help in paying minor medical treatments.

Home repairs. Perhaps you woke up to find water on your floor instead of in the pipes where it belongs. A leak can cause major problems and may require that you replace certain items within your home. Depending on the severity of the leak, you may need to replace your floors or your plumbing altogether. If your roof develops a sudden leak or you need to winterize your home to help keep the cold weather outside where it belongs, you may need some extra money to help perform the necessary home repairs. Payday loans are simply a way of getting a cash advance on your next paycheck and can help to get those much-needed repairs done quickly.

Utilities. If your phone, power or water bill are due and you are short on cash, payday loans can help you to meet the due date and continue to enjoy the necessary utilities that you have come to enjoy.

Overdraft charges. If you made a miscalculation and have since found yourself swimming in a sea of overdraft charges at your bank, it's essential that you correct these quickly in order to return your account to good standing. Payday loans may be able to help in getting these fees cleared up and avoiding the potential problems associated with worthless checks.

Emergency travel. If a family member or friend is ill and you need to be by their side, you may need to make travel arrangements immediately. If you don't have the money available for scheduling a flight or confirming other travel details, the ability to obtain fast cash via payday loans may be the answer you need.

Gasoline. Every day, some people struggle with simply having enough gasoline in their car to get to work. When the money runs out, the gasoline is sure to follow. If you find that you are short on funds and just need a little boost to get you through until the next paycheck rolls in, payday loans may be an option. This is why you may need to consider payday loans

Debt Consolidation Versus Debt Negotiation

Debt consolidation versus debt negotiation are two options that are available to you if you need debt assistance. When your monthly bills become too much for you to handle, it makes sense to use debt consolidation or debt negotiation for solving debt and credit problems.

Debt Consolidation

Debt consolidation services have prearranged debt repayment plans with most credit card and collection companies. When you sign up with a debt consolidation company you are offered a lower overall monthly payment based on a lower interest rate they have arranged with the creditor.

This payment is lower than what the credit card companies offer you, saves you money every month and is often the best way to consolidate debt.

One benefit of a debt consolidation repayment plan is it will stop you from getting harassed by your creditors as long as you make the new, lower monthly payments.

The downside of the debt consolidation repayment plan is that you have to cancel all credit cards that you include in the plan. You are also charged your first payment you make toward the program and an additional monthly administration fee. This administration fee ranges from flat fees of $10-$50, while others charge a $5 fee for each creditor. That means you'll pay about $30 a month that doesn't go to paying off your debts.

The debt consolidation program benefits you if you have high interest rates or have higher credit card bills than you can manage. Some people like to make only one payment to one company for all of their debts.

Debt Negotiation

Debt negotiation is sometimes referred to as debt settlement. This is most often offered to people who can't handle a debt consolidation program. If you can't make the minimum payments of a debt consolidation repayment plan or haven't made payments in the past 3 months, a debt negotiation program is the next step for solving debt and credit problems.

One benefit of a debt negotiation program is you stop making payments to your creditors. The debt negotiation company either takes monthly payments from you and keeps it in an account, or lets you keep the money in your own account.

While you are making these monthly payments to the debt negotiation company, they negotiate with your creditors for a lower payoff of around 40-50% of your total amount of debt. Once the negotiated settlement is agreed upon with your creditors, the debt negotiation company makes a one time payment to them.

A downside of the debt negotiation program is it lowers your credit score for as long as you are in the program. However, most debt negotiation companies require the creditor make the credit report show paid in full so it doesn't show up as a negative on your report once your account is settled.

Some debt negotiation companies include a credit repair service that will remove the negative items caused by the debt negotiation program. You pay for this service as part of their program.

Now that you have an idea what debt consolidation versus debt negotiation is choose which one will work best for solving debt and credit problems for you.

Copyright © 2005 Credit Repair Facts.com All Rights Reserved.

debt consolidation or debt settlement service secrets

debt consolidation or debt settlement service are used to help you get out of debt faster and save money on your monthly payments, make sure you do your homework before choosing a company. There are definitely shams and scams out there.

First let me say that debt consolidation is *not* the same as debt settlement/negotiation, which most people don't realize.

Debt settlement companies charge hundreds of dollars as an initial "admin fee" to set up your account, plus a monthly service fee. The fees vary depending on the company and the amount of your debts.

Such companies take your money every month, but don't make monthly payments to your creditors! Instead, they put it in a trust account, negotiate your debts with your creditors, then make a lump-sum payment when there's enough in your account to pay a creditor in full.

That can take *years* depending on the amount of debt you have with each creditor. Meanwhile, you can be sued by your creditors and your wages can be garnished! (Or just don't make payments to your creditors. You'll end up in the same spot without paying someone to help you get there!)

Settlement companies don't ask your creditors to stop all interest, late fees and overlimit fees from accruing. That means while the negotiations are ongoing, your bills will continue to grow! So if you're sued and a judgement is brought against you, you'll owe more money than before!

And shoddy companies, which there are alot of, don't tell you *any* of this up front. I call it "getting permission by ommission" because they simply don't tell you how their program works *before* you sign an agreement with them. Or after, for that matter. But if you ask the right questions, eventually you'll figure it out. (Or when the crap hits the fan. Whichever comes first.)

Let me give you an example of how debt settlement works.

Let's say you have $20,000 in unsecured credit card debt. You owe $10,000 to one credit card company, $6,000 to another and $4,000 to a third. You agree to a 5 year plan where you pay $250 a month to the settlement company. (After all, $250 a month for 60 months is only $15,000, so you're saving $5,000 and you'll be debt-free in 5 years, right?)

The admin fee will cost you $750. Your first 3 monthly payments go towards that and nothing gets put into your trust account until your 4th month.

The settlement company keeps $50 of your $250 payment each month for the service fee. That means $200 a month is being added to your trust account.

Most debt settlement companies claim to be able to negotiate your debt for about 50% of what you owe. So let's use the lowest credit card debt as an example.

If you owe $4,000 and your creditor agrees to accept $2,000 as payment in full, it will take 10 months at $200 per month to have enough in your trust account to pay off just that one credit card.

But remember, your first 3 payments to the settlement company only paid the admin fee. That means your first credit card settlement is 14 months *after* you started sending them money.

So what's the problem? It's simple. Your creditor won't agree to accept half of your actual debt unless, or until, it can be paid in full. Otherwise, you're expected to make your normal monthly payments.

Since you don't have $2,000 in your trust account, and you won't have it until more than a year after you stopped paying your creditor directly, they'll probably take you to court and request that your wages be garnished long before you have that $2,000 built up.

And what about your other creditors? Well, they'll be waiting even longer to get their money from the settlement company. The $6,000 debt will take 15 *more* months to pay off, assuming your creditor waits that long and agrees to 50%. And that $10,000 bill? You do the math.

On the other hand, if you signed up for a 3 year plan with the settlement company, your debts would be paid off sooner. But, the question is, will your creditors wait that long? Probably not.

The facts are, you can negotiate with your creditors yourself. Most will agree to take a smaller monthly payment from you and stop all interest and fees from accruing. And, of course, you'll save thousands of dollars in fees to a settlement company.

Before signing up for any service, please be sure you check out the company thoroughly. And don't let the words "non-profit" fool you either. Alot of debt settlement companies claim to be non-profit.

Going back to the example above, if you pay them $15,000 over a 5 year time frame and they settle your debts at half of what you owed, they'll make $5,000 from you. I'd call that a profit, especially since they might not have actually helped you in any way.

Most companies will allow you to cancel your account and get a refund of what you've paid, less the non-refundable admin fee and the monthly service fees. If you feel you've been mislead about their program, don't hesitate to argue til the cows come home. File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau or hire an attorney if you feel you're getting nowhere.

You can visit the Better Business Bureau's website (http://www.bbb.org) and find reports on hundreds of companies. Here's a small listing of companies that have poor reputations with the BBB:

National Consumer Debt Council LLC - Irvine, CA (A.K.A. NCDC, United Consumer Law Group)

Financial Rescue Services - Burbank, CA

Debt Legal Services - Anaheim, CA

American Debt Relief - Los Angeles, CA (A.K.A. A M Debt, American Debts Relief, Debt Relief)

Please be very cautious when choosing a debt help company and ask lots of questions before agreeing to anything. If you find they're evading your questions, run fast and run far. There are reputable companies out there, so keep looking until you find one.

Payday Loans and Your Credit

Every day, people struggle with finances and often a little help is all that's needed to get them back on track until their next paycheck. For some, payday loans may be the answer. Because they often require no credit check, payday loans are ideal for those with little or no credit history. At the same time, they are perfect for someone who may have had credit problems in the past.

Instead of credit, payday lenders are more concerned with your current ability to repay a debt. This means that they will verify your employment and income, but will not typically pull your credit report. In addition, payday loans are not commonly reported to credit bureaus, which means they will not show up on your credit report. If you have concerns about future lenders knowing that you once applied for payday loans, you will be glad to know that it is unlikely.

Although payday loans are not issued based on credit, nor will they commonly appear on credit reports, they must be repaid as any other loan. Because they offer fast cash with very little qualifying, with the exception of steady employment, payday loans do not come cheap. Most lenders will apply fees based on the loan amount and may range from $10.00 to $30.00 per $100.00 loaned. For instance, if you borrow $1,500.00 in payday loans, you may be paying between $150.00 and $450.00 in fees plus the original loan amount. If you request that the loan be extended, and the lender agrees, these fees will continue to roll over as well.

If you would like to access your credit report, you are entitled to request a free copy from each of the three credit reporting agencies on an annual basis. You can either submit your request online, by phone or in writing. In addition, if you are turned down for credit, you will be given a letter of explanation from the lender containing a reason for their decision. The letter will also contain the contact information from the credit reporting agency, which was used during the decision making process. You will have approximately 60 days from the date of the letter to request a free copy of your credit report from the agency listed.

Payday loans are designed to be a short-term fix to a temporary problem. In most cases, they are used when unexpected events arise or the borrower simply falls a little short on cash. Although their fees can be high, they provide many with the instant relief that they so desperately need. When it becomes impossible to wait for the next paycheck to buy groceries, see a doctor or even have your car repaired, payday loans can give you access to quick cash as a quick fix to a temporary financial slump.

Home Based Businesses That Work

If the salary is not commensurate to the work being done, perhaps the person is better off working for oneself.

This is how most home-based businesses begin. This may be related to the previous occupation or simply something that the entrepreneur has been thinking about but has never had time to explore. According to one survey, here are some great ideas worth venturing into.

Men who love to work with tools can start a home-based renovation service. The profit margins are very appealing and with proper planning, both parties will be able to benefit from the deal.

If most of the neighbors have pets, instead of letting the owners go to the store to buy it, perhaps ordering this bulk and selling it is a good idea. It is also possible to create toys and other accessories. These can be picked up in the house or delivered to the customer’s doorstep and given to the pet.

Those who love to cook can start a catering service. It does not have to be anything fancy. The entrepreneur can start small by hosting small events at first and then when enough money has been made, perhaps it is time to expand and join others in the industry.

Anyone wants to clean up? A lot of people don’t like to get the hands dirty but in the end, someone has to do it. Another great home-based business idea is to open a cleaning business. The entrepreneur can clean household and charge by square foot. When the business is doing better, people can be hired so that work can even be done in offices.

Accidents happen everyday especially when the kids are playing around the house. The engineer can develop safety devices such as special locks and barriers to protect everyone at home. The same thing can be done for the car or the office so serious injuries can be avoided.

People who are very meticulous are great as wedding coordinators. These people didn’t have to go to school to become one. Perhaps getting married and seeing the challenges has helped the individual decide to venture into this endeavor so mistakes that were encountered can be avoided in the future.

Health professionals have the best bodies. Another great home-based business is by becoming a fitness trainer. A lot of actors and celebrities hire this specialist to get the body ready for an upcoming movie while those that don’t want to go to the gym can also get the same services.

Women frequently go to the beauty salon to look good. Those who have the same skills can start a home-based business servicing the client. It pays to advertise so the entrepreneur can start with friends and neighbors first then do house calls.

Another thing women love to do is party. This means wearing a different outfit every time and going to the mall. This doesn’t have to happen if the person knows how to make one using the various fabrics. Eventually, the entrepreneur will have a collection and even sell these to nearby department stores and make more money.

There are other home-based business ideas to play around with. The entrepreneur can try those that work or take another path and do whatever it takes in order to succeed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mario_P._Churchill

3 things to making money opportunities

The opportunities for making money online are virtually unlimited as more and more people become comfortable shopping and doing business on the Internet. In fact, there has probably never been a better time in history than now to get started in your own home based business using the Internet. Prior to the Internet and all of the inexpensive resources available it was very expensive to start a home business. The web has changed all of that and now almost anyone can get started making money in his or her spare time with very little investment.

While a quick Google search for business opportunities will return thousands of results, the key lies in being able to sort through the mess and find high quality legitimate business opportunities that provide real ways to make extra income. Unfortunately, the ease of starting a home based business and the huge demand makes this market prime target for scammers interested only in taking your money. With that being said, there are many good legitimate opportunities out there.

There are three things to consider when evaluating home business opportunities on the Internet.

Product Or Service

Every business needs to sell something in order to make money. When considering a home based business ask yourself what is being sold. Be very careful when it is difficult to tell. Many online business opportunities involve affiliate marketing. This is where you are promoting someone else's product or service for a commission or flat referral fee. This is a great way to make money on the world wide web.

Is Company Accessible

The problem with doing business on the Internet is that you often don't know who you are doing business with. Many people have sent their money to an unknown web site only to never receive anything in return. The best way to determine if there is a real person behind the offer is first to see if they publish their contact information on the web site. Then it is recommended that you inquire with some questions about the offer. Pay attention to how long it takes to receive a response and if you receive a response at all. If they do not respond to your questions before the sale there is a good chance there will not be much service after they have your money.

Is There A Market For The Product

Finally, consider whether there is a market for the product or service you will be selling. This means will there be people interested in buying it. A good way to determine this is to simply do some research to find out if there are other people promoting the same products or services. Competition can actually be a good thing and is often proof that there is demand for a product or service.

Review business opportunities carefully before making a commitment and you will likely find a number of ways to make money online and success may be just around the corner.

Can Talking To A Finance Professional Really Improve Your Finances?

In today's fast-moving world, credit facilities, credit ratings, and pressures of bank lending through credit cards, brings financial know-how very high up the agenda of importance for most people.

That is why financial advisors are very useful things to have, since not all of us are equipped to deal with matters concerning finances. The reality is that our finances have to be dealt with.

Mind you, sometimes a financial advisor will be of the 'old school', and if you are an entrepreneurial type, he or she will go up the wall if you put risky schemes to them.

I know, my old financial adviser once told me my acceptance of risk was so high I was half way up the Eiger!

Three life changing events drive the majority of people to seek professional financial advice, according to a study done by the Certified Financial Planner Board of standards -

Namely:

1) Handling an inheritance (72%);

2) Facing a complex investment product (61%); and

3) Making portfolio/401(k) investment choices (52%).

Amazingly many people do actually seek professional financial advice, as they have realized how much easier it becomes to handle financial issues.

Before seeking professional help, you should ask yourself how much money you have and how complex your financial situation is.

If you find that your financial situation isn't all that complex, you might want to reconsider talking to a professional financial advisor.

You wont get advice from a financial professional for free, so you should avoid consulting one unless necessary.

However, timely and correct advice even for a fee can be worth more than its weight in gold.

Remember though - Free advice is just that - Free.

In situations that only require you to do a little bit of research on your own, you are probably better off avoiding the financial professional.

You should instead determine what you need to know, research that topic, and then make an informed decision based on your work and your financial needs.

Alternatively, if you are in a serious financial quagmire, getting professional advice might be the best thing you can do to get back on track. You will find it a liberating experience to finally understand all this financial jargon. And it could then help you to better understand and handle your finances.

As Benjamin Franklin once put it: If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it from him.

An investment in knowledge always pays the highest return. Article Source: ABC Article Directory

Geoff Morris has been investigating the role of Financial Advisors on the web. Visit Financial Assist to see over twenty different sources

Plan Retirement Early!

If I want to gain financial freedom way before retirement age or latest at the age of retirement, I need to accumulate enough wealth to achieve the lifestyle that I want. This requires planning as gathered from the Rich Dad's series by Robert Kiyosaki. If I want to be cautious, I feel that I should have two plans.

The first plan is to plan for retirement. The second plan is to plan to retire way before the age of retirement. This is because in case the second plan fails, I still have the first plan to fall back to. In the worst scenario, I will gain financial freedom at the retirement age.

In order to implement the first plan, I need to embark on the journey to research on retirement planning. After studying and reading a lot on retirement planning, I realize that retirement planning should be done as early as possible in my life. Why?

Firstly, I can capitalize more on the compounding interest of investment return. If I invest early in my life, then my investment has more time to grow. This advantage is gone if I have only invested near my retirement age.

For example, let assume the rate of investment return is 5 percent per annum and my retirement age is 60 years old. If I invest at the age of 30 years old, then my investment has 30 years to grow at the compounding interest rate of 5 percent per annum. If I have invested at the age of 55 years old, then my investment has only 5 years to grow at the compounding interest rate of 5 percent per annum. Of course, I will gain more if I have invested at the age of 30 years old.

Secondly, I can afford to make mistakes in my investment and recover from my mistakes. When I learn to invest initially, I will definitely make mistakes here and there. Because I start to learn to invest at a younger age, I have more time to learn and recover from my mistakes. Learning form mistakes is the key to accumulate wealth based on my understanding of the Rich Dad's series by Robert Kiyosaki.

For example, if I have made a mistake in investment that result in a loss of $10,000 at the age of 30 years old, I still can earn back the money. But if I have made the same mistake at the age of 60 years, I may not be employable to earn back the lost amount.

Even if I decide to hire a financial planner to help me, it is still my responsibility to know enough about investment so that I do not hire the wrong guy. This knowledge cannot be gained through purely reading. Some kind of practical experience is required to understand more about investments to enable one to decide on the proposed solution given by the financial planner.

Thirdly, I can be more aggressive in my investment. That is I can put my money into more risky investments. More risks usually mean better return on investment. But that may not be always true. If I can manage the risks well, I can get better return on risky investment.

For example, I can invest in currency. That is provided that I know how to manage the high risks in currency investment. Even if I have all the necessary risk management in place, there is still a possibility that the investment still goes wrong due to unforeseen circumstances. In which case, I have time to recover from the loss.

Then, I can invest in long-term investments. This is not possible if I invest near retirement age. At near retirement age, I should only be investing in assets that give me cash or near cash, as I will need the money to support my retirement lifestyle. In fact, most of my investments should be converted to the type that can give me regular income near my retirement age.

For example, it maybe impractical for me to invest in a property and hoping that it will appreciate. A property may take quite a number of years to appreciate to a substantial amount. In other words, I should not be looking for investments that give capital appreciation. I should be focusing on investments that give me regular income such as annuity.

Even though that it is good to plan for retirement early, it is important that I have addressed the more urgent needs first. I should have already planned and insured properly so that I will not face a financial disaster due any unexpected accidents or illness or any other events. Also, I should have already set aside an emergency fund equivalent to 3 to 6 months of monthly expenditure. In this way, I should be able to survive till my retirement age to see the fruits of my retirement plan.

* DISCLAIMER *
The author, publisher and distributors particularly disclaim any liability, loss, or risk taken by individuals who directly or indirectly act on the information contained herein. All readers must accept full responsibility for their use of this material.

Article

Source: ABC Article Directory Max Ng helps people who desire success to learn from his mistakes and realizations by sharing his personal struggle for success at www.richdadsecrets4me.com. He is the author of "Your Greatest Gift! Why Waste It?" at www.yourgreatestgift.com

Financial Planners - Good Ones Earn Their Pay

Financial planners are more than just stock brokers - they are trained professionals who have a fiduciary duty to put their client's interests ahead of their own.

Unfortunately, a minority of financial planners have given the whole profession a bad name, mostly by recommending investment products based more on the commission that the planner receives than their appropriateness for individual clients.

The ease with which one can trade online and the abundance of free investment information available on the internet have caused some people to feel that they don't need financial planners, but while hiring a financial planner may not be the right move for every investor, a good financial planner can be worth far more than you ever pay him or her.

The key is finding the right financial planner.

What is a Financial Planner?

Typically, a financial planner (also sometimes known as a "financial advisor") is someone who is licensed to sell stocks and other securities (bonds, mutual funds, etc.), as well as insurance products. Some financial planners may even be able to give tax or legal advice.

One major distinction among financial planners is how they're paid. There are fee-based financial planners and commission-based financial planners. For high-net worth investors, fee-based planners are probably the best fit.

This is because you'll never have to worry about your planner steering you into an investment solely to line his pockets with a fat commission check - he is paid to give you advice, not based on what you actually buy or sell.

If your financial planner's advice doesn't pan out over the long run, you're unlikely to stay with him.

This doesn't mean that commission-based planners are all bad. Few financial planners are able to build a fee-based clientele directly out of college - they have to earn their stripes, as it is said.

The best commission-based planners usually graduate to fee-based advisory, but in doing so, they may be pressured by management to leave their lower net-worth clients behind. Truly professional financial planners will always do whatever they can to accommodate the needs of their existing clients, even if their assets are modest.

After all, financial planners, like doctors and lawyers, have a duty to those whom they serve, not to their employers. When you are the client of a financial planner, you are his or her real boss.

Evaluating Client Needs - The Foundation of Financial Planning

Perhaps the greatest benefit of hiring a professional planner is that he or she has experience evaluating the needs of various types of investors. It's sometimes hard for us to sit back and evaluate ourselves - and, of course, we may not know all of the investment products and tax strategies that a trained financial professional works with on a daily basis.

Financial planners can take a look at their clients' financial well-being, goals, and risk tolerance, in order to develop a truly comprehensive financial plan, that goes well beyond "buy, sell, or hold."

For starters, your financial planner may recommend a given asset allocation. Financial advisors tend to recommend that younger people have a greater percentage of their portfolios in equities (stocks), whereas older folks concentrate more on fixed-income securities (bonds).

The logic behind this is that young people can afford to take more risks - over the long term, the stock market generally outperforms the bond market. But for older people, what if the stock market crashes the day before they're set to retire?

They don't have the time for the market to "correct itself" that younger people do, so this is why financial planners generally recommend that people begin slowly moving out of stocks and into bonds as they age.

But this is just a simplified case. Perhaps your needs are a little out of the ordinary. Perhaps you haven't saved enough for retirement. A good planner will recognize this and recommend that you're aggressive with your investments, even in older age.

Maybe you're young, but you have an incredibly weak stomach. You like to play it by the book, and everything you read says you should be heavily in stocks, but a good financial planner will steer you toward big cap blue chips with a healthy dose of fixed-income, and your stomach will thank him for it.

The key is that experienced financial planners have seen other clients in similar situations, and yet they are able to zero in on your unique needs. This type of financial professional is worth every penny that you pay him, because he measures his success by your success.

Article Source:

ABC Article Directory William Smith the author provides much more financial information on many subjects as well as the secret to his success in the market along with 5 Free power stock picks emailed daily so grab your Free subscription on his website at Financial Planners (All

is Free)

Tomorrow - Small Vacation Rentals

When we build an Internet business, we naturally wish to become a large-scale, global company. But, do you feel more comfortable in an overcrowded mall as one of hundreds of faceless customers-- or as a valued guest in a cozy shop? Do you like your specific needs to be as important to a salesperson as his own?

The less business you have, the better are your chances of success. Sound unrealistic? Well, here are the facts:

The smaller your region, the better your customer service.

You probably remember surfing the net, looking at hundreds of vacation rental sites. Was destination important to you or, did it make no difference? Personally, I can't imagine that someone would search for just some kind of property somewhere in the world.

I see a difference between Sydney and Rome and prefer sites dedicated to specific destinations. Why? That's easy. It's because I like the individual attention I get. If I have questions all of my questions (even about the color of the walls in the bathroom) will be answered with care and in detail. Plus, I can get information about which banks have the best exchange rates, where the best eats are and, well, about anything and everything a traveler wants to know about really.

The network does not replace live interaction.

Even the most informative web pages can not replace live interaction, when you get specific replies to your specific questions. You should read the web page to find the info you need. We all value our time and prefer to talk to a live person and get an immediate reply. Multi-user portals are simply unable to achieve that close interaction between a web site owner and web site visitors, whereas small web sites can.

As a web-site owner, you will gain negotiating skills. These will show you are trustworthy, and help you to succeed in the rental business.

Tenant details are invaluable.

If you have been in the business of leasing or renting real property for several years, you’ll have quite a database of tenant and owner contacts. Storing every detail about them can help you regain them as clients. Before the high season begins, send them a newsletter about a new option, discount or benefit for your website visitors and include a brief reference to their family. For instance, tell them how cute those twins, John and Jack, were, who ‘decorated’ your wallpaper with their creative paintings last year, or, ask about their little dog Sparky, who misused your flowerbeds and lawn.

Your tenants will appreciate your attentions and will make early reservations. You could hardly expect that at large vacation rental portals.

'Closer' money.

If you charge property owners for listing their properties on your small vacation rental website, it’s easier for you to collect payments from them. Local transactions are easier, faster and more secure than payments from all over the World at international vacation rental web portals.

Document your financial relationships.

Operators of large vacation rental websites have owners from different countries with different local laws, so it is hard to control all the agreements and negotiations between property owners and tenants, but a small vacation rental website dedicated to one specific country or region shows more professionalism and generates more trust if it offers rental agreements prepared on behalf of property owners and guests.

If you operate a website dedicated to one region, you can compose legal documents valid for your region and appropriate for your owners and guests. Such rental agreements should describe the most likely disputes that can arise between owner and guest: furniture and fixture damage, insurance, guest and owner responsibilities, abandonment, payment schedule, etc. People feel more comfortable when their financial arrangements are backed up by legal documentation.

The smaller your region, the more income opportunities you have.

Would you like having more happy clients, who naturally turn to positive testimonials and word-of-mouth advertising? The owners of small rental websites can cooperate with local service providers and get good commission from this cooperation. For instance, they can agree on discounts with souvenir shops and hand out discount coupons to their guests. Discount coupons issued specially for a specific villa or house work best. The same can be done with restaurants, car hire and yacht rental services, etc. This will no doubt contribute to generating interest and building trust on your vacation rental website.

VIP attitude is more important than VIP house.

Even if the house for rent is not the essence of luxury, you may win your client’s favor with your professional demeanor and attentive attitude. I have seen dozens of examples in which good attitude has compensated for the shortcomings of a property. Remember: you lease impressions, not properties.

Be Sincere.

Last but not least, the guiding principle for the owner of a vacation rental website is to really want to make people happy. Your main and sincere wish should be to make a guest’s stay as good as possible. Making a profit depends on this. You need to listen hard to what your guests are saying. Remember that when a guest rents house for his vacation, he wants a break from work and day-to-day worries. He does not want his vacation to be clouded by trivial inconveniences. Love your owners! Love your guests! Love properties!

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

Top 5 Benefits of Debt Settlement

If you have the finances to accomplish debt settlement, you can get out of debt quickly and permanently. As the name implies, debt settlement refers to an amicable agreement reached between yourself and a creditor for either one lump sum, or a structured payment plan, in order to achieve a discounted payoff on an account. Below are five reasons to consider this option for getting back on the road to financial freedom.

Say goodbye to your bills. With debt settlement, your bills are gone for good. In most instances, a settlement will result in the creditor closing your account. While this may seem difficult, especially if you have become reliant on your credit card(s), it will prevent you from using them again in the future and rebuilding a mountain of debt. Debt settlement you to wipe the debt away permanently.

have you ever been late with one or more bills, then you already know that creditors begin calling at 8 a.m. and are not legally required to stop calling until after 9 p.m. at night. Your phone will stop ringingDepending on how many bills you are behind with, your telephone may be ringing at all hours. This is not only unnerving to you and your family, but it gets even worse when the collections department makes you feel terrible about your situation. With debt settlement, the phone will stop ringing because you will no longer owe anything on a settled account.

Avoid legal action & bankruptcy. Depending on the amount of debt that you owe to a particular creditor and the severity of the delinquency, they may pursue a civil judgement against you in order to recover payment. Once a judgement is entered, the creditor can petition the court for permission to garnish your wages, attach to your bank account or other legal methods used to collect a debt. A debt settlement will prevent this from happening and will ease your mind about ever getting served with lawsuit papers. In addition, settling your debts will enable you to prevent the filing of bankruptcy, which is a stressful process and the worst blemish that you could have on your credit report. While a bankruptcy will remain on your credit file for up to 10 years, a debt settlement will expire after 7 years.

Improve your credit score. How can debt settlement improve your credit score? At first, it may not help that much. But compared to the alternative of continued late or missed payments, mounting debt related to late fees and penalty interest, a settlement will be much better for both you and your credit report. At the very least, debt settlement will show that you have attempted to repay your debt(s) and, at best, your credit score will improve as you slowly begin to rebuild your credit.

Eliminate your debt at a fraction of the balance. With debt settlement, you agree to pay the creditor one lump sum, or structured payments, to eliminate the debt altogether. In exchange, the creditor agrees to accept a fraction of the balance as full payment. Quite often, you can settle a debt for as little as 20% on the dollar, which means a $10,000.00 debt could potentially be settled for $2,000.00. If you were to continue making payments on that same account, combined with interest rates, you would likely end up spending $20,000-30,000 before finally reaching a zero balance. With debt settlement, you are not only saving the obvious difference between the balance and the settlement amount, but you may also be saving a considerable amount of money in interest.

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

Self-build - finance your dream home

Having your very own, custom-built dream home is a lot easier and cheaper than you might think. Although building your own property involves a great deal of planning and hard work, it's within the reach of most people, especially now that many mortgage lenders will lend on self-build properties.
much cheaper to build your own house It's generally than it is to buy one pre-built. The average cost of a self-build home is approximately £150,000. The return on investment can be much greater too - as soon as it's built you can expect an increase in value of 25-30% on what you paid to built it.
One of the major hurdles to overcome when considering a self-build project is obtaining the necessary finance. Some people opt to release equity from their existing mortgage, although this may not raise enough to fund the entire project - it depends on the value of the property against the current mortgage on it.
If this isn't a feasible option, another possibility is to take out his isn't a feasible optio a second mortgage. Many lenders offer specially tailored self-build mortgage products. If you go down this route, you'll need to decide what to do with your existing property. Work out whether you can afford to have two mortgages on the go during the build, to enable you to live in your current house until the new one is ready - or indeed whether there are any mortgage providers prepared to lend you a second mortgage. This can be a convenient way to finance the project, as it means you only have one house move, and mortgage repayments are often cheaper than renting.
If you can't afford two mortgages, the other options are to sell your current house and move into rented accommodation, stay with family or friends or even buy a mobile home or caravan to live on the building site. The latter may not be a suitable arrangement if you have a young family.
Self-build mortgages tend to have similar terms and conditions to conventional mortgages. You could have either repayment or interest only, and the interest rates available (fixed, capped, variable, etc) tend to be the same. self-build mortgages and conventional mortgages - The two main differences are that the maximum loan-to-value that will The two main differences between be provided is normally no more than 75% for self-build, as opposed to up to 95% or even 100% for a conventional domestic mortgage, and the funds are released in stages instead of all at once.
The way in which the funds are released depends on the provider. It's normally at key stages of the construction for example the laying of the foundations, when the building is wind and watertight, when the roof is complete, but some lenders release the funds upon completion of the stage, and others in advance. The issue with the former, arrears stage payments, is that the money is not available to fund the construction in advance, so it can cause cash flow problems. Some lenders offer advance stage payments, though, which makes it much easier to keep the cash flowing as the project progresses. Whichever way the lender operates, they will almost certainly want to send a surveyor or valuer to check on the progress of the build before they release each payment.
Sometimes up to a third of the cost of a self-build property is the purchase of the land. There isn't much spare land in the UK so prices are at a premium, particularly in popular built-up areas. Some lenders will be prepared to lend for land purchase, others won't, or will provide it as a separate loan, so be sure to check this out when doing your research.
Most lenders will want to see the architect's drawings and planning permission before agreeing to lend you any money, as well as a schedule of works - some lenders will put a time limit on the build, often one year.
As well as being a cheaper way to buy a house, self-build has other financial advantages. The cost of building a new home is zero-rated for VAT purposes. You also won't be subject to capital gains tax on the capital you make from selling the property, and there's tax relief for financing the new build while remaining in the existing home. Many self-build projects are also exempt from stamp duty as this applies only to the purchase of the land - unless the land price is over £60,000.
If you're able to arrange funding to build your own home and are confident that you have the management skills to keep on top of the building work as it progresses, then self-build could be the ideal way for you to get the home of your dreams without it costing an arm and a leg.

Source: articlestree

Planning and Procedures for Business Start-Ups

Starting a business is a process that requires much planning. A business plan should be made mapping the future business.

Starting a business includes many steps that will be explained. The first step in a business plan is deciding the nature of the business. A detailed description of products and services is the first part of a business plan. For a fishing shop, for instance, the products would be all the fishing rods and accessories.

In addition to a detailed description of products, a detailed description of services must also be made. The owners must decide where or not there will be a service department with the fishing shop.

The next part in figuring the nature of the business is to decide the estimated risk. The risk of the business is based on the analysis of the industry. To analyze the industry one should take several considerations into thought. For example, how much demand for the business there will be in the area, as well as, how other businesses of the same nature have done in the area.

Size and location of the business are also required to figure the nature of the business. The size of the business can be based on the capital available, the demand in the location, as well as any other factor that might affect the business. Location is based on many of the same factors.

The second step of a business plan is to plan the goals and objectives of the business. This step requires thinking about what the short-term and long-term goals will be. In addition to the short-term and long-term goals, the owners must express the expected results in sales volume and profits.

These goals and objectives should be based on the amount of capital invested and the amount of the loan. The business must plan to make a profit, however, the profit does not have to be immediate. It may take a little while for the business to become established in order to make a profit.

The long-term plan of the business might take all this into account. A marketing plan is the next step of a business plan. A marketing plan takes into account customers and their demand for the fishing rods, accessories, and services. A marketing plan should also include prices for the products and services, and a comparison of products and services with competitors in the area.

The prices should be figured based on the supply and demand theory. If there is a large demand and no other competitors in the area your prices can be much higher than if there is little demand for you products or services, or if there are several other competitors in the area.

The business plan is essential in the formation of any business. In addition to the business plan a list financial institutions which to apply for a loan should be assembled, as well as, hiring a lawyer to help in the formation of the business. Proper planning might take a long time but in the end it will make the process of starting a business much easier.

More resources on business startups
Business start up Starting business in the USA

Positive Cashflow!

Having a positive cash flow is an essential step in gaining financial freedom. I did not realize it at first. It was only after I have read the Rich Dad's series by Robert Kiyosaki that I have realized the importance of maintaining a regular cash flow and expenses that does not exceed it. I have to ensure that this positive cash flow not only comes consistently, it should be increasing.

Basically, there is two ways to increase the positive cash flow. The first way is to earn more and maintain the existing expenditure. The second way is to reduce wastage. Usually, a combination of both methods can be used to achieve a better positive cash flow.

For example, I am currently earning $3000 per month. My monthly expenditure is $2500. Since my income is more than my expenditure, I am deemed to have a positive cash flow of $500. If I want to increase my cash using the first method, I can take up another part time job or assignment to earn an extra $500 per month. As a result, my positive cash flow has increase from $500 to $1000.

If I am using the second method, then I will be examine my existing list of expenses to identify which ones are unnecessary or redundant and do away with them. In other words, I am reducing wastage in my existing expenditure.

For example, I am currently subscribing to a particular magazine. I wanted to read the magazine but I never seem to have time to read it. So the weekly issues of the magazine just keep piling up untouched. That is I am wasting my subscription fee altogether. When it is time for renewal of subscription, I should simply stop the subscription altogether and save the money. However if I am not aware of my wastage, I will simply renew the subscription thinking that I will find time to read the magazine.

My expenses can be classified into fixed and variable. As its name implies, fixed expenses are those that I have to consistently pay every month like my loans and mortgages. My variable expenses are expenses that are not consistent, like entertainment, food, vacation, clothes and such. Wastage is usually found in the variable expenses.

Reducing wastage is quite different from bad spending habit. Bad spending habit is a habit of spending on unnecessary things even though I am aware of it.

For example, when I see a shop that is on sale, I will go and spend money simply because there is a sale. I know that these products or services are not necessary but I do not care because I cannot control my urge to spend. I simply have a habit of spending on seeing a sale sign.

By reducing wastage or increase income, I will be able to gain more positive cash flow. Yes, I can invest my excessive cash due to positive cash flow in assets that generate passive income as learned from the Rich Dad's series by Robert Kiyosaki. But before I do any investment, it is important that a few fundamental things are handled first.

Firstly, I will save the excess cash as emergency funds. Based on my understanding of personal financial planning, I should have an emergency fund equivalent to 3 to 6 months of my monthly expenditure. In case of any emergency that cause me to lose my income, I can still survive based on my emergency cash for 3 to 6 months. In the meantime, I can look for an alternative source of income.

Secondly, I will use the money to insure myself again risks. Insurances such as life insurance, personal accident insurance, medical insurance and so on should be used to manage the risk of great financial losses due to unforeseen circumstances.

For examples, if I have an accident and I do not have any personal accidental insurance, then I may end up paying a heavy sum of medical fees due to injuries. If I become sick and I do not have any medical insurance to cover me, I will end up paying a large amount of medical fees.

When the above two things are done, then I will consider investment provided that I do not have any existing liability. If there is any existing liability, then I will need to judge whether it is wiser to pay off my liability first or use the money for investment. As a thumb of rule, if I cannot guarantee the rate of return for my investments is more than the loan repayment interest amount, then I will be better off by paying for my debts.

Max Ng helps people who desire success to learn from his mistakes and realizations by sharing his personal struggle for success at www.richdadsecrets4me.com. He is the author of "Your Greatest Gift! Why Waste It?" at www.yourgreatestgift.com

Sarasota Real Estate - Home Buying Tips

Buying a home is the greatest investment you can make in your life.

Other people are willing to take out mortgage that will take enormous portion of their lives to pay off, in turn to buy a home. Now, if one is really decided to buy a first home in Sarasota real estate, there are some things that should be taken into consideration in order to make sure to purchase the right home. There are some tips that you can follow in buying a home for you and your family.

The first tip in buying a home in Sarasota real estate is to give some time to research. You can do a research or hire a real estate agent to do the work for you. It is better to research and gather all the important information you need to know before you purchase a home, in this way you can search for the great home with reasonable price. Just give some time, don't be in a rush, the time spent in making research will soon pay off if you find the right home.

The next tip is that if you are really into buying a home in Sarasota real estate, better to make sure that you already have an approved financing. It is better to make all the paperwork in financing all done before entering into buying a home, in doing that, you will know the budget you can use in purchasing a home. It is really so frustrating, if you finally found the home you wanted, but only to find out that your financing is not approved, so before to settle the financing before entering into the buying process.

Before buying a home, it is wiser to make home inspection and pest inspection. Amidst of what the seller says, that there are no problem in the house, it would still be better if you make sure and find it out for yourself. And if in case, you found a problem in that house, and the seller insisted in fixing it, then just look for another house.

In purchasing a home, you can to make sure that everything is put into writing. If there are some problems found in the home and the seller make a promise to make some repairs, wiser to put that into writing. In doing so, you will have a record that the seller really made a promise in making some repairs. Making sure that everything is put into writing will save you from any problems and disagreements.

Now, in your buying process, these tips could help you find the right home for you with great price as well. And in purchasing a home in Sarasota real estate, you should make sure that you are working with a trustworthy real estate agent, in doing so, you are just protecting yourself. You can contact a real estate attorney, in case you have questions regarding legal issues, the attorney can help you.

Indeed, purchasing a home in Sarasota real estate is an enormous investment, so you definitely want to make sure that the buying process will run smoothly, so try to consider the tips and soon you will find the right home for you.

About the Author

Article Author Eliza Maledevic from http://www.Jump2top.com

The Mutual Fund review

“What should I look for in a fund? I recently rolled over a 401(k) into an IRA and right now sitting in a money market account (I’m peeved at my advisor about that). I’m looking for some good aggressive growth funds. One more thing: The IRA is about 6K. Should I put it in one mutual fund, or a couple, or a hundred? Thanks, Kelly.”

As I composed my response, I realized that these questions were reflective of hundreds of others I’ve received over the years. For that reason, I’m providing my reply for the many other Kellys who haven’t yet gotten around to asking them. Here’s what I said.

“Dear Kelly,

“You’ve posed a couple of questions that most aspiring investors should ask, but rarely do: What should you look for in a mutual fund and of equal significance, what belongs in an IRA? You then added that you’re peeved with your advisor that your assets are now sitting in a money market account where they’re no doubt earning next to nothing. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve touched at the very heart of investment and what is lacking in most persons’ understanding.

“I’ll start with your first query: ‘What should I look for in a fund?’ Let me make an admission. In case you think that I can recommend with uncanny accuracy just which funds will most prosper in the future, the blunt truth is that I cannot. I do not happen to know where the market is going. I cannot tell you whether the technology sector, the international arena, or the service industries will be higher or lower next month . . . or next year. But, understand that neither do the professionals who advise you. By and large they are as surprised as you by what happens. There’s not a one of them that can tell you with certainty whether the S&P 500 Average will be up or down tomorrow. And why should they really know? They all read the same periodicals, take the same seminars, digest the same reports, tout the same rumors, spew the same hyperbole, and regularly exchange identical views among themselves. Is it any wonder that what goes on in the world of investment is, for most persons employed there, unfathomable? You should note, though, that from their standpoint it really doesn’t matter, for their livelihood doesn’t depend on whether or not you prosper. Your advisor makes a living either by charging for advice—good or bad—or by payment of commission upon your purchase or sale of anything. Nor do the mutual fund personnel particularly care whether your assets shrink or grow, for their remuneration is the result of fees their firms take, normally based on a percentage of the total assets managed, which is why each mutual fund strives to increase its share of overall invested assets. Whether a particular client’s assets increase or decrease is without significance. Of course, the counselors’ lives are less burdensome if they’re not required to defend bad investment choices. For this reason, most prefer the index funds. In this way, they cannot be blamed when things go wrong. They’re off the hook since all losses can be attributed to mythical market forces.

“Now that you understand the complexities—and my limitations—we can approach the industry realistically. The concept of the open-end investment company, commonly known as a mutual fund, has been around and mutating since 1924. Over the past several decades it has become the ‘investment by default’ for most Americans, the majority of whom haven’t the slightest idea what they own, or why. Thanks to effective promotion by the industry, this vehicle has taken on a life of its own, where any suggestion that it’s not appropriate is met with derision. This is the environment in which you find yourself, and if you hope to prosper, you’d better educate yourself. The best way to start is by familiarizing yourself with the elements of the subject. There is a fundamental rule that says: ‘When you know the details, no one can lie to you.’ For this reason, I’ll suggest that you get your hands on a small and inexpensive book in the Barron’s Business Keys series: ‘Keys to Investing in Mutual Funds.’ It contains only 158 pages, can be purchased through Amazon for a few bucks, and is exceptionally easy but enlightening reading. Until you’ve read that, you should leave your IRA money right in the money market account where it is. Though you may not realize it, your advisor provided a most valuable service.

“Let me now inform you of a personal uneasiness I have concerning mutual funds in general that you’ll not read in the Barron’s book. My discomfiture is with the evolution of an industry in which the placing of investors’ money seems, at best, a secondary consideration. The fact that a substantial and growing percentage of the nation's assets is now committed to funds fuels a part of the concern. The rapid growth in the numbers and varieties of funds offered triggers more uneasiness. But it is the synergistic effect, coupled with basic human nature, that could result in unpredictable problems for the economy of the nation.

“I’ll run the risk of asking rhetorical questions. Who are the thousands of officers and directors of the funds? How did the investor’s interests advance when the average fund manager’s annual compensation increased to over $1,000,000 in 1996? What is the background and experience of the multitude of securities analysts employed? Who will benefit from the growing trend in fund mergers, and in what fashion? Is the investor really well served by a fund that merely places its monies in proportion to a specifically designed index or another that simply acquires shares of other funds? What does the scandal that rocked many of the prominent mutual funds in the autumn of 2003 portend for the future of the industry? And above all, who in God’s name is watching the store? Incidentally, in case you don’t recall those events in 2003, you might visit my Website www.onthemoneytrail.com, click onto Newsletter Archives, and read the December 2003 article ‘Investment Guidelines for the Year Ahead.’ I’ll repeat what I said then. What the future holds for the mutual fund industry is hard to say, but one thing is certain: The fortunes to be made, legally or otherwise, fuel an insidious attraction. The question we must ask is whether it is becoming a self-propelled labyrinth, with few realistic controls, in the hands of persons who will systematically loot the assets with no compunction. If so, the nation will surely experience a misfortune of momentous proportion.

“I’ll wrap this up with my views on what belongs in an IRA account. Contrary to the recommendations you’ll receive from most financial analysts and advisors, a traditional tax-deferred—or even more favorable tax-free Roth IRA—should not be stuffed with mutual funds, whether they be aggressive growth, balanced, sector, or index. My belief is that these accounts are better utilized when they contain interest-bearing investments. Once again there is not room here to get into details. Mutual Fund review, However, if you again visit the Newsletter Archives of my Website, you’ll find two articles there that spell it out pretty clearly. They are December 2002, Mutual Fund review‘Why Bonds Belong in a Retirement Account,’ and February 2003, ‘Junk Bonds Need Not Be a Crapshoot.’