Who knew that buying lottery tickets can become the cause of bankruptcy? Well it sure was mine, but only because I was too obsessive. When I saw my friend filing for bankruptcy one day I was freaked out. I swore to myself that I would never become poor or lose control of my resolve. But there was only one problem—I hated working. Anything that involved excessive mind function or commitment was not compatible to my physical makeup. So being the fast reactor that I was, which is the kind way of saying that I make up my mind before thinking anything through, I had this sudden idea that I might win the lottery ticket for ten million dollars! My inspiration was a bill-board. It seemed brilliant; at least it did to me. But then again I am not the brightest of women. At the time I didn’t think anything through and right away I walked to the local gas station and bought out all the lottery tickets there. I did the same every day for a month straight. With a wad of tickets in my hand, I already felt rich! When I got home to my lonely apartment after weeks of scrounging around for new gas stations, I sat down by the dining room table to recount all of my lovely tickets. Then it hit me. Oh it hit me hard. What was I thinking? Now how will I pay for my bills this month?
Monthly Archives: January 2009
Land Investments – Problems and Their Solutions
Many companies and people purchase land because of different reasons, for example personal reasons and other reasons having to do with business. As the matter of fact investment land is all about business and profit whether it is through re-sale of a particular lot or through development of that lot. Those people who invest in land for personal reasons may do so for their living purposes or for their own businesses. Here we will find all differences concerning land investments.
1. Investing in land for profit
As it was already said, individuals and companies can invest in land for profit. There are a lot of ways in which this type of profit can be gained from such an investment.
• Land flipping.
It is a popular way to invest in land for profit, especially for those people who are new to the idea. This kind of investment has to do with buying land, holding it for any length of time, and then reselling it for a profit. This may be done for a lot of reasons and is especially profitable in the case when land is obtained at a discount. It will be also useful for you to know that the best way to get cheap land is often when it is distressed, like through a public auction. The other good way to get land cheaper is pocket listings.
• Land Developing
This is the other way of investing in land for profit. This can be done through flipping the land and selling it to someone for development or actually buying it and developing it yourself. Land development is a profitable way of investing in land. Though it is important for you to know that proper surveying and zoning is an essential part of this process, often making it a type of land investment with a larger start-up sum.
2. Investing in land for personal use
Let’s start with that investing in land for personal use is still an investment. The benefit of personal land investment is that difference between business and personal investment as those mentioned benefits are different. The gain is in use, but not in dollars. People invest in land for personal use for things like the building or expansion of homes, the building of structures for business, or personal things like pleasure. Although, it should be also pointed out, that there are benefits to this type of use, the investments are not made for immediate gain (as it happens with business investments).
It is a really great way to make money investing in land for business, just as investing in land for personal use is a great way to invest in your family and your future.
Read HYIP Genius Funds review.
For those who are investing small money into currency trading – read about forex trading signals on the forex trade signals blog.
Filing For Bankruptcy Because of a Woman
Filing for bankruptcy. Such a familiar phrase. I never thought it would affect me but I have been on the other side of the bankruptcy table. I naively loaned someone $5,000.00 once. Not what I considered a large sum. I had come into what I thought was a lot of money at the time. Looking back, ah hindsight, I can readily see it was not a lot of money and I should have and could certainly have used that money to much more benefit for my family but no, at the time, no one could change my mind. Anyway, I did loan this money to a woman who, because she was a woman, I trusted! As though all women are to be trusted! Looking back, ah, that hindsight thing again, I saw that I was not trusting myself! I had a nagging negative feeling about her that I did not listen to. I overrode my own sensibilities because I had an idea of how I wanted this to turn out. I wanted tons of money! So guess what, I lost a lot of money! She never paid me back even though all she had to pay me at the time was $52.00 a month! That woman ripped me off!
Secured Car Loan – Your Useful ABC
The easiest finance that can be procured by applicants is the secured car loan. Based upon your requirement you can spot any amount between ?5,000 and ?75,000 with an elongated reimbursement term. Reimbursement period of this loan graces from 10-25 years which in turn make the repayments easier. The property that is accepted as collateral are land, house, estate and the car which you intend to buy. The bills of secured car loan welcome every sort of credit holders, of course if they are willing to pledge collateral. For a more reasonable deal, before applying for secured car loan follow certain steps. The deal can be made more appropriate or according to the budget if you evaluate the value of the car. Succeeding to this action, estimate the amount required and the offers of different lenders. Approach for the recommendations of the financial experts, if you are unable to come to a solution.
Secured car loan is the safest loan that lenders term as, cause lenders become secure by the collateral placed by applicants. For this reason the lenders release the funds at marginal rate of interest. Nevertheless, there are lenders who are ready to negotiate the interest figures. This is the most appropriate deal available in the market. All the features and benediction of secured car loan has left the customers speechless and financial critics. Make no delay and get the loan approved within less time by using the online application method. The online can provide you approvals within the earliest. Usually, car buyers have often depended on dealer financing plans. Buyers would go to a car dealership, look for a car, and once selecting a car, be hit with aggressive loan selling tactics. Dealers like to sell loans to consumer for two reasons. The main factor that has contributed to a lot of consumers being stuck with expensive dealer financing is a lack of consumer education.
Buyers simply have been unaware of the loan options which are available to them. The lending market is usually much larger than most consumers are aware. Thanks to the internet, more consumer education and resources are available now than ever. Before going into buy a car, borrowers can learn more about the car buying process and loan options. This preparation helps consumers’ better handle dealers when they begin talking about financing. Loan specialists have given greater access to cheap used car loan rates. They are independent brokers who maintain a large collection of provider relationships. This enables them to offer consumers access to the best products and loan providers in the market. Because of the power these independent brokers have developed, most brokers offer their best used car loan rates through them. Consumers can go to a specialist web site, enter some basic information, and quickly become aware of the best loan products and best rates available.
Used car loan rates greatly affect the total cost of buying a used car. Finance costs are a big part of the total cost of buying a car. Research has recently demonstrated that dealer financing options tend to cost 1,000-1,500 pounds more than lender loans. This has created greater interest from consumers to explore their financing before going to the dealer. Consumers are more empowered now and can focus on finding the best car deal. There is less obligations to negotiate car and finance purchases together. In fact, this separation gives buyers the best total car value because they can negotiate car deals and financing deals with focus on each independently.
Learn how to save money on car loans. The proper usage of auto loan calculator can help you to do that. Read more details about smart use if auto loan calculator on this car finance calculator web site.
Filing For Bankruptcy Relieves the Pressure
Debts are piling up. Bills are coming in. Collections agencies are calling and sending you certified mail demanding money. This financial pressure is more than you can handle. Where do you turn?
Each year, millions of Americans will decide to file personal bankruptcy, either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, depending on their individual situation. While Chapter 7 Bankruptcy wipes your slate clean of debt, Chapter 13 allows you to pay off your loans under a restructuring plan set up by you and the court.
Understandably, a big concern for those Americans who choose to file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy is how and when they will be able to regain their credit. You should understand that the future is bright for those filing bankruptcy, as long as you commit to changing your old spending habits.
The bankruptcy world is one which is foreign to most of us. The rules and regulations governing the bankruptcy process are complicated. A knowledgeable bankruptcy attorney is well versed in the entire bankruptcy progression. He or she has the experience of working with many people before you and can walk you through from beginning to end. While it may seem counter-intuitive to pay someone to help you wipe out your debts, you’d be surprised at how much the attorney may just help you save.
Discover More – Can the Hope for Home Ownership Relief Act Really Help Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure?
My opinion on this bill is that it will be a dismal failure. Any program being run by the crooks in our federal government, combined with lenders that have pocketed billions of dollars in government handouts, the screw the homeowners attitude of lenders, the high upfront costs to the homeowners (who are already behind on payments) and the fact that only a small percentage of homeowners will be covered means certain failure.
The Hope for Homeowners Act of 2008 is intended to provide mortgage relief for distressed homeowners that have home mortgages they can no longer afford. The Act authorizes the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to insure up to $300 billion of 30-year fixed rate loans for homeowners so they can refinance out of their existing loans into an FHA.
Here is an overview of what’s in the Act:
Hope for Homeowners follows FHA’s long-standing requirement that new loans be based on a family’s long-term ability to repay the mortgage. Only homes that homeowners are living in are eligible for FHA-insured mortgages. So if you have a second home or an investment property, they are not covered. Borrowers must also meet the following eligibility criteria:
* Their mortgage must have originated on or before January 1, 2008;
* Their mortgage debt-to-income must be at least 31 percent;
* They cannot afford their current loan;
* They did not intentionally miss mortgage payments; and
* They do not own second homes.
Attributes of FHA-insured loans under the new program include:
* 30-year, fixed rate mortgage;
* Maximum 90 percent loan-to-value ratio;
* No prepayment penalties;
* $550,440 maximum mortgage amount;
* Extinguishment of any subordinate liens; and
* New home appraisals from FHA-approved appraisers.
HUD, Treasury, FDIC and the Federal Reserve will form the Congressionally-mandated Board of Directors and work together to establish additional program standards.
Voluntary Lender Participation
This is where the success of the bill gets murky because the lenders have generally taken the recent government bailout money and used it to pay the bonuses for their corporate officers. FHA wants lenders to offer homeowners an alternative to foreclosing on borrowers. Lenders have been encouraged to write-down the outstanding mortgage principal balances to 90 percent of the new value of the property.
In many cases, reductions in principle will cost lenders less than the losses associated with foreclosure. However, I have seen that most lenders don’t give a damn about working with distressed homeowners. Only God knows what the lenders have done with the their government handouts, they certainly have not used them to help home owners.
Funding
FHA is insuring up to $300 billion in new loans. Borrowers will pay an upfront premium of 3 percent of the original mortgage amount and an annual premium of 1.5 percent of the outstanding mortgage amount. This means that most homeowners will not be able to take advantage of the program – after all, if you are behind on your mortgage payments to begin with – who has 3% to put down.
Any additional costs incurred by FHA will be reimbursed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (remember these are the two companies that recently received multi billion government bailouts and then rewarded their CEOs with is your take on all of this? Will this really help any homeowners or will it just make bank CEOs wealthier?
More information on foreclosure avoidance and loan assistance, plus how to prevent becoming a victim of loan fraud is available at preforeclosure and foreclosure scams.
Start being smart about car loans – learn how to save money on car finance with the help of smart usage of auto loan calculator.
Declaring Bankruptcy and Counseling
Under the new laws, before filing bankruptcy under either Chapter 7 or Chapter 13, you must complete credit counseling with an agency approved by the United States Trustee’s office. The reason for this counseling is to give you an idea of whether you really need to file for bankruptcy or whether an informal repayment plan would get you back on track. To find an approved agency in your area, go to the Trustee’s website, www.usdoj.gov/ust, and click Credit Counseling and Debtor Education.
Counseling is mandatory even if you know that a repayment plan isn’t feasible or you are facing debts that you find unfair and don’t wish to pay. You are required only to participate, not necessarily agree to any repayment plan the agency proposes. If the agency does come up with a repayment plan, however, you will have to present it to the court, along with a certificate showing that you completed the counseling, before you can file for bankruptcy.
Near the end of your bankruptcy case, you’ll have to attend another counseling session, this time to learn personal financial management. Once you submit proof to the court that you have fulfilled this requirement can you get a bankruptcy discharge wiping out your debts.
useful Guide – How to Boost Your Understanding of Investing with Real Estate
You have probably heard the stories about how one investor made over $100,000 in a week by flipping a house. Here appears a natural question – how do these people do it? Is it something that everyone can learn to do?
In the information below you will find some strategies concerning this kind of investment those successful people use.
1. Real estate investing is not a hobby, it’s a serious business.
Every successful real estate investor operates their endeavors strictly as a business, even if it’s just a part-time thing.
2. A team of experts building.
The business team should consist of a professional real estate attorney who understands the state laws and an accountant. Remember that these people can save a lot of time and money and possibly even legal problems. It is also recommended to find an accountant who is also a real estate investor as it will be positive for your investment.
3. Plan.
It is necessary to develop a business plan for real estate investing venture even if you are not new to it as only few really reach their potential without a good plan. Spending a few hours putting it down on paper will be worth it.
4. Network.
It is really very important to get involved (clubs, organizations) in order to understand what the seller’s or buyer’s needs are. You should listen and also know what other investors are looking for and who the local “players” are.
5. Study your market.
You should also spend some time getting to know the areas where you plan to invest. For this purpose you can go to some open houses and talk to the agents, look for homes that appear vacant or in disrepair and learn how much homes go for in the area and what the local trends are. It would be rather useful for you to talk to some the local residents and learn what the community is like. Find out is there crime in the area and what the local demographics are.
6. Never purchase a property without at least one solid exit strategy.
Keep in mind that in real estate investment, you make your money when you buy, not when you sell. It means that for each offer you make, you should know exactly how you are going to make your money from it.
7. Treat your agents like gold.
The point is that real estate agents can make or break your business and that’s why in order to make your investment profitable you should treat your agents like gold.
8. Give away 10-15% of everything you make.
It is up to you how you decide to do, for example you may buy your pastor a new suit something he had never had in his life. Maybe it sounds weird and not wise but that is the way experienced people, who have profitable investment, do.
9. Offers.
It’s impossible to make money if you don’t first start with an offer. You shouldn’t spend a lot of time trying to figure out what the perfect offer will be, just make one.
Read the review of Genius Funds investment program done by HYIPNews.com
Also read about forex trading signals on this forex trade signals blog.
Buying Unfinished Homes Using Real Estate Home Mortgage and/or Home Mortgage Market Have Agreed
Unfinished homes present a great way to save a lot of money and get yourself a new home in the process using the most appropriate free home mortgage calculator. If you buy an unfinished home, you can keep your monthly free home mortgage calculator payment low and also lower your initial investment. You may also be able to buy a larger foundation size as well, which you can easily add on to and save money in the process.
Normally, unfinished starter homes leave the upstairs area unfinished. The question here, is just how much equity you want to put into an unfinished area and the amount of free home mortgage calculator that you have will be able to help here. Sometimes though, an unfinished home may leave the roofing, framing, plumbing, or electrical aspects unfinished. Before you make a purchase, you should always decide how much money you have to finish what needs to be finished.
If the home you are looking at has plans for a garage, you can save thousands if you decide not to go with the garage. On the other hand, if there is another attached room that is planned to go onto the house, you can save just as much if you decide to forgo it. There are always ways that you can save money just by looking at the plans. Unfinished homes may have other planned on additions as well, in which you can save a lot of money just by leaving them out.
The is something that you should always keep in mind. When builders acquire a piece of property that they plan to build a home on, they will do everything they can do make as much money as possible on their homes and this relates to the work at home mortgage broker that will be used to make the purchase. You might be able to get them to agree to some of these ideas, although they probably won’t agree to all of them. Building homes can be a very profitable business – which is why most companies like to build their homes exactly as the plans call for.
When looking at unfinished homes, you also need to look at what banks are willing to accept. If you are planning to get a home mortgage market have agreed, most banks will need to ensure that the home is up to local codes and in living condition. What this means, is that there will need to be a living room, bedroom, and other rooms finished. If the home is lacking quite a bit in terms of being unfinished, most banks won’t give you a government agency overseas home mortgage lending.
Most banks are also known to turn down unfinished wells fargo home mortgage rates that they feel will have trouble selling in the event that you default. Normally, the entire downstairs area will need to be finished, along with most of the landscaping. You might be able to do some of it yourself and save money, although in most cases the home builder will need to do a majority of the topsoil and grass just to satisfy the bank. Banks have strict requirements when it comes to unfinished homes, which is why you should always check with your bank before you invest in an unfinished home.
As most of us already know, buying an unfinished home provides an excellent way to get into the housing market and get your very own home and many government agency overseas home mortgage lending are on the market to help. Unfinished homes also allow potential buyers the chance to grow into their home along with their family. If you are interested in saving money, you should be sure to talk to the builder. This way, you can go over the plans and decide what doesn’t need to be there. In most cases you can save a lot of money and still get a home that will provide years and years of memories for yourself and your entire family.
Cape Coral Real Estate Attractions
Cape Coral is a developed and pleasant place with all the beauty that is expected of a Southwest Florida coastal community. With golf courses, tennis courts, boat ramps, athletic parks, natural preserves and over four hundred miles of canals, Cape Coral homeowners enjoy a quality of life that is second to none. Which is why real estate in Cape Coral is very attractive.
Cape Coral is comprised of 114 square miles of land in Lee County, and is the largest city in Southwest Florida. It’s also the largest city between Tampa and Miami, and is the location of the best recreation departments in the state, providing all kinds of services and amenities for its residents.
One such amenity is the City of Cape Coral’s Sun Splash Family Water Park, which offers more than two dozen wet and dry attractions on 15 tropical acres. Here, park visitors may relax on a raft while gentle currents carry them on a sightseeing voyage around the park. Or, they might have a terrifyingly terrific time as they begin a watery drop in Cape Fear’s 225-foot black tunnel.
Cape Coral consistently ranks high for public safety in Florida and the United States, and has a continued commitment to keeping this public safety record as it grows.
The area’s economic growth and educational system along with the public safety-standing, make Cape Coral one of the most desirable locations in the world.
A Southwest Florida recreational paradise of beaches, boating and beauty, Cape Coral is the community where playtime fantasies come true. Visit Cape Coral real estate to search all homes for sale in Lee County.