One of the major life experiences you’ll have is buying your first home. In order to succeed financially you don’t need to buy a home, but there are certain financial benefits to home ownership. During the course of your life, you are hoping that your real estate will appreciate in value, as it’s been shown to do historically. Also, at some point, your mortgage will be paid off and you’ll significantly reduce your housing costs. If you are renting, your housing costs only get higher and higher every year with inflation. Here are some things to consider when deciding to buy a home:
Get your financial ducks in a row. You should do a full analysis of your finances before you buy a house. Think about your current budget, how much debt you can afford, and what sort of financial goals you have for the future. Double check that your housing expenses will still leave room for you to save for your retirement and complete other long and short term goals. Whatever you do, don’t make your purchasing decision based on how much of a loan a lender is ready to give you.
Make the determination that now is the time. Just like the decision to have children, it will never seem like the right time to buy a house. If you don’t think that you’ll be in the same place for the next 3-5 years then you probably shouldn’t buy one. If you’re a first time home buyer this is especially true. Owning a home uses up a lot of money in the cost of the transaction. You’ll want to make sure you’ll keep the house for at least five years to make the process worthwhile. If you have other things you want to accomplish, like starting a business, you might want to wait until the business and running and making a profit before you decide buying a house is a good idea.
Do you research. Make sure you read a book about the home buying process to give yourself a primer on what it all involves. Even if it’s not your first time buying a home you’ll want to make sure you understand as much of the process as possible. Don’t simply use your own experience as your guide for this purchase.
Stand by your decision. Once you’ve decided to buy a house, stand firm in your decision. Many people might try to dissuade you or give you reasons why you should use your money for other investments or other projects. When you’ve made up your mind and done your research and ran the numbers and it’s all making sense, the best thing to do is take action and work your plan.
Archive for November, 2011
Buying a Home – Financial Considerations November 30th, 2011
What Fees Are Associated With Selling a House? November 30th, 2011
Knowing what costs are involved in selling a home is important prior to putting your home on the market. Having the approximate fees and costs involved will give you a better idea of how much you will net at the end of your transaction in order to know how much money you will end up netting.
When you are selling your home you will have closing costs involved which will include title and escrow fees. You may also have costs that are requested by the buyer. A buyer will likely be asking for you to pay for a home warranty on the home for at least one year. There are home owners association transfer fees if you live in a community with a homeowners association. These fees will vary but are usually three to six hundred dollars per transfer fees. In a gated or retirement community or a community with a lot of amenities these fees could be much higher. You can look into the costs prior to selling your home by calling your home owners association. These fees are negotiable on the contract and many times can be split between both the buyer and seller.
When hiring a professional real estate agent you will have those costs as well. The seller pays the real estate agent on the sale of their home and this can vary but is usually around six percent of the total sale. If you are buying a home with the same real estate agent they will likely negotiate on the sale of your home because they are doing two transactions for you. Understand that having their representation is highly recommended and ninety-nine percent of the homes sold get sold through a professional real estate agent.
If you are short selling your home and not making any money on the transaction then you will most likely not incur and costs to sell your home. You may decide to have a professional negotiator handle the bank negotiations rather than your real estate agent and there could be negotiation fees that go along with hiring this type of representation. Most real estate agents will do their own negotiations on your behalf but some want to hand it off to another person to keep in touch with the bank on a weekly basis. Ask your real estate agent prior to signing a listing agreement because you could end up paying fees you did not expect to pay. Having your real estate agent handle the negotiations is fine if you are using someone who has this experience.
Before you decide on selling your home, get a good estimate on the costs involved. Use a professional real estate agent and be sure they are experienced with a good reputation.
Managed care plans explained November 29th, 2011
When it comes to insuring ones health there’s no denying the fact that this form of insurance is a must for everyone even though it’s not legally required and is purely optional. It’s hard to imagine the current healthcare system without insurance because otherwise people couldn’t afford most medical services and doctors wouldn’t get their high salaries, which are among the highest all over the world. Thanks to insurance both customers and service providers are pleased, and everyone’s getting the thing they want. Among many types of insurance available managed care plans are the most widespread, so let’s take a closer look at some of the most common forms of insurance offered by insurers:
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO)
This is the most common form of managed care plans as it provides the lowest price and a wide range of services included. It’s main drawback is the lack of flexibility in what concerns the places you get care from. Under HMOs you are limited to a network of facilities and specialists you may get care from and covered to the full extent. If you choose to get your services from someone outside the network your costs won’t be covered at all. Moreover, you are required to choose a primary care physician who will refer you to all the required specialists, so there’s more paperwork involved with this type of plans. Yet, you usually pay lower premiums for that so it’s really worth the effort.
Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO)
Preferred Provider Organizations offer more flexibility but for a higher price if compared to HMO plans. You are still limited to a network of providers to get care from, however if you choose to go out of network there will still be some part of your bill covered only to a lesser extent compared to in-network services. And you aren’t obliged to choose a primary care physician so there’s not so many office visits to do under this type of managed care plans. If you have the additional money and want more flexibility with your health insurance this plan type will definitely appeal to you.
Point Of Service (POS)
Point Of Service plans are often referred to as a mix of HMO and PPO plans as they provide the benefits of both these forms of health insurance. You gain the flexibility of PPO in what concerns the places you get services at, yet you still have to choose a primary care physician and have a network of providers to work with. One of the greatest benefits is that you may choose your family doctor as a primary care physician even if he or she doesn’t make part of the insurer specified network, which is definitely appealing to those who have long term relations with their family doctors. PPO plans may vary in price so it’s really recommended to shop around if you want to get the best rate possible.
As you see, managed care plans come in different forms with the sole purpose of giving you exactly what you need. So it’s really important to assess your individual health insurance needs before choosing the plan type to address them adequately.
Sofa Pillows November 28th, 2011
Sofa pillows are mainly used as accessories for decorative purposes. Beautiful pillows that are arranged on sofas give them an elegant look. Sofa pillows can be made out of a variety of material. The taste and personality of the buyer could be reflected in the pillows purchased or custom made.
Sofa pillows can enhance the look of a room and make it look stylish. They can change the mood of the environment to match seasonal changes like Christmas, summer, and Easter. Sofa pillows may be placed strategically at different locations to change the look of the room.
The material used to fill the pillows can be cotton, foam, or feathers. Feather filled sofa pillows are extremely soft to touch. Unique fabric used for casing lends an exclusive look to sofa pillows.
A three-seater sofa would ideally have a set of six sofa pillows. The choice of six pillows can be made from a variety of designs and they can be a mixture of at least two designs.
Pillow manufacturers make pillows once the order has been placed. The fabric to be used for casing is decided by the buyer. Material for filling can be chosen from the variety available with the manufacturer. If the buyer wants a particular design embroidered, then the manufacturer may get it done from expert embroiders working with them. Quilted pillows may also be ordered to get that country feel and rustic look.
There are retail outlets that supply readymade sofa pillows. Buyers can go to these outlets and select from the wide range available with them. Sometimes interior decorators suggest designs that blend with the ambience of the room. Sofa pillows can also be matched with curtains or drapes of the room.
Sofa pillows are available at a varied cost range. Fabric used is an important factor that ascertains the price of sofa pillows. Designer sofa pillows are available with some outlets and these are designs that are not generally repeated.
HCG Diet: I Am POP So Why Am I Stalling? November 27th, 2011
A weight loss stall while on phase 2 of the hCG diet can occur even when you have followed the diet strict and have been perfect on protocol days before. You rush to the scale in the morning, so excited to see how much weight you have lost… and to your surprise, the scale has not moved. Everyone will experience their first stall somewhere between day 8 and day 11.
Why does a stall occur when you have been so strict and staying on protocol? After the first week on Phase 2, it is common for the body to fight you in dropping more weight. Your body is catching up with the rapid weight loss from the first 7-10 days which is where you will lose the most weight. Ignore this stall and move forward by staying POP (perfect on protocol) and the losses will come. They always do. Keep in mind that what you don’t see on the scale, you are losing in inches so it is best to keep accurate recorded measurements at least every 3 days.
Stalls can last anywhere from 1 day up to 5 days of no weight loss. A stall beyond 5 days is usually an indicator of another issue such as excess salt-induced water retention, constipation, lactose intolerance, menses, illness, prescription medications or eating off protocol.
If your stall does not break after 3-4 days of staying POP, you may try my most popular stall breaker, the Cantaloupe Plateau Breaker; at bedtime, eat half of a medium-sized cantaloupe (make sure to cut it yourself) and drink 16 oz. of water right before you lay down to sleep. You should lose between 0.5-3 pounds the following morning. Cantaloupe, a natural diuretic assists in pulling water out of the fat cell and this action works best while you are asleep. For dieters on the 500 calorie protocol, the 1/2 cantaloupe at bedtime will be your second fruit of the day. For dieters on the 800 calorie protocol, the 1/2 cantaloupe at bedtime will be your third fruit of the day. There is a 99% success rate for both protocols in P2. It really works!
The challenges of losing weight are definitely frustrating at times. We all go through the highs and lows and try to accept what we see on the scale, even if it not in our favor. A stall is expected and is part of the program. Also, it is very important to remain positive about your weight loss.Studies have shown that dieters who maintain a positive attitude about their weight loss actually lose more weight. Dieters that have a good coaching support system will also lose more weight and obtain their weight loss goals. A weight loss stall is expected so keep your chin up, move forward and then downward and remember if you stay POP, you will DROP.
