Archive for August 1st, 2009

SSCRA…What It Means To Our Veterans And Our Military Members.

The Soldier and Sailor Civil Relief Act or SSCRA was signed by President Bush on December 2003. The point for this act was to set legislation to simplify or ease both legal and economic burdens to military personnel whether active or retired.

What is the SSCRA

SSCRA addresses the inability of military men to meet financial obligations when they are in active duty. Financial obligations to include rentals, leases, mortgages, credit card payments and other similar types of transactions. The SSCRA also stretches to cover the dependents of the military men in question under the same guidelines.

SSCRA covers those under active duty, to include out on basic training exercises or assigned in the field. Often veterans miss the chance to pay their financial obligations since they are unable to do so during the line of duty. The SSCRA aims to provide legislation to these individuals so that they are given consideration regarding deadlines and payment due dates.

One focus of the SSCRA for military personnel/dependents includes leasing/renting of a property for residential purpose. (not to exceed more than $1,200 a month) Also the conditions must be met and the transaction must be first made before the service man is enlisted into active duty or departs for basic training.

Once on active duty, it’s becomes almost impossible for them to settle this obligation. The next course of action is for the service man to send a request of being under the protection of the SSCRA to the court when he or she receives an eviction notice. If the judge finds sufficient grounds which merits the protection from SSCRA then the court may postpone the eviction until the term of duty of the personnel expires.

Advantage of SSCRA for veterans on active duty

Often military personnel on active duty will not have the ability to fulfill their financial obligations to various institutions like credit cards, banks, insurance or mortgage lenders. The SSCRA aims to provide a form of security to these men on duty on active duty.

SSCRA will provide enough “elbow room” for military personnel to be given extended deadlines for payments, foreclosures and mortgage transactions when they are in the line of duty. Though not all veterans are given the privilege of being under the protection of the SSCRA; some criteria and requirements must be met for both the transaction and the personnel before they are granted protection.

Interest Rates and SSCRA

Members on active duty who are unable to pay mortgages and who are facing foreclosure may then invoke the protection of the SSCRA to avoid such problems. Qualified debts are those incurred prior to service men coming into the line of duty. Also, the request will only be valid if the personnel are in the line of duty when the request was made which limited them from settling the said obligation.

Once qualified, the service member needs to send a letter to the lender/bank requesting that their interest rate be capped to 6% according to the provision stated in SSCRA. Also, they may should send a photocopy of the military order to the lender as proof that they are on military duty as stated in their letter of request. the process can take up to 3 months to complete.

Foreclosure and the SSCRA

The SSCRA also helps cover the military personnel under the obligation of a mortgage, trust deed or security of property for any financial obligation. The SSCRA simply states that the personnel are valid for protection under the SSCRA if the obligation and the property were done prior to their military service.

The provision states that prohibition of foreclosure or sale of mortgage property without the presence of the borrower, the military personnel in this case, whether in a judicial or a non-judicial foreclosure. It is also stated in the SSCRA that maturity dates and deadlines will be given an extension when the military personnel is in active duty until they are released from their given designation.

Even if the maturity date or the date of foreclosure is extended due to the military personnel’s inability to pay, the court will try to achieve a compromise agreement from both parties requiring the mortgage lender to pay at least half of the amount due while the mortgage holder extends the deadline or put a stay on the foreclosure or sale of the property.

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Finding The Cheapest Utah Property Management

Researching to find the best property management company for its price is beneficial when you are in the process of renting your place out. As an owner, you may not know all the legal, maintenance, and leasing things you are suppose to do as a landlord.

To get help on these issues, a property management job can assist you and offer advice. Instead of just hiring the first company you meet, it would be best to research as many as you can to find the best deal so you don’t lose too much money going with an outside management.

Take rental homes in Utah for example. Utah property management companies are in force in the area, but there are some that stand out from the rest. KeyRenter has been named as the “Best Property Management Company” by Utah’s Best of State Awards. While searching more about them, you’ll find that they offer a low price for their services compared to others.

The main difference is that out of eight other Utah property management companies, KeyRenter is the only one that offers a flat fee of $75 a month no matter what for management compared to the others which demand 8-10 percent of the rent price. Another difference is that it staffs an in-house maintenance crew when no other management company does.

KeyRenter also provides free marketing to its clients. This includes print material, sign in the yard, and a home listing on several websites. This makes sure the word gets out about your rental home. Utah has many rentals that people from all over are always looking into. Having several listings online increases the chances of your home being noticed. It is also inexpensive marketing for you and is easy to manage since others are doing it for you.

So remember when looking for the best property management companies to look to see how much they charge a month — if it’s a flat fee or percentage, what maintenance services are offered, and marketing services. These factors play the most in you getting the most for your buck. Also, look into other hidden fees companies may charge you. Some charge for the initial setup of your account with them and some charge a leasing fee and cancellation fee. Be sure to look into all these things before deciding with a property management company.

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Can You Afford A Family Ski Vacation This Year?

Many folks who go on holiday on a caprice ended up spending more money than they can afford to. In this time of business crisis, going on vacation on a whim isn’t such a good idea. If you would like to take your folks on a ski holiday, you need to plan things ahead to avoid wasting time and money. Planning and organizing your trip well have many advantages so as much as feasible ; get everything organized for your trip.

If you are getting ready to travel by air to go to the family ski vacation resort, you need to book your tickets well ahead. Have a look at the web sites of some of the major airlines in the country and discover how much cash you can save if you book your tickets a week or so in advance. You must also take a look at the prices of tickets on early morning or late night flights. Most airline companies give large discounts on their early morning flights or late night flights. Occasionally, the price difference could spell a couple of hundred bucks so if you want to save than kind of money on your folks ski holiday, take some time to check the prices of airline tickets.

If you want a trip that is fun for the whole family, then you should consider going on a ski vacation. There are many ski facilities or resorts that offer everything from skiing to accommodations and amenities to make a vacation that much easier and more enjoyable. A family ski package is a great way to save money and ensure you are making the best of your vacation. Kids ski packages are those that focus on the family aspect of family.

Beyond clothing and appliances, you will need to bring what you’d routinely bring on any holiday. Bring your toiletries and other stuff you’ll have to sustain you while you enjoy one of the best holidays of your life. Anything you forget will be freely available , however , so don’t be concerned if you pack too light. And if you pack heavy, that is’s ok too. Remember that it’s always better to have and not need, then need and not have. You will have a blast on your ski holiday even if you forget to pack everything.

If you choose to travel by land and save even more money, you must weight the arguments of traveling by train, by bus or driving the family vehicle to the ski location. Traveling by train is a lot faster than taking the bus or driving to your destination so you might want to lean towards that direction. The sole obstacle here is that you are going to probably need to take a taxi to the resort from the train station so you’re able to haul your bags part of the way. On the other hand, if you drive to the resort, things can get a bit stressful on the way especially if you live many miles away from the resort. Having youngsters in the rear seat who ask each 10 minutes if you are already close to the resort is not truly that much fun.

Many resorts and ski facilities that offer family ski packages also other a variety of other services to make one’s vacation that much more fun. Many resorts have a variety of services: there’s everything from salons to game and fitness rooms. Additionally, if you plan on bringing the entire family with you, you should ask about childcare facilities. If you know if a facility is kid friendly, then there are bound to be even more services available to keep kids occupied while parents spend quality time together or head off for massages or to hit more difficult slopes. Know What’s Included

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Screening Applicants For Your Rental Home

Choosing an honest and high-quality tenant is an important aspect to the renting process. If you’re renting out your home, you don’t want it to get damaged or not have the rent paid on time. The best way to avoid this is to screen your applicants thoroughly before accepting them as your new tenants. This can be done with background checks as well as credit checks.

Background checks ask for the history of your applicant including work and school experience as well as previous places of residence. It also investigates if there is any criminal record of the person. Credit checks looks up the score of your applicant’s credit. If it’s high then you know they are most likely going to pay their rent on time; if it’s lower, than you know you might be taking a risk having them as your tenant.

KeyRenter is a Utah property management company that helps owners screen applicants for these kinds of things. They specifically use a comprehensive 12-point residential screening program used through the national credit bureau Experian. Additionally, they gather all current employment and previous residential records from the applicant’s employers and landlords. They then analyze the collected data and present it to the owners for a complete review analysis. This helps to identify and maintain the most qualified residents for an owner’s rental property.

With the added research KeyRenter does, it ensures an owner that the applicant is a qualified tenant. Owners could do this screening themselves, but it tends to not be as well researched since a professional isn’t there to give advice and recommend other data analysis. An owner might choose a tenant based on their background check to later find they looked over some details of their past and may not be the best fit and are already giving the landlord a hard time.

They then have to deal with the hassle of trying to break the contract with them and finding new tenants. It is easier to let a property management professional handle it. It is one of the main duties of a Utah property management company to make sure owners of rental properties have the best tenants who will pay rent and not damage the home.

Utah’s Best of State Awards recently named KeyRenter as “Best Property Management Company”. This is for their dedicated service to the state and providing a variety of services to homeowners in renting their homes. Not only do they screen applicants, but also handle contracts, finances, late notices, taxes, and many other things for the owner.

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Building Your Dream Home

When most people imagine what their dream home will be like, they usually have an idea in their mind of how it will look on the outside. Building a dream home is not only an exciting time in one’s life, but it is also a major undertaking. It is easy to imagine the final product, but to get there one has many steps to go through. If you are planning on building a dream home, there are a number of considerations to keep in mind before you plunge into the project.

Budget Planning: It is important to consider how much you can afford to spend on building a new home. You will likely have to get a home loan so research carefully and compare loan options. You should also see what size loan you will actually qualify for. Get an estimate of building costs as well so you will know how much you may be spending. It is important to budget for unexpected expenses. A good way to finance is a ‘pay as you go’ plan, meaning you pay for each stage of the building process.

Consider the Style and Size of the Home: You should think about what type of home you want such as a rustic log home, Cape Cod, Ranch, Colonial, Modernetc. This is what you and others will see when you pull up in the driveway so make sure it is exactly what you want. You have to consider how many square feet you want, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, size of each room, and any additions such as a garage or mudroom.

Lot Considerations: You have to consider such lot features as the size, location such as urban, rural, near an oceanetc. You should also consider such location aspects as approximation to amenities, schools, work, parksetc. Make sure that you obtain information on such aspects as drainage, zoning laws, building regulations, weather conditions, and soil conditions.

Choose a Plan Design: You can locate many designs on the internet or you can enlist the services of an architect. Modern homes tend to have specific plans, but the builder can usually make modifications. There are also software packages that can help you design your dream house. It is important to pick a plan that will meet you and your family’s current and future needs.

Choose a Contractor/Builder: You will need a contractor who will usually have a building team that is qualified in all areas associated with building a home. You will also require a surveyor, electrician, plumber, and building inspector for the various stages of the building process. Ask the builder to review your design to make there won’t be any problems during building. Whoever you choose should have a good reputation so make sure you obtain references. You will also need an excavator for the septic tank installation. You will be required to have a local government official inspect where the septic installation will take place before you receive a permit to install it.

Home Inspector: Make sure you have a home inspector review the home to make sure everything was done correctly and the home is safe and in good condition. A home inspector will be able to identify any errors or poor quality work.

Building a dream home can be a wonderful and exciting time in one’s life. In order to ensure that your dream comes true, it is important to have all of the information about building before you start. It will make the project easier, less expensive, and will help ensure that your new home is a dream come true, and not a nightmare.

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

What is Fractional Home Ownership?

A lot of people are seeking more options for owning a vacation home. Fractional home ownership provides a somewhat new concept that is a cross between sole ownership and timeshares. The middle ground allows owners to own a deeded share in a vacation home.

Fractional ownership is different from a timeshare. In a timeshare, a buyer purchases a 2 week block of usage in a resort that can be traded between other timeshare owners at other resorts in the network.

In fractional ownership you are entering into a partnership with other owners where you share the cost of owning and maintaining the home the partners. In essence, you are buying a “divided piece” of real property that can range from 2 pieces to 13 pieces.

In a 1/13 ownership situation, you as the owner get 4 weeks of usage per year, or 1 week of usage each season. Other attractive options include ownership shares. In this scenario, the owner has 1 week of usage each month.

Many fractional ownership homes are located in private communities with 24 hour security patrol services. Many also have private amenities like pools, spas, docks, etc. Some fractional ownership condos and town homes share amenities with other owners in the building.

The management generally handled by a property management office. A homeowners association is formed and the association fees are divided among the owners. These fees then help pay for things like utilities, insurance, taxes and maintenance.

There are several attractive reasons to buy fractional ownership in a property. Even if the owners could afford to buy the property straight out, fractional ownership provides the opportunity to truly vacation without all the responsibilities and expenses that come with being full owners. In additional you still own a share of a deeded property that will continue to increase in value.

Closing Comments

Fractional ownership may not be right for everyone, but does provide more options for vacationers who are looking for affordable options for ownership.

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , ,

Selling Your Home After A Change Of Life

Trying to save money by not hiring a real estate agent is not always a good idea. Sometimes things happen in life that just makes more sense to get some help with the sale of the home.

These life changing events may require you sell your home but due to emotional or physical reasons just make more sense to hire an agent.

Divorce – So you and your spouse have separated and you need to sell the house. Divorce is very emotional and takes a toll on both parties involved. Trying to sell on your home could just cause more problems and cause more problems and disagreements.

Death – When death occurs to a parent or spouse and you are put in a position where you need to sell your home. You will have a lot to take care of with the insurance companies, funeral home, and probate court. It would just make more sense in a time like this is use a real estate agent.

Job Relocation – Sometimes in life a promotion comes along but requires you to move to a new city. Unless your spouse is going to stay to handle the sale of the home, you’ll need someone here that can take care of it for you.

Work Hours – If you have a high pressure job that requires you to work long hours, leave at a moments notice due to being on call, or are routinely on business trips it will just be easier to hire a real estate agent.

Illness – You will likely need to hire a real estate agent if you or your spouse has been diagnosed with a severe illness or is out of work due to a career threatening injury and you need to move to a smaller home.

Secondary Home – If the home you are selling is a secondary home and is located in an area where you do not normally live. You should hire a real estate agent to sell the home in your absence.

Final Thoughts

There are many life changing events that occur that require assistance selling a home. Take the time to look at your options before you start trying to sell your home.

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

When people are looking for the best way to consolidate debt, there are several options their financial services professional can offer. However, there are only a few that make the most sense in terms of reducing interest costs and simultaneously improving cash flow, both of which are discussed here. Unfortunately, most borrowers cannot achieve both of these objectives and must therefore prioritize their financial objectives, even if it is not necessarily the best way to consolidate debt. We have discussed and will discuss these options elsewhere.

Without question, the best way to consolidate debt involves using home equity. Provided the borrower has enough equity, he or she can secure a Home Equity Line of Credit, can refinance an existing First Mortgage, or can obtain a second mortgage. Since rates given on credit that is secured are by far much more attractive than unsecured rates, using home equity is clearly the best way to consolidate debt. These three options will be discussed in greater detail here.

1. Home Equity Line of Credit. Surely, using a Home Equity Line of Credit is not the best way to consolidate debt, but it ranks highly. The reason is that a HELOC offers great flexibility to borrowers since any unused or repaid credit can be accessed at a later date. More importantly, rates are usually extremely favorable since they are variable and often based on prime. This meets the lower-interest-cost requirement! Additionally, monthly payments to a HELOC are normally very low, some as low as “interest only.” However, the flip-side to an interest-only payment is that it does not improve your overall finances if that is all the borrower can afford to make. In order to improve net worth, that debt needs to be repaid.

2. Refinancing a First Mortgage. This is clearly the best way to consolidate debt in almost every situation. Although there can potentially be penalties and fees to break an existing mortgage term, borrowers should evaluate the savings over their existing debt situation and consider how much they will save over the life of the debt. This can be measured as simply as finding the difference between interest rates and can also be measured by reviewing the monthly cash flow savings. With First Mortgage rates quite low, especially now, borrowers will not only benefit from exceptionally low credit rates, but from a much lower, single monthly payment. As the best way to consolidate debt, the First Mortgage option does have a fairly large drawback; the consolidated debt erodes the equity previously available in the home.

3. Second Mortgage Financing. Often, second mortgages come with higher rates than HELOC and First Mortgages, however they are normally favorable to unsecured rates. In some cases, Second Mortgages can come with repayment terms that are similar to HELOC in that they are interest-only. The problem is that the principal balance does not shrink, but the total monthly obligation of the borrower is quite low. Often, borrowers resort to Second Mortgages because they are unable to qualify for preferred rates on a HELOC or a refinance. Although interest savings might be minimal, Second Mortgages are often preferred over any other unsecured alternative.

Borrowers seeking the best way to consolidate debt should always consider their “secured” options first. These will help borrowers become financially better off on two fronts. The first is in total interest costs paid. The Second is in an improvement to cash flow. Regardless of which options makes the most sense for any given borrower, using the equity in the home is definitely the best way to consolidate debt.

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Sell Your Home Without An Agent

So you are thinking about selling your home on your own? The job will be a lot easier if you evaluate the state of the real estate market and utilize the internet to help get the word out about your property.

What is a FSBO?

Homeowners who decide to sell their home without a real estate agent are called “FSBO” short for For Sale By Owner. This is not a new concept and many people throughout time have chosen to sell their own homes. Recent advancements have made this concept more popular due to advancements in technology and the internet.

Evaluate the Real Estate Market

In a slow real estate market, sellers are looking for every opportunity to save money. A slow market is usually indicated when home inventory is high and the number of buyers is low. Homeowners view the 6% commission as a unnecessary expense that they simply can not afford to pay.

In a hot real estate market, sellers have an abundance of buyers to choose from and there is a relatively low amount of properties to choose from. Sellers see this as an opportunity to save the real estate commission, starting that they saw no reason to pay a six percent commission to an agent who didn’tt have to do much.

Internet Marketing

Websites have popped up all over the internet that allow you to post your home for sale listing. Some niche websites charge a small fee, but they yield highly targeted buyers who are looking for specific style homes. Sites like YouTube allow you to upload video tours of homes available for sale. Many of these options are utilized by real estate agents, but you can easily do these on your own.

In Closing

The decision to sell without an agent is one that should not be taken likely. Get comfortable with the sales process, as you will be doing all of the paperwork and handling the negotiating process. If this is not something you are comfortable handling on your own, then it may be in your best interest to hire a Realtor. You can also look at hiring a flat fee brokerage agency. For a flat fee, a broker will assist you in selling your home on your own, without the high commission fees.

About the Author:

Technorati Tags: , , , , ,

Mississippi Lake Property

Governor Bobby Jindal Announces the Appointment of Neal Miller to …
BATON ROUGE, LA – June 5, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) тАФ Today, Governor Bobby Jindal announced the reappointment of Karl Connor to the White Lake Property Advisory Board. The White Lake Property Advisory Board serves to administer, …  read more…

View Lots On 3 Lake Chain in Hubbard County, Minnesota at LANDFLIP.com
Both Park Rapids and Walker are Lake Country Scenic Byway Communities and are home to millions of acres of state and national forest and parks, including Itasca State Park just north of Park Rapids, headwaters of the Mississippi River. …  read more…

Plantation, Lake, Crops, Horses in Woodruff County, Arkansas at …
Our local expertise in the prized eastern and central Arkansas property market means that you have an edge in finding some of the most coveted hunting & fishing land in the United States. We are licensed in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Please go to www.hopkinswildlife.com to view Robert Hopkins, Resume on Real Estate and Appraising. We also specialize in Farms and Ranches. Horse Ranches, Rice Farms, Duck Hunting Property, Log Cabins. …  read more…

From Google Blog Search

Visit Las Vegas

Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of casino resorts and associated entertainment it has. Las Vegas was originally settled by Mormon…  read more…

Buffalo Apartments | How to Leverage a Popular Apartment
Whether you are on the east coast or the west, the best way to get the apartment of your dreams is to research, save your money, and get involved. But sometimes, if you are working in an especially co…  read more…

Do you beleve the world wide web is profitable ?
Have you found a website that sells the most remarkable things only to find you can’t seel them ?
How long have you poored over the internet to find that it is full of graeat opportunities and people…  read more…

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Resolved Question: Midwestern Floods?
I know the flooding in the Midwest has been devastating for the people involved, but how much of the problem has been caused by humans? We build cities and towns in a river’s flood plain, we create dikes, and levees to direct the river where WE want it to go. They break and flooding causes millions in damages.

How much of the blame is nature doing what nature doses, and how much is caused by humans trying to change nature? And does the government (taxpayers) have to responsibility to continually bail out those property owners without insurance for flood damage.

One time disaster assistance I can understand and people deserve help in an emergency. But I know there are people in Illinois living along the Fox River and Chain of Lakes areas that have had flood after flood year after year and refuse to move, but want continuing disaster aid. I can only presume there are other communities along the Mississippi that have filed multiple claims over the years. What is the answer.

  read more…

Resolved Question: Will the effects of Global Warming bring the U.S. and Canada to war?
Warming could spark water scramble: experts By Timothy Gardner
Wed Apr 11, 6:42 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Climate change could diminish North American water supplies and trigger disputes between the United States and Canada over water reserves already stressed by industry and agriculture, U.N. experts said on Wednesday.

ADVERTISEMENT

More heat waves like those that killed more than 100 people in the United States in 2006, storms like the killer hurricanes that struck the Gulf of Mexico in 2005 and wildfires are likely in North America as temperatures rise, according to a new report that provided regional details on a U.N. climate panel study on global warming issued in Brussels on April 6.

Severe weather already costs North America tens of billions of dollars annually in productivity and damaged property, and those costs are expected to rise, the U.N. report said.

The broadest effects of climate change will be water problems across the entire continent — including more frequent droughts, urban flooding and a scramble for water from the Great Lakes, which border both the United States and Canada.

“Water was an issue in every region … but in very different ways and very different places,” Michael MacCracken, a review editor of the report, said in a telephone interview.

Unlike many continents, North America has no east to west mountain ranges that limit droughts by forcing rapidly moving wet air to release rain, said MacCracken, also chief scientist for climate change at the Climate Institute, a Washington-based nonprofit group.

Cities will also be threatened as glacial melt leads to higher ocean levels. Late in the 21st century, severe flooding that occurs in New York once every 500 years could happen as often as once in 50 years, putting at risk much of the infrastructure in the New York region, the report said.

Droughts would also occur more often in the U.S. Midwest and Southwest as warmer temperatures evaporate soil moisture.

Those droughts could diminish underground supplies like the Edwards Aquifer in Texas, which supplies 2 million people with water, by up to 40 percent, and cut levels of the Ogallala aquifer which underlies eight U.S. states, the report said.

During droughts like the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, U.S. farmers pumped water from underground aquifers to save their fields through irrigation. “Much of that water is now gone,” said MacCracken. “We’ve used up our savings bank.”

Tight underground water supplies could kick off a scramble for large above-ground supplies in the Great Lakes, the report said. Spats have already occurred over diversion of the lakes’ water for distant cities and farms, while calls have increased for channeling water to the Mississippi River to supply U.S. cities during hot summers.

Problems are also expected to intensify as warmer temperatures lower water levels through evaporation. “Climate change will exacerbate these issues and create new challenges for binational cooperation,” the report said.

The tension could be heightened by the fact that a majority of the Canadian population lives close to the Great Lakes, while only a small fraction of the U.S. population reside nearby, MacCracken said.

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

StumbleUpon http://0325bella.stumbleupon.com/review/32639688/
Posted by mnlakeplace via StumbleUpon  

StumbleUpon http://0325bella.stumbleupon.com/review/31496626/
Posted by mnlakeplace via StumbleUpon  

StumbleUpon http://0325bella.stumbleupon.com/review/31496654/
Posted by mnlakeplace via StumbleUpon  

craigslist | all for sale / wanted in dallas / fort worth 18.9 ACRES FOR SALE! (mississippi) $170000
Posted by dallaslistings via craigslist | all for sale / wanted in dallas / fort worth  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

Technorati Tags: