Today's Banks Are Not Just For Mortgages, Loans and Investments

In today's capitalist world where security is one of the utmost concerns, the typical problem facing an individual is financial security. Money-related questions typically asked are: "Where can I keep my money? What is the best way to invest it and make it grow? Who can I borrow money from?" And the answer: a bank – a financial institution dealing with financial concerns.

Banks are known to provide financial services, from storing assets (liquid or otherwise) to extending credit. From a bank customer's point of view, this translates to services ranging from making deposits to asking for a loan. People are now even capable of paying their bills and most of their purchases thru different banking methods.

Historically, banks have been seen as heartless and opportunistic. They were seen as vicious businesses victimizing the innocent and honest. Of course, eventually, through time, this view has drastically changed. Banks today are one of the highly-respected and successful business establishments in the country. Now that people are more educated about the banking operations, they have learned to trust these businesses with not only their savings and assets, but with other transactions as well.

It is said that the word bank came from the Italian word banca, which came from Germany and means bench. Money lenders (now popularly known as "loan sharks") from Northern Italy used to conduct their business in open areas, each working from his own bench. Similarly, the term bankrupt (which means broke) was derived from the term banca rotta, or a broken bench.

Now, I'm sure you've heard of central banks, savings banks, commercial banks, private banks, etc. What differentiates one from the other? There are many types of banks.

In a nutshell, here are some of the more popular ones and what commonly distinguishes each from the others:

Central banks are usually charged with controlling the monetary policies, including the money supply. They are also tasked with the printing of paper money. Savings banks traditionally offer services like savings and mortgages. But at present, they have expanded to offer other forms of financial assistance. Commercial banks usually offer financial services to large corporations or businesses. Private banks manage the assets of the ultra-rich. They are usually located in jurisdictions with low taxation and regulation (Yes, those infamous Swiss banks and Swiss accounts…).

There are also merchant banks, which provide capital to firms in the form of shares rather than loans; investment banks, which deal with selling of stocks and bonds and with advising on mergers; retail banks, where the primary customers are individuals and; universal banks, which offer diversified financial services and engage in several different banking activities.

How does such a business earn its money? Traditionally, a bank's main sources of income come from transaction fees from its range of financial services and from the interests it charges for its loans. But in the past years, banks have evolved to ensure their continued profitability despite the changing market conditions. Banking, investment and insurance functions were merged to cater to the consumer's "one-stop shopping" mentality.

Indeed, banks have come a long way from the time they conducted their business on benches. They are changing because people are changing. And it all started on the day when man felt that his valuables were no longer safe in his own home. After all, anyone can sleep more peacefully at night knowing that his assets are tucked away in a secure place. Read More!

The Honeymoon's Over Now What?

After your honeymoon, that’s it for luxurious vacations right? You’ve now got your mortgage to think about, car payments, utilities, saving for children if you plan to have them, insurance, credit card debt and then there’s everyday expenses like food. With all those expenses how could you ever think about a vacation again, well you can!
Timeshares

Timeshares are great places to spend your time. Some find that they get several weeks on their ownership program each year while others may not be able to use them at all. However that doesn’t mean you can’t rent them out to others and make a slight profit.

Most timeshare owners pay on average $250 for a week. Find friends or family who are willing to split the fee and share the space. Or if you just want to stay the week you can pay the fee and enjoy your time there.

Before you head to your time share destination check on these things first: Make sure you agree on the price before taking over someone’s timeshare, and ask the other party about other expenses such as cleaning fees, and maintenance charges. Know what’s around you, you may think the time share comes with a full kitchen but find out there isn’t so you’ll want to know what you have access to and surrounding locations.

The more the merrier

Take a vacation with your friends. It can be fun, and less expensive because you can split some of the costs. Say you want to go to the mountains to do some skiing. An average price for a weeklong cabin rental with three bedrooms costs around $900. You can easily split that between other friends and save a ton while being located in an ideal spot. If you prefer to be outdoors, then take a camping trip. Your cost for the campsite will be nothing!

Before you go make sure to set some ground rules such as still making time for family, not just friends, or alone time with your other half. If you have kids, perhaps one night, one other couple or the friends you are with can watch them and then you can switch roles. Or you can choose to do your own things during the day and then get together during the night for dinner.

Swap Homes

Do you live in an attractive place where tourists always venture to. If so, consider doing a house exchange. Most house exchanges cost $30-$110 per year. You may feel skeptical about turning your house over to a stranger but it’s completely safe. Most home exchangers are prosperous, mature, and well educated professionals so they are not likely to destroy your home. Or you can choose to do a house swap with a family with children if you have children so you are going from one child friendly home to the next. Read More!

What is an Offset Mortgage?

An offset mortgage is very similar to a current account mortgage - but instead of having everything all in one account, all accounts are held separately.

The offset mortgage concept treats your money as one giant pot, with each element (mortgage, savings, current account etc) separate to the rest. The result is basically a giant overdraft, although it behaves differently.

Offset mortgages are where the interest on your mortgage is reduced by the funds in both your savings accounts and your current accounts. The more you have in your savings account, the less interest you pay on your mortgage, which helps you to repay your mortgage faster and more cheaply in the long term. Your part of the deal is that you don't receive any interest on your savings or your current account.

The interest is work out by taking the state of each account separately and offsetting them against the others so that you can benefit from your savings and pay less interest. A current account mortgage allows you to benefit in the same way, except it also acts a bank account so your salary goes into the same account that your mortgage is in.

This is slightly different to the current account mortgage because your mortgage account is separate from a savings and income account that you open with the same company. Like the current account mortgage, your income and savings are offset against your mortgage, which reduces what you owe. The interest is calculated on a daily basis on that reduced balance.

Offset mortgages work by setting the money held in savings and current accounts against your mortgage debt. So instead of earning interest on your cash balances, you pay less interest on your borrowings. The idea of offsetting is that, with less interest to pay, the mortgage is paid off more quickly and as a result costs you less.

Some of these mortgages can even be linked to your other personal financial commitments and arrangements. One of the main attractions of these mortgages is the prospect of paying less interest.

All your other debts, such as your credit cards or your personal loans are also linked into the nest of products, and this allows you to repay all of your debts at the mortgage rate, which is likely to be a lot lower than your pay rate on those borrowings.

A further advantage is that the credit cards and loans remain unsecured borrowings even though they are paid off at the mortgage rate, so if you can't keep up the repayments on those your home is not at risk.

The people that will find offset mortgages very suited to them are people with volatile incomes, such as the self-employed or people often paid in large bonuses. People with significant amounts of savings will also find offset mortgages useful.

If you do opt for an offset mortgage, especially one linked to a current account, you can maximise its benefits by keeping your cash in your account for as long as possible each month. With interest calculated daily, each day's credit balance can make a small difference.

The rate on an offset mortgage will be higher than the cheapest rates available.

The benefit of the offsetting feature is that you can always have access to your savings if you need them. So you can make them work to pay off your mortgage, and access them when you need to.

The advantage to the offset mortgage is that the feeling of being in debt is not as all encompassing as with a current account mortgage. However an offset mortgage is quite complicated and you need to make sure that your accounts are offset in the best possible way to benefit. Read More!

Organize Your Move With A Moving Checklist

Moving is a chaotic and stressful time. There’s so many things to arrange, having utilities switched, signing up the kids for a new school, scheduling the movers, packing the house. With all the other things you do it’s not easy to find the time to get everything done!
Using a checklist of tasks, can help keep you organized and make sure you don’t leave out an important moving task. I suggest that you start the list well in advance – a month or more before the move. Just jot a few things down and then leave the list on the kitchen counter or fridge where everyone can see it. As you think of new things to add, write them down right away or it might be too late when you think of them again!

As the time for the move grows closer, you may want to transfer the list to a calendar format. Some of the items like notifying the phone company, will be things you can do in advance so you can assign those a date and then each day check the calendar to see what tasks need to be done. Cross off those that you have accomplished and you can easily see what is left to do. This method also works well if you are delegating some of the items on the list – you can add the name of the person responsible next to the task and this will avoid any last minute “but I though you were going to do that….” problems.

When the day of the move comes, you’ll probably still have plenty left on your to do list so make sure that it’s the last thing you pack up on your way out and the first thing you unpack at your new home. You’ll probably need to add tasks that are specific to your situation, but some common items on your to do list might include:

o Rent crates, buy boxes and get packing material – this can be done in advance

o Pack unnecessary items like knick knacks and anything you can do without until after the move – getting this stuff out of the way ahead of time will make moving day easier
o Get your new house inspected
o Put your pay stubs, bank statements and other documentation in a folder for your loan officer
o Arrange for utility shut off / reconnect for phones, lights and gas
o Notify business associates, friends and family of change of address and new phone number
o Put your new address and phone on checks and business cards
o Schedule a final walk through to inspect your new house
o Fix any items that came up in final walk through for your old house
o Get a certified check to bring to your closing (most banks require this and you’ll really screw up the works if you show up with a personal check)
o Rent a moving truck (and movers unless you are moving yourself)
o Schedule move out cleaning so your house is clean for the new owners
o Schedule your pets to go to a friend or kennel on the day of the move
o
Having a moving checklist won't magically make everything happen right but it can help to make things run a little more smoothly! Read More!

Refinancing Second Mortgage

Refinancing is the process of replacing an existing loan with another lower interest rate loan for the same amount. Rate of interest is the rate in percentage charged by the mortgage lender in calculating the outstanding principal balance. Attraction to have mortgage with minimum interest rates, is the main motive behind refinancing practice. Besides, when the borrower is unable to pay off the debts of current mortgage, then the only best way left is to through refinancing.

Second Mortgage is the second loan against a specific piece of property. It is a mortgage subsequent to another mortgage and subordinate to the first one. ( http://www.mortgagefit.com/second-mortgage.html )

People choose to second mortgage, as their benefits outnumber the drawbacks. Second mortgage is very readily available this encourages its financing. Borrowers can enjoy reduction in monthly payments, if the rates have dropped since the purchase of his/her home. Thus enabling a borrower to save, spend or invest more money each month. They can use the equity build into their homes and utilize this money for home improvements, college tuitions, etc. Refinancing a second mortgage can help borrowers to regain control of their personal debt. By it, borrowers could pay off other debts and consolidate all their debt into one mortgage loan. This would significantly decrease their interest on credit card debt. It can enable the borrowers to convert their adjustable rate mortgage ( http://www.mortgagefit.com/arm.html ) into a fixed rate mortgage ( http://www.mortgagefit.com/fixed-rates.html ) . The closing costs for refinancing a second mortgage are lower than the closing costs for first mortgage. ( http://www.mortgagefit.com/mortgage.html )

Refinancing a second mortgage becomes less favorable, if there are prepayments fees attached to the first mortgage. If the borrower has to pay very huge costs at the time of refinancing, then also he/she can deviate from refinancing. The second mortgage lender must agree in writing to subordinate his claim to a new first mortgage.

The old rule of thumb was that you should refinance a second mortgage only if the rate is at least one percent lower than your current rate, but in these times of no- or low-cost refinance loans, you may decide that refinancing is in your best interest. If you are halfway through your mortgage term, it is probably not in your favor to refinance because you are now paying more in principle than interest.
In short refinancing a second mortgage is worthwhile if properly utilized.

If you have any other queries related to mortgage, feel free to visit this site.
http://www.mortgagefit.com Read More!

Prenuptial Agreements: Protecting Your Financial Security

The decision to get married is a big one in anyone's life. Nowadays, it is common for people, men and women alike, to secure themselves a career and a stable financial background. No one wants to be poor, and everyone wants to provide for their family. This method of thinking is very positive, producing quality families that are self-reliant and responsible.

With the responsibility of marriage comes the forethought to the marriage. No, I'm not talking about rings and wedding receptions, I'm talking about financial security for both the parties involved. If you are one of these forward thinking people who are entering into marriage only after having secured a good career with a solid income and a secure financial portfolio, then you need to consider the other securities about marriage.

Think of marriage as being similar to a contract you sign with your employer. You sign this contract promising to provide certain services, different levels of employment and responsibility, things you can do, things you can't and won't do. This is common in the workplace to sign these types of contracts. Marriage should be entered into in much the same fashion, with forethought and planning about who is responsible for what and when, where, how and why. If you enter into the contract with x-amount of assets, you should be entitled to leave with the same number that you came with, plus half of whatever you and your spouse accumulated together.

This may sound like you are splitting hairs with your spouse and you're probably afraid that your spouse will think that you don't trust them. It's not about trust. It's about responsibility for yourself, your actions and protecting yourself from the actions of others. Likewise for your spouse, a prenuptial agreement will cover their assets as well as yours. Everyone wins, no one loses what isn't rightfully theirs and your marriage starts out with the boundaries set regarding these sticky financial issues.

The real truth is that your spouse will likely be happy that you brought up the idea of a prenuptial agreement; chances are they are thinking of the same thing. It's only fair to protect 'what's mine is mine', especially when you have worked so hard to achieve these things.

As a fiscally responsible married couple, or couple about to be married, it's only fair that you are both upfront and honest with each other about your full intentions before you say I do. These discussions do, at some point, have to include finances. Who exactly is going to be responsible for the payments on the mortgage? Are they to be made equally? Who is going to front the money for the down-payment? If only one person is fronting the money to purchase a house, is that money considered a 'marital asset' or does that money essentially belong to the spouse who originally fronted the money? This is only a very slight glimpse at the questions you and your spouse should answer before the 'do you promise to honor and keep her…for richer or for poorer…until death do you part' question comes up.

Notice that "for richer or poorer" is mentioned in wedding vows. When the person performing your wedding ceremony asks this question, you and your spouse can both honestly answer "I do" if you have a prenuptial agreement, because you have already talked about the tough stuff. You can now sit back and enjoy your marriage to it's fullest without any of the worries that will have been washed away with your prenuptial agreement. Both of you can sleep easy, and live fully, by signing an agreed upon prenuptial agreement. Read More!

Not Every Debt Negotiation Company Is Right For You - And That's The Truth

For those outside of the ‘wide breadth of consumer and credit card debt knowledge’ inner circle, the debt negotiation truth is this: not even the best debt negotiation companies may be right for you.
For starters, debtors have differing situations – one may be falling behind on his monthly mortgage payments, while another debtor is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy after seven renters moved out of his eight-unit rental property. Deciding on fine debt negotiation companies depends on your situation.

Have Debt Negotiation Companies Meet Your Own Criteria

Selecting a proven debt negotiation company is a part of the selecting a debt negotiation company truth. Notice their track record and verify their credentials by phone and in person regarding the number of negotiation clients they´ve served, rather than through the Internet chockful of potential debtor related scams.

In addition to a solid debt negotiation plan, the Grade A debt negotiation companies also throw valuable literature at you educating you about the intricacies of the game. The true companies should also offer credit counseling as well – planting you on the right pivot foot presenting you with a myriad of ways to control and manage your finances by exploring ways to negotiate debt.

The most bona fide way to pinpoint a debt negotiation company´s effectiveness is by finding out its reputation. If the company has been featured in a host of debt publications and newschannels, that is a plus.

Servicing a wide range of debtors nationwide (not limited to a couple of states) is also a criteria of the best companies. Find out the in & outs of all of the debt negotiation companies – and the truth shall come separating the scams from the real. Read More!

Planning for Your Financial Future

Two heads are better than one, so sit down with your spouse and plan out your financial future together.
Prioritize your bills.

By determining which bills to pay in which order, you'll get in the habit of making sure your essentials are always paid first.

Be careful using credit. Sometimes a financial crisis will come not because of a layoff, but because you're overextended. Most people can afford to devote 10 percent of their net income (after taxes) to installment debt, not including mortgage or rent payments. If you pay out more than 15 percent, you need to cut back.

Establish an emergency fund. Open a savings account and start "paying yourself" 10 percent of each paycheck.

What happens if we run into an emergency and our emergency fund isn’t enough?

Don't panic. When facing a financial crisis, stay calm. This will help you think logically and you'll avoid unnecessary arguments with your spouse.

Quit spending money. When faced with a financial challenge, it's easy to use your credit cards. But you may run up your balance to the credit limit and not be able to afford the payments, which will result in a poor credit rating—something you won't want during a crisis time.

Prioritize your bills. Pay essential, or survival, bills first: food, mortgage or rent, utilities. Next, pay car insurance, medical needs, child support, and any loans such as automobiles and furniture that are secured as collateral.

Then pay the nonessential bills—those debts in which no immediate consequences occur if paid late: credit and charge cards, attorney, medical, and accounting bills, newspaper and magazine subscriptions, life insurance, childcare, gyms, or clothing.

Communicate with your creditors. If you can't pay your bills or can only pay a partial amount, your creditors may be able to help you to establish a repayment plan.

Some lenders will allow you to defer one payment a year, meaning the payment for that particular month doesn't have to be made. The deferred payment is added to the end of the contract.

Take notes of any conversations with creditors, listing the date and person with whom you spoke. Whatever arrangement you make, get it in writing from the creditor before you send in money.

Know your rights. Many collection agencies are in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. To get a copy of this legislation, visit www.ftc.gov. If you feel you've been violated, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at their website.

Find outside help. Many churches and Para church organizations run programs to help you navigate through financial troubles.

A debt management company may also be able to help you reduce your payments, lower your interest rates, and pay off your debt faster than trying to do it yourself.

Such companies can also negotiate with your creditors to bring your accounts current if they're past due.
Avoid bankruptcy. Bankruptcies should be your last resort. A bankruptcy can remain on your credit report for up to 10 years. Read More!

How to Secure the Best Mortgage Deal and Save Yourself Thous

When you consider that the average home owner will pay out far more in interest over the lifetime of their mortgage than their home actually cost in the first place, you can see why working to secure yourself the best possible mortgage deal now could save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest over the 25 - 30 year lifetime of your home loan.
For the majority of us our house is the single most important and expensive purchase we ever make! Because this is the case we invest a lot of time and effort into finding the perfect property in the most ideal location, however few of us invest the time and effort we should into researching and securing the best possible finance method for purchasing our home.

This article will give you a few pointers to make the search for the most ideal and personally suitable mortgage that much simpler; and bear in mind that your search for the best loans and repayment vehicles currently available can be carried out on the internet, making the whole process that much more convenient and time efficient for you.

Step One - Firstly you need to understand the different types of mortgage that are available - they come in many flavours! By taking the time to understand the way the different types of loan work, you can see which type suits you and your personal circumstances best - after all it most certainly isn't a case of one mortgage type suiting all people!

At their most simple level most mortgages fall into one of the following categories. Different lenders will have their own variations on the theme, but if you understand the basics of the following loan categories you will be armed with sufficient data to move on to step two.

Fixed Rate Mortgages - a borrower pays a fixed interest rate for a fixed period of time and usually the longer the fixed period the higher the fixed rate. This type of mortgage protects the borrower from interest rate fluctuations and payment uncertainties but it does mean that when the loan term begins the borrower is usually paying above the best interest rates available. In the US and most other countries apart from the UK you can have a fixed rate for the duration of your mortgage. In the UK it is usual to only fix for a maximum of 10 years.

Adjustable or Variable Rate - the rate of interest payable by a borrower can vary. Lenders usually keep their interest rate fluctuations in line with the Bank of England's base rate in the UK and the rate set by the Federal Reserve Board in the US. Certain lenders offer discounted variable rates for home loans for a fixed period to attract borrowers. The attraction of this type of mortgage is that initial rates are usually far lower than offered under the terms of a fixed rate mortgage.however over a period of time the interest rates can rise considerably and make borrowing far more expensive. Furthermore the fluctuations make it difficult for a borrower to know how much he will be paying from one month or one year to the next.

To offset the risk associated with an adjustable rate mortgage some lenders offer 'capping' options. Sometimes they fix the maximum level to which the interest rate you are subject to can rise for a given period of time, sometimes they fix the cap per year and sometimes for the lifetime of the mortgage.

Balloon Mortgages - popular in the US with homeowners who aren't planning to stay in their new home for life, these mortgages are usually repayable in 5 - 7 years. They offer the advantage of lower interest rates but the disadvantage that if you are still in the home after the 5 or 7 year period you have to secure a new loan to pay off the balloon mortgage!

Jumbo Mortgages or 'Non-Conforming' Mortgages - the UK doesn't have an equivalent of this US loan type. Basically in the US there is a legislated purchase limit set each year by the Federal National Mortgage Association (nicknamed Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (nicknamed Freddie Mac), a jumbo loan allows the borrower to borrow over and above this amount but for the privilege they will incur higher interest rates.

Step Two - having identified which type of mortgage probably suits you best you need to consider repayment methods and you basically have two to choose from: -

Interest Only - your monthly repayments to your lender cover only the interest on the loan meaning that nothing you pay back goes towards repaying the borrowed amount; it is up to you to establish some form of savings vehicle over the lifetime of the loan period into which you pay sufficient sums to ensure you have enough capital at the end of the loan period to pay back the amount borrowed.

Capital & Interest - your monthly repayments are divided into an interest payment and a capital repayment. In the early years of the loan period most of the monthly payment is swallowed up in interest but over time the balance swaps and you start to pay off more of the capital sum borrowed.

Step Three - Now you know which mortgage type and which repayment method you favour it's time to find the right lender! There are so many lenders offering such a variety of loans that at first it can seem a daunting prospect trying to determine which lender most suits you! However, depending on the strength of your credit record, your current employment position, how much you would like to borrow and how much of a down payment you are in a position to make, some lenders will rule themselves out and some will seem more attractive to you.

It is possible to approach an independent mortgage broker or independent financial adviser to assist you with your search. Such an individual will examine the product market place and apply his expertise to locating the best lender to suit his client's requirements. Most of these brokers are paid a commission by the lender when you take out your mortgage; however some also charge you a fee. Make sure you find out from the broker whether you will be charged as this is potentially an additional fee you could well do without!

Finally - there are a lot of informative sites and tools like mortgage calculators available on the internet to provide you with, for example, an idea of how much you can borrow and the most efficient borrowing and repayment method to suit you and also to give you an insight into the lenders themselves.

By making use of all the tools and resources available to you and by doing your home work you will be informed and this will strengthen your loan buying position. Read More!

Getting a Mortgage Quote Online

If you are interested in buying a home then you are certainly shopping for a mortgage quote from a variety of different lenders. This is important because when you have more than one mortgage quote you can compare the different lenders and find the one that is best for you. Frequently, the average mortgage quote online will be lower than the average mortgage quote from your neighborhood bank. Since every penny counts and you want to save as much money as possible, get a mortgage quote online as well as from your neighborhood lenders to find the best deal for you. The following suggestions will help you find a mortgage quote online as well.

Mortgage Quote Tip #1 Bid for Quotes
The best way to get a mortgage quote online is to visit the sites that ask for some general personal financial information and then submits it to various lenders. Then, all of the lenders respond with a mortgage quote for your personal financial situation. Once you receive the mortgage quote it is up to you to forget it or contact the lender that provided you with that particular mortgage quote.

Mortgage Quote Tip #2 Professionals
You want a professional and real mortgage quote, so make sure you are dealing with a professional company that will provide you with a legitimate mortgage quote online. If not, you will be wasting your time and risking your investment by dealing with a sketchy company.

Mortgage Quote Tip #3 Realistic
While you want the lowest mortgage quote possible, you need to make sure the mortgage quote is realistic within the scheme of things. If you receive a mortgage quote that is several percentage points lower than the lowest mortgage quote you have seen, you might want to question it. While there are many reputable online mortgage quote companies, there are those out there that are not professional. Read More!

You Might Want A Mobile Home

Why Look At Mobile Homes For Sale?

There are mobile homes for sale, for much less than stick-built houses, in most areas of the country. Despite the persistent predjudice against them, and sometimes against their residents, mobile homes are the cheap housing choice of millions. The advantages are not always obvious, but they are real.

First of all, let's acknowledge the big "truth" about mobile homes and appreciation or depreciation. It is true in most areas that mobile homes in parks go down in value over time. That's why I don't recommend buying in a park, unless you absolutely can't buy real estate, and you have done the math to see if you are better off than renting a nice apartment. To "do the math" consider lot rent, payment, and the remaining value of the mobile when you put it up for sale, minus what you will still owe, when you are likely to move. These are guesses, but still better than nothing if you are as objective as you can be.

Mobile Homes For Sale With Real Estate

When looking at mobile homes for sale on land, however, you are looking at an entirely different investment. My mobile home in Michigan doubled in value in the twelve years I lived in it. That's because even as the home deteriorated a little over time (don't all houses?), the value of the land continued to rise. You also can do what you like with the home when you own the land. For example, I took in more money from my home than it originally cost, by renting out a room or two over the years.

As mentioned, mobile homes usually sell for much less than other houses, and this means not lower payments. Also, because of the shortened amortization and lower loan amount, you will often build equity faster in a mobile home than in a more expensive house. A quick example follows, for the skeptical among you.

Equity Building With Mobile Homes

If you buy a house with a $100,000 mortgage loan amortised over 30 years at 6% interest, you'll have a payment of $599.60. Of the first payment, $500 will go towards interest, $99.60 towards principal. In other words, you only built equity of $99.60 (I'm ignoring appreciation, but only for the moment).

Second scenario: Find a nice mobile home for sale, and borrow only $30,000, at 8% interest, amortised over 10 years. Note the higher interest - this is always the case with "factory built home mortgages." The shorter term is normal too, but least you'll own your home free-and-clear in 10 years instead of 30. Despite the higher interest and shorter term, the payment will be only $363.99, the first month only $200 will go towards interest. That means the other $163.99 goes towards principal. You bought more house (built more equity) in this scenario.

It's true that a mobile home on land might appreciate more slowly than a "regular" house, but the faster loan pay-down probably more than covers this factor. If you also chose to bank the difference in payments ($235.61 per month), you'd definitely be better off financially with the mobile home versus the more expensive home.

Pay less per month and build more equity! Don't expect your real estate agent to tell you this. Don't expect him to even agree with me after you explain it. I sold real estate years ago, and math skills were not part of the licensing requirements.

Mobile Homes For Sale; Other Advantages

Mobile homes are cheaper to maintain. Years ago I had a mobile home as a rental, and the furnace in it died. This is the most expensive repair you'll have in a mobile. I had to replace it for $1,200, but that was still less than a furnace for a larger home. Consider that for $200 you can tar the roof of your home, or $30 if you do it yourself, instead of $5,000 to re-shingle a traditional roof. The windows, plumbing, doors - all cheaper.

Property taxes will cost less, because they're based on the value of the property, and mobile homes for sale on land have lower value than stick-built houses. Insurance may cost less too, again because you are insuring less value. The only precaution to remember here is to be sure you can get insurance. Very old mobiles may be uninsurable in some areas.

Should You Buy A Mobile Home?

Don't buy a mobile home if prices for houses in the area are just as low. Believe it or not, this is the case in some areas. We bought a house near Butte, Montana for $17,500 - less than mobile homes for sale there. You can see a photo on our site http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com. Houses do generally hold up better. Then there are the issues of whether your own needs and predjudices will let you be comfortable in a mobile home. They are sometimes for sale in areas you don't want to live in (Certainly true of houses as well). These are personal things you have to consider.

The advantages are clear for many young people starting out. It may be their only option. It may be your better option. Besides a lower initial price, you get simpler, cheaper maintainance, lower monthly payments, less property tax, less for insurance, and faster equity build-up. So don't automatically pass on those mobile homes for sale when you're out home-hunting. Read More!

Financial Back-to-School Basic for Mom and Dad

(ARA) - Each fall, millions of moms and dads spend countless hours purchasing back-to-school necessities for their children. While some parents equip their child with the latest gizmo -- a personal digital assistant (PDA) or cell phone, for example -- most know that “the basics” like paper, pencils and folders are essential learning tools to secure their children’s future.
Unfortunately, many parents ignore a simple financial back-to-school basic. They often buy the latest gadget for their kids but then fail to carry a critical component for their family’s future and their children’s education -- namely, adequate life insurance coverage.

“If a parent is worried about his or her child’s education, he or she should also worry about having the financial protection underpinning those plans that life insurance can offer,” says Todd Gillingham, JD, CLU, ChFC, a partner with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. “Without adequate insurance protection, every parent’s best laid education plans will fall apart under the financial burden left on their surviving children.”

Regardless of your income or assets, life insurance is the key to protecting the financial future of your loved ones and “should be the foundation on which other goals are built,” says Gillingham.

Surveys show that roughly one-third of American adults have no life insurance protection and, of those with coverage, nearly one-third have coverage that is less than one time their annual income -- not nearly enough for long-term family protection. Four in 10 single parents have no life insurance coverage of any kind. Perhaps this is why the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education found that nearly half of Americans (48 percent) say they are worried that if they die tomorrow their loved ones would not be financially secure.

“Various funding vehicles such as 529 plans and Coverdell education accounts can often grab the headlines,” says Gillingham. “While these are important ways of saving, they can lead parents to mistakenly ignore their life insurance needs. Such an oversight can be financially devastating.”

Without the protection life insurance offers, financial security is often illusory. In the case of premature death, life insurance helps families pay for living expenses -- including mortgage and education payments -- when the income of a loved one is lost. Without this protection, the resulting financial stress frequently undermines all other goals.

Beyond daily expenses, life insurance protects against sharp reductions in future pension and social security payments by replacing assets cut short by premature death. For example, anticipated assets in an individual’s retirement plan may be reduced by 50 percent or more simply because the individual’s death interrupts the long-term growth of the assets within the individual’s plan. Business owners and those with significant assets also use life insurance to pass those assets to their children in a tax-efficient manner or as a vehicle for charitable gifts to nonprofit organizations. Without life insurance’s special tax privileges, many families would lose the family business or not be able to leave a lasting legacy to the cause or organization of their choosing.

“These benefits aside, the fundamental reason for life insurance remains the protection of your family and your financial programs,” says Thrivent Financial’s Gillingham. “Death often strikes when we don’t expect it, so goals that require continuing funding such as a child’s education are especially vulnerable to death’s effects.”

While shopping for school supplies this fall, remember this back-to-school lesson -- the essentials come first. Says Gillingham, “adequate life insurance is one back-to-school basic parents should simply not live without.”

To learn more, contact a financial services professional, or visit www.thrivent.com/insurance/life.

Courtesy of ARA Content Read More!

Council Right to Buy Mortgage - Helping Everyone Have a Home

"We will help every Council Tenant to become Home Owners"
With these historic words Margaret Thatcher initiated an equally historic concept of council right to buy scheme. However, the groundwork for this scheme had been laid much before in the 70s under the reigns of the labour government.

The council right to buy scheme, without being embroiled in any controversy regarding who set off the council right to buy scheme, was indeed momentous. It led many people, who would never have thought (capable would be a more appropriate word to describe their situation) to have their own homes.

So what is council right to buy scheme? Council right to buy scheme is a scheme under which the council tenants are eligible to buy the house in which they have been living.

Therefore, what is that which distinguishes the council right to buy scheme from the other schemes? It is different because the customer would have to pay much lesser than what he would have paid had he bought the house in the open market. This is because the customer is entitled to a discount for the number of years that he was staying in the house as a tenant.

The rate of discount varies with the type of residence and the location of the residence. A person residing in a house will be eligible for a discount of up to 30% with a further discount of 1% for every year lived as a tenant of the house. In cases of flats or maisonettes the rate of discount ranges from 44% to 70%, but not exceeding £38,000. The maximum rate of discount is admissible only in a few localities like the posh London and the Southeast areas of England.

To avail the scheme one must be a council tenant. A council tenant is a secured tenant who has been living since 5 years or more (the limit has been changed from 2 years with effect from 18th January 2005) in any of the following:
.District council
.London borough council
.Non-charitable housing association or other registered social landlord
.Housing action trust.
.County council or another similar body

Numerous lenders who have sensed the importance of the scheme offer mortgages especially designed to facilitate such purchases. These mortgages are called council right to buy mortgage.
A council right to buy mortgage offers to pay the price of the house. This will be an added attraction to the tenants to go for the scheme. The council tenants can pay off to the council from whom the house has been purchased, and then pay to the mortgage provider in easy and affordable installments. In fact, the monthly installment, which the tenant will have to pay, is lesser than the rent he had been paying. Moreover, while the rent is a sunk cost, the monthly installments facilitate you to have your own home.

Getting a council right to buy mortgage is not that easy. One must start the search process right from the day when they get the offer. The approval process normally takes around 3 months. To start the search late would mean getting the mortgage late. This could mean losing on the offer for council right to buy. The council tenant must also undertake a full structural survey of the property.

The customer must be fully aware of the various formalities that need to be met in case of a council right to buy mortgage. The net can provide enough information about the mortgages. Independent financial advisors can provide useful advice about the various intricacies of the mortgage. A solicitor appointed by the council tenant will act on his behalf in all legal formalities. The solicitor will help in the documentation part of the council right to buy which includes forms like RTB1, RTB2, Section 125 notice, etc.

Next, one has to sort out one mortgage provider from the numerous contenders. This is the most basic step and astuteness in this step will decide how the mortgage fares in the long run. The initial screening can be done through the net. The mortgage providers have compiled the information about their operations and the products that they offer on their websites. Careful study of the information will help give a manageable list of 10-20 mortgage lenders. These mortgage lenders can be requested for their no obligation mortgage quotes. Few more mortgage providers are ousted in this stage. The customer then personally meets the remaining mortgage providers. This is the final stage of the selection process.

The last step will be to decide the amount of mortgage to be taken. This will be derived after valuation of the house by the council or housing association and deducting the discounts from the price.

Treading in a step by step manner will be time consuming but will ensure that one does not has to repent later. You would surely cherish the output, which this effort leads to. The output will be your home-your own home, a perfect allurement, for which you will be ready to take any efforts. Read More!

Buying your First Home

can be exciting but there is a lot to know. Buying a home will depend on real estate laws and customs where you are located but there are basic steps that every first homebuyer needs to accomplish.

Step 1- Your Finances

Establishing credit is very important especially when you are looking to purchase a large investment like a house. Your credit reports reflects how you manage your finances. Study your credit report and your financial history so you are familiar with it before applying for a mortgage. These reports will be needed for the mortgage approval process in finding out the interest rate and other loan terms.

Step 2- Familiarize Yourself with the Mortgage Industry

Do your research. Finding the right loan and lender is extremely important to your home buying success.
Choose the lender that is best for your needs but be sure to understand the loan process as much as you can before talking to a lender so you don’t feel completely lost.

Step 3- get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

Once you talk with a lender, you should be given an estimate of how much you can afford for a house.
Being pre approved can help you in a variety of ways. So if a home seller gets two offers, one being yours with a pre approved letter from your bank saying you have been approved for the amount offered, and then there is the other person with no letter, your chances of getting the house are much better.

Step 4- Determine what you Want and what you need

Buying a home isn’t as challenging as most think. If you familiarize yourself with the real estate market and narrow down what you want and need before buying house the process will run a lot smoother.
Be sure to understand agent duties and devotion because some real estate agents represent buyers, sellers, or both or depending on the state they can work as neutral facilitators for either party.

Step 6- Start Searching for your New Home

Your agent will most likely give you multiple listing sheets to review. You might have also picked up a real estate magazine in your area and found a house through that, shop online, or find ads in the newspaper. Other ideas can be driving around the neighborhoods that have houses for sale. Either way you look, consider these home buying search tools in your search.

Home Buying Search Tools

1. Consider houses that others may overlook
2. Get out there to see what’s out there
3. Look into public versions of multiple listing service web sites
4. Search for real estate agent web sites
5. Browse real estate search engines and networks
6. Find for sale by owner properties
7. Look at magazine and newspapers in print
8. Find foreclosed homes

Step 7- Handle Pre-Offer Tasks

When looking at houses be sure to look at its structure and features which can help determine if its something you want or not.

Step 8- put in an Offer

There's no one specific set of instructions that cover all the differences in real estate laws and customs that exist throughout the United States, so when putting in an offer on a house, it will depend on your location.

Step 9- House Inspections and Other Tests

Some states allow home inspections before the final contract is signed where as in other states inspections take place after the contract is signed. No matter when you have to do them, it's very important to decide which inspections and tests you want done.
Discuss with your real estate agent or if you don’t have one, then an advisor to find out when inspections should happen and if additional types of testing are needed for a specific area.

Step 10- Avoid having to Correct Last Minute Problems

As the closing date approaches, everyone involved in your real estate transaction should be checking the progress on a daily basis. That way if a problem arises it can be taken care of right away.
Step 11- Closing
Closing, also called settlement, is the event that transfers ownership of the property from the last owner to you.

Happy house hunting! Read More!

A Few Thoughts on Securing a Bad Credit Mortgage Loan

Over spending, the endless nights of partying, eating out and more or less buying everything on a whim, has most likely put a dent in your financial situation and will affect how you live your life for years to come. Clearly, the best option is to dampen your lavish lifestyle sooner than later.

Alleviating yourself from huge credit card, as well as other head-spinning debts by assessing your options now, before all those debs start blowing up in your face is one way to right your financial ship. One plausible option is a bad credit mortgage loan, and it's a good first step towards a more financially disciplined lifestyle. In other words, a financial second chance.

Unfortunately, many people have a hard time facing the reality of their current financial situation and they foolishly think they can go it alone. Fortunately, today's credit markets have geared many of their programs for people just like you and they are more than happy to assist you with your financial woes by doing anything and everything possible to assist you in securing that much needed mortgage refinance to get you back to financial solvency.

First, be honest, how bad is your current financial condition. And remember, you need to face the facts honestly and stop playing games and don't let the possible embarrassment of having other's poking through your financial records deter you. You current financial situation if water over the dam, there's nothing you can do about the past so put it behind you and start making the right decisions from this point forward.

Rest-assured the individuals you will be working with are professionals who want nothing more but help you because it's in their financial interest as well since most loan officers work on commission if they can't find a way to help you they don't get paid. The system is built around vested interest and so if it's possible to help you they'll find a way.

But before you actually take that big leap in to actually applying for a bad credit mortgage loan for yourself, try your best to actually arm your self with (more than) enough information to actually guide you through the debt restructuring process.

First, don't be intimidated by the process, it's really not that complicated. More often than not, people allow themselves to get overwhelmed, so take a deep breath, do a little research on what's available and don't be afraid to ask questions or to simply walk away from a deal that you feel isn't right and go down the street or apply online at another lender.

Bad credit mortgage loans are readily available but only if you are willing to get out there and put forth a little effort to dig around and find the right lender with the right program for you. Be will to have your financials thoroughly assessed by your creditors and lenders so they have the information they need to do their job, which is clearly to come up with a bad credit mortgage loan that is well suited to your means and capabilities.

Just remember that just because you may qualify for a bad credit mortgage loan, does not necessarily equate with you being off the hook. That's simply the beginning to changing your spending habits and approach to money so that a few years from now you can look back at your current financial situation as learning experience that propelled you to a higher level of financial responsibility. Approach this situation correctly by making the necessary changes and you should also be able to look back and realize that it was the wakeup call you needed and possibly one of the best things that's ever happened to you. Read More!