Affording a Down Payment

Posted on June 14, 2013
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Mortgage has been identified as a popular mode of gaining ownership of a house or property whereby timely principle repayments and interest payments result in the transfer of ownership at the end of the mortgage period. Mortgage usually involves payment of an initial deposit at the start of the contract which due to recessionary phase has been significantly increased by the banks making it difficult for potential property owners to get a mortgage.

Credit Crunch 2008

The credit crunch that hit the American financial institutions in 2008 ultimately led to the crash of mortgage market whereby the dream of Americans to home their own home rapidly evaporated. It was held that the credit crunch arose as a result of weak mortgage policy used by the financial institutions whereby the banks failed to take into account credit history of customers. This ultimately led to large scale defaults that resulted in the house market to crash as the supply of real estate rose rapidly. The recession that soon hit USA is now on its road to recovery and real estate market is now stabilizing albeit at a slow rate.

house on moneyConditions for Getting a Mortgage

The credit crunch has resulted in stricter terms and conditions to be adopted by the financial institutions and they have now significantly increased the percentage of down payment required. Furthermore, banks now grant mortgages to those that have an excellent credit history and low probability of default. Although the recovery of housing market has resulted in an increase in demand for real estate, the initial deposit required poses a hindrance in obtaining a mortgage.

Financing a Down Payment

There are different ways through which a person can arrange money for making a down payment such as savings and retirement accounts. A person is likely to have savings in form of current account or emergency account or retirement account and this money can be invested towards making a down payment. Furthermore, a person can also borrow from friends and family with an agreement to return the money in the foreseeable future. Conversely, a person might have certain investments in term of shares or mutual funds and these can be withdrawn to finance the down payment. A person can combine funds from various sources to make a down payment. However, realizing investments should not harm or deteriorate a person’s financial position and the benefits of gaining a mortgage must be contrasted to the costs of realizing an investment.

Guest post by Sean Oakes.  Oakes is a real estate columnist and frequent guest blogger. He writes about real estate, money management, and topics like Money Mutual for established financial and news sites.

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Water is a Great Way to DeStress

Posted on June 7, 2013
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waterOne of the bad things about stress is that it always seems to get worse when the temperature rises. Hot, humid weather makes the body work overtime to cool itself and the uncomfortable feelings make people short tempered and even anxious. Stress alone is an ongoing problem for everyone, but it just gets worse when the summer arrives in places like Texas.

Water is a great solution. Not only can jumping in a swimming pool instantly cool off your body, it provides plenty of opportunities for you to de-stress. Splashing around and playing games with your family is a great way to release stress and relax. If you’re alone, swimming laps or engaging in some form of water workout is also a great stress-buster. There’s a reason that people who exercise regularly have lower stress levels than those who don’t.

There is even scientific evidence to suggest that the mere presence of water is soothing to the human mind. Sitting by a pool can provide some of the same calming effects as gazing at a lake or watching ocean waves. If summer stress is a habitual problem for you, consider calling a few swimming pool care companies and figure out if you can afford your own backyard stress reliever.

photo by: aguscr
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Best Cities for Car Owners

Posted on January 3, 2013
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If you have been considering moving you have likely been considering a variety of qualities to determine which city would be best for you and your family. These probably include things like the schools that are available, the career opportunities, the cost of housing and the landscape of the city. What you may not be thinking about is how car-friendly the city may be. This is an important consideration for any car owner who wants to protect his vehicle’s condition for the long term. There are several characteristics that can make a city car-friendly, including:

Ample Parking

Knowing that there is a safe place to park your car wherever you go is comforting both in that you know your car will be secure and you will be able to get where you need to go without having to walk for an extended period of time. This is often a challenge in metropolitan areas where public transportation is more popular.

traffic jamLighter Commutes

Heavy traffic and long commutes are difficult on your car. A city that offers direct routes to your chosen career or lighter traffic will be easier on your car, and on you. You will save gas and keep your brakes in better condition when you are not facing gridlock on a daily basis.

Good Road Conditions

The conditions of the road that you are driving your car on make tremendous difference in the long term condition of your vehicle. Rough road conditions are very hard on your car’s suspension, brakes and tires and will require that you bring your vehicle in for routine maintenance more often.

Skilled Mechanics

If you own a car, you will need a mechanic at some point. A car is a machine and all machines need maintenance on a regular basis in order to continue operating properly. You want to make sure that the city you are living in has skilled mechanics that will take care of your car to the highest degree of quality.

Ample Gas Stations

You will get better gas mileage and your car will run better if you don’t let the fuel tank get close to empty. A car-friendly city will have plenty of access to fuel stations. Preferably these stations will also have air for tires and a vacuum so that you can take care of your car in one central location.

Nate Connors is a car lover who loves to blog about cars, driving, and even car repair.  As a guest blogger he has reviewed new car models, the new ford expedition repair manual, and car shows for lifestyle, news and car blogs.

 

 

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A Dream House Includes a Garden Spot

Posted on November 29, 2012
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If you are in the market for a new home, you will likely start with the house itself in your thought process. Sit down together first to figure out what is most important to you and your family. Perhaps the person who does most of the cooking is dreaming of a big kitchen with stainless steel appliances and oak flooring. A view of the Rockies in the living room’s picture window might be important to someone else. House plans and activity level can be important if you are planning to retire there in a few years. Does the neighborhood seem safe and friendly?  How about the school system if you have children?

A Broader Perspective

But when buying a house, try to broaden your perspective by shifting it to the outside. As retirement beckons, some couples want to turn their attention to gardening. Plans for growing asparagus and strawberries, along with several varieties of corn, will require space for a vegetable plot. A flower garden will provide gracious bouquets inside and stunning color combinations outside when planted en masse.  Shade trees can provide welcome relief in hotter areas of the country.

Practical Aspects

Keeping all the various needs in mind, look for a yard that is big enough for all these dreams and needs. A yard might be ideal that has a garden spot with strong light for growing vegetables, and another area for shade-loving beauties like hostas and begonias. Proper irrigation is a common need for consistent, frequent watering, so ask if a sprinkling system has been installed.

You should also consider the soil itself. If the area you want to live in is known to have soil with a high clay density, for example, you might have to spend a lot of time tilling and amending the soil. Ask if the previous owner has already done so.

The right garden space and surrounding landscaping is a picture frame for the house itself. When talking to your real estate agent, be sure to mention the importance of a garden spot if that interests you. Lovely landscaping, mature trees in front, and a sunny back yard would appeal to many home buyers.

Lionel Redmon is a columnist and blogger who writes about real estate, gardening, and home improvement for popular blogs and webpages about health like this page.

 

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What it Takes to be an Expert Witness on Accounting

Posted on October 10, 2012
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An expert witness is one who, by virtue of education training, skill or occupation in a specific field is considered to be more knowledgeable in a particular area than the average person. Respected for their knowledge, these ‘experts’ may be called upon from time to time to offer their unbiased, yet expert opinion in court cases, both criminal and civil. They are called upon for the very reason they can give unbiased testimony based upon evidence, compiled by facts and the natural conditions as a result thereof.

Forensic Accountants Need to Pass an Exam

Expert witnesses on accounting are integral to a case by providing the attorney with information and recommendations as to which questions to ask. The forensic accountant will review evidence and testimony and provide the attorney with further information needed in order to prove a case. In addition to data analysis, investigative abilities are necessary in this field. A forensic accountant must first pass the Certified Public Accountant exam and many are now earning a Masters degree.

This post addresses the role of forensic accounting and expert accounting testimonies as they relate to cases brought before the courts in litigation. To clarify, the term ‘forensic’ pertains to information usable in a court of law. Many of your larger accounting firms will have those who specialize in various fields such as, insurance claims, personal injury, fraud, construction claims and royalty audits. Expert accounting witnesses may be called to testify as to the financial impact resultant from fraud, embezzlement and business disputes. A forensic accountant may appear in civil cases such as distribution of property in a divorce settlement or allegations of negligence.

An Expert Witness

When an expert witness on accounting is called to action, typically they offer reports containing financial data, economic theories and accounting and auditing standard procedures. In civil cases such as divorce proceedings where property and/or child support is involved, the forensic accountant will analyze lifestyle, financial liabilities and assets in order for the judge to determine division of property and to set child support.

Civil Cases

In other civil cases such as personal injury or breach of contract, the forensic accountant will calculate the resulting economic loss of the claimant as evidence in his or her testimony.

Criminal Cases

In criminal cases, such as business fraud, forensic accounting is used to analyze financial documents, financial reporting and the accounting system in place. It is their role to determine the accuracy of the information provided. The expert witness on accounting will be able to determine if any tampering with the numbers has occurred and how, when and where any embezzled funds were procured.

Forensic Accounting is an Exciting Field

The exciting field of forensic accounting is growing more and more in today’s economic environment. Not only are forensic accountants called upon as expert witnesses in court proceedings, but many large businesses employ the services of companies like http://veriticonsulting.com in the areas of fraud prevention, risk reduction and ensuring accurate accounting procedures are in place. Additionally, forensic accountants create business valuations which are becoming more and more necessary in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, sale and purchase of companies, resolving shareholder disputes and even setting employee stock option plans.

A forensic accountant’s skills go far beyond those of traditional accountants. In addition to solid accounting acumen, good communication skills, simplicity of terminology, analytical and investigative skills are necessary traits. When the need for an expert arises, make sure the accountant specializes in forensics.

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Shakespeare in Society and Near Your New Apartment

Posted on January 15, 2012
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When asked who their favorite writer is, the chances that a person will say William Shakespeare may be relatively small. With that in mind, if say to that same person, “to be or not to be” they will most likely respond with “that is the question” and even if they don’t they are sure to know what it is from. Aside from the Christian Bible, Hamlet is the most quoted and known piece of literature in history. Many of the play’s quotes have become popular phrases, such as “to thine own self be true” and “there’s something rotten in the state of Denmark.” This phrase is also commonly adjusted to fit any city or situation in which something foul has taken place, it doesn’t usually affect available apartments for or the inhabitability of that town. And while much of the play’s story, themes and lines have ingrained themselves into popular culture and remain there today, not all of them are immediately attributed to this iconic tragedy. In fact, while the majority of people might be aware that Hamlet was melancholy prince who was torn between action and inaction and spoke the famous line about the perils of life and that choice between such and a nightmarish afterlife, not everyone is actually even able to attribute the line or the speech itself to him. In fact, that can be a fun social experiment, setting up on a street corner and interviewing people about which quotes from Hamlet, or any other Shakespeare play, they can name and place.

This is one of the interesting aspects of Shakespeare’s works. His characters helped to define humanity, according to Harold Bloom and other critics, and his words are part of common speech and randomly quoted in various forms of literature and in film, Shakespeare himself remains something of a mystery. Frequently people will hear a line from one of his plays quoted and recognize what they hear, and maybe even quote him themselves, while not fully understanding even what they’re saying. What does this say about society, Shakespeare, culture and history, if anything? And is it more of a testimony to his greatness, or the apathetic nature of society. Do his words ring any differently in modern ears than do common wives tales and simple rhymes from history? Regardless of whether you yawn, scream, faint or smile when you are told Shakespeare will be on the semester’s reading list, you are most definitely more likely to hear him quoted, and also to see one if his shows performed, than any other writer in history, save those who contributed to the Holy Bible as was mentioned before. And whether you’re looking an appartement montreal from Starlight Investments Ltd or moving anywhere else, most likely you will find one of his plays onstage in that city sometime during the year.

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Drug Addiction Recovery in California

Posted on December 27, 2011
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About a hundred years ago, drugs in the United States weren’t usually regulated. Over-the-counter pills, such as aspirin and cold remedies, contained heroin and cocaine, with the responsibility for safety placed on the consumer’s shoulders. If you weren’t careful, the medicine you took to cure you could also kill you. In 1914, however, the Harrison Tax Act, limited the sale of heroin and went on to restrict cocaine sales, too.

In a little over two decades, Federal health regulations were overseen by the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act of 1938; eight years earlier, the United States created the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. Even as Prohibition was repealed, the laws against using certain drugs became tighter, creating the Boggs Act of 1951, which provided on a federal level a mandatory minimum sentence for the possession of opiates, marijuana, and cocaine. President Eisenhower then called for a war on drugs in 1954 when he created the U.S. Interdepartmental Committee on Narcotics.

As the society’s war on drugs heated up, often caught in the cross-fire were people who found themselves addicted to drugs. Eventually, programs across the country to aid in recovery began to arise, from NY Drug Rehab programs to CA Drug Rehab . Today, in California alone, there are over 1,600 drug rehab programs, with over 400 of them located in the major cities, such as San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles.

These programs are dedicated to treating everything from narcotics to alcohol abuse, from in-patient to out-patient programs. All of this can become overwhelming pretty quickly as one tries to sort out a place to go. Often, when people decide they need help, they aren’t in the best shape to make decisions. Sometimes, in the case of alcohol poisoning and drug overdose, these decisions are made for the addict, starting with a trip to a hospital. However, if you suspect you or someone you know may need help, it’s best to start searching earlier, when your mind is clear as possible to find the organization that can help. Searches on line for such sites as
Drugrehabcomparison.com can help in aiding recovery.

A California study about seventeen years ago, in 1994, suggested that drug treatment should be viewed as an investment that the public makes rather than an extra cost. Apparently, the public saves seven dollars in health care for every dollar it spends on treatment. This study, known as the California Drug and Alcohol Treatment Assessment, found that drug abuse cost the state 3.1 billion dollars each year (with 70 percent of that tied to crimes). Nearly twenty years later, those figures can only be higher.

If there’s one thing that all the history of the war on drugs and studies demonstrate is that drug abuse is an expensive, painful and damaging proposition at the level of society and the individual, and it will take efforts from both to gain in the battle for recovery.

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A Quick History of Quick Divorces in Reno

Posted on December 4, 2011
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While Las Vegas may be thought of as a place to get married quickly, nearly a hundred years ago Reno, Nevada, already had the reputation as a place to go for divorces. In 1910, the city was considered the divorce capital, allowing residency requirements in the city to be shortened, and therefore allowing divorces to be as fast as possible.

Known as the Biggest Little City, Reno today may be known more for the Comedy Central program, Reno 911. However, this comedy doesn’t begin to explore the history of this small place and the need its citizens and tourists may have for a bit of Reno Law.

Quickie divorces have been available in Nevada even earlier than 1898, when lawyers of more populated cities, such as New York, discovered that the divorce laws in Nevada had not changed since the state was a territory. It wasn’t until 1913, when social movements to reform morality across the United States forced the hand of state representatives and caused them to change the half-year residency requirement to a full year, which was the same requirement of every other state. If a married couple wanted a quick divorce, they could no longer go to Nevada to do it.

Business owners and those representing the desire to again reduce the requirements to six months began lobbying the state legislature, and three years later, in 1915, their wish was granted. Reducing the wait for a divorce to six months allowed revenues to increase so much that there was another push for the residency laws to be changed to a three month wait in 1927. In 1931, the residency laws changed again. Now only a six week wait was required.

Because of these changes, the Nevada six week requirement allowed 517 divorce suits with 331 decrees to be declared in the first month that the new requirement took effect. No longer were people turning to lawyers in Los Angeles and cities in other states, but to Nevada.The number of divorces began skyrocketing: In 1926, there were 1,021 divorces; in 1927, 1,953 divorces; in 1931, 5,260 divorces! By the time a decade had passed, in 1940, Nevada was carrying out 49 out of every 1,000 divorces in the United States.

This raked in a good deal of money, bringing in an estimate of about five million a year to Nevada’s hotels, restaurants, merchants, and casinos. Because of its proximity to California and Hollywood, there were a great number of celebrity divorce cases filed in Reno as well, including such people as Jack Dempsey, Mary Pickford, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr., and Estelle Taylor.

Today Reno is no longer the center of divorce the way it once was a hundred years ago. People may head for Reno to enjoy its natural settings more for its proximity to Lake Tahoe or to see its local museums, such as the National Automobile Museum or the Thermal Sky Sports. People may even just want to see where the exteriors for Reno 911 were taped. Still, it may yet be another 100 years before Reno’s legend as a divorce capital fully becomes history.

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Historical Look at Internet Speed

Posted on November 30, 2011
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Many of us use our PCs, Macs or even cell phones to access the internet every single day. But have you ever thought to ask yourself how it all works? The Internet started as a small internetwork of military computers. The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), a division of the U.S. Department of Defense, laid the foundations for the modern Internet we know today.

By 1992, the network bandwidth of the Internet had increased 20 million times the bandwidth seen in 1964. In November of 1992 Delphi was the first commercial online service offering Internet access, and by May 1995 AOL, Prodigy and CompuServce came online.

Dial up Internet access started the modern Internet speed revolution. It was the only method of Internet access in 1994. Dial up allows a user to access the Internet through an analog modem and traditional telephone system. Dial up speeds began at 0.1 kbits per second. One kbits is equal to 1000 bytes of information per second.

Over the next few years Dial up slowly increased speeds up to 56 kbps. Did you know, in the 1990’s U. S. Federal Law limited Dial up Internet speeds to 53 kbits per second? The U. S. Government feared Hackers could breach U.S. Government networks and disappear before they could be traced by the proper authorities.

Dial up still depends on phone lines for the transporting data, and is used often in rural areas today. Soon dial up may become obsolete and will be replaced by Broadband Internet Access. A broadband connection allows for the transfer of data at a much higher rate than through analog.

Broadband is generally defined as data transfer rates greater than 256 kbit per second. There is not an official minimum bandwidth for broadband. Broadband internet access can range from 64 kbits per second up to 4.0 Megabytes of data per second.

Internet speeds continue to increase to meet customer demands. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are building faster networks with the development of new technologies. By 1996 the first mobile phone had Internet connectivity, and not long after in 2008 studies showed that more people accessed the Internet via mobile phones than PCs. The development of 4G networks, which set peak speed requirements at 100 Mbit/s, help users connect to the Internet at speeds never before seen with a mobile device.

Looking back at the history of internet speeds we can see just how far we’ve come since the 1960’s. Where do you think data speed transfer rates will be in 5-10 years?

Brad Stewart is a writer and journalist who focuses on technology, education and current affairs.  He is a regular contributer to  several newspapers and software blogs as well as writing for tech sites.

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The origins of the American flag

Posted on November 21, 2011
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Before the stars and stripes was adopted, the colonies and militias in America had many different flags including the famous Rattlesnake flag with the motto, “Don’t Tread On Me.” Another interesting navel flag had a white background and a green pine tree and the motto, “An Appeal to Heaven.”  However, many of the flags used were actually a version of the British Union Jack.  Obviously, as the colonies prepared for war against Britain, they needed a new flag!

So what are the origins of the American flag? No one really knows for sure, but many historians believe the story Betsy Ross told her children about sewing the first American flag. She said three members of the secret Continental Congress, George Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross, came to visit her in late May 1776 and asked her to make them a new flag.  Since she sat next to George Washington at church and was married to George Ross’ nephew, it shouldn’t be a surprise they chose her. As a widow with an upholstery business, Betsy had made many flags before.

Apparently, when the three men visited her, George Washington showed her a design with a six-pointed star that had been designed by Congressman Francis Hopkinson.   However, Betsy whipped out her scissors and showed the men how she could fold a piece of cloth and cut a five pointed star with one snip.  Impressed, the committee agreed she could do the flag.  Her story is that the flag was finished by June and then flown when  the Declaration of Independence was read at Independence Hall for the very first time.

Betsy would be widowed two more times during the war, along with having the British take over her house to quarter soldiers.  When the British left, she joined the war effort by weaving bags to hold gunpowder for the soldiers in Washington’s army.

When the war was over, the Continental Congress declared on June 14, 1777, that there would be a national flag with 13 alternating red and white stripes and 13 white stars on a blue background.  The Congress hoped the American flag would unify the country since the end of the war had once again brought out the differences between the states.

How did the American flag get the nickname “Old Glory?” When those divisions led to the Civil War, a very large 10-by-17 foot American flag, owned by a Massachusetts sea captain named William Driver, got the nickname “Old Glory” because it survived several attempts by Confederates to destroy it. Afterward, the flag flew over the Tennessee statehouse as a memorial of the undivided Union.

How did the American flag come to look like it does today?  From 1777 through 1960, Congress added stars and stripes to show the new states added to the Union.  However, the current design of the American flag was actually done as a class project by a 17-year-old high school student named Robert Heft.  His teacher did not like his project and gave him a low grade, telling him she would only raise his grade if he got it accepted by members of Congress.  Hess took that as a challenge, and his design was accepted in 1959.

Today’s flag has seven red stripes alternating with six white ones.  These 13 stripes represent the original 13 colonies.  There are 50 white stars for the 50 states on a background of blue.  The red on the flag symbolizes valor, while the white symbolizes purity and the blue is for justice.  The American flag is the most recognizable symbol of the United States.

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