Tips For Understanding Home Improvement In Today’s World
Home improvement projects are considered interesting by many people. Everyone wants their home to look great; however, undertaking a large improvement project can be overwhelming. If you review the helpful advice offered below, you’ll be much more confident and better prepared for a smooth home improvement experience.
If you have the available funds you should choose real hard wood floors rather than laminate. Real wood can be refinished, but laminate cannot. Years from now, whoever owns the house will need a brand new floor.
When it’s finally crunch time and you need to replace the shingles, find a good, light color to prevent high levels of heat. Lighter colors reflect Home Repair the sun more efficiently, lessening the build up of heat in your attic. You will be able to reduce all of your monthly energy bills by doing this.
Without much decoration and personality, simple lamp shades are sometimes very boring. Get cheap stencils at the crafts store, an ink pad or acrylic paint, and try dabbing the designs around the shade. This will give your rooms some personality, taking away from the reality of how boring an ordinary lamp shade can be.
Give vinyl flooring a shot to get rid of any bubbles. Bubbles in vinyl floors are easy to slice open to get rid of the air. This can flatten that bubble at least on a temporary basis. In order to permanently repair this part of the floor though, you are going to need to put an amount of fresh glue in. Glue, prepackaged in syringes, is perfect for this job.
As you can now see, home improvement does not have to be a difficult task. Every project you tackle helps you improve your home, but it also helps you gain experience by learning something new. Just make sure that you follow the tips provided to you in the article above. They can make all the difference once you decide to start improving.…
Should You Try Property Investment?
Should You Try Property Investment?
In terms of property investments, there are plenty of ways to put your money into bricks and mortar. How effective are those ways, though? Are the usual approaches to this sort of speculation badly designed, and unlikely to net you a meaningful profit? Certainly, problems exist with this model of investment. For example:
1. Buying a house has extra costs. The price of the apartment block, house or other property might seem reasonable, but have you factored in stamp duty? The cost of agents and solicitors? The price of searches and surveys? Even though many of the results are meaningless to you, every cost of buying a house to live in still applies when you are buying to sell on or let.
2. Renting has extra costs. It isn’t as simple as sitting back and letting a rental income flow in. You’re a landlord now, and that means you have both responsibilities and costs. You’ll need to pay the utility bills, as well as the cost of any repairs or renovations. You’ll need to pay a management company to collect the rent. You might even have legal fees to deal with in the event of problems with a tenant.
3. It takes effort. If all of that sounds like a great deal of trouble to go to, consider what you might need to do if you’re buying somewhere to refurbish and sell on. You’ll need to find building contractors, supervise the work, pay for materials, deal with delays and cost overruns, ensure that everything is completed to the correct standard… and that’s before you even start thinking about selling.
4. Once you do, yet another set of fees from agents and solicitors hits you. Plus, there is the time and effort involved in finding a buyer, which may involve having to reduce the price you are asking for the property several times.
5. Overall, therefore, there is the potential for things to go bad very quickly. The worst part is that schemes designed to protect you from problems, such as negative gearing ones, often don’t work quite as well as they seem to. Negative gearing, in particular, only works while the market is rising, and can actually end up costing you more when conditions are poor.
All of that probably sounds like an attempt to put you off speculating in property for good. It isn’t. What it is, is a warning against putting your money into more traditional approaches without the proper thought. You are committing a great deal of money, and potentially exposing yourself to dangerous losses, so you need to be sure of what you are getting into, and whether it is the best option for you.
Other options do exist beside traditional property investment. NSW offers several opportunities to put up money in a much less active way, acting simply as the provider of finance rather than as an involved property manager. If the hidden costs and effort of other methods don’t appeal to you, you might find that to be a better option for your needs.…
The Ostrich Error
The Ostrich Error
Have you ever avoided addressing a topic because you were afraid of finding out the real answer? Use the example of getting an annual physical – some avoid taking the time to visit their doctor and have diagnostic tests run because they don’t want to face the fact they’re overweight or haven’t kicked a bad habit. But as your doctor would probably tell you, the longer the problem continues, the harder it is to fix. Worse yet, you think you’re fine but have not given yourself the opportunity to address obvious warning signs. Rather, you use the defense mechanism of an ostrich and “stick your head in the sand.”
Take a peek, you may be better off than you expect
In financial management, acting like an ostrich is rarely the way to achieve financial success. Most importantly, it’s not a wise strategy since your lifestyle and future happiness are at stake. Rather than hiding from your financial situation, if you pick your head up and out of the sand and look your finances right in the eye, you’ll probably discover one of three things:
I am okay and should keep doing what I’m doing.
I’m not okay, but if I change certain things, I’ll be okay.
I’m better off than I thought I was, and I have more options and flexibility with what to do with my life and my money!
Just as with your personal health, if you have a financial problem (not saving enough, spending too much on real estate, etc.), there will be warning signs that a wealth advisor can uncover and help you reset the course. Having a financial plan can help determine where you stand today, if you’re on track to achieve your future financial goals and what actions you need to take to stay on track. For example, what if one of your goals is to retire in 10 years, at age 65? If the results of the analysis come back to show you could have retired two years ago, wouldn’t you rather know that now than spend another 10 years attached to your Blackberry?
Making financial decisions with an extra pair of eyes
If one of your goals is to sell your business to create liquidity for retirement, probability analysis can model the impact of selling at a certain price and whether that would leave you enough to live comfortably for the next 30 years. Knowing these types of answers can help you more confidently make wise financial decisions, especially those that are major, life-impacting ones.
Uncovering what the answer is today is not enough. Life changes, personal and economic circumstances change, and opportunities will continue to present themselves. Adjusting your financial roadmap along the way is necessary, and partnering with professionals who can help guide you can make your experience with financial decisions less overwhelming. After a while, your financial strategy may become less about having enough for yourselves and more about understanding how much you can pass along to the next generation or your community, both now and projected into the future.
These are still answers you need to uncover so that you can make solid estate and charitable planning decisions – especially if you want to be sure you’re using your wealth effectively.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, but taking the ostrich by the neck will likely allow you to make well-informed decisions with your money, sleep better at night and hopefully enjoy your life more as the fear of the financial unknown is gone.…
Whatever They Say, Gold Is an Investment
Whatever They Say, Gold Is an Investment
You may be tired of seeing these one-track-mind investment ‘gurus’ lecturing you that gold is not an investment because its money, just as they are always spouting off about your house not being an investment because its your home. What utter nonsense. money can be an investment, and as you know, many property owners were fortunate enough to sell their houses in the boom and downsize or move to a less expensive area. If that was not an investment, I don’t know what was.
The rationale for saying gold is not an investment is the claim that gold is money. Yes, I won’t disagree with that….. but if you’re holding a piece of ‘money’ which has purchasing power increasing over time, that just has to be a good investment. You can look at it another way as well. The cash in your pocket or bank account is losing its purchasing power, while gold and silver are increasing theirs and buying you more goods. If gold is money, this money is increasing in value.
Even money can be viewed as an investment. Take the last 10 years in the Japanese economy. People in such a deflationary environment tend to save just when the economy needs them to spend. And the reason they save is because their money is increasing its purchasing power when deflation reigns. They believe holding on to their money gives them more purchasing power when they need it.
To be honest I’m not going to get pedantic about whether the gold we hold is money or an investment. For the past 10 years gold has increased in value against all currencies. Perhaps we could call it a liquid investment
The other determinant of whether gold is money or an investment, is how you, the owner of the gold, looks at it. Do you keep that gold bar under your bed or in the bank vault with a view to selling it when the price of gold doubles, or have you bought it as insurance to keep you alive when the currencies collapse and there are riots in the streets? How you view your gold holding determines what it is to you.
Just to carry the analysis a bit further. You may hold 2 bars of gold, one to sell when the price shoots up, and one to keep in case of emergencies. This would mean you were holding an investment and an insurance policy.
However you view your gold, it looks as if we are approaching another buying opportunity in gold and silver. Right now the gold price is just a fraction below the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement line. If gold continues to fall on Monday it could end up at $1230 or if it retraces down to the 50% level could end up around $1270 before reversing the short-term downward trend. Either of these levels are good points to start accumulating your gold holding/investment! Gold Report…
Sheen of the Yellow Metal
Sheen of the Yellow Metal
Gold needs no introduction – a cherished commodity and preferred investment, especially in turbulent times. It is more of a long term value proposition, rather than a short term profit making tool. Since, the global economy hit a roadblock in late 2007, gold has seen a surge in demand as an alternative investment channel. Over a decade spanning from 1999 to 2008, gold yielded approximately 235% – 240% of returns! However, the shorter term stocks markets may appear glossier, yielding quick returns on the back of frenzied activities and economic boom. The same markets are most volatile and often ‘sentimental.’ Fairly matured stock markets readily mirror fundamental strength of the economy, yet react to news and often, half-baked information, at the blink of the eye. Gold, however, is more stable in terms of returns, more so because its demand does not nosedive to naught, at any point of time. It is not only an investment, rather a traditional precious metal for various cultures across the globe.
For instance, Middle Eastern Countries, Indian Subcontinent, and Eastern Asia seek gold for its religious value, more than its investment value. Overall, Middle East is the biggest consumer of gold, followed by Asia. Indeed, gold prices fluctuate like any other commodity – sometimes skyrocketing and sometimes supporting at moderate levels, yet, it ensures much better returns in the turbulent times. In fact, in a shaky economy, where stocks slide, currency looses value, and businesses shy away from expansion, gold prices run high as it provides a safer haven to the hard earned money of investors.
Determinants of Gold Price
* Demand
The demand for gold has seasonality because it finds traditional and religious use, apart from investments. Predictably, the demand is higher during festival seasons, including marriage seasons. According, to the World Gold Council, the demand for gold is highest in the last quarter of the year, due to the simultaneous peak season in various regions.
* Rate of the US Dollar
The benchmark gold price is denominated in terms of US Dollars and therefore, is inversely proportional to the prevailing Dollar rate.
* Government Transactions
According to an estimate, the Central Banks world over, have almost 20% of the mined gold in their reserves. These banks adopt measures for regulating gold prices, similar to those used for inflation control. This affects domestic prices.
* Alternative Investment
Gold has ever been an effective alternative investment and protection against a bumpy economy, due to the stability of its returns. Therefore, it gains momentum in recessionary times.…
Home Buying Tips – Understanding How to Buy A House To Flip For A Profit
Home Buying Tips – Understanding How to Buy A House To Flip For A Profit
Here are some steps and tips you will want to follow in order to avoid common mistakes most investors make when buying a house to flip. Remember it’s all about the numbers!
1. When flipping a house, the goal is to make money! The money you make from the house is made when you actually buy the property and you cash the check when you sell. Therefore, each part is very important!
2. Be sure to see the inside of the home – This is the step that you can not AFFORD to skip. When writing a contract on the property, it is imperative to write in an inspection period for as long the seller can stand, that way if something goes wrong you are protected.
3. Outsource the work: – Your job as an investor is to analyze deals and figure out your exit strategy to make a profit. You should delegate all other work to your team so you have more time to do the highest priority activities that generate the most cash!
4. Market Value Rule: This rule is simple. When flipping a house, it is important to place the house for sale 1-2 percent below the market value. Don’t be greed or fearful, simply have a mindset that you want to help people out, instead of “what’s in it for me.” You always make more money this way and when a problem or delay arises you are ready.
5. Have an agent – A good agent that is investor friendly can be hard to come by but once you find that perfect one you will see it is worth more than gold! The resources that agents have available to them are great, be sure to treat your agent well and your golden! You are an investor; DO NOT try to sell your own house. Use your time to find other houses to invest in. Allow your agent to take care of all the details around the selling of the house.
Keep these steps in mind as you look to flip properties for a profit and you will be successful. The most important thing is mindset, no matter what is around you always believe that you will make a profit. The profit might not necessarily be in monetary form but as you gain experience you will realize things that will help you in the future. Build a great team and relationships and trust me there is no way to fail!…
Best Investment Opportunity Today
Best Investment Opportunity Today
The best investment opportunity for 2012 and 2013 could be stocks, but any bond investment is suspect at best. With even the best safe investments paying zip it’s important to look for investment opportunity elsewhere. How about an investment in real estate that requires no time, effort or management on the investor’s part?
Real estate is the best investment opportunity for 2012, 2013 and going forward because it’s selling cheap. Interest rates are at historical lows, which is also great for investors buying properties. Record low rates are very BAD for bond investors, because bonds pay a fixed interest rate. In fact, when rates do go up – bond and bond fund investors WILL lose money as bond prices (values) fall. That’s the way bonds work.
As an investment opportunity stocks and stock funds are the wild card. Stocks could go up in value as bonds fall: that’s the way it has worked for many years now. But stocks are not cheap… having doubled in value between early 2009 and early 2012. Gold is not cheap either, having been on an up trend for more than 10 years. This leaves real estate as the best major investment opportunity available to the average investor.
Opportunity in real estate is everywhere in the USA for 2012 and 2013. The problem with investment here for the average person: management and a lack of liquidity. Someone has to deal with the day to day operations; and you can’t buy, rent and sell a property investment quickly and easily without significant costs. Or, can you?
The best investment opportunity is staring you right in the face if you know where to look, and it’s designed to solve these problems for the average investor: real estate stock mutual funds. These are the best investment opportunity for the average person who wants a piece of the action in his or her portfolio. No active management is required on the investor’s part, and you can buy today and sell a day later if you want to.
Professional portfolio managers make the investment decisions for you.
If you know which mutual fund companies to invest with your real estate mutual fund investment can also be a BEST BUY. No charge to buy or sell, with less than 1% a year going to pay for management expenses. That’s why I call these funds your best real estate investment opportunity for 2012 and 2013 and beyond. These funds hold equity (stocks) in companies that invest in the likes of office buildings, other rental properties, shopping malls, and home builders.
When you consider your choices, real estate stands out as the best investment opportunity going forward. Your best way to invest is in no-load mutual funds that specialize by holding investment trusts that own commercial properties diversified across the USA. To find your best deal search for “no-load real estate mutual funds” on the internet.…
Triple Diamond, Solitaire, Or Non-Traditional – How to Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring
Triple Diamond, Solitaire, Or Non-Traditional – How to Choose the Perfect Engagement Ring
Solitaire – Classic And Timeless
Many people immediately think of the solitaire when they think of an engagement ring. These rings use one single stone on a simple band. The stones can be nearly any size or cut, such as round, princess, trilliant, marquis, pear and heart. However, the most traditional and classic version is a round brilliant diamond on a gold or platinum band. If you want a little more sparkle, consider a wedding band or wrap with diamonds or other gemstones.
Solitaires come in a wide range of price points so there’s sure to be a ring for any budget. Smaller diamonds that aren’t graded or certified by the Gemological Institute of America will be less expensive, but can still have the same sparkle and fire.
Triple Diamond Rings Renew Your Love’s Energy
Triple diamond rings are gaining popularity as more and more couples want the energy and sparkle that comes from multiple stones. These rings typically have one larger center stone that’s flanked by two smaller stones. The diamonds can be all the same cut, but the newest trend is to use different cuts for the two smaller stones. Popular rings can have a princess cut center stone flanked by two trilliant stones or a round center stones flanked by two pear shaped stones.
These rings can be set in white gold, yellow gold or platinum. If you choose gold, it’s a good idea to make sure the stones’ prongs are platinum since platinum is stronger and will handle everyday stress and wear better.
Nontraditional Rings Show Off Your Individual Style
Although diamond engagement rings are the most common, a ring doesn’t have to contain a diamond. Some women prefer to show off their style and individuality with a colored gemstone such as a ruby, emerald, sapphire or other stone. Some of these rings take their styling from the triple diamond rings, but use a center diamond and two colored gemstones to show off the center stone’s energy more effectively.
There’s no right or wrong way to wear or give an engagement ring, as long as your proposal comes from your heart. Your choices are limited only by your budget and your personal style, so don’t be afraid to shop around – after all, this is a ring you will both look at for the rest of your lives. Whether you’re looking for a solitaire, a triple diamond or an nontraditional ring, you can be sure she’ll say yes if you find one that matches your future bride’s personality and energy.…
5 Tips For Investing in Apartment Complexes
5 Tips For Investing in Apartment Complexes
If you are looking to get started investing in apartment complexes, you are in good company. Many investors before you have built great wealth by investing in multifamily properties – and you can too.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
#1 Start With Your Investment Goals First.
“Begin with the end in mind.” Many investors make the mistake of going out and looking at properties, and buying “just to buy”. I can understand their excitement about getting started investing in apartment buildings, but the best way to start is to identify your financial goals first.
What do you want your financial picture to look like in 1, 3, 5, and 10 years? What kind of net worth do you want to have? How much cash flow? Which is more important to you – cash flow today or large gains 5 years from now from turning around a property?
The most important thing here is to be realistic. While it is true you can make big gains investing in apartment buildings, be sure that you are being realistic in your goals.
#2 Determine Your Property Criteria.
This is somewhat tied to, yet driven by #1. Begin by answering some basic questions.
Will you be an Active Investor or a Passive Investor? Do you want to manage the property, or have it professionally managed?
Are you looking to form or possibly join an investment partnership to purchase a larger property? Or perhaps you would rather purchase a smaller property, such as a duplex or 4-plex in your own area. Again, there is no right or wrong answer, as long as you are true to yourself and how much time you have to be involved with the investment.
#3 Get Some Basic Education.
Whether you are going to join an investment group and let someone else “hold the reigns” or do thing on your own, start with some basic education.
Invest in yourself first.
There are plenty of good courses and books on investing in apartments and commercial real estate. The worst thing you can do is buy some and never remove the shrink wrap. Take the time and effort needed to study, but know that the learning never stops. You will learn from each and every deal you close.
#4 Take Action.
“Go forth in spite of your fears.” Look we are all a little bit nervous starting out in any new venture. In fact, it can be very exciting – but do not let that stop you.
Take the time to go through #1-3 above, but also take action.
Don’t get bogged down in studying or over-analyzing. Once you have studied a little bit and are working with either an investment partner or broker, you will start to pick up on things. So take action after some time, and get your feet wet on a smaller project or a smaller investment with a group.
#5 Keep Going.
Once you get started, keep going. No one ever got rich off a single duplex or one investment partnership. It is the combined efforts of moving forward on a number of projects that will build your wealth over time.
These are just the basic steps in getting going. By no means can I cover everything you need here. However, if you get started in this order, you will be headed in the right direction. Start out with your financial goals first. Have fun with it and keep moving forward.…
Infinity Downline – Review
Infinity Downline – Review
What is Infinity Downline all about? Are the products in demand? Are the compensation claims realistic? What are the drawbacks?
Infinity Downline is a business opportunity designed to attract those people who want to get into business for a very small investment and still have a chance to make a reasonable amount of extra money every month. It’s a very new program, started in early 2009, which always raises questions about longevity. It’s a bit difficult to determine how the administrators of the program are making their money. Remember that they must make money, too, or the opportunity could fail. The product line, all digital, seems very reasonable for the price.
The products are audio and video teaching and instructional sessions for almost anything you can think of with respect to working with a computer, on the computer, or on the internet. If you have some ability to get on-line, and you want to focus on this opportunity to make money, you’ll want to concentrate on the sessions devoted to marketing on-line.
I don’t think the compensation claims for Infinity Downline are overblown compared to the investment. The investment is $25 a month. The fact that you get a 100% return on that investment with you first recruit means that you are in the black as soon as that occurs. However, you need to acquire a significant number of people to make a really good income. That is done not only by you but also because each of the recruits that you keep (The 2nd and 4th are passed up.) also have to give you 2 recruits to be qualified.
The biggest drawback is recruiting. Once you run out of family and friends, either the 3 foot rule comes into play, or you better learn how to market. My suggestion is to learn how to use the internet for that. You don’t really care whether the person you recruit lives next door or half-way around the world, do you? So, whether you decide to go with this program or something else entirely, I have to recommend you concentrate on internet marketing.…