The Coming Explosion of Home Healthcare

As the parents of Baby Boomers enter their golden years, the average age of the population in the US is quickly rising. The statistics show that the senior population will steadily grow over the next few decades, and reach 80 million by the year 2050, as all of the Baby Boomers themselves reach senior status. According to recent data, 82% of people said that they would prefer to stay in their homes as long as possible, much preferred over the other options of hospitalization or living in a retirement community. However, it has become impossible for many working families to provide the adequate care that their elderly loved ones need in the home. This has created remarkable interest and growing demand during the decade in home healthcare for seniors.

Of course, there are many considerations involved with both your patients and also their loved ones when choosing between a nursing home and home health care. These concerns can be based upon the seriousness of the condition, and how much care is needed for the affected individual. But a facility is often not necessary, and in-home care allows these senior citizens to maintain their independence and peace of mind in the comfort of their own home, with less expense, a critical component of reducing the cost of healthcare in this country. Home care also has better patient outcomes and quality of life on average than other options.

As the home healthcare option becomes more mainstream, the number of questions that are popping up within families are also growing. One of the most common myths of home healthcare is if the family is already helping, there's no need for additional care. However, people who are physically or emotionally exhausted or guilt-ridden because of their own shortcomings simply cannot provide the best care. According to the research provided by the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, family caregivers should neither expect nor try to be "on-call" 24 hours a day. Every caregiver needs respite and periods of relief.

Another belief is that if the senior can't do their own shopping or housework, they simply shouldn't do these activities anymore. Everyday tasks, like dishes, vacuuming or rearranging the basement or cleaning the garage, can be quite tedious for a senior with arthritis for example. Basics, such as organizing a closet, can be extremely exhausting for a cancer patient. These tasks are never ending and, if they become more difficult during post-op, or due to treatment or age-related conditions, they can take precious time away from patients in an already very busy schedule. But completion of these tasks is necessary for a high quality of life for your patients. When even the most basic daily tasks become overwhelming, or loved ones just need a helping hand, a qualified care provider is the best option to step in and help.

Another myth is that until the senior knows what services they need, they shouldn't consider in-home assistance. But patients don't need to know what care they need up front, that's what qualified homecare professionals are for. Any reputable agency will perform a needs assessment, that will ensure the patient's needs are accounted for and the attending Doctor's Plan of Care is followed. Waiting until needs are quite obvious to all is not usually a recommended path.

Seniors may also be reticent to invite a stranger into their home. Safety is always a legitimate concern for seniors, especially considering the relatively rare but highly sensationalized stories that highlight patient abuse or breaches of trust. From a security standpoint, when you deal with well qualified care staff, from a reputable agency, this can help provide the peace of mind that patients and families need when arranging help in the home setting.

From a medical/patient outcomes standpoint, various studies show that in home care can be safer than the alternatives, and not only because of the one-on-one care. One recent study indicated that about half of infections could be linked directly to hospital care. Another study reported that, given they are seeking the appropriate treatment for their condition, patients with chronic heart disease fare much better at home compared to the hospital. And, ultimately, remaining home can be less stressful because it is familiar, which fosters a sense of comfort and calmness for your patients.

There comes a time for most ailing seniors to decide if they want home care or want to be in a nursing home. When factoring in the many benefits of staying in their own homes, added with the stress and apprehension of moving to a new home or facility (difficult at ANY age), it's easy to understand the exploding demand for home healthcare.

Noel Picard is with Med Plus Healthcare, a firm that offers home healthcare solutions in the St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois regions. You can learn more about the sometimes confusing world of home health, visit their website at medplushc.com medplushc.com.

Noel Picard is a trendspotter within the in-home care field for Med Plus Healthcare, a firm that offers home healthcare solutions in the St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois regions. You can learn more about the sometimes confusing world of home health, visit their website at medplushc.com medplushc.com.

Mortgage Refinancing: How to Refinance with Bad Credit

Bad credit can happen to anyone in any situation. If you fall behind on your credit card payments and start missing payments your credit will suffer. When it comes time to refinance your mortgage all of these late payments will have a negative impact on the mortgage you will qualify for. Here are tips to help you clean up your credit and qualify for a better mortgage.

The state of your credit will influence your reasons for refinancing. You may be refinancing your mortgage to lower your monthly payment. You can accomplish this by qualifying for a better interest rate or choosing a mortgage with a longer term length. Another reason for refinancing your mortgage is to improve your credit by consolidating debts. You can refinance your mortgage with cash back from your home's equity to pay off your higher interest debt. Consolidating your bills will help you take control of your budget and catch up on your bills.

Before you refinance your mortgage for any reason you need to take stock of your credit and improve your credit score as much as possible. Your credit score is derived from your credit records. Credit records are maintained by three credit agencies; these records are often prone to errors. Request copies of your credit records from each of these three agencies and carefully scrutinize them for errors. If you find errors you will need to dispute the error prior to applying for a mortgage.

After you are certain your credit records are accurate, request your credit score. Your credit score is often referred to as a FICO score, named for the company that calculates it. Your credit score is determined by a number of factors in your credit records. These factors include your history of debt repayment and how much debt you have. You can improve your credit score by paying down the balances on your credit cards and ensuring all of your payments are made on time.

You can learn more about qualifying for the best mortgage while avoiding common mistakes by registering for a free mortgage guidebook.

To get your free mortgage guidebook visit RefiAdvisor.com using the link below.

Louie Latour specializes in showing homeowners how to avoid common mortgage mistakes and predatory lenders. For a free copy of "refiadvisor.com Mortgage Refinancing: What You Need to Know," which teaches strategies to find the best mortgage and save thousands of dollars in the process, visit Refiadvisor.com.

Claim your free guidebook today at: refiadvisor.com refiadvisor.com

refiadvisor.com/pblog refinancing for dummies

Making Homes Affordable - A Lifeline to Help People Stay in Their Homes

In the last few years the financial market has fallen drastically, affecting people from all walks of life. Home values have plunged to record lows. Foreclosures all across the nation rise and continue to do so at alarming rates. Although loan modifications have been around for many years, only in recent times have people been getting help from making homes affordable program.

A loan modification adjusts the terms of a mortgage to provide homeowners a payment that they can afford. This is usually accomplished by lowering rates on the loan. Extending the loan term for a longer period of time can also lower loan payments.

In 2009 The United States government, under President Obama, devised a plan to help homeowners avoid foreclosure on their homes. It is called the making homes affordable plan and the idea behind it is to strongly encourage mortgage lenders to reduce interest rates on homeowner loans by offering incentives for doing so. Several banks and lending institutions have cooperated with this plan, which has led to many homeowners being able to retain their homes.

With rising concern that foreclosure is a possibility, homeowners have looked into loan modifications for help. Some homeowners work directly with their current lender while others have to look for a mortgage lender willing to offer them a loan modification bailout.

The stress of their housing situation can make it hard to do the extensive work involved in securing a lender willing to offer this option. There are, however, agencies that will search on behalf of the homeowner, find a willing lender, and then help to negotiate the terms of the loan modification. The costs for these services vary by agency and region.

While it may cost money to retain a loan modification specialist, most people find that the results far outweigh the costs, especially if it saves their home. Naturally, extensive research should preclude agreeing to pay a company to advocate for your loan modification. Choosing the wrong company can result in the loss of your greatest investment, your home.

However, if after careful research, including personally speaking with others who have had success with the company, a homeowner may decide this is the best route. The best case scenario would result in lower payments, retaining your place of residence and more peace of mind to the homeowner with the making homes affordable program

If any homeowner is unable to make mortgage payments, it is imperative to take some type of action immediately. Time is of the essence in these situations, so making a plan should be the first priority. If your home is at risk get help and prevent foreclosure.

Here is the best place for a freecreditreportondemand.com Loan modification bailout just freecreditreportondemand.com click here to get help now

A Complete Guide to Investing in Commercial Property

First thing's first... Capital!

You can finance your first investment property if you have the credit, but as a rule of thumb, I prefer to pay cash for all my real estate investments. This way I can hold onto the investment until the time is right and guarantee myself the ROI that I am looking for. If you choose to purchase your investment property through financing you must be ready to do the job and do it fast. Financing only works in a situation where you can flip the house for at least cost plus fees to avoid interest payments cutting into your profits. Also you must consider that anytime you finance, you will have payments. Granted a year's worth of payments will total much less than if you purchased the property with cash, you will need to have a guaranteed cash flow and emergency fund that can cover the payments until you are able to cash in on your investment. Sometime it can take months or even years.

The second thing you need is value.

Know your market and know your product. I fortunately have a good close friend who is a realtor. She can look up comparable homes that recently sold and let me know what features they had, what problems they had, how long it was on the market, and how much it finally sold for.

I comb realtor.com, and keep an eye out for auctions or homes that are "for sale by owner." When I see one that I think could be listed at a great value (10,000 under market is my minimum to even consider the place) I call up my realtor, tell her the address and tell her to pull up some comparables. She first searches for homes with just similar square footage, lot size, rooms, bathrooms, parking, and location. This usually gives me a great idea of what I could get for the house as is.

If the value is still there I'll go in and check the place out. I'm looking for easy updates and problems. Problems cost money, updates make money. So I like to find a place that doesn't need much work to be in good condition but has things like, outdated cabinets, carpet over a good hardwood floor, outdated bathrooms, and little cosmetic problems. These are the things that give you opportunity to make money. If you update bathrooms and kitchens, and lather on some new paint, replace carpet, or better yet buff some hard wood floors, you'll make you investment back ten fold.

If I don't see anything major, I'll look through my comparables for things that I plan to do to the house. For instance, which comparables had hard wood floors, which ones had updated kitchens or bathrooms? Add all these things together and you get a great feel for what you can sell the house for. But remember to be realistic!

I like to think that I'm giving a family a good deal. I'm taking a POS and turning it into the American Dream! I don't want to rip anyone off, but I do want to turn a profit.

If I feel that I can do this job I'll put in an offer and bring in an inspector. If the inspector finds problems like, the AC doesn't work, the heat won't run, electrical problems, mold, plumbing problems, ect, these are all problems that will eat away at your time and profit. As such, I make sure the seller will cover the cost of these problems or have them fixed themselves. If they won't, I walk away, unless the house is such a great value that I can fix the problems myself and still make a boat load of cash.

The next thing is the updates.

Vanilla is the flavor of choice. You don't want to do anything that expresses you because, well, you aren't going to live there! Watch the show "Income Property" on HGTV. Now you have the options here of doing your own updates or hiring someone. DIY has one BIG pro and many cons. The pro is that you save $$$ the con is that, it takes a long time to do, you often have to re-do thing since you'll likely do them incorrectly every once in a while, and it is an overall pain in the butt.

I have a friend who is a fire fighter and owns his own general contracting business. He works one day on at the station and two days off. I employ him for those two days. He knows me and knows what I'm trying to do. I need things done right the first time, I need it to look good, function properly, and be cheap as possible. He knows me by now and honestly we do a lot of our renovations identical to the others. Same paint color on all the walls in the house "eggshell", same cabinets in the bathrooms and kitchens "mocha", same countertop and sinks if need be, same toilets, bathtubs, ect. We only make minor changes if for instance kitchen has existing tile that is good, we buy cabinets to match it, or sometimes just paint the cabinets and install new hardware makes the place look brand new. The name of the game here is to make the place look good and function properly. Don't go overboard, if the cabinets work but are dated, just paint them and put on some hardware, or if the bathroom is in good shape, just put some trim around the mirror, replace the fixtures and paint the walls, it'll look brand new and cost a hundred bucks...but make you thousands!

Another piece of advice here is know your market!

Drive around and see how the others in the neighborhood live. People like to be around people like them, so whoever buys your home, will likely be just like the others in that area. Here is a mistake I once made. I though a house I had lacked curb appeal. So I installed a sprinkler system and planted new grass seed in the yard. I fertilized and by summer the house had curb appeal galore! I even got more inquiries about the house. But I lost money on the investment. It turns out a nice yard wasn't something the people in the area cared for. If I had just drove around the block I would have noticed that most people had multiple cars and their houses, like the one I was selling, had an enclosed garage and small drive way. Many of the people in the area parked in their yards!!! So here I was mowing every week and paying a big water bill and it turns out my buyers were just going to neglect it and park on it! Don't make mistakes like this! If the other houses in the area have really nice lawns and yours is bad, then update it because people will drive through the neighborhood and then pull up to your neglected yard and thing the house is neglected. I saw a house be bought for $ 158,000 and then the people were relocated due to work and had to leave right away. They turned the water off to save money and the yard went down hill. The listings sat for months and finally closed for $ 125,000! The yard was scaring people off because the house was in a nice neighborhood where people took care of their yards. But if the other yards suck, then your listing will fit in and look fine. Know your market and know your area well. You want to make you house function just like the others on the block, but be nicer than the rest. Now lets discuss selling the property.

Flip or Finance?

This mostly depends on where you are in the game. If you are just starting out with commercial property you are going to need capital and large cash flows. If this is you, I'd flip the thing.

You can choose to hire an agent or go it alone. Most agent's will charge a commission of 3-6%. If you are listing your commercial property for $100,000, this means the agent would get up to $6,000. Consider this against your profit. The advantage to having an agent is they can get your place sold quicker than you can in most instances. If it takes you agent 1 month to sell you place and would take you 4 months, you've effectively opened up capital for another 3 month long flip project. In this instance you can sell 2 homes in the time it would take you to sell 1. So if you're profiting $20,000 per home you could make $20,000 on 1 home selling it by yourself, or $28,000 selling 2 homes through and agent. [($20,000 x 2)-($6,000x2)]

The choice is yours. It depends mostly on your market. If houses are selling fast in your area, you've got a good chance of selling yours by yourself. If times are slow, use an agent. That's my approach.

What if this is your 10th commercial property investment? You might want to start thinking about owner finance. Now there are loop holes to jump through, especially since congress just passed new legislation that effects the credit markets. This is why I recommend starting owner finance after your 10th or so flip.

If you are making $ 20,000 profit per flip, you should have roughly $200,000 cash to work with plus your initial working capital. This can buy you 4 homes that cost a total of $50,000 to buy and fix. Using your previous formula for valuing homes, you'd estimate that these homes can be sold for $ 70,000 each. Now I'll get into the number so get ready to follow me here.

You sell each home for $ 70,000 at 9.5% interest (my current default rate) plus require $10,000 down.

After you complete the sell of each home, you'll have $40,000 to invest in another commercial property. Additionally, you'll be receiving payments of $500 per month per house. (actually around 504 but lets stick to 500) This means you receive $2,000 per month from your financing activities.

Remember you still have your initial working capital that you've been reinvesting into each home. So take that money and your $40,000 from down money, plus your $ 2,000 per month and start the cycle over again and start flipping houses. I'd save the $2,000 per month plus money you make on any of your flips for a year. If you can flip each commercial property investment in 3 months, making $20,000 each, you could have $184,000 at the end of the year. ( Use your $40,000 from the down money to start flipping and use your initial capital to start flipping too. This way you're flipping 2 at a time. Add in $24,000 from mortgages people are paying you.)

Now buy and finance 4 homes again. Just do this every year if you can add $24,000 to your per year income until you're happy with your level and then retire. In 5 years you can be making $120,000 per year and retire.

Just remember that properties get paid off and loans mature after 30 year.

By applying these principals, I've grown my commercial property investment company into a company bringing in $250,000 per month in revenue.

Renting

Renting can be a great way to;

Decrease your mortgage

Increase your "fun money"

And Pay for a Vacation Home!

But what do you need to consider before jumping into the Landlord game?

The first thing I would think about is location. Can your property make a large amount of money per month or are you better off just flipping the property?

Homes in college towns, vacation destinations, and towns with very low rental inventory are ideal for becoming a landlord!

Things to consider before renting

There are many things that make renting a pain in the butt. That is why I tend to flip or finance my investment properties. But every now and then there is a piece of commercial property you just have to rent out. If that is the case I suggest you prepare yourself via classes or seminars. I can not go into enough detail on the liabilities you as a landlord hold. You will first need to check with your state to see what all the regulations are. For instance, you may want a certain type of person to rent your space, say a middle age single mother with jr or high school children. These types of tenants are usually good at paying and they treat the home with respect. But in some states, you can not choose your tenants. If they meet the financial and background requirements, you are obligated to rent the property to them. This could lead to a college kid renting the other half of your duplex and keeping strange hours, being loud, and not taking great care of the place. This is just a heads up on some of the headaches that come with Rentals! So once again, you should visit and attorney or attend seminars within your state before deciding to rent out your property

Here is the good news. When I do rent a place I usually make back my investment in 24 months or less! I'm not talking about the total purchase price of the place, but I do make back the cost of any renovations within 2 years. From that point on the payments go straight toward paying me back for the property. Within 10 years every rental property you own or rent out should be paid for and the next 50 years are pure profit.

But as a landlord you are responsible for all the little fix-its that need to be cared for. As such, I find that you need to put about 10% of all the payments into a fund strictly for maintaining the property. Sometimes you don't need as much, other times you need more. A lot depends on your tenant.

If you are renting out another part of your home to offset your mortgage, do not rely on the payments coming from your tenant. They are often late and some times don't pay at all. Then you have to evict them and next thing you know, you haven't made a dime from your property in 3 months! My point is, pay your payments out of your own pocket and save the payments from your tenant until you have at least 1 years worth of rent saved up. This should make up for any improvements you have to make as well as any times of vacancy.

If you are renting a vacation home, congratulations!

I think this is one of the best ways to rent. I have a place on Balboa Island in California that I rent out every year. What you have to consider here is;

1. how much can you get in rent

2. what are your payments going to be

3. how involved do you want to be

I have to fly to California to go to my vacation home so I can't be the person checking on things and cleaning after people leave. I can't show them the place before they rent it for the weekend or police them while they're there. So I hired an agency that does it all for me. The great part is that they do the contracts and get the deposits and clean and police and everything! I have to rent my place out about 17 weeks out of the year. And I have to rent it out during the peak summer months. If I do this, I can pay my payments on the house, pay my rental agency, and I have a cool place to hang out 35 weeks out of the year! This is an ideal vacation rental home.

So please consider that if you live close by you can save money by not having an agency do the renting, but you will have to form a contract, do repairs, clean after every guest, a way to accept credit cards and place a security hold, market your property and police the people renting your vacation home. For instance, I once had a rental that was supposed to have no more than 12 people in it. I drove by and sure enough there was a party going on! It must have been at least 45 people there. But because it wasn't in the contract that they would be evicted if they had more than a set number, I couldn't do anything about it!

My advice is to look for a property in a place you'd like to hang out. Check with local agents to get a good idea of how often you could rent it and for what price. Then decide if you can afford an agency or if you have to do it all yourself. This way you get a "free" vacation home!

Bob Upton - The Hacked Life

How the Conventional Way of a Quick Sale Works

You can get a quick sale of your property by working with a good conventional process. This is something that can help you out with regards to getting your home to be taken care of without having to worry about having your home on the market for an extended period of time.

First you will need to take a look at the demand that is involved for your property. It helps to see what demands are available for properties that are similar to yours while looking at details with regards to how much it would cost to get a property that is similar to what you have. This is so you can get a good measurement with regards to what you should be getting.

After this is done you will need to look into getting an estate agent that will be able to assist you in the quick sale process. Checking with various individual agents in your area can be a very helpful thing to do.

Your home will then need to be properly valued. You should be able to get this handled through an agent's services. It will be best to work with a number of different agents so that you can get many quotes with regards to how much your property is worth. Taking this information against what you got out of your comparisons with other similar properties can be very helpful.

After you figure out the cost you can get an idea with regards to how you should value the property that you have. With this you can figure out a price that is appropriate for your property while being able to help you out with getting the property sold at a quick rate.

Next you should be able to focus on one individual estate agent. You should be sure that you are looking into the data that an agent gives you with regards to the contract that you are getting into. After all, you should make sure that the agent has a good agreement to where you can work with someone else after a certain period of time in the event that you are not able to work getting your home sold with that agent in a quick period of time. When you agree to work with an agent you should sign the agency agreement that the group is offering.

Be sure to also check out the solicitor that you are working with for the transaction. The solicitor should be one that you find on your own because of how solicitors that are recommended by agents can charge extra due to referral fees.

As you work with your agent you should get an HIP, or Home Information Pack, ready for your needs. This pack should include details with regards to inspections on your home, lease info and energy performance data.

Steven Martin is a FSA interim authorised provider of sell and rent back and also provides quickpurchase.co.uk/content/quick-property-sale Quick property sale. He works at quickpurchase.co.uk quickpurchase.co.uk.

Cure Acne in Nature This Summer Without Cancer Fears

Finally, some good news for sun worshipers. Researchers at the Harvard-affiliated Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston provided reasons to be less paranoid about tanning. In an upcoming edition of the Harvard Health Letter, investigators clarified that a suntan is the body's best effort to fend off the known cancerous effects of ultraviolet (UV) light, not a mere symbol irreparable skin damage.

As ultraviolet light penetrates the skin, it mutates DNA. This mini mutation helps create that sun kissed look that no tan-in-a-tube can emulate. While this is good news for seasonal beach bums, it's spectacular news for acne sufferers.

For years, sunbathing has served as an anecdotal cure for acne. But who wants to treat acne with sunshine if this therapy could cause skin cancer years later? Now that medical insights reveal sunbathing with an 45 SFP sunscreen significantly reduces cancer risk, acne sufferers can enjoy a free solar acne treatment, minus the cancer threat.

Using the Sun as an Acne Treatment

Acne lesions can form from a motley of bodily processes including hormonal fluctuations, dietary allergies, improper skin shedding and an encumbered immune system.

When acne pustules grow into large, inflamed and painful lesions, it's because agents called Langerhans cells are responding to the irritating oils, hairs and debris trapped within the developing pimple.

Yet something unorthodox happens when you put a pimple in the sun. The bacterium know as Propionibacterium acnes, which is readily implicated in provoking acne, produces an inflammation taming agent called porphyrin. These porphyrins can in reduce the presence of Langerhans cells in the skin. With fewer Langerhans cells circulating, an inflammatory response becomes less likely, as does the chances of experiencing acne lesions.

No doubt, skipping the sunscreen will leave you to inherit skin that looks like a dried up river. But when combined with adequate protection, the sun transforms into serious happinesslifetime.com skin care capable of healing a body ravaged by acne.

Here's how to implement your own day-the-sun natural acne treatment:

1. Buy a non-pore clogging (noncomedogenic) sunscreen with at least an SPF of 45.

2. Apply the sunscreen according the manufacturer's instructions, which usually means applying the lotion 20 minutes prior to sun exposure.

3. Use the Environmental Protection Agency's website to check the UV Index in your area and ensure that you won't get seared on your tanning day.

4. Enjoy the sun and watching those zits dissipate.

5. After sunning, soothe your skin with an aloe vera gel.

Sources:

Harvard Health Publications. Could a Suntan be Protective? Newswise, July 13, 2007.

Hayami, Junji; Hiroyuki Okamoto, Akira Sugihara & Takeshi Horio. Immunosuppressive effects of photodynamic therapy by topical aminolevulinic acid. The Journal of Dermatology, May 2007; vol 34, no 5, pp 320-327.

Naweko Nicole Dial San-Joyz founded Noixia, a San Diego based research firm dedicated to helping people intelligently, safely and affordably enhance their image by offering custom skin solutions to people with acne scars [Noixia.com] on the face and body. San-Joyz She has appeared on radio stations, in newspapers and on TV shows across the United States promoting beauty through health consciousness. Anyone seeking to enhance their image and remove acne scarring [Noixia.com] can find custom, clinically proven solutions at Noixia.com.

First Time Home Buyer Grants - What are They and How do They Work?

For many, finding first time home buyer grants is one of the biggest hurdles to jump. When you create a new mortgage, the new Loan to Value (LTV) is decided by the amount of down payment you put into the transaction.

On this page we want to explore grants and down payment assistance programs (DPA). You need to know what they are and how they work. When it comes to help with down payments, there are 2 basic kinds. First time home buyer grants are different than down payment assistance programs (DPA).

Home Buyer Grants Explained

When you think of first time home buyer grants, you naturally assume that it represents a gift or some form of charity. In a sense that is true. However, first time home buyer grants come with a little catch. In most cases (not all) there are certain limitations on grants for first time home buyers.

For example, some local agencies may be the source of the grant. What they do is put up your down payment money and then require you to pay it back when you sell your home regardless of how long you live there. Others may have time limits on how long you can live in the home. Some have 5-7 years and the grant for first time home buyers is forgiven and you never have to pay it back.

I've seen cases where the local agency used the Federal Funds and then matches them with some of their own funds. For example, the Federal Grant may be for $5,000. Then the local non-profit may match with another $2,500 for the total of a $7,500 grant. Now that's a nice gift!! In most cases it can take care of the new home buyer's down payment money depending on the price of the house.

There are so many different agencies both Federal and State that have first time home buyer grants that space will not allow us to elaborate in this article without putting you to sleep. To learn more about first time home buyer grants visit my website using the link below. At the site can find out what might be available for first time home buyers in your state.

The American Dream Downpayment Assistance Act authorizes up to $200 million annually for fiscal years 2004 - 2007. ADDI will provide funds to all fifty states and to local participating jurisdictions that have a population of at least 150,000 or will receive an allocation of at least $50,000 under the ADDI formula. ADDI will be administered as a part of the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, a formula grant program.

Down Payment Assistance Explained

Down Payment Assistance programs work a little differently. Again there are many of these agencies out there that service the entire United States. They are charities themselves. They will put the down payment on the closing table for you, however the seller will need to make a charitable contribution equal to your down payment amount plus an administration fee.

This is really not a grant for first time home buyers. You need to look at it this way. You borrow the down payment money from the lender, then give it to the seller so he can make the gift to the charity. Since this is what's called a non-interested third party in the transaction, that's what makes this legal. I call it a legal way to launder money. The lenders know how this works and as long as their guidelines allow first time home buyer grants then everything is alright.

However, the DPA programs actually are not as good as the grants because you are buying a house with NO MONEY DOWN and you'll close on the house with no equity. At least with a grant, you have some equity when you close and may not have to pay it back.

First time home buyer grants are much harder to find and may not be available in every community. You'll need to search your local charities and government agencies to find out if they offer a grant for first time home buyers.

There's also information you can purchase on how to request a grant for first time home buyers. Be careful here since there are loads of information sellers out there offering out and outdated information. Grant programs change every year. Again, there are so many different ways to make this request. Knowing how is important. You have to say and do just the right things. You need a professional to help you find the real grant programs.

If you want additional information on the process for first time home buyers, request a FREE copy of our E-Book. This E-Book has been sold ($19.95 value) and distributed over the internet for the past few years to thousands of people just like you.

You can get this FREE copy by sending a blank e-mail to

Contractor or Con Artist? How to Tell the Difference

It's an age-old scam - con artists drive around after a big disaster, looking the part of professional contractors and looking out for damaged homes. They prey on desperate homeowners, happily taking their money while fully intending to a do a quick and shoddy job on the repairs (if they bother to do any repairs at all). Unfortunately, by the time the homeowners realize that their new contractors are not on the level, it's usually too late.

But you can understand how they got themselves into such a position. If a bad storm knocks a tree onto your roof and you've got water pouring into your home, you might jump at the first person who offers you help too. So what should you do to protect yourself from these scammers? Here are some tips.

- Get recommendations

The very first thing you should do when your home is damaged is to call your insurance company. Oftentimes, they will be able to recommend a local contractor that will be able to properly fix your problems. An insurance company's reputation often hangs on these recommendations so you can be sure that whoever they recommend will usually come with years of expertise and proven trustworthiness.

Once you have a contractor in mind (or one knocking on your door), you can also call the Better Business Bureau and state licensing agencies to make sure that the company checks out.

- Judge a book by the cover

This one may feel a little unfair, but it's still important. If a big storm damages your home, you can expect to have quite a few contractors knocking on your door offering to help. If the person at your door has stepped out of a beat-up truck with no company markings, some decrepit old tools in the back and doesn't look like a professional, well... there's a good chance he isn't. Granted, this isn't always true. Some great contractors simply focus more on their work than on keeping their appearances and equipment up to date. But hold onto your first impression. If it becomes the first in a series of warning signs, you may be better off choosing a contractor you're more comfortable with.

- Watch out for the "secret low price"

If your new contractor pulls you aside and says he's going to offer you a special price that you need to keep a secret, get out. There are only two possible explanations. Either he's going to offer you a very low price so that he can do a shoddy job and then vanish on you, or he's going to offer you a very high price and doesn't want you to be able to compare it with any others. Either way, the only reason he wants you to keep it a secret is so that no honest contractor can tell you you're being scammed. Don't do it.

- Hand me down materials

If your contractor tells you he can offer you a lower price because he has a surplus of material already that he'll be able to use, be wary. Contractors rarely keep a large inventory of materials. The best possible reason a contractor would have a surplus of material is because they vastly misjudged the amount of materials they would need for a previous job. That's not a good sign itself. Worse and even more likely reasons include the possibility that the materials are below-grade, second-hand or, worst of all, stolen. Either way, the contractor wants to get rid of the material quick and dump the consequences on you.

- High upfront costs

Never, ever pay a contractor the full price up front. You'll be required to provide a down payment of 20% to even 50% of the total cost, but do not pay the full price and don't pay the final payment until you are completely satisfied with the work that has been completed.

Also, look out for contractors who offer a lower price if you can pay in cash. You can usually count on these contractors to not be paying taxes or insurance. Watch out.

- Suspicious lack of contact information

If the only thing you know about a contractor is their phone number, be careful. Any contractor who doesn't seem to have an office may be one who wants to be able to disappear as quickly as possible. Do some research, call the Better Business Bureau and check his references and past jobs to make sure you're dealing with someone who is legit.

These are just a few tips you can follow when trying to hire a contractor who is on the level. Most of all, try to use common sense and always do research on the person you are hiring. The vast majority of workers out there work hard and do their jobs right, but there are always some rotten apples and you definitely don't want to find out that you had one in your barrel after it's too late.

Lee Cameron is a professional REALTOR serving the leecameronrealtor.com Orlando real estate market. Lee has consistently proven his talent and knowledge in the real estate business and is known to his flair the business and the care with which he treats his clients. For more info on leecameronrealtor.com homes & properties in Orlando contact Lee today.

The Importance Of Picking Good Homecare Services

It is significant to look at many different homecare services when looking for a provider. Each one offers a range of services based upon the requirements of their clients. They have trained professionals that know how to care for individuals that are in many various circumstances. Certain clients may need extra care than others so the appropriate home assistant will be chosen based on the needs and their particular background.

Basic services withing the home consist of a number of things that tend to the care of the person. They will involve personal care like bathing the individual and tending to their hygienic needs. Should the person can't dress themselves the caretaker will do this for them. This kind of personal care is need when it is either too dangerous to difficult for the person to get it done on their own.

Food preparation is a basic service supplied by most of the homecare providers. The meals will often be served to the client if they have difficulties eating by themselves. And when the client must adhere to a special diet, the homecare assistant will be aware of these types of needs and will make the meals accordingly. Not every clients require these services. Depending on why the person needs help, this may be among the required services. Private providers will include this as part of their costs.

Cleaning services are often included in this time of home service. The aide will perform the basic cleaning of the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom as well as other areas of the home. This is because the person they care for will not be able to do this on their own. The home is cleaned daily. This will also include any laundry that needs to be washed.

Numerous clients will need more services than others based on their particular incapacity. The assistants will be well versed in how to care for their client. They will also be informed on what is needed. Providers make their best effort to complement the right assistant with a client. This will be based on temperament and their skill set. Before hiring a provider, it is important to interview them to make sure it is a good fit.

These types of services cost lots of money and the more that required the more the services will cost. For lower income individuals, there are services that you can get for free or less than the private fees. Low income clients may apply for government support. There are specifically financed programs for all kinds of homecare needs as long as you meet the given requirements.

The best healthcare plan will also cover most of the expenditures involved with home assistance. Look at the details of your plan to see what it will cover. This can also be talked about with your plan provider. The homecare providers will inform you of the type of insurance they will accept. This is often a too costly service however there are several resources that will help you minimize the amount you have to pay out.

There are many different sorts of homecare services according to the kind of care that is needed. Once you find a good service that you are comfortable with, it is equally essential to interview the caretaker that will be maintaining the requirements of the individual. This needs to be someone that is nice and very patient.

Searching all over the web for simply the best platinumeldercare.com homecare services? Get the exclusive low down now in our patient help overview on platinumeldercare.com platinumeldercare.com

Hilton Head Vacation Rentals - Finding The Right Home Away From Home

Hilton Head Island is a unique and beautiful vacation destination. It combines many of the amenities and conveniences normally only found in major cities with the natural beauty of the island with its marshes and beaches. The island offers anything a golf or tennis enthusiast could ever want, and for everyone else the island offers parks, bike paths, walking trails, extensive shopping, numerous restaurants, and miles of beaches.

Needless to say, to get the most out of a Hilton Head vacation, you have to stay more than a day or two.

Unfortunately, this also means massive hotel and restaurant bills which can potentially make a long vacation unaffordable to those of us who actually have to ask how much something costs before buying it. One great way to enjoy the island for less is to take advantage of a Hilton Head vacation rental property, allowing you to stay in a house or condominium for less than an equivalent hotel stay.

Before jumping online and searching for Hilton Head vacation rentals, it is important to follow several steps in order to get the best Hilton Head vacation rental property for your needs. First, you need to decide how much you are willing to pay and what kind of vacation you want. Do you want a small house on the beach or would you prefer a condominium with a breathtaking ocean view?

Do you need a place for your kids to play when you're not on the beach or will they be satisfied with whatever you can bring with you into the condo? You also need to consider how many people will be sleeping in the house or condo so that you do not violate terms of a potential lease agreement. You should also research the various Hilton Head communities to decide which one is the best fit for you. Finally, you need to decide whether you would be more comfortable renting from a private homeowner or from a rental management agency.

If you decide to pursue a Hilton Head vacation rental through a private homeowner, it is important to develop a relationship with the homeowner. You should meet in person or at least talk on the phone, as you can't tell everything about a person just through email. There is a greater amount of risk for both parties, so if you don't like the homeowner you should not pursue the rental property.

There is more protection offered if you decide to get a Hilton Head vacation rental through a rental agency, but even then you need to be careful to ensure that you are not being taken for a ride. You need to find out everything you can about the rental agency. You need to know their history as a company. You need to find out if they are a member of the VRMA (Vacation Rental Managers Association). If they're not, do not work with them.

You should also double-check to make sure they don't have excessive complaints on file with the Better Business Bureau. While no vacation is absolutely guaranteed (you can't predict the weather six months ahead of time, for instance), taking these steps will help you to avoid a preventable disaster. Finding the right Hilton Head vacation rental for you will help you to have the best possible time at the best possible price during your stay on the island.

Ken is a ken-oliver.com Hilton Head Real Estate professional with over 29 years in the business. To see current properties for sale visit ken-oliver.com Ken-Oliver.com.

Crack The Property Code - Learn The Tricks of Selling Online - Part 6 of 7

Home Information Packs

All Properties marketed for sale from 14 December 2007 in England and Wales will need a Home Information Pack.

You now need one of these whether you're selling through an agent or whether you're selling privately. You need to have commissioned your HIP by the time you market your property.

The Pack includes an Energy Performance Certificate, containing advice on how to cut carbon emissions and fuel bills. Also included are documents such as a sale statement, searches and evidence of title.

As at the time of writing, any property that was already on the market on the relevant commencement date (being 1 August 2007 for sales of homes with four or more bedrooms; 10 September 2007 for those with three or more bedrooms and 14 December for all properties) does not need to have a HIP.

HIPs comprise mandatory documents and optional documents.

The mandatory documents are:

- an index (ie a list of the contents of the HIP);

- a sale statement (summarising the terms of sale;

- evidence of title;

- standard searches (local authority enquiries and a drainage and water search);

- an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC);

- commonhold information (where appropriate); and

- a copy of the lease (where appropriate).

Documents that are optional include:

- a Home Condition Report (HCR);

- additional leasehold information;

- guarantees and warranties; and

- other searches relevant to the particular area.

Some estate agents claim that they'll give you a free HIP if you sell their home with them. Well, it may be true..... but you need to look at the small print extremely carefully. Very little is free in life and beware hidden 'ties'. For example, if you change your mind about selling through that agent, you will typically be required to pay them the full cost back. Often they won't let you use the HIP to sell with another agent, either, as it's "branded" for their agency. Hmmmm.

Open your eyes and check out the other options.

In PART 7 of this article series you can learn about valuing your property, marketing it and conducting viewings... what's really involved.

MySaleAgreed.com MySaleAgreed.com - private property sales for FREE - You're A Free Agent!

Mike Paterson
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