Buying a House in France - 10 Top Tips

If you've ever dreamed about owning your own holiday home in France, here are some tips to help you out.

1. Do your research on the Internet first. There are thousands of sites with French properties for sale and information about the house buying process in France. I spent 5 years looking on the Internet before I bought, but because of the background knowledge I had gained about what was available for what price, the first visit I made to view properties I bought one.

2. Use all your holiday breaks to explore different regions to find out which region you are interested in, and then to find out which areas in that region you prefer. France has a huge variety of scenery, and climate, so you will need to experience some of it at first hand to make an informed decision. It also gives you a great excuse to have lots of holidays in France.

3. Think very carefully about the type of location you want. A lot of people, especially from Britain where the house prices are so high, dream of affording a house in the countryside with lots of land and spectacular views, but remember, the downside of that is that you have to use your car to get everywhere. If part of the pleasure, for you, of a French holiday is to visit restaurants for a meal accompanied by a bottle of wine then this could be a problem. The legal limit for drink driving is a lot lower in France than it is in Britain.

4. When you are ready to start seriously looking at French properties, go in the middle of winter. This will help to dispel any romantic notions you may get whilst surveying a picturesque ruin on a dreamy summer day of how much fun it's going to be doing it up. Also, as a supplementary benefit, the fares tend to be lower at that time of year.

5. Before you go, make a list of your criteria, consult it while you're there, and try to stick to it. This will help you to remain objective whilst viewing. We made a list of two parts. The first part contained our absolute criteria such as maximum price, driving time from the nearest ferry port, structural condition, and location, and the second part contained features we would like to have but that we didn't consider to be crucial. By sticking to the list we ended up rejecting some properties that we fell in love with but which would have been an absolute nightmare as a restoration project, and bought a property that we hadn't been immediately attracted to but which had matched our list exactly. The list kept us from letting our heart rule our head.

6. Unlike in Britain, French estate agents or agence immobilier normally have their fees paid by you, the purchaser. Don't assume because of this that they are working for you. They have been engaged by the vendor and they are in business to sell property. Where they may be able to help you is in how much to offer for a house you are interested in. It is common in Normandy, and this may be true across France, for the vendor to indicate a minimum price he is prepared to accept. If the property has been on the market for some time he may be prepared to sell at this price so it is worth asking the immobilier about the minimum price.

7. You, as the purchaser, will also have to pay the notaire's fees. The notaire is like a solicitor, but again, although you will be paying his fees, don't assume he is working for you. He isn't. Although he will have been appointed by the vendor, the notaire, in fact, represents the French state and is impartial between the vendor and the purchaser. If you would like to appoint your own notaire under the French system you may do so, and they should then share the work and the fees.

8. Open a French bank account as soon as possible and transfer some money to it using a currency draft in euros, obtainable from your high street bank in Britain. You can then use this money for your expenses when you are in France. When the time comes to transfer the bulk of the funds to pay for your house in France, use a specialist foreign exchange company, you are likely to get far better value on exchange rate and commission than if you use a high street bank.

9. I f you are looking for a really cheap property head inland towards the centre. At the time of writing this article average French house price rises for 2005 to 2006 were between 8% & 9%, however, the more perennially popular regions, (like Normandy, Brittany, Province, etc) have experienced house price inflation of almost double that amount.

10. The most common initial contract is the compromis de vente. This contract is binding on both parties, (after a 7 day cooling off period for the purchaser), subject to certain conditional clauses which may be inserted by either party, the most common being that the purchaser can raise a mortgage on the property. If either party pulls out of the transaction for a reason other than the conditions not being met they are liable to lose their deposit. The final contract is called the acte de vente and states that the property is sold as it exists on the day of signing, so, if possible, you should visit it on the way to the signing at the notaire's office to check that nothing has changed. Once you have signed the acte de vente that French holiday home is yours.

So to sum up, do plenty of initial research, decide upon an area and explore it comprehensively, and be aware of who is representing your interests and who isn't. But the most important thing, in my opinion, is to stick to your list of criteria. You should also get proper paid legal advice if you are purchasing in France. The free information I am presenting here is based on my personal experience and is in no way expert advice to be relied on in your purchase.

The author runs a company making custom wooden furniture, thecoffeetable.co.uk TheCoffeeTable.co.uk Visit his website at buyahouseinfrance.info Buying a House in France for some tales from France if you want to read more by this author. His hobbies include acrylic painting, and composing acoustic guitar music, to hear the music or view the paintings, visit: nickmuso.buyahouseinfrance.info my music

Tips Mortgage Companies Don't Want You To Know!

Mortgage brokers have a huge advantage when you are applying for a loan, this is because mortgages are their life. They know everything about mortgages and so can make a lot of money due to your lack of knowledge.

Mortgage brokers know all about the wholesale interest rates that you will qualify for, and are able to add on as much commission as they want, just to make some extra money. Mortgage brokers don't want you to know that there are certain tips to help avoid paying the full price of the interest rate that the broker gives you at first.

Here are a couple of tips that should be able to help you to avoid paying the full price of your refinance loan.

Before you look into refinancing your loan, you should first check your credit rating. Your credit rating is what lenders will look at in order to assess how risky you are.

You should request copies of your credit report from all of the credit agencies, then you should carefully study all of these documents and try to spot any errors. There are three credit reporting companies that are responsible for maintaining your credit records, because there are three different companies that manage the credit reports, it is very easy for them to develop errors.

Any errors in your credit record will negatively impact on your credit score, and so will mean that errors will cost you much more money in interest charges. By ridding yourself of errors, you should be able to get much better interest rates, and so save yourself much more money.

The best way to improve your credit score, is simply by paying all of your bills on time. If you don't already make all the payments on time, you should start making them on time and then wait for at least six months before you apply for a new refinance loan.

Make sure you stop using your credit cards as much as possible, by maintaining as low balances as possible you should be able to prevent getting poor credit. Also avoid taking out new credit cards as these can also impact on your credit worthiness.

Your mortgagerefinanceloanhelp.com mortgage company doesn't want you to know about the mark up that they put onto the interest rate that you could really get the loan for. You are effectively paying for the services of a mortgage broker twice, once up front, and then every month for the life of the balance.

You should compare the rate that you are offered to the rates that you have received from other mortgage brokers, or companies.

By learning how to prevent yourself having to pay the mark up, you can save yourself a lot of money.

You can also find more info on mortgagerefinanceloanhelp.com/Refinancing refinancing home mortgage and mortgagerefinanceloanhelp.com/When_Refinancing_Your_Second_Mortgage refinancing second mortgage. Mortgagerefinanceloanhelp.com is a comprehensive resource to get help in Mortgage refinance Loan.

The Personalisation Agenda - Core Issues For Social Care Service Providers

The personalisation agenda means a major shift in the way care and support providers approach service development and delivery. This article gives a brief overview of some of the most critical business issues for service providers.

Residential care, housing with support and domiciliary care services have traditionally been service led according to models established by commissioners and regulators. The personalisation agenda requires service development, which includes the commissioning process to reflect what individuals really want according to their own basic needs, preferences and aspirations.

Personalisation throws up a number of challenges and opportunities with sweeping changes taking place across the care and support sectors. Here's a snapshot of some of the key issues service providers have to deal with:

1. Recruitment, retention and development of new skills for staff will become critical issues for the market as a whole and on an individual provider basis.

2. Personalisation provides opportunities for the care and support sectors to offer a wider range of work through the development of the personal assistant role and brokerage skills.

3. All services will be focused on outcomes agreed chosen by customers. Services able to evidence results for their service users will have a more competitive edge as the market matures.

4. Opportunities for organisations to diversify and specialise will exist for providers able to respond to developing markets.

5. Recognition that customers may value services that move beyond traditional definitions or care and/or support. The meaning of 'eligibility' will take on new meanings and will be redundant in some cases.

6. Providers will need invoicing and accounting systems able to handle payments made by individuals from personal budgets.

7. New business skills will be required for many organisations that need to learn how to market their services directly to customers and to 3rd party intermediaries such as brokers and advice agencies.

8. Local partnerships between private, voluntary sector organisations and local authorities will change as new personalisation roles emerge. Commissioning will be more about market facilitation with less emphasis on control. Providers should have more freedom to innovate according to needs and preferences of customers.

For more information on how to approach personalisation including specific advice for housing with support, carers, and home care providers, the Social Care Institute for Excellence regularly publish useful advice.

Glen Crosier is a marketing and business development consultant based in Brighton, England specialising in the care, support and community sector. He is author of the sellingcare.co.uk Selling Care blog which provides marketing tips for care and support service providers linked to the sellingcare.co.uk/personalisation-agenda personalisation agenda.

The Benefits of Adoption

Gone are the days when people felt that a childless couple was destined to remain so because they have problem with their reproductive system. Gone, too, are the days when eyebrows were raised when it became known that a child was adopted and he was discriminated against. So if you want a child and your doctor tells you that you cannot have one, why not consider seriously the possibility of adoption? If you have one child and your doctor tells you cannot have another, why not give your child the required companionship of a brother or sister by adopting a baby who has no home and who can complete the family of your dream? Remember that as you grow older, you grow smarter but more alone.

You have to imagine what it feels like to be abandoned, totally alone in the world knowing there is no one who really cares if you live or die. Along come this man and woman who says, "We will love you. We will take care of you. You are precious to us." You will want to please those people because they have given you love and hope.

Many people believe they could never feel the same an adopted child as they would toward their own child. An adopted child and his position in the family is the same as that of a biological child. For reality, once he is legally adopted, the couple assumes all responsibilities of real parents; he has all the rights of a biological child.

You cannot go out the same day you finally decide you want to adopt a child and come back with one. You may have to wait for years before you are granted the custody of a baby. And it will be one or two years more before all the legal documentation are completed. When a decision to adopt has been reached, go through an approved adoption agency. Don't try to get a baby through the back-door methods and don't take a baby that someone knows about and can arrange to get for you for a sum of money. If you do, you may live to regret this haste very seriously.

A child whose adoption is arranged for through the proper channel is thoroughly tested, physically and mentally, to make sure that he is healthy and normal. His parentage is normally known to the adoption agency, and why he is being placed for adoption. Furthermore, the adoption agency takes care of the legal matters connected with adoption, thus avoiding the heart-breaking experience of the baby's parents having to claim him from his adopted parents at a later date.

While waiting the couple will be interviews by members of the staff of the adoption agency. They will want to see if the couple or the individuals are physically, financially, morally, emotionally, and intellectually equipped for parenthood. The worker of the agency may drop in on the persons interested in adoption unannounced, to see how they live when not expecting a visitor.

Besides preparing a room and necessary equipment for a baby, they must prepare themselves psychologically for this big event. It means that both parents-to-be feel sure they are doing the right thing, that they will love the child as much as if he were their own, and that they will never turn against him even if he does not come up to their dreams and expectations.

In most case, the parents of adopted child always love him as much as they would their very own. First, they have waited so long and a child of their own never arrived. Then they have waited so long for a child to adopt. Their love is heightened, therefore, because the child fulfills a long-for hope. Few adopted children ever have reason to question their parents' love for them.

Unfortunately, this is not always the case when there are other members in the family. If there are other children, born before or after the adopted child's arrival, the rivalry and jealousy between children almost in every home, may be increased by the real child's feeling that the adopted child does not rightly belong to the family.

Another group that create problem for the adopted child are members of the older generation. They often believe adoption is wrong because God sends children to families He believes will make good parents. Many grandmothers are prejudiced against adopted children, especially when they have real grandchildren. The adopted child is sensitive to these feelings; and it makes him feel even more unwanted and unwelcome. To avoid this unfortunate situation, parents must do all in their power to convince their elderly relatives of the joy the adopted child brings into their lives.

Sooner or later every adopted child finds out he is adopted. How he learns this, and from whom, is most important for the attitude he develops toward himself and his foster family. Learning the wrong way from the wrong source can do harm that no amount of love and care will ever undo. So it is important that the foster parents take time to explain everything to the child once he has reached the age to comprehend the full meaning of adoption.

The adopted child must have a healthy attitude toward the whole matter of adoption, fostered by years of experience with people who love him in the home, and people in the community who accept him as they accept all other children who are not adopted. Only in this way will he escape frustrations, heartbreaks and resentments that always come to an adopted child when he realizes the full meaning of adoption.

Anthony Modungwo is a freelance writer. He writes on relationships and family. He holds B.Sc and MBA degrees from the University of Benin.

Product Sourcing For Home Business - How to Find Your Own Wholesale Distributors

Those in the know would just about kill for the right wholesale dropship eBay products suppliers. Discover reliable product sourcing for home business so that you can get the small business profits you deserve only possible with legitimate dropshippers and legitimate wholesalers. You owe it to yourself to be at the cutting edge of product sourcing information for home-based business. Read on, baby, read on . . .

Get ready for a roller coaster ride that will hand you the keys to reliable product suppliers and a red carpet pathway to secrets of product sourcing success for just about any home business. This is not just another article pushing an online wholesale directory. No matter how good some may be, at the end of the day, you don't absolutely do-or-die need them. If you are the sort who would rather put in the sweat equity to reinvent the wheel with the hope of improvements, this article will set you free.

Tip #1: Know What Selling Environment You Are In!

What the blazes does that mean!? EBay for example, is a wholesale selling environment. If you are buying goods from a wholesale distributor in single or small quantities and then trying to resell on eBay, we feel your pain. Almost all mass market consumer goods sold on eBay are already either below wholesale prices or at wholesale pricing. The basic, key secret that eBay power sellers hold over you is the ability and know-how of buying the right products for home business in bulk. The typical ecommerce environment is a retail environment. The difference is that the laptop you purchased from DBL as wholesale may die on eBay but be snapped up on your retail ecommerce site.

Tip #2: Know the Difference Between True Wholesale and Bogus Wholesale

A true wholesale business is licensed as a wholesler and is legally obligated to require proof of your sales tax permit. In some states this referred to as a resale certificate. A sales tax permit is provided by your state,usually very easy to apply for and receive, and is usually free. Don't be intimidated by the notion of a business license or having to communicate with a state agency. Chances are, you can register for this online and have it in your hands in a few days. Any business that does not require a sales tax permit is not a true wholesale business.

That does not mean that any business not requiring a sales tax permit is not legitimate. No, not at all.

There are many businesses that sell deeply discounted goods but do not require a sales tax permit. What you need to know is that no matter how much they may refer to wholesale prices, unless they require your sales tax permit, they are retail companies hoping that you will think they are wholesalers. If you read their website carefully, at no time will they ever directly say that they are wholesalers. Also, you should know that a true wholesaler requires a special business license from the state in which in resides to be be a wholesaler. This allows it to buy from manufacturers and sell to retailers without charging sales tax. A true wholesale business can set whatever wholesale price it likes. Market forces generally require a substantially reduced price. I just wanted to clear that up. Wholesale prices are really just whatever prices are charged by a true wholesale company.

Tip #3: The Good Stuff!

The fact of the matter is, you can find your own wholesale distributors yourself without an online wholesale directory membership. We don't want to put down online directories as they can be a stairway to product sourcing heaven. In fact, we like them and will leave you a hint in the resource box below. In the meantime, we'll introduce you to a product sourcing banquet of wholesale and dropship products suppliers for eBay, ecommerce, flea markets and just about any reselling environment.

The Google Directory at Google. Type in the search term 'wholesale trade," and that should lead you to vast numbers of wholesalers.
The DMOZ Diectory . Type in the search term, "wholesale" plus the name of the product you want to sell.
The Thomas Register, available at your library. Or vist Thomas Net at thomasnet.com
Thomas Publishing at thomasglobal.com
Legitimate Wholesale at legitimatewholesale [dot com]

With the leads above, you will find contact information for well over 1000 legitimate wholesalers and manufacturers to help solve product sourcing for eBay and home business. You will find even more information by following the bread crumbs in our resource box.

Tips #4: Attend Trade Shows

You are likely to develop your best wholesale and dropship industry insider contacts by attending trade shows for the product lines of interest to you. You can research trade shows by checking with your chamber of commerce, local newspaper, and online trade show directories. Simply use "trade show" or "trade shows" as your search terms. Here is a link to a valuable trade show directory resource:

BAO Link at baolink [dot com]

Depending on your needs, you may also want to look into a membership with an online wholesale directory that has an active forum. Many people find such a resource an invaluable aspect of their research.

If you follow the tips given in this article, there is really no reason why can't put yourself on the cutting edge of wholesale and dropship product sourcing and supply especially where online home business is concerned.

Discover how to find low cost goods [proproductsourcing.com/sourcing-tips/exclusive-deals-to-salehoo-members/] way below wholesale price. For more, free product sourcing advice, see our site on Product Sourcing [squidoo.com/productsourcingforhomebusiness] for home business.

How to Deal With a Collections Agency

Collection agencies are at the bottom of the barrel when it comes down to business. The only thing they care about is cold, hard cash. They don't care if you've just lost your job, your spouse, or your health. Their job is to bleed you of money, whichever way they can. However, you can stop them in their tracks by applying your newfound knowledge and the law. There are several tactics you can use in standing up to a collection agency, including saying the right words, sending a detail letter, or quoting the law. Listed below are some of the strategies collection agencies will use against you. I have also provided you with ways to counter their abusive tactics.

What are some of the collection agency phone tactics?

They will use various tactics to try to get you to pay your debt.
Once they get a judgment against you, they will keep calling you to try to get personal information to assist with their enforcement.
They will threaten to criminally prosecute you for writing bad checks.
A collector may threaten to take your home if the debt is not paid.
They will also assemble information on you looking for a weakness.
They will say that you have to deal with them and not the creditor.

How to Deal With a Collections Agency - How can I respond to them?

You can respond by sending them a cease and desist letter.
Ask them whether you can tape the call, which will force them to be courteous.
Let them know that you will be contacting the original creditor about their abusive tactics.
Let them know that you will consider legal action if they keep violating the law.
Let them know that you know your rights, and if they violate them you will sue.
If they are trying to collect for a professional, like a doctor or a CPA, threaten to file a complaint against the professional.
Let them know you will complain to the FTC, attorney general's office, state licensing boards, and their collection organizations.
If the state statue of limitation has expired and the collector tries to collect, let them know that they are in violation of the FDCPA.

How to Deal With a Collections Agency - What if it's a collection attorney?

The in-house collection agencies are not subject to the Fair Debt Credit Practicing Act, so if you send them a Cease and desist letter it has no weight. The Federal Trade Commission Act prohibits an unfair or deceptive trade practices. If you feel that the creditor's collection agency violated the FTC Act, you can seek sanctions. Example of a violation, the collector calling your job when you can't have personal phone calls. You can also file a complaint with your local attorney general's office and that should stop the in-house collectors. Now, some state subject the in-house collectors to the FDCPA so check with your state laws.

As you can see there are many ways, you can deal with an abusive collection agency. Whenever a collector calls or writes you and tries to use the strategies listed below, counter them with your now-found knowledge. I guarantee that if you employ the techniques taught in this article. You will get the collectors to back down. Now that you are empowered with new information, go out there, and take action.

Mark Clayborne is a Certified Credit Consultant with ten years of experience assisting consumers with credit issues. For more powerful secrets on credit repair, debt settlement, stopping collectors, rebuilding your credit, and raising your score, please read the first chapter of The hiddencreditrepairsecrets.com Credit Repair Book and get a Free Restore your Credit E-class at hiddencreditrepairsecrets.com hiddencreditrepairsecrets.com

Nanny Cams - A Toy for the Voyeur, or a Necessity for Every Parent?

John and Melissa were enjoying their dinner at a local restaurant. It was the first time in six months that they had gone anywhere without their newborn baby.

Melissa spoke up, "I hope we did the right thing, leaving our baby alone with the new nanny". In a calm voice John replied, "Honey, it's been a long sleepless six months. We deserve this night out. And besides, I'm sure our nanny is qualified to take care of our little girl for one night".

"You're right" Melissa said, "let's just enjoy this dinner". But a few moments later Melissa's cell phone rang; in a panicked voice Melissa said to John "WE HAVE TO GO NOW! SOMETHING'S HAPPENED TO OUR BABY! Without hesitation, they flagged down the waiter, paid their bill and headed for home as fast as they could.

When they arrived home, their nanny explained that the baby had rolled off the couch and hit her head on an end table. "She seemed O.K. but I called the doctor anyway," said the nanny. "He's on his way over here right now".

With suspicion running through her mind, and not knowing what to believe, Melissa immediately went to her bedroom and turned on the monitor to her DVR (Digital Video Recorder). Weeks earlier, Melissa had purchased a hidden nanny cam disguised as a teddy bear, after hearing a story in the news about an abusive babysitter. In a few seconds she had her answer, the baby did just roll off the couch. That didn't make it ok, but Melissa wanted to trust her new nanny and now she felt a little more certain that she could.

It is always difficult for a parent to turn over the care of a child to someone else, and every parent who does so has concerns. Hidden cameras are one way of alleviating some of that worry.

Nanny Cams are just another name for hidden cameras. They are usually disguised as part of the décor in a room. These days, technology allows us to create cameras that are small enough to fit into many everyday items, such as stuffed animals, flowerpots, and even kitchen appliances.

Nanny cams have become very popular in recent years for good reason. With the rise in domestic violence against children, you don't have to be paranoid to want to keep an eye on things while you're away. There have been many news stories centered on hidden cameras that have recorded a caregiver in the act of abusing a child.

Nanny cams are not only small and discreet, but they are also becoming more affordable than ever before, so you can purchase more than one to maintain surveillance in multiple rooms of your home.

With a DVR (Digital Video Recording) system, you'll be able to monitor and record all of your hidden cameras from one central location.

Experts say it is generally legal to use a hidden camera that records video without the consent of the nanny. However, the laws vary from state to state on whether you can record audio. Before taping conversation without consent from your nanny, check the laws in your state.

To protect your nanny's privacy, and to make the best use of your nanny cams, only place hidden cameras where she will be interacting with your child. Never place nanny cams in bathrooms or private bedrooms. This would be considered as voyeurism and in most states you could be charged with of invasion of privacy.

Nanny cams have many uses other than just monitoring nannies or caregivers.

Nanny cams can also be used for watching over your child while they are sleeping, monitoring them while they are playing alone or monitoring your older teenager while they are home alone with friends.

Hidden cameras have also been used to catch cheating spouses in the act, and they are very popular with private investigators and law enforcement agencies that use them for covert operations.

Even if you do not suspect any type of abuse or misconduct from your child, nanny or spouse, the peace of mind in knowing there is not a problem is well worth the cost of the camera.

SA Rubin is the owner of North American Security Products, LLC. A company dedicated to providing you with the means to protect and defend yourself against crime. For more information on nasecurityproducts.com/hidden-cameras.htm Hidden cameras, visit nasecurityproducts.com/hidden-cameras.htm nasecurityproducts.com where you?ll find a complete line of surveillance equipment for your home and business. Copyright: 2006