Power Tip!

Have you ever wanted just one phrase that you could say at the right time, and it save you hundreds, or thousands of dollars?

When it comes to getting the best price from contractors, plumbers, electricians, HVAC techs, you name it, there is a simple phrase that often works like magic in reducing your costs.

These specialties are always competing for work. However, if you ask any of them they will likely tell you that they are extremely busy!

They might be. They might not.

There’s a game going on here. They need to appear very busy so their services are in demand and support the prices they will ask for. At the same time, you need to appear to be willing and able to get prices from many sources. (Don’t just make it appear that way, get multiple bids whenever it’s practical!) It’s a balance that must be struck.

The good part is that now you know the game…so play both sides since you know what the other side’s play.
How to turn the tables

* Have an idea of what the job will cost. Just a ball park idea will do.
* If you are told something that you think it high, ask why so high. There might be more to it than you know. The reason for the high price might be reasonable. Discuss alternatives.

(For example, if you electrician points out that the breakers you need are especially expensive, ask if he’s got any used breakers that are still in good shape.)
* Then use the magic phrase…

Here it is…

“Is that your final and best price?”

Very often the person you are talking to will squirm a bit at this point. They are having to think…

“Is my price fair?”

“Am I over pricing something here?”

“Can I save this customer some money?”

“Does the customer know something I don’t?”

While your contractor/laborer thinks about this, don’t say a word.

I’ve experienced many reactions from “That’s the best I can do” to “If you give me the job, I’ll knock it down to…”

Often I’ve gotten a range of options that could save me money. More often than not, it saves my money!

It works like magic if:

* They understand that they aren’t your sole source of the service they provide

* They know you are willing to wait for the best price

* They know you aren’t a push over

* They know you might be a source of future income

But, it WILL work like magic when properly applied. In my own experience, I can point to many thousands of dollars of savings using this simple question.

We like to save money by keeping prices for services reasonable, true enough. At the same time, I advocate and approach of “don’t let anyone get hurt.” If you award a job to someone and it winds up costing them more than expected, I help that person out. I don’t want someone to lose money on a job and leave with a bad taste in their mouth and never want to do work for me again. Be aware of when someone gets hurt. That said, watch out for those that claim to get hurt with each job.

Try out that phrase today. It works in many situations…not just rehab real estate, but in just about any competitive environment.

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Bruce W. Ford is the editor of Rehab-Real-Estate.com. Get his important Special Report entitled “12 Things Real Estate Investment Gurus Won’t Tell You” at Rehab-Real-Estate.com.

With tons of history and modern development, South Carolina is a unique state. South Carolina real estate is also unique because prices are so low.

South Carolina

It would be an understatement to say South Carolina played a major role in the Civil War. Battles raged across the land and the state has done much to preserve the history. While maintaining this history, South Carolina has also looked to the future. The state is the home of top notch resorts, golf courses by the billions and pristine beaches.

Charleston

Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Charleston is a city with a ton of history. Arguably, the Civil War started in Charleston via Fort Sumter, which is located in the harbor. A major shipping port during those times, the city is now one of the most attractive in the United States. The architectural style is definitely old south, but with a mix of influences. Certain areas of the town feel like New Orleans with garden areas and hanging patios. Other areas have a distinct Caribbean feel and yet others are stereotypical old south manner homes. Charleston is definitely a hot spot if you are considering living the South.

Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach is a take it or leave it place. The beaches are beautiful, but the area is severely over-commercialized. The area is family friendly most of the year, but the beach has become a hot spot for college students during spring break. If you don’t mind the ruckus, Myrtle Beach should be considered as a relocation spot because you will not find cheaper beach real estate prices anywhere.

South Carolina Real Estate

Considering the great location, South Carolina real estate is cheap, cheap, and cheap. Single-family homes average under $200,000 throughout the state with the exception of Charleston and the luxury resorts. A home in Charleston will average $300,000 while property in the resort areas varies wildly.

Appreciation rates for South Carolina are neither great nor terrible. For 2005, property has appreciated at an average of eight percent, but varies by location.

Raynor James is with www.fsboamerica.org - FSBO homes for sale by owner. Visit our “sell my home” page at www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to sell your home yourself with a free 1 month listing.

Mortgage net branch companies are also called mortgage net branch originators. These are the companies - huge enterprising conglomerates - that wish to spread their mortgage business all over the nation, or maybe all over the world. These are the companies that invite franchises, better known as mortgage net branches, from all over in order to conquer hitherto untapped territory. Originators gain by getting more business and goodwill; net branches gain by getting their brokerages and security of business.

Though mortgage companies wish to have as many net branch companies in as many parts of the nation as possible, they do not blindly select their branches. There are certain judging parameters. Of chief importance is whether the applying branch has its own license in the state where it is going to operate. Besides this, there are requisites like two or three years of experience, communication skills and even a written examination. Net branch companies make their prospective net branch applicants fill application forms and pay an amount to partake of their brand name and goodwill. Mortgage companies are obliged to take net branches according to the guidelines of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) code.

Most mortgage net branch companies have branches all over the nation. Some of them even have more than one branch per state. Their main aim is to infiltrate each potential mortgage market within the country. Even after choosing their net branches with care, mortgage originators provide training and orientation according to their own policies, along with machinery to process and write loans.

The payment to the net branch is done on a commission basis. Usually, if the net branch is operating from an office, then the remuneration is normally split on a 90-10 basis. That is, the net branch gets to keep 90% of the commission, while the company keeps 10% along with a small sum to cover the procedural charges. But if the net branch is working from home, then the mortgage company may keep a larger amount of the payment.

The mortgage company is fully responsible for the activities of its net branches. Any volition by a net branch may lead to the termination of the license of not only that particular net branch, but also all other net branches of the company, and in dire situations, of the parent company itself. Hence, mortgage companies have to select their net branches with extreme care, having a background check done and checking references.

Make-or-Break Factors in Success and Profitability

For quick printers, estimating can prove to be a major factor in the success or failure of their business.

When a customer requests a bid on a job, they need a fast turnaround, and the best price. For a printer, there are two important issues; first of course is the price and second the profit. If they price a job too high they might miss out on getting the job, and if they price it too low, this starts cutting into their potential profits.

Estimating software is a tool that helps eliminate this margin for error and make every printer’s job easier. This ease is why estimating software is becoming an integral part for many companies in the printing and graphics industry. But what type of estimating software should a printer look for? With so many different companies selling estimating software it can become difficult to find a solution that is the right one.

For this reason Cyrious Software has taken on the role of business software consultants rather then focusing strictly on selling. When looking for a business management and estimating solution, the ability of a company to consult and guide you to the correct solution, be it theirs or someone else’s, should be a major deciding factor. If a software company isn’t willing to work to find a solution that specifically fits their business, it might be wise to find a different company to do business with.

Estimating software can range from a simple estimating calculator package, to a complete powerful, integrated estimating, job tracking & business management system, like Cyrious Software. The difficulty is figuring out which system is right for your business.

How Much & For What

Companies should look at the money spent on estimating/business management software, as an investment and not an expense. Most complete software systems range from about $2,000 all the way up to $14,000 depending on the number of licenses, modules and different customizations. This somewhat large investment makes it vital for printers to find a system that they can not only use to increase profits and save time, but also one they have the ability to continue to grow with.

Many printers are looking for a system that not only has the ability to estimate, job track, and do invoicing but also has the ability to export to accounting packages, create reports, manage their customer base, and expand their business through target marketing. Because not all estimating software packages have this complete business management functionality, printers and similar businesses need to make sure the estimating software they choose has the functionality they need (i.e. Customer Management Tools, Marketing Tools, Shipping & Credit Card Integration) The last thing a company needs is to buy additional software after the initial investment.

Another aspect to consider when searching for a software package is the accuracy it provides. Accuracy is one of the most important features to look for in estimating software. The price of using inaccurate information can add up and become extremely detrimental to a business. Accuracy in estimating software depends on the ability to customize the software to fit the printers pricing. With Cyrious Software, your pricing & cost structure is customized and built into the software making it virtually impossible to have inaccurate estimates.

Integration Is Key

Another factor to consider is how easily estimating software will let one go from estimate, to order, to invoice, and beyond. Without estimating/business management software, printers spend a lot time re-entering/re-writing customer or product information. Even with estimating software if you don’t have the right system you could be left re-keying a lot of important information. This can be a major waste of time. That is why Cyrious Software has created their application to encompass this integration. This means the first time you enter company or order information you never have to enter it in again, unless of course you need to make an update or edit.

The “beyond” part is where Cyrious Software distinguishes itself from many of its competitors. Imagine having the power of an entire marketing research firm at your fingertips. Cyrious gives you that power. Once you have company information and order history in the Cyrious Software system, you can create queries that will allow you to separate customers into different segments, and provide you with an easy method to begin to target different markets. Once these segments are grouped, you can automatically e-mail, fax or print marketing materials to them. Whether it is a follow up letter, thank you note, or special offer, businesses can use the software to help strengthen relationships with current/new customers and/or develop a stronger marketing strategy.

About The Author

Danny Tangredi

For more information on Cyrious Software’s Estimating & Business Management Solutions go to www.cyrious.net or call 1-800-552-1418.

There are three types of possible commissions during a real estate transaction:

The seller’s real estate agent commission

The buyer’s real estate agent commission
The mortgage broker or lenders commission

All of these can change from deal to deal.

Real estate agents

The seller’s real estate agent is the “listing broker”. If another real estate agent brings a buyer to the table, then typically the commission is split between the buyer’s and seller’s agents.

These commissions are usually around 6% or lower, and are negotiable.

Mortgage broker (or lender)

The mortgage broker, if you use one, essentially charges fees two different ways. One may be “flat fees” such as processing fees or admin fees. The other types of fees are variable such as the “points” you may pay. A “point” is 1% of the loan size. If the loan size is $400,000 and you are charged two points, you are being charged $8,000 (2% of the $400,000 loan).

A lender will either charge you upfront the way a mortgage broker does, or offer you a higher interest rate to increase their profits.

A lender is not necessarily cheaper than a mortgage broker. If they always were, no one would be in the mortgage brokering business.

For more information visit www.archerpacific.com
Loan Library.

In that case Meacham versus Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory the Supreme Court interpreted a provision of the ADEA that permits an employer to take an adverse employment action against an employee. The BFOQ defense states that it is not unlawful for an employer to take adverse employment actions otherwise prohibited by the ADEA where age is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the particular business. In other words the ADEA permits employers to discriminate based on age considering age is legitimately necessary under the circumstances. It then used those totals to decide who to lay off. As long as the adverse action is based on reasonable factors other than age. Specifically the jury found that although the plaintiffs did not prove that Knolls intentionally discriminated against them they did prove that Knolls method of deciding who to lay off disproportionately harmed older workers. For example it would not be illegal to consider criteria for a particular role in a movie that has a disparate impact on age if the part calls for someone of a particular age. Knolls totaled those scores and gave the employees additional points based on their years of service. The company had its supervisors rate their subordinates based on their performance flexibility and critical skills. In Meacham Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory was planning to lay off a number of employees. The Supreme Court has previously recognized that the employer has the burden to establish the BFOQ affirmative defense. Twenty-eight of those 14 employees sued under the ADEA claiming Knolls illegally fired them because of their age. The Supreme Court ruled that if an employer seeks to rely on that defense. Even if the employment action is otherwise prohibited by the ADEA. In reaching its conclusion that the employer has the burden to prove the reasonable factors other than age defense the Supreme Court looked at another provision of the ADEA the bona fide occupational qualification defense. Thirty of the 40 salaried employees the company laid off were at least 63 years old. At the trial a jury found Knolls had violated the ADEA because its layoff procedure had a disparate impact based on age. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit initially affirmed the jurys findings but after the United States Supreme Court asked it to reconsider the Second Circuit reversed itself and ruled in favor of Knolls. A lawyer from Zandvoort won from a lawyer in Costa Mesa California It has the burden to prove that its decision was based on a reasonable factor other than age. The Supreme Court then agreed to hear the case and eventually reversed the Second Circuit and reinstated the jurys finding that Knolls policy unlawfully discriminated because of age.

Many seniors want to enjoy their golden years, but are unable to find a way to increase their monthly income or decrease enough of their monthly expenditures in order to retire at an age that will afford them the opportunity to do so. One way to circumvent this problem is through obtaining a reverse mortgage. A reverse mortgage enables homeowners older than sixty two years of age to convert the equity in their homes into tax-free income while they continue to reside at their property. Instead of making monthly payments as with a traditional mortgage, seniors who hold a reverse mortgage are compensated now for the current value of their property.

But how do you decide if a reverse mortgage is right for you?
Reverse mortgages are an excellent option for many, but take careful planning and consideration. Since the pay out terms can be structured in a variety of ways, including various pay out term periods, lines of credit or both, it is essential to look at the amount you are able to get for your home in the context of your long term financial needs. Of course, there are no restrictions on the use of funds, meaning you can do anything you like with the proceeds of a reverse mortgage, including renovating your home.

Reverse mortgages won’t affect regular Social Security or Medicare benefits but can affect Medicaid eligibility in some instances. Counseling is a mandatory for those who wish to apply for a reverse mortgage, and a government sponsored lending agency counselor can answer all your questions related to benefit reductions that may apply.

Reverse mortgages can be a very effective method of supplementing your post retirement income, provided you are aware of how proper pay out structuring can positively affect your long term financial picture. The best way to decide whether a reverse mortgage is right for you is simply to view all the information available in order to make an informed decision. For those who have paid the majority or their entire home, their post retirement lifestyle need not be hampered by a lack of cash flow.

To find out more about Reverse Mortgages or to apply visit www.libertyreversemortgageadvisors.com/

If you are confused about terms like “search engine optimization” or having a “search engine friendly” site, then listen up! I am here to help.

Depending on how long you have had, or considered having, a website online, you have heard terms thrown around like the above or even worse, acronyms! SEO comes to mind.

Really there is not that much to fear even if you have no idea right now what is really meant by having a search engine friendly site.

Here is what search engines like to have in their results when people type in keywords:

1. A site with lots of content.

2. A site with UNIQUE content (Original - meaning you wrote it or you paid someone to write it for you.)

3. Sites that are well organized link-wise (meaning simple navigation from the main page of your site to every other page of your site.)

4. Sites that have links pointing to them from other popular, relevant sites. (sites that are similar in content to yours but that are not in direct competition with yours in content)

5. Sites that change regularly (not static but always growing with new content on a regular basis)

6. Sites they can read. (search engine robots cannot read javascript for instance and therefore you get no credit for whatever content is in that application on your site)

7. Tightly themed sites. It is easier for an engine to rank your site properly (where you want it to be) if you are not all over the map in content.

Exception: Portal sites or directories. But this is an item for another article all together

What About The Complicated Stuff?

There really isn’t anything complicated about what the search engines want. But if you have stumbled into a search engine forum you were likely blown away with comments and tips that were completely over your head.

There is a difference between basic, standard optimization and the stuff they talk about in those forums. While visting SEO forums is good to keep up on new things as you go along, many people get confused and the forums are the breeding grounds for confusion when you are a beginner.

Try to learn advanced SEO from noted experts in the field rather than taking anything in chats or forums as gospel. A lot more people THINK they know what they are doing than actually do.

Remember that anything someone is willing to give away for free which, if it works, could be worth tens of thousands of dollars in high rankings resulting in high sales, is probably something that is old hat and not effective anymore.

But for now, you have a lot of work to do on the basics. The advanced stuff can come later. Relative to the advanced SEO, getting the basics right is the most powerful move you can make because you are going from zero to moving up in rankings by, many times, tens of thousands of spaces in a relatively short time.

Advanced SEO focuses on moving your site from high rankings slightly higher rankings.

Keywords

Your content is the most important thing about a website. It must be friendly to the search engines meaning no special java script or other stuff. Just good old fashioned HTML. You will do fine with PHP, SHTML, and other things, but for the purpose of this article, HTML is the way most people construct their sites.

You should use a good density of your main keyword phrase for each page of your site within the content. If you are going after a high ranking for the phrase “dog leashes” you need to have that phrase in the title of the page and throughout the content.

Programs that are great for analyzing your site and giving feedback on how to improve your rankings don’t come any more highly recommended that Internet Business Promoter from Axandra.

More Info: http://www.Axandra.com/go.to/jdh358

Nice thing about the software above is that it teaches you search engine optimization while it works on your site. So having it is like having a course on optimization while your site is altered for the best placement in the search engines at the same time.

The main recommendation I have for people starting to deal with optimizing their sites for the engines is to take things one at a time and get the basics down before you start messing with advanced strategies.

And when you start down that road, information you pay for is usually more accurate and more valuable than hanging around in forums. High rankings are worth a LOT of money and people don’t work hard to become experts just to give that information away.

Good luck and get to work!

Jack Humphrey is the CEO of http://WebFoxMedia.com, an online marketing consulting firm that focuses on publicity, traffic generation and website development for small to large companies.

I have consulted with many people that thought they had taken the right steps to improve their score prior to applying for mortgage, only to find out that they had accomplished the opposite. The following 5 ideas might sound like the right things to do, but will surely kill you credit score.

1. Paying off an old collection account

You might be thinking that lenders want old collections to be paid off, so you take care of it prior to applying for a mortgage. After all, payment history counts for 35% of the credit score. Let’s say the collection was over two years old. At this point it has less impact on your score. Should you pay it off, your score would drop, because now the negative event is recent. The scoring model is a mathematical formula that looks at the date of last activity, regardless what that activity is. Therefore any collection should be paid off at escrow, not before.

2. Closing credit card accounts

Has some one told you before to close unnecessary credit card accounts? Sounds reasonable, less available credit, should look good to lenders - so you think!

You go ahead and close three of your credit cards, and leave only two open. Maybe the remaining two cards are now maxed out. This move accomplished two things for you: First, you just raised you ratio of cumulative balance to cumulative limit. This will lower your score. 30% of your score is determined by how much you owe compared to how much your credit limit is. High balances predict higher likelihood of future credit problems.

Second, if you happened to close older cards, you also shortened your credit history, which is 15% of your score. (Example: You have had 1.card for 5 yrs & 2. card is brand new, your history is 5 years + 0 years, divided by the total number of cards, which is 2. Your history is 2.5 years.)

3. Transferring credit card balances

Another strategy used by many, is to send away for new credit card offers promising low introductory interest rates; we all receive these offers in the mail. In hopes of saving money, you transfer balances from older accounts to the new card.

From the credit scoring point of view, you just incurred another inquiry and shortened your cumulative credit history. Another hit to your rating.

4. Utilizing deals such as “Buy now, don’t make payments till June of 2 years from now”

This way you could buy all the furniture and electronics you want, right now. Instead of charging them to your Visa and having the extra monthly payment, you were smart enough to defer the liability for a while. Maybe you could even qualify for higher mortgage… Wrong!

Even though you are not required to make payments for the first 2 years, the debt shows on your credit report. If you buy as much as you are approved for, you will show maxed out for the entire 2 years!

The retailer is not going to wait that long to get their money, they sell the note to a finance company. Finance company backed credit always hurts your score, no matter how much you owe or how well you pay, because using a financing as such predicts higher possibility of default.

5. Shopping around for a mortgage

We have been told to shop around. Very well. Inquiries count for 10% of the score, and each occurrence cost you about 5 to 15 points, depending on your credit profile and what type of company inquires. The good news is that multiple inquiries made by mortgage companies are treated as one, if they incur within a 30-day period.

It is recommended that you check your report for inaccuracies prior to looking for financing. Make sure once you start looking for financing, should you compare different lenders, that you do it in the 30-day time frame.

My advice: Before taking action to clean your credit, consult with a knowledgeable mortgage professional.

My name is Heli Walker and I am an Arizona Mortgage Specialist. For more information on mortgages and credit, visit my web site http://www.azhomeloansolutions.com.

Home equity loans allow homeowners to borrow money against their home’s equity. Of course, to obtain a home equity loan, homeowners must have enough equity in their property. Those without adequate equity may obtain a 125% home equity loan. These loans permit homeowners to borrow more than their homes’ worth. Home equity loans are great for making home improvements, paying off credit cards and consumer debt, or enjoying a nice vacation. The downside is that home equity loans carry a higher interest rate.

How Do Home Equity Loans Work?

Home equity loans are second mortgages. Unlike refinancing which creates a new mortgage, home equity loans keep the existing mortgage and create a second. Thus, homeowners are required to make two monthly payments. One payment goes towards the original mortgage amount, whereas the second payment goes toward paying off the home equity loan. In order to receive a home equity loan, a property must have enough equity. For example, if a homeowner owes $190,000 on a property worth $250,000, the difference of $60,000 is the equity amount. Therefore, the homeowners may acquire a home equity loans up to $60,000.

Benefits of Home Equity Loans

The process of obtaining a home equity loan is quick. On average, homeowners receive their money in as little as five days. Some homeowners choose to refinance their homes in order to receive cash-out at closing. The drawback to refinancing a home is that homeowners must pay huge fees such as closing costs. Moreover, the process is lengthy and funds are not received immediately. On the other hand, refinances are ideal for reducing high interest rates.

Although home equity loans carry a higher interest rate, these are beneficial for those hoping to eliminate high interest credit card balances, consumer debts, and student loans. Ordinarily, it would take fifteen to twenty years to payoff these balances. Home equity loans have shorter terms; thus, homeowners are able to eliminate all debts in five to seven years. Shorter terms are ideal because they come with lower interest rates.

When shopping for a home equity loan, homeowners should compare rates from several lenders. If possible, work with a mortgage broker or current mortgage lender. Current lenders want to keep a customers business, and are willing to negotiate rates.

To view our list of recommended home equity loan companies, visit this page:
Recommended
Home Equity Lenders Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan
Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.