If you are in the home buying or selling market, it's important to understand the difference between tax assessment and appraisal value. Concentrate on the appraisal value because this determines your asking price. Understanding Tax AssessmentThe tax assessment is a tool local governments use to exact a property tax rate on residents. The local government determines your home's worth by reassessing the homes in the area you live in periodically....more
Sometimes life lands you in a situation that causes your credit to suffer. A job loss or illness can send your credit rating south leaving you with nothing to do about it. Some creditors may let you slide a month or two, but your records will still show a delinquency. A stolen identity can also leave you feeling violated and unable to resume a normal life with credit. It is during these times you may have to search a little harder to find...more
Households across the country are finding themselves in a similar situation. They lack the financial funds to make the necessary changes to their home and need to find a way to fund upgrades and eliminate debt. A popular way of financing these changes without killing themselves is by taking a home equity loan to pay down their debt. The Home Equity Loan has become a fast-track way of paying down large credit card debt, financing college education and even taking a vacation. Since the stock market has lost quite a bit of appreciation, people have been purchasing homes as a means of investment, thus sending housing prices through the roof. With higher prices comes a great deal of appreciation in the home. People who have found themselves in 20 - 30 thousand dollars in debt can pay it down by taking a home equity loan. Home Equity Loans have been a source of relief and flexibility to get the homeowner out of debt and moving forward in life.The home equity tax shelterThe greatest benefit from taking a Home Equity Loan is being able to crush debt, but also reduce the amount you owe the government every year. Most loans by design do not provide any tax relief, whereas a Home Equity Loan...more
If you are up to your neck in debt, there may seem like there is no relief in sight. In fact this is not necessarily the truth. There are ways to take all of your stifling bills and roll them up into one neat package by using debt consolidation in two very popular forms Home Equity Loans, Refinancing Loans, and a Consolidation Credit Card. All of...more
"You've been approved!" The words you have always wanted to hear when you filled out the home loan application. It swirls through your mind the opportunities and memories you will cherish in your new home. Before you even start shopping for a home it is best to understand in real terms what you can afford. Your income level may make it tight for...more
Some time in your life you will need a new car. You may not want to have the burden of a new car debt, but you may find there are very few alternatives. There are some simple things you can look for that will help reduce the amount of money every month. Depending on your credit situation, a car loan can be very easy or rather difficult. Even though there are dealerships that specialize in selling people cars with bad credit, the purchaser must realize what they are getting themselves into. Get the loan firstOne of the greatest advantages you can have over the dealership is to get the loan before you buy the car. You can shop dealerships on weekends and at night and look at the prices and figure roughly that the car will be about 15-25% less than what the sticker says. Go to a bank or lending institution and fill out the appropriate paperwork. Once they give you the loan, you can figure out approximately how much the car will cost you in advance and apply for a blanket price. You can also sign a contract to purchase depending on financing. This means you can haggle your best price and then tell your bank or financial institution how much the car loan should be for exactly....more
Chances are your bank is a virtual place. Since the invention of the Internet you can see your balances anywhere, at any time. Most banks think globally and have acted this way by creating secure portals to manage their account holder's information...more
There will come a day when you need credit. You may want to buy a home or a car and your credit rating will become very important to help make these dreams come true. One of the first things you will need to learn is the basic principle of money...more
You have finally found the home of your dreams. You have searched all over and are ready to purchase it. Before you even make your offer you should seek out the financing first. In some cases, it is easier to have a pre-approval in hand before making...more
With today's credit card companies, there are many opportunities to get your cards rate of 21% or more reduced. The higher the amount of interest your card charges will cost you more for a simple purchase and ultimately may take you years to pay off...more
Chances are you may need a little extra money to get some work done around the home or perhaps your current interest rate is 7.5% and the prime interest rate is 6.0% there is a benefit to restart the clock on an existing mortgage and save thousands...more
What we now call "marketing" began long before the name was coined. In the mid-1800s, traveling salesmen dressed "snake oil" and other tonics in fancy packaging and extolled their virtues to a gullible public. New marketing applications soon...more