tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132715162012-04-15T20:19:49.508-07:00homemehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513734719003825400noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13271516.post-1128381130928799922005-10-03T16:11:00.000-07:002005-10-03T16:12:10.936-07:00Home Improvement: Loans to Build Your Very Own Comfort ZoneBy Amanda Thompson<br /><br /><br />Home is your sanctuary. The place you go back to every night and somehow it doesn’t seem right. Your home is an expression of who you are and if you walk out each of a place that you does not seem to belong to you then probably your home needs improvement. You are probably guessing how you are going to make the payments for your home improvement. Your home remodeling plans are no longer to be restricted to the thought stages. Let them see the light of day. Home improvement loans will provide you with a dependable groundwork to build on the home you have a vision of.<br /><br />Home improvement is predominantly triggered by the desire to own a comfortable home. Home improvement can be slightly difficult, if your financial position is tight. This is where home improvement loans have a function to perform. Being a homeowner you could not have been in a better position to apply for a home improvement loan. Home improvement loans are functional for any kind of improvement or home extension. Home improvement loan is available for double glazing, new conservatory, heating system, new kitchen, rewiring and plumbing or any home remodeling that you can think of. The cost of home improvements is generally paid by savings or revolving credits like credit or store cards. Credit cards imply no borrowing. In many ways it is idyllic for there are no repayments to be made. But credit cards can be an expensive option especially if the borrowing extends beyond the credit limit. Store card interest rates are as high as 30%. In every circumstance a personal loan for home improvement is a more disciplined and cheaper option.<br /><br />Home improvement plans can be funded by means of a secured loan, unsecured loan, remortgaging or taking further advance on your mortgage. Unsecured home improvement offers a typical flat rate of interest 12-14%. But a little bit of research will get you an unsecured home improvement loan for 10%. A secured home improvement loan indisputably attracts lower rate of interest. APR of a secured loan is around 7%. You can borrow anything from £ 5,000 to £ 75,000 for home improvement. The repayment term can be extended from 5 years to 25 years depending on the loan amount, your available income and the amount of equity in the property.<br /><br />In the contemporary context, one of the ingenious thing one can do with a home’s equity is to put it right back into the home. Home improvement is besides providing you with the much needed changes, increases the equity of your home. There has been a rise in home improvement loans in the past decade. If the property cannot be sold then home improvement is the answer. Home improvement is remarkable if your primary motive is to raise large amounts. But not every home improvement will improve the resale value of your home. So it is recommended that you stick to those home improvement plans that give you the maximum returns. It is important to remember that over enthusiasm with improvement won’t lead to any gain. It is difficult to recover investment in a home that is already more valuable than those in the neighbourhood. And keep your whimsical tastes to respite for there<br />might not be many mainstream homebuyers for them.<br /><br />Home improvement loan might seem like an unreal thing for many homeowners. But the newer more sophisticated home improvement loan options are very easy to adjust to. They are designed to keeping in mind the conditions and status of every homeowner. The ever expanding mortgage market gives you an opportunity to apply for a mortgage for home improvements and that too in the most uncomplicated manner. More and more homeowners are administering for remortgage to raise capital for home improvements. By completely remortgaging the consolidated loan, the entire mortgage market is assailable to the loan borrower. If you care enough to shop around then you can find a very reasonable and cheap mortgage loan for home improvement.<br /><br />Home improvement loans are a package that includes any kind of meliorations that you can think of. It is your home and you have every right to improve it the way you want to. Contrary to accepted conviction home improvements are vital and absolutely necessary. Why home improvement? If that is what people ask when you suggest it then they probably don’t know what is the meaning of comfortable living is. Home improvements improve the quality of life. We work hard and save money to buy personal satisfaction and comfort. If the house that we have build does not provide the relief then perhaps home improvement is what you need.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Amanda Thompson holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from CPIT and has completed her master’s in Business Administration from IGNOU. She is as cautious about her finances as any person reading this is. She works for the personal loan web site http://www.chanceforloans.co.uk . To find a Secured or unsecured loan that best suits your needs visit http://www.chanceforloans.co.uk.<br /><br />amandacthompson@gmail.commehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513734719003825400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13271516.post-1124214059872393832005-08-16T10:39:00.000-07:002005-08-16T10:40:59.880-07:00The Happy Tinkerer - Making Homemade Devices For The Fun Of ItBy Alan Detwiler<br /><br /><br />I`ve always liked to make gadgets and gizmos that have some function, either useful or not so useful. It started with the simple things that many kids make - slingshots, a simple bow and arrow, a toy boat. Occasionally I made more involved items such as a canoe and a dune buggy. Then there was the grass hut - 12 feet across, octogonal in shape, and thatched top to bottom with a thick layer of grass. I built it in a remote location, near a stipmine filled with water. Hauled the cut grass in a 1972 Volkswagon convertible with the top down. Piled the grass high in the back seat. It must have taken a dozen trips back and forth from a nearby hay field.<br /><br />Simple things appeal to me more than costly homemade items. A small project lets me pursue an interest without interfering with other goals. A project with a small amount of time invested seems more like entertainment.<br /><br />So now when I don`t feel motivated to do more practical things I often turn to an idea about some device or other that I`ve wanted to try making but never got around to.<br /><br />I can recall many such improvised devices that gave me satisfaction and enjoyment. Each project gives me something to be proud of and relief from the tedium that often must be endured with more practical endeavors.<br /><br />Ideas for things to make come from many places. Most often the idea comes from some need. I do a lot of keying of text using a computer keyboard. I tend to keep the room temperature a bit cool, cool enough that my hands become uncomfortable. I ended up rigging a length of electrical heating tape wound in a large coil-shape to surround the keyboard. Tying the heat tape to a large piece of cardboard keeps it in place. It does a nice job of keeping my hands warm. I can leave the room temperature set where I want it. As far as I know, you can`t buy anything like that.<br /><br />image at www.leisureideas.com/makegizmos/graphics/kheater2.gif<br /><br />As we build and invent, we improve our understanding of mechanical devices and materials. It becomes easier to manipulate and modify the physical things around us. With effort and imagination, we are able to make improvements and add enjoyment to our lives.<br /><br />Both intuition and logic are used to make a homemade gizmo. The more the two abilities are used together, the more powerful the combination becomes. A strong partnership of reason and creativity helps a person to produce and enjoy life.<br /><br />It is fun and satisfying to conjure up and build simple devices. Those created items command more appreciation than more casually acquired, purchased items. And it feels good proving that imagination and ingenuity can make life better. Having witnessed first-hand the process of invention, we wonder what other things we can achieve.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Alan Detwiler is the author of the ebook "Homemade Devices For Inventive Teens" available at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000231WF2/. He has a web site about homemade items at www.makegizmos.commehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513734719003825400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13271516.post-1122397056637230932005-07-26T09:57:00.000-07:002005-07-26T10:05:17.710-07:00It`s Fun To Make Useful Homemade GizmosBy Alan Detwiler<br /><br /><br />It`s fun and satisfying to design and then make simple items that serve some purpose. I find it very rewarding to conjure up designs out of my imagination and then build them using common tools and cheap or free materials. I`ve made all kinds of things. Most of them performed some function that no readily available, store-bought device offered.<br /><br />I do a lot of text keying at a computer keyboard. After many hours of keying, day after day, my hands and fingers tell me (as in pain) that they`re pushing too hard, too many times. After going from store to store looking for a keyboard with easy to press keys, I realized that I needed something to measure the force needed to press the keys on a particular keyboard. Trying to judge the force by typing a little with each keyboard wasn`t separating the Tylenol endorsed keyboards from the more finger friendly keyboards. So I rigged up a plastic tube taped to a vertical wire a few inches long. Pennies could be put in the tube. The lower end of the wire is rested on a key. The number of pennies needed to push a key down is a measure of the key`s required press force.<br /><br />Then there was the see through, wall hung beehive that I put on my bedroom wall. My father used to keep bees to harvest honey. One cold day in March, I discovered an abandoned hive that had fallen over exposing the bees to the elements. There was only several hundred bees left out of what was once thousands. I put a sheet of glass, about 2-foot by 2-foot, onto a wooden frame that I attached to my bedroom wall. Then I carefully transported the faltering bee colony to their new home. A tunnel made of metal window screening provided a path for the bees to come and go under a slightly raised window. The colony`s queen had not survived being exposed to the weather, so I knew no new bees would be reared. This colony would only last as long as the lifespans of its currant members. But it was interesting to watch the bees doing what bees do throughout the next several months. And the bragging rights for having a bee colony on ones bedroom wall was something to envy.<br /><br />Both the keyboard force-o-meter and the wall-mounted beehive were inspired by circumstances. I just saw the possibility of what could be done and wanted to do it. I try to be open to possibilites for other gadgets and gizmos that would be of value. It is well worth the effort: It is fun to make improvised gizmos, and you get a valued item. The item may suit your needs better than a purchased item because you make it the way you want it. And it feels good to prove that your ingenuity and imagination can produce things of value.<br /><br />Below is a description of a couple of items you may like to make.<br /><br />Bootjack:<br />If you often find it annoying to remove boots as you enter the house, this project is for you. The bootjack makes the task easier especially if the boots are tight fitting or you are carrying something so that your hands are not free. <br /><br />Begin with a 3/4 inch thick board that is about 2 feet long and 6 inches wide. Cut a V shaped notch in one end. Use nails to attach a small piece of wood to keep the notched end raised above the floor. Keep the bootjack near the door where you most often enter wearing boots. Put one foot on the <br />jack to hold it in place. Put the heel of the other foot in the notch and pull your foot out of the boot.<br /><br />Wall display cubby box:<br /><br />Small cardboard boxes can be fastened together and hung on the wall. Small and valued objects can be placed there to be displayed and admired.<br /><br />Save boxes from muffin mix, artificial sweetener, rice or other often used food items. When you have enough, cut each box to an appropriate size. I started with boxes 4-inches wide, 2-inches deep, and 6-inches tall. I cut each box to half height, so that each box was 3-inches tall. Boxes that are <br />twice as wide as they are deep can be arranged as shown in the diagrams of this article. If you use boxes with other ratios of width to height, use a different arrangement or use pieces of corrigated cardboard to fill any gaps between boxes.<br /><br />Lay a piece of plastic sheeting such as a plastic grocery bag on a flat surface. The plastic will keep excess glue from sticking to your work surface. You can use white glue to fasten the boxes together. To help keep the glue from running down the side of the boxes, use a method similar to that <br />used by bricklayers applying mortar to bricks. Before putting a box into position, put glue on each side of that box that will be against a box already in place. That way, while applying glue, you can turn the box in any way that makes it easy to apply the glue. And the glue will quickly be <br />between two surfaces. That helps keep the glue in place. A good glue pattern is shown by the red lines below.<br /><br /><br /><br />As you assemble the boxes together, use a straight edge such as a wall or a large box as a guide to align the boxes in straight rows. Set something heavy against the boxes to hold them together while the glue dries. Bricks or large books work well. Use the plastic sheeting to keep oozing glue from <br />sticking the boxes to the books or bricks. You can use paper clips to hold the edges of the boxes together where gaps occur.<br /><br /><br /><br />When all the boxes are in place, let the glue dry for about 12 hours. Then use a nail to punch holes for a string that will go around the group of boxes. Two holes near each corner will keep the string in place. Tie the two ends of the string together. Hang the box display from a small nail.mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513734719003825400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13271516.post-1119551458869560532005-06-23T11:30:00.000-07:002005-06-23T11:30:58.880-07:00First Time Buyer Mortgage –Key to your First HomeBy Aditya<br /><br /><br />Living in a rented apartment since long. Ever thought of the disadvantages of staying as a tenant. Besides losing your freedom to the whims and fancy of the landlord, your hard earned money is going down the drains. Of course, to nourish the landlord’s finances; such that he is planning to buy a<br />new home.<br /><br />Ever thought how much have you paid in total. If accumulated, the rent would have been enough to buy you a house. If the idea dawns upon you, then continue reading for more information on the first time home buyers mortgage which can be a key to your first home.<br /><br />A first time buyer mortgage can be a perfect option for financing your first home. It is specially built for the first timers. The first time buyers are generally new to their careers. They did not have time to build up savings to help them pay for their home.<br /><br />However, some amount of deposit will be required for getting the mortgage. Some lenders are ready to finance the whole of the house by paying 100% on the mortgage, if the first time buyer is not able to pay the deposit. Nevertheless, they will charge more for their services.<br /><br />First time buyers are a hot favourite with the mortgage providers. This is because they know that this is their first deal and if treated well the customer would come again and many more times after that.<br /><br />First time buyers do not require any special treatment. They require a mortgage which allows them to purchase their first house without much of difficulties- both immediate and future. But they seldom get the treatment they desire.<br /><br />The first problem they face is the lack of knowledge about the rules and regulations related to buying of house. Very few people do actually peek into the legal documents till it is their own home, or if they deal in these. So it is inconsequential to think that they must have known the formalities.<br /><br />‘Whom to ask’ is the second problem which first time buyers face. Does a particular person have the necessary knowledge to inform them about the legal formalities? If yes, can you believe the person to be tendering unbiased information? He/ she might be an agent of the lender, just aiding the<br />lender to make his lead.<br /><br />But knowledge about the legal formalities is a must. One can be trapped into a bad deal in the absence of information. Close friends and relatives might be a source of information. So can bankers and mortgage providers. The key to relevant information is getting information from a number of<br />sources. While you get to know a whole lot of things, you can very easily eliminate superfluous information.<br /><br />The normal amount of money advanced in this type of mortgage is 3.25 times the salary of a single working member; and 2.25 times the combined salary where both couple is working. Some lenders are ready to offer as much as 5 times the salary. However, it will be advisable to ignore the bait. It<br />could lead you to pay much more than you could have afforded. Besides, there are many more expenses to pay for. There are a whole lot of fees and stamp duty to be paid for, which could cost a fortune.<br /><br />While there is the temptation to adorn ones home with the best of designs and interiors, all at one go, it would be appropriate to be easy in plans. The limited resources which a common person has, does not warrant a huge expenditure on the house. Even the first time buyer mortgage will have to be<br />paid someday.<br /><br />Therefore, it is crucial to decide the amount of first time buyer mortgage beforehand. Used aptly, the mortgage can be the key to your first home, and the key to all the enjoyment ensuing out of marriages, births and many more events, which this home will witness.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Aditya has completed his masters in mass communications from Jamia University. If you need UK Personal secured and unsecured loans visit http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.ukmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513734719003825400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13271516.post-1119366350287581182005-06-21T08:04:00.000-07:002005-06-21T08:05:50.293-07:00Thinking About Selling Your Home?By Donald Lee<br /><br /><br />Owning a home is the original American dream. It’s the old frontier spirit, wanting to claim your own tuft of the New World. Then again, these days it also makes perfect economic sense. Experts estimate that all of the homes in the United States alone are worth a combined $14 trillion. That goes a<br />long way to explain why a housing boom has been sweeping the globe.<br /><br />Where there is a boom, though, there may be a bust. Read any headline from your local newspaper, and you’ll see headlines such as “Bye-Bye, Housing Boom” to “Housing Boom is Leveling Off.” Some economic forecasters predict a bubble that may be about to burst. They make you wonder: am I missing the<br />boat?<br /><br />Whether you’re looking to cash in on this real estate bubble before it pops—or simply wanting to move to a bigger home or move across the country—selling your home can be more a nightmare than a dream. Not only do you have to find and trust a real estate agent. You need to prep your home for open<br />houses. You need to haggle with prospective buyers. Not to mention, you have to worry about the moving and selling of all of your valuables.<br /><br />It’s almost enough to make you want to live in one home for the rest of your life—just as folks did in your grandparents’ day. Then again, your home is worth a percentage of that $14 trillion. Don’t you want to see just how much?<br /><br />As hectic and horrible as selling a home may seem, it really isn’t so bad if you break it down into a few simple rules. If you don’t believe us, read the rules for yourself.<br /><br />Fuss over the façade. Your home’s future owners do not want to worry about repairs and renovations as soon as they move in. So make certain they don’t. Be sure to have your home immaculately clean before you invite prospective buyers over. Redecorate if your interior is outdated. And invest in<br />minor renovations if necessary. You’d be surprised what a coat of paint can do.<br /><br />Focus on the fine details. Prospective buyers will leave no stone unturned when they visit your home. They will test every light switch, run every faucet, and lift up every toilet seat. Everything—and we mean everything—should be in working order before your open house.<br /><br />Double check for blown out light bulbs and leaky faucets. Scrub the bathroom and clean up any ring around the bowl, tub scum, and any other nasty surprise.<br /><br />Don’t settle for maybes on safety. Ensure that there are no safety hazards anywhere on your property. Something as small as uncovered electrical sockets or as large as an unfenced pool can scare off buyers, especially parents of small children.<br /><br />Create a soothing selling atmosphere. Imagine the last time you visited a bed and breakfast. Your home should be as welcoming and accommodating as that. One easy way to accomplish this is by brightening up the place. Turn on all your lights for your visitors. Plus, fluff up your bedroom. After<br />all, most people want the bedroom to be the most comfortable spot in the house. Make sure it is—at least when buyers are around.<br /><br />Clear the joint. Along with the last rule, there is the standard real estate practice of vacating the premises when buyers come for tours. This is done for good reason. Buyers are there to evaluate your home, not meet your sisters, sons, cousins, and cats. So send your family to the mall for a day<br />of shopping, or to the park for a picnic.<br /><br />Cut the clutter. All of your stuff can get in the way, too. That’s why it’s important to start packing and storing your personal belongings as soon as you know you’re going to move. An empty house is a cleaner looking house is a more attractive house. You don’t want your perspective buyer opening<br />a closet and having a bowling ball fall on their head, do you?<br /><br />Make a killing on said clutter. One option is to simply move your personal items to your new home and create instant clutter there. That’s the way of the pack rat. Or, you could sell what you no longer need and turn a quick profit. That’s the way of the fat cat.<br /><br />If you choose wisely—the latter option—be sure not to hold your garage sale on the same days as your open houses. Neighbors in their undershirts and jeans on your front lawn do make for a great sales ploy. Instead, it makes you look desperate and could hurt you come negotiations. Schedule your<br />yard sale on separate days.<br /><br />Better yet, sell your goods online. Classified Web sites allow you to negotiate with potential buyers, get the best rates for your stuff, and ship it off at your own convenience. And it’s all accomplished on your own time, inside your own home (where you can wear your undershirt and jeans and no<br />one will care).<br /><br />Take a deep breath. Lastly, never let the home-selling experience overwhelm you. Sure, there are a load of responsibilities to take care of. But that is what your real estate agent is there for. They handle all of the grunt work. They do all of the hard talking with the buyer. They make all the<br />follow-up calls. And they showcase your home for you. Your job is just to smile, be polite, and answer the buyer’s questions if they come up.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Donald Lee is the public relations manager for Buysellcommunity.com (http://Buysellcommunity.com). Buysellcommunity provides free classified listing services for individuals and businesses to market their products and services online. For global and localized classifieds, please visit http://www.<br />buysellcommunity.com (http://www.buysellcommunity.com) - Free Buy & Sell Classifieds.mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513734719003825400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13271516.post-1117430478953375122005-05-29T22:20:00.000-07:002005-07-26T11:34:36.143-07:00Debt a Glossary of TermsBy 1st Finance Guide<br /><br /><br /> Bankruptcy - Having been legally declared financially insolvent. There are two types of bankruptcy - liquidation, in which your debts are cleared (discharged) and reorganization, in which you provide the court with a plan for how you intend to repay your debts.<br /><br />Collateral - Property acceptable as security for a loan or other obligation.<br /><br />Collection Agency - A company hired by a creditor to collect a debt that it is owed.<br /><br />Contract - An agreement between two or more parties, usually written down and enforceable by law .<br /><br />Cosigner - To endorse (another`s signature), as a loan agreement, lease or credit application. If the primary debtor does not pay, the cosigner is fully responsible for the loan or debt.<br /><br />Credit Bureau - An organization to which business firms apply for credit information on prospective customers.<br /><br />Credit Report -An account of your credit history, prepared by a credit bureau. A credit report will contain credit history, such as what you owe to whom and whether you make the payments on time, as well as personal history, such as your former addresses, employment record and any lawsuits in which you have been involved.<br /><br />Creditor - A person or entity (such as a bank) to whom a debt is owed.<br /><br />Debtor - A person or entity (such as a bank) who owes money.<br /><br />Debt to Income Ratio - Most mortgage lenders use this ratio to analyze your financial well-being. It is figured by using your monthly debt divided by your monthly income. The lower the percentage the better your financial picture. This is often referred to as credit worthiness.<br /><br />Default - To fail to pay money when it is due. A default on a mortgage or loan takes place when you fail to make the loan payments on time, fail to maintain adequate insurance or violate some other provision of your agreement with the mortgage / loan company.<br /><br />Discharge (of debts) - A court`s writing of off the debts of a person or business that has filed for bankruptcy.<br /><br />Dischargeable Debts - Debts that can be erased by going through bankruptcy.<br /><br />Down Payment - A cash payment made by a buyer when they purchase a property.<br /><br />Equity - An increase in the value of your home or decrease in the loan amount on your home creates equity. Equity is the difference between what is owed on your home and the sale value. Most home equity lenders will allow you to borrow up to 80% of that value.<br /><br />Fair Isaac and Company - Fair Isaac is the company responsible for creating the popular FICO score. This three digit score is created using information from your credit report and ranges from 300-850.<br /><br />Foreclosure - The forced sale of property to pay off a loan on which the owner of the property has defaulted.<br /><br />Garnishment - A court order directing a third party who holds money or property belonging to a defendant to withhold it and appear in court to answer inquiries.<br /><br />Grace Period - A period of time during which you are not required to make payments on a debt.<br /><br />Guarantor - A person who makes a legally binding promise to either pay another person`s debt or perform another person`s duty if that person defaults or fails to perform.<br /><br />Interest - A commission you pay a bank or other creditor for lending you money or extending you credit. Usually calculated as a percentage of the mortgage or loan.<br /><br />Lien - The right to take and hold or sell the property of a debtor as security or payment for a debt or duty.<br /><br />Loan Consolidation - The combining of a number of loans into a single new loan. Usually done to gain more favourable terms e.g. lower cost repayments or longer time to pay.<br /><br />Principal - A sum of money owed as a debt, upon which interest is calculated. If you purchased an item for $100 on your credit card that would be the principal balance.<br /><br />Repossession - A creditor`s taking of property that has been pledged as collateral for a loan.<br /><br />Secured Debt - A debt on which a creditor has a lien. A car loan would be an example of secured debt.<br /><br />Term - The time required to repay a loan.<br /><br />Unsecured Debt - A debt that is not tied to any item of property. Credit card debt is an example of unsecured debt.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />About the Author<br /><br />1st Finance Guide features help and advice on debt consolidation amongst other general finance matters.mehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04513734719003825400noreply@blogger.com