Think INSIDE the Square to Keep Those Love Fires Burning
I was sitting in my sanctuary in my back yard contemplating the worlds mysteries and minding my own business when a fellow neighbor walked up to me and started a conversation. As he looked a little distressed, I invited him into my little spiritual oasis and offered him a cup of coffee. He ... more...

Consolidating Credit Cards
Credit card consolidation is a popular solution for those with significant credit card debt, usually distributed on three or four different cards. Basically, this means putting all your debts together on a single card, like transferring it all to one loan. Of course, the goal is to pick a card that ... more...

The Three Factors of Credit-Worthiness
Between the Internet, well-meaning family and friends, and know-it-all articles in the print media, it's hard to know where the facts end and the nonsense begins. Facts are everywhere, but so are urban legends, hidden agendas, and opinions posing as truth. Fact or fallacy - it can be devilishly ... more...

Conventional Financing For Wholesale Deals
This info is very important for both new and experienced wholesalers, AND buyers of fixer-uppers, to carefully read and understand. We learned it painfully, hopefully you won't have to :-)Often times we are asked by investors about using conventional financing for their investor deals. In other ... more...

An Interview with Gary Dunn, Publisher of the Caretaker Gazette
I am always on the lookout for innovative, unconventional, and first and foremost, cost-saving ways to travel. I recently came across the concept of "caretaking", i.e. looking after other people's (often beautiful) properties and estates, as a way of procuring rent-free living opportunities in ... more...

Protecting Your Expatriate Family
If you and your family relocate overseas, one of your first priorities from a financial planning point of view may very well be establishing health care.Costs and services abroad can differ greatly to what you are accustomed to back home. Therefore its essential to make sure that you are fully ... more...

Marketing Success - Marketing Strategy - Brand Identity Guru
Marketing message x Credibility x Visibility = Marketing SuccessThese three variables, when working positively together, create success. Period. But determining how to get those variables to work together is the trick.Your marketing message isnt a static entity. It can have a high or low impact on ... more...

Debt a Glossary of Terms
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.Collateral - Property acceptable as ... more...

Disaster Assistance Through the IRS
Every year millions of people have property damage from unexpected events. There seems to be a rise in natural disasters occurring all around us, from the western earthquakes to the southern hurricanes. Although we rarely think of the IRS and our taxes when disasters happen, it can actually be a ... more...

Planning to Buy Your Dream
Lots of people are dreaming about that little cottage with the white picket fence or that modern apartment with a killer view or that fixer-upper in the country orThe dreams are endless, but the idea is all the same owning your own home is a major milestone in life. Many people fell like they cant ... more...

Who's That Knocking At My Door? Investing To Rent!
Investing to rent can create the financial and real estate success you have been searching for, but it takes hard work, thoughtful preparation and practical knowledge. As a landlord you must be creative, fearless and intuitive. In the Tidewater area approximately one out of every five homebuyers ... more...

Shorting Stocks The Basics, Part I of II
What does it mean to short a stock?This means that you borrow the stock from your broker to sell to a third party. The idea is to buy back the stock at a lower price, returning the shares to your broker while leaving the remaining cash in your account as a profit. Put another way, a short seller ... more...

Should You Buy Old or New?
You are looking to buy a home. You dont know whether a new home or an older home is good for you. Which is best for you?Whether a brand new home or one that has been broken in is best for you depends on your preferences. A homebuilder will tell you that you need a new home. Real estate agents will ... more...