Inspecting Home Inspectors - Examining the Quality and Consistency of Home Inspections
In real estate transactions, some things never change. Sellers usually feel theyve given their house away, buyers believe theyve paid too much and Realtors fear neither side will ever get to the closing table. There is however, one thing that has been inconsistent in real estate transactions: the ... more...

Realtors: Inspecting Home Inspectors
Examining the quality and consistency of home inspections. Province of Ontario, June 2005 UpdateIn real estate transactions, some things never change. Sellers usually feel theyve given their house away, buyers believe theyve paid too much and Realtors fear neither side will ever get to the closing ... more...

A Credit Card Glossary of Terms
The Credit card industry comes with a lot of jargon. You cant be expected to recognise all the technical phrases employed and some of them could be very important. Listed below you will find a quick description of the most common credit card industry related terms and phrases.Affinity card A credit ... more...

Writing Query Letters that Count -- Close the Deal with Your First Letter!
Your query letter can be a deal maker or a deal breaker. So, if your query letter just lies there, you've killed the sale immediately or your story or novel immediately. If you want that story -- your baby -- to be read, reach out of that query letter, grab the publisher, editor or literary agent ... more...

Pitfalls of the Credit Industry
The credit industry if rife with pitfalls. If you have ever owned a credit card you probably already have learned this the hard way. If you have not owned a credit card previously you should definitely learn all you can about these convenient little suckers (literally) before you commit to any ... more...

Overcoming Objections Over the Telephone
In sales, one of the things you will be doing a lot of, is making phone calls. You cant escape it. It just comes with the territory.Making phone calls is really not all that bad. The thought of having to do it, is actually much worse than having to physically sit down and do it, and once you get ... more...

Starting Your Business A Brief Guide to Some Key Issues
If you are thinking of starting a new business, or if you are just about to take the plunge, you will know that there is a lot that you have to do. Here are a few things to think about and do, before you dive straight into running your new business.Trading EntityOne of the first things to consider ... more...

Behold: The Prince of Persia. . . the War in Iran has begun!
DJ VU (Where have I heard this before?)(Note: May I warn you from the outset . . . this treatise may commence with the levitas of “secular” indiscretions, comments and analysis . . . but it will culminate with relevant theological gravitas . . . bear with me; and, oddly enough, the ... more...

How Hedgehogs Hire
In my last column, I explored Jim Collins hedgehog principle, and how powerfully this can be used to attract great employees. After many dozens of CEO interviews, Im convinced that leaders with well-defined hedgehogs deploy the most successful hiring models.Recent job growth figures mean that ... more...

How Does Credit History Affect Car Insurance Rates?
Many personal car insurance companies consider your credit information when determining how much premium to charge for your insurance. So if you are calling around for new car insurance, keep in mind that many insurers are looking at your credit history to determine your car insurance rates. I hope ... more...

Negotiating A Short Sale The High Road to Huge Foreclosure Profits
Buying foreclosures can be extremely profitable for real estate investors. However, most of these homeowners are mortgaged to the hilt. They have no equity, and big loan payments. In fact, many actually owe more than the property is worth!Most investors will walk away from these deals because ... more...