Why Join the Credit Union? Better Benefits are Hard to Find!
What is a credit union?A credit union is a not-for-profit, cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members. Credit unions serve people that share something in common such as an employer or place of worship. Credit unions allow members to pool their savings, lend to one ... more...

Should You Get a Home Equity Line of Credit?
Let me explain why you might not want to get a home equity line of credit: I will use my friend Nadia as an example. Nadia bought her house in sunny Florida early 1998. She got a 30 years fixed interest loan and her monthly mortgage is $732, including property taxes.In those days in 1998 the gas ... more...

Real Estate Stories that Show You How!
Lets begin easing you out of the pits. I mean, comfort zone! Im going to slowly and methodically give you as many little sparks and insights to the relatively simple ways that ordinary people use real estate to achieve extraordinary results.Stories are the best spark plugs. They let you casually ... more...

Legal Agreement to Cohabitate Between Unmarried Persons
THIS AGREEMENT is made and entered into this Third day of March, in the City of CITY, COUNTY County, Tennessee, by and between DAVID (hereinafter referred to as CLARK and MARTHA (hereinafter referred to as STEWART with reference to the following facts:A. The parties to this agreement are not now, ... more...

Challenging the Gospel of Growth -- Must Business Grow to Survive?
A cherished business doctrine is that growth must be a primary business purpose: grow or perish is a mostly unquestioned truth. At South Mountain we favor certain kinds of growth, but not expansion for its own sake, which author Edward Abbey described as the ideology of the cancer cell. We embrace ... more...

A Log Home Story
Solving problems while maximizing valuesThis story has a few good lessons and observations that no doubt can be used by you to take advantage of hidden opportunities that often lie in plain view for all to see, however, most people have not been trained or instructed on how to recognize or find ... more...

Negotiating the Purchase of Your Home
Negotiating a successful real estate contract requires communication and listening skills, as well as the ability to create a environment of cooperation. Many of our real estate clients have been very experienced negotiators, and from them we have learned that the goal is to reach a "good ... more...

A Journey To The Palace Hotels Of India
When I started on a five month long tour to India, I had no idea what was in store for me. I was not even sure why I planned on a tour to India. May be I was just too fascinated by the lifestyles of the Indian Maharajas and wanted to see and experience for myself their lives and their palaces. My ... more...

How to Put Your Kids (Or Grandkids) On the Fast Track to Success
Working with adults (as well as children and teens) for the past 12 years I have noticed that there are just a few primary struggles that most adults face. I also see how better training as a child and teen could have given them the skills and attitudes that would have prevented the problems that ... more...

Life After Divorce- Surviving Financially
In the first few years after divorce, more often than not, the standard of living of both spouses drops. Why, because the same cumulative income and pool of assets now has to support two households instead of one. Unfortunately, most people don't prepare themselves financially or emotionally for ... more...