Reasons to Refinance When Rates Are Moving Up
Interest rates have enjoyed record lows during the last few years allowing many people to refinance and enjoy lower mortgage payments. Now, interest rates are moving in the other direction. The average 30 year fixed rate, according to mortgage giant, Freddie Mac, was 6.31% last week. Still, during ... more...

Financing Multifamily Rental Housing
Given the rising costs of homeownership, multifamily dwellingsincluding rental apartmentsincreasingly represent an accepted alternative to the detached single-family house. Lending on apartment security combines the skills of the residential lender with those of the income-property lender. ... more...

Rebuilding After Katrina: Smart Energy Choices
Energy efficiency has been part of the American lexicon since 1978 when the Energy Policy Act was first enacted. Since then, energy efficient homes and increased use of renewable energy resources have become the norm in states like New York and California. Policies and programs have supported these ... more...

The US Dollar Is Not Weak
In 2004, The USD Was Falling, But the Dollar Was Never Weak!Germany's long term economic policy has been to cultivate a permanent trade surplus by saving more, and consuming less. But there is another side to their trade surplus/high savings rate story. Growth in Germany is 1/3rd that in the US, ... more...

10 Things to Look for in a Home-Equity Line of Credit
If you are a homeowner, you've probably received offers to apply for a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Handled with care, home equity credit lines can be an excellent way to improve financial flexibility, provide readily available cash reserves for emergencies, or pay for large expenses (like ... more...

Decision Time: Home Equity Loan or Home Equity Line of Credit?
Home equity loans and home equity lines of credit continue to grow in popularity. According to the Consumer Bankers Association, during 2003 combined home equity line and loan portfolios grew 29%, following a torrid 31% growth rate in 2002. With so many people deciding to cash in on their home's ... more...

Going to Live on the Costa del Sol, Spain
Thousands of people every year dream of going to live in Spain and a small percentage of them do it, what is the reason for the dream, and how does the reality live up to it?I came to Spain in 1991, 14 years ago at the time of writing, with my husband and three young children then aged 4,7 and ... more...

Offset Mortgages: A Dream for Well Off Homeowners
Offset mortgages represent one of the biggest mortgage innovations seen in recent years. Six years ago there was hardly an offset mortgage to be seen. Now they and the current account mortgage, to which they are closely related, account for 10 out of every 100 of new lending.Whats more, one of the ... more...

Surge Protector: A Simple Mechanism Description
A surge protector [AKA surge suppressor] is an electrical plug-in device designed to distribute safe electrical voltages to other electrical or electronic devices. Surge protectors resemble power strips in appearance; however, they are more sophisticated and deliver a constant, continuous power ... more...

Prices: Where Are They Headed?
Money is the source of all evils - so goes the popular saying. Money is also what makes real estate spin around. So the critical question of the year becomes: where are real estate prices headed? Short of using a crystal ball, there are indeed a few considerations that can be made to have a general ... more...

7 Big Reasons To Invest In Pre-Foreclosures
Looking for an "in" to real estate investing?Working a nine to five job swapping time for money can be incredibly dispiriting. After the futility of it all hits home, it's all you can do to limit the number of home business opportunities you investigate to twenty per week.One of the more compelling ... more...

Home Owners In Trouble! The Real Estate Bubble, Rising Interest, and Variable Rate Loans Concern Fed
Hurricane Katrina, floods, earthquakes, rising fuel prices, shrinking pocketbooks, and now, concerns over variable interest rate loans, are discussions heard throughout the nation.With mounting concerns by the Fed over rising inflation, there is a serious push to increase the current rates of ... more...

A Bad Real Estate Market is Good for Real Estate Investors and the Country!
The real estate industry in this country is in for a rude awakening!The realtors, mortgage brokers, investors (really speculators) and Alan Greenspan are whistling past the grave yard, living on borrowed time.Few people realize how bad the real estate market can become. I remember in the late 70s ... more...

Back To The Future - Big Changes Are Coming, Get Ready Now
The comments below are quoted from a recent speech by Ben Bernanke, a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors..."Looking forward, I am sure that the Committee will continue to watch the oil situation carefully. However, future monetary-policy choices will not be closely linked to the ... more...

Accounts Receivable Factoring - A Viable Cash-flow Solution for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
The pace of change in todays business environment is inarguably staggering. Growth of e-commerce; changes to business structures; evolving relationships; changes to funding arrangements; access to capital and its sources. All occurring at increasingly exponential rates. Fast. The fact that there is ... more...

UK Loans Guide - Channelising Your Rising Budget in a Productive Mmanner
Every unknown road needs a milestone to configure where it leads. Every loan type in UK requires a guide to steer through the loans market. The vastness of loans in UK is exhaustive. Loan borrowing in UK is growing by the day. Loan process has been considerably simplified leading to opening of new ... more...

Home Loans
Buying a home remains the great American dream. Home ownership rates have been exploding in recent years, spurred on by the historically low interest rates in the home mortgage market. Home prices have been rising at far faster than inflation, especially in major urban areas such as San Francisco, ... more...

40 Year Mortgages - Are They Right For You?
A 40 year mortgage, with either fixed or adjustable rates, is starting to receive more attention in the mortgage business. With interest rates rising and real estate prices booming in 2005, lenders are starting to offer the 40 year mortgage as a viable option for buying your dream home.Although ... more...

Investing the Profits from Your Home Based Business
Having made the bold and glorious decision to sack the boss and go it alone you are one of the few who have what it takes to succeed. You have an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong will and these are rare and valuable attributes that will guide you throughout your professional and personal life ... more...