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12 Critical Steps to Buy the Right House

2009-06-06T23:35:00.001-07:00

It is quite natural that you will want to make sure you find not only the best house for your money but also the best house for you and your lifestyle. This is extremely important today because purchasing the 'wrong' house could actually end up costing you significantly if you decide the house just doesn't suit your needs and you need to sell it within a short time after purchasing it. This is due to the current transition of the housing market and decline of home appreciation values. While home prices are still holding their own in many locales, you could find yourself trying to get rid of a home that has not maintained its market value or even appreciated during the short time you own it. Don't allow yourself to fall into this potential trap. Take the time to find a right home the first time.

Narrow the search parameters

The first step is to begin looking at factors that will influence your home buying decision and narrow down the parameters somewhat before you actually begin shopping around for your dream home.

When you begin looking for homes you will quickly discover there are almost literally hundreds of listings, particularly if you begin your search on the Internet. The wealth of information available can quickly leave you dazed and confused. To avoid making a costly mistake and possibly choosing a home that just isn't right for you, it is important to narrow down some of those options by taking into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Pre-approve for mortgage

Before you do any of that you need to first make sure all your financial information is in order. This not only helps you to determine exactly how much money you can spend on a home but also makes you a more attractive homebuyer to sellers. In the event you and another buyer want the same house, sellers are typically more likely to accept offers from buyers who have been pre-approved for their mortgage.

Decide on the neighborhood

If you haven't already done so, one of the first steps you should take is to decide on the neighborhood where you want to live. This is particularly important if you will be looking in a metropolitan area where there may be numerous suburbs and neighborhoods. Be sure to consider proximity to school and work as well as entertainment, shopping and worship centers.

Types of home

When it comes down to actually choosing a house, you can easily look at dozens of home before you find one that will suit your needs unless you consider beforehand the type of home that will best suit your needs. As you peruse the market, you will typically find numerous options available. Town homes, condos, single family homes, etc. Each type of home offers various advantages and disadvantages.

For example, if you prefer quieter residential living a single family home may suit your needs best. Be aware; however, that while single family homes offer more privacy and typically appreciate better than other housing options they also require more maintenance and are typically more expensive. Home buyers who enjoy a little or no maintenance lifestyle may find that a condo, co-op or townhome suits their needs better. The convenience of little maintenance comes at a price; however?while these options are less expensive than single family homes they are typically much noisier and offer very little privacy.

Interior Specification

Regardless of which option you choose, you will also need to give some considerations to interior specs, such as the number of bedrooms and baths you prefer as well as other considerations such as formal vs. informal living areas. Don't forget to also consider whether you prefer an attached or detached garage. Homes with attached garages are typically somewhat less expensive than homes with detached garages and offer a higher level of convenience, although they are often noisier.

Look for a real estate agent

Once you have made these decisions it is time to contact a real estate agent and get to work. Be aware that the amounts of time you spend looking for a home may well depend on the quality of the agent you choose. Be sure to look for an agent who really listen to your needs and focus on finding you a home that will meet your needs and not just earn them a higher commission.

Allow sufficient time

Make sure you are prepared before you actually start the home buying experience. Do not make the mistake of scheduling home tours on a day when you will be rushed for time. Allow sufficient time to really see the home as well as its surroundings.

Keep a notebook

Bring a notebook with you to make notes regarding the house while you tour it. It's also a good idea to bring along a digital camera so you can take some photos to help jog your memory of the home later on. This is especially important if you will be viewing a large number of homes.

Don't be fooled by home staging

Keep in mind that home staging is rising rapidly in popularity around the country today. More and more homes are being professionally staged to sell quickly. Don't let yourself be fooled by a great decorating job. Keep your priorities in mind and make sure the home really offers what you need.

Re-visit the house at different times

Be aware that homes and neighborhoods are often much different at night than they are during the day. Schedule a return trip on your home to drive through the neighborhood and make note of whether there is anything that might prove to be distracting, such as a barking dog, overly bright security light shining right in the master bedroom, nearby train tracks, etc.

Don't rush

Never allow yourself to feel pressured into making snap decisions just because someone else is looking at the same house or because interest rates are currently low. Making quick decisions can spell trouble and cause you to overlook elements of the home that might not actually suit you.

Follow up visit

After you have narrowed down your selections, phone your agent to request follow-up visits to your top choices. If you're having a difficult time in making a decision you may well find that a second visit reveals issues you hadn't noticed the first time you viewed the homes, making your choice much easier.

By making sure you have taken the time to address your needs and concerns up front and drafted a step by step plan, you will be in a better position to find the perfect house for your needs and lifestyle.

Andrew owns a website that provides new home buying tips and more. You can visit his website at: http://www.buy-and-sell-house-fast.com/

Endless possibilities in playing online backgammon

2009-06-05T23:35:00.001-07:00

The first online backgammon site was created in 1992, many years have past since then and the Internet has become much more advanced and online backgammon much more popular.
Unlike poker and other card and board games, backgammon on the internet has become popular just in the last couple of years.
There are numerous web sites offering playing internet backgammon, and once you found the backgammon website you want to join, you have to decide between playing against the site's computer and playing online backgammon against a human being from all over the world. The possibilities in internet backgammon are endless and diverse, including joining a league, playing a tournament, playing for cash prize and moving forward in the site's rank.
The First Internet Backgammon Server (FIBS) was created by Andreas (marvin) Schneider in 1992. It allows Internet users to play backgammon in real-time against real people (and even some bots). There are players of every conceivable ability logging onto FIBS, from absolute beginners to grand masters.
Online backgammon is offered by many sites, some of them widely known- YAHOO and MSN. With MSN, a player can choose playing backgammon online or any other online favorite game he wishes. Online backgammon is played in a variety of time and shape; friends can play against each other, or invite the computer for a match.
YAHOO offers many online backgammon rooms, with interesting and funny names where you can enter and find the level you want to play with.
Players are able to form their own online backgammon rooms according to their skill in backgammon.
There is also the option of the friendly online backgammon game, where players can chat with one another and meet new people. For an extra payment, the site can create leagues for backgammon, which only authorized members can take place and play with each other.
Before you invite somebody for a game of backgammon online, it's best to improve your playing techniques by following these recommended steps:
1. The basic rules and object of backgammon are simple and many sites offer explanations for free.

2. It's free and easy to download backgammon software to your own computer. The level of this online backgammon software is usually beginners to intermediate and therefore perfect for you to practice on, because you already can win some of the games.

3. When you have reached the point where you are constantly winning it's time to download the upgraded software. These programs have been developed and improved by playing against themselves and reached the very highest level, and are capable of being the world's best backgammon players.

When you have reached the stage where you can handle the advanced backgammon software, it's time for you to face a human rival for a game of online backgammon.

The Internet offers endless possibilities for online backgammon.
About the Author

Real Estate 101 Can Residential be Commercial?

2009-06-04T23:35:00.001-07:00

How many times have I heard, ?Residential, commercial, industrial, duplex, all these property types are so confusing.? Not anymore.

First what is the definition of ?commerce?? Dictionary.com defines it as ?a buying and selling of goods or services?.

Here?s the deal. There?s only one question to ask concerning a property, ANY kind of property, when determining whether it is or isn?t a commercial property. And that is, is the property owner being compensated in exchange for the use of that particular property? If he is, then, yes it is a commercial property. There is commerce going on. Something (money, services) is being exchanged for the use of that property.

But what about Industrial type properties, Warehouse, apartments, office buildings. What are they? Commercial or Residential? Here?s the problem. We have two separate issues that people want to mix together.

The first issue has to do with how your local planning authority has ?ZONED? that particular area. Zoning means, ?An area or a region distinguished from adjacent parts by a distinctive feature or characteristic?. Most cities and counties have a local government office that you can go to and find out how a specific piece of land is zoned.

Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Multifamily are types of zoning classifications. Might there also be commerce going on? Probably, but that?s not the issue when differentiating what zoning type that property is.

The second issue is might there also be commerce going on? Is money or a service being exchanged? The yes, it is a commercial property.

Now, that being said, let?s go back to the original question. Can a residential property also be a commercial property? There are really two answers. One, for zoning purposes, a residence will not be allowed to be built in a commercially zoned area. So for ?zoning? classifications, no, a residential property will never be considered ?commercial.?

However, for investment purposes, then yes a residential property can be a commercial property for a individual property owner. If he is renting out the property and receiving rent, then it is an income producing property and if he were to attempt to get a loan on the property, the lending institution will use their guidelines which have to do with those types of property, not owner occupied residential.

So when talking with someone concerning residential property being used as commercial, make sure you and the person your conversing with are on the same page. Zoning or commerce.

Tom Bruner is President of Bruner & Associates, Inc., a full service California commercial property brokerage since 1989. Tom spent four years teaching students Real Estate Principals for Kaplan Schools.

?By spending time with my clients, I?m able to help that investor buy or sell an income producing property by maximizing that information. Visit me at http://www.brunerandassociates.com.?

5 More Games to Improve Your Brain Power

2009-06-03T23:35:00.001-07:00

Games provide an excellent and fun way to improve your brainpower; if these games are played on a regular basis they will undoubtedly improve your concentration, memory and increase brain performance. Regularly playing brain games can also increase other mental abilities, such as mental processing speed, cognitive control, and reaction time.

It is a well-documented fact that the human brain starts to slow down as early as 30 years of age. But by spending as little as 15 minutes a day training your brain, you can prevent your brain from deteriorating.

All of the games mentioned below can be found and played for free online.

Cribbage or Crib - is a card game, which is traditionally for two players, but can be played my multiple players. Crib involves playing and grouping cards in combinations, which gain points. This is a game which requires a lot of strategy, tactics and counting skills.

Sokoban - Is a logic game, it is a transport puzzle game in which the player pushes boxes around a maze, viewed from above, and tries to put them in designated locations. Only one box may pushed at a time, not two, and boxes cannot be pulled. Sokoban is a classic game, which will expand your mind.

Chess - Is a board game played by two players, It is played on a board of 64 squares. Each square can be empty or occupied by a piece. The initial position of the game consists of 16 white pieces and 16 black pieces. The ultimate goal of the game is capture your opponent's king. It has been claimed that chess is good for, improving concentration, improving memory, developing calculating skills, helping with attention span and developing patience.

Solitaire Board Game - Even though Solitaire is easy to learn, it presents you with an ongoing challenge to master, and has become an especially popular solo board game in recent years. To play this challenging brain-teasing game all by yourself, you set up the thirty-two wooden pegs on the six-inch square wood board - leaving the space in the very centre empty. Then, by moving any peg just one space horizontally or vertically (no diagonal moves allowed!), you begin eliminating other pegs. It takes a lot of thought and brain power to finish the game with one peg left on the board.

ZYRX - Simple but challenging memory test game, which will give your short-term memory a good workout. . All you have to do is look at the pattern and memorize it. Then click those same dots on the main game area. It is harder than it sounds!

I have personally noticed a big improvement since I started playing these games on a daily basis. When I first started out playing them, my head would literally hurt from having to think so much. But I preserved and now I can feel the benefits.

http://www.2milliondollarbills.com

By Garry Winter

How to Find Out How Motivated the Owner Is

2009-06-02T23:35:00.001-07:00

Is the owner ready to sell and how motivated are they?

Everyone?s reason for selling their property is different and the settlement time in which they want (or need) to sell can vary as well.

When a person is selling a property I like to find out what is their level of Motivation to Sell.

What you need to determine is that some vendors are motivated to sell and will look favourably on your offers in order to achieve a quick sale while others have higher and often unrealistic prices that will not be suitable for your investing needs.

What I would suggest is you focus on those who are motivated and spend less time on those who are not. Don?t ever take their rejection of your offer personally, And please don?t let fear of rejection stop you from making any offers with any types of vendors.

You will quickly find the motivated vendors by making offers, always include a ?subject to? line included in your the offer. (Subject to Finance, Building inspection, etc)

Always treat the vendor as a business partner; it is merely a transaction between both parties to achieve a satisfactory outcome. Be polite and respect them, don?t try to burn them. Concentrate on their needs as well. There are always plenty of deals to be had.

If you treat people this way they will be more likely to want to do business with you. Sometimes they will often come back and take another look at your offer if they can?t get their asking price. Remember there is always more than one way to skin a cat.

To your investing success

Leo Love

www.thereatestateinvester.com If any of your family or friends is interested please pass this on to them.

http://www.therealestateinvester.com

I am an experienced and passionate investor. I buy typical mum and dad type houses that give me cash flow and capital growth. My website offers helpful tips and ideas for any type of investor to help you with your wealth creation. Using my site will help to prevent you falling into the traps the inexperienced investors do.

The Backgammon Board More Than Just A Pretty Face

2009-06-01T23:35:00.001-07:00

Traveling in a Digital Age Portable Solar Power

2009-05-31T23:35:00.001-07:00

I can still remember the analogue days of travel, when I backpacked through Europe and Asia with no more electronics than a couple of Double-A batteries (at best). I only needed them if I wanted to use the flash on my camera. That was less than fifteen years ago.

Now I don't even go to the zoo without my laptop and my digital camera. When the battery runs out, it's time for coffee. And then I make sure I sit near a power outlet in the nearest cafe.

But what do you do when there are no power outlets? If you are kayaking in the middle of the Atlantic, climbing Mount Everest, or just on a local camping trip in the wilderness, what do you do when the batteries run out?

Some say just bring extra batteries. That might work.

But what if you have several different electronic items, and you don't want to buy spare batteries for each of them? What if you'll be away from civilization for an extended period of time, and the spare batteries just won't last?

A solution for this can be portable solar power. Devices exist which will charge your electronic equipment, using the power of the sun.

Not all portable solar power devices are the same. Some provide enough power to charge a laptop, some can be used for smaller devices such as cameras, and some can only be used for devices that use very little electricity - like MP3 players.

The amount of power that a solar device provides depends mostly on the size of the device. Bigger solar panels generally provide more power. Other factors influence the amount of electricity produced by a solar power device. These factors include the strength of the sun, the length of exposure to the sun, the obstruction to sun (mist, cloud cover, dust, etc.), and the location of the equipment on the Earth.

Different solar power devices provide different amounts of power, and are therefore compatible with different types of equipment.

Portable Solar Power devices also exist in a variety of forms. Some are light and flexible, while some are contained in durable units that look like a small suitcase or radio. There are waterproof varieties, as well as solar panels built into bags and backpacks.

When you are away for a few days, extra batteries may suffice to keep your camera or phone going. But if you will be away from civilization for weeks? Or even months? Ironically, escaping from the modern world can also involve modern solutions. Far and alone on the Patagonian plains, with nothing but the wind and the horses to keep you company, you may feel like you're living six centuries into the past. But that doesn't mean you will never want to access your email or take a photograph.

So don't cancel that 45-day mountain trek. And don't leave your digital camera behind.

We don't all have to be tethered to the power lines.

Anna Stone is an educator and a student in photography. She has traveled through North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, using various means of transport including horseback, hitchhiking, bicycle, mulecart, train, bus, and foot. She currently runs a website, http://www.findportablesolarpower.com, to help photographers and travelers find devices to run their equipment when they are away from ordinary power supplies.

Cary North Carolina ? A Great Place To Live

2009-05-30T23:35:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for a new place to live and start an amazing career? Cary, North Carolina is in the heart of the renowned Research Triangle Park, and it would be a great place to start a new career. It has been recently rated as one of the top five places to live in the nation by Money Magazine. Cary, North Carolina is located within twenty minutes of Duke University, the University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State, so education is a very important part of this area. Many technology companies have offices here including SAS Institute Inc., the largest privately held software company in the world, MCI WorldCom, IBM, American Airlines Reservation Center, Lucent Technologies, Siemens, John Deere, and Cotton, Inc.

The town of Cary, North Carolina also has a wonderful park system, with many places for kids to play and grow. Cary also boasts a large arts and crafts festival every year for the town to enjoy. The Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival has become one of the South?s premier festivals. The crime rate in Cary, North Carolina is very low; their City Data dot come crime index was 130.5 in 2004. The national average for cities in 2004 according to City Data dot come was 327.2. Now that you see how wonderful a place Cary, North Carolina is you probably want to know about the real estate market.

The real estate market in Cary, North Carolina is doing very well right now. The market has quite a few houses on the market currently. The average home price in Cary, North Carolina is about $200,000 which is about $30,000 less than the national average. Another great aspect of the housing market in Cary is that many of the houses have large yards, with great landscaping. These days it can be very hard to find a house with much of a yard at all, and when you do find a house with a yard it usually has not been landscaped. With the average household income in Cary, North Carolina around $90,000 to $100,000 a year, the real estate market is very affordable. Don?t miss your opportunity to move to a great town, and get a wonderful deal on a house in this very affordable real estate market. Look at Cary, North Carolina today!

Move to Cary with help of a professional Cary NC Realtor!

Choosing the Right San Diego Realtor for YOU!

2009-05-29T23:35:00.001-07:00

Whether buying or selling a home, it is one of the largest financial events that happens only a few times within your life. That makes choosing a realtor just as important and a crucial decision that can add to the stressful event or make it smoother and easier. So, choose your realtor as carefully as you would choose your doctor or attorney.

The first step in choosing the RIGHT realtor is to ask your friends, neighbors, acquaintances and business associates for recommendations. Ask them why they liked the realtor, what kind of service he/she provided, and would they use him/her again? Do not consider recommendations of their relatives ? it is doubtful that you are getting an accurate perspective on the realtor.

If you did not get several truly exemplary recommendations, then drive throughout your neighborhood and check the ?for sale? signs, especially those with ?Sold? stuck across them. Note the realtor names. Also, check out real estate, display and classified advertising in your newspaper and local neighborhood paper. Which realtors have the most listings? Which have the largest or most display ads with photos of the homes? Note the realtor names.

By now, you should have a good list of potential realtors. It is time to check them out. Attend at least one open house for each realtor you are considering. Observe them in action and judge their expertise. Are they professional ? or do they come across as a ?used car salesman?? How familiar is the realtor with the property he/she is selling? After you leave, make detailed notes of your observations and how you felt about the realtor.

If you only used the recommendations of others, now check the advertising in the newspaper and neighborhood media for the realtors in which you are interested. Do the drive through of your neighborhood to see how many sold signs these realtors have. Make notes of how visible these realtors are and their marketing efforts.

Next, choose your top three realtor selections. It is better if they are from different companies, ensuring they will work harder for your business. Call all three and set appointments. For sellers, make the appointment in your home and let them know you would like an estimate of your home?s market value. For buyers, let them know you would like them to determine how much you can afford to pay for a home. Be sure they know that you are meeting with two other realtors and will not make your decision until you have met with all three.

During each interview, take detailed notes on the realtors? presentations. Note any thoughts you have. Ask the following questions, along with any you may have:

?For sellers

oHow will they sell your home? What are their marketing plans? Are they customized to your listing?

oHow many years have they been a full-time realtor? In your area? You want someone with experience, who will be giving your listing his/her full attention.

oWhat is their sales record? This includes their production level, rating, closed rate, expired rate on listings, and average time listings have been on the market before selling within the last year.

oAre they single-proprietorship realtors, work as a team, or part of a company? What prominent company are they associated with, and what resources does the firm provide the realtor that helps him/her do a better job for you?

oWhat level of technology will they use to promote your listing ? web sites, virtual tours, online photo galleries, and so on?

oWhat services do they provide from the time of listing your home to the end of the closing?

oWhat are their communication procedures with you from listing through closing?

oDo they provide working relationships with local inspectors, appraisers, and real estate attorneys?

oWill they help you ?stage? you home for showing. This is a walk-through of the property, suggesting things that should be repaired, renovated or changed to improve your pricing for the home. It also includes things that would ?show? the home better. For example, too much furniture adds a clutter affect, making rooms look smaller. The realtor may suggest storing some of your furniture until after the sale.

oHow did they arrive at the results of their marketing analysis? Ask for the actual addresses of any homes they used for comparison.

?For buyers

oWhat services do they provide from the time you contract with them through the closing?

oHow many years have they been a full-time agent? In your area? You want someone with experience, who will give his/her full attention to finding you a home.

oWhat are their communication procedures with you during your search for a home through closing?

oWhat level of technology and research methods will they use to locate potential homes for you to view?

oWhat is their production level and rating? How many satisfied buyers in the past 12 months?

oDo they provide working relationships with inspectors, appraisers, title search companies/attorneys, and real estate attorneys for contracting and the closing? Can they suggest mortgage lenders, if you need one?

oDo they network with other realtors in the area? Sometimes, such relationships may afford you a viewing before a property is ?officially? listed, giving your first view.

Tell the realtors that you will make a decision and contact them in the next day or two.

After all interviews are completed, note the following:

?Who gave you the most usable information?

?For sellers, the market value for your home should be in similar ranges for all three realtors Note if someone is unusually high. They may be only trying to get your listing with the idea of talking your price down later. Also, drive by the homes they used for market value comparison. Which realtors compared apples to apples, and which compared apples to oranges?

?For buyers, your buying potential (what you can afford to pay for a new home) should be in the same range for all three realtors. If a realtor is much higher or lower than the others, note this. You may even call him/her to inquire about the difference and how they arrived at the amount?

?Who answered your questions with genuine sincerity?

?Who genuinely appeared most excited about your home and its sale?

?Who truly listened, and who did not?

?Which realtor seemed to be the best fit for you?

Choosing a poor realtor can turn an already stressful event into a nightmare with ramifications that you must live with for years to come. Choosing the right realtor can make the experience a dream come true and a totally satisfying event. Selling or buying a home is stressful enough. Be sure you do not choose a realtor that is going to add to that stress.

John Harris is an expert researcher and writer on real estate topics such as economics, credit improvement tips, home selling advice and home buying preparations. For more on San Diego Homes for Sale visit http://www.twtrealestate.com

Buying or Selling Real Estate: Make Your Decisions Based on Your Core Beliefs

2009-05-28T23:35:00.001-07:00

Before buying or selling anything you should first consult with your core beliefs. For instance if you were in the need of a new car and you felt that over the long run gas prices were going to trend downward and eventually stay low than gas consumption would not be an issue in your decision making process.

If you are in your 30's or 40's considering health insurance and the plan you are reviewing does not provide for prescription drug coverage, you have to ask yourself.....Self....am I more likely or less likely to need prescription drugs in my future?

This kind of base thinking helps you to make long term decisions.

What brings this topic up in today's blog is that I just traded e-mails with a person who lives in the Northwest, lets call him Tom. His concern is that the real estate bubble is about to burst and prices and values of properties are about to drop. Needless to say, if you've been reading this blog, we do not agree on this point.

Even though we do not agree we are both right, for the moment, based on our core beliefs.

Tom believes that the real estate run up has run its course and that the type of appreciation we have seen can not be sustained for the simple reason that if it went on who could afford a house? The price would soon out strip the general publics ability to buy. So his decision, for now is to wait. Perhaps for interest rates to come down, perhaps for inventory to go up, or maybe for home values to fall. In any case based on his core beliefs of today's market he has made a decision and is on a plan.

I understand that some may think I'm jaded, that my sole goal is to go list and sell more houses. That my job is to sell the idea of home ownership. To a degree this is correct. I think homeownership is one of the greatest things we have going for us in this country. I know that people in other countries would love to have the same opportunities that we have in the United States. We have choices of where we work, where we live, if and when we want to buy a home, if and when we want to start a family and when we do go to buy a home we have choices in style, price and almost an endless array of mortgage programs that allow even the youngest of us to be able to afford our first home.

Yes, over the past 18 months or so many markets have seen a double digit run up in values. Some of these areas may even see a roll back in the coming year. I think what sets the Northwest apart, for now, is the short supply of houses to meet the current demand by buyers. Even if our home values only go up by 8 to 10% this year, you are still way ahead of the game than if you were to choose to pay rent.

So, my answer to buyers who are considering whether or not they should buy would be....................YES! If you are going to be staying in the area for at least 3 years......buy now.

Interview and choose a good real estate agent, have them recommend a good lender, meet with that lender, get a good faith estimate. Choose a home that meets your needs and buy it. Because my core belief says that home prices in our area will hold due to increased government intervention it is becoming harder and harder to build, we are having more and more people who need homes and this is a pretty great place to live and bring up a family.

I live and work in Kitsap County Washington, which is across Puget Sound to the west of Seattle. I'm with a real estate firm by the name of Windermere Real Estate. My 4 partners and I own 3 offices; Bremerton, Silverdale and the Poulsbo office. The Silverdale office, which is the one I'm responsible for has 52 agents and I've been with the company since 1990. My goal is to help real estate agents become as successful and balanced as possible while assiting buyers and sellers in smooth real estate transactions. My web address is http://www.franklyrealestate.com and my blog is franklyrealestate.blogspot.com

Real Estate Investing The Perfect Business Opportunity

2009-05-27T23:35:00.001-07:00

So, you decided to leave the 9 to 5 rat race, that awful commute, or your unappreciative boss, but have quickly become overwhelmed by the many business opportunities available to you. Late night infomercials can give you a clue of what is HOT right now and Real Estate Investing is it!

People everywhere are discovering the secrets that afford them to live the lifestyle that you only dreamed of having. Real Estate Investing is the Perfect Business Opportunities out there.

Seeking out a sound business opportunity is not destined for failure. Real estate investing has always been a reasonable business opportunity avenue for income creation. History shows that real estate investing is the most profitable business in America. Real Estate Investing has created over 70% of all millionaires.

Of all the highly searched terms, you will find that Business Opportunities to be at the top. It is highly searched by stay-at-home moms and entrepreneurs alike who need extra earnings. In return for this tremendous demand for business opportunities, there will also be schemes and strategies that usually cost money rather than make money. Some of these business opportunity schemes are endless financial depths of despair that devours their innocent victims.

As long as there are people, there will always be a need for housing and businesses. There is a variety of ways for Real Estate investing. Here are just a few:

Construction of residential subdivision.

Commercial development.

Natural land improvement.

Overseas investments.

Worldwide, there is the accessibility of housing in need of repair. Abandoned and distressed properties have lost their primary value, so the business opportunity is to invest modestly in renovations in exchange for major revenue potential. Since devalued property is easily attainable everywhere at a discount, closing the gab with enhancements creates the high margin for revenue as a business opportunity.

Of course, there are many business opportunities out there other than Real Estate Investing. However, I assure you that the ordinary individual exploring ways to make extra income will conclude that real estate investing is one of the easiest, simplest, and most valuable alternative of any business opportunity.

I began real estate investing 5 years ago. My first investment was for a golf front lot purchased for an unheard off price of $25,000.00. That investment quickly turned into $100,000.00, giving me a profit margin of $75,000.00. Today, I own two rental properties and a residence and am looking to invest in a condominium in the near future.

Imagine living the lifestyle, that only the rich and famous live. It can be yours with real estate investing. Real estate investing is the perfect business opportunity.

The Author, Bill Weisenberger, is a Real Estate Investor as well as a business owner passionately dedicated to helping people create for themselves the lifestyle they choose. Click here...and learn how to make YOUR real estate deals count!

Wear it Up or Wear it Down?

2009-05-26T23:35:00.001-07:00

Isn't this the question that everyone with a formal occasion wants to know about their hairstyle for the big night? While it may seem like a trivial question to most, how you wear your hair can make a big difference on your overall formal appearance. Choosing the wrong hairstyle to wear with a certain dress can make you look too over the top or make you look like you didn't pay as much attention to your hair as you should.

When it comes to choosing a formal hairstyle, the most important thing to consider is the dress that you are wearing. Take into account the cut of the dress. Is it long, cropped, off the shoulder? Or does is have plumes of fabric on the shoulders or lace around the neck? All of these are important factors when it comes to deciding whether you want to wear your hair up or leave it down.

Here are just a few basic rules of thumb to help you decide:

? Off the shoulder or strapless dresses - These types of dresses show a lot of skin on the neck and shoulders. While it may be the tendency of some to sweep the hair up and off of the neck, doing so can make your neck look too long and thin and can detract the eye from the graceful curve of your neck and soft shoulders. I'm not saying that you can't wear your hair up with this kind of dress, but if you do, choose a style that leaves a little hair hanging softly down on the neck and shoulders. This will help soften your look and direct the eye to wear it should go. It will also balance your complete look.
? Full-shouldered dresses - These dresses are the ones with the full, intricate or puffy sleeves. With this type of dress, you almost always have to wear your hair up. Leaving it down, only makes your whole style look much too busy. You should also choose a simple updo over an intricate one so that you do not end up looking like you've tried too hard. If you want the focal point to be your dress, try a simple French twist.
? Classic cut, simple gowns - These are the gowns that will really allow you to get creative with your do. You can choose just about anything. You can wear your hair up or down and style it with intricate weaving and braids or leave it simple.

So, the next time you're battling with formal hair decisions, let your dress be your guide. Doing so will allow you to create a complete look that is complimentary rather than over the top.

About the Author

Jenny is a hair expert, and the author of an incredible free minicourse, that explains how to find your unique style, how long or short you should have your hair, how to find the right hair color for you, how to find the right salon, and a lot more.

Go to http://www.hairstylevillage.com/ now and get this amazing hair minicourse - absolutely free.

Shopping For Educational Toys And Games

2009-05-25T23:35:00.001-07:00

Little kids need the right tools to help them grow and develop. Thus, the kind of toys we get them are crucial, because, as children, the best way to impart knowledge into their fresh minds is through play. A child's playtime should never be dismissed as just something to pass the time; because it is during play that they absorb everything they hear, see, smell and touch. Getting him or her an educational toy or game is one of the best things you can do for him or her right now.

The educational toys below are ideal to help jumpstart your kid's curiosity and sense of discovery. The next time you're going out shopping for a new toy for your kid, or for a gift for your favorite niece or nephew, you might want to consider the suggestions below.

LeapFrog's Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set

When shopping for an educational toy, you might want to get something that is okay for even the youngest toddlers to use. Fridge Phonics features interactive alphabet figures that come with a magnetic reader, all of which you may attach to your refrigerator or any surface that accommodates magnets. Aside from its visual merit, it can also play a song while the child uses it. It will surely keep your curious baby preoccupied while you go make dinner or wash the dishes.

LeapFrog's LeapStart Learning Table

Toddlers will definitely have a lot of fun with this educational toy because it carries a variety of games and activities in just one fajita. It can teach your child the alphabet, music, and colors, among other things. This is definitely great value for the price.

Fisher Price's Laugh And Learn Home

Laugh And Learn Home is something every child should have. Awarded one of the best children's educational toys some years back, this product teaches your child a host of subjects that will have him or her interested from six months old to even after he or she turns one. This is definitely an educational toy that will last a long time (provided that it doesn't get smashed!) and bring a lot of benefits to you and your kid.

Shopping for educational toys and games is not really difficult, given the fact that toy manufacturers have effectively classified them into age levels and learning capacities.

However, with the multitude of products for every age group, getting the right game that would hold your baby's attention could be a challenge. Ask the store attendant to give you a demonstration of the toy first before you bring it to the cash register. If it's something you believe your child will enjoy, go for it.

About the Author:

Low Jeremy maintains http://Educational-Toys.ArticlesForReprint.com. This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

Decide: How To Avoid Disaster

2009-05-24T23:35:00.001-07:00

Where do you want to be in a year? In five years? In ten years? Is what youre doing now -- the way youre living, your friends, your habits, your focus -- Are all of these things moving you in the direction of your goals? How does it look?

Are your habits the kinds of habits that the person youre going to be in two years would have? Are your friends or associates, or whatever you call the people you hang out with the types of people the you youre going to be in five years will want to know and be with?

What about the things your mind gets hung up on? Your focus. Do you even know what your focus is?

If you and I were sitting together right now (and pretend we are) What would your answer be if I asked you where youre going? What are you focused on accomplishing or achieving? You are certainly focused on something. Either consciously or your subconscious has chose something for you. Which is it in your case? Did you choose or has the world chosen for you? Have you taken 10 minutes and made a conscious decision about what the definition of your life is going to be? Thats really all it would take. In reality, even less than that. Think about it. Have you ever been so fed up with something that at one point you just decidethats it, no more. Ive had it! How long did it take you to come to that decision? The real truth is you did it in an instant. It may have taken you years to get to the point where you decided to decide but, the decision itself was made in an instant. A second. You have that same force, power and ability to get yourself moving in the direction of your choosing at any given moment if you would but decide to do so.

Dont be one who gets ten years further down the road and be left thinking, wondering, wishing you had decided to do something. Do it now. Decide.

A special note to my friends.

I appreciate you all. Thanks for putting up with me. I appreciate each one of you for allowing me to sharpen you, and even more than that Im thankful for the constant sharpening stones you are to me. You know who you are. Youre the ones I hear from one way or another each week with your Clyde, youre insane Emails and calls. Youre the ones who know and understand why I enjoy hearing that statement. Or the far to infrequent good one comments. I do what I do for you. I hope it helps. Im glad it does.

I want you to know that more and more Im feeling that its our time, yours and mine, to do something GREAT. Weve played around at these lower altitudes and attitudes long enough. Its time to step out away from the herd. Its time to fly. This past week I scribbled this note to myself its time you went out and did something GREAT. If youre in this group, this inner circle, Im glad you are. Im going to need to hear from you more than ever in these coming days and weeks as we take on this new and rising wave.

If youre not in this group what are you waiting for? Join in. Participate. We need you. What youre holding back could be the one piece of information that were all needing. I challenge you to step up and step out this week. Wade in. Let me know whats on your mind. Put it out there. We need your help. I need your help.

Its time you went out and did something great! Its time to do that thing youve been wanting and getting ready to do. Its your turn. Its your time. No more waiting.

Live some. Love some. Learn some. Everyday.

C...

About the Author:

Clyde Dennis, a.k.a. Mr. How-To has been writing and publishing Articles and Newsletters online since 1999. Clyde's company EASYHow-To Publications provides How-To information on How-To do, be or have just about anything one can imagine. For more information visit http://www.EASYHow-To.com. Email correspondence for Clyde should be sent to: cdennis at easyhow-to.com

Starting Over.Fatimah Musa

worked hard for the past 17 years. I felt I had to. I only finished high school. Without a certificate to flaunt and yet wanting to climb the corporate ladder, I dedicated my effort and time to my work. I was proud of myself. At 40 years old I had reached a managers position.

The day came when I was handed the letter. Why did the company fire me? Was I not good enough?

It was a massive blow to my ego. My questions only brought back anger. I was not resourceful and I could not see any positive meaning to it.

As I thought about it longer, I became more angry and annoyed. Then the emotions turn into fear.

What can I do now? Who would employ me? At this age and with a lack of education, how could I get another job?

I was becoming an unendurable person. My relationship, which was already on the rocks suffered further.

I was no longer the person I used to be. I complained and whined. I lost the confidence in myself. I could not see myself in any other way but a wimp.

I avoided friends and ignored and neglected my partner. There were no more constructive conversations between us. He was getting on well with her career and moving upwards.

And the more I saw him succeeding the more I felt bad about myself. I was ashamed of myself. I thought that I was not good enough for him anymore. Finally he has had it. He walked out of my life.

Not only have I lost my job. I also have lost someone whom I thought was the one for me. More resentment and self-pity came over me. I was angry with him. How could he leave me if he had loved me?

I was not only broke but also alone. I was so broke that I could not afford my own home.

The finance company repossessed my car. I had no material things left except my clothes in my luggage and a few books.

It has to take two crisis to make me wake up to my senses. I had to change immediately. That was the only choice I had.

Losing your self-confidence is bad. Losing your self-esteem is worse. Losing your self is a disaster. Until...

I decided to change...in my thinking.

I have to meet my basic need first, food and shelter. The company I went to offered lodging so I took the job that paid only a quarter of what I used to earn.

Alone and still broke...but this time I looked at what I had left.

Change does not come easy. Recovering your self-confidence and your self-esteem is an attitude and mindset that needs discipline.

You need to develop the disciplines that can boost your trust in yourself again.

Admit that you have messed up.
Whatever happened, has happened to someone else too. It is how you make out of it that matters. You either let it go and move on or wallow in self-pity. If you had taken the second option as I did, you will realize that your life would be messier than when it started.

It is not too late. Admit your mistakes, forgive yourself and move on.

Write down realistic goals.
When your self-esteem plummets, it is tough to see bright, colorful pictures of yourself smiling at your achievements. Set several realistic goals to start with. For a start, these were some of my goals...

Put on 5kg.
Lost that. I was looking very thin and gaunt for my height. I need to lift my self-image. Cut smoking to 10 cigarettes a day.
I cant afford more anyway
Read 1 hr daily.
Got to feed my mind with something positive.
Take 20minutes walk in the park a day.
I needed some fresh air and away from the cramp abode of mine. Keep a journal.
I shunned friends so at least I could use this to pour out my feelings. Record my activities.
I must make full use of my time.
Pray and meditate.
Somehow, I know I am not alone.
I worked on them and made certain that I followed the disciplines. It felt good to strike out each activity daily.

And when the good feelings enter again, I added more goals to my list. Slowly but surely, I began to feel good about myself again.

Interrupt the negative self-talks and critics.
Your self-talks will not stop and mostly they are negative and criticizing. This is a challenge especially when you are trying and working hard on yourself.

Learn to listen to them. Catch them in the act. Remove, cancel, and delete. Do whatever within your power to fight back.

Its funny how you could move away from people who criticize you. At times you can even tell them to shut their mouth up and you cant even tell your voices within to leave you alone.

You need to be aware. You must listen. Then when you hear, you could either so gently tell the voices to leave you alone.

Or, if the voices are softly whispering, tell them firmly to get out. Consciously now, speak something out loud or within yourself that you are worthy.

However and whatever you say, feed your ears and your mind with encouraging words like I love myself. Isnt it better than hearing it say over and over again how hopeless you are?

Remember and recall successful and positive experiences. If you really try, you will be able to remember a few of your success. I sat down in a elaxed mode and at first have to force myself to think of one experience that I was proud of.

Soon enough, I found out that I had quite a number of beautiful experiences.

There was a time when I was given 3 promotions in a year. I remembered the time when I sat with my friends watching the sun setting on the horizon. I recalled my first experience snorkeling and seeing the beautiful and colorful fishes under the sea... in spite of my fear of water. The day when I first saw my niece one hour after she was born When you can play back these memories and experiences, you will realize that you have had great times many times over.

Why rewind and play the sad and dis-empowering movies in your mind? Will it make you feel good?

If not discard them just as easy as throwing photographs that we do not wish to look at.

This is a minds game. We can decide what to do with our mind.

Richard Bandler stated that the brain is his favorite toy. Lets make that ours too. We have them too dont we?

Keep a journal.
This can be therapeutic. You can write down what you think and feel.

No one is going to correct your grammar. No one is going to argue about it. This is because no one is going to see it. It is yours.

Why let those words keep voicing out in your head. Write them out. Say what you want to say.

And maybe laugh at some of them when you sit back and read them many months later.

Write down your activities too. How much time did you spend sleeping? What time did you get up?

What was the first thing you saw when you got up? Whom did you meet today and how long did you use your time for socializing?

How many push-ups did you do today? What ideas came to your mind today? What have you learned at work? What can you do to improve your income?

Read and listen.
When I first started out again, I did not have many friends. My weekends were quiet. There were moments when I dreaded just the thought of it.

I did not have many books to read and I did not have much money to buy them. So I spent my time at the public library.

Reading motivational and inspiration books helped me especially at those times when I was down and out.

I read and read. It has kept me inspired and my interest in other subjects has broadened.

After a while I started to listen to motivational tapes. I fed my mind. I was determined to make my life work.

Pray.
When you are down and out, and you think that no one is there for you, think again. As the saying goes, you are invisibly being watched over.

Fatimah Musa provides information, tips and quotes written to help people become aware that any future growth starts with their personal growth. You can visit Fatimah at http://www.about-personal-growth.com

Metal Building Kits

2009-05-23T23:35:00.001-07:00

Metal building kits are a great alternative to traditional building. Companies that specialize in metal building kits provide a high-quality product that allows the home or business owner several options. Metal buildings are a sturdy, cost-effective alternative to traditional wood structures.

Metal building kit options exist for both homes and businesses. You can purchase kits for extra storage, sheds, garages, and even metal houses. There are also a lot of commercial and industrial options. You can find kits for airplane hangars, extra storage, larger buildings, and even correctional facilities.

There are many advantages to choosing metal building kits over the more traditional building methods. Metals such as steel are more durable than wood, especially in climates that have extreme weather. However, even if you are not in a climate with weather extremes, the extra benefit of durability is always a positive, especially if you consider factors such as fires, which can exist in any area. Metal buildings and houses offer extra protection against damage from things like fires, floods, and insects.

If you do choose a metal building kit for your latest construction project, keep in mind that it doesn?t necessarily mean that you need to install it yourself. Hiring an expert can save you time, money, and extra hassle. They have experience putting together kits and can do so in half the time. Also, mistakes made by someone who is inexperienced can end up costing more money in the long run.

Metal building kits are a great alternative to traditional buildings and structures made of wood. Metal buildings and houses are more durable than their wooden counterparts. Choosing metal buildings can also help save you money both on the design of the building and the construction. Since the kits are well designed and engineered, you can be assured of a high-quality product.

Metal Buildings provides detailed information on Metal Buildings, Metal Storage Buildings, Metal Building Kits, Commercial Metal Buildings and more. Metal Buildings is affiliated with Pre-Fabricated Steel Buildings .

Helpful Advice on Food and Drink for your Backpacking Trip

2009-05-22T23:35:00.001-07:00

If you are going out on an extensive backpacking trip then you will need to closely consider your food provisions. Food and water are important aspects of staying energized on a backpacking trip, so understanding the best ways to prepare and pack food can really help you plan a good menu. Food can seem like a hassle, but it doesn't have to be if you know some helpful advice that can make planning the food and water for your backpacking trip simple.

Water Tips

To make sure water is safe to drink you should filter it or add water treatment to it. Iodine tablets are popular because they are easy to use, but they can result in the water having a weird taste. One solution to the taste problem is to add sugar free drink mix to the water. You will still get the same benefits from the water and with the additive being sugar free you will not get the extra calories. If you need to filter water because it has debris in it you can use cheesecloth. For a makeshift filter, you could use a clean bandana.

Food Tips

You should try to carry food that is lightweight, durable and easy to cook. Anything canned is usually fine. Indeed, canned tuna and chicken is a backpacking staple. They can be dressed up a number of ways with other easy to carry items. Bread can be bulky to carry, and it also hardens quickly. An alternative to bread are crackers or tortillas. Make good use of instant items, like potatoes or macaroni and cheese. These cook up quick and are very lightweight. Also, you will find dried meats like jerky are a useful addition to your food provisions. Zip top baggies are a good tool too. You can store almost anything in these easy to pack containers. Try to pack healthy foods that also are full of energy like granola and beans. Another idea is buying army MRE's or Meals Ready to Eat. These are made to be easy to carry, easy to prepare and have a healthy balance of nutrients.

When you are planning your meals for your backpacking trip you need to keep these basic tips in mind. Food and water are your main energy source and if you are not eating right and getting plenty to drink it can have a negative effect on your backpacking vacations.
About the Author

Brian McGregor is a backpacking enthusiast and author. You can read about his latest ebook on backpacking recipies, including six free backpacking gifts at http://www.backpackingtime.com/backpackingrecipies.htm

How to Pick a Baby Car Seat

2009-05-21T23:35:00.001-07:00

Because of our lifestyle today, it is very common for us to bring our baby to places such as the shopping mall, the hospital etc. Anywhere you bring your baby, you're likely to drive the car; thus, it is extremely important for the baby to have a good car seat for safety. However, buying a good car seat may be quite difficult, and there are many different aspects you will need to consider before making a purchase.

Where it's facing, and shape

Make sure the baby seat you're purchasing is facing the rear or can face the rear. This help prevents a lot more unhappy endings. Not only should it be facing the rear, the baby car seat should be tilted backwards a bit; thus, they're more looking relaxed when in the seat rather than sitting straight up.

After the baby is around 20 pounds are so, they will need to be moved to a car seat which faces the front. These seats are much more uptight, but there are still some models which can provide a more relaxed seat. Make sure that before moving your baby to a car seat facing the front, your baby can sit up on their own.

Light and easy to carry

Babies love to sleep! It is very common for babies to sleep in the car while in the car seat. If you were to remove them from their comfortable car seat, it would surely awaken them. Thus, look for a car seat which is also light and easy to carry, so you don't have to disturb when they're sleeping. It becomes a lot more convenient to carry your baby from the car to the house.

Brand new

Ok, so maybe we're in to recycling and reusing as so forth now; however, you don't know the history of the car seat when purchasing it. Used car seats may have damages on them that are naked to the visual eye, and would create a greater impact on your baby if anything was to happen.

Back seats

Just a reminder, always put the car seats at the back. As much as you would love to stare at your baby when the traffic light turns red, and as convenient as it is to have your baby beside you, it is dangerous for your baby to be in the passenger seat. Always put them in the back seats as the impacts are not as huge.

Staying Calm When Home Values Drop

2009-05-20T23:35:00.001-07:00

As the real estate market cools off across the nation, many people are getting nervous about reductions in the value of their property. There is little reason for such stress.

Staying Calm When Home Values Drop

The real estate market can be looked at in two ways. First, you can look at the movements on a monthly or annual basis. When doing so, you will see moves up or down and perhaps stress yourself out far more than necessary. Alternatively, you can look at prices on a long-term perspective of five years or more and predict where they will go based on historical trends in real estate. By far, this second approach is the way to go when it comes to viewing the value of your home.

Unless you live in Texas or Colorado, there is no denying that you have probably seen significant appreciation gains on your home over the last ten years. The market has been about as hot as it ever has. Properties in Las Vegas, for instance, were appreciating at a staggering rate of twenty-five percent or more a year. A YEAR! On paper, a lot of people became millionaires because of the equity gains in their home. As always, such growth could not be sustained inevitably.

The gains you have made over the last five years or so appear to be under attack at the moment. Across the nation, we are seeing a pull back on home values because of a cooling real estate market. It is important that you don?t overreact to this pull back. The gains you have seen in the last few years were paper gains, to wit, they did not put money in your bank account unless you pulled money out of your home. As home values cool, it is important to realize any loss of equity is also a paper loss, to wit, you aren?t paying anything out.

A map of real estate prices over the years would show a continual up trend. Yes, there are variations over a two to three year period, but the overall trend is an increase in property values. There is no reason to believe this will change anytime soon. The current pull back on property values will pass and your home will start appreciating again. It may take a year or two, but it will happen. Relax!

If you are seeing a pull back on the value of your home, you should not sell unless there is some other compelling reason. Practice patience and you will see prices rise again in the near future.

Raynor James is with the site - FSBOAmerica.org - FSBO homes for sale by owner.

Making the Fresh Start Presentation

2009-05-19T23:35:00.001-07:00

So you are out and running your route and have found a homeowner home who wants to listen to a Fresh Start Presentation (FSP). Remember the Fresh Start Presentation is the Homeowner Options slide show that you have. It goes through the advantages and disadvantages of the seven (7) options available to the financially distressed homeowner. They are as follows:
1)Sell on the Open Market
2)Refinance the home
3)Restructure the mortgage
4)File bankruptcy
5)Borrow from friends and family
6)Let it go to foreclosure
7)Sell to an investor

Whether you have scheduled an appointment or have just knocked the door the opportunity to make the presentation will lead to money for you. So what is the best way to make the presentation? Do you start with the overview and then go through each option? Do you ask some preliminary questions and get to the homeowners present position or do you just get to the price we will pay for the home and leave it at that?

The answer depends upon the homeowner and your preparation for your visit with the homeowner. Remember ?Information is power and the key to a successful negotiation and purchase of your next home or investment property?. So if you have failed to prepare for your meeting with the homeowner your chances of success are diminished. We try to gather information for you and put it in the notes. Some information can be gathered by going over the pricing of the home when you have a scheduled appointment. The rest of the information will come from the homeowners? needs and wants and honest eyes.

What follows are typical situations you will run into in the field and what assumptions you should make if you run into these types of situations. They are 1) Research indicates that the home is on the market. 2) Home is vacant; 3) Homeowner just came out of Bankruptcy.

Home on the Market

What assumptions can we make if the home is placed on the market?
1) We know that they are willing to leave the home and move on with their lives.

2) The Homeowners have cut the emotional attachment to the home.
3) They have either eliminated or exhausted the following options: refinance, restructure and borrowing from friends and relatives.
From this we can make the following conclusion: The homeowner is left with the bankruptcy option and selling on the open market or to us. Here is a note from a locator regarding a house that is on the market.

Visited 8/12/06; 1PM. Met HO in driveway. HO's are divorced and selling the property. Home vacant. Property is listed with Briarwood Realty. Presented the Fresh Start Program to HO's. Interior of the home is broom swept condition already. Good condition. Husband was ready to give release, wife not willing to give release today. Wife indicated that she would like to take a few days and to talk with the bank on Monday. We agreed to contact each other on Tuesday 8/15/06. I left contact info with them and received their contact info as well. Will take complete set of photos when I get the release. Both HO's confirm that they have equity in the property.

Now what part of the FSP would you pitch to get the release? How do you begin the process? If I knew the number they had placed on the house, I would talk about market time, home inspections and the possibility of an unsavory investor tying them up until it is too late and purchasing at the auction.

If I did not know the market number I would ask for the price and how long it has been sitting on the market.

This type of presentation should begin with a back-up plan or safety net plan. It should inform the homeowners that we could possibly purchase the property in a quick fashion and net them some money for their fresh start. We would do this by making a deal with the listing broker to continue to list the property after we purchased it. Saving the homeowners the cost of the broker. We could also inform them that they would not have the carrying costs, insurance, taxes, and foreclosure costs that are currently stacking up on the property. All of this may add up to a less stressful conveyance than waiting out a slow market. If you are fairly new at locating just use the making the offer to the homeowner chart to walk you through the offer: This chart is located on the resource page of the website.

When a home is on the market it is fairly difficult to get a homeowner to agree to sell the property to an investor. Reasons are that some mortgage broker has told them that they can sell their home for a number we will not pay. Only time and an auction date will usually make this homeowner come around. A smart locator will make the pitch for the backup plan and wait until it is close to the auction to return for a final opportunity to purchase the property. In the meantime just call the homeowner every week or ten days to check in on their situation. This will allow you to have a continuing dialogue and build some type of relationship with the homeowner.

HOME IS VACANT

What assumptions can we make if the home is vacant?

1) We know that they are willing to leave the home and move on with their lives (they already have).
2) The Homeowners have cut the emotional attachment to the home.
3) That the house is costing the homeowner carrying costs each and every day. We can stop the bleeding by purchasing the home.
4) Homeowner should be happy to unload the property.

Here is a note of a recent vacant home visit:

Visited 8/12/06; 3:15PM. HO not home. Left into letter in the door with personal note. Spoke with the neighbor to get an update on this property. Mailbox is full. Shrubs and vines have overgrown the yard and cover the primary entrance to the house. Lawn has not been mowed in months. Neighbor says that the owner is a great person. He seems to think that the owner has another residence in Marshfield. This property had been up for sale. The HO has been trying to sell it for almost 2 years. He believes that the last listing was $249K. He also has been in the house and said that a lot of work has been done on the inside. Driveway is not paved. Otherwise, nice neighborhood. Dead end street with playground for children. This property is on the quiet end of the street directly across from the playground, corner lot. Looks like a good investment. We will need to track this person down.

Once the homeowner is found the pitch would be straight to the sale of the property to our company. There is little need to go through the rest of the options with this homeowner. It would simply be straight to the sale of the property. Again, this particular note tells us that he had it on the market for 249,000 dollars for two years or so. So we could easily tell him that the price of the property is too high and substitute it for the price that we would sell the property at. (see your manager or the index for the price). Next, I would use the Homeowner chart again to go through the price we could offer on the house and why. Once you as a locator get familiar with the costs associated with a home you can forego using the chart.

This vacant property purchase should be fairly easy once we have tracked down the homeowner. There is no emotional attachment, in fact the homeowner should be relieved to get rid of the property. I would stay on your manager to find these owners and provide you with the means to make a deal.

JUST OUT OF BANKRUPTCY OR IN BANKRUPTCY BUT IS LIQUIDATING THE PROPERTY TO PAY FOR THE PLAN.

What assumptions can we make if the home just came out of bankruptcy?

1) We know that they are finished with most of the options. They can file bankruptcy again but it will not help them.
2) The Homeowners can try to refinance but the cost of the mortgage will be astronomical.
3) That the homeowner has tried everything to save the home and failed.

Here the homeowners have been through the entire process. They have borrowed money from friends and relative, tried to restructure, and refinance the home as well as save it in bankruptcy plan by forcing a payment plan on the bank. Nothing has worked. You need to allow the homeowner a way out with dignity if possible. That may come from you just purchasing the property and giving them enough to begin renting.

They only have two real options left: 1) sell on the open market or sell to us. Your job is to explain to them the problem of selling on the open market with only weeks to go to the auction is not a viable option. The real option is trying to get some equity out by selling to us.

This type of purchase has to be performed with surgical precision. You have homeowners who are emotionally drained from the process of trying to save the home. They trust nobody including the lawyer who took them into bankruptcy and feel like everyone has screwed them. If you are empathetic now would be the time to show it.

Here is a note on a property where this happened.
7/31 note: Relief from stay of auction granted.
11/05 note: In chapter 13 now. He isn't interested in hearing our option as the thought of selling his home makes him cringe. He did agree with me that selling is better than losing to auction. He has the auction stayed for some time now. Let?s keep an eye on his bankruptcy. This is a good home.

From the note the locator has been watching this house since early November 2005. Long time to check in on the property, but it is getting ready to payoff. The new note indicates that the bank has now received the right to foreclose upon the property. It is usually the step before the bankruptcy being dismissed.

The locator will now need to go out to the home and listen to the story of the bankruptcy and convince this homeowner that it is best to sell the home instead of losing it to the bank. This homeowner really does not want to sell the house in fact he would rather stay in the house. With that in mind it is going to be a tough sell.

Again, this pitch should be a straight up number crunching pitch going through the items on the chart. Remember you are going to have to deal with the emotional tie to this house. From the note it is quite evident that this particular homeowner has this tie. When I make the pitch I usually talk about the house as sticks and bricks which is not really a home. The home is his family and the memories which they get to bring with them to the new house they will be occupying. If you can get through the emotional you will purchase the house.

good hunting
http://frontgateconsulting.com/

http://frontgateconsulting.com/

When A Great View Is Not A Great View

2009-05-18T23:35:00.000-07:00

House hunting is a game wherein you try to get the most while paying the least. Part of getting the most is often finding a home with a view, but don?t be a sucker.

After a hard days work, you come home to your dream home. You change into something comfortable, grab a beverage and head out to the deck. There, you relax and take in your fabulous view. This is the daydream you have while standing in a home for sale that has an incredible view.

Yes, it is a nice view. In fact, it may be so nice that you do not really pay attention to the rest of the home. Even if you do, you may be able to overlook some problems that you would not otherwise if there was no view. At the end of the day, you make an offer and the seller accepts. Sixty days later, you are the owner, moved in, unpacked and enjoying your new property.

After a year or so, you come home after a stressful day. You change clothes, grab a beverage and head out to the deck. You are stunned to see a two-story home being built in the middle of your view. How can this be? This is an outrage! Unfortunately, you probably are out of luck. Depending on your state laws, you may have no way of keeping the other property owner from spoiling your view.

As you might expect, this situation arises more often than people would like to admit. When considering making an offer on a home, one must be very careful when it comes to views. You should never dismiss other problems with the home because you like a view. Further, you should not overvalue the view. A beautiful view today may just be a view of the side of a home in a year. Investigate local legal regulations regarding new construction in the area, the height homes can be built to and whether pre-existing homes can add second or third floors.

If you do not, you run the risk of owning the room without a view.

Raynor James is with the site - FSBOAmerica.org - home buying information.

History of Cars Types of Cars

2009-05-17T23:35:00.001-07:00

Baby, can I drive your car?

A car or automobile, from the Greek auto- (?on its own?) and Latin mobile (?moving?), is a vehicle that has evolved from the carriage and the bike to a road vehicle that can independently move. Usually it is described as a vehicle with four wheels that can be used to transport one to seven people.

The history of the automobile

Carl Benz was the first one to build a car, which had three wheels, powered by a gasoline driven engine in 1885. He was granted a patent in 1886 for that automobile. Of course, he wasn?t the only one trying to build cars. Several others succeeded in making motorized vehicles, like the first motorbike by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1885. Benz is credited with the invention of the modern car, as we know it.

Types of cars

When choosing a car, it is important to choose one that fits your needs. The most common types of cars are: 4-doors sedans, 2-door coupes, station wagons, SUV?s, convertibles or sports cars.

4-Door Sedans

A 4-door sedan is a perfect choice for most people looking for a new car. It offers security because of the enclosed trunk and the rear-seat passengers have an easy entry because of the rear doors. You can find them in a range from compact models to large and luxury sedans. Four-door sedans are more comfortable than other types.

2-Door Coupes

If you don?t have any kids or are single, you may be attracted to a two-door coupe. The rear seats aren?t that easy to access, because you have to use the front doors. Many types of these cars have a hatchback instead of a trunk. That allows you to carry large items for a short distance.

Station Wagons

Are you the type of family that likes to pack your things and go to the beach? Then you should check out the station wagon. Station wagons offer a lot of stability, a good gas mileage and an affordable insurance rate. Some of the types of station wagons have all-wheel drive and of course they give you lots of space. Ideal for a family pick-nick on a Sunday afternoon or taking a small trip to the mountains with the kids.

SUV?s

SUV?s or sport utility vehicles are taking a big part of the market today. They are often used as a big family car, but are firstly intended to ride on rough grounds. They are not as easy to drive as a regular car or a station wagon and the insurance rates for SUV?s are definitely higher than for any other car. If you are considering of buying an SUV, be sure to take a look at the station wagons too.

Convertibles

Most convertibles have only two seats, superior handling and high-performance engines. Some of the manufacturers offer ?regular? convertibles with four seats. Convertibles are great if you?re living in a place where the weather is great all the time. It?s useless to buy a convertible when you never get the chance to use the convertible top.

Sports Cars

Sports cars originated in Europe as two-seat roadsters that were designed for daily travel and racing. Sports cars are considered cool and fun, but it?s not practical to use them for daily transportation.

So, before you buy that new car to impress your neighbour, friend or lover? think before you act! Find the car that fits you.

Find Cars information

Seattle Used Car

A Look At Anderson South Carolina

2009-05-16T23:35:00.001-07:00

Anderson South Carolina is an attractive place to visit, to live in or to go on vacation. It offers high to medium temperature ranges along with very low housing costs. It has a population of just over 2500 people and an average of 18 minutes to work commute. In addition to that there are lots of interesting details that comprise its history. There are facts and trivia of Anderson and the surroundings in the area. The crime rate there is also very low.

As the city was once powered by local water will on the Rocky River, it was the first one in the United States to be proud with uninterrupted electricity. This was the reason for Anderson, South Carolina to be nicknamed The Electric City.

This area was first inhabited by Cherokees and in 1977 it was transferred to a surveyor called Andrew Pickens, with a treaty. The Pendleton region, as it was called back then had two divisions ? Anderson and Pickens. The first one called after General Robert Anderson, who was a partner in his surveys of Andrew Pickens whose name was given to the second one.

Due to the fact that Pickens was close to Pendleton people established a township further from Pendleton and closer to the county center. They called the new one Anderson Courthouse. So in fact Anderson, South Carolina started its existence not as a city or a town but as a courthouse.

Nowadays the leading source of income for people in Anderson, South Carolina, is manufacturing and it brings to the citizens, whose average age is 38, an average income of about $28000 per year. On the contrary in the early times of the city the community was primarily into farming ? mostly hogs and corn and some textile industry also was featured.

In respect to education there are Anderson University and The Anderson Adult Education Center, three middle schools, ten elementary schools and academies and a pre-school South Fant Early Childhood Center. There are also two high schools there ? T. L .Hanna High School and Westside High School, which can altogether, provide an alumni rate of 70% of the 25-year-old and older.

Anderson, South Carolina offers 70% sunshine year-round and temperature does not go higher that 90 degrees. The actual crime rate is as low as 7,8 percent and no one wonders why it was the first perpetually electrified city, no matter that the first battle of the Civil War was there, in the same place where the first Red Spider Lilies were grown in the USA. This very city, being the smallest of the three upcountry area ones in not only the seat of Anderson County but is also dubbed ?The Friendliest City in South Carolina? and renowned for its amicability and accessibility.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning properties and real estates. Get more informaton by visiting here Anderson South Carolina

What is MLS Listing and How to Get its Membership

2009-05-15T23:35:00.001-07:00

MLS listing is a database that allows a real estate broker representing a seller to widely share the information about the property for sale with real estate brokers representing buyers. It enables a real estate broker to list all the property he wants to sell to the potential buyers. The real estate broker can also retrieve all the information about the properties for sale in a particular area, whether listed by his own brokerage or others.

The MLS acts as an exchange for the real estate agents. But the realtors need to take membership to the MLS in order to put information or to collect information about the other real estate agents. Membership to MLS exchange is only for those people who are part of a trade union. A properly licensed broker, who chooses to neither join the trade association nor operate a business within the association?s rules, cannot join the MLS. Similarly, a person who is selling his/her own property cannot put up a listing directly into the MLS.

The realtors in United States can join the National Association of Realtors (NAR), in order to list their property on the MLS. But the NAR restricts the limit of information shown on the MLS by the real estate agents. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an antitrust lawsuit, claiming that NAR?s policy restricts brokers from establishing websites that show home sellers information that is in the MLS. The DOJ's antitrust claims also include NAR rules that exclude certain kinds of brokers from membership in MLSs. The real estate brokers in Canada can put their listing by membership to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

There are alternatives available for MLS listing There are websites which allow the licensed realtors or non-realtors to put up their property for sale as well as allow the prospective buyers to search for House/property, without any cost.

http://www.multiplelistingservice-us.blogspot.com

http://mlstown.com

The Playtex Bra Perfect For Any Women

2009-05-14T23:35:00.001-07:00

The Playtex Bra - perfect for any women Playtex was founded as the International Latex Company in 1932. It all began as a manufacturer of bathing caps in Rochester, NY and it soon expanded to produce aprons, hot pads, slippers, makeup capes, and baby pants all under the Playtex brand name. In 1954 the Living Playtex Lingerie Bras were introduced, which enjoyed 40 years in the market place.

Playtex also created the size charts, which allowed women a better option to what size they were. They are responsible for created the Eighteen hour bra and Cross you heart brands. Which are two of their bestselling brands throughout the years.

The Playtex Bra comes in many different brand names and styles. Playtex Secrets, which holds some of the styles such as Legacy Lace underwire and wirefree, All That Glitters underwire and wirefree, and Forever Lace underwire.

Cross your heart holds many styles that are more of a seamless lightly lined, or undercut support bra. Also, under this style, are light mircofiber, sideshaping, lightly lined seamless, and nobody's perfect bras.

In addition Playtex provides half cup sizes, for those in between women. These can be found mostly in their Thank Goodness It Fits line.

Playtex also provides the perfect bras for expectant mothers. Their maternity line includes extra comfort nursing soft cup and underwire nursing bras. In addition they offer underwire alternative nursing bras, which are perfect for support with comfort. Playtex maternity bras feature flexible undercup fabric braiding providing shaping, support, and absorbency. Made with custom multiple setting for a custom fit as your body changes.

Playtex has been around for years and continues to prove to be the better bra company every year. Some Playtex bras are made with silky material while others are made with just regular cotton. With its many styles and designs, every woman should be able to find what they are looking for.

Carol Brown writes for My Socks 'N' More, a company dedicated to providing the quality brands you've come to trust at great prices you'll come to love. Playtex Bra

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=CarolM.Brown

By Carol M. Brown

Buying Real Estate: Understand Landfill Gas Risks before Buying Land Near a Landfill

2009-05-13T23:35:00.001-07:00

The ability of landfill sites to emit methane has been recognised for very many years by site operators who appeared until the mid-seventies to accept small fires, caused by ignition of methane, as one of the minor problems associated with waste disposal. Methane problems were of little consequence when sites were small and situated outside the boundaries of towns or villages.

However in recent years there has been great pressure to acquire land for building so that in many instances real estate has been developed close to old, and not so old, filled and disused landfill sites (tips).

All real estate buyers are recommended to take great care when considering purchases close to landfills, or land which may have once been landfilled. These landfills can continue to generate methane for very many years.

Many old landfills have been restored and their sites have been incorporated into urban areas. Often such sites have been levelled and grassed over to be used for recreational purposes, and indeed this can be a very satisfactory end-use especially as any settlement which occurs can be filled in.

However, problems can arise if the landfill gas migrates sideways or upwards, as in the case studies which follow. These examples are quite old ? newer ones are hard to come by as no-one likes to admit such problems, or risk publicity. Although implementation of preventative measures is much better nowadays and pretty much the norm, all those in real estate should be aware that landfill gas fire and explosion risks can still exist today.

Case Histories from the USA

Case A

One of the first explosions thought to involve landfill gas in a building occurred in Atlanta, Georgia in December 1967. Originally the building was constructed with one storey and a basement and the latter was eventually bricked off thus isolating it. The only connecting passage from the basement to the upper storey was a 6 inch diameter pipe through which a 3 inch gas pipe ran. The gap between the pipes was not sealed, landfill gas escaping through the gap was ignited by a cigarette which resulted in an explosion. This completely demolished the building with two people being killed and two suffering serious injury.

Case B

In 1962 an armoury was built close to an operating landfill in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The landfill was from 3-13 m deep and during the mid-60's combustible gases accumulated in nearby sewers and minor fires/ explosions occurred. In September 1969 an explosion, thought to be caused by smoking, occurred in the building in which 25 people were injured and 3 died. Migration of landfill gas into the building may have been encouraged by the placement of additional cover material on the fill about a week before the incident. The building was abandoned and the site used for the evaluation of various designs of gas migration prevention systems.

Case C

In Los Angeles, at the Branford landfill, which was situated in a gravel pit concentrations of methane well above the lower explosive limit were found up to about 150 m from the edge of the fill. Initial attempts to control migration by installation of standpipes and trenches were unsuccessful. The reason for the failure is not clear but is probably due to the depth of the site being considerable.

Case D

Also in Los Angeles, at the Sheldon-Arleta landfill, similar gas migration problems were encountered to those in case 11. Since the Sheldon-Arleta site is in a residential neighbourhood it was essential to take rapid remedial action. A series of wells 8 m deep, spaced on 50 m centres were-installed just within the landfill boundary. Each well had a designed withdrawal rate of 200 cubic ft/min each and were linked together with the landfill gas being flared off.

This site is of particular interest since it demonstrates that the need to install a gas migration control system can give rise to a vigorous industry based on extraction of landfill gas with subsequent utilisation. This experience in California gave impetus to the new technology of landfill gas utilisation for power generation, which is noteworthy for the real estate buyer as it shows just how much energy is present in the landfill gas.

CONTROL OF LANDFILL GAS MIGRATION

The most important step is to recognise that if any development is to take place either on or near to a landfill site then problems can occur. Planners, architects and developers are normally aware of these risks and take measures to overcome potential hazards. Special features have usually been incorporated into building designs to reduce this risks to acceptably low levels before these buildings are put up for sale, nevertheless, real estate buyers should carry out their own independent checks.

If development has taken place in close proximity to landfill then a survey of methane concentrations on the site is recommended.

This can be done by drilling boreholes and fitting these with perforated liners and measuring methane concentrations after a few days. A cheaper but in many instances equally satisfactory option, is to dig pits with a mechanical excavator to a depth of 3-4 m, install perforated pipe, back-fill and again measure methane after several days. Measurements of gas concentrations can be made either on site using commercially available instruments such as a Gas Tec or Gas Scope and must be assessed by suitably qualified experts.

The astute real estate buyer will ensure that by understanding landfill gas aspects when buying property near landfills to avoid losses later.

Steve Last is an environmental engineer who is also a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), and lives in the county of Shropshire, UK. CEnv is a new and growing academic discipline created in the last two years. All Chartered Environmentalists further the principles of sustainability.

Visit our expert Expert Landfill Gas web site

Independent climate change web site

Visit the atex and dsear web guidance.

Quality Baby Strollers Should Last for Years

2009-05-12T23:35:00.001-07:00

The baby carriage or buggy has come along way. Thanks to companies such as Cosco, Graco, Peg Perego, Evenflo, Century and Maclaren strollers have become an indispensable baby and toddler transport product.

Find a stroller from a credible manufacturer

When selecting a stroller for that special baby or toddler choose a credible and reliable manufacturer to ensure the best quality. Cosco, Graco, Peg Perego, Evenflo, Century and Maclaren are well-known and trusted names when it comes to strollers and have a stroller to fit your lifestyle and budget.

How a stroller will be used in everyday life is another factor to consider. Are you looking for a jogging or running stroller, what about walking, shopping or even bicycling? The age of the baby will also have an impact on what you choose and many families will have more than one stroller or buggy to take care of their needs and activities.

An infant or newborn will need a baby carriage that offers comfort and warmth with plenty of room for carrying all those baby essentials. A removable seat that doubles as a car seat is yet another option offered in todays lineup of strollers and baby carriage models. Maclaren and Peg Perego offer a great selection of baby carriages and strollers with accompanying accessories for every busy moms needs. A baby or toddler will be old enough to accompany mom or dad out for those jogs or trips to the market to pick up groceries. Check out the Graco Leisure Sport Jogger Stroller or other models from Evenflo or Century.

Whatever the lifestyle there is a stroller to meet the requirements of that special mom and baby.

Looking for baby bedding, baby gift baskets, baby furniture, baby shower invitations, baby strollers, Robeez shoes, baby shower games or themes, please visit http://www.baby-shower-4u.com

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=LeoCuccione

By Leo Cuccione

All Realtors Are NOT Created Equal

2009-05-11T23:35:00.001-07:00

After 23 years in sales and marketing for a major corporation, my father began a career in real estate. In his almost 20 years of listing and selling homes and property, there have been dramatic changes in the marketing of homes, particularly in the past 5 years.

In the early years of selling homes, real estate agents all seemed to use similar marketing techniques. Place a sign in the front yard, enter the listing into the Multiple Listing Service, advertise the home in the local newspaper (on a rotating basis with other office listings), host a Realtor tour, and sit at an open house (catching up on paperwork or reading.) Since agents were doing the same things, it really didn?t matter if your aunt Lucy, your brother-in-law, or the neighbor who just got her license had your listing. About the only variable in the marketing plan might be the frequency of print advertising.

Some agents started getting more aggressive in their marketing with the advent of the color copier. Producing colorful brochures of homes for sale became more affordable for agents and made them look very pro-active in the eyes of their sellers! As simple as it may sound, this began to separate the passive marketer from the more active, aggressive, result-oriented one.

Then times changed dramatically as the visionary Realtor recognized the power of technology?the Internet! The Internet has changed the way the world does business and has had a huge effect on the real estate industry, providing a global showcase for every home or piece of property for sale.

The advances in technology have changed the way real estate agents do (or do not do) business. Those who have embraced this technology are far ahead of the pack. The advantage to the seller is it is much easier to evaluate which Realtor to use by surfing the web and checking out different agent?s sites. The seller gets a good picture of the agent?s professionalism, statistics about an agent?s sales volume, a snapshot of how the agent presents homes for sale, and more. Today?s real estate marketing plan should include the use of technology and other more active techniques, such as those shown below.

What about newspaper advertising, you ask? While statistics indicate print ads are responsible for less than one percent of real estate sales, we DO continue to advertise in the newspapers. Internet marketing and advertising far surpasses newspaper advertising with outstanding results.

If you are listing your house today, you need a Realtor with a proven track record in marketing not only by today?s standards, but looking into the future, as well. If your Realtor?s total marketing plan is an open house, Realtor tours and newspaper ads, you are dealing with a yesterday Realtor.

There is a definite difference in Realtors today. Do your research. Select the Realtor with the experience, the knowledge and the vision it takes to sell a home in today?s market.

Kris Kombrink has been working in his family-owned real estate business since 1995. Specializing in Geneva, St Charles and Batavia Illinois residential real estate his team stays on top of the latest trends while maintaining superior customer. Learn more about his team at www.kombrink.com or email kris@kombrink.com

Educational Games For Babies 6 To 12 Months

2009-05-10T23:35:00.001-07:00

By six months of age your baby may be sitting unassisted, her coordination skills are growing in leaps and bounds, and she will soon be crawling, standing, and then walking. Six to twelve months is a fun time for parents and babies. Play a variety of games with your little one and watch her quickly master new skills, like language skills and fine and gross motor development.

Between 6 and 9 months your baby will love to experiment with simple cause and effect relationships like pressing a button to play a song. Little ones also love to explore sounds by banging spoons and toys together or on the table at this age. Give your baby an assortment of pots, coffee cans, and containers along with wooden spoons and metal spoons. Encourage her to play the drums as you sing along. The Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Toy Bench is a great toy to satisfy those banging urges. It also offers a number of educational benefits, like color and letter recognition, and provides opportunities for your baby to explore cause and effect.

Games with balls are a lot of fun at this age. Use soft, squishy balls to roll back and forth across the floor with your baby. Try dropping beanbags into a wide, open container. Your little one will love taking them out just as much as watching you toss them in. Once your baby starts to crawl, set up an obstacle course for her to crawl over. Pillows, large stuffed animals, and piles of soft cloth scraps make perfect climbing obstacles to boost her crawling skills and strengthen the muscles she will soon use to walk.

Sometime between 9 months old and the first birthday, most babies will begin to walk, some earlier and some later. During this age, your baby will be developing a number of new large muscles as well as her fine motor skills. She will know how to hold her toys and can probably throw them. These soon-to-be toddlers also love to imitate and copy the things they see.

Play sound games with your baby. Make a sound or unusual noise and encourage your baby to copy it. Try this with funny faces and movements for even more fun. Stacking and arranging blocks, cups, or other toys is also a fun game to enhance fine motor development. Give your baby an assortment of toys and a big box and watch her meticulously put them in and then dump them again all over the floor.

Sing lots of silly songs with your child and read everyday. Language skills are becoming quite strong during this stage and her vocabulary of understood words is growing rapidly. Repetition of her favorite story books, nursery rhymes, and songs can give her an even better understanding of the common patterns of spoken language. Songs with movements, like the Itsy Bitsy Spider, are favorites at this age.

As your baby begins to cruise around the house, typically using furniture to aid her balance, play walking games. Hold her teddy bear or another cherished toy a few steps away and encourage your little one to walk to you to get it. Remember to praise her efforts and not to make too big of a deal when she stumbles or falls. Once your baby becomes a confident toddler, there are tons of new games to enjoy together!

About the Author:

For more tips and information about educational toys, check out www.thekidstoystore.com.

For Some Fun And Stress Release Why Not Buy A Toy Airsoft Gun And Play Airsoft

2009-05-09T23:35:00.001-07:00

So you like playing outdoor combat games such as paintball for instance. These games are great fun for all. Have you ever tried airsoft? This game is similar except you use a toy airsoft gun instead of a paintball gun. With this game you have to use the honor system when you are hit because you do not get shot by visible balls of paint.

You can play the game the same though and you can have teams or individual pursuits if you like. These games have been played by people who just wish to get out and have some fun and also by corporations who send their employees to get in deep with teem work. Some people just love using a toy airsoft gun in games like this so they can play out fantasies from when they were children or because they imagine themselves action heroes from the movies. Whatever the reason it is true that they have a lot of fun.

It is true that these guns are just toys but they really do look and feel like the real thing. You can find replicas of handguns, shot guns and rifles. You can get metal, spring, gas and electric versions of a toy airsoft gun. Depending on how seriously you like to play this game you can have the biggest and the best toy airsoft gun available.

What you do need to realize though is that just because these guns are toys it doesn't mean that they should be treated without respect. They should be used correctly as they can still injure you. If you have children then you should supervise them if they are to use one.

Another thing to consider is that because they are such amazing replicas, others may believe them to be real. So for your own safety and that of others you should not wave them around in public as though they are real. Many accidents happen this way because people do not know that it really is a toy airsoft gun that you are holding.

This is also true for when boarding planes. We know that since September 11 the security at airports has become very in-depth and the last thing you want is to be taken into custody over a toy. You should also remember that if you are planning on giving one of these guns to someone as a present especially if it is a child that you discuss this first with the parent as there are lots of people who do not believe in guns as toys.

It is funny as over the years these toys have become more prevalent with adults than children. We find that as we have grown up some of us still want to play games just like we did when we were kids. And we generally do not have to go far to find willing participants to join us. Especially boys or grown men. I think it is a way for them to de-stress away from the real world of work and family commitments.

I think it is a good thing for adults to go into an imaginary world occasionally. I mean lets face it why should only the kids have all the fun. And as long as it is done in a safe environment with safe accessories then it should do no harm at all. So if you wish to play this game with your friends, family or co-workers then find the best toy airsoft gun to suit you and your imagination and start shooting!
About the Author

Susan Dean is a successful webmaster and publisher of
http://www.airsoftguns-reviews.com
She provides lots of handy hints and advice on

17 Ways to Keep Safe and Secure When Flying

2009-05-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

Here are 17 ways to keep safe and secure when flying domestic or abroad. Air travelers need to keep a sharp eye and an ever present focus on whats going on around them. Even though it has been a few years since the September 11th 2001 hijackings, the threat of terrorist actions against air travelers is still ever present. Not to mention with the hustle and bustle of a busy airport. This is a prime place to be potentially burglarized by a professional thief or criminal.

1. Keep Your Photo Identification Handy.
If you do not have photo identification, make sure you have two pieces of some other form of identification, one of which must be issued by a government authority. Minors are not obligated to have identification. Failure to have proper identification may result in additional security inspection and search. Some airlines may also prohibit you from boarding without proper ID. For international flights, airlines are required to collect your full name and ask you for a contact name and phone number.

2. Give Yourself Some Extra Time During busy hours, or when traveling.
With elderly or disabled passengers, young children or infants, give yourself more than enough time to maneuver through a busy airport or to make necessary arrangements with airport personnel.

3. Do Not Park Your Vehicle and Left Unattended in Front of the Terminal. The airport parking rules are being strictly enforced and your vehicle may be very swiftly ticketed and towed. So make sure to park in well-lit, designated areas. Find a parking garage or lot you are comfortable with and is well populated.

4. Know What You Have with You.
Watch your bags all throughout the airport terminal, shops, and lavatories. Dont accept packages from strangers or persons who you might have a casual conversation with. Be prepared to answer questions about who packed your bags and whether you might have left them unattended at any time. Focus carefully and answer honestlyprevious history has shown terrorists and criminals use unaware passengers to carry bombs or other dangerous devices on board an aircraft, either by deceiving passengers into carrying packages or by slipping items into unprotected bags. If youre unsure, make it known to airport security personnel.

5. Beware of Unattended Packages.
If you see an unattended package, bag or piece of luggage in the terminal, report it to the airport security staff or other airport personnel immediately.

6. Dont Fool Around. Dont joke about having a bomb, firearm or weapon with you. Security personnel are trained to react when they hear these words. Punishment can be harsh and can include the possibility of time in prison and/or large penalties and fines.

7. Anticipate Having Your Bag and Luggage Searched.
Both carry-on and checked bags are subject to being hand-searched, especially when airline security personnel cannot determine by X-ray machines the contents of one. Keep gifts unwrapped until after you arrive at your destination. Airline security personnel will open it if X-ray machines are unable to identify the contents.

8. Leave Behind Firearms and Hazardous Products at Home.
Many hazardous products are not allowed on aircraft. Dont pack or carry firearms, fireworks, flammable materials, household cleaners, or pressurized containers. Violations of hazardous materials regulations can have harsh civil penalties, as well as possible national legal action taken against you.

9. Be Aware of Your Surroundings.
When you are in an airport terminal or on an aircraft, take notice of your surroundings, and those around you. Especially, if activities or situations dont appear to be of the norm.

10. Report Strange or Odd Activity.
If you see anything in the airport or on an aircraft that looks out of place, unfitting and unusual behavior or potential security violations, inform either a law enforcement representative or security personnel.

11. Have No Bias About the Who May Pose a Threat.
If someone is intent on perpetrating violent acts against the air transport system, that person can be of any gender, age, or nationality. You should not presume any specific type of person is likely to do damage based on outward appearances.

12. Keep Away from Suspicious Circumstances.
If you are exposed to a potential risk in the airport, move away from the situation before contacting someone in authority. If necessary, inform others in the vicinity. Examples of these are; unaccompanied packages, suspicious behavior, or an unusual disturbance.

13. Leave Your Seat Belt Fastened While in Flight.
When you are seated, keep your safety belt securely fastened through your flight will provide extra protection if the plane is in unexpected turbulence.

14. Focus on What the Flight Attendants Are Saying.
The number one reason flight attendants are on an aircraft is for safety, so if there is any kind of emergency or potential crisis situation, look to the flight attendants for help and assistance.

15. Remember the Basic Rules for Wireless Devices.
In the U.S., cell phones, pagers, and other wireless communications devices may be used until the passenger entry doors are closed prior to takeoff. Do not use these devices for routine communications until the passenger doors are opened at the end of the flight. Rules vary around the world, so check with your airline.

16. Emergency Use of a Wireless Device. In the event of an in-flight emergency, you should take stock of the situation before using any communications device, including the aircraft's seatback telephones. If a situation calls for it, use your cell phone or other personal to contact help. In the U.S., a helpful number to call is the FBI at 1-866-483-5137. If you are a flight attendant or other airline employee, contact an appropriate office or department of the airline.

17. Work Together.
If circumstances on an aircraft have the potential for danger, it is usually better to share information and work together with crew members and other passengers.

By taking the necessary precautions when you fly, you can travel with a piece-of-mind and have your security on high alert and ready for anything.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michelle Annese is a 3rd degree black belt with 15+ years experience teaching self defense and safety for women and children. She is a World Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee for Achievement and creator of The Realtor Survival Guide, Protection for Women, and The SafeGuard System for Kids. For more information on how to protect yourself and your family go to http://www.michelleannese.com to get her free weekly safety tips e-newsletter.

Buying Guide High Chair

2009-05-07T23:35:00.001-07:00

Keeping pace with the fast and busy, modern lifestyle, the upbringing of children has changed a lot. Now you can find countless helpful baby equipments around you that make the rearing of your child much easier than before. For centuries, the high chairs have remained a very helpful kit for the new mothers whose children have just been introduced to solid food. The ways of child rearing have changed, but the utility of high chairs is still acknowledged. In fact, next to cribs, high chairs represent the highest sell among all other baby products. Lots of efforts and imagination have led to the creation of baby high chairs that are not only varied in design, they incorporate several useful features along with a sturdy construction. You can use a high chair even before the baby has started to take solid food, as it proves to be an excellent landing place for your baby during the busy hours all through the day. It is a good idea to place the baby in the high chair during family meal sessions to get her accustomed to the family goings on and the spirit of togetherness.

High chair is an equipment that stays in constant use all through the growing years of your child. So you have to invest in a product that is durable. The features should prove to be functional for your purpose and it should look attractive to catch the attention of your little baby. But it is the question of safety that comes as the foremost consideration at the time of buying a high chair.

Fisher Price, Babee Tenda, Stokke, Graco all are the trusted names in the baby product industry who also manufacture good quality high chairs. Depending on your personal preferences you can pick up any of their models. Before making the choice, consider the following points.

Styles
Depending on the age and weight of the child, you can choose from mainly three styles of high chairs.

Conventional: The Conventional Highchair that has a wooden construction has the most traditional design comprising the basic components needed to feed your baby. Sometimes also made of metal or plastic, it includes a plastic tray and safety straps. A cushion is to be purchased separately to provide comfort to your baby. While wooden high chairs are most difficult to clean, they are the most durable of the whole lot and can be preserved for the use of the next generation. They also better complement your kitchen d?cor.

Adjustable: These have become the first choice of the modern parents as these light weight, portable and easy to store chairs are adjustable according to your baby's growth and as a result can be used for long. They are provided with adjustable seats and trays and their heights can also be adjusted to bring the baby down to your seat level in the dining table.

A fully reclining high chair is helpful even for a new born baby as these chairs come to your help at the time of bottle-feeding.
For older babies bring a highchair with an adjustable footrest.

Booster: Highchairs are also available in the form of a Booster Seat that is nothing but a plastic chair that can be strapped to any ordinary kitchen chair. It boosts up your child's height to adjust her to the height of dining table and helps her to enjoy the meals just like the adults. The boosters also come with built-in trays and straps. They can be carried outdoor conveniently as most of them can be folded up.

Safety
The primary consideration of choosing the high chair is its safety. Check out whether the model of your choice has a Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association certificate on it. All the renowned baby product manufacturers follow the stipulations of JPMA safety standards.

Stability
Look for a high chair with a wide base which has the lowest possible chance of tipping over with a fidgety and jiggling baby on it. It will also save much of your efforts at the time of cleaning the space under the chair.

Right kind of wheels and locking mechanism
High chairs with wheel are a great idea as it allows you to move the baby all through the home. Buy only those wheeled chairs that have strong locks on the wheels.
Then, in case of foldable chairs, look for a foolproof locking mechanism so that it does not collapse or get accidentally folded with the bay inside. In addition to that, the locks should work smoothly ensuring an easy folding.

Safety Belts
The belts of the baby high chair must be strong and washable. The premium quality highchairs comprise a plastic restraint and five-point safety harness with shoulder straps that prevent the baby from getting toppled or slipped under the tray. There are also the models with molded plastic post that stands between the two legs of the baby and stops it from slipping under the tray.

BABY FOOTPRINTS

Everyone loves sweet baby feet, and baby footprints are a classic symbol of a newborn. The first year of a child's life is a time of remarkable growth and development.

Now you can preserve a piece of your baby's first year forever with easy-to-use kit, which captures a perfect impression of your child's tiny foot.

Anyone can make cute cards with a cherished reminder of baby's adorable feet and hands.

Parents and grandparents will think this is the best baby shower gift.

For thank you notes or baby announcements after baby has arrived, use his/her real footprint or handprint.

Baby Footprint. Money-Saving Information About Baby Footprint. Look At Everything We Have To Offer
http://www.baby-footprint.net/

About the Author

Agent Marketing Minute: Email Signatures

2009-05-06T23:35:00.001-07:00

Maximize your signature. Add a timely or seasonal message to your signature. Time to spring ahead, change your clocks on April 10th, Be extra alert it's back to school. Add a testimonial from a client, Thank-you for all your help in the purchase of our new house,your experience and patience was invaluable. The Smiths, 123 Main Street, Anytown USA. Congratulate local sports teams on winning, go Wildcats on another winning the championship! Promote an upcoming non-profit benefit, Breast cancer walk on October 1st, if you want to donate or walk, contact me.

Or think about including a definition of the week, utilize real estate terms and designations, earnest money deposit: The money given to the seller at the time the offer is made as a sign of the buyer?s good faith. Do a fast real estate fact from local, state or national real estate associations, such as the average homeowner stays in their home 5.7 years according to the The National Association of Realtors(R) 2005 profile of home buyers and sellers. Add value to all your email correspondence, and always take the time to spell check your signature, it is worth the time to make sure you send the right impression.

Mark Nash is the author of Fundamentals of Marketing for the Real Estate Professional, Starting & Succeeding in Real Estate, Reaching Out: The Financial Power of Niche Marketing, and 1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home. Mark is a contributing writer for: Realtor (R) Magazine Online, Broker Agent News, Real Estate Executive Magazine, Principal Broker, and Realty Times. He contributes residential real estate analysis to Business Week, CBS The Early Show, CNN, HGTVpro.com, The New York Times, and USA Today.

View his books at http://www.1001RealEstateTips.com.

Maryland Mortgage What to Expect When Buying a Home in Maryland

2009-05-05T23:35:00.001-07:00

Maybe you?re buying your first home in Maryland, or perhaps you?re relocating to Maryland from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on Maryland home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you?ll need to know before buying a home in Maryland:

The median price of a home in Maryland is $146,000. Recently, homes in Maryland have been appreciating at record highs for the state. As a result, income levels in many parts of Maryland are too low to purchase a median-priced home with a conventional loan. In fact, homeowners in many Maryland cities pay more than the recommended 30% of their incomes toward housing.

The price of homes in Maryland varies widely between zip codes. For example, in Annapolis, Maryland, the median price of a home in the summer of 2005 was $315,000; however, in Fort Washington, Maryland, the median price of a home was $375,000, and in Silver Spring, Maryland, it was $450,000. Average interest rates in Maryland are above the national average, and job growth rates are ninth highest in the nation.

In Maryland, the borrower employs the settlement attorney or title agent. The lender is not permitted to do so. Maryland has strict anti-predatory lending laws. Among these include the prohibition of prepayment penalties and reduced-rate options on adjustable rate mortgages and fixed-period adjustable rate mortgages.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about Maryland Mortgage Rates and Loans .

"The Time Value of Money"

2009-05-04T23:35:00.001-07:00

The time value of money (TVM) is an investment principle that states money is valued greater today than in the future due to inflation and economic conditions. Essentially, a dollar in your pocket today is worth more than a dollar in the future because money may be invested and earn interest over time. The notion of TVM is money is worth more the earlier it is received.

If you loaned a friend $20, would you rather get the money back today or a year from now? You should want the cash today. Think back to the price of movie tickets 10 years ago. The price for a movie ticket at one point was just a few dollars and has risen to almost $10 due to the factor of inflation. By receiving cash today, rather than the future, you can invest the money into an alternate source and potentially receive a higher return for your money. Future value includes the amount of money you would earn through growth in your investments in the future assuming a given interest rate. It is what the cash is worth at a particular time in the future, while present value refers to the value of a given sum of money today. The same principle applies to real estate notes. A real estate note, a mortgage for example, is created with specific terms, conditions and a length of time for its return. In order to exchange the note for cash, a note?s present value is determined through a discount analysis to appraise its current worth, which will differ from the note?s value in 10 years.

To demonstrate TVM and why it can be more advantageous to have money now rather than the future, consider the following example. If you own a real estate note that is appraised at present value for $150,000 you can cash out now and spend the money, or you can invest in alternate sources for a higher return on your investment. By receiving the money today, you can avoid dealing with late payments and the risk of not receiving a payment at all. Immediate cash appeals to most much more than receiving money in the future. The following illustration of TVM shows the change in value of $150,000 over a year if invested with a rate of return of 10 percent.

Future Value = (Present Value) x (1 + Rate of Return)

Future Value = (150,000) x (1 + 10%)

Future Value = (150,000) x (1.1)

Future Value = $165,000

Understanding the time value of money is essential to achieving financial success, as this concept allows you to evaluate the potential value of money today in comparison to the future. When you talk about mortgages, loans, car notes and retirement funds, the practical knowledge of time value of money can help you accomplish the wealth you have longed for.

Maria Fee is a mortgage professional, real estate investor, teacher, and master marketer with more than 20 years of business experience. Maria is the President of REMI KNOX, LLC, a group of investors who purchase real estate notes nationwide. Quoted by the media as an expert, she is continuously recognized for her extraordinary knowledge and real estate investing experience.

You too can discover hidden secrets to success with real estate notes. To take control of your financial future with proven strategies visit Maria's website at www.REMIKNOX.com. Happy investing!

An Introduction To West Virginia Real Estate

2009-05-03T23:35:00.001-07:00

Unlike neighboring Virginia, the state of West Virginia offers far greater diversity in living arrangements. The state has one of the most perfect blends of urban and rural neighborhoods, which make it an ideal place to settle down.

The biggest deterrent to real estate development in West Virginia is the state's mountainous and rocky terrain given to it by the Appalachian Mountains. The towns are far apart and small for the want of space in the squeezed valleys. However, if it weren't for these very mountains, American history would have been written quite differently. There are many historic sites within the state that still bear the scars of the Civil War and other turbulent periods. The state is also famous for its gorges, through which run the state's rivers, making it an ideal destination for adventure water sport enthusiasts. The state plays home to many of the countries top schools and colleges and consequently offers very good professional opportunities. The state has seen greater development than most surrounding states and this has lead to the growth of modernized cities with a booming real estate market.

There are many real estate agencies that people can approach when they wish to purchase property in West Virginia. The agencies can help individuals fix budgets and find suitable localities with homes that fit the budget. At times, individuals choose to scour the counties for appropriate properties and then approach a realty agent for the determination of price. Whatever the approach, people need to be careful while choosing a real estate agent and make certain that the credentials and claims of the agency are worthwhile. The best way to ensure this is to work with nationally renowned real estate agencies. Another important thing to be remembered when purchasing property is to fix a budget before approaching the realtor. This is helpful because it helps narrow down the possibilities and allows the search for a suitable abode to proceed faster.

Virginia Real Estate provides detailed information on Virginia Real Estate, West Virginia Real Estate, Virginia Beach Real Estate, Northern Virginia Real Estate and more. Virginia Real Estate is affiliated with Williamsburg Virginia Bed And Breakfast.

Casino Games History Or How People Have Learnt To Count Cards Part 5

2009-05-02T23:35:00.001-07:00

Are You As Strong As A U.S. Army Ranger Or Is It All Show Muscles??

2009-05-01T23:35:00.001-07:00

As a former Army Ranger I know the benefits of weight training, but many gym rats look upon weight lifting as the holy grail of muscle building.The reality is that while weights can play an important part in your conditioning program it is not the end all be all.

So the question that pops in my mind is how useful are your weight trained muscle?

Let's put them to the test...

Here's a taste of the physical requirements of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger.Try them out test yourself and see if you really are in shape. See if you're fit enough to wear the beret.

<strong>Army Rangers-Lead The Way</strong>

Ever wanted to put on the Army Ranger Tab on your uniform? Here is what you have to do to become a Ranger. The training is broken up into three phases: Fort Benning Phase, Mountain Phase, and Florida Phase. The Benning Phase is executed in two parts and lasts for a total of 20 days.

As with most Special Operations units, the first phase is very physical.

You will be required to perform an Army Ranger PFT consisting of the following:

Push-ups - 49+
Sit-ups - 59+
Chin ups - 6+
2 mile run in running shoes in 15:12 minutes or less
Other physical requirements and tests:
Combat water survival test
5-mile runs
3-mile runs with an obstacle course
16-mile foot march
Night and day land navigation tests

The most important pre-training exercise to do prior to Ranger school is walking fast in your boots with 50 pounds of weight on your back.

You will do this everyday you are at Ranger School. Running at least 5 miles, 3-4 times a week and swimming in uniform 2-3 times a week is recommended as well.

Pack on a 5-10 pounds of body weight prior to going so you have a little to lose when you are consuming fewer calories a day.
Also known as forced marches or humps, these events are basically walking at a fast pace over rough terrain with a back pack at least 45 lbs in weight. When you take the ruck march test, you will also carry a weapon, wear boots, BDU (Battle Dress Uniform - fatigues pants/blouse), LBE (Load Bearing Equipment - shoulder harness with canteens with water), and a helmet.

If you break it down, you need to train the major muscle groups of the body - legs and back. Sure your upper body (shoulders and arms) come into play carrying the backpack and weapon, but you will get most of your exhaustion from the legs and lower back. S
o, training your legs in running, leg PT, and rucking will build stamina and endurance you need for any type of Army or land navigation training.

The Run and Leg PT Workout:
Repeat 4-5 times
Run 1 mile at your goal pace (6-8:00/mile) (no ruck sack)
Squats - 30
Lunges - 20 / leg
Calves (heel raises)- 30 per leg
The Non-impact version of Leg PT:
Bike and Leg PT:
Repeat 4-5 times
Bike 5:00 at increasing levels per minute on a Life Cycle type stationary bike
Squats - 30
Lunges - 20 / leg
Calves - 30 per leg

Long Distance Bike / Leg Workout:
Life Cycle Pyramid:
On a stationary bike with manual mode and levels of resistance:
Start at level 1 for 1 minute, increase resistance level by 1 level each minute until you can no longer pedal in between the 80-90 RPM zone. Typically, people will do this workout for 20-30 minutes depending on the bike they have. Some bike will max out at level 12 and some will go to at least 20 levels. Both are tough to get to the top of the pyramid levels. Once at the top, repeat all levels in reverse order and work yourself down the other side of the pyramid. Usually by the end of the pyramid, there is a puddle under you and your legs will be exhausted.

And, of course, there are long distance ruck marches for 10-20 miles with at least 45 lbs in a ruck sack you must train for prior to some of the advanced Army courses. The best way to train for these to move out with a ruck sack for 1-4 hours at a time combined with smart foot care

.
Interesting stuff huh? Try it see if you're fit enough.

About the Author

Frank Sherrill, is a former U.S. Army Ranger and Martial Arts expert. After surviving a horrific weight training accident, he spent years researching and finally discovering an exercise program and home gym that was as effective as free weights but, without all the RISK. To learn more about the Bullworker Bully Xtreme got to: http://www.BullyXtreme.net

Some Suggestions For Inexpensive Baby Shower Gifts

2009-04-30T23:35:00.001-07:00

Note that a lot of raditional baby shower gifts - like infant car seat covers and even stuffed toys - may turn out to be expensive. If you're strapped for elegant gifts to give to a special child in your life, you may do well to look up a couple of inexpensive baby shower gifts that will nonetheless remain treasured by your baby and his/her family for years to come.

First of all, it would depend on how you perceive the term inexpensive to mean. Do you mean it's something haphazardly put together, something CHEAP and unwieldy, and definitely unworthy of gracing a joyous celebration? The term inexpensive baby shower gifts doesn't mean something put together without a care. Don't just pass off a rattle you hurriedly put together in your basement using industrial glue, pebbles and plasticine (all non-kidsafe, by the way!) as a shower gift.

If you truly care for the person you're giving the gifts to - in this case, the child's parents and/or the child him or herself - you have to invest a lot of thought in the endeavor. A lot of creativity has to come in too, because you don't pay for an offering such as that - it comes from the heart. A gift from the heart is sure to be treasured for a longer time than any other material gift.

Baby showers usually come with cute and happy themes related to infancy, such as pacifiers and bibs. You can try coming up with something similarly cheery, such as a small cupcake for everyone attending the shower, with frosting made out in either the shape of milk bottles and other recognizable baby things... or else the soon-to-be-baby's initials. This is something you can definitely do in your own kitchen!

Speaking of initials, you can make a lot of other inexpensive baby shower gifts with the baby's projected name - that is, of course, if the parents have already selected a name for him/her. You can, for example, come up with a hypoallergenic matching bracelet for baby and his/her mommy or daddy, with the baby's name spelled out in the beads. Or, if you're good at crafts and sewing, you could opt to embroider a set of items, such as a set of handkerchiefs, so that they would have a fancy way of showing the baby's initials. She or he will surely appreciate it when the time comes for such things as baby shower handkerchiefs to come in handy!
About the Author

Your-Babyshower.com provides you with info on Baby shower, inexpensive baby shower gifts and much more, come take a look at http://www.your-babyshower.com/

How a New Mother Can Use Her Breast Pump With Less Time and Bother

2009-04-29T23:35:00.001-07:00

Many times a new mother is surprised at how time consuming feeding an infant can be. Add to the regular breast feeding schedule the time to use a breast pump and mothers are even more pressed. Timesavers can be found in making wise clothing choices, multi-tasking while pumping, and organizing the breast pumping routine better.

Dress for Successful Breast Pumping.

Wear two-piece outfits with easy access to your breasts. A loose top that can be pulled up from the bottom makes breast feeding and breast pumping more convenient. Another choice would be a dress or shirt that buttons all the way down the front. Buttons that go down only to the waist are not usually sufficient for double pumping because you need to be able to open the shirt wide. Also you could buy nursing tops or dresses with discreet slits at the breast for convenience when nursing or pumping.

Use a pumping bra for hands-free pumping or Medela?s Pumping-Free Attachment Kit. The strapless variety of pumping bra makes it convenient to put on and take off only while pumping in a two-piece outfit if you prefer your ordinary nursing brassieres for most of the day. Some women have made their own pumping bras by cutting slits in an old bra. You could also try the old rubber band trick.

While you are making clothing choices, note that prints will not show wetness as easily as solids, and breast milk will stain your silk blouses. Other wise (or unwise) fabric choices may come to mind. Leaning forward slightly while pumping will help to keep the milk going into the bottles and not running out on your clothes. Some users tuck a towel under their breasts.

Multi-tasking while Breast Pumping.

If you would rather not buy hands-free pumping bras, you can have at least one hand free while double pumping with the following technique. Sit at a desk or a table. Use the edge of the table and one arm to hold your funnels in place. That gives you a free hand to read something that will lay flat on the table or eat a snack. Some users put the breast pump motor on the floor and operate the controls with a toe. With the Avent Isis IQ Duo Breast Pump, the controls are in one button on the part that is near the breast and the user?s hand. Another option for multi-tasking is the hands-free breast pump by Whisper Wear, the self-contained breast pump worn inside your bra. Although not absolutely silent and it makes one?s chest look larger than usual, this breast pump may still be an option for many mothers.

Some women multitask by pumping one breast while nursing the baby on the other breast. Some babies are bothered by the noise of an electric pump so their mothers have more success with a quality one-handed manual pump like the Medela Harmony, Ameda One-Hand, or Avent Isis breast pumps. A good time to try this technique is early in the morning when milk supply and the prolactin hormone is the greatest. Baby will usually be sated with the one side at this time of day ? no need to switch sides unless you feel lopsided. Women who have difficulty getting their milk to let-down when pumping alone can often fill a bottle with their baby helping to stimulate their let-down.

Organize Your Breast Pumping Routine Better.

Follow a set routine: assemble your equipment the same way each time. Disassemble and wash the parts the same way each time. Like the pit crew for a race car, you will get faster and more efficient each time.

If you use your breast pump more than once a day, you could try the following. Instead of washing your parts after every session, just give the breast shield assembly a quick rinse and seal it in a clean plastic bag in the refrigerator between uses. Do give the parts a thorough hot, soapy wash at least once daily and follow the manufacturer?s instructions for sterilizing when needed.

Some users advise buying extra breast pump parts as a convenience. Have a couple of sets of the washable parts and you can wash only half as often. Some women buy three sets if they are pumping three times daily while at work. They bag the parts without washing them and bring them home for one washing. It saves time at work, and you can take advantage of your home dishwasher. Some women assign the task of parts-washing to another family member so they can have more time nursing and re-bonding with their baby in the evening. Another advantage to owning at least one extra set of parts is as a little insurance in case you lose something essential. If you are not lucky enough to have a retailer in your area that sells all the parts individually, you need to call the manufacturer and have one shipped to you. It can take days for your part to arrive. That can be a real inconvenience for mothers who must pump every day.

Finally, if you are breast pumping several times a day, buy or rent an efficient, high-quality breast pump. A double electric pump will finish the job in sometimes less than half the time, usually ten minutes when you become experienced. A pump that is slow is not only inconvenient, but some users find them uncomfortable too. A breast pump that wastes your time will cause you aggravation you do not need.

Matia Bryson is the mother of seven previously breast fed children and wants to help other mothers to breast feed their children as long as they desire to do so. Matia Bryson is the mother of seven previously breast fed children and wants to help other mothers to breast feed their children as long as they desire to do so.

The ?old rubber band trick? can be found at the Hands-Free Breast Pumping Page. For information on how to get more out of one?s breast pump, read the Breast Pump Articles at the Baby Loves Your Milk website. For tips on buying a new breast pump on eBay, go to EBay Breast Pump Watch.

Car Rentals For Alicante Benidorm And Torrevieja

2009-04-28T23:35:00.001-07:00

The most convenient way to travel throughout the Costa Blanca region is by an Alicante car rental. There are nine car hire companies operating at the Alicante International Airport, including Avis, Hertz, Altesa, Centauro, Aruiga, Europa, Record, Solmar and Euopcar. These car rental companies are conveniently grouped together in the airport and located immediately outside of the arrival area.

It is best to reserve your car before leaving home to not only guarantee the availability of car, but also to get the best deal on the car you want. The Costa Blanca area is the busiest during the summer season when car reservations fill up quickly. Consider reserving a car at the same time you make your hotel and flight reservations. You will likely find a better deal if you reserve a car in advance. If you do not know what size you need, at least reserve an economy size as you can always upgrade to a larger vehicle later.

When searching for a car, compare deals and availability with several car hire companies to get the best rate. You can call the company directly, can call a travel agent or search the internet. Travel agents sometimes offer hotel and flight packages that may include car rental. Of course, compare the cost of the entire package to the price of reserving each part separately. It may or may not be a better deal, but despite how you choose to find your car, there are a few car rental extras that you should consider when comparing rental packages.

First, consider whether or not you want to pick the car up from the airport or in the city. Generally, there is little difference between the cost of renting a car directly from the airport or from a city, such as Benidorm or Torrevieja. However, you should check the cost between the two options. It may be cheaper to rent in town and companies often provide transportation from the airport.

Also, if you need an infant or child seat, be sure to reserve a seat when you originally book your car rental. Child safety seats are the law in Spain and you want to be sure there are appropriate seats available based on your child?s size and weight. You will pay an additional fee, but such seats are available as a car rental extra. Of course, you can always bring a car seat from home. Though the added ?luggage? may be somewhat of a hassle, you will not have to worry that the seat will not be the appropriate size for your child. The money you save may be worth the added inconvenience.

Finally, with the hot weather during summers in the Alicante area, you will definitely want air conditioning. It may not be available in all vehicles. Be sure to confirm that this extra is included, if you plan on cool and comfortable travels during your stay. It will make a big difference.

About the Author:

Concentrating on news and information about Benidorm, Clinton Maxwell publishes largely for http://www.alicante-spain.com . You can see his publications on Alicante car rental over at http://www.alicante-spain.com .

Run Your Own BusinessTake Care of Your Kidsand Train for a Marathon 8 Simple Steps

2009-04-27T23:35:00.001-07:00

Vermont Mortgage What to Expect When Buying a Home in Vermont

2009-04-26T23:35:00.001-07:00

Maybe you?re buying your first home in Vermont, or perhaps you?re relocating to Vermont from another state. Either way, it?s important that you educate yourself on Vermont home loans before shopping for a home and mortgage. This article explains what you?ll need to know before buying a home in Vermont:

The median price of a home in Vermont is $111,500. Recently, homes in Vermont have been appreciating at rates above the national average. As a result, income levels in many parts of Vermont are too low to purchase a median-priced home with a conventional loan. In fact, homeowners in many Vermont cities pay more than the recommended 30% of their incomes toward housing.

The price of homes in Vermont varies widely between zip codes. For example, in Burlington, Vermont, the median price of a home in the summer of 2005 was $338,000; however, in Montpelier, Vermont, the median price of a home was $294,000, and in Rutland, Vermont, it was $288,000. Average interest rates in Vermont are below the national average, and job growth rates are comparable to the national average.

Vermont state law prohibits the issuance of home equity lines of credit. Additionally, it requires that a defective mortgage be treated as though it had never been recorded.

Each year the Vermont Housing Finance Agency hosts a Home Buyer Fair where potential homeowners can meet and talk to mortgage lenders, realtors, attorneys, home energy specialists, among others. The Home Buyer Fair offers homebuyer education workshops, credit and budget counseling, post-purchase counseling, and post-purchase workshops.

Vermont?s Housing Finance Agency provides low interest financing to homeowners who meet certain income and purchase price limits. Information on these programs is also available at the Home Buyer Fair.

Jessica Elliott recommends that you visit Mortgage Lenders Plus.com for more information about Vermont Mortgage Rates and Loans .

Backgammon early game strategy

2009-04-25T23:35:00.001-07:00

In backgammon you need to be able to alter your play in a blink. Occasionally you will have to restrain yourself from attacking and build your game, other times you'll need to attack full steam. In the very beginning of the game you need to be aggressive, fast and straightforward. If you can reach your early game targets it'll help you a lot later.

The early game targets

1. Make points in the homeboard

There are two reasons why this is important. First, it will mess your upponent's game by limiting his chances to enter from the bar if you hit his checker. If you make to additional points his chances are much worse to get back to the game than if you would have only the six-point. Second, by making points in your home board also means that you those checkers are already ready for bearing off when the time comes.

Please remember that some points are more important than others. If you maneuver your checkers to the edge of the board or very close to it you limit yourself as to which checkers you can move. On your home board the most important points are the 5-point, then 6 and 4-point and then the 3-point in this order.

If you are unable to make points in your homeboard, make points as near to the homeboard as possible. If you manage to block points 7 through 12 you'll see how difficult it is for your opponent to escape his back checkers. In addition, making any points between 7 and 12 are excellent storage points for bringing the checkers in to your home board.

2. Escape your back men

While you are attacking and building points in and near your home board you shouldn't forget about your back men. If you do, a few turns later they might've got blocked or the distance to the rest of your checkers could be very long and therefore the escape can become a very risky one and could easily cost you the game. Therefore, from the beginning, move your back checkers up slowly towards your home board. Try to keep them in relative proximity to the rest of the checkers.

Doubles are very good for bringing the back men towards your home board. Use half of the roll for that purpose and use the other half making points somewhere else. Sometimes you will be rolling combinations that doesn't allow you to move both of your checkers well. In that case split your back men. This can be a little risky but if you play safe you'll never be a real backgammon winner. As soon as you can, bring your back men again together.

Final words

As mentioned above, if you won't reach your early game targets you'll end up in trouble. Your troubles will seem the get worse as soon as you have a few dollars at stake. You'll be thinking hard whether there was something you could've done differently and if you do manage to get out of trouble, well, then you were pretty lucky.

When you accomplish your early game targets you are in a far better position. You can start concentrating on the work to be done and you won't have to tackle problems each time as they arise. So don't loose your head, maintain your focus and work hard towards your early game targets and you have much better chances to win the game.
About the Author

Are You Wearing The Right Sized Bra?

2009-04-24T23:35:00.001-07:00

How many times is it written in the press, and mentioned on the news that more than 80% of women are wearing the wrong sized bra? Frequently? Well, are you? Do you know whether your bra fits correctly?

Is it important? Do we really need to be that bothered? Well, the answer really has to be yes. Younger women can get away without wearing a bra, or wearing one that doesn't support them properly, as their young muscles and tendons keep things in place. But this doesn't go on forever, and as we age, we are all too keenly aware of the dreaded droop! And anyway, an ill fitting bra under a T-shirt or close fitting top is just so ugly.

There are other, potentially more serious problems though, especially if you have a curvy figure. Breasts that aren't properly supported can lead to all sorts of problems with your back, shoulders, skin irritations and self-esteem. If you have never been properly fitted, why not try it? You may well find the bras you buy in the future will completely change how you carry yourself, bringing your shoulders back and boosting your self-esteem considerably.

Although too many women are wearing bras that do not fit them correctly, there really is an over reliance on consistently buying the same size. We go into a store, are measured and told we are a 38G and off we go and buy only 38G bras.

It can often be just as well to throw away the tape measure and keep trying on bras until you get one that fits properly. If you rely too heavily on the tape measure, you stick in the comfort zone and continue to buy the same size. But there are far too many variables now in bra manufacture to be able to rely on that 'size' as a constant. Here are just a few:

1. The type of materials used
2. How the fabric is cut
3. The level of support/elasticity offered by the fabric
4. The design of the bra
5. The style of the bra (full cup, balconette, demi-bra, strapless, bustier etc )
6. Variations in sizing between brands
7. Variations in sizing conventions in different countries
8. Variables in the production process
9. Fashion sizing (i.e. putting smaller sizes on the label than the garment actually is ...)

...and all this before you even start to consider how your own body alters over the course of the day, the month, the year, or events such as pregnancy, measurable weight loss or gain, or surgery.

Therefore, the best way of ensuring you get a correct fitting bra is to try it on yourself. There are many guides to buying the correct size - some rely entirely on the tape measure, but many more are now moving towards the advice of trying on until the fit is right.

If the bra is right for you, it will:

1. Feel comfortable - there will be no red marks or wheals
2. The back band will be parallel with the front band
3. If it is underwired, the underwires will sit comfortably at the back of the breast without digging in. The front of the underwires will sit comfortably between your breasts and rest against your breast bone.
4. The cups will be full - not overflowing, and not sagging
5. The straps will not cut in, and they won't slip down.

When you do find a bra that fits properly, why not buy another one! There's nothing wrong with having a range of different 'sizes'. Bras from the same brands tend to be the same size, there will be different cup sizes in European and American makes and you may need different cup and back sizes to cope with changes in your body shape each month.

So, when you have bought the right bra for you, follow the care instructions to keep it doing its job as long as possible. Bras usually only have an effective life of around 5/6 months and will lose some elasticity each time they are washed. You will probably need to alter the straps and the hook position over that time to compensate for this.

Yes, there are too many women wearing the wrong sized bra.
Yes, it matters.
Yes, it is important to ensure the right fit.
No, you don't have to rely on the tape measure.
No, you don't have to buy the same size every time because you have been told to.

There is so much to choose from, enjoy trying on! Good luck in your search.
About the Author

Vicki Louise, founder of VickiLouise.com, offers a stunning range of luxurious, designer lingerie and nightwear especially for ladies with a fuller bust. Gift vouchers and a luxury gift wrapping service are also available.

Washing Clothes When Backpacking

2009-04-23T23:35:00.001-07:00

You don't want to carry ten pounds of clothes when backpacking. In fact, for us lightweight backpackers, anything more than a few pounds is too much. This means washing clothes on the trail at some point. Here are some tips on how to do it right.

Here's the easy solution for short backpacking trips, those that are three days or less: just don't wash your clothes. That is, unless they really need it. In that case proceed to the next paragraph.

Try to make your backpacking clothes less stinky. In other words, don't sweat too much. Actually this is a good idea for another reason. If you get your clothing wet with sweat, later you may have a problem staying warm. It cools dramatically at night in the mountains and desert, for example, and the evaporative effect from your damp clothing can chill you dangerously at times.

The best plan, then, is to remove layers before you start to sweat. You can also prevent sweaty feet - and therefore stinky socks - by applying antiperspirant to the bottoms of your feet for several days before you go backpacking. Letting clothing air out on tree branches in camp can remove some odors as well.

Washing Clothes

Of course at some point, especially on the longer backpacking trips, you will need to wash your clothes. Detergent, however, is bad for streams and lakes. If you feel you absolutely must use it, follow these guidelines:

- Carry the clothes and water away from the stream or lake (200 feet).

- Get the clothes just wet enough to lather them up with detergent.

- Add soap, scrub and then squeeze out as much detergent and water as you can.

- Slowly pour rinse water over them, stopping when they are wet enough, and squeezing more detergent and water out of them.

- Repeat this until they are sufficiently rinsed.

It is better for the environment and simpler too, if you just avoid using detergent. To do this, you can follow the above guidelines without detergent. You can also swim in a lake or stream with your clothes on to wash them. Do this just before the heat of the day, so they will dry on you as you hike. Avoid doing this in small ponds that may be affected by the soap, deodorant and such that inevitably washes off your body.

Socks and small pieces of clothing can be hung on your pack to dry as you hike. In camp, you can hang clothes on spruce trees to help impart a better odor to them. If your clothing supply is limited when backpacking (isn't it always?), wash it early, so you'll be able to dry it before the cold night comes. Shake the clothing and fluff it up once dry. It will insulate better this way, keeping you warmer.

About the Author

Copyright Steve Gillman. To get the ebook Ultralight Backpacking Secrets (And Wilderness Survival Tips) for FREE, as well as photos, gear recommendations, and a new wilderness survival section, visit:
The Ultralight Backpacking Site: http://www.The-Ultralight-Site.com

Virtual Teams in Education

2009-04-22T23:35:00.001-07:00

The future of business is not in brick and mortar institutions as historically viewed. The proliferation and miniaturization of communications mediums, cellular telephone, fax, Internet, personal data devices, and lap top computers, make offices available where people are ? not where the office is. Carpenter (1998) wrote the internet is more versatile for communication than any medium available today. People can interact with individuals or groups, they can identify by name, pseudonym, or be anonymous. She says the internet is ??a virtual community where people meet, engage in discourse, become friends, fall in love, and develop all of the relationships that are developed in physical communities? (pg. 1).

However, the internet may not be a panacea. The internet goes beyond technology into social interaction. Organizations face a dilemma of encouraging successful interactions and community building online. Statistics suggest almost ten million people work in virtual offices and that 40 percent of large organizations have policies on telecommuting. Yet, Carpenter (1998), cited above, says virtual employment equals only seven to ten percent of the work force.

Why hasn?t the virtual office flourished? Sociologists suggest it is the need for informal interaction ? office banter. Organizations are stubborn to accept virtual teams believing team projects work best carried out over conference tables and virtual workers can only participate in individual assignments. Still other organizations believe virtual workers do not receive adequate supervision. However, is the problem supervision or trust?

Kohrell (2005), an adjunct professor at Bellevue University, is president of Technology As Promised. He is a specialist in developing virtual teams and addresses developing trust on virtual teams. He explains virtual trust in simple terms. Virtual trust is getting on an airplane, not knowing the air traffic controllers, yet trusting they are doing their jobs correctly. He explains building virtual trust through communication ? frequently, with integrity, with certainty and predictability.

Other data, taken with Kohrell?s, also supports the economics of the virtual office. Verma (2005) offers some information that shows senior executives from Europe, Asia, and the Unites States report cost savings (69 percent) and increased productivity (64 percent) when using telecommuting. Verma cites comments of Joe Roitz, AT&T. Roitz said, ?Telework alone generates over $150 million annually in productivity increases, real estate savings, and enhanced retention for AT&T.? These statistics suggest business recognize change and develop strategies for successful change.

Tucker, Kao, and Verma (2005) write there are trends in employment that organizations cannot ignore. One point they make is the work force globally is getting smaller. They also recognize that cultural norms are different now, more loose. Adding to the mix is more freedom for people to move globally. They point out there are personnel trends that organizations can count on 1.Smaller and less sufficiently skilled

2.Increasingly global

3.Highly virtual

4.Vastly diverse, and

5.Autonomous and empowered

They conclude that leadership focus within these trends ?demand a new generation of talent management.? This new talent management has to take some strategic steps to manage the new work force in future oriented organizations. Those steps are:

1.Predictive Workforce Monitoring and Strategic Talent Decision Making

2.Flexible and Anticipatory Talent Sourcing

3.Customized and Personalized Rewards and Communications

4.Distributed and Influential Leadership

5.Unified and Compassionate Cultures

Computer-mediated Communication (CMC)

It is important to discuss CMC as virtual workers depend on ? rely on ? computer-mediated communication. Jones (1998) cites Patton (1986) in discussion about highway building as a means to connect people to one another. Patton observed that highways have not connected us rather increased our sense of separateness. Cities are divided, neighborhoods split, city intimacy destroyed. From this negative view, Jones concludes the internet may actually do what highways failed to do Computer-mediated communication, it seams, will do by way of electronic pathways what cement roads were unable to do, namely, connect us rather than atomize us, put us at the controls of a ?vehicle? and yet not detach us from the rest of the world. (pg. 3)

CMC offers new realms for social scientists to study. Traditionally, social scientists observed communities within certain identified boundary. However, new cyber societies exist without bounds and determination of membership in cyber society does not satisfy traditional categories given community.

Education in Cyber Society

What does this mean in terms of education? The United States Department of Education (US-DOE) provides a look into higher education statistics for twelve months 2000 to 2001. US-DOE figures from that period show 56 percent (2320) post-secondary two- and four-year schools had online courses. Another twelve percent desire to go online within the next three years. Finally, 31 percent said they would not go online. Clearly, two-thirds of colleges and universities have or want online educational opportunities for students. What does this mean for faculty? The following paragraph addresses that question.

The Higher Learning Commission accredits Bellevue University in Nebraska. It has an online presence offering 17 undergraduate degree completion programs online and 7 graduate degree programs online. The College of Professional Studies (CPS) of Bellevue University administers all of the undergraduate degree programs. CPS administers three of the seven graduate degrees, MBA and Master of Arts in Management reside in the College of Business, and MS Computer Information Systems and MS Management of Information Systems reside in the College of Information Technology. Although the College of Arts and Sciences administers no online degrees, it does administer several course clusters and individual online courses. Therefore, Bellevue University is an example of an institution highly oriented to the online student.

Online, mostly adult learner, students equal approximately 40 percent of the University population. Bellevue University also has both traditional four-year campus students and non-traditional in class adult learners making up the rest of the University student population. A boast made during the 2004/2005 academic year was that Bellevue University has students in all 24 time zones around the world and the North and South Poles.

CPS accounts for the largest number of faculty members. Of CPS faculty, about 150 are adjunct and one-third of those are faculty members at distant locations teaching online (information provided the Assistant College Administrator).

However, this is not unique to Bellevue University. A web search of colleges with online offerings returns dozens of institutions. Narrowing a web search to fully accredited schools with online offerings returns numerous hits. Well known in the online arena are University of Phoenix, Capella, Nova Southeastern, and Walden. Among these, University of Phoenix is very aggressive in both student and faculty recruitment. It is not unusual for students to transfer between online schools searching for lower tuition rates and/or more liberal credit transfer policies. In addition, it is likely an adjunct professor may instruct in multiple universities. Online Faculty Interviews

Of the about 50 online distant faculty members at Bellevue University, five responded to invitations for phone or email interviews. Another interview with an online adjunct that lives in the Omaha metro area serves to validate other faculty comments. One distant faculty member does teach at two other institutions, one online, and one face to face. Finally, I will submit personal observations, my experiences, as an online adjunct, face-to-face instructor and one that taught in multiple institutions.

All those interviewed were unanimous in answering why they are adjunct college professors, they like teaching. The responses varied from ?I like sharing what I?ve learned,? to ?It is fun to see, through their postings, how they (students) grow and change over the year period of a degree program.? To follow up, they answered teaching online is new to them, an interesting way to link students, and a way to connect people geographically separate for a common goal (education).

One interviewee, a medical doctor in Indiana teaches healthcare administration at Bellevue University to ?stay connected with nurses and other medical administrators. A hard lesson for doctors to learn is they don?t run anything.? In addition to teaching at Bellevue University, he developed a course adopted into the Master of Healthcare Administration in CPS. He shared that he also is a mentor for third and fourth year medical residents working to pass their medical boards. He does not teach in this role, rather facilitates medical residents? leaning and board preparation. He related that this role requires developing a trust and trusting relationship between him and his mentored doctor. He said he always begins the mentoring relationship in a face-to-face environment before moving it to telephone or email. He told that teaching online and handling student problems and misunderstandings is much less trying than mentoring new doctors.

The local interview, conducted in person, was with the executive assistant to the university president. He used to teach in the classroom; however, schedule demands took him out of class. Teaching online lets him keep his connection to students while maintaining a busy travel schedule.

When asked why they applied to teach at Bellevue University, the answers ranged widely. One instructor, an Army retired Chief Warrant Officer, began teaching a year after graduating with a master degree from Bellevue. The university approached him rather than him initiating an application. Another, now teaching at the Atlanta campus of the University of Georgia, and previously at the U.S. Air Force Academy, applied to Bellevue because of the University?s close ties to military students. One respondent is an empty nester, disabled from her nursing profession, and wanted to stay active pre-retirement. There was not a consistent answer to this question except when tying it to their enjoyment of teaching.

All those interviewed are online instructors, therefore, virtual to their students. All reported using email and telephone as primary communication devices with their students. Additionally, they all use the Bellevue University Cyberactive? learning environment powered by Blackboard to conduct classes. They reported highs of 40 percent and lows of ten percent use of email for student communication. All reported using the telephone to contact students; however, telephone use was a low five to ten percent. Low telephone use is not unexpected considering the worldwide locations of BU students.

Probing deeper, email use is actually higher from instructor to student. Within the Cyberactice? environment there is a tab titled ?Communication.? Within this link is an option to send an email to all or select users. All adjuncts confirmed this option is the choice they use to send messages to individuals, select groups, or an entire class. When probed, instructors agreed they use this email option regularly. After another query into percentage of communication by email using the Cyberactive? email option, instructors replied their email communication is higher, up to 50 percent. It is important to clarify that instructors did not directly associate email in the Cyberactive? environment with other email engines.

There were very broad concerns expressed by the interviewees and all were technical, from needing more technical support to wanting less technical support. This question needed more clarification. The respondents confirmed their meaning of technical support as surrounding the electronic classroom. Although all online instructors must complete the Online Facilitators Course, four of the five realized their attention to it was not the best possible. Challenged for why the four did not participate more in the facilitator course, they admitted to ?filling a square? to teach online. All replied there are times when they all call or email the Cyberactive? Help Desk for assistance.

Another unanimous concern was how well prepared students are to enter an electronic classroom. Each respondent related at least one story of a student ill prepared to study online. Instructor receives a profile of each student in class, therefore a follow up question on student age suggested age was less a concern than students? career and regular use of computers for email, topic research, and understanding of inter- versus intra-net. Feeling as Part of a Team

The adjuncts all feel they are part of a work team. Specifically, they felt part of their work team, part of the Cyberactive? classroom group, but not closely connected to the University. The reason given is distance from the physical location ? Bellevue, Nebraska. They did report steps taken by the College of Professional Studies as helping them become more connected. One example they all like is the weekly email of the campus bulletin, another is periodic email messages of faculty development seminars. Faculty development seminars are now video taped, converted to digital media, and available in streaming video online or DVD format mailed.

Supporting some of the research reported earlier, the respondents felt disconnected from the University and more connected if they could make trips to the campus, meet with program directors, deans, and fellow faculty members. Clarifying this point, they did not feel under supervised, rather did not feel a personal (personally) connected. An expectation was that those now adjuncts who were Bellevue University students would feel more connected. While the former students felt more connected, they too did not feel a close bond.

The discussion moved to questions of leadership. Specifically asked was how well do they know (know of) the University leadership team. All knew names and positions of the president, provost, deans, and program directors. They did not know any of the names associated with positions of senior administrative people and senior people outside their particular college. Asked if they knew any names of board members, each knew U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel is a board member. Others knew names of benefactors thinking they were board members.

Tying the interviews together, the discussion turned to specifics of communication. The focus at this stage was the level of interdepartmental communication compared to intradepartmental communication. Those interviewed commented that intradepartmental communication was good. Adjuncts knew, through email and/or telephone communication, their program director, some or all the department faculty. All reported a lack of knowledge outside their program area. An adjunct in healthcare administration is unlikely to cross-communicate with faculty from management or leadership. An instructor in business administration will not know anyone teaching in human resources or security management. Distant adjuncts in the College of Professional Studies seem isolated from faculty members of other colleges. Generally, faculty members in one college do not teach in other colleges.

The interviewees made recommendations to improve communication ranging from more email communication to making trips to the campus to meet the staff. Trips to campus from distant locations seemed impractical from a cost aspect because such a trip would not be at university expense. Asked how to improve electronic communication, all agreed more is better. Citing an example of missed opportunity, they said the university produces a faculty roster and places it on the server ?shared drive.? However, distant locations do not have access to the internal system. Personal Experience

Stated early in this paper, I am an online adjunct but live in the community the university calls home. This gives me a different perspective because I can personally interact with instructors from different colleges and programs. After five years in administration as a graduate enrollment counselor, I developed personal networks with many senior program directors and deans. For nearly the same period, I was an adjunct, first in the College of Arts and Sciences and now in CPS. I taught Organizational Communication in a face-to-face classroom and Leadership online.

Validating the interviewees? comments, communication to adjuncts has been limited. One limiting factor was the capability of the university email server to support several hundred email addresses. This problem is resolved with the installation of a new larger email server. Another limiting factor was not all adjuncts had a ?(name) @? university email address. An initiative of the Quality Council was requiring all adjuncts have an internal email address and remote access to the email server. This initiative is now complete with separate distributions for ?all campus,? ?all adjuncts,? and ?all (college specific) adjuncts.?

An advantage to being an online adjunct in the same community where the university is located is proximity. With proximity, there is access to many in leadership positions and interaction with peers. A closer connection with faculty peers allows a support system to develop face-to-face that a distant adjunct cannot as easily develop. Proximity allows faster communication and reaction to communication. Closeness permits attendance to faculty development live rather than streaming video or DVD.

While the advantages of proximity seem favorable, there are some downsides. There are greater expectations that a local adjunct spends time on campus when there primary job allows. The faculty resource center offers an adjunct an office environment where one can have the office time expected. College meeting attendance by local adjuncts is not mandated; however, it is more favorable to attend. Those operating at a distance desire to attend meetings and cannot have it. Conclusion

The interview process with adjunct instructors working at a distance offer supporting data to the statistics reported earlier in this paper. The adjuncts interviewed are part time virtual employees who feel less a part of the University team than someone local. They reported incomplete communication with and knowledge of many key leadership people.

Communication seems the center of disconnect. The Academic Quality Improvement Process also recognized this problem and implemented institutional change to tie all members to campus life. Although more effort is underway for broader communication, distant employees do not have access to local systems through remote means.

Considering these elements and considering the U. S. Department of Education?s statistics, online education is likely to flourish. Bellevue University attracts students from around the world with many of them earning degrees online from their home countries.

Despite the drawbacks, virtual professors as virtual team members are successful at Bellevue University because of the expressed desire to teach and watch their students grow and learn. The professionalism and expertise these professors exhibit in the online community of students supports the data from industry executives indicating improved productivity and cost savings.

Pfeffer (1998) identifies the use of sub-contractors in the work force. Adjuncts are sub-contractors. The adjuncts serve in non-traditional ways contrary to how professors previously served. It is apparent that education is no different from other industries using virtual workers. Virtual workers, like temporary workers, feel less connected ? not given the same level of training.

In interview, establishing trust was critical to two adjuncts. In-person trust is much easier to develop than in virtual relationships. Bell (2002) says trust is a leap of faith and places trust below truth, ?? caringly frank and compassionately straightforward? in pursuit of clean communication? (pg. 9).

An indirect conclusion from the interviews highlights that mentoring a virtual adjunct may help develop a sense of team participation through greater knowledge and understanding of the institutions vision and values. By developing greater emersion into the vision and values of the system, adjuncts may want to be more aware of those people filling leadership roles. Successful virtual workers need the same assistance and opportunity for growth as the worker inside the brick and mortar institution.

References

Bell, C.R. (2002). Managers as Mentors: Building Partnership for Learning (2nd edition). San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Carpenter, J. L. (Fall Semester 1998). Building Community in the Virtual Workplace. Online at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/fallsem98/finalpapers/Carpenter.html

David Kohrell (personal communication, September 18, 2005) noting virtual team performance.

Jones, S. G. (1998). Cybersociety 2.0: Revisiting Computer-Mediated Communication and Community. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishers.

Kohrell, D. (2005). Effective Virtual Teams [PowerPoint presentation. PMI North Carolina: Technology As Promised.

Marilyn Urquhart (personal communication, October 3, 2005) noting total number of adjuncts and number of adjuncts teaching online from distributed locations.

Pfeffer, J. (1998). The Human Equation: Building profits by putting people first. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Tuker, E., Kao, T., and Verma, N. (2005). Next-Generation Talent Management: Insights on How Workforce Trends are Changing the Face of Talent Management. Business Credit 107, 7. 20-27.

U. S. Department of Education (2001). Washington, DC. Online at www.usdoe.gov.

Verma, N. (2005). Making the Most of Virtual Work. WorldatWork Journal, 14, 2. 15-23.

Promotional Products School Branding and Where They Come Together

2009-04-21T23:35:00.001-07:00

When making purchasing decisions for the school year, pretty much anything a school will buy could also bear the school's mascot, but frequently won't. The unfortunate fact is that there are a number of schools that do not factor in branding when they are planning their annual budgets, when they really should. Those schools might simply not realize that the industry has more than your typical pompoms and jerseys that they can imprint a school mascot on. Not to mention some schools might not even see the benefit of maintaining their brand.

The term promotion product covers a wide swath of products, and there is a wide variety of school-related items that can be found. Just as in the case of an employee gift, a good student gift or reward will be something students will use and not simply inexpensive. A well made binder that is embroidered with an image of the school's mascot would encourage school pride in a student. Your promotional items distributor doesn't just make leather tote bags or stylish messenger bags that are only suited for business execs, either. While these do exist, there are also backpacks that cater to students of all ages available to be imprinted. Backpacks are something any student will be using in a modern school setting as the number of schoolbooks they carry around increases each year.

Even a small school can take advantage of branding opportunity that promotional products will bring. Even small elementary schools or junior colleges can be a matter of pride for the surrounding community. Donated items with school logos on them will help establish a vital symbiotic link to the community and contribute to an interest in the welfare of the school's students.

Starting around high school and college, you'll frequently find students who love to show their school spirit and can do so with help of promotional items. Just as branded products can link a community and school together, they can form a connection between the student and school. A student body that feels a connection to their school inspired to make better grades. As a graduation present, a customized product bearing the mascot they grew up with is an excellent memento of an unforgettable school experience.

Schools will find that promotional product purchases could fulfill their basic supply needs for the year, even if they're working with a limited budget. In the early school years you've got the basics: Scissors, crayons, and glue. General office supply purchases, or even the later grades, are readily available as well: rulers, pens, pencils, and paper. The opportunities to save money in this manner are found for any grade, from as late as high school or as early as kindergarten.

An imprint will often be included in a product's price and will serve to compound the savings. This is always a part of the promotional industry purchasers must use to their advantage. Simple things like pencils or stationery that bear a school's colors or mascot inevitably make their way into the nearby community and the school becomes a piece of the fabric that binds the community together in the process.

Many organizations, businesses and schools purchase office and school supplies at their local supply store off the shelf when in reality the low cost of getting a pencil with a logo or backpack with a mascot could provide budgetary savings and extend the school's brand into the community.

Mr. Chris Ellis has three years of experience in sales and marketing consulting at various promotional products companies in the industry.

By Chris Ellis

Science Fiction and World Peace Put Together

2009-04-20T23:35:00.001-07:00

Planning Children's Birthday Party Games

2009-04-19T23:35:00.001-07:00

A Great Combination Laptop Computers And Laptop Printers

2009-04-18T23:35:00.001-07:00

A laptop computer, also called a laptop, is a mobile computer, which is small, lightweight and portable. Laptop computers normally run either on a single battery or from an AC/DC adapter or power supply unit. This adapter charges the battery even while providing power to a computer. Laptop computers and laptop printers are a modern technology that does not restrict you to one specific room or even area. Laptop computers are extremely popular due to their portability. They use less power and are quieter than desktop computers but are a little slower and more expensive.

There is a large range of accessories available on the market today for laptop computers that make working much more convenient and easier. These accessories range from laptop printers to mini zip drives to mini hubs to security locks. They sell most accessories separately from laptop computers and design them to add convenience and meet the user?s needs.

Laptop printers are important accessories to use with laptop computers. Gone are the days of having to return to your home or office to print documents that you need immediately. There are now laptop printers, or mobile printers, that provide people with the power to print their documents while traveling on the road. This is not only convenient but allows people to be far more productive by saving time. A wireless USB adapter is an uncomplicated plug-in component that turns your laptop computer into a wireless communication device. You can link laptop computers with laptop printers, mobile phones, handheld devices or any other devices using Bluetooth technology. This system has built-in security that lets you safely transfer information and makes using cables, to transfer data, unnecessary.

There are backpacks or carriers specially made that allow you to transport laptop computers or laptop printers safely and these are just great for business people that travel, students or anyone requiring a portable computer and printer. The backpack carrier has more storage room than a regular carrier. All carry-cases are water resistant, safe for carrying and come in a wide range of designs and colors. Extended-use batteries are another great accessory allowing people to use their laptop computers and laptop printers when there is no power supply handy. For eye-level ease of reading, portable desk stands let you tilt the computer, which lessens neck and back strain, so the user is not typing flat or looking down. They are lightweight, portable and easy to use.

Shopping online for laptop printers and laptop computers is a great way to compare products and prices from numerous retailers without having to leave your office or home. With most people living such busy lifestyles today, this is a great way to relax while shopping.

About the Author:

Terry Roberts is a professional translator and linguist, with a wide range of interests. To read more about laptop printers - and about printers in general - please visit his website: Printers for Novices