Whether you are a first-time buyer or a real estate mogul, there are still plenty of issues that can happen along the home buying process, including finding issues that weren’t disclosed by the buyer. Even though the homeowner is required to sign a disclosure document, it doesn’t always mean that it’s accurate – whether they know about the issues or not.
Continue reading “Home Buying: Are Sellers Trying to Hide Hidden Issues?”“Kiddie Condos” are one of the newest buzz phrases and latest trend for parents of college students who are looking to treat room and board as more of an investment vs. an expense. The concept: Purchase a home, condo or apartment in the town where your college student goes to school, purchase the home with them on the mortgage, and have them live there vs. campus housing or renting off campus. The idea behind the strategy is to put the money a family would generally spend on room and board, required meal plans, and out-of-state tuition into a property.
Continue reading ““Kiddie Condos” – The Newest College Housing Trend”Over the past decade, filing for bankruptcy has become far less taboo – good, bad or indifferent it’s become far more mainstream for both businesses and individuals.
For individuals, there are 2 types of Bankruptcy – Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. With Chapter 7 you must have an insufficient income to allow you to pay at least a portion of your debts. Under Chapter 7, you either pay for or give up your property for secured debts. You surrender any nonexempt property in order to pay off as much of your other debt as possible. You keep all of your other exempt property and are forever released from any obligation to repay the remaining dischargeable debt.
Continue reading “Bankruptcy 101 – Pros and Cons”The art of negotiation is arguably one of the most valuable life and business skills you can have. To some, it comes naturally. They are born with a skilled way of communicating that not only makes people relent, but they are happy to do so. For others, negotiating is both terrifying and difficult.
But not to worry, this skill can actually be developed by anyone simply by using the tips below:
Continue reading “Business Tips: How to Negotiate Virtually Anything!”When it comes to selling your home, most sellers vacate the premises during a showing or open house. But there may be instances where you, the seller, are present and are asked by a potential buyer “Why are you selling your house?”. It’s a pretty common question from home buyers, and although you might think your response is innocent, this is one of the diciest questions you can answer. Why? Because any response you give could be used against you and cause the buyer to question if they will have the same issue.
Continue reading “How to answer, “So why are you selling your home?” …and what NOT to say!”When it comes to saving money, especially for your future, it can be hard to decide where to put that money to get the best bang for your buck. If you have loans, like a mortgage, you might consider an early pay-off. What feels better than being debt free, right? But building wealth can be tricky.
When it comes to saving money, interest rates rule the world. You want your money to earn more than it would cost you elsewhere. So, if your rate of return on investing is more than you would save in paying down interest, then investing would earn you more money and be a smarter option. However, if your mortgage interest rate is higher than your rate of return on investing, then you would save more money by paying down aggressively on your mortgage instead.
Continue reading “Savings and Retirement Tips: Pay off your Mortgage Early or Invest?”Have you noticed that smiling (and yawning) are contagious and not just when passing someone in the grocery store or holding the door open at your local coffee shop, but at the workplace too. We spend so many hours of our lives at work and with our coworkers, often more than we do with our families and friends. In general, people tend to gravitate towards positive and happy people and avoid the grumpy and negative people. If you’ve made a resolution this year to rid yourself of negativity and be more positive, here are some awesome phrases you can start using in the workplace to help show your appreciation, encouragement, and even trust in others. Management role not required to use these!
Continue reading “How to Boost Workplace Positivity”The backbone of most non-profits is their Volunteer Force. Be it behind the scenes or client/front facing, this group of non-paid team members are giving their time, their skills and often their dollars to help make their chosen non-profit successful. They are invaluable to carrying out the mission and objectives of the non-profit and can also help build a connection with your community.
Recruiting and retaining top volunteer talent is no different than acquiring top paid talent – here are some tips to help you get the best of the best:
Continue reading “How to Recruit More Volunteers for Your Non-Profit”Which should you save for first – your child’s future college tuition or your personal retirement? As a parent, this is a very emotional question – saving for your children’s continuing education to help them incur less debt and get a good education or financially preparing yourself and securing your future.
Many parents have decided that college savings should come first and are not only forgoing putting money in a retirement account, but they are dipping into their retirement savings to cover the costs of tuition. Yes, saving for college is important, but it is actually a luxury. How much you save for your child’s tuition is not a direct correlation to how likely it is that they will graduate. And don’t worry, your child can find other ways to pay for school: scholarships, grants, financial aid, part time jobs, or even finding a more affordable school.
Continue reading “College Savings or Retirement – Which Should you Save for First?”When it comes to buying a home, most people understand the importance of having homeowner’s insurance, but few people are actually familiar with a home warranty and how it works.
The simple answer is: A home warranty is a yearly service contract that protects specific home systems and appliances.
Your home’s systems and appliances will inevitably break down over time. A home warranty provides you with some protection when those systems and appliances eventually stop working. Many first-time homebuyers find a home warranty to be an extra layer of protection when extra funds are in short supply during those first few years of homeownership.
How does a home warranty work?
Continue reading “What is a Home Warranty and How Does it Work?”
