How To Perform A Home Inspection As A First Time Homebuyer

By Alexandria P. Anderson

You want to avoid any major surprises when you're considering a new home purchase so contracting with a professional home inspector can alleviate much of the stress and concerns about your prospective home early in the home buying process.

Then again, official home inspections are only required after an initial contract is signed. It would be better for you to gather your own information about the house you are eyeing. You can go straight to the seller and ask him or her everything about the house. You can also ask for permission to conduct your own mini-inspection.

Sellers typically allow prospective buyers to inspect their home before anyone enters into any agreement. Barron's 'Smart Consumer's Guide to Home Buying' advises homebuyers to use a checklist in taking note of any problems and issues in the earliest time possible. The book further explains, "If you are thinking about buying a house that will need renovation or upgrading, the more value will be derived from your mini-inspection." The mini-inspection will ultimately give you a bargaining leverage when negotiating for the price of the home you are buying.

You need a checklist in inspecting the house to ensure that you cover all important aspects that you need to look at. The information you gather from this checklist can then be used to create a written report to help you in assessing the overall condition of the house. Here are some important matters to include in your checklist:

Know the age of the house - Know the exact date when the house was built. You must also check if there are any renovations or upgrades done on the home, when they took place and if the house's blueprints are still available.

Examine the foundation of the house - Look for huge cracks or signs of water problems around the house and in the basement. Ask the seller about any flooding issues or other problems related to weather that the house experienced (or experiences) in different seasons.

Check the interior for defects and potential problems - you'll want to make sure that all doors open and close easily and that all the walls are flat, even and free of cracks. Make a note of any visible cracks or deterioration and take pictures of anything that stands out. You'll also want to check for mold problems, odors and make sure all water entry areas are clear and functioning properly.

Check the exterior for defects and potential problems - do all of the windows and doors have adequate insulation? Do they open and close fluidly? Make sure all of the siding, windows and doors are free of cracks and any noticeable wear and tear.

Review heating and air conditioning appliances - ask about the average heating and cooling costs each month, and find out how long the systems have been in place. In some cases, you may need to invest in a new water heater or air conditioning system.

Look at all your notes and create a written report about the condition of the house you just inspected. You may also consider using a digital camera or camcorder to take pictures and videos for a more detailed review in the future. This additional effort may give you an advantage over the seller come negotiation time. - 23200

About the Author:

Author: Alexandria P. Anderson specializes helping people to find and purchase Minnetonka Homes for Sale, as well as Minnetonka Minnesota Real Estate for her home-buying clients.

Mastering Forex Trading Systems

By Mark Abbots

Forex systems are the backbone and well-known tool for the traders those who have plan to trade in the big and popular currency market. Forex systems enable the trader to purchase and sell foreign currency through the Foreign Exchange (Forex) market. Forex systems have gained good popularity nowadays because of the internet since many individual can also put their effort in these kinds of trading system.

To obtain profit from Forex systems, the basic concepts about Forex systems should be understood properly through appropriate ways. Beginners can acquire knowledge about Forex systems through different Forex related books available in the market, which explains about basics of trading and about Forex as well.

The information obtained through the books can be developed by peeping through the websites that offer basic classes to a starter. The website also provide well-informed data about the changes that are taking place in the currency rates, exchange rates of the various currencies dealt in the Forex market, etc. for a deeper awareness.

Other option that lay before a beginner is to open a demo account with a Forex broker and gain insight of the way it functions through the demo account. The risk of loss of money is nullified by taking advantage of the demo account training. Demo account training offer the opportunity to identify the various combinations of currency pairs and pick up one that you are most comfortable with. One can enhance and sharpen his method of dealing through the demo accounts before gaining confidence to make his entry into the real market.

With the backing of the proper training acquired by him through the various channels, now is the time to start trading on a Forex trading floor. Once he gets the grip of the activities, he can start his game of making quick and fast money through the Forex exchange.

Keeping the basic principles of money making in the back of his mind is inevitable to succeed in the attempts. He should always take advantage of the diversified combination of Forex for better returns. Similarly, emotions should never be given an opportunity to cloud his better judgment. When the emotions start seeping in, the excitement takes away your mind off the analytical thinking, resulting in a loss. So, in short, keep your mind calm and start earning revenue through the Forex trading system. - 23200

About the Author:

Mark has written numerous articles about forex trading strategies and also about forex trading software.

Stock Market Timing 101

By Mike Swanson

Everyone dreams of playing the stock market and hitting it big in the best stock picks; however, very few people will experience that. The stock market is unpredictable, and it can either make you quite a bit of money, or cause you to lose your money. Stock market timing is a very important part of the game.

Timing in the stock markets is essential for making money. You have to have adequate stock market timing in order to be successful. Buying long, selling short, or cashing out is all something that must be done perfectly in order to experience success.

Several companies offer a stock market timing system that is designed to tell you when to buy long, cash out, or sell short. As pointed out earlier in this article, no one knows when to do this for sure. These systems only serve as a guide; however, they are based upon trends and research, even though they are still just a guess.

One plays the stock market in order to make money. No one plays it to lose money. If you do not have the money to be gambling with, then it is not advisable to gamble in this manner. The risk for losing your hard earned money is there. In order to be successful, you must have adequate timing. As mentioned previously, perfect timing all the time, is not possible.

Reality is that nobody can accurately predict what the stock markets are going to do from day to day or from year to year. Stock market timing systems are only there to serve as a guide for the investors.

Stock market timing will have an enormous impact on one's investment portfolio, whether it is good or bad. One has to remember that any stock market timing system that is developed is only there to serve as a guide, and it should not be relied too heavily upon. - 23200

About the Author:

For more articles from Mike Swanson sign up to his stock strategies weekly newsletter.

Retirement Planning with Fixed Annuities

By Mari Cates

Will annuities help you build up a retirement income?

Annuity products come from major life insurance companies. They are a mix of investment and insurance, but are mostly considered when a person wants to build some cash for a long term goal, or to provide a monthly payment. Lots of people think about retirement when they consider these products, but some consider them for other savings goals.

There are two main types of way to build up the cash value, so something can start generating income for retirement.

Immediate Annuities accept a lump sum. This money usually comes from a distribution a person gets at retirement, but it could come from other sources too. After being approved and funded, the product starts generating periodic payments right away.

Deferred annuities do not pay out right away. In fact, the owner may have to pay a penalty if he or she takes out cash before the term that is specified in the contract. There may be exceptions for this in the case of a severe illness, etc. Some may be funded with a large payment, or they may accept cash contributions made over a period of years. These are intended for people who are trying to plan for an event that is some time in the future.

How do you get paid? There are a variety of different options for getting money back. A lifetime payout may guarantee income for life. But some people accept payouts for less time, like 10 years, or for the lifetime of either spouse (joint survivorship). They payout that you would choose would depend upon your needs and the cash value of the account.

If you are not sure that you will need the income, consider a flexible payout option. You can use this account to put aside money that could be used for an emergency if needed, or can be left to heirs if not needed.

Many people like annuities because of the favorable way that the IRS tax code treats them. They can grow in a tax deferred manner. They may be qualified or unqualified, which will affect the tax treatment of income payments.

Another advantage is the safety of fixed products. Fixed products may pay at a contract rate, or they may be pegged to a market index.

The S&P 500 is one example of this. During good years, the account will earn an interest rate that follows the index. During down years, the account is guaranteed not to lose money.

Of course, most people want to know how long their annuity will pay out, and how much money they will get. This will depend upon how much money is in the fund, the rate of return, and the type of annuity. It is important to be able to compare different annuity products on the market, and see how they will help you reach your goals. - 23200

About the Author:

We want to help you find the annuity products that can help you reach your goals. Use our Free Online Annuity Quotes to find the best retirement plan for your own needs. For more information, visit here: Explain Annuities

The Bill Collector Letter That Shuts Them Up

By Sean Payne

Remember that feeling you got when the letter from the bill collector came in the mail? Remember the cold feeling in your gut when you realized that you owed money that you couldn't repay? And after that, the phone calls and additional letters hounding you for the money that you knew you didn't have.

It's time to turn the tables. It's time to learn your rights and to exercise them.

There's a Federal law called the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act that outlines exactly what a collector can and cannot do to collect on a debt. The FDCPA, as it is called, sets limits on when and how a debt collector can contact you.

An example of what a debt collector can't do is to call you at work, unless they're doing it to find out a telephone number to call you at your house. They're also not allowed to inform other people, such as your employer, about any debts that you owe.

Also, debt collectors can't call you or continue to contact you if you tell them that they aren't to do so anymore. That's what we're going to learn to do.

The magic letter to bill collectors is made up of two parts:

The first is your identifying information. This consists of your name, your address, any debt account numbers for the debt that they're trying to collect, and any other info they may need to positively identify you as the debt account holder.

The second part is to let them know that you want them to stop communicating with you, period.

These two things are all that the FDCPA requires that you do to keep the debt collector from harassing you or contacting you in the future. The only correspondence that the debt collector can send you in the future is a letter that says they will cease contacting you, and whether they're going to pursue any legal action to collect on the debt.

When you send this letter, it's always good to send it by certified mail with a delivery receipt requested. The delivery receipt lets you know that the debt collector actually received the letter. Make sure that you keep this receipt in case you ever have to prove that they received the letter.

According to the rules of the FDCPA, if the debt collector continues to contact you in the future, they're in violation of the law. You then have the right to report them to the FTC, which is the agency that actually enforces the FDCPA. After you've notified the FTC about the legal violation by the debt collector, the FTC can take legal action against the debt collector on your behalf.

Be aware that even after you notify the bill collector of your wish not to be contacted, they still have the option of pursuing legal action against you. This letter is only intended to shield you from being harassed by bill collectors. It cannot protect you against a lawsuit filed by the bill collectors in an attempt to collect on a debt. - 23200

About the Author:

Sean Payne can teach you plenty about how to get out of debt. After more than a decade of learning about how to get out of debt, he has developed a powerful method to keep bill collectors from calling. You can discover his secrets for getting out of debt at his amazing website.