Wednesday, June 30, 2010
House for sale in Tempa Florida
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Refinance your home loan?
Do the lowest mortgage rates since the mid-1950s mean it's a good time to refinance your home loan?
That depends mainly on what rate you have now — and whether you're planning to move anytime soon. Experts advise weighing your options carefully.
Mortgage rates fell this week to their lowest point on records that mortgage company Freddie Mac has kept since 1971. The average for a 30-year fixed-rate loan sank to 4.69 percent. The previous record of 4.71 percent was set in December. Rates for 15-year and five-year mortgages also hit lows.
The last time long-term rates were lower was in the mid-1950s, when they averaged around 4.6 percent. Those loans typically lasted 20 or 25 years, unlike today's standard 30-year fixed mortgage.
Here are some answers to common questions about refinancing mortgages.
Q: How much does refinancing cost?
A: It can cost several thousand dollars. Typically, there's a fee that goes to the mortgage broker or lender, plus fees for title insurance, a new appraisal, document processing and other charges.
But brokers or lenders have ways to make upfront charges invisible to borrowers. They can, for example, create the appearance of a "no fee" mortgage by adding the costs to the total loan amount or by charging a slightly higher interest rate.
Q: So will refinancing my mortgage save me money?
A: That depends on how soon you want to sell. Let's say you have a $200,000 loan. If you're able to cut your rate from 5.5 percent to 4.69 percent, your monthly principal and interest payment will drop by about $100 — from about $1,135 to about $1,035.
But if your lender charges fees of $4,000, it would take more than three years to break even. The deal would make sense only if you planned to stay longer than three years .
Q: What kinds of loans are available?
A: Since the subprime lending bust, most lenders have eliminated the riskiest loans. These included loans that let borrowers make only interest payments for the first few years. Other risky loans required no down payments or proof of income. The Federal Housing Administration lets buyers get loans with down payments of at least 3.5 percent. That's how most first-time buyers are able to get mortgages these days.
Q: What's the difference between a loan modification and a refinanced loan?
A: Loan modifications are for borrowers who are behind on their mortgage or on the verge of falling behind. They involve a reduction in the interest rate or a temporary break on payments. By contrast, a refinanced loan is an entirely new mortgage, often made with a different lender.
Here are Some of my Favourite Links
Top Class Air Duct Cleaning
Offshore marketing services The Call Experts
Information aritcles general tips. The Articles Direct
Top Class air Duct Cleaning Brampton
Top Class air Duct Cleaning Ajax
Top Class air Duct Cleaning mississauga
Top Class air Duct Cleaning Toronto
Top Class air Duct Cleaning oakville
creeper1122 blogs
telemarketing how to
wonderful getaways
Latest movies and dramas blog
khan.vicky blogs
Mobile Phones club
Call Center Softwares
Mortgage and Property Blog
creeper0101 blog
O Desk for all information articles
That depends mainly on what rate you have now — and whether you're planning to move anytime soon. Experts advise weighing your options carefully.
Mortgage rates fell this week to their lowest point on records that mortgage company Freddie Mac has kept since 1971. The average for a 30-year fixed-rate loan sank to 4.69 percent. The previous record of 4.71 percent was set in December. Rates for 15-year and five-year mortgages also hit lows.
The last time long-term rates were lower was in the mid-1950s, when they averaged around 4.6 percent. Those loans typically lasted 20 or 25 years, unlike today's standard 30-year fixed mortgage.
Here are some answers to common questions about refinancing mortgages.
Q: How much does refinancing cost?
A: It can cost several thousand dollars. Typically, there's a fee that goes to the mortgage broker or lender, plus fees for title insurance, a new appraisal, document processing and other charges.
But brokers or lenders have ways to make upfront charges invisible to borrowers. They can, for example, create the appearance of a "no fee" mortgage by adding the costs to the total loan amount or by charging a slightly higher interest rate.
Q: So will refinancing my mortgage save me money?
A: That depends on how soon you want to sell. Let's say you have a $200,000 loan. If you're able to cut your rate from 5.5 percent to 4.69 percent, your monthly principal and interest payment will drop by about $100 — from about $1,135 to about $1,035.
But if your lender charges fees of $4,000, it would take more than three years to break even. The deal would make sense only if you planned to stay longer than three years .
Q: What kinds of loans are available?
A: Since the subprime lending bust, most lenders have eliminated the riskiest loans. These included loans that let borrowers make only interest payments for the first few years. Other risky loans required no down payments or proof of income. The Federal Housing Administration lets buyers get loans with down payments of at least 3.5 percent. That's how most first-time buyers are able to get mortgages these days.
Q: What's the difference between a loan modification and a refinanced loan?
A: Loan modifications are for borrowers who are behind on their mortgage or on the verge of falling behind. They involve a reduction in the interest rate or a temporary break on payments. By contrast, a refinanced loan is an entirely new mortgage, often made with a different lender.
Here are Some of my Favourite Links
Top Class Air Duct Cleaning
Offshore marketing services The Call Experts
Information aritcles general tips. The Articles Direct
Top Class air Duct Cleaning Brampton
Top Class air Duct Cleaning Ajax
Top Class air Duct Cleaning mississauga
Top Class air Duct Cleaning Toronto
Top Class air Duct Cleaning oakville
creeper1122 blogs
telemarketing how to
wonderful getaways
Latest movies and dramas blog
khan.vicky blogs
Mobile Phones club
Call Center Softwares
Mortgage and Property Blog
creeper0101 blog
O Desk for all information articles
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Unsafe consumer loans for mortgages and credit cards
WASHINGTON — Unsafe consumer loans for mortgages and credit cards were at the heart of the financial crisis. Banks handed out loans to people who couldn't afford them. The banks ended up with trillions in bad debt.
The financial overhaul being crafted by House-Senate negotiators would tighten protections for consumers. It would create a regulator to oversee financial products and services such as mortgages, credit cards and auto loans. The regulator is intended to make those products safer and easier to understand.
Here are some questions and answers about the legislation's consumer protection authority:
Q: How would it better protect consumers?
A: The new regulator would write and enforce rules for financial services and products. It might outlaw confusing fine print on credit agreements, for example. It could ban mortgages it considered unsafe.
The regulator would exist in an independent bureau within the Federal Reserve. Its authority would be limited: Other regulators could vote to block its rules.
Still, the regulator would have broad authority. It would oversee companies such as mortgage lenders, which haven't faced meaningful federal regulation. Those companies made some of the highest-risk loans before the financial crisis. The new authority is designed to close that loophole by regulating all financial products - regardless of who offers them.
Yet there are many exceptions. Small banks would not face on-site investigation by the regulator. Some auto dealers and pawn brokers would be exempt from its oversight under one proposal being debated.
Q: How would the new regulator affect financial institutions?
A: Many would face an extra layer of oversight. They would be monitored by the consumer agency as well as by their existing regulator.
The current system relies on several bank regulators. Each oversees a category of companies. The new regulator would be different: It could monitor any financial company that serves consumers - unless Congress exempts that type of company.
So some companies that weren't regulated before, such as payday lenders, would be subject to oversight by the consumer agency.
Q: How would the agency directly affect ordinary people?
A: Mainly, it would aim to ensure that credit card companies and mortgage lenders don't abuse consumers. It would monitor documents that cover mortgages and credits cards to ensure they aren't misleading or confusing. But the new regulator's approach would be defined over the years by the presidential appointees who run it.
Q: Where does the bill stop short?
A: The agency would have little direct power over small banks, retailers, pawn brokers or auto dealers that offer bank loans. It could write rules that affect them. But regulators would enforce those rules. And the agency wouldn't police companies regulated by the SEC. Those include stock brokers and credit rating agencies.
Business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce lobbied against the agency and persuaded lawmakers to shield some companies from its oversight. The House bill exempts insurers and auto dealers that offer bank loans, among others. The Senate bill exempts small businesses but would regulate car dealers.
Critics say these exemptions mean the agency wouldn't prevent another crisis. The next financial threat, after all, could emerge anywhere. The savings and loan crisis of the 1980s and 1990s involved lending by smaller banks, not Wall Street giants.
The Associated Press
The financial overhaul being crafted by House-Senate negotiators would tighten protections for consumers. It would create a regulator to oversee financial products and services such as mortgages, credit cards and auto loans. The regulator is intended to make those products safer and easier to understand.
Here are some questions and answers about the legislation's consumer protection authority:
Q: How would it better protect consumers?
A: The new regulator would write and enforce rules for financial services and products. It might outlaw confusing fine print on credit agreements, for example. It could ban mortgages it considered unsafe.
The regulator would exist in an independent bureau within the Federal Reserve. Its authority would be limited: Other regulators could vote to block its rules.
Still, the regulator would have broad authority. It would oversee companies such as mortgage lenders, which haven't faced meaningful federal regulation. Those companies made some of the highest-risk loans before the financial crisis. The new authority is designed to close that loophole by regulating all financial products - regardless of who offers them.
Yet there are many exceptions. Small banks would not face on-site investigation by the regulator. Some auto dealers and pawn brokers would be exempt from its oversight under one proposal being debated.
Q: How would the new regulator affect financial institutions?
A: Many would face an extra layer of oversight. They would be monitored by the consumer agency as well as by their existing regulator.
The current system relies on several bank regulators. Each oversees a category of companies. The new regulator would be different: It could monitor any financial company that serves consumers - unless Congress exempts that type of company.
So some companies that weren't regulated before, such as payday lenders, would be subject to oversight by the consumer agency.
Q: How would the agency directly affect ordinary people?
A: Mainly, it would aim to ensure that credit card companies and mortgage lenders don't abuse consumers. It would monitor documents that cover mortgages and credits cards to ensure they aren't misleading or confusing. But the new regulator's approach would be defined over the years by the presidential appointees who run it.
Q: Where does the bill stop short?
A: The agency would have little direct power over small banks, retailers, pawn brokers or auto dealers that offer bank loans. It could write rules that affect them. But regulators would enforce those rules. And the agency wouldn't police companies regulated by the SEC. Those include stock brokers and credit rating agencies.
Business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce lobbied against the agency and persuaded lawmakers to shield some companies from its oversight. The House bill exempts insurers and auto dealers that offer bank loans, among others. The Senate bill exempts small businesses but would regulate car dealers.
Critics say these exemptions mean the agency wouldn't prevent another crisis. The next financial threat, after all, could emerge anywhere. The savings and loan crisis of the 1980s and 1990s involved lending by smaller banks, not Wall Street giants.
The Associated Press
Monday, June 21, 2010
High-ratio mortgages
High-ratio mortgages (mortgages with less than 25 per cent Down Payment) must, by law, be insured against Default. Such insurance may be provided by the federal government through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) or through an approved private insurer (such as GE Capital Mortgage Insurance Canada). With Mortgage loan insurance, if you default on your mortgage, the lender is paid back by the insurer.
It should be noted that mortgage loan insurance protects the lending institution only. If you default on your mortgage, and the sale proceeds of your house are not sufficient to pay the outstanding balance of your mortgage, the lending institution will be covered by the mortgage loan insurance. Note that in such a case, you would still lose your house.
Before approving you for mortgage insurance, the mortgage insurer will generally make an Assessment of your credit and may require the payment of an application/Appraisal fee in order to process and confirm approval of the mortgage. This fee covers the insurer's costs associated with that assessment. In some cases, the lending institution may pay this fee.
Normally, the down payment you make must come from your own funds. If you borrow the money (such as on a line of credit, personal loan or credit card), a higher mortgage loan insurance premium applies (see table below).
Home ownership insurance premiums are as follows:
Down Payment
Insurance Premium1
5% down payment, from borrowed funds
3.4%
5% to 9.99% down payment
3.25%
10% to 14.99% down payment
2%
15% to 19.99% down payment
1.75%
20 to 24.99% down payment
1%
1of accepted purchase price (or appraised value, whichever is lower) - as of July 14, 2003
Conventional mortgages (mortgages with at least a 25 per cent down payment) do not, by law, have to be insured. However, there may be instances where mortgage insurance will be required if your loan is considered to be risky. In this case, some lenders may charge a premium of 0.65 per cent if your down payment is between 25% and 34.99%, or 0.5 per cent if your down payment is above 35% (rates as of July 2003).
It should be noted that mortgage loan insurance protects the lending institution only. If you default on your mortgage, and the sale proceeds of your house are not sufficient to pay the outstanding balance of your mortgage, the lending institution will be covered by the mortgage loan insurance. Note that in such a case, you would still lose your house.
Before approving you for mortgage insurance, the mortgage insurer will generally make an Assessment of your credit and may require the payment of an application/Appraisal fee in order to process and confirm approval of the mortgage. This fee covers the insurer's costs associated with that assessment. In some cases, the lending institution may pay this fee.
Normally, the down payment you make must come from your own funds. If you borrow the money (such as on a line of credit, personal loan or credit card), a higher mortgage loan insurance premium applies (see table below).
Home ownership insurance premiums are as follows:
Down Payment
Insurance Premium1
5% down payment, from borrowed funds
3.4%
5% to 9.99% down payment
3.25%
10% to 14.99% down payment
2%
15% to 19.99% down payment
1.75%
20 to 24.99% down payment
1%
1of accepted purchase price (or appraised value, whichever is lower) - as of July 14, 2003
Conventional mortgages (mortgages with at least a 25 per cent down payment) do not, by law, have to be insured. However, there may be instances where mortgage insurance will be required if your loan is considered to be risky. In this case, some lenders may charge a premium of 0.65 per cent if your down payment is between 25% and 34.99%, or 0.5 per cent if your down payment is above 35% (rates as of July 2003).
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Canada Property Prices
One of the major attractions of a move to Canada is the cost of housing compared with other western countries.
As happens everywhere, prices are higher in Canada's big cities than they are in the surrounding towns.
Canada's highest house prices are found on the west coast in Vancouver / British Columbia, where the country's mildest weather is found.
Severe winter weather or remoteness from major markets usually results in low house prices - for example property prices are low in Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.
In 2007 prices in booming Alberta rose above prices in Ontario for the first time and, in the same vein, prices in Calgary rose above those in Toronto. Despite the more recent fall in oil prices, Alberta prices in 2009 remain higher than those in Ontario but Calgary prices have dropped below those in Toronto.
Canadian Cities
Average House Prices
January 2010
City Average House Price 12 Month Change
Vancouver, BC $638,000 + 18.9 %
Toronto, Ont $409,000 + 19.0 %
Calgary, Alb $382,000 + 5.5 %
Ottawa, Ont $324,000 + 11.3 %
Montreal, Que $284,000 + 11.1 %
Halifax, NS $242,000 - 0.4 %
Regina, Sask $214,000 - 6.2 %
Fredericton, NB $164,000 + 6.0 %
Canadian Provinces
Average House Prices
January 2010
Province Average House Price 12 Month Change
British Columbia $492,000 + 19.0 %
Alberta $343,000 + 6.4 %
Ontario $329,000 + 19.5 %
Quebec $236,000 + 9.8 %
Newfoundland / Labrador $236,000 + 22.5 %
Saskatchewan $228,000 + 2.0 %
Manitoba $213,000 + 15.9 %
Nova Scotia $194,000 + 8.3 %
Prince Edward Island $159,000 - 3.6 %
New Brunswick $156,000 + 7.3 %
Canadian Average $329,000 + 19.6 %
As happens everywhere, prices are higher in Canada's big cities than they are in the surrounding towns.
Canada's highest house prices are found on the west coast in Vancouver / British Columbia, where the country's mildest weather is found.
Severe winter weather or remoteness from major markets usually results in low house prices - for example property prices are low in Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.
In 2007 prices in booming Alberta rose above prices in Ontario for the first time and, in the same vein, prices in Calgary rose above those in Toronto. Despite the more recent fall in oil prices, Alberta prices in 2009 remain higher than those in Ontario but Calgary prices have dropped below those in Toronto.
Canadian Cities
Average House Prices
January 2010
City Average House Price 12 Month Change
Vancouver, BC $638,000 + 18.9 %
Toronto, Ont $409,000 + 19.0 %
Calgary, Alb $382,000 + 5.5 %
Ottawa, Ont $324,000 + 11.3 %
Montreal, Que $284,000 + 11.1 %
Halifax, NS $242,000 - 0.4 %
Regina, Sask $214,000 - 6.2 %
Fredericton, NB $164,000 + 6.0 %
Canadian Provinces
Average House Prices
January 2010
Province Average House Price 12 Month Change
British Columbia $492,000 + 19.0 %
Alberta $343,000 + 6.4 %
Ontario $329,000 + 19.5 %
Quebec $236,000 + 9.8 %
Newfoundland / Labrador $236,000 + 22.5 %
Saskatchewan $228,000 + 2.0 %
Manitoba $213,000 + 15.9 %
Nova Scotia $194,000 + 8.3 %
Prince Edward Island $159,000 - 3.6 %
New Brunswick $156,000 + 7.3 %
Canadian Average $329,000 + 19.6 %
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Can Dubai Stand up Again?
t was a well planned announcement that unleashed the true extent of Dubai’s billions of dollars of debt, one that was executed with the knowledge that the world wouldn’t be able to find out much more in the middle of a religious holiday.
His son, the crown prince, told investors a few days before the debt announcement that Dubai’s economy was ‘humming along nicely’ and the chairman of one of Dubai’s biggest property developers claimed that the emirate would still enjoy a growth rate of 5% this year.
To put it mildly this was the kind of spin to out-spin spin, to put it crudely, they were lying.
So what happens now? Well the media is still being clamped down upon.
The Sunday Times of London was banned. Calls to government officials still go unanswered even though the Eid holiday is over.
A lot depends on when the debt is re-paid and analysts are divided over what will happen in the next six months.
An added complication is that the debts were taken out as Islamic bonds, known as sukuks, and the rules about what happens if the borrower fails to pay them back are hazy.
But some analysts are less alarmed about the effects on some sectors. Nicholas Maclean, Managing Director of CB Richard Ellis Middle East, is quietly confident that the commercial property market won’t see much of an impact.
‘I think there has been an over reaction. Certainly the news was not handled well and making an announcement at the start of a national holiday meant it was difficult to get a hold of people to find out more,’ he said.
‘We are not seeing a decline in interest in the commercial market.
Global corporates are still interested in Dubai as a place where they can set up their Middle East hub and that is not going to suddenly change,’ he explained.
He is also less worried about the impact on the residential property market.
‘There may be a short term effect on Nakheel properties but this shouldn’t affect other property developers and the market as a whole. I find the international reaction very surprising,’ he added.
Although the immediate fears are calming as Dubai World seeks to restructure, it is what happens if it cannot pay its debts in six months time that is bothering others.
‘Should they effectively default, it could become one of the biggest sovereign defaults since the Argentinean crisis,’ said Marina Akopian, partner at HEXAM Capital, which manages about $440 million in emerging markets.
‘It will certainly have a very negative impact on the Dubai property market and I suspect on property markets globally,’ he added.
Even the restructuring of Dubai World and its subsidiaries is expected to undermine confidence in the property market.
In recent months prices have shown signs of stabilization and even modest recovery with property consultancy Colliers International reporting the first increase in prices for residential property since the market started plummeting late last year.
According to many it is master developer Nakheel that lies at the heart of Dubai World’s problems.
The developer borrowed billions to build grandiose projects such as Palm Islands.
Earlier this month investment bank UBS said Dubai property prices could drop a further 30% over the next 18 months and may take at least 10 years to recover to peak levels.
One of the bank’s analysts Saud Masud said it is unlikely to change its estimate for the drop in prices and in fact the further fall may happen sooner than anticipated.
‘This type of crisis brings fundamental weaknesses to the surface faster. This could play out in the next six months or so,’ he explained.
One of the biggest concerns for Dubai real estate is the funding gap to finish properties that are already started and on which investors are defaulting.
Eric Swats, head of asset management at Dubai based Rasmala Investments, said liquidity, which had started to return to the property market, will come under pressure as banks based in the United Arab Emirates try to limit their exposure to Dubai World.
‘They are going to have to take quite a big haircut because of the loans they provided to Dubai World and Nakheel.
As a result, they are likely to be less able to make mortgages and other types of funding,’ he said.
As well as the uncertainty surrounding Dubai World and its entities, the standstill could also affect other listed developers such as Emaar Properties, the UAE’s largest, Union Properties and Deyaar Development, it is claimed.
According to UBS the debt might even be more than is being publicly admitted, others suggest it could be double.
According to Davidson, those living and working in Dubai need to take off their rose-tinted spectacles.
‘You can’t trust the information that is coming out. Yes, Abu Dhabi could bail Dubai out with just one telephone call, but does it want to take on that much debt?’ he said.
‘It won’t be much help to the people that have put their life savings into property. Dubai’s reputation is in tatters. Credit agencies have reduced it to junk status.’
His son, the crown prince, told investors a few days before the debt announcement that Dubai’s economy was ‘humming along nicely’ and the chairman of one of Dubai’s biggest property developers claimed that the emirate would still enjoy a growth rate of 5% this year.
To put it mildly this was the kind of spin to out-spin spin, to put it crudely, they were lying.
So what happens now? Well the media is still being clamped down upon.
The Sunday Times of London was banned. Calls to government officials still go unanswered even though the Eid holiday is over.
A lot depends on when the debt is re-paid and analysts are divided over what will happen in the next six months.
An added complication is that the debts were taken out as Islamic bonds, known as sukuks, and the rules about what happens if the borrower fails to pay them back are hazy.
But some analysts are less alarmed about the effects on some sectors. Nicholas Maclean, Managing Director of CB Richard Ellis Middle East, is quietly confident that the commercial property market won’t see much of an impact.
‘I think there has been an over reaction. Certainly the news was not handled well and making an announcement at the start of a national holiday meant it was difficult to get a hold of people to find out more,’ he said.
‘We are not seeing a decline in interest in the commercial market.
Global corporates are still interested in Dubai as a place where they can set up their Middle East hub and that is not going to suddenly change,’ he explained.
He is also less worried about the impact on the residential property market.
‘There may be a short term effect on Nakheel properties but this shouldn’t affect other property developers and the market as a whole. I find the international reaction very surprising,’ he added.
Although the immediate fears are calming as Dubai World seeks to restructure, it is what happens if it cannot pay its debts in six months time that is bothering others.
‘Should they effectively default, it could become one of the biggest sovereign defaults since the Argentinean crisis,’ said Marina Akopian, partner at HEXAM Capital, which manages about $440 million in emerging markets.
‘It will certainly have a very negative impact on the Dubai property market and I suspect on property markets globally,’ he added.
Even the restructuring of Dubai World and its subsidiaries is expected to undermine confidence in the property market.
In recent months prices have shown signs of stabilization and even modest recovery with property consultancy Colliers International reporting the first increase in prices for residential property since the market started plummeting late last year.
According to many it is master developer Nakheel that lies at the heart of Dubai World’s problems.
The developer borrowed billions to build grandiose projects such as Palm Islands.
Earlier this month investment bank UBS said Dubai property prices could drop a further 30% over the next 18 months and may take at least 10 years to recover to peak levels.
One of the bank’s analysts Saud Masud said it is unlikely to change its estimate for the drop in prices and in fact the further fall may happen sooner than anticipated.
‘This type of crisis brings fundamental weaknesses to the surface faster. This could play out in the next six months or so,’ he explained.
One of the biggest concerns for Dubai real estate is the funding gap to finish properties that are already started and on which investors are defaulting.
Eric Swats, head of asset management at Dubai based Rasmala Investments, said liquidity, which had started to return to the property market, will come under pressure as banks based in the United Arab Emirates try to limit their exposure to Dubai World.
‘They are going to have to take quite a big haircut because of the loans they provided to Dubai World and Nakheel.
As a result, they are likely to be less able to make mortgages and other types of funding,’ he said.
As well as the uncertainty surrounding Dubai World and its entities, the standstill could also affect other listed developers such as Emaar Properties, the UAE’s largest, Union Properties and Deyaar Development, it is claimed.
According to UBS the debt might even be more than is being publicly admitted, others suggest it could be double.
According to Davidson, those living and working in Dubai need to take off their rose-tinted spectacles.
‘You can’t trust the information that is coming out. Yes, Abu Dhabi could bail Dubai out with just one telephone call, but does it want to take on that much debt?’ he said.
‘It won’t be much help to the people that have put their life savings into property. Dubai’s reputation is in tatters. Credit agencies have reduced it to junk status.’
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Just Because you cannot see it doesn't mean it is not there
Here's a fascinating article "Workers Say Courthouse is Unhealthy" from North Carolina, USA, about a problem building.
It seems it hasn't been a great building for 36 years.
Regarding air hygiene, various tests and investigations have been done, but none have produced results convincing enough for the employer/landlord to do anything concrete about duct cleanliness
A couple of quotes from the article:
"Employees also spoke of black, dustlike particles falling from ceiling vents. County officials said that was a concoction of dust and dead skin and was not a health hazard"
“People start wondering what the test results mean,” he [State Health Dept investigator] said. “Interpretation of the results is difficult. (People) want to link mold in the environment to their health issues, and that’s a problem because we don’t have a benchmark for what is safe and unsafe.”
Now take a look at the state of an HVAC diffuser grille and the nearby ceiling as an office employee takes a tape sample for mould / mold
And yes I know some of that dirt is induced from the served area onto the grille vanes and ceiling tiles, but really - how filthy does a building component have to be before somebody says: 'Hey, let's clean this'?
Think of the time and money that's been spent over the years doing investigations, discussing results etc. Is it really that complicated or difficult to see that it's just not right for a system to be that dirty?
It's the old story: just because it's out of sight, does not mean it should be out of mind.
It seems it hasn't been a great building for 36 years.
Regarding air hygiene, various tests and investigations have been done, but none have produced results convincing enough for the employer/landlord to do anything concrete about duct cleanliness
A couple of quotes from the article:
"Employees also spoke of black, dustlike particles falling from ceiling vents. County officials said that was a concoction of dust and dead skin and was not a health hazard"
“People start wondering what the test results mean,” he [State Health Dept investigator] said. “Interpretation of the results is difficult. (People) want to link mold in the environment to their health issues, and that’s a problem because we don’t have a benchmark for what is safe and unsafe.”
Now take a look at the state of an HVAC diffuser grille and the nearby ceiling as an office employee takes a tape sample for mould / mold
And yes I know some of that dirt is induced from the served area onto the grille vanes and ceiling tiles, but really - how filthy does a building component have to be before somebody says: 'Hey, let's clean this'?
Think of the time and money that's been spent over the years doing investigations, discussing results etc. Is it really that complicated or difficult to see that it's just not right for a system to be that dirty?
It's the old story: just because it's out of sight, does not mean it should be out of mind.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Farmland prices rise for second quarter
Andrew Shirley, head of rural land research at Knight Frank, commented "The farmland market has now regained much of the ground it lost after the credit crunch when sales virtually ground to a halt."
"Prices have now risen by over 3% in each of the past two quarters and are now just 2.5% below their June 2008 peak. Over the past 15 years farmland has performed significantly better than residential property and the FTSE 100 index (see graph below).
"Although commodity prices have fallen back significantly from last year's record highs, there seems to be a feeling that agriculture in the UK has a long-term future and farmers, who make up 57% of buyers, are keen to buy more land. We are also seeing tentative signs of a return of the lifestyle buyer (25% of purchasers) as the housing market starts to pick up again.
“Overseas buyers (10% of purchasers) who were significant players prior to the credit crunch, especially the Irish and Danish, have yet to return to the market in numbers, despite the weakness of Sterling against the Euro, which makes English land good value for them. We have also seen little real activity yet from investors, although a number of funds are actively exploring the opportunities available.
“Supply of land remains limited with about 15% fewer acres available for sale this year than last. There have been few forced sales as banks remain generally supportive of agriculture. Lenders are also offering attractive long-term finance rates to those looking to expand. This is helping to support prices.
“The market, however, is more selective than it was during the first half of 2008 when even fairly average blocks of land were achieving exceptional prices. Farmers will pay good prices for land, but only if it is of the right quality in the right location. Some recent sales have made over £7000/acre, while less desirable land is proving more difficult sell.
"Prices have now risen by over 3% in each of the past two quarters and are now just 2.5% below their June 2008 peak. Over the past 15 years farmland has performed significantly better than residential property and the FTSE 100 index (see graph below).
"Although commodity prices have fallen back significantly from last year's record highs, there seems to be a feeling that agriculture in the UK has a long-term future and farmers, who make up 57% of buyers, are keen to buy more land. We are also seeing tentative signs of a return of the lifestyle buyer (25% of purchasers) as the housing market starts to pick up again.
“Overseas buyers (10% of purchasers) who were significant players prior to the credit crunch, especially the Irish and Danish, have yet to return to the market in numbers, despite the weakness of Sterling against the Euro, which makes English land good value for them. We have also seen little real activity yet from investors, although a number of funds are actively exploring the opportunities available.
“Supply of land remains limited with about 15% fewer acres available for sale this year than last. There have been few forced sales as banks remain generally supportive of agriculture. Lenders are also offering attractive long-term finance rates to those looking to expand. This is helping to support prices.
“The market, however, is more selective than it was during the first half of 2008 when even fairly average blocks of land were achieving exceptional prices. Farmers will pay good prices for land, but only if it is of the right quality in the right location. Some recent sales have made over £7000/acre, while less desirable land is proving more difficult sell.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
How to lower your mortage
If you've ever looked for a mortgage loan then you're well aware that the loan interest rate can make an emormous difference in your monthly mortgage payments. But did you know what an enormous difference even a tiny difference in that rate can make regarding the total interest you'll be paying over the life of the loan?
For instance, if you take out a 30 year loan for $100,000 at 6.5% (fixed) you'll have paid a total of $127,544.49 in interest by the time you've paid off your loan. But if %your interest rate had been 6.25% the amount would be $121,658.19. That's a savings of $5,886.30 for a rate difference of only 1/4%!
Now what if you could cut that interest rate even more? Taking the same 30 year loan for $100,000 at 6.5%, here's how much you could save %by further cuts in the interest rate%.
Rate = 6.0% .... Point Reduction = 1/2% ...Savings = $11,706.3
Rate = 5.75% ... Point Reduction = 3/4% ...Savings = $17,458.26
Rate = 5.5% .... Point Reduction = 1% .....Savings = $28,751.16
So by lowering the rate by a full point, you would get to keep a whopping $28,751.16! But the question is HOW can you bring about dropping the interest rate on your home loan?
Well, you could refinance your loan to get a lower rate. But doing that has its drawbacks.
to begin with, to get a lower rate you would be compelled to refinance %at a time when the current interest rates% are lower than the rate you pay now. But if current interest rates are the same or higher, then you would need to delay until rates go lower ... and that could be a long wait!
Also, if you refinance you'll have to pay hundreds of dollars in closing costs. Plus it's likely you'll have to change lenders and you'll have to deal with complicated forms and a stack of documents you must put your signature on.
But what if there were a way to lower your interest rate by one full point and not increase your monthly payment ... WITHOUT the disadvantages of having to refinance?
By changing to a "biweekly mortgage payment" you can cut your "effective interest rate" without the expense or hassle of refinancing.
Let me explain why.
The "effective interest rate" can be understood as the ACTUAL interest you're paying on your loan. I'm sure you're wondering, "How can the actual interest rate be lower than the interest rate I'm supposedly being charged?" To illustrate let's return to our first example, the $100,000 loan at 6.5% over a 30 year term.
The loan papers you signed when you took out the loan state "6.5%" is the interest rate you would pay. And if you pay once a month like most people, you'll pay a 6.5% rate. Now if you switch to a biweekly mortgage payment you will be reducing your actual rate.
At 6.5% your monthly payments would be $ 632.07 (not including escrow for insurance and taxes). Now let's take that $632.07 payment, and instead of paying it once every month, we'll pay HALF that amount ($316.03) once every two weeks. The result? Hang on, because this will floor you!
Your mortgage will be paid off in just over 24 years (not 30) and the total interest you'll have paid will be $99,549.65 ... that's $27,994.84 LESS than you would otherwise have paid. And because you paid less interest it makes your ACTUAL interest rate just 5.22% ... more than a full percentage point less. Let's state it differently. The total of your interest paid is the same as if you had taken out a $100,000 loan for 30 years at only 5.22% interest, and made regular payments every month.
Now what if your loan had been for more (or less) than $100,000? The "Effective Interest Rate" of 5.22% would not have changed. But the larger your own had been, the less interest you would have had to pay by going to a biweekly mortgage payment.
What if your loan had been for $200,000? You'd have saved $55,989.68. How about $500,000? You would have pocketed a whopping $139,974.20.
Now what if you've already been paying on your current loan for a number of years?
Taking our previous example ($100,000, 30 years, 6.5%) let's say you been making payments for 10 years, then you switch to a biweekly mortgage payment. You could still bank an extra $10,342.04. So while let's not as much as $27,994.84 it would still make it more than worth your while to switch to a biweekly mortgage payment.
There are additional advantages to change to a biweekly mortgage payment plan.
* All payments fall on the same day of the week. So if you get paid on a Thursday, you can make every biweekly mortgage payment fall on "payday."
* You can structure it so that your payments are automatic, so you'll never have to make a manual payment nor remember when to pay.
* You'll pay your loan quicker and be debt free sooner.
* You'll be making your mortgage into an investment program
* You'll be building equity in your home up to 3 times faster!
So when you make your next mortgage payment, stop and think over how much money you could be keeping by switching to a biweekly mortgage payment ... money you could save and spend on YOUR family, and not someone else's!
Top Class Air Duct Cleaning provides other useful information about air duct system in your house.
Another source of useful information is Classic Air Duct Cleaning inc.
Other helpful information can be found on here.
If you can like information about the latest mobile phone you can visit mobilephonesclub.blogspot.com.
To get useful property related information visit mortgageandproperty.blogspot.com
If you would like to read useful articles on various topics visit The Articles Direct.
If you are looking to outsource you marketing campaign visit The Call Experts.
For instance, if you take out a 30 year loan for $100,000 at 6.5% (fixed) you'll have paid a total of $127,544.49 in interest by the time you've paid off your loan. But if %your interest rate had been 6.25% the amount would be $121,658.19. That's a savings of $5,886.30 for a rate difference of only 1/4%!
Now what if you could cut that interest rate even more? Taking the same 30 year loan for $100,000 at 6.5%, here's how much you could save %by further cuts in the interest rate%.
Rate = 6.0% .... Point Reduction = 1/2% ...Savings = $11,706.3
Rate = 5.75% ... Point Reduction = 3/4% ...Savings = $17,458.26
Rate = 5.5% .... Point Reduction = 1% .....Savings = $28,751.16
So by lowering the rate by a full point, you would get to keep a whopping $28,751.16! But the question is HOW can you bring about dropping the interest rate on your home loan?
Well, you could refinance your loan to get a lower rate. But doing that has its drawbacks.
to begin with, to get a lower rate you would be compelled to refinance %at a time when the current interest rates% are lower than the rate you pay now. But if current interest rates are the same or higher, then you would need to delay until rates go lower ... and that could be a long wait!
Also, if you refinance you'll have to pay hundreds of dollars in closing costs. Plus it's likely you'll have to change lenders and you'll have to deal with complicated forms and a stack of documents you must put your signature on.
But what if there were a way to lower your interest rate by one full point and not increase your monthly payment ... WITHOUT the disadvantages of having to refinance?
By changing to a "biweekly mortgage payment" you can cut your "effective interest rate" without the expense or hassle of refinancing.
Let me explain why.
The "effective interest rate" can be understood as the ACTUAL interest you're paying on your loan. I'm sure you're wondering, "How can the actual interest rate be lower than the interest rate I'm supposedly being charged?" To illustrate let's return to our first example, the $100,000 loan at 6.5% over a 30 year term.
The loan papers you signed when you took out the loan state "6.5%" is the interest rate you would pay. And if you pay once a month like most people, you'll pay a 6.5% rate. Now if you switch to a biweekly mortgage payment you will be reducing your actual rate.
At 6.5% your monthly payments would be $ 632.07 (not including escrow for insurance and taxes). Now let's take that $632.07 payment, and instead of paying it once every month, we'll pay HALF that amount ($316.03) once every two weeks. The result? Hang on, because this will floor you!
Your mortgage will be paid off in just over 24 years (not 30) and the total interest you'll have paid will be $99,549.65 ... that's $27,994.84 LESS than you would otherwise have paid. And because you paid less interest it makes your ACTUAL interest rate just 5.22% ... more than a full percentage point less. Let's state it differently. The total of your interest paid is the same as if you had taken out a $100,000 loan for 30 years at only 5.22% interest, and made regular payments every month.
Now what if your loan had been for more (or less) than $100,000? The "Effective Interest Rate" of 5.22% would not have changed. But the larger your own had been, the less interest you would have had to pay by going to a biweekly mortgage payment.
What if your loan had been for $200,000? You'd have saved $55,989.68. How about $500,000? You would have pocketed a whopping $139,974.20.
Now what if you've already been paying on your current loan for a number of years?
Taking our previous example ($100,000, 30 years, 6.5%) let's say you been making payments for 10 years, then you switch to a biweekly mortgage payment. You could still bank an extra $10,342.04. So while let's not as much as $27,994.84 it would still make it more than worth your while to switch to a biweekly mortgage payment.
There are additional advantages to change to a biweekly mortgage payment plan.
* All payments fall on the same day of the week. So if you get paid on a Thursday, you can make every biweekly mortgage payment fall on "payday."
* You can structure it so that your payments are automatic, so you'll never have to make a manual payment nor remember when to pay.
* You'll pay your loan quicker and be debt free sooner.
* You'll be making your mortgage into an investment program
* You'll be building equity in your home up to 3 times faster!
So when you make your next mortgage payment, stop and think over how much money you could be keeping by switching to a biweekly mortgage payment ... money you could save and spend on YOUR family, and not someone else's!
Top Class Air Duct Cleaning provides other useful information about air duct system in your house.
Another source of useful information is Classic Air Duct Cleaning inc.
Other helpful information can be found on here.
If you can like information about the latest mobile phone you can visit mobilephonesclub.blogspot.com.
To get useful property related information visit mortgageandproperty.blogspot.com
If you would like to read useful articles on various topics visit The Articles Direct.
If you are looking to outsource you marketing campaign visit The Call Experts.
Friday, June 4, 2010
South African Property
Types of Property in South Africa
South Africa offers the property buyer a wide range of options with regards to the property market. The various types of property in South Africa include: Batchelor Flats, Flats, Town Houses, Cluster Houses, Cottages, Houses, Small Holdings and Farms.
South African Properties - Farms
a Farm is a property which is mainly used for agricultural activities. South Africa has many such properties which include wine farms, wildlife farms and a variety of farms on which various types of food is produced.
South African Properties - Small Holdings
Small holdings include plots and agricultural holdings. A small holding can be over 10 hectar in size but is usually substantially smaller than a farm. Small holdings often have numerous outbuildings on the property; these outbuildings are often converted to cottages and used as rental properties. The area of land on a small holding is suitable for a large garden, vegetable patch or fruit trees.
South African Properties - Batchelor Flats
A batchelor flat is a small property usually consisting of one bedroom with lounge/dining room, kitchen and bathroom.
South African Properties - Flats
This type of property is bigger than bachelor flats and usually has one or two bedrooms with the bigger flats consiting of three bedrooms.
South African Properties - Town Houses
Town houses are properties that are located within a complex which usually has between 20 and 30 town houses. The town house property can either be a semi consisting of one floor or a duplex which has two floors. When considering buying a townhouse it is important to find out the levy for the complex as this varies quite dramatically from complex to complex.
South Afican Properties - Cluster Houses
Cluster houses are houses that are located in a complex. Gardens and pools that form part of the house is maintained by the owner and not the responsibility of the body corporate as with town house complexes. Cluster house complexes often have communual facilities such as pools, clubhouses, tennis courts etc. Cluster house complexes also usually charge levies for the maintenance of the complex.
South African Properties - Cottages
Cottages are located on larger properties usually small holdings. They are located away from the main building on the property and are usually rented out.
South African Properties - Houses
Most of the houses in South Africa are single storey buildings with double storey buildings only recently becoming popular in South Africa as the demand for property increases. Styles of houses in South Africa vary a lot and they can have plastered, stone or brick external finishes.
South Africa offers the property buyer a wide range of options with regards to the property market. The various types of property in South Africa include: Batchelor Flats, Flats, Town Houses, Cluster Houses, Cottages, Houses, Small Holdings and Farms.
South African Properties - Farms
a Farm is a property which is mainly used for agricultural activities. South Africa has many such properties which include wine farms, wildlife farms and a variety of farms on which various types of food is produced.
South African Properties - Small Holdings
Small holdings include plots and agricultural holdings. A small holding can be over 10 hectar in size but is usually substantially smaller than a farm. Small holdings often have numerous outbuildings on the property; these outbuildings are often converted to cottages and used as rental properties. The area of land on a small holding is suitable for a large garden, vegetable patch or fruit trees.
South African Properties - Batchelor Flats
A batchelor flat is a small property usually consisting of one bedroom with lounge/dining room, kitchen and bathroom.
South African Properties - Flats
This type of property is bigger than bachelor flats and usually has one or two bedrooms with the bigger flats consiting of three bedrooms.
South African Properties - Town Houses
Town houses are properties that are located within a complex which usually has between 20 and 30 town houses. The town house property can either be a semi consisting of one floor or a duplex which has two floors. When considering buying a townhouse it is important to find out the levy for the complex as this varies quite dramatically from complex to complex.
South Afican Properties - Cluster Houses
Cluster houses are houses that are located in a complex. Gardens and pools that form part of the house is maintained by the owner and not the responsibility of the body corporate as with town house complexes. Cluster house complexes often have communual facilities such as pools, clubhouses, tennis courts etc. Cluster house complexes also usually charge levies for the maintenance of the complex.
South African Properties - Cottages
Cottages are located on larger properties usually small holdings. They are located away from the main building on the property and are usually rented out.
South African Properties - Houses
Most of the houses in South Africa are single storey buildings with double storey buildings only recently becoming popular in South Africa as the demand for property increases. Styles of houses in South Africa vary a lot and they can have plastered, stone or brick external finishes.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
property for sale
and sale name is suara hill, size: 40Ha, Price:IDR 5.000.000/are, CERTIFICATED PROCESS location hill in of coastal suara-selongblanak- central lombok,with beach view, ocean view, mountain view and very suited for resort and villa building, 17km or 20 minute from Lombok International Airport(LIA). Price can be negotiation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)