Tips for buying your first home

Tips For Buying Your First Home For a first time home buyer, the process can get quite overwhelming, giving you the feeling that the financial decisions are rapidly spinning out of control. When it comes to real estate, most people don’t have a lot of experience or know a lot about it. In all actuality, buying a home is actually a simple process. All you need to do is understand the basics, which will go a long way in helping you buy your very first home. The first thing you should know is to avoid pre payment penalties at all costs. What this means, is that if you buy the home then later want to sell it before the balance of your mortgage is due, you’ll have to pay a penalty. You can find a variety of great loans that don’t include these types of penalties. If you find a loan that does include pre payment penalties, you should immediately turn it down and look for another loan. You should also be on the lookout for good ARM’s. If you have a good ARM, then your interest rate and monthly payment will adjust at the exact same time. This will make sure that your interest doesn’t affect your monthly payment. If your interest rate does affect your payment, then you will notice the unpaid interest reflecting the overall amount of your loan balance. You’ll also want to get pre approved for your house as well. This lets the seller know that you are serious about buying, and will normally work in your favor to give an edge - which is especially handy if there are several others interested in purchasing the home. Getting pre approved will also save you a lot of time as well. If you can’t get approved for a loan, you shouldn’t waste your time inspecting it, trying to get a good interest rate, or negotiating with the seller for your ideal price. Before you purchase a home, you should always be aware of how much you can afford. Before you attempt to purchase a home, you should always go over your budget and figure out how much money you can spend on a mortgage payment. If you manage your money smart and know your finances, this shouldn’t take you hardly any time at all. On the other hand, if you don’t know your finances, this will take you a long time indeed. If you’ve already purchase your first home, you should always avoid taking any type of home equity loan. These loans can be very tempting when you get in an emergency and need cash, although most home equity loans add up to more than the value of your home. You should never, under any circumstances take a home equity loan, as there are many other ways that you can clear up your personal problems without having to jeopardize your home. Keep in mind that the above are just a few basic tips and that there are many other things you’ll need to know before you buy your very first house. You’ll need to be familiar with private mortgage insurance, special loan programs, fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgage, and several other things. Buying a home is an easy process, once you know a bit about it. If you familiarize yourself with buying a home and learn all that you can about what is involved, you’ll find the home buying process to be easier than you ever thought possible. (word count 576)

Earn 100 000 for your book

Every writer fantasizes about getting that big fat advance so they can take a little dream time, write, relax, or put their kids through college. But what most writers don’t know is it takes a heck of a lot of work to get to the point of being worthy of a publisher handing you the equivalent of the golden egg. Whether you’re a doctor with the latest get thin quick diet or a mom who has a foolproof way to turn brats into angels, you must be willing to do the work-alot of it. What separates the six-figure advance earners from the mid-list authors are two things. 1. They think of their book as a business. 2. They have a huge built in audience. Think of your proposal as the business plan for your book. Your book is an integral part of your overall career which includes speaking, products, and more books. Authors are constantly in search of ways to expand their audience. Agent David Hale Smith of DHS Literary, (he represented New York Times Best-selling author Cheryl Richardson) says he wants his authors to be financially independent people who see their book as part of a larger successful career. These are qualities he and other agents and publishers look for in their budding celebrities. From my own experience media coaching and creating marketing plans for authors who get six figures I’ve found that they do three things right. 1. Six Figure Authors React Instantly. When I asked Rich Fettke, author of *Extreme Success* to prepare the answers to the questions he thought he’d be asked by editors he was flying to New York to meet, he had them ready the next day. And yes, often editors want to meet you-if they think you’re going to be their next golden boy or girl. This instant reaction reflex comes into play later when your publicity begins. When an author’s topic is hot, they’re often asked to jump on a plane at a moment’s notice to appear on TV, radio, take a print interview or speak at an event or charity function. If you hesitate, the opportunity vanishes. Publishers who have invested the big bucks in you won’t stand for it. And rightly so. You have an obligation to them to earn back that hefty advance (which sadly, most authors don’t). 2. Six Figure Authors Speak. Gone are the days when writers can cozy up in their garrets and write. To be a successful author today you must become a public person, and more than that, an entertaining one. A major publishing house hired me to media coach one of their rising star authors. Her book was getting major national press-but she was dull. And they were worried that her lackluster personality would effect her book sales. We worked until she got comfortable on camera while speaking vividly in 15 second soundbites. 3. Six Figure Authors Get Media Coached. With some media coaching you can morph into a mediagenic maven. But it does take practice and sincere commitment. If you can’t afford a media coach, get out that video camera and do mock interviews with friend. A lot can be revealed and ironed out just by seeing how you appear to others on the big screen. That said there are 5 critical elements that determine the size of your advance. 1. Your platform. 2. Your endorsements. 3. Your publicity plan. 4. Your sample chapter. 5. Your audience. 1. Your platform. When I interviewed editors at top New York publishing houses like Simon & Schuster & HarperCollins they told me repeatedly that the most important thing a writer can have today is a strong *platform.* A platform is a plan of how you are going to reach your audience to sell books. Prove you have a following. Publishers want to know who has bought your books or products in the past--and they want to know how many. Can you show that you have a track record of selling your goods to people across the globe, or at least in your community? Maybe you’re not as far along in your career as one of my clients who is a $12,000 an hour speaker who put in his proposal the fact that his audiences range from 100-10,000 people, and he speaks 250 times per year. His speaking bureau typically sells his video and audio tapes to those audiences in advance when they book his talk. What you want to show is how you can secure sales in large quantities to people you know will buy from you-because they have bought already. Or how audiences similar to the ones who have purchased are primed to buy your book. 2. Your endorsements. To instantly establish your stature put these accolades on page number one so they’re the first thing an agent or editor sees. Endorsements need to be from celebrities, best - selling authors and well-known experts in your field. Show that you’re respected in the world. Endorsements show that high-level people believe in you, that you’re a good bet. They also go on your book cover jacket and help sell your book-and in today’s competitive marketplace it’s essential. Don’t say you’re *actively seeking endorsements.* Leading with the endorsements makes sure an agent or editor gets that you’re a big shot-or soon will be. One secret that many authors don’t know is the best blurbs are written by the writers themselves. Don’t expect famous people to read your tome. They don’t have the time or the desire. And please don’t send your book to them unsolicited. Ask permission. Then do the work for them and ask them to sign off on that perfect gem-the one you’ve written-touting the marvels of your work. 3. Your publicity plan. Publishers are looking for people who know how to promote themselves and will take responsibility for doing it themselves. Map out your strategy for selling books. Are you giving keynotes, seminars & workshops to hundreds of people every month? How many people subscribe to your online newsletter, visit your web site, buy your products? Do you have big name clients who will host seminars at their companies for you where you’re guaranteed to sell books? 4. Your sample chapter. *Once you’ve established that the author has some sort of a platform, that they have some voice in the world beyond their circle of friends, I go straight to the sample chapter,* says Kelly Notaras, a Senior Editor at Hyperion. Prove you can write. *I want to know if they are a good writer, because an agent can tinker away with the rest of the proposal and make it sound really good,* Notaras says. What if you’re not a great writer? Hire a ghost writer. Remember platform is non-replaceable. You, the personality, the presence, is what publishers are investing in. Good writing can be bought. Star quality can’t. 5. Your audience. Prove you have a media track record. Who knows you already? What magazines have your written for or appeared in? What TV and radio shows have you been a guest on? Are those producers aching to get you back on their shows as soon as possible? Do you have established relationships with them? You guarantee to a publisher that you’ll reach your audience by showing who you have successfully reached in the past. If you haven't done much media and aren't yet well-known in the public the quickest way to do so is to join PR Leads, (a service that reporters and producers use to send out queries (requests) to interview experts for stories they’re working on.) They are typically on tight deadlines so you need to respond as soon as the queries hit your email inbox. As founder Dan Janal says, *Reporters don’t care if you work for a Fortune 500 company. If they need an expert and you can show them you are one, that is all they care about.* Using this service you can become an instant expert in a matter of weeks and build your platform in short order. Once you can say you've done a lot of media and you plan to do more of the same type of media you've had success with in the past, you'll be on your way to creating an impressive impression-one that says that you've got 6 figure author potential.

Plastic surgery pictures

One undertakes plastic surgery for the purpose of improving one’s appearance. In evaluating potential plastic surgeons, plastic surgery pictures of previous patients are critical. Plastic Surgery Pictures Before rushing off to have plastic surgery, it is vital that you evaluate different surgeons to find the right choice for your treatment. The evaluation process is important, and you shouldn’t give it short shrift. Part of the evaluation process should be a review of pictures of patients the surgeon has worked on. If a plastic surgeon does not have pictures of past patients, move on to the next one. Every plastic surgeon should have photographs highlighting their work, so red warning lights should go off if the one you are speaking with does not. Assuming the plastic surgeon has them, you need to understand what you should be looking for in them. Most people use the viewing incorrectly when evaluating the abilities of the surgeon. When viewing the photographs, you should first look at the obvious. Does the patient have an improved appearance? This may sound odd, but you have to keep in mind an odd appearance may actually be what the patient was after. A particularly pointed nose or excessively large breasts may have been the original goal, so whether you like the changes is something you should apply nominal value to. More importantly, you should look for photographs of the specific procedure you will undergo. Does the after picture present the appearance you are after? Again, your goals may be different from the previous patient, so discuss what you want with the surgeon while looking at pictures. The process is similar to getting your hair cut in a particular style. The surgeon needs as much information as possible, and pictures are a great way to explain what you like and don’t like. When viewing the images, you should also focus on whether the results look natural. The best procedures produce results that blend with your natural body. When viewing the photographs, do you see this occurring consistently or do the changes stand out? Plastic surgery on past patients is an important indicator when it comes to evaluating a plastic surgeon. Use them to get a feel for the plastic surgeon’s work as well as to convey what you are hoping to achieve.

How often does child sexual abuse get reported

How often does child sexual abuse get reported? © Judy H. Wright, parent educator and PBS consultant ArtichokePress Body of article: Not nearly as often as it should. Most child abuse victims never report the crime or get help in coming to grips with this life-changing trauma. They move into adulthood with a broken heart and low self esteem. Much misbehavior and acting out can be traced to an incident which occurred which left the child feeling confused, betrayed and angry. In an attempt to cope with the confusing reality of what has happened to them, many children develop survival skills or behaviors that will help them to cover up what they are really feeling. Families, friends and society sometimes see and judge the problem behavior when it is actually a symptom of the internal pain which has never been addressed. The number of reports is rising each year due to mandatory reporting laws, better public education and greater public awareness of the problem. Over the last 30 years many key developments in law enforcement have made it easier to deal with victims and their families with greater understanding, making it easier for them to come forward and ask for help. In the Commonwealth Fund Survey of the Health of Adolescent Girls, they found that of sexually abused children in grades five through twelve, 48% of the boys and 29% of the girls had told no one about the abuse—not even a friend or sibling. If indeed, sexual abuse happens to one in four children, yet only 1.8 cases are reported per 1,000 children you have to wonder why. The most common reasons given by victims for not reporting these crimes to authorities: 1. They feel no one will believe them, as the perpetrator has told them repeatedly. 2. They are so consumed with self-blame and shame that it happened to them. 3. A parent or another adult believes them, but doesn’t want to involve outside parties. They feel it is a private matter and they will just keep the child away from the individual who was hurting them, so as not to disturb the family unit or community. 4. The child or the family is afraid of reprisal from the assailant. There is always hope and assistance for recovery: Even if your child or you made a decision to not report it at the time abuse happened, please check out the resources in back of my book: Caution Without Fear-Safeguarding Your Children From Sex Abuse and Finding Help if It Has Occurred. I have included almost 100 resources for help. There are so many different methods and techniques to help you heal and gain greater understanding of what has happened to you or your child. No one deserves to suffer from painful memories. Healing is possible no matter how long ago the abuse took place. There is help, guidance and tools available to assist both victims and perpetrators overcome painful pasts and look forward to a future full of hope and promise. Every state has a child-protection agency that is responsible for investigating sexual-abuse complaints. Any incident, or suspected incident, should be reported to this agency and to the police. Go with the child and then refrain from talking about the incident in front of people who really don’t need to know. When you report it to the police, ask for an officer trained in dealing with children and ask for a private place to discuss the situation. Children are usually a little bit more open with someone who does not remind them of the perpetrator. Stay with your child and support him/her as they answer questions. What should a parent do: Tell them again and again, that they are not at fault. Reiterate that it is the job of adults to protect children, not hurt them. Reassure them that you believe them and will support their efforts and those of the police in seeing this never happens to another child. Most offenders molest more than one child; especially in cases of incest. Breaking the silence and reporting the perpetrator to the authorities or a trusted adult will protect other children. Be sure to tell your child it takes courage to speak out when things are wrong, and you are proud of them for stepping forward. ################################################ Resource box: This article has been written by Judy H. Wright, a parent educator and PBS consultant. You will find a full listing of books, tele-classes, and workshops listed at ArtichokePress. You have permission to use the article providing full credit is given to author. She may be contacted At 406-549-9813 or JudyWright@ArtichokePress

The great war

The Great War The history of America is decorated with some of the great conflicts that have ever been fought by civilizations and for great ideals. This was never truer than in World War II which was sometimes called the Great War. As is so often the case, it was not a war that America wanted to become part of. So often, it is when aggressors bring war to America that she is forced to respond. But in all cases when America responds, it is with a fury that her enemies will seldom forget. When you think about it, the very idea of a world war is terribly frightening. And in every way, World War II was a world war because it caught up virtually every country and every continent in a global conflict that went on for years. The enemies of America and her allies were well armed, intelligent, determined and powerful. But America was up to the challenge and it will be up to the challenge again if the likes of Hitler dare to threaten civilization like this again. World War II was also virtually a textbook case of flawless collaboration with our allies. Working together with them almost like we were one country and one army we deployed our forces across multiple theaters of combat from Europe to Asia to Russia and across the globe. We had to fight more than one enemy. Hitler’s Germany alone was a frightening enemy as it spread its evil influence across Europe capturing country after country and threatening to swallow up the continent whole and then move on to capture lands in central Asia and even America. But we also had powerful enemies in German’s allies, particularly Japan. When this frightening enemy struck our forces at Pearle Harbor, it was a blow to America that could not be ignored. For Japan, they had hoped to cripple the American military and remove all hope from the American heart to be able to strike back or become part of the conflict. They got exactly the opposite as every man, woman and child in America rallied to build the kind of war machine that would bring the Axis powers to a crashing end, no matter what the cost. But the most important thing that America said to the world when it took on Hitler’s armies and defeated them was that totalitarian rule of free peoples would never be tolerated. Hitler had dreams of world domination like the great kings of ancient Rome of the early Germanic empires. But America had thrown off dictators when we founded this country and declared that we would not become the pawn of kings or tyrants. We were not going to turn over that hard fought freedom to a madman while there was a fighting will left in this country. It was not an easy battle or one without cost. Thousands of America’s youth gave their lives to preserve the freedoms that had been won by our forefathers. Our leaders had to show a resolve and a unity that they would not blink in the face of a challenge and they would not let down the brave American soldier or the civilian population that stood behind them until Hitler and his allies were in defeat. The world saw what America was made of in that great conflict. It saw that a country that was gifted with great wealth and prosperity was also willing to turn those resources to defend its borders and defend its allies. It was a stern lesson for our enemies to learn that America was not a country to be trifled with in combat. But then we showed that we were not a vindictive country when, even in defeat, we reached out to Japan, Germany and other defeated peoples and helped them rebuild from that awful war. This too is a testimony to the American sprit and the American sense of fair play. Let’s hope that an enemy never rises up again to test that will because they will find as Hitler did, that America would not fail to respond to the call to battle or the call to honor which is her legacy. PPPPP 700

6 Indoor plants that love the dark a tip from the garden center nursery

It was a long search that took me more than ten years. But finally I found it - the indoor house plant that will brighten up the end of a corridor 5 meters from my front door. The Aspidistra, commonly known as the Cast Iron plant, has graced the drawing rooms of many an otherwise drab Victorian English manor, and now graces my suburban Sydney brick home. Many gardening experts describe the Aspidistra as one of the toughest and most adaptable house plants. Its long blades of slender dark green or variegated dark green and white leaves shoot straight out from the soil but in clumps and up to 75 cm in height and 15 cm wide. It is such a low maintenance plant much like an even-tempered woman who does not need any fussing over but still maintains its sweet nature. It needs very low light, average temperature and humidity and just occasional watering. Other plants that do not need much light Low-light plants are usually defined as those that can survive in 25 to 75 foot candles - that is, a spot that is 4 to 5 metres from a bright window, just enough light to read by comfortably, but where artificial lighting switched on by day would give a brightening effect. You can easily find the Aspidistra in your local garden center nursery. In addition, five other plants that will suit very low light situations are the following: Aglonema (Chinese Evergreen) which are among the few plants that prefer only moderate light and adapt well to low light. It has large dark green oval then tapering leathery leaves later developing a caney base. Drachaena deremensis varieties (also know as Happy or Fortune Plants) which are slender leafed and usually white variegated. The Drachaena family are caney plants crested with decorative rosettes of straplike foliage. Holly fern which adapts to low light and Boston fern a fishbone type of fern that will remain in low light for many months but need a spell in brighter light to rejuvenate. Neanthe Bella or Parlor Palm which is more suited to low light situations than most palms. Sanseviera (also known as Mother-In-Law’s Tongue) which stands low to very bright light has waxy, erect straplike leaves usually with cream-colored margins and an unusual banding of the grey-green center. If you are finding it difficult to find a plant that will brighten up that dark corner, why not try one of these hardy and lovely favorites of mine?

Phishing it s signs and your options

Phishing is the act of some individual sending an email to a user in an attempt to scam the user to release personal information. Is it easy to determine if it’s a scam? Sometimes – but not always. I hope to give you enough examples and information to help you to safeguard yourself from these unsavory individuals. In addition, sometimes the email is sent to malicious software so as to render your computer helpless. Thus, it is important that you do not click on the link they provide, because that is the trigger that will load the software to your system. EXAMPLES OF PHISHING You receive hundreds of emails in your mailbox, but one email catches your eye – it directs you to a website, requesting that you need to update your personal information. It requests such personal information as: passwords credit card numbers social security number bank account numbers “It appears to be legitimate”, you say to yourself. And you also notice that the emails are from companies that you have been doing business with for a while. Warning: The website could be bogus. Here are several examples of phishing in action. 1. E-mails stating they are from E-bay and they feel that your account may have been compromised and would like you to verify your information with they so conveniently supply. DO NOT click on it. 2. E-mails from Paypal or your bank asking that you verify your information because they feel that your account has been compromised, or heaven forbid, suspended. Same scenario, different company. DO NOT click on the link. 3. E-mail that states that an unauthorized transaction has occurred on your account. Please click the link below and confirm your identity. DO NOT. 4. Here’s a work at home scam – We have seen your resume on Monster and feel you would fit our position. If you are interested, please go to our website, look over the experience required and submit your resume if you have this background. Website is professional looking, offer looks good – but it could be a scam. WHAT ARE THEY AFTER In the above examples they are after information about you, be it passwords, credit cards, social security numbers, anything that can identify you – and that which they can use to profit from you. The job email is used to verify that the email address is a true blue, active email address. What do they do with this info – they sell these accounts to spammers for good money. They need to verify your email address—because if the spammers come up empty – this person’s business is dead. HOW TO VERIFY SAFELY 1. If they want you to verify your account, do not cut and paste, or use the link they provide in the email. Close your Internet session, open a new session and enter the site that you have on record to verify. 2. Emails requesting resumes – Verify their account before you send your resume. When verifying – these red flags should be considered: 1) If they are hesitant to provide a phone number – might be a scam. 2) If their business address is not verifiable – might be a scam. 3) If the website is new – might be a scam. 4) If they use a large company’s name—and that company never heard of them – might be a scam. 5) Again, verify this information before you send your resume. WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF Here are some quick tips to protect you and your computer system. 1. Use anti-virus software and a firewall – keep them up to date. 2. If you have a broadband connection make sure you have a firewall in place. 3. Don’t email personal or financial information. 4. Before providing personal information – search to see if the site is secure – look for a lock icon. However, remember not all phishers are stupid – in fact, they could be computer savvy enough to forge security icons. Thus, look for a site whose link looks like this: https:// somename -- this shows that it is a secure site. 5. Coupons from respected companies – Verify that it is a true-blue coupon from the company – I had one coupon sent to my email address from what I thought was Staples. Verified it with Staples – not a coupon honored by Staples. When on the Internet – if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it still may not be a duck! 6. When making transactions on the Internet – be it online banking, Paypal, Internet Gold, etc. – complete your transaction, log out of the website, and close out of your Internet Explorer—and then continue with a new session of Internet Explorer. WHERE TO FORWARD SPAM THAT IS PHISHNG If you encounter spam that is phishing, or are a victim of a phishing scam, you can forward the information to spam@uce. gov and to the company, bank or organization that the email may have stated they are from. In many cases, the other organizations have information on their website where you can report the attempted scam. In addition, if you have been scammed, and you wish to file a complaint – go to ftc. gov. To conclude, no one is immune to spam or a scam. But try to be ever vigilant and do your due diligence with anything you do on the Internet. But being human is a scammer’s hope – they know that most will ignore the bait, but some will be tempted. So, if you so humanly slip, and succumb to a phishing scam, you can report them to ftc. gov.