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As of February 2008 it may be a better idea to rent than buy a home in Hampton Roads. However, there are always exceptions, everyone’s situation is a bit different. Let’s use Chesapeake and Virginia Beach as an example. Additionally, let’s use a budget of $1000 per month.

In order to borrow money for a loan, you must qualify or be Pre Approved. In the current market condition (with a prediction of rising rates and declining home prices) it only makes since of this writing to use either a conventional/fixed rate loan or some blend of a 80-15-5 fixed, etc, or a conventional fixed rate loan. With that as a starting point, you will most likely need between 5-20% cash for a down payment and an additional 4% or so, to pay for closing cost/ pre-paids, etc for the loan. You will pay roughly pay $100 a month for insurances and roughly $140 for taxes in addition to the mortgage payment. Leaving us with $760, for a mortgage payment. With our $1000 a month budget our purchase price will be limited. We will only be able to purchase a home for about $125- $140,000. Talk to a CPA about all those fancy schemes the mortgage lending snakes are offering, where they tell you they can get you into a 300K home for 1K per month….It is a SCAM!!!!!! They ALL are!!! BEWARE!!!! If you sign up for one of those a few things may happen….You may find yourself with a $3oK month payment at year 15, or perhaps at year 5 your payments go from 1K to 3K per month for the year. Those guys have no conscious! Beware.

So armed with this info we now assume you have around $10,000 cash for a down payment and closing cost, and ability to pay 1K per month for the mortgage, taxes and your insurance. If not, renting may be the best bet this year.

What will you get in Chesapeake or Virginia Beach, VA for $140,000? At the time of this writing, according to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) there are:

Virginia Beach, Attached (Condos, Townhomes, Etc.)

40 Current Listings.- with the exception of a few condos (which have an additional fee of $100-200 per mo) few are safe places to live.

Virginia Beach Detached (A house)

There currently are zero detached homes (excludes mobile) listed in MLS for VA Beach for 140K or less.

Chesapeake Attached (Condos, Townhomes, Etc.)

13 Listed Condos, townhomes, etc. Of those 13; 4 or 5 look to be in safer neighborhoods and are probably the safest best. Keep in mind, we have not factored in ANY upkeep and maintenance yet! How much will upkeep and maintenance cost me? From $0-140K easily depending on what breaks, gets eaten, spits, sputters, flakes, etc. A roof could easily cost you 10K, a HVAC full install at least 5K, plumbing nightmares….the sky’s the limit! Etc. Be prepared, insured, and make good friends with construction dudes!

Chesapeake Detached (A house)

Currently in Chesapeake, 27 detached homes are listed in MLS, most are as I’m sure you imagined in the ghetto or in a similar bad neighborhood. Look up the crime reports online. Many are 100 years old and show every day of their age. Nothing “Historical” about a money pit! So, in Conclusion, In the purchase department: A 1K a month mortgage payment on a 140K property in VA Beach will get you a Townhouse in the hood or a townhome in a declining neighborhood. The same amount in Chesapeake, VA will get you a Town House …you will have to look real hard to find a Town House that is in good shape and in a safe neighborhood…but I do think they exist.

Is it Better to Rent?

There are increasingly an enormous numbers of rental houses, apartments, etc. in Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake, VA.

The reason the rentals are so plentiful now is during the real estate boom, an enormous number of home owners took advantage of the opportunity to buy rentals for extra retirement income. Additionally several 500 Plus unit Apartment communities were built. They are all competing for your business against each other!!!! No longer do you have to rent in an apartment community, you have a wide variety of styles, settings, views, neighborhoods, and prices to select from! What I have found is you can now rent a Condo in VA Beach for $1,000 that would cost you about $1,700 to buy. The competition is overwhelming!

A search on Yahoo for apartments yielded 84 results in the $1,000 and under rent per month. The Pilot had 57 homes for rent and 14 Apartments listed in VA Beach. CraigsList yielded a wooping 326 results! We saw a Condo on CraigsList that rents for $805 where others were for sale on the same street for 170K. That is an enormous saving for the “rent is better” argument! You could easily save $600 per month in that instance. I hear people doing this and placing their savings into a CD and waiting for the bubble to burst! YOU CAN ALWAYS REFINANCE- You may NEVER recover from an inflated purchase!!! Timing is everything!!! This should be our first lesson in life!

I conclude in this analysis, that in Feb. 2008, in VA Beach and Chesapeake, VA it maybe a better idea to rent, place the savings into a CD, and wait for the market to settle to a more realistic price point. Take advantage of the flooded rental market. This is on the basis that you will purchase a home when the market cools with an expectation that it will rebound in later years.

Scott Jones
Topicslive.com
You can read more articles about Renting and Real Estate as well as almost any Ezine topic at
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http://real-estate.topicslive.com

I’ve always been impressed with salespeople who have success written all over their face. That face or facial expression has a tremendous influence over the people we meet day in and day out!

I’m only guessing at this but I believe most salespeople could immediately increase their sales by 30% if they an a simple on/off switch.

Yeah - this on/off switch would be used before and after every sales call. I’m not sure why, but many salespeople truly believe their personalities are sufficient to win all the business - no special preparation necessary.

Why prepare?

=> You’re bringing all of your experience to the sales call.

=> You’re bringing all of your education to the sales call.

=> You’re bringing all of your brains to the sales call.

=> You’re bringing all of your attitudes to the sales call.

=> You’re bringing all of your personality to the sales call.

Simple reasoning suggests why do anything else? Well you can chase prospects and customers or you can attract them.

Just showing up has never been enough and now with global competition and web competitors lusting for your business, you best be seeking ways to take your selling skills to the next level. And be careful - you probably think your selling skills are at a much higher level than they actually are. You aren’t the judge - your prospects and customers are.

Look the secret to getting more people to buy your products really works.

This secret is easy to do.

This secret has an unbelievable power to attract business.

Let me digress for a minute to give you an example.

The cruise ship pulls into a Turkish port for a one day visit.

Bernadette and I get off the ship to see the sights and do some shopping - the shopping is her idea.

We’re not 500 yards from the ship when Bernadette does a 90 degree turn to check out a jewelry store display case.

She’s eye-balling everything in the display - especially the bracelets.

Remember we’re still outside the store. Behind the display case is a sheer curtain.

As we’re looking at the stuff - the curtain parts and out pops one of the happiest faces I’ve ever seen.

He was gesturing. He was nodding his head. He was pointing at things my wife was looking and kept smiling, pointing and nodding. He had the look that every sales person should have when working with their customers.

Dr. Bernadette Meisenheimer, is no easy target. She’s got street smarts. She knows how to deal with people.

Nevertheless - she says to me, “Let’s go in the store - he’s expecting us to.”

So in we go - because the sales person was expecting us to.

Imagine just before your next sales call you turned on the switch.

=> You turned on the switch to smiling.

=> You turned on the switch to positive thinking.

=> You turned on the switch to positive expectations.

=> You turned on the switch to solving your customer’s problems.

=> You turned on the switch to high energy and lots of enthusiasm.

You see it’s because very few people are always smiling, always thinking positively, always have positive expectations, always focused on solving problems, and always have high energy and lots of enthusiasm - that you have to turn it on, you have to turn the switch on.

This switch is not automatic - it’s manual and you have to turn it on.

The secret to getting more people to buy your products and services is as easy as A, B, C!

Try saying “SHOW TIME” before you open the door to your next sales call and see what a difference it makes.

It’s “SHOW TIME!”

You’ll have success written all over your face - as soon as you say “SHOW TIME.”

Jim Meisenheimer shows salespeople how to increase sales and earn more money. To sign-up for his FREE The Start Selling More Newsletter and to receive your copy of Jim’s Special Selling Report, “The 12 Dumbest Things Salespeople Do” visit his website now: http://www.startsellingmore.com

The rewards of owning a business franchise are many. If you are an entrepreneur who is interested in a business that does not take relatively much time to start, you should buy franchise rights to become a franchisee. Franchising a business is a quick way to starting off a business that does not require much planning, the franchisee continues to operate the business in the original mode of the parent company.

In order to buy franchise you have to decide what kind of business opportunity you are looking for. Business franchise opportunities provide millions of jobs, and income returns to individuals and the companies, and is a sector that will grow in the future, with more and more countries looking to update their franchise laws. The freedom and returns of owning your own business are many, as are the risks that include with any business. If you buy franchise, you take some of the risks out of the equation, but of course, a successful franchisee requires skill and dedication to operate the business franchise.

You can buy franchise rights to various kinds of companies. There are several franchise associations in various countries, and the International Franchise Association gives individuals updates and news about the global world of business franchise, and helps you buy franchise rights to the kind of business you want to operate. A franchisee should have the right kind of information regarding the business franchisor, in order to strike the right deal with the same. When it comes to an individual entrepreneur to buy franchise rights, the franchisor makes certain types of rules in connection with the business. The franchise may be a product or trade name franchise, which implies that the franchisee is not allowed to conduct the business on their own terms and make additional profits, but only use the original parent company’s mode of operation.

You can successfully enter the world of business franchise, if you have the drive to buy franchise rights from the right kind of franchisor. Today, there are vast numbers of franchise options for the entrepreneur. You can buy franchise rights to a various business chains in the areas of clothing, food, training platform companies/education, luxury goods, and cosmetics among others. There are several supermarket chains that are hugely successful in the countries like USA, Canada etc.

Franchising businesses helps small to medium scale entrepreneurs grow within a small period, and this is integrally linked to the growth in the economic sector of a particular country. If you are interested in a business venture that helps you rise up in the society, buying franchise is a viable option. The world of franchise is evolving every minute, with more and more options available to the entrepreneur. The financially weaker sections of any society can be helped with social ventures that allow easy options to poor individuals to buy franchise rights, which ultimately ensure the strengthening of the entire social structure of the country.

You can become a successful business owner if you buy franchise rights from a suitable franchisor, and take pride in becoming financially successful.

Roger Morad is the expert columnist and article writer for ModernFranchises.com - He is an industry expert that reports daily on franchising and business opportunity news. Roger’s background includes being a successful franchise owner and consultant for over 20 years.

http://www.modernfranchises.com is a leader in showing any Franchise Opportunity via its directory site. Learn how to Buy Franchise at http://www.modernfranchises.com

It looks like the perfect gift idea. You purchase a star, name it after your loved one, and then present them with a certificate, the star coronets and all this other fancy stuff that makes it look like you bought a star for them.

But don’t be fooled - no commercial company has the right to name stars.

There are at least six companies that offer to sell you the rights. It even looks like it’s legit - you get a very prestigious and official looking certificate, pamphlets and other information about your star. And the price is right - it’s only between $40-$60 to buy a star.

However, what most of these companies don’t tell you is that they do not have the right to name any star. The only officially recognized source that can name stars is the International Astronomical Union, and last I checked they aren’t a commercial organization.

When you visit the website of most of the companies that offer to sell you a star, you will find that they are a bit duplicitous, when it comes to the facts we discussed above. They often speak in half-truths, or hide information from you in tiny print at the bottom of the page.

Only when you press them and asked the hardball questions, will you get a straight answer. However, I did find one exception.

The International Star Registry is probably the most straightforward with exactly what you get, when you purchase a star from them. In fact, if you place a call on their 800 number, you are likely to find what I found - somebody who will give you direct answers, and not launch into a sales pitch.

Even though the name you give the stars will not be officially recognize, it still is a pretty cool gift. In fact, for under $55, from the Star Registry you can purchase a certificate on parchment paper, recognizing the name of the star, a booklet explaining consolations, and an astrological chart with your newly named star highlighted. There are other options you get the certificate frame, and also a letter of congratulations to be sent to the person you’re giving the gift to.

While it’s true it’s more of a novelty gift than anything, it is still a thoughtful gift none the less. If you’re going to purchase a star for a loved one, do so from a company that will be straightforward with exactly what they are selling, not somebody who is just trying to pitch you and take your money, while leaving you to believe that you actually have the rights to the name of the star.

You can find a very interesting review of someone who bought a star from the Star Registry them here: how to buy a star at Star Registry.

When I was a baby my parents were told I would grow out of my eczema by the time I was five. When I turned five and still suffered from atopic eczema they said by 8 it would definitely be gone. Then it was 12. Then it was after my body had finished changing during puberty. The question is not so much why we keep believing them, but how long before we catch on.

One of the most frustrating things about having Eczema is the number of people who will say things like: “Oh, my friend’s uncles brothers girlfriend had Eczema and she used (product x) and hasn’t had a problem since.” It’s nice to hear these stories, they give us a little boost and think maybe there is a cure out there. And we try whatever it is that they recommend, and it doesn’t work. And we get depressed.

There are two main problems with this type of story. Firstly, in 32 years I have only heard one first hand where they said “I tried this, it works, I now use it daily and use it when my baby has flare-ups.” Have you ever heard a fisherman talk about ‘the one that got away’ and heard the fish increase in size or viciousness with every retelling? The same principle applies with Eczema cures. With each retelling the cure requires a little less work and has a better result. Simply put, if you don’t talk to the person first hand you just don’t know if they even exist. Secondly, there are a lot of degrees of eczema and you never quite know how serious the person in these stories suffered from eczema.

But the real problem with trying a cure for eczema that was recommended in this fashion is that eczema is unique to you. The person in the story may well exist, they may well have suffered from much worse eczema than you, and the cure may have been instantaneous and complete. But that does not mean it will work for you.

If you want a treatment that is going to work for you, you have to start with yourself. by all means try things that have worked for other people. And be confident that they will work, because the mindset is important. But you need to find the thing that works for you. Sometimes it may come from a doctor, but I personally lost faith in that route a long time ago. Sometimes it may be a common remedy. Sometimes it may be an old wives tale. Sometimes it may be a special soap or diet product. But whatever it is, it will have to be about you and not just what has worked elsewhere.

Don’t let eczema rule your life. I’ve accumulated the collective results of my years of investigation on my website Cure My Eczema.com.

Come and learn what’s happening to you and what you can do about it.

All parents will appreciate that choosing a great gift for a child can sometimes be more difficult than you think! And, as a relative or friend what to choose can often seem even more daunting. Below is a list of top recommendations based on positive feedback from a sample of like minded gift buyers and the most important critics of all - the recipients of the gifts themselves! *

1. Puzzles & games to stimulate and entertain
If you’re stuck for an unusual, affordable birthday present idea then look no further! Every child enjoys a new game or puzzle to play with and whether you’re looking for something to keep little hands occupied while travelling, or a game for all the family to play there is plenty on the market to inspire and entertain. Look out for magnetic playsets which are ideal if you’re on the move. Many come with handy travelling pouches too, great for keeping all the little bits and pieces together in one place. Make sure you find a puzzle or game with more than one challenge or solution so it’s not a one hit wonder. Problem solving logic games are ideal for keeping kids and even the whole family entertained on journeys. Old fashioned word games/quizzes are still very popular and are another great idea which can be enjoyed as you travel together.

2. Bags of fun
Every child loves the independence that having their own set of luggage brings. There are some fun yet extremely practical children’s luggage trolleys on the market that are a real hit with young travellers, such as kids character wheelie trolleys. Kids just love packing up their belongings and wheeling their own quirky friend around with them. Some children’s luggage sets even come with matching dressing up kit for added travel adventure! Top tip if you are planning lots of travelling - many kids suitcases are big enough to foster independence, yet compact enough to classify as hand luggage - great news if you’re in a rush at the airport!

3. Jolly brollies for singing in the rain
We all know fresh air is great for kids and if you’re looking for an inspirational way to encourage outings whatever the weather then this is it. Children adore having their own brolly to put up, take down and just carry about with them. Look out for chunky, rounded handles to make carrying easy, a rounded tip for safety and nice rounded ends to each spoke of the umbrella.

4. Funky backpacks & kit bags
Kids are great ones for deciding to bring half the contents of their toy box with them just as you are ready to leave the house. Get them their own backpack and you won’t have a problem as they can choose their favourite things to bring and carry them too! Go for one which is sturdy, waterproof, has lots of useful pockets and plenty of padding in the straps. These bags are also ideal for packing the essentials in for nursery or school.And, how about an equally funky kit bag - ideal for trips to the swimming pool or to hold a PE kit? In our experience kids can never have too many bags!Gervase Walton

KidsTravel2 -*based on feedback from customers of KidsTravel2

Gervase is a mum who is passionate about high quality, practical and affordable kids travel accessories. She and her husband run their own online independent shop specialising in childrens luggage and travel accessories including kids suitcases, childrens travel games, samsonsite luggage for kids, children’s suitcases and children’s luggage trolleys. All children’s travel accessories featured on KidsTravel2 are tested and enjoyed by real children!

Step 1 - The recipe

Your recipe for a great bag, of course, begins with the necessary ingredients. You will need the following:

1) Basic structure for the bag (fabric)…more on this later

2) Fabric for lining

3) Fabric for pockets

4) Accessories (buttons, ribbon, trim)

5) Handle

6) Closure

7) Matching thread

Step 2 - The main ingredient

The main ingredient is the fabric (structure of your bag). Here are some ideas. You can start with a ready-made fabric from a fabric store. Choose anything that is fairly strong (quilted fabric, heavy canvas, denim, upholstery fabric works great! But wait….if you’re short on cash or not near the fabric shop, just look around the house. Here are some other ideas for fabrics to use:

· Choose a pretty placemat (these have a nice weight to them)

· Curtains that you no longer want

· An old wool skirt or jacket can be disassembled

· A pillow front and back

I’m sure you’ll come up with more ideas of your own.

Step 3 - Mix it up

Now that you have your main ingredient, you will want to add it to. Depending on the size bag you want, you may want to add additional fabric to it. For instance, if you want a tall tote bag and are using a placemat folded in half, you probably want to add some fabric to the top. Well, look around and find something that coordinates. If the placemat or fabric you’re using is a print, look for just a tiny bit of color in that print and add a solid fabric to make the top of the tote. Next, you will want to add some ribbon (polka dots are in). These can be sewn to the top of the bag or where the two fabrics meet. Just lay everything out and take a look.

Now, the lining. I like to make the lining out of something entirely different, but again coordinating it with the outside colors. And if you want pockets, you will need a small piece of fabric for those. Handles can be made out of anything….you can buy leather or acrylic handles in the craft stores, OR feel free to use cotton webbing, a men’s tie, an old belt. And, of course, you can make the handles out of fabric. I often use the lining fabric. Again, look through your Thrift Store bag.

It’s great to leave some totes open at the top, but many people like a closure. You can add a zipper if you know how , but probably the easiest way is to sew in some Velcro for the closure. Okay, got everything ready? Next time, I’ll tell you how to put it all together. Happy hunting!!!

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