http://www.a1articles.com en-us editorial@articlealley.com As a mortgage note buyer, I see it every day, owner financed mortgage notes with terms like 5% for 30 years, 6% for 30 years, 4.5% for 20 years and 5% interest only notes. I even saw a note last summer for 3% for 50 years! In 50 years many of us may not e... http://www.a1articles.com/owner-financing-terms-offered-by-desperate-home-sellers-dont-need-to-compete-with-the-banks-1897956.html 13th December 2010 Making existing houses “green” can be really difficult and expensive. Some houses work better than others to help you achieve this lofty goal. Here are some things to look for when you are house hunting. 1. Basements that are usable are great. Earth... http://www.a1articles.com/some-existing-homes-will-work-better-than-others-for-going-green-1897957.html 13th December 2010 For a number of years we moved around the country as corporate employees buying and selling a series of homes because the job required it. We were looking for all the standard things like good resale, good schools, good neighborhood and cute houses. ... http://www.a1articles.com/how-a-compass-and-the-utility-bills-can-guide-you-to-a-better-house-1897954.html 13th December 2010 Many property sellers offering owner financing to help sell their home or commercial property are just hoping some warm body with at least a 10% down payment will come along and take their property off their hands. And while this may result in moving the ... http://www.a1articles.com/offering-seller-financing-to-sell-your-property-try-targeting-these-2-groups-for-a-better-sale-and-1897952.html 13th December 2010 The first thing you should know is that private mortgage notes or promissory notes secured by a Mortgage of Deed of Trust are purchased at a discount. The discount is based on two main criteria. The first is the perceived risk arrived at by 1) A revie... http://www.a1articles.com/thinking-of-selling-a-note-here-are-some-basics-you-should-know-so-there-are-no-surprises-1888497.html 07th December 2010 There are a lot of reasons to save a marriage that is foundering. But the biggest and most compelling reason to save a marriage is financial. As many families find out too late, divorce is one of the 3 leading causes of bankruptcy. (The other 2 are ... http://www.a1articles.com/simple-steps-to-turn-around-a-marriage-that-you-probably-dont-hear-from-advice-givers-1812587.html 26th October 2010 We live in a beautiful mountain location, a resort next to the Appalachian Trail. We spend a lot of time hiking with our dog, seeing the sights and taking pictures of the changing seasons. We see lots of wild life including deer, turkeys, grouse, foxes... http://www.a1articles.com/a-surprise-relationship-bonus-that-came-with-our-favorite-exercise-1812571.html 26th October 2010 For many commercial real estate owners or buyers, the banks are pretty much ignoring their needs. And why not? They get really cheap (near zero interest rate) money from the Federal Reserve that they can buy U.S. Treasuries and pocket a nice spread with n... http://www.a1articles.com/commercial-bridge-loan-seekers-here-are-5-watch-outs-with-commercial-bridge-financing-1726187.html 01st September 2010 Many small businesses start at home. It’s just practical to avoid buying or renting an office if you are already buying a home. Saving money to invest in the business and keep it going is essential to many new businesses that are struggling to survive and... http://www.a1articles.com/one-of-the-best-money-saving-strategies-for-selfemployed-workers-1720304.html 27th August 2010 While many economic forecasters are keying on the unemployment numbers, residential foreclosures and the growth of the US economy, there still remains a possible near replay of the residential housing crash. I'm talking about the commercial property and c... http://www.a1articles.com/is-the-commercial-real-estate-market-the-next-catastrophy-for-the-us-economy-1663786.html 19th July 2010 It's the steady nag of parents, but things are getting tougher for parents who want to safeguard their kids' ears. Kids are listening to small music devices that are not as easily noticed and controlled by parents. And it's not solely about control... http://www.a1articles.com/turn-that-music-down-or-youll-go-deaf-1636054.html 05th July 2010 Recently, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that fifteen percent of Americans underneath the age of 19 suffer some degree of hearing loss. Yes, young people are going deaf mostly from excessive noise. And the noise is everywhere in... http://www.a1articles.com/teenager-suffering-significant-hearing-loss-hearing-loss-is-no-longer-just-an-elderly-difficulty-1631845.html 02nd July 2010 Painting is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to make a house look fresh and new when you need to sell a house quick. But buyers have certain expectations about paint that a seller must meet. 1. Skip dark paint colors. The most frequent ... http://www.a1articles.com/paint-treatments-to-never-use-if-you-want-to-sell-a-home-fast-1601733.html 15th June 2010 For those of us who don't like to get high utility bills there are characteristics we look for in a home. It's all about saving money through better science. There are some homes that just suck up power and money in utility bills and there are homes th... http://www.a1articles.com/want-to-buy-an-energy-efficient-home-here-are-3-of-the-best-architectural-features-to-look-for-1601721.html 15th June 2010 Many homeowners are struggling to sell homes themselves because they are not getting much help from the pros. It can be done. I've done it myself. We all know how to stage homes for resale after watching years of TV advice. We also know we can get any ... http://www.a1articles.com/3-things-you-must-do-when-you-sell-a-house-yourself-1601720.html 15th June 2010 The real estate industry wants us to ignore the whole concept of "buyer beware" and just pay full asking price...or more…so they can make money fast. So here are my recommendations to help you protect your interests in an uncaring world. 1. Don't ... http://www.a1articles.com/4-home-buying-tasks-you-must-not-skip-1601712.html 15th June 2010 As a private note buyer, I see lots of private mortgage notes. Sadly, many are worth far less than they could be because of mistakes property sellers make when creating the note. At the time of the sale, the only thing most property sellers can think abou... http://www.a1articles.com/3-things-you-must-not-do-when-owner-financing-a-home-1601688.html 15th June 2010 With the crash of the real estate market and complete pendulum swing in requirements to qualify for a mortgage, many home sellers are resorting to owner financing in order to move their property. Once the sale is completed, the seller now has in their pos... http://www.a1articles.com/4-mistakes-to-avoid-when-managing-your-owner-financed-mortgage-note-1601683.html 15th June 2010 You would be surprised at home many private note holders call me and say, "I have a $100,000 note on a home I sold. Can you tell me how much it's worth?" That's like saying, I have a 2,000 square foot house for sale. How much is it worth? Like any financi... http://www.a1articles.com/the-5-key-elements-in-determining-the-value-of-a-private-mortgage-note-1601678.html 15th June 2010 If you are considering buying final expense insurance, you need to be aware of the different kinds of final expense policies that are available on the market today. I've seen many people who bought final expense life insurance from a big name final expens... http://www.a1articles.com/final-expense-insurance-4-questions-you-must-ask-when-you-buy-final-expense-insurance-1581369.html 02nd June 2010 What banks or mortgage companies offer no income verification loans or stated income loans today? The short answer is none. So where are these loans? Actually there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of them. What I'm talking about is owner financ... http://www.a1articles.com/the-easiest-home-loan-on-the-planet-period-1572095.html 27th May 2010 There are millions of people who are unemployed in this country who are invisible in the unemployment numbers the Fed reports. Many self-employed people connected to the real estate business were under siege before the actual real estate bubble burst. ... http://www.a1articles.com/the-invisible-unemployed-who-have-been-ignored-by-wall-street-and-washington-1572093.html 27th May 2010 Many European families live together in one house for generations, sometimes hundreds of years. But American houses tend to wear out faster, maybe only lasting about 100 years before they start to fall apart. But there are houses that, if built of ... http://www.a1articles.com/the-multigenerational-house-coming-to-america-1572090.html 27th May 2010 Many energy-costing features are considered very desirable to a lot of home buyers. But if they understood what it would add to their monthly expenses they might not want them at all. Here's a list of what to avoid. 1. Big stair halls in the entry a... http://www.a1articles.com/the-7-worst-architectural-features-that-will-make-your-home-utility-bills-higher-1572088.html 27th May 2010 Yes, it is risky to be self-employed. But working for big companies, the whole concept of working for a large corporation is very risky, too. 100 years ago many people were farming to make a living. They were entrepreneurs. Some were more successful... http://www.a1articles.com/its-better-for-americans-to-be-selfemployed-for-the-first-time-since-the-industrial-revolution-1572087.html 27th May 2010 I really love to look of really hard contemporary design. It's really clean and stark and often depends more on the architecture of spaces than on dĂ©cor for interest. But it can be a bit Spartan…and cold…and lacking in comfort. And I love comfo... http://www.a1articles.com/is-cozy-contemporary-the-perfect-design-vibe-for-a-home-1548802.html 14th May 2010 We are lucky enough to own an earth-sheltered home with good winter passive solar heat gain. We actually have heating and cooling we don't have to buy from a public utility. It's actually free! Free is good. Our house was built in 1976. The l... http://www.a1articles.com/passive-solar-heating-and-cooling-in-homes-the-real-green-approach-without-spending-much-gree-1548725.html 14th May 2010 I recently had an idea that is very tantalizing. It occurred to me that surrounding the house with storage cabinets on all the outside walls would also help insulate the place and make it more energy efficient. My house is already pretty good from ... http://www.a1articles.com/a-novel-approach-to-insulating-a-home-for-far-less-money-with-a-nice-side-benefit-everyone-needs-1548719.html 14th May 2010 Street Appeal is one of the most difficult and elusive things to achieve in houses. Even builders and decorating professionals often fail to achieve it. Many neighborhoods are filled with houses that are virtually identical, making it impossible for h... http://www.a1articles.com/why-many-new-homes-lack-street-appeal-and-are-bland-to-the-max-1548715.html 14th May 2010 The housing bubble that happened in recent years made a lot of people think they knew how to invest in houses. "Flippers" went out and bought some house they could afford, regardless of location. Then they put in all the granite and SS buyers could wa... http://www.a1articles.com/investing-in-houses-the-old-way-remember-location-location-location-1548711.html 14th May 2010 How many times have you moved? We have moved 8 times from one corporate job to the next until we just said, "STOP!" 14 years ago. The corporation involved wasn't the nicest bunch of people. The ambition to be like them just was not there. You do te... http://www.a1articles.com/the-new-housing-economymaking-financial-assets-into-homes-1548709.html 14th May 2010 My Sisters Hate Me. It's hard to anticipate life's strange turns. When one is the oldest sibling in a large family you expect to look older than everyone else. It's especially true when some of your siblings are 16 or 17 years younger. But in bet... http://www.a1articles.com/getting-older-but-want-to-be-the-envy-of-your-younger-siblings-or-friends-1535187.html 06th May 2010 An 83-year-old friend of ours is currently attending heart rehab after a "medium" heart attack. He is doing well. He expects to be back at work soon. But that heart rehab is full of people who are as young as their middle 30's. It's a sad and all t... http://www.a1articles.com/are-you-at-risk-of-becoming-old-before-your-time-1535186.html 06th May 2010 My doctor told me to ease into my new exercise program so today I drove by the spa, shopped for extra large sweat pants on line, and bought some rice cakes at the grocery store. Is this you? I wish people would leave me alone about my weight. OK so... http://www.a1articles.com/are-you-sick-and-tired-of-constantly-playing-the-diet-game-1535184.html 06th May 2010 During an interview on National Public Radio, Chicago Tribune columnist Amy Dickinson said that, "…it really requires 6 to 8 people to keep someone in their home with 24 hour care." She was discussing the worries and issues she and her sisters had to... http://www.a1articles.com/tips-for-caring-for-elderly-relatives-1535182.html 06th May 2010 Some people constantly buy up while moving from job to job working for one large corporation or another. But as they move from house to house they buy up to avoid capital gains taxes. Their employer rarely pays them all of the expenses involved in ... http://www.a1articles.com/planning-a-home-for-you-for-your-whole-life-with-a-starter-home-budget-1535179.html 06th May 2010 It's starting to snowball. The results of fast food, convenience foods are starting to show up in public health. The US military said the 27% of high school graduates are too fat to serve in the military. They blamed school lunches. 18-year-old kids... http://www.a1articles.com/the-new-elderly-young-overweight-people-who-are-getting-what-used-to-be-age-related-illnesses-early-1535176.html 06th May 2010 A lot of people who struggle with their weight and have cravings they can't control are really starving for nutrients, minerals, and plant enzymes they are not getting from food. According to many doctors all of us are supposed to get most of the nutri... http://www.a1articles.com/the-food-timeline-and-your-health-1533108.html 05th May 2010 I'm not a great housekeeper. I also design my own clothing and I have tons of fabric and sewing stuff that takes up a LOT of room and creates a lot of clutter and mess. So when I have to put a house up for sale I have to completely change my personalit... http://www.a1articles.com/get-most-of-your-junk-out-of-your-house-for-better-resale-1526902.html 30th April 2010 The short answer is probably not. This comes from an article written by Amanda Gardner for Yahoo News" Health Day. The FDA demands that manufacturers post the facts on food labels, but there are a few problems. One is there is not much policing f... http://www.a1articles.com/can-you-believe-the-food-labels-on-the-food-you-are-eating-1505086.html 16th April 2010 Americans do like to eat meat. But we consume far more of it than we actually need for good health. And many "gourmet" recipes are designed to make a little meat go a long way. Just read through your favorite cook books and you'll start to see it. E... http://www.a1articles.com/how-meat-extenders-can-be-life-extenders-1458850.html 19th March 2010 People who don't know much about nutrition and real food seem convinced that they don't spend much more money on eating out than they would spend eating at home. But the costs are really more complicated. If you cook at home you have to spend the ti... http://www.a1articles.com/why-healthy-food-can-add-to-your-pocket-book--your-life-1458847.html 19th March 2010 Can You, a Young Home Buyer, Buy a Home You Can Actually Afford? Can you do it better and smarter than your parents did? YES! There are a number of strategies people can use to buy a home for an affordable price. It may well be the best chance you h... http://www.a1articles.com/can-young-people-actually-afford-to-buy-a-home-today-1436057.html 08th March 2010 A lot of people who have homes for sale want potential buyers to be able to "see the possibilities". But buyers who can see the possibilities are usually looking for a cheap price in a home purchase. Either they are investors or they want to put sweat ... http://www.a1articles.com/7-little-fixes-left-undone-that-can-cost-big-money-in-a-home-sale-1428054.html 03rd March 2010 It's pretty difficult for one home to stand out from others. In our neighborhood of rustic, mountain cottages paneled walls, worn country furniture and cheap quilted bedspreads abound. But those houses are also slow to resale. So if you want a quic... http://www.a1articles.com/8-home-staging-tricks-that-turn-lookers-into-buyers-1428049.html 03rd March 2010