Ten Cheap Vacations
March 26, 2008
Cheap vacations can still be relaxing, fun and whatever else you want them to be. Unlike cars and shoes, vacations don’t get better according to price. Give up that expensive resort if you don’t have the money, but don’t give up your vacation. Try one of the following ideas instead.
1. Visit your friends. The key here is to have friends with spare beds that live in interesting places. You’ve probably had friends tell you to come and stay a while, so why not take them up on it? I’m hoping my friends move to Hawaii.
2. Caretaking vacations. Someone in California, Costa Rica or Colorado wants you to stay in their house while they’re away. You’ll have to water the plants, and maybe watch the cat, but you’ll get to stay in a beautiful home. You may even get paid. To learn more caretaking opportunities, visit the Caretaker Gazette online.
3. Outdoor vacations. Outdoor adventure doesn’t need to be expensive. Just stay close to home, and use your imagination. On “Tom Sawyer Day” we hike up a river for hours, then build a raft from dead trees. Then we float on it back to the car. It’s cheaper and more fun than a guided river trip. Where can you hike or bicycle for free?
Finding the Best Mortgage Lender Online
March 26, 2008
Finding the best mortgage lender online is simply a matter of doing some smart shopping. Begin by gathering your financial information, and then request quotes from several lenders. Compare the rates and fees for each quote to find the best mortgage lender.
Online Mortgage Lenders
Online mortgage lenders bring you all the services of a mortgage broker with the convenience of the internet. With online lenders though, you can quickly compare rates without feeling committed to a loan. Most mortgage loan information can be found on a lender’s website, but you can also contact a representative through email or the phone.
Start Prepared
Start prepared by gathering all your financial information in one spot for easy access. Bank statements and previous tax records will usually be all you need. Also, determine how much you would like to borrow and use as a down payment.
Gather Quotes
Online mortgage lenders provide almost instant mortgage loan quotes by asking you basic questions about your income, the loan amount, and your credit rating. These types of quotes will allow you to quickly compare rates and come up with a handful of potential mortgage lenders.
Why You Should Use Bath Rugs In Your Bathroom
March 26, 2008
Why You Should Use Bath Rugs In Your Bathroom
by: John Murray
Your bathroom is not only a functional room, it’s also a place where we spend a great deal of time creating a relaxing in an atmosphere we’ve create why we soak in the bubbles or have a long relaxing shower to unwind from our busy day. Candles, decor, and flooring all play an important role in creating the atmosphere. Here’s why you should use bath rugs in your bathroom.
Change the color
If you are tired of the look of your bathroom and you want to give it a make over you can use bath rugs to help. If your walls are a neutral color your job is easy. Choose bath rugs that fit your new color scheme, buy some complimenting towels and accessories and in under $150.00 your bathroom will have an entire new look. You can even find full sets in your local department stores that come with everything to complete your whole bathroom.
Make your bathroom cozy
Buying Down Alternative Comforters
March 26, 2008
When the frigid winds of winter arrive, many people turn to lavish bed comforters to stay warm. Because of their luxurious feel and unbeatable warmth, down comforters are a popular favorite. However, down comforters are made from the down of ducks or geese, to which many people are allergic. Luckily, there are down alternative comforters.
Many of these alternatives are made of synthetic materials that simulate the look and feel of down. Primaloft Comforters, for example, are made from a hypoallergenic synthetic material that has proven to be a near match to down in warmth and comfort. Primaloft Comforters are available at The Company Store, Eddie Bauer and Land’s End.
Luxurious wool comforters, such as Euphoria Organic Wool Comforters, are also good down alternative comforters for people with allergies. This comforter is lightweight, warm, and luxurious like down, without the allergy risk. The Euphoria Comforter is made from lamb wool and naturally repels dust mites. It is available from the Allergy Buyers Club.
Comforters made from alpaca or llama wool are also options. Alpacas and llamas have softer and lighter wool than sheep, resulting in a lighter comforter. An alpaca comforter is also available at Allergy Buyers Club.
Building a Home Addition
March 25, 2008
Building a Home Addition
by: Mark J. Donovan
Besides providing your home with more living space, a home addition can be a terrific investment. However, before embarking on such a project the homeowner should first consider several important items. These items include: home market values in the neighborhood, financing, size and scale of project, architecture, timetable for completion, personal disruption/inconvenience threshold and the sweat equity commitment level.
Size of Addition and Market Value
Prior to actually breaking ground on a home addition, it is best to first determine what you are looking for in terms of additional living space. For example: How many square feet? What types of rooms? Once this is understood, it is then important to find out the market value of homes in the local area with similar size and features to the new and improved home. With this information the homeowner can then calculate the difference between their current home market value and the new and improved home market value. This difference should represent the maximum budget for the new addition if a positive investment is desired. For example, a homeowner would not want to spend $50,000 on a new home addition that provides only $25,000 in increased market value to the improved home.
Building Your Dream Home - Part 1
March 25, 2008
Building Your Dream Home - Part 1
by: Mark J. Donovan
For most of my adult life I had thought about someday building my Dream Home. Several years ago I finally got the chance. I had purchased a lake front lot with a small cottage on it. My initial intention was to use the property “as is”, and someday raze the old cottage and build a new home in its place. After a couple of weekends in the musty old camp I came to the conclusion that I needed to speed up my timetable.
Part of the dream in building my own home was to act as the General Contractor and to personally supply a great deal of sweat equity. I accomplished both of these goals, however it was not easy. There were many roadblocks and bends in the road along the way. In the subsequent parts of this chronology, I will review my experiences in hopes that others may gain from my experiences.
Determining the Home Style and Size
Porch Swing Places: Where to Put a Porch Swing
March 25, 2008
So you’ve purchased a Porch Swing (or are about to) and you plan to hang it on the Porch? Not so fast!
Where you install your Porch Swing is as much a function of the need you are trying to satisfy as tradition and practicality. If nostalgia is your motivator, then the porch may well be the best place for your Patio Swing. But if you want a “Swing with a View”, you might want to consider other options. And what about privacy and solitude? If these are your deciding factors, then you might consider a more secluded area. Finally, if romance is your #1 concern, then the immediate surroundings will factor into the decision of where to put your Porch Swing.
If you bought your Porch Swing because you long for the good old days, then the porch is probably the best place for your swing. It is after all where your memories probably happened. Perhaps you have cherished memories of swinging with Grandma on hot summer days trying to catch a breeze. Or maybe you fell in love as a teenager on your parent’s swing. Whatever your memories, to capture the right “feeling”, you’ll probably want to hang your swing on the porch.
2nd Mortgage Loan After Bankruptcy - Get Approved Online
March 25, 2008
A 2nd mortgage loan after a bankruptcy is possible in as little as two years. Refinancing your mortgage can help you make needed home improvements or pay off high interest debt. Refinancing with adverse credit history requires savvy shopping on your part to ensure that you get a reasonable 2nd mortgage loan.
Building Good Credit
After a bankruptcy, take the next two years to rebuild your credit history. By making regular payments and building up cash reserves through a savings account or saving bonds, you will put yourself in a better position to refinance your home.
Sub Prime Brokers
Your credit report will list your bankruptcy for seven to ten years, so you will need to go through a sub prime mortgage broker. A sub prime mortgage broker offers loans at slightly higher rates to high risk lenders.
Sub prime brokers vary in the amount of fees and points they will charge. With adverse credit, you should expect to pay a couple of points higher than a traditional loan. The best way to ensure you are getting a competitive rate is to shop around.
Searching For Rates
Building Your Dream Home - Part 2
March 24, 2008
Building Your Dream Home - Part 2
by: Mark J. Donovan
Razing the Cottage
With new house plans and permits in hand, subcontractors hired and a Septic Design in process, it was now time to raze the existing cottage. I considered employing the local fire department to burn it down, however I chose the demolition route instead. Though I did not contact the Fire Department, I was convinced that this route would have led to multiple delays and pitfalls, as I would have been at the whim of several town employees and weather conditions. The demolition route required only the excavator subcontractor and had less weather related schedule risks. In addition, the demolition cost and effort was very reasonable. Within two days, it was as if the cottage never existed on the land. It is important to note, however, that the cottage was relatively small. It was 22′ x 30′. If the cottage had been significantly larger, then the Fire Department route may have made more financial sense.
Building Your Dream Home - Part 3
March 24, 2008
Building Your Dream Home - Part 3
by: Mark J. Donovan
Exterior Framing Continues
With the home’s sub-floor down and the exterior walls framed and up, the framing crew was on to the roof. Though the roof was rather simple in structure with just a 12/12 pitch and no valleys it was a significant framing undertaking due to just the size and height of it. The house was 32 feet wide by 44 feet in length, and the exterior side walls stood 11 feet tall in the great room. This exterior wall height of 11 feet translated into a roof ridge that was 27 feet off the floor of the great room. Consequently staging was required to install the ridge pole and roof rafters. In addition, since the span from the top of the walls to the ridge was so long, heavy 2×12s were required for the roof rafters. Within a week, however, the team had completed the installation of the roof rafters and the house began to take on real shape.
I should comment briefly about the sub-floor and exterior walls before I move on.
