Financial News Hub

You invest your money in stocks and bonds or lend money to someone else. All of these ways and others are different types of investments. You invest in order to make money. You can make money through earning interest, capital gains, or dividends which are essentially a part of the companies income.

Bonds, one of the most common types of investments, are loans from the lender to a corporation or a government. These corporations and governments use the money they raise from the loans to build their business and run the government.

A bond is most often issued at $1,000. One bond will cost $1,000. If you buy savings bonds you can buy them in other denominations such as $25, $50, $100, etc. Savings bonds are common gifts for birthdays and graduations, so you might even have a few yourself.

You can earn interest from one or a combination of three basic ways. The first is through interest. You will always be paid some type of interest on a bond. IF you buy a bond of $1,000 at an interest rate of 4%, you will be paid $40 a year either annually or semiannually. Some bonds will wait the entire period and pay the principle payment and all the interest together.

The second way to earn money from a bond is through paying a discount or premium. Paying a premium is actually going to cost you money, but if you have a high interest rate, it shouldn’t be a big deal. For example, you could buy a $1,000 bond for $950. You will be repaid $1,000 at the end which would give you a $50 profit in addition to the interest earned.

You can also trade bonds. All bonds have different maturity times. Short term bonds usually mature in six months or less and long term bonds can mature in as much as 30 years. You can sell them or buy them within that time for a profit.

A corporation is selling bonds with a face value of $1,000 for $960 each. You buy 20 of these bonds. They have an interest rate of 5% and mature in 10 years. You pay $19,200 for $20,000 worth of bonds. Each year you will receive $1,000 in interest. When it matures you will be repaid $20,000. You will have made $10,000 in interest and $800 from the discount for a total of $10,800.

Any of these bonds could have been sold before maturity, as long as someone wanted to pay for them. You should focus more of your investments on bonds if you are close to retirement, otherwise you should invest more in the stock market because you will make more money.

Investing is a risky process. When you invest, you have to keep the degree of risk you are taking on in the back of your mind. More risk means an increased possibility that you will lose money. If you invest high risk, there’s a good possibility you’ll lose money whereas if you invest in a low risk investment, you will be less likely to lose money. Your goal should be to make as money money as you can with as little risk as possible.

Different types of investments carry varying degrees of risk. Let’s say you have $10,000 that you want to loan for investing and you have 2 friends that need money to start a new business. The first friend has borrowed and repaid money to you many times before. You have trust with them that they will pay you back.

The other friend has borrowed money from you before and didn’t always pay you back. Sometimes it was just $20 they borrowed for lunch, but somehow they just conveniently forgot about it. They want to borrow the money for their new business that they feel confident about, and they swear they will pay you back. Unfortunately, they have failed in past businesses and didn’t pay back the money they borrowed.

The second friend is very risky, but to you, their business idea sounds incredible. You could see it making a lot of money and you’re friend promises that you can share half of the profits. On the other hand, your first friend has a pretty ordinary idea and they promise they’ll pay you back with 8% interest.

You have a lot more risk in the second friend, but you will make a lot more money with them. You have almost no risk with the first friend, but you’re only going to make 8%, no matter how well the business does. You have to decide if you are willing to take the risk on more profit.

This is similar to the difference between investing in a stock mutual fund and a bond mutual fund. If you invest in a conservative bond money, you will probably not lose any money, but you are pretty much guaranteed a low return. If you invest in the stock fund, you can make a lot more, but you might not.

A bond mutual fund is better for conservative investors who are nearing retirement. They don’t want to risk too much money because they know they will need to rely on that money in the near future. Bonds are a better bet because they are much less risky and less likely to lose money.

Those in their 20s and early 30s, should invest solely in stock funds in order to make as much money as possible. As they get older, they should gradually shift into more conservative investments.

The government will likely give a $15,000 for first time home buyers in order to revitalize the housing market. The Orlando condos market in recent months has seen some up tick in the sales due to low interest rates and prices declining for past year or two. This is the best condition for new home buyers since 2004.

Over 4,000 condos are currently listed with Multiple Listing Services of Orlando, Florida. Majority of these available inventories are foreclosures, short sales, and bank owned properties, which have driven down the sales prices. The majority of these condos sell for anywhere from $100,000 up to $120,000 making it a bargain.

There seems to be some optimism in the marketplace as the sales have increased over 42 percent from 2007 with over 137 Orlando condos changing ownership in the last month of 2008. The downside is that majority of these sales are happening in condos below the $100,000 prices level, far from the over $500,000 condos couple of years ago.

For all of 2008 the sales have declined 32 percent compared to 2007, majority these sales happening in the below $100,000 market. Many buyers have been on the sideline waiting for the prices to fall even more, but at these affordable prices you are seeing some buyers come back into the market.

With the recent turmoils in financial markets, many Orlando condos that have begun construction have stalled and many developers are in bankruptcy. But few condominium projects have come to market recently in Downtown Orlando. The Plaza and The Jackson have recently finished and new tenants are moving in although lot of the units are unoccupied.

According to some statistic, over 50 percent of condos in Orlando are in distress. Which mean they are bank owned or for short sales. With current low prices, buyers should have plenty of options to choose from with more condominiums coming to the market from new developments. You will see values never seen before.

Sitting in the centre of Manchester, the Beetham Hilton Tower is a breathtaking 47-storey skyscraper and is one of the most amazing structures in England. The Beetham Organization, the buildings namesake, constructed it in 2006. And when paying a visit to Manchester, it is not hard to see that the Beetham Hilton tower is the tallest structure in Manchester. It has gained that very title because it stands at 168.87 metres, or 554 feet. What one will find inside is a Hilton Hotel with rooms that end at the 23rd floor. It is then between floors 25 to the triplex penthouse that reaches up to the 47th floor that you will find the Beetham Tower apartments. As for where everyone parks, there are two basement level garages for the residents of the apartment to make their lives a little easier.

The Beetham Tower also has two postal addresses. The tower sits in Deansgate, which is why it is commonly referred to as the Deansgate Hilton. This is a tower of many names, but the residents of Manchester and many of the visitors are familiar with the many names that this Hilton Hotel in Manchester is known by. The first address that you will come across is 301 Deansgate and 303 Deansgate. This fact shows how massive the building is because it needs two addresses.

When it comes to the history of the towers construction, the Beetham Hilton tower design was the brainchild of Ian Simpson and the construction company, Carillion based out of Wolverhampton, is responsible for the building. In addition to being located along Deansgate, the building is also found to be right along the Liverpool Road and Great Bridgewater Street junction. Inside the Hilton Tower part of the building, there are 285 high class bedrooms that the Hilton name is known for. The construction of the building is very unique because after sleeping in your hotel room, you can go to the 23rd floor and stand on the skybar, which enables you to look down to the ground. This is possible because the 23rd floor is 4 metres deeper than the rest of the floors. This means the skybar is the only one like it in Manchester. Youll also find a bar and a lounge that Hilton operates when visiting the 23rd floor.

But there is even more that is interesting about the construction history and that is that the tower sits exactly where a railway viaduct once sat. Everyone was so excited about the development of this building that when building permission was granted in October 2003, 206 of the apartments were already sold. Additionally, 4 penthouses had also been sold. This shows how excited individuals were to be able to live within the amazing apartments within this building.

And speaking of the amazing apartments, they are very modern with a view that could make you gaze for the rest of your life. There was a time in which the option to buy was the only way to live in one of these apartments, but times are a little tight. Because of these tight times, individuals are able to rent apartments for as little as 750 per month. This rate is incredibly affordable considering the type of apartments that are being acquired. The location is also an incredible plus. The hype surrounding this building is quite amazing, so an affordable rate such as this is quite the treat for someone who has the desire to live in Manchesters centre, where access to everything is quite easy to acquire.

Because of the easy access, an individual staying at the Hilton or living in one of the apartments can easily access the big city, enjoy the nightlife that is very exciting in Manchester, and so much more. There is definitely not a shortage of things to do. And for those who enjoy Manchester United, access is quite easy when wanting to catch a game.

There are also some famous guests living amongst the flats and studios. One of them is Ian Simpson, the buildings designer. He lives in the penthouse that takes up the 46th and 47th floors, which means he has the highest living space in Britain. He made the decision to purchase the penthouse for 3 million. There are also some other famous residents that include:

* Shane Ward the famous R&B and pop singer. You will find him in one of the many apartments.

* Phil Neville is living in the triplex apartment that is right below Ian Simpsons penthouse. He is a famous English football player.

* Another famous football player, Christiano Ronaldo, lives in an apartment facing Old Tafford.

It is easy to see that The Beetham Hilton Tower is the epitome of elegance in the centre of Manchester. Many individuals envy those who live there. They even envy the individuals who stay there while visiting Manchester. Fortunately, the Beetham Hilton Tower has become an affordable place to live so that virtually anyone can enjoy the views, the rooms, and the hospitality that is offered. It is an amazing structure built with magnificent imagination and anyone who sees it is absolutely taken aback by its beauty. Those who stay there immediately fall in love with it and never want to leave.

Home equity loans are a great source of cash. However, before you plunge right into the process of drawing out a loan out of the equity of your property; you should take a look at the fine print and what it means to you.

Are you thinking about getting a home equity loan? Home equity loans might be an easy to acquire type of loan, but somehow even a seemingly great deal might turn out to be bad if the process of getting one is not done right. Make sure you understand all the language used in the loan process.

What areas of home equity loan do we need to know? Let us look at the following.

Points

How are you affected by this? Most lenders charge a part of the loan for commissions for themselves and for their sub-agents. Actually such points vary from little to exorbitant; it all depends on the company. If you are charged 1 point, this would mean 1 percent of the loan. And so 1 percent of a 100,000 dollar loan is an up front charge of 1000 dollars. Do not worry, there are lenders that do not charge points.

Interest rate terms

It it a fixed or variable loan. A fixed rate means you pay the same amount every month for the life of the loan. But on the other hand, if you have variable type of loan, you may actually have an initial good interest rate. Interest rates that go up naturally makes your monthly payments go up too in the process. So what do you want ” a home equity loan with interest rate that stays the same all throughout the duration of the loan, or one with the possibility of going up anytime? Understand that more often then not, a variable loan starts out one or two percent lower then a fixed rate. The big question is where does it stop once it starts to adjust?

Pre Payment penalties

Pre payment penalties are a fee that the lender places on you in the event you decide to pay of your loan early. These “pre-pays” can cost several thousand dollars in some cases. The reason for this is that by paying off the loan early, the lender will be missing out on the intrest payments you have agreed to pay over the life of the loan. (these interest payments are normally in the several thousands of dollars)

Late payment penalties

In some cases, while you may have a low interest rate, you may have a clause in the contract for the loan that will increase your interest if your late on a payment. In most cases this can add up to several thousands extra over the life of the loan.

Insurance

One thing you want to check for is if the home equity loan that you are prospecting has insurance costs hidden somewhere, a cost that you definitely do not want. You can have credit life insurance, which takes care of your loan in the event that you die. However, if in the case of home equity loan, if you feel that insurance is just added cost, then by all means avoid the lender that requires you to pay for them.

Are you thinking about moving to Atlanta, Georgia? If your thinking about making this southern city a home, you should consider Atlanta condos. Condos are perfect for families and singles, with so many amenities one can find all they need right within the building. The weather is nice all year long and you do not have to worry about snow in the winter.

You can burn those ugly winter clothes if you buy a property here. And there are plenty of things to do. From Braves’ games to the CNN Museum to the hottest clubs in the world, you’ll never be bored in Atlanta. Even a quiet evening at home is enjoyable, especially when it’s all yours. Rent a movie, curl up on the couch, and enjoy another hot summer night. If you are considering Atlanta condos for sale, check out the following tips to make sure your property is to par.

Make sure you do plenty of research, credible and legitimate website now offer many listing with photos and detail information about the property. Compare prices in Zillow.com, stay away from comparable sales prices within certain sub markets. The prices can swing wildly depending on the neighborhood you choose. But most of all, make sure you visit the property and do a thorough walk around. Contract a Realtor if you need assistance and need some advices.

Visit your potential property in the evening. While Atlanta condos for sale may seem to be safe when the sun’s shining high overhead, things look a whole lot different at night. You’ll spot things you missed the first time.

With sales of Atlanta condo falling over 88 percent in the second half of the 2008, you sure will find bargains. Huge surge of new construction have over supplied the market in last few years and many developers have auctioned off the available condos at unbelievable bargains.

Prices are the lowest since early 2000′s, interest rate is at all time lows, and the federal government is offering $15,000 in first time buyer tax credit, you should not care about pre-construction deals anymore. There are plenty of deals and value in this market.

It is crucial to understand that there is risk whenever you enter into a business. No one can guarantee that your business will sky rocket from the very beginning and you wont be stuck waiting and hoping that you make money. There are vastly different ideas about which types of businesses are safe to get involved in and which ones to avoid.

However, when the money does not come in, any business can suffer. Through research, you will find that a lot of people avoid multi-level marketing (MLM) jobs because they fear that they will be subjected to a scam. Seriously, This is not completely true, but there will be a lure to ask your acquaintances if they want to join you in your new business venture.

If you are to be successful in your (MLM) business, you will need to continously add new members to the chain of command….This almost always the case. Higher profit are made when there are a higher number of people selling below you. However, you will find the turn over rate in these types of jobs is extremely high and much of your time will be spent recruiting others to join your team of sellers.

Communication is a major factor as well in running a MLM business or much more so than if you ran a business that you are the only employee, such as a home-based business or internet based business. You need to be able to effectively control a situation and to convey your needs to your employees.

You don’t need to be a absolute master of the english language but you should be able to handle speaking with people as you will have a lot of contact with clients and possibly potential clients and not being able to talk with them can lead to the failure of your business. You must quickly understand and fix any problems that your employees may be having, because doing so will help boost their ability to sell the products, and in turn help your business to grow.

Working with clients can be a much simpler task than trying to recruit new employees, especially if you have to continuously recruit them. You may have to deal with a large number of people who view MLM companies negatively if you decide that this is the type of business that you would like to go into.

Starting your own business can be a new challenge for you. You can expect to have feelings of excitement and also of fear. Prepare to focus on a lot of different things at once as you may find it difficult to multi-task at first. Secured loans for your business may be needed, and it is a good idea to set up book keeping records.

One important thing you need to do is to figure out the best ways to advertise your new company so that people know your business exist and can fullfil their needs. It may be time consuming but selecting products that are useful and efficient for the clients is well worth the effort. Remember, you will encounter risks with any business that you start or join but the point is that it can be done and you must be committed, so do not be afraid to jump right into your business and do the best that you can to improve your client base and your profits.

The first step when interested to but a property is to write an offer of purchase to the seller, which is not as simple as it may seem. The goal that you want to achieve when doing this is to get what you want. And since this is the start of transactions, it is an important thing to consider the feelings of the seller by placing empathy in his part. Doing so would greatly help you in understanding the seller’s feelings and on achieving your goals.

Offering a price of purchase is not as easy as deciding on an amount and then stating that “This is the price I am going to buy your property.” No, definitely not as simple as that. The reason for this is that since huge amounts of dollars is concerned and because of the “hard” days today, you or the seller would not want to risk but rather, both would want to create higher possibilities in protecting your investments.

Not only the amount you are going to pay, but also other details of the purchase should be enclosed when writing an offer to purchase a real estate property. It should also constitute how you plan to pay for the property, the down payment you will provide, who will pay for certain closing costs, inspections that needs to be done, timetables, whether properties that are personal will be included, terms of cancellation, repairs you wanted performed, professional services utilized, the time you get hold of the home, and how you will solve if any disputes happen.

It is more complicated and involved compare to that of buying a car.

Taking half an hour for making decisions on writing an offer when buying a home will affect both yours and the seller’s life. It will affect your finances more than any other investment you did in the past. And it will also affect the seller’s finances, the reason why they will give a proper review on your offer. This is a crucial part for the rest, of both you and your client’s life.

It may seem that this is so familiar and fabricated, but all articles and books about real estates would tell you the same thing.

They say the same thing because it is true.

Owner financing can often produce a winning situation for both the homeowner who is selling the property and for the buyer/investor who is purchasing the property. Owner financing is when a seller is willing to help finance a real estate transaction by creating a loan for the entire purchase if they own the home outright or by creating a loan for part of the purchase when there is already an existing loan on the property.

There are several benefits to the seller/buyer when an owner financing is used. For one, the transaction may proceed more quickly and easily than when traditional financing is used because there are fewer companies thus fewer steps involved. For another, the seller is more apt to receive a higher sales price, and the seller will receive payments and interest over a long period of time. There are tax savings realized by selling under this installment plan. Additionally, the buyer will realize savings by avoiding loan fees and lender charges, and the negotiated interest rate will generally be lower than the available interest rates from a commercial lender. Also, for the 20% of prospective homebuyers who cannot qualify for a commercial mortgage loan, owner financing is a wonderful way for them to be able to own the home.

There are a few disadvantages to owner financing to consider. For one, if the buyer defaults on the loan the seller will have to initiate foreclosure proceedings. This can be costly, time consuming, and require work that the seller might rather avoid. Of course, after the foreclosure the property can be sold again, an advantage for some owners and a disadvantage for other owners. Additionally, the interest income generated by the loan will be subject to taxes, which could be a disadvantage to a seller who is in a higher tax bracket. Also, the seller does not receive cash for their equity immediately, but rather will receive their equity in installment payments over time.

TIPS: For the seller and the buyer to consider when negotiating an owner financed transaction. The seller should research the buyer’s creditworthiness and ask numerous questions to become confident that the buyer can fulfill their obligation. The buyer should provide a written explanation of any problems that appear on their credit report, as well as give a list or personal references. The buyer should research the local housing market and get a home inspection done to identify any major problems. Also, a proof of payment provision should be included in the sales contract so the seller can verify that the new owner is making all insurance and property tax payments. Lastly, the seller should require the buyer to stay ahead on payments, even submitting post dated checks, so that the seller has confidence that foreclosure will not become necessary in the future.

Owner financing home sales can be a winning situation for both sellers and buyers. It is important however, that both parties do their due diligence in order to reduce possible risks. Owner financing is another tool that every real estate investor should have an understanding of.

Owner financing can often produce a winning situation for both the homeowner who is selling the property and for the buyer/investor who is purchasing the property. Owner financing is when a seller is willing to help finance a real estate transaction by creating a loan for the entire purchase if they own the home outright or by creating a loan for part of the purchase when there is already an existing loan on the property.

There are numerous benefits when an owner financed transaction is used. For one, the transaction can proceed more quickly and easily than when conventional financing is used because there are fewer steps involved. For another, the seller is more apt to receive a higher sales price, and the seller will receive payments and interest over a long period of time. There are tax savings realized by selling under this installment plan. Additionally, the buyer will realize savings by avoiding loan fees and lender charges, and the negotiated interest rate will generally be lower than the available interest rates from a commercial lender. Also, for the 20% of prospective homebuyers who cannot qualify for a commercial mortgage loan, owner financing is a wonderful way for them to be able to own the home.

There are a few disadvantages to owner financing to consider. For one, if the buyer defaults on the loan the seller will have to initiate foreclosure proceedings. This can be costly, time consuming, and require work that the seller might rather avoid. Of course, after the foreclosure the property can be sold again, an advantage for some owners and a disadvantage for other owners. Additionally, the interest income generated by the loan will be subject to taxes, which could be a disadvantage to a seller who is in a higher tax bracket. Also, the seller does not receive cash for their equity immediately, but rather will receive their equity in installment payments over time.

TIPS: For the seller and the buyer to consider when negotiating an owner financed transaction. The seller should research the buyer’s creditworthiness and ask numerous questions to become confident that the buyer can fulfill their obligation. The buyer should provide a written explanation of any problems that appear on their credit report, as well as give a list or personal references. The buyer should research the local housing market and get a home inspection done to identify any major problems. Also, a proof of payment provision should be included in the sales contract so the seller can verify that the new owner is making all insurance and property tax payments. Lastly, the seller should require the buyer to stay ahead on payments, even submitting post dated checks, so that the seller has confidence that foreclosure will not become necessary in the future.

Owner financing home sales can be a winning situation for both sellers and buyers. It is important however, that both parties do their due diligence in order to reduce possible risks.

Retirement is the inevitable period in our occupational career and no one can deny it. Following the change in respective life there come many changes in the social, economical and personal life of the retiree. So, the best way to cope with the situation is to take it positively rather than worrying about it. The more you worry, the more depressed you become and it makes life more and more difficult.

For those who have stayed busy throughout their respective career find it really difficult to cope with the changes that come with the retirement. To remove the monotony from that mind, they can indulge in whatever hobbies they may have.

If you don’t find a way out of the situation you can go consult with some professionals who will give you some nice tips to utilize your time and energy. The support that a counselor provides to the retiree can prove to be of much help. Therefore one should seek professional life coaches to guide him during this time.

Always take the transition of life from the best point of view. It’s the perfect time to do those things that you never got a chance to do in your busy days.

Some people prefer keeping busy with their hobbies like gardening, writing, fishing or site seeing. A hobby is something that can keep the retiree ever fresh. Gardening will not only help the person feel refreshed but it can also be a source of income. A retired person definitely feels more secured and confident and lots of problems are taken care of if he is financially self-sufficient.

Some of the retirees spend rather gloomy days after the retirement mainly because they fail to make proper plans for those days. One should plan map out the to-does for that part of life. This may include volunteering for non government organizations or charities.

One can also utilize the endless free time after retirement by learning things that he has interest in. One can go through various courses on different institutes. There’s no limit in learning.

Retirement from a job doesn’t indicate you are retiring from your life. Rather the experience they retirees have can help the society and the mankind greatly. They are the most experienced people among us who have seen a lot in their lives. So one can always get involved in social welfare activities, charitable jobs and give the world the best out of them during this post retirement life.

Three years ago, there was a real boom in real estate in the state of Toronto. Our family who lived there took a decision to move out, and sold our town home. The result was a nice tidy sum, enough to pay off a previous mortgage, and give a good profit. The money we got from this sale enabled us to purchase a large house in Winnipeg. We paid in cash for a house that had four bedrooms in it and seemed to have plenty of character! The relocation and parting, though not very pleasant, was worth every penny!

Coming to the house itself, the property seemed almost double in size with a sprawling house in the center! If one could speculate how much such a house would have fetched in the Toronto real estate market, probably $300,000. And if it was renovated and placed in a popular location, the sale would have been close to $500,000. We had to shell out just $65,000 for this house as it needed some repairs. But with the estate prices going up by 20% year after year, should we decide to sell it, our profits are going to multiply manifold! Yes, a few repairs had to be carried out; some are still pending. Our plans include installing a brand new hardwood flooring for the entire living area. Whatever it may be, these are just minor problems, considering the size of the house and how less we paid for it!

Toronto prices have shot up so much that people who want to buy a house have to shell out $250,000! Others have to forget about settling in a nice neighborhood or a place with good amenities, the condition of the place, etc. They can only live in town homes or condominiums. The house could be in any condition–the price would not change. The real estate listings of the city of Toronto therefore prove to be quite mind-boggling for someone who is not prepared for it!

Obviously we’re thrilled that we made our move when we did. We no longer battle through gridlock to and from work. Road rage is virtually non-existent in our city. There are tons of actual houses for sale well below $100,000 in a variety of neighborhoods to choose from. Manitoba Hydro offers several incentives for homeowners, so even if you buy a fixer-upper, you have options for installing brand new windows and high efficiency furnaces, without having to worry about high interest rates on your loan payments. And yes, we even have townhomes and condominiums for sale, but the maintenance fees are a fraction of what is demanded in Toronto’s real estate market.

Toronto real estate prices drive people away; Winnipeg prices and conditions attract people. Thus, anyone will find this a place to be comfortable in.

What is the best thing about Winnipeg is that life moves at a slower pace over here. Every one has time for each other. The children are happy with the wide open spaces. We keep in touch with family and friends, though we are far away. The silver lining on the cloud is that we took the right decision three years ago when we decided to move out here!

Buying Realtor In order to get the best deals on the market, you need to have a realtor who is plugged into the foreclosure market. Often, these realtors work directly for one or several banks in the area that are trying to get rid of distressed homes. These realtors can give you advice on the market, advice on how to bid for a property, and they often have connections with a mortgage banker who can get you financed in today’s market. How do you find this realtor? Ask around.

Mortgage Professional Find a mortgage broker who will work with you. A young broker is likely to be able to spend more time with you, one with experience will likely ad wisdom to the team. It is important they have the skill and desire to get you the lowest rates, and to close quickly.

Selling Realtor If you get the right buying realtor, they won’t have time to sell your home. They are too busy with their bank contracts. You need a selling agent that is well versed in your city, or even in your neighborhood. The key is to find an agent who is honest with you to price your home correctly to ensure a sale. Time is money when you are flipping a house. Price it wrong and you could carry a property months longer than you should. Mortgage, taxes and utility payments can easily run into the thousands of dollars and cost you time gong towards your next project.

Home Inspector If you don’t get this right it can cost a lot. Imagine buying a house without running radon tests or asbestos tests, only to find out months and tens of thousands of dollars later that you can’t sell because the beautifully remodeled home is contaminated. he key to choosing a home inspector is to make sure they hold certifications and can check your investment for mold, radon, lead paint, and asbestos. Also, if you pay attention to the home inspector reports, you will learn what to look for when you first visit a house.

Contractor As the investor, a lot of what you need to know to buy wisely is learned by working with your contractor. The contractor controls the pace of work. The contractor also spends your money for you. They help you to develop and adhere to a budget. Some people walk into an investment property, see holes in the walls and ceilings, and get scared off. I walk in, see those same holes, and know that for $400-$1,000 there are no more holes in the walls, the plumbing is repaired and I can move onto another phase of my renovation.

Suppliers Don’t buy retail you can save twenty to forty percent buying from a building supplier instead of Home Depot. Plus they usually deliver for free. Look them up in the phone book under “Building Suplies” To get an account, you need a company name, a credit card and a bank account, that’s it. Don’t buy retail!

Accountant Find one early, interview them and get their advice months ahead of time. This will make the tax season a whole lot easier and less stressful. This is not where you want to save money with turbo tax. Make sure they are familiar with real estate investing. Also don’t wait till after the first of the year. sometimes you can make changes in Nov and Dec that will salve you thousands. Make sure they have degree in accounting, they don’t actually have to be a CPA.

Attorney They can help you decide whether you should incorporate, form an LLC or go it alone as a sole proprietor. A real estate attorney can save you money on title work, can draw up rental/ lease agreements and can advise you on tax strategy when buying and selling your real estate. If you buy a commercial building a real estate attorney is a must.

Insurance Agent You need an agent you trust. Ask the tough questions so that your exposure will be at a minimum. Are you covered in case of loss from fire, flood, theft, or injured workers/ tenants. If your policy leaves you exposed in any one of these major areas, your work could all be done for nothing.

Friends & Family Two of my favorite words. They will give you advice which is often good. If you feed them well, provide a frosty beverage or two, and don’t overwork them, the friends and family work crew will have fun, make your job more fun and most importantly work for free. Jobs like light demolition, painting, cleanup and many yard projects can be handled by anyone who owns a home.

The primary material for water pipes in major U.S. cities, between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was lead. Its durability and malleability made it a very popular choice for pipe material. Eventually galvanized steel and copper would replace lead, and copper pipe would eventually become the most popular material used in home water service and distribution in mid to late 20th century construction.

Lead contamination was the top source of lead-related health issues before the hazards of ingesting it were known. The cause was pipe corrosion and erosion, and it raised stillbirth and infant mortality rates. Other plumbing or pipe problems are much easier to spot, but if you?re not testing for lead in your water, you?ll never know it?s there. You can find general information about lead contamination and how to test for it on the EPA?s website.

If you have lead in your water, it?s generally because of one (or more) of these: lead-based solder which used to be the primary way to join copper pipes, a lead service line pipe linking your house to the city or town water main, and brass (or chrome-plated brass) faucets. The U.S. Congress banned the use of lead solder containing greater than 0.2% lead in 1986. It also limited the lead composition of pipes, faucets, and all other plumbing materials to 8.0%.? As a result of this legislation, ?lead-free? brass legally can contain no more than 8% lead and plumbing installed before 1986 possibly contain higher levels of lead.

In older buildings and homes, the service line from the municipal water main to the house may be a lead pipe — something you should definitely confirm. Unless your piping has been upgraded in the past 40 years, it is probably galvanized pipe (iron with a zinc coating) which does not require lead solder to join the pipe. You may already know if your faucets are brass or chrome-plated, but if not, you might want to consult with a licensed plumber or take them with you to a local hardware store. CuraFlo??s website offers a brief history of lead materials in water pipes.

Once installed, epoxy pipe lining is a barrier to prevent lead leaching from your pipes into your drinking water. The epoxy lining prevents the water going through the pipe from coming into contact with the metal of the pipe, the chemical reaction that creates pipe corrosion is prevented. Epoxy pipe lining will prevent lead and other metals (from your pipes) from getting into your water. The lining also prevents other poor water quality issues, for example: red, brown, blue or yellow water, zinc or iron leeching from galvanized pipes into your water, causing a metallic taste, and bacteria can cause terrible tasting or smelling water.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/ARMYCOE/PWTB/pwtb_420_49_35.pdf) and the U.S. Navy (http://stinet.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA327758&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf) have documented their use of epoxy pipe lining to prevent lead and other contaminants from leaching into drinking water.

government?s highest stadard for safe drinking water: ANSI/NSF Standard 61. ANSI/NSF Standard 61 certification means CuraPoxy is certified for safe use in drinking water pipes carrying water up to 180? Fahrenheit or 82.2? Celsius. The proprietary epoxy and epoxy pipe lining process CuraFlo uses will protect you from lead and other metals in your pipes that may be leaching into your water now or might in the future, by creating a safe barrier between them and your water.