Archive for November, 2009
November 30th, 2009 | 
Author: How Long Your Mortgage Runs Determines How Much You Pay
The first thing most of us think about when the time comes to take out a mortgage on a new home is the interest rate.
Thats both perfectly natural and very sensible. The rate of interest we pay can make an immense difference a difference amounting to tens of thousands of dollars in what the actual cost of our house ultimately turns out to be.
Still interest rates are far from the only thing worth thinking about where mortgages are concerned. Other important variables need to be considered too. One is the question of whether to take a fixed interest rate of choose from among the many kinds of variablerate mortgages that have been created over the years to meet the differing needs of different buyers.
Another and a very important one is the rather basic question of how long you want your mortgage to run. Even with fixedrate mortgages a broad spectrum of time spans is commonly available. In most cases the extremes are 15 years on the short side 30 years on the long.
Some years ago when a famous scientist was asked to name the most powerful force in the universe he answered the power of compound interest. This reply suggests that he was knowledgeable not only about the laws of nature but the principles of finance about what happens to even a modest sum of money when it continues to accumulate interest year after year after year.
Even at a modest rate of interest money in a savings account can double within ten years or less. The amount actually paid for a house with a 100000 mortgage can turn out to be several hundred thousand dollars if the mortgage runs for 30 years.
When you opt for a mortgage of only 15 or 20 yeas on the other hand you chop off much of the growth in your total obligation. But to do that without reducing the initial size of your mortgage you have to make a bigger payment every month. As in most of lifes major decisions the stakes are high and the tradeoffs require careful consideration. Above all they require a careful examination of your resources your aspirations and your personal priorities.
Someone whos willing to make nearterm lifestyle sacrifices for the sake of longterm gains probably will prefer a shorter mortgage. If your motto is eat drink and be merry on the other hand the idea of squeezing extra money out of your budget for the sake of a bigger house payment wont have much appeal.
If youre attracted by a shorter faster mortgage and think you might be able to handle one ask your real estate agent to show you just how much longterm savings such an approach can make possible. Chances are youll be astonished by the size of the number.
Remember though that a 15year or 20year mortgage by increasing your monthly obligations now and for years to come can sharply reduce your flexibility.
One good approach is to take a 30year mortgage but try to discipline yourself to make one extra monthly payment each year. If you can stick to such a regimen ultimately it will yield the benefits of a 15year mortgage. Meanwhile youll be less strapped if changing circumstances reduce your ability to make monthly payments.
Whats really important is making yourself aware of how many different options you have and gathering detailed information about the ones that interest you most. A good real estate broker can be your key to all the information you could possibly need.
About the writer:
W. Troy Swezey is the author of HOW LONG YOUR MORTGAGE RUNS DETERMINES HOW MUCH YOU PAY.” As a Realtor at Century 21 Paul Associates he has helped many individuals with their real estate needs. Visit his web site to download his free ebook REAL ESTATE SECRETS EXPOSED. http://www.TroyIsMyRealtor.com or mail to: TroyC21usa.net
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How Important Is Your Office Chair?
How much do employers and employees truly value their office chair? I have been involved in office furniture installation for nearly 10 years and it constantly amazes me how a desk is valued far more than a chair. Both are inanimate objects true; however a desks purpose is simply too keep your computer paperwork photos of your family etc off the floor. The value of the desk is 90 aesthetic.
When I see clients with regard to office refurbishment in 9 out of 10 cases they have a set budget. From this budget office desks generally take priority with office chair selection dictated by funds remaining after the desks have been chosen.
But why? Lets look at some maths for a minute. You work 8 hours a day 5 days a week 48 weeks a year. If we say you are sat at your desk approximately 5 hours per day in the course of a year you spend 1200 hours sat in your office chair. If you want to visualise this better 1200 hours is the same as 50 days and nights solid sitting down.
So what do you sit on at work?
Budget operator chairs are available from as little as 30. Whilst these are of solid construction and in a lot of cases guaranteed for up to 5 years they are simply not ergonomically suitable for prolonged use.
It could be suggested that an employers provision for seating bluntly comes down to how much they value the well being of their staff.
If anyone believes the above statement to be a little dramatic it is worth knowing that the official prevalence of back pain in the UK is 16.5million sufferers. Reports suggest approximately 5 million days per year are lost in the UK working days are lost in Britain through back pain.
2005 reports state that stress has recently overtaken back pain as the most common cause for absenteeism in the workplace. According to the HSE up to 5 million people in the UK claim to feel ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressed by their work. Obviously stress has a number on contributory factors but having to maintain an uncomfortable posture would certainly be a major one
It is wrong to suggest that more appropriate office chair provision will completely alleviate these problems. It must however surely help whilst improving overall motivation from staff whilst they are at work.
Orthopaedic seating is readily available through most good office furniture suppliers however when office furniture quotes and tenders are created in a price driven market no one seems to have analysed the true cost implications of inappropriate seating.
About the writer:
Craig Jones is Sales and Marketing Director for Quality Direct Office Supplies Ltd (QDOS) based in Nottingham England. QDOS provide a wide range of office supplies and furniture to businesses throughout the UK.
To view their website www.qdosltd.co.uk
To email Craig directly craigqdosltd.co.uk
How Important Is Content To A Successful Website
Content is the most important part of any website.
The Internet was created in the first place as an information source. If the content on your site does not provide the information needed by its users it will provide little in the way of value to your visitors who surf for information on many subjects. They require answers or solutions to their problems needs desires and wants. Provide the answers and they will return again and again.
A website is simply a way to communicate whatever message you want to get across. This message needs to answer visitors questions or satisfy their need for knowledge. To achieve this aim you will need a content rich website. The content will need to be relevant up to date and well organized and should be written uniquely for each page of your website and should be written as if you are talking to the customers.
Include such items as articles tips tutorials things that will hold your visitors interest and get them to return to your site again and again.
Update your content weekly this keeps the site fresh and interesting and Search Engines are always looking for website which offer information useful for their visitors.
A horrible site which is full of information will out nearly always out perform a site which is great on the eye but lacks any real body (content poor).
When writing content use familiar words and avoid using jargon; which many visitors may not understand.
Keep the number of words to a sentence and the number of sentences within a paragraph to a minimum.
A content rich website which is full of text rather than images will be Search Engine friendly. Search Engines collect their data using spiders. Spiders cannot see images or graphics only text. They can only move from page to page via a text link so it is crucial to have text links to your main section of your website on every page.
Remember to design your website to attract both the visitors and Search Engines. This is essential if you wish your site to be successful.
All the best
Sue
About the writer:
Susan Prince is English and run her own online business.Affiliate programsinformationproducts and resources are availiable at http://www.princehomebiz.com.