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Tuesday, February 3, 2009

?Foreclosure Auctions: A Bargain Hunter's Dream

By Michael Geoffrey

If you are looking for bargain on a house, you might want to look into buying one at foreclosure auctions. In most states the prices of houses is below market value, which is established by order of the court. When foreclosure is requested by a lender, the court will order appraisals performed by disinterested third-party appraisers and from their findings, the court will determine the value of the property. Although if the lender believes the estimate is too low, they can cancel the foreclosure action and appeal the appraisal figures.

For several weeks before the foreclosure auction is held, advertisements will be published. Remember that in the majority of states the house must sell for at least two thirds of the appraised value it was given. You should also keep in mind that there are not usually a lot of people trying to find inexpensive homes at foreclosure auctions.

Foreclosure auctions tend to be very simple events and the only people in attendance are often the lender who started the foreclosure process and one or two people who are thinking about buying the property. A foreclosure auction where lots of people attend and more than two or three separate bids are made would be a rare occurrence.

Getting Ready to Purchase a Foreclosure Home

The person who wins the bid on a foreclosure home is expected to present 10% of the price that was bid when the auction is over with. That payment can be made by cash, money order, or a certified cashier's check.

Most auctions will not accept these payments by credit card or personal check. The house will be resold immediately if the winning bidder is unable to make the 10% payment in an accepted form at the end of the auction.

The winning bidder will need to get a loan to cover the rest of the price of the foreclosure home they purchased at the auction within a predetermined period of time, usually thirty days. If they cannot get a loan to pay for the balance of the home price they will lose the right to purchase the home. They will also lose the 10% payment they made on the day of the auction. In order to prevent such unpleasant occurrences, most people set up the financing they will need before they bid on a home.

If a home is auctioned a second time due to the winner's inability to secure funding, if it sells for less than the first auction, the first auction winner may be responsible for the difference, as well as losing their 10 percent deposit. It is important to remember that sales through foreclosure auctions are final and the winning bid is considered a contract, promising to make the purchase.

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Golden Revolving Account - The Gold Mine for Boosting your Credit

By Cliff Pape

The fundamentals to an 850 credit score

Many mistakes people make is closing unused accounts. This prevents them from reaching an 800 credit score. You should always leave open older accounts because these are what we call "Golden accounts."

The Golden Revolving Account

The difference between a 700 credit score and an 800 is often the length of time the revolving accounts (i.e. credit cards) have been open. As soon as we have an account that has been open for seven years we should never close it, because this account will help you achieve a 800 credit score. One of the most effective strategies is to acquire 2 to 4 Golden Accounts in our credit report.

Don't Have Too Many...

The only occasion that you should begin closing credit cards is when you simply have too many BUT you also hold 4 or more Golden Accounts and 1 or a couple national or bank credit cards to show substantive credit once the frivolous cards are closed.

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Compare Student Loan Consolidation Rates in Selecting a Lender

By Torrie Cantor

If you want to select the best lender, compare student loan consolidation rates. A lot of students who have just graduated find it advantageous to consolidate student loans at once. The next crucial step would have to be choosing the right lender from which to apply a student loan consolidation from. Nowadays, there are many lenders that offer you different loan consolidation programs, each with various requirements, interest rates, and etc.

Take into consideration some of the points discussed in this article if you want to choose the right lender . Although it is very important for you to compare student loan consolidation rates, you should also take into account some details in choosing a loan consolidation program and a lender.

Comparing School Loan Consolidation Rates

It's true. By consolidating your student loans, you could cut your student loan payments by up to 50% or more. This could mean big savings and thousands of dollars on the life of your loan. You could also be able to lock down a low and fixed interest rate for your monthly payments.

Inquire about the rates. When choosing a lender, you should ask them about the rates that they can give you. Usually, the interest rate on a consolidation loan is calculated by getting the weighted average of the interest rates (as of the date the application is received by the lender) on all the loans you are consolidating, rounded up to the nearest one-eight of a percent.

Other Things to Consider

Of course, there are other things to look into. It will also be wise if you ask your lender to figure out your monthly payments and how long it would take for you to fully pay the total loan balance. Also, you should try asking about incentives, like additional breaks on interest if you make your payments through automatic debits each month or if you consistently make on-time payments for a specific period of time.

Requirements

Lenders may ask for different requirements. There are some lenders that will require you to have a co-signor, some optional, and some do not require this at all. In lending companies that posts this as optional, having a co-signor with a good credit background will let you enjoy some benefits like lower interest rates.

There are some lenders who will ask for collateral, while there are others who don't. Some lenders also set a minimum balance policy, and the amount varies from one lender to another.

Application

You should look for a lender that offers easy application process. Now, there are some lenders that provide online application that can be accomplished in just a matter of minutes. The process is quick and all information released is kept confidential. After 15 minutes of submission, you will be immediately called by a customer service representative on the contact number that you provided.

Service

In the end, it's also about service. If you're comfortable and satisfied with your current lender's service, then you can just check with them to see if they offer loan consolidation. Either that, or you can check your school's financial aid offices for a list of preferred lenders who have provided tried-and-true working experience to former students.

These are the basic key points to consider. So if you are choosing a lender, compare student loan consolidation rates and other details.

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When buying a Jacksonville Condominiums

By A. Kim

If you are looking for no landscaping, affordable prices, and modern customized amenities, Jacksonville condominiums might be just the answer for you. The boom of the early 2000's have built many condos Southside of Jacksonville including Wolfcreek, Stonebride, Overlook, Point Meadows, and Campfield.

The living spaces can range from 1,050 to 1,500 square feet which is sufficient for families as well as those who are single or retired. During the heydays the demands were so strong, many of the apartments have been converted to condos causing glut of inventories in greater Jacksonville area.

To reduce the excess inventories of Jacksonville condominiums many of the condo developers have offered upgrades and deals that one can't pass by. The price ranges of these homes are $125,000 up to $300,000 low compared with early 2000's where many of them were priced twice what it is now. You can leverage the buyer's market to get a good deal on one of these condos.

One of the better market in Jacksonville is the luxury condo market, several luxurious condos have been completed in downtown Jacksonville. Some of these are Peninsula, The St. Johns, Berkman Plaza Two, and The Shipyard, which can be a good investment as well as luxurious living space for someone willing to pay the high prices. It cuts down on the commute time and is ideal for executives working on the Southside of Jacksonville Florida. They offer on site dray cleaning, restaurants, grocery shopping, and security.

There are plenty of things to do in Jacksonville to occupy your time. Water Sports and museums like Museum of Contemporary Art offers you and your family cultural lifestyle as well as fun during your free time.

Just spend a day of fun in the water or the parks, or just enjoy the nice sunny weather of Florida. Now is the right time before the market rebounds some time in near future.

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Painless Way To Save Hundreds of Tax Dollars

By K. Russell KA Russell

If you want to save money on your taxes it is of the utmost importance that you keep accurate records. And keeping good records will surely help you if you should ever be audited.

5 minutes a day...that's all it takes to save hundreds, perhaps thousands, of tax dollars and put money in YOUR pocket!

Recording your expenses in order to take the largest possible deduction on your income tax is not hard or time consuming.

Make the following a habit and you might be surprised how quickly little things add up to big tax savings and more money in your pocket!

Every little transaction should be posted in your Accounting Software. Spend just 5 minutes at the close of business everyday (or in the morning if that works for you) post the day's (or previous day's) receipts.

The following method will make certain that all your receipts have been posted.

Make a folder on your desktop labeled "Daily Receipts" For anything you purchase online, save a copy of that in your "Daily Receipts" file.

Cash receipts should be put in a folder on your desk.

Post these 2 files daily and it should only take you a couple of minutes.

After posting your receipts for the day file them on your hard drive in a file called "Tax Back Up Files"

To keep up with your receipts it's easier to file them by month in your "Tax Backup File"

You will want to back up these files at least monthly on a CD or DVD to keep with your year-end tax information.

For your "hard copy" receipts keep monthly envelops to file "posted" receipts in.

That's it! Receipts are posted, filed and will in all probability never be needed again.

Get in the habit of collecting a receipt for everything you do!

By not posting a lot of small receipts you are losing tax dollars. If you go get copies, do you get a receipt even if it's only 50 cents? If you do not and it is not posted in your accounting software then most definitely you are over paying your taxes. Small amounts add up over the course of the year.

Regular and consistent record keeping will pay off for you at tax time guaranteed!

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Some Things You Need To Know About How To File Bankruptcy

By Michael Geoffrey

It is not always easy to file for bankruptcy, which in many instances, is something that does not go down too well with a person though realizing that the law does offer you protection in case you do file for bankruptcy will certainly make things a little more palatable for you. So, before you go out and decide to file bankruptcy, there are certain things to take into consideration about how to file bankruptcy.

Remember that bankruptcy should only be turned to as an absolute last option. This is because bankruptcy will affect your credit in a seriously bad way for up to ten years.

Different Types of Bankruptcy

If you have come to the conclusion that you will have to file for bankruptcy, you will need to determine which of two types of bankruptcy to file under. Which you choose will affect how you file as well as what happens as a result of your filing.

Most individuals who claim bankruptcy choose to do so under chapter 7 bankruptcy. Some people who would like to file under chapter 7 are not able to due to BAPCPA. This forces some people to file under chapter 13 bankruptcy whether they like it or not.

It is also important to do thorough investigation on the various aspects of bankruptcy if you are seriously contemplating filing. Even though it might not be the most appealing choice, hiring a legal professional to assist you in the bankruptcy process may help you handle things in the best possible way. You should also investigate which lawyer or law firm you want to work with before making a choice.

After deciding which lawyer you are going to be working in conjunction with, speak with them about which chapter bankruptcy is right for you to file under. You need to know exactly what costs will be involved in your claiming bankruptcy. Besides the fees your lawyer will charge you, you will incur fees and charges related to the filing process.

Once you have spoken with your lawyer, make sure that all of your creditors understand that you have hired legal counsel and that their calls and questions should be directed to your attorney. This will prevent any creditors from getting in touch with you regarding debt after you file for bankruptcy.

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You Can Implement your own Credit Repair

By Rob Kosberg

You have reached the point in your life that you realize that you need to make some drastic changes in how you manage your spending and credit before you reach the point of no return. You do not want to rush into "debt consolidation" or use a home equity loan. You need to have a plan that is worked out very carefully.

You will start by collecting all your credit reports, bill payment statements, and credit card statements, mortgage and insurance records. Locate debt worksheets on the internet to help you work. All of these steps will be taking place at the same time.

Make sure your credit reports are accurate. This may involve some written communications with one or the other of the three major credit bureaus. Be persistent.

Put in writing all of your financial obligations. You will be particularly concerned with credit cards and perhaps small loans. List the cards with highest to lowest interest rates in order, and the minimum payment for each card.

Now need to know your DISPOSABLE AND DISCRETIONARY INCOME. These "d" words are significant for your plan. Disposable income is the amount of money that comes out of your salary to cover necessary obligations like mortgage, food, utilities, insurance, car, credit cards. Subtract total disposable income from salary, you have discretionary income, the amount to be applied to debt.

Determine which credit cards and loans you can pay down in order. For the first on the list, pay as much over minimum as possible. Pay minimum on the others. When the first is completed, apply that payment to the next in line and so on. This will be an ongoing money management strategy for a long time.

Commitment is definitely needed when you take on this major project. You will have to change your lifestyle. You have to stop living above your means. There will be no more unnecessary spending. Buy only essentials, eat at home, find alternatives to travel. The BIG MUST IS STOP CHARGING.

This situation didn't happen overnight and it won't improve overnight. Is it worth it? This is your financial life. You are the one who has to save it.

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