Know The Loans

MILITARY TO CIVILIAN- OVERCOMING THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES A study released by the University of Southern California reported that nearly two-thirds of veterans have some degree of difficulty adjusting to civilian life and 70 percent don�t have a job secured prior to separation. Here are some things active duty and recently separated personnel can do to ease the adjustment. First, plan ahead. If your discharge date is coming up on six months from now, it�s time to start your plan. It can be difficult for many to open and contribute to a savings account while on active duty, especially those in combat zones. If you haven�t started, go ahead and put back as much as you can from now until your separation date. If you already have a Thrift Savings Plan, contribute as much as you can and roll it over into an IRA after your discharge date. Make sure your listed home of record is in a state that offers significant support for newly discharged soldiers. In Texas, the Hazelwood Act provides up t...

WHY CHOOSE AN FHA MORTGAGE LOAN? As consumers who really don�t get a mortgage but just a few times in their entire lives, the differences between mortgage programs really may not seem that big of a deal. But there is a reason why there are different mortgage types and historically they provide financing solutions based upon an individual�s personal situation. That�s where an FHA mortgage loan comes into play. The FHA mortgage was first introduced in 1934 as Congress tried to bring some sense of normalcy when financing a home. Back then, banks could require a down payment as high as 30, 40 or even 50 percent and offer short term financing for just a few years which means the borrowers would have to either pay off the entire loan when it came due or refinance all over again. The Federal Housing Administration changed all that with universal guidelines that lenders could follow, not matter where the property was located. FHA is not a mortgage lender but instead is more of an insurance com...

5 End of Summer Vacations You Might Not Have Though Of Whether it just slipped by or the job took up too much time or for whatever reason, the summer vacation just didn�t happen this year. But it�s not too late. There�s still plenty of time and it�s this time of year when the traditional summer vacation spot has fewer tourists. So few that you�ll really be able to enjoy your visit even more. San Diego. Unless you�ve lived there, you probably don�t know about �June Gloom� in and around San Diego. June gloom is the name given to the low-hanging sea layer that shadows the sun. No sunny beaches in the height of summer and sometimes it�s actually a little cool. Come September however, the June gloom is gone and the sun is out once again. But this time with fewer beach goers. Philadelphia. Never been to the City of Brotherly Love? Philadelphia has some of the most museums, parks and historical attractions per capita than any other city in America. Lodging prices begin to go down come August ...

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN SHOPPING FOR A MANUFACTURED HOME LOAN Buying a manufactured home today isn�t what it used to be. The image of a metal cabin sitting on top of a parked trailer might be the initial vision of some but today the difference between a manufactured home and a traditional �stick built� home is barely noticeable. In fact, some might even have to be told the home is a manufactured one because at first glance it looks like any other. Yet even though there are cosmetic and construction differences, financing with a mortgage can take a little twist if the lender or bank isn�t familiar with loans used to buy manufactured housing. When someone visits a manufactured housing dealer they will also be introduced to a lender who specializes in manufactured homes. While this is certainly okay don�t allow yourself to be herded into some sort of �package deal� where you get some sort of a discount if you get the home at the same place you got the loan. Negotiate the price of the home s...

ROBOTS THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE You didn�t know you need robots in your life, did you? You don�t see any around your house, right? Maybe you�ve got a Roomba but that�s probably about it. But what you didn�t know is that robots are affecting your life right now making it easier and more efficient. How so? You know about the Roomba, right? There�s now a new floor robot that cleans and scrubs your tile floors. The unit, called the Scooba, wets, scrubs and squeegees your floors while you do, well, whatever else you want to do that�s not scrubbing floors. While your Scooba is cleaning your floors, put the Looj330 to work outside. Cleaning gutters is a messy, yet necessary job to channel the torrents of water from your roof and away from your home. Yet as leaves fall and collect dirt and debris, it�s time to hop on the ladder and begin scraping. But not with the Looj which automatically cleans your gutters for you. Here�s one for the cat-lovers. Litter boxes have been around for years and c...

THE FHA VS. CONVENTIONAL REFINANCE There are two primary types of mortgage loans for consumers to choose from today. Those two are loans that come with some sort of government-guarantee and ones that do not. Loans that do not have any government backing are called conventional loans underwritten to guidelines established by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. That�s the initial difference but when it�s time to refinance, there are some other differences as well and could very well impact your decision on which loan to take when first buying your home. The FHA loan is a government backed mortgage program. Should the loan ever go into default and the original lender approved the loan using proper FHA guidelines, the lender is compensated for the loss. This compensation is financed by two mortgage insurance premiums that accompany each FHA mortgage, an upfront mortgage insurance premium that is rolled into the loan amount and an annual premium paid in monthly installments. With a conventional loa...

7 WAYS TO GET YOUR KIDS OUTDOORS Okay, we can all probably remember spending plenty of time exploring the outdoors, whether it�s in the park, at the lake or at the baseball field. But today, too many kids aren�t taking advantage of the outdoors and too busy with their smartphone and iPads. Kids need exercise and interaction with one another but it�s getting increasingly difficult with all the distractions in our digitized society. Here are 10 things you can do to get your kid outside. And just in time for fall, who can remember the fun of jumping into a pile of leaves? Yep, this is still in the top 10 and you probably don�t even have to suggest it. Instead, your kids can�t wait for you to quit raking the leaves so they can destroy the pile you just made. Have them take turns raking and creating a new pile. Take some small toys or figurines and plant them in the backyard, buried a couple of inches below the surface. Make your own �treasure map� and hand them a spade or large spoon and t...