Real Estate Agents and Zillow - On the Importance to Stay Competitive in the Information Age

Journalists and real estate experts have been debating about Zillow, the new brainchild of Richard Barton, and its impact on the real estate industry. Even if Zillow is not as revolutionary as many had anticipated - for better or for worse - it is the latest evidence of how eager people are for information. So eager that the Web site crashed the day it launched because it received 300,000 page viewsmore than the server could handle.

The Internet has changed the way people access all kinds of information because it empowers them with data that was previously only available to specialists and professionals.

The real estate industry is not exempt from these changes. However, instead of being overwhelmed by new technologies, real estate agents have been using them to stay competitive. In a 2002 survey, the NAR found that 63 percent of Realtors have either a personal Web site or space for their own Web pages on their brokerage’s Web site. Furthermore, 94 percent of the survey’s respondents said they use e-mail to communicate with their clients.

But Zillow goes a long way in providing people with valuable information - although some might argue about the accuracy of some of it. Everyone can now do a home appraisal by using a tool called “Zestimate.” People can also look at the price change or the tax information of a particular property.

In the face of the “Zillow threat” the question is whether real estate agents and brokers are going to keep the upper hand in their business, or whether they are doomed to loose it to some newcomer.
In an interview with the New York Observer, Dottie Herman, chief executive of the New York brokerage Prudential Douglas Elliman, talked about Zillow and other real estate search engines on the rise. “There is no reason any of these sites should exist,” Herman said. “We should never have had that competition, because we should have had it on our sites. We should have done it a long time ago.”

Whether or not Zillow succeeds, its very existence should come as a reminder to real estate agents that consumer behavior continues to change because of the Internet. To stay competitive in the information age, professionals in the real estate industry need to provide the same kind of tools on their Web sites as those found on Zillow and other online competitors.

Kris Beldin is a PR coordinator for 10x Media, a marketing solutions company.
Estatblished in 2003, 10x Media has expanded its online presence through consumer information networks Inside Real Estate, Inside Finances and Grab Real Estate which contain thousands of pages for city and state specific real estate information across the nation.

Chosing to Buy Between Different Types of Ladders

There are many different types of ladders available for all your
construction and home needs. When you’re in the market for a new
ladder you need to look at all the options available to you
before you determine just what type of ladder will work best for
your purposes. If you need a ladder for a job that you only
think you’re going to be doing once, you may want to think about
hiring a lift company to do the work for you.

One of the most common and versatile ladders on the market is a
step ladder called a “platform” step ladder. This type of ladder
will give you a great solid base for working from while at the
same time giving a platform upon which you can lay your tools
and other equipment. You’ll be able to adjust the height of the
ladder so that you can adequately work on the job without
bending lower or stretching higher. The steps on this ladder are
very strong and solid, making it easy for you to climb up and
down with tools in your hands. When you’re not using the
platform step ladder it folds up neatly and can be easily stored.

Another ladder that is very common for those people working in
the construction industry is the combination ladder. The
combination ladder has the functions of a step ladder, a stair
ladder, and an extension ladder all in one. When this ladder is
being stored it folds down much like the platform step ladder
and is easily stored and put away. With three functions in one,
the combination ladder is almost expendable on any job site
since it eliminates the need to have three different types of
ladders in your inventory. Still another ladder that also serves
more than one function is the extension ladder, which is great
for working at higher heights. All three of these ladders will
make your construction jobs much more flexible and easier to
manage.

Mediterraneo by Marc Antoine: Smooth Jazz CD Review

The very talented Spanish guitar playing Marc Antoine has once again created some of the worlds most beautiful music with the release of his latest CD, Mediterraneo.

Antoine, now clearly on a roll, has developed himself into one of those rare musicians who upon hearing them gives you the impression that he is in total command of his instrument. Causing it to perform in a way that no one else can, or would dare try to duplicate.

I have myself been a big Marc Antoine fan for a few years now but this is by far the most awesome, creative and inspiring work he has produced.

It is an excellent smooth jazz CD and just about the only thing playing in my CD player these days. Listening to it over and over again, I’m finding there’s always something I failed to hear the first, second, third… tenth time.

Mediterraneo is a gem of a CD in that there are literally no wasted tracks. Each one is a masterpiece.

There is just something about GOOD Spanish guitar that engages your imagination and transports you to new and exotic locations. Not to mention the grand smile that it produces. I guess what I’m saying is it generates happy music.

Overall Mediterraneo is smile producing stuff. What I call, must have music. I give it two thumbs up.

Even the casual smooth jazz fan will appreciate and enjoy Antoine’s very nice chord changes, and good mix of styles.

The standout tunes are Funky Picante [track 2], Mediterraneo [track 3], and Senor Groove [track 7]. My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore […as in “Stuck On REpeat”] is track 9, Lady. Very nice!

Release Notes:

This CD was originally released September 23, 2003 on the Rendezvous record label.

CD track list follows:

1. Cuba Nova
2. Funky Picante
3. Mediterraneo
4. Preludio
5. Castellana Hood
6. Afromenco
7. Senor Groove
8. Gotham
9. Lady
10. Gringo
11. Alejandro’s Lullaby

To hear samples of each song on this CD go to Marc Antoine CD - Mediterraneo [ www.smoothlee.com/music-samples/marc-antoine-mediterraneo.htm ]

Clyde Lee Dennis, a.k.a. “SmoothLee” has been bumping around on the web since 1999 and is a self described “Web Head, and Life long AVID music fan”. Smooth Jazz Music in particular. In addition to writing CD Reviews for I Love Smooth Jazz.com he is also the Program Director, and can be heard during his daily radio show which airs on one of the internets most listened to smooth jazz radio stations, Smooth Jazz 24/7

Credit Cards: Top 7 Mistakes That Card Holders Make

You need to manage your credit cards wisely. Otherwise, you may
end up in financial trouble. Unfortunately, there are many who
don’t realise that they may be making huge mistakes with the use
of their credit cards. Here are top 7 credit card mistakes that
card holders make:

1. Paying Just the Minimum Sum. The minimum sum is just an
amount that you must pay back each month to avoid defaulting on
the debt. If you pay just the minimum sum, the rest of your
outstanding is subject to interest computations. Always pay back
more than the minimum sum or make full payments to avoid credit
card debt.

2. Making Late Payments. If you don’t set up any kind of
automatic debit payment from your bank account, then it can be
tempting to just put your credit card bill aside and get to it
when you have time. Before you know it, a few weeks have gone by
and you’re late. If you leave it to the deadline, you may find
that the payment won’t get there quickly enough.

Paying late is a big mistake for an awful lot of reasons. You
will almost certainly be charged a late payment fee, and your
late payment will go on your credit report. You may also find
that you lose any good rate you had or any preferential rates
that you may in the future receive.

To avoid late payment, you should always post your payment a
long time before the due date (at least a week). If you’ve left
it to the last minute, phone up and try to pay that way.

3.Being deceived by Offers from Credit Card Companies. It is
never, ever worth getting a higher-interest card simply because
it offers some kind of loyalty points, flight miles or whatever.
Even if it offers a cash reward, it is unlikely to be more than
you would pay in extra interest - after all, why would they give
you free money?

4. Collecting Cards. Some think it looks good on them to have a
wallet choked full of credit cards. Especially if the wallet is
packed with gold and platinum ones. But envy not! These card
holders may well in a situation of having to keep track of all
the different cards, balances and interest rates.

In fact, you should limit yourself to a maximum of three cards
at a time. Any more starts to make you look over-committed in
your credit report, and could get you turned down for a bigger
loan.

5. Charging More to Earn More Points. The credit card companies
are clever in rewarding you with more bonus and loyalty points
if you charge more during a promotion period or a holiday
season. You may end up with shopping that you don’t need just so
as to earn more points. If you can well afford all your
purchases, fine! But if not, you may be in for a massive
headache when your bill comes!

6. Using Your Credit Limits to the Max. Your limit is a maximum
limit; not a minimum one! Whatever you do, don’t get a card and
immediately spend your whole limit. This looks very bad. It is
better to spend about halfway regularly and pay it back.

7. Not Reading the Terms and Conditions. Finally, as ever, don’t
sign anything you haven’t read! I know it can be tough to read
all the fine print but if you do not know what you are getting
into, then you shouldn’t get the card. Pay special attention to
any future increases in rates, and what kind of fees you can be
charged.

How to Get Customers for Free

There’s no shortage of ways to spend money promoting your online shop - and certainly no shortage of people willing to take your money! However, search engines can be sending you qualified customers all day every day. How do you get a piece of this traffic? It’s estimated that 70% of people stop at the first 10 results in most search engines and over 90% don’t go beyond the first 30. If your shop isn’t in the top of the search results, you’re missing out. We’ll go through the five steps to getting you higher in the search engine rankings.

Choose the right keywords
You need to decide which search term(s) you want to be top for. This might not be as obvious as you think. Firstly, you need to know what people are (and aren’t) searching for. Being the number 1 result for a search term no one uses is no
good. The Overture keyword selector tool can show you what people are searching for. Take some guesses as to what people are
looking for, try them out and see what the tool says - you might be surprised! Do a
Google search for a possible keyword. If, for example, you see 5,000,000 results returned you have to consider: can you beat 4,999,990 of them? You might be better off getting a number 1 position for a lesser keyword than a number 200 for a big one.
Be careful not to be too ambitious - that keyword with the most traffic might be
highly competitive in the search engines. If you are competing against a
multi-million dollar online shop you’re unlikely to win.

Make sure your site is search engine friendly
The goal here is to make sure the search engines like your shopping cart site. You might need some help from your techies with this.

• Create a sitemap pointing to all your pages, or all your key pages. This helps the search engines find all your pages.
• Include your keywords in your HTML title tags in all your key shopping cart pages.
• Include your keywords in a h1 tag.
• If your shopping cart or CMS uses session IDs in the URL, turn this off, or change to a different tool. You can usually tell if you have this turned on if you URL looks like http://www.widgets.com/products/page.php?product=2329&session=29dha9198yfka8129fnv0. The big long session number is the dangerous part.
• Make your HTML code clean & validated - most search engines prefer this.
• Make sure your keywords are included in the copy on your site.

Some shopping carts such as Erol or osCommerce (with an add on module) provide excellent search engine optimization tools.

Get links
It’s no secret - most search engines love sites that have lots of links pointing at them. Get your customers & suppliers to link to you. This is the single most important thing you can do. There are companies that specialize in
helping you get links - look them up if it’s important to you.

Watch your traffic
If your web host provides you with web statistics, then check them closely. Probably the most popular web statistics software is AWStats. This provides information on what people are searching for when they arrive at your site. This data is gold. Find out what people are looking for, and make sure that they can get it - easily!

Content, content and more content
Search engines love content - the more content the better. Detailed product descriptions, articles relevant to your product line, whatever, the search engines love it. So start writing, it’s not as hard as it looks!

Lastly, be patient. Search engines operate in their own time and results can
take months to show. If this is an important area for you, consider enlisting a
professional which can save you a lot of time. However, there is a lot of
helpful resources and if you want to do the work yourself, roll up your sleeves,
work hard and watch the customers pour in every day.

Mark Baartse is the
founder of Shopping Cart Reviews,
the webs most comprehensive Shopping Cart information site.

The Sheep Syndrome

Man has this amazing ability to copy, to follow, to be led or he
has a driving wish to be exactly the same as those around him.
It is called the sheep syndrome. The next door neighbors have
just got a ten speed lawnmower ….. all the kids at school have
one……the dot.com bubble …………. fashionable/trendy ……….I want to
be the same ……..and so on down the trail!

An immense example of misplaced sheep syndrome is the current
British mind set of buying of property in another country.
Millions of middle-class and average people have given over
their life savings in return for a square piece of land with a
debatable construction sitting on it, in Spain, in Cyprus,
Florida, et al! Not only have they handed over all that they
have ever had but given it in return for something that lies a
thousand miles away and that once the excitement has worn off
will become a costly burden that is visited only twice a year,
if that! Yet, it is fashionable; it is the ’sensible’ thing to
do, to buy some property in rural Turkey, just like the
neighbors have bought. It is profitable to buy a three
bed-roomed house in Florida, because the brochure said we could
rent it back out when we don’t use it! The agent said that the
price is inclusive ………and so it goes on, each prospective buyer
convinced that it is a wise thing to do in life and nobody
saying otherwise because it is the trend, the sheep syndrome in
action!

Another large example of man following man was the YK2 period of
disaster prediction! Somebody casually observed that computer
clocks might not cope with the change over to the new millennium
because nobody had thought about it before, despite the fact
that it was only a couple of years away! So what happened was a
mad panic and had somebody said ‘boo’ in a rather large voice
stampedes would have occurred, cities would have evacuated
themselves and wars would have started. But what happened was
that rumors and counter rumors spread like wildfire, rivers of
possible scary scenarios ricocheted around the world and the
public became so infused with impending disaster they just
didn’t know which way to turn.

At least four years before the turn of the century the process
of panic indoctrination started and people rapidly became
suffused with fear. The US government set up a command center at
an initial cost of 50 million dollars to cope with the impending
crisis and throughout it all computer geeks and companies made
fortunes as they set up Y2K software companies and became solemn
experts on the subject! Billions of Dollars, Pounds, Dong, etc.
was spent on new equipment that had stickers plastered all over
them that read, “I am Y2K compliant”, and power station night
security guards lied without embarrassment to have their night
off starting on the 31st December!

Planes were going to fall out of the sky at midnight. Russian
missiles were going to arm themselves, to shoot across the
oceans and to land in the middle of Sunset Boulevard! And lights
would just switch off, water would stop coming out of the taps
and bank machines would never again issue another note simply
because the big hand could not quite get past the top of the
hour!

The end of the world is nigh.

When the actual turning point came, nothing astounding or
untoward happened! Planes did not collide in mid-air, nuclear
explosions from the local power station did not light up the
night skies and little aliens with green heads did not land to
take over the world! The only real tremors and aftershocks felt
were a direct result of the panic build-up of previous. Those
who had stockpiled food in their underground bunkers had year’s
worth of baked beans to work through; those who had stockpiled
goods suddenly found out that their life savings were now
invested in a worthless pile of batteries, torches and gas lamps
that nobody really wanted anymore. Banks had problems on Monday
morning as customers queued up to re-open closed accounts (money
withdrawn because banks vaults would never open again) and
portable bunker rental firms found it difficult to cope as their
goods were returned in quick order!

All the sheep should have felt very sheepish indeed but true to
form, and because everybody was in the same boat they just found
other sheep trails to follow.

The sheep syndrome is very much a deep rooted fear of being
different, of being the odd man out, to be an outcast of a
certain group whether it is social, work or family! This fear is
ingrained from birth, so deeply that for most the knowledge of
its existence is not known. For most people the eagerness to be
the same, to be an active and popular member of a group
overrides any thought as to why they really want this and thus
the fear is pushed and kept far away and dusty in the nether
regions of the mind. From the day that we are born the
conditioning starts. Parents give to their children what other
children of that age group have, for these children in turn to
want what those other children have and in time to give their
very own offspring what they feel that they should have. As
humans we tend to operate and guide ourselves through the maze
of life by copying, following and fitting in, our sole guide
being what is around us. We tend not to step outside of the
circle that we are in, we tend not to think alone or to act
differently because of that simple deep rooted fear of being
cast aside or ignored.

In some limited cases people are perceived by others to be
different. Neighbors may huddle and talk about the family that
lives at No29 because they just don’t fit in with the street as
a whole. But the family at No29 has another agenda to follow,
they forsake the ’street’ circle for another social or work
group to which they will fit in very well and will thus be
sheep, tied to that group for their ideologies and trends.

There is a debatable 1% of society that manages to be different
and for them life is not so easy. The man who decides that he
doesn’t want to drive a car, yet works as a car mechanic might
be viewed as weird by the rest of the world. He would also find
it totally impossible to find suitable employment in that field
even though he is the best mechanic available. He just doesn’t
conform. The pregnant mother who tells the hospital staff that
she doesn’t want a scan of her infant will be talked about in
hushed whispers by the nurses and doctors, treated at a distance
simply because she does not want that which is prescribed by an
establishment. But researching these acts of stand alone
behavior may at first glance seem worthy but deep down the sheep
syndrome will rear its ugly head. The mechanic who refuses to
drive might be an outcast amongst all other mechanics, with his
wife, neighbors, etc. but he will probably be a sheep of another
social group. He might be a member of the local cycling club, a
member of Greenpeace or the anti-car society! The pregnant
mother who refuses the scan may not be so alone after all as
back home is a mother and family that fully supports her
decision.

True individualism is hard if not impossible to find. At first
glance little acts of transgression do surface especially
amongst those who can afford to be different, who have the power
or position to ward off the sneers and snide remarks that are
synonymous with stand-alone behavior. Pop stars, actors and
politicians. The singer who first smashed his guitar on stage
did something unusual, yet he left that stage and snorted drugs
and abused groupies just like the rest of his social group does.
The actress who first bared her breasts on screen stepped
outside of acceptable moral behavior, yet afterwards she
returned to her mansion and the party that she was hosting. The
conservative politician that dared to suggest that he liked to
buy organic food went home to his three-up two-down detached
house where his wife and 2.3 kids awaited his return.

Individualism takes courage even if it is only a minute
transgression away from that which is deemed acceptable. But
what is notable about the 1% of society who transgresses briefly
is that their small wayward behavior breeds in time to become
fully acceptable behavior. That one daring escapade on stage
with the guitar produced a horde of musicians queuing up at the
local shop to buy spare guitars and the actress who bared her
breasts soon found out that every other actress was romping
naked and that she had been left behind. Oh, and that politician
that had mentioned organic food soon found himself at the back
of a very large queue at the local organic greengrocers.

The true individual who does something that is far-and-away
outside of the normal, that is not a copycat of any social or
work group and that is unknown or just plain different finds
life very hard indeed. Words are bandied around like hermit or
recluse. Prodigal sons and black sheep flit around followed by
scowls and hushed words and the more different these people are
the harder they find it to exist. Generally everybody has to
follow or be part of a social group just to be able to survive
even if at the very least the group’s main existence is to be
different. Simply by joining the “be different group” its
members are conforming simply through agreeing to be different.

The only real individuals who are totally and independently
different are those who are dead or live in isolation wards at
the local mental hospital.

Gift Baskets - Bringing Joy On Special Occasions

Whenever you are stumped for ideas for a suitable gift for your friend or family, gift baskets are always a good choice, as gift baskets are a great way to show off your creative flair and thoughtfulness. The great thing about gift baskets is that almost any kind of gift items can be bundled together in the gift basket which otherwise would not be convenient giving as separate gifts.

There are many types of gift baskets you can choose from, such as the gourmet gift basket, holiday gift basket, baby gift basket, corporate gift basket, birthday gift basket and many more. You name an occasion and there is usually a gift basket available to fit that special occasion.

Gift baskets can be designed to suit anyone’s needs and styles, Take the example of a gourmet gift basket - this is a unique way to present a friend or a loved one with a delicious assortment of gourmet chocolates and nuts, coffee, tea and sweet drinks. Gourmet gift basket is not only a fun but also an affordable alternative to purchasing those individual gift items ready-made. Of course it is also quite easy designing and preparing your own gourmet gift basket. You need to give some thought to what kind of items the recipients would like and appreciate, what type of coffee, chocolates or nuts to include in the gourmet gift basket and how many of each.

Ready made gourmet gift baskets nowadays usually cater to all tastes, such as gift baskets with white, red or dessert wine along with yummy cookies, crackers, and chocolates and other mouth-watering items. Of course, gourmet gift baskets are not limited in just offering the above; gourmet gift baskets can also offer such favorites as chips, smoked salmon, gourmet sausages, cheese, jelly, savory breads etc. whatever you can think of. You can even offer a ready-made meal in a surprise gourmet wine gift offering, with grilled or cooked meats, salads, casseroles, fondues, pies, pastas, desserts accompanied with wine can instantly light up your evening.

You can also go for a baby gift basket, which undoubtedly will be well received by mothers or mom-to-be’s. These popular baby gift baskets come with baby clothing, towels, blankets, soap and shampoo for the new baby. Of course there are many kinds of baby toys that you can also include in your baby gift basket.

On special occasions such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or any other traditional holidays, you can delight your loved ones with wonderful holiday gift baskets. A holiday gift basket carries gift items that convey your best holiday wishes in the spirit of the special occasion. A gift basket of fresh flowers or sweet-smelling fruits will also be well received on any holiday by any person. Celebrate with a holiday gift basket no matter what the holiday is!

Short Term Debt Problems - Take Control

Short term debt problems are manageable problems associated with
temporary job loss, sickness, a large one off payment which may
leave you short for a month or two or you just have a lot of
small out of order debts, which you need to take control of.

Below are just a few things to take into consideration when
evaluating your credit situation.

Prioritise your Payments

Prioritizing your payments is a very important step. You must
choose the creditors that are most important to you e.g. your
mortgage payment and your utility companies.

Next are the credit cards and store cards which charge the most
interest, by paying off the cards with the most interest you can
reduce the amount of interest calculated on your next bill.

Try to clear some of the smaller bills first. Although it seems
like there is not a lot of interest amounts being paid on them,
it still adds up. Clearing some of your smaller debts gives you
encouragement to set to work on the others.

Transferring your credit card balance onto another card, with a
0% interest period is also a recommended action. This allows the
full monthly payment to be deducted from your balance, without
incurring any interest.

Always remember to pay off your debt with any available money
you may have at the end of each week/month. Doing so prevents
any arrears and a build-up of interest on credit cards and store
cards.

Can you improve?

Improving your situation is one of the best ways to acquire
extra money. Try to think of ways to maximize your full income
e.g. is it possible for you to work more overtime, can you claim
any benefits, and do you have anything of value to sell? Also
can you afford to cut back more? A drastic measure is to move to
a smaller house and pay less mortgage or less rent, however this
is a worst case scenario.

Contact your creditors

If you are experiencing money problems, do not be afraid to
contact your creditors as they will try to help you. Due to the
process the creditors have to go through to get money from you
if you do fall into serious money problems, it can work out
quite expensive to your creditors. Contacting them could lead to
negotiating a new payment plan.

Before contacting your creditors, make a comprehensive list of
all the outgoings and a realistic amount that you can pay each
month. After you have completed a list of out goings, make a
list of all creditors remembering to prioritize from most
important to least important. Upon completion of this list,
prepare a formal letter explaining your situation and proposing
your payment plan.

When you receive confirmation/acceptance of your proposed plan
(or something close to it) always keep your creditors informed
of your progress. This process is a long drawn out process and
you will have to prove to your creditors that you are struggling
with the upkeep of your payments.

Cut backs

You will be surprised on what you can save on when you cut back.
Make a list of all of your current out goings, this includes all
your shopping, hobbies, magazines, news papers, treats,
everything. When you have produced your list, take a look at it
and remove all essentials

>From this list also look at the brands of shopping you buy, you
can save money buy using a cheaper brand.

The items you have left on your list are obviously non essential
to you, therefore can be excluded from your weekly/monthly
expenditure. You will be surprised to see how much you can save
from this simple money saving technique. However you do have to
be tough on yourself when excluding non essential things, think
to yourself “do I really need it.”

Choose the best rates

If you still have a good credit score and still have the ability
to be accepted for a loan, then try switching your outstanding
credit to a new loan or credit card.

Search the internet, local papers and magazines, even keep an
eye on the adverts on your TV, there are hundreds of creditors
offering 0% interest on credit cards. Try doing the same for
loans too. It is very unlikely you will find a 0% interest loan,
however there a lot out there with rates from 5-9%.

Switching credit cards and loans will save you money on
increased interest rates. Look at the big picture over the long
term; you will save £100s on interest.

Consolidate through your mortgage

It is possible for you to consolidate your debt on to your
mortgage. However doing so does increase the interest you will
pay drastically. Imagine you have debts of £10,000 over a five
year period. You wish to add this to your mortgage over a period
of twenty years. The interest accumulated over five years will
be significantly less than the accumulated interest over twenty
years.

You must also be sure that the value of your property is
significantly more than the amount of your mortgage. Negative
equity on your home can lead to problems. Consolidate with a loan

Consolidate through a loan. Quite like putting all your eggs in
one basket so to speak. Then there are a few scenarios you may
want to consider:

* How much do I want to pay out? * Do I want to take the loan
over a shorter term and pay my debt back faster? * Do I want to
take my debt over a longer term, pay more interest but take a
lower payment? * Am I going to stick to the loan and not get
into more debt? If you are aware of these simple scenarios then
a consolidation loan is recommended. It is cheaper due to one
amount of interest paid instead of multiple amounts. Also you
will find your money easier to manage due to the one single
payment every month/week.

Do pay particular attention to the term of the loan you require,
it is better to pay the loan back sooner rather than later. Try
to find an amount you are comfortable with. It is easy to take
the lower payment over the longer term, which allows you to have
more expenditure. However, is this option a sensible one? More
interest, longer term, more to pay back. You would be better
with shorter term, less interest, less to pay back.

About the Author

Article supplied by Baymaster. For a complete and extensive
guide to debt consolidation, please visit our web site at
http://www.debtconsolidation.informatee.com

Credit Repair After Bankruptcy: Your Options

When it comes to credit repair after bankruptcy you have essentially three options:

1) Hire a credit repair company

2) Buy credit repair software

3) Do it yourself (free!)

Before we go further, for the purpose of this article “credit repair” means the removal of any inaccurate or obsolete negative information from your credit report - not the removal of accurate non-obsolete negative information from your credit report.

Okay, now that we’ve defined “credit repair”, let’s look at each of the three credit repair options in more detail:

1) Hire a credit repair agency.

You can hire a credit repair company, which usually costs a few hundred dollars or more. The advantage here is it saves you some time.

The downside to hiring a credit repair company is that it can be expensive as mentioned above, costing a few hundred dollars or more.

If you do decide to hire a credit repair company, choose one very carefully. Stay away from credit repair companies promising to delete accurate non-obsolete negative items from your credit report.

Why? Because even if the credit repair company gets lucky and does manage to remove any accurate non-obsolete negative items from your credit report it may only be temporary - the credit reporting agencies update their files on a regular basis, so any accurate non-obsolete negative item that was removed from your credit report can re-appear again in the future.

While we’re on the topic of “non-obsolete” versus “obsolete” negative information on your credit report, let’s look at how long negative information can remain on your credit report: Most negative items can remain on your credit report for up to seven years from the date they were included in your bankruptcy. A Chapter 7 bankruptcy can remain on your credit report for ten years from the date it was filed, while a Chapter 13 can remain on your report for seven years from the date it was filed.

2) Buy credit repair software

There are a number of credit repair software programs on the market today. This option is typically less expensive than a credit repair company because you are doing the work. It also saves you time from having to compose your own letters.

Here’s how most credit repair software works: You load it onto your computer, fill in the blanks with your information, and then print out the customized dispute letters the software creates.

The risk you run here is that the credit reporting agency may not investigate the dispute and respond by saying they believe your dispute is “frivolous and irrelevant”. Why? Because when they see any sort of form letter they may think you are using a credit repair company.

3) Do it yourself

This is usually your best option, and it’s free. You just need to know exactly what to do when it comes to credit repair. You can start by visiting each major credit reporting agency’s website and reading their instructions on how to dispute any inaccurate or obsolete negative information on your credit report. The three major credit reporting agencies are: Experian, Equifax, and Trans Union.

In addition, you can also pick up a book on credit repair. One word of warning though: Some books and courses encourage you to do illegal things: For example, creating a “new” identity. Stay away from these! Others are excellent resources when it comes to showing you how to remove inaccurate or obsolete negative items from your credit report.

If you have discharged or dismissed bankruptcy and want to repair your credit, there are some specific steps you need to take. I have seen very few credit repair books that even mention them. In After Bankruptcy Credit Solutions, I go into detail on each one.

For example, if you are applying for a home loan after bankruptcy, any inaccurate or obsolete negative information on your credit report can cost you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in extra interest - if it doesn’t prevent you from qualifying for a loan. There is a way that you can get these negative items on your credit report removed or updated in as little as 48 hours!

So now you know what options you have when it comes to credit repair. Bottom line: Doing it yourself is usually the best, and most inexpensive, option when it comes to credit repair after bankruptcy. It just takes an investment of time on your part - but it can be well worth the effort.

Remember, if you have a discharged or dismissed bankruptcy on your credit report there are some specific steps you need to take when it comes to credit repair. Keep this in mind if you choose the “do it yourself” option and plan to shop for a book on credit repair.

Copyright (c) 2006 Innovative Solutions Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

The company and product/service names referenced in this article are the trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. None of the owners have sponsored or endorsed this article.

DISCLAIMER:

This information is designed to provide only a general overview of the subject matter herein.

This information is provided with the understanding that neither the publisher nor author is engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services of a professional should be sought.

Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss or damages, including but not limited to special, consequential, incidental or other damages, caused by the information contained herein.

R. Lawrence Anderson is author of After Bankruptcy Credit Solutions, which shows individuals how to qualify for credit and loans after bankruptcy. For details visit: www.bankruptcy-credit-solutions.com

Pennies From Heaven

I want to share an experience I had in common as a child with Dr. Wayne Dyer, author of the bestselling book, The Power of Intention. I’ll bet many of you had similar experiences too.

As a little girl, I would always find money in the streets, pennies, quarters, dimes and sometimes large bills. I would be walking along and happen to look down at the ground or in the snow and there it would be. I would easily find ways to earn money by babysitting, selling unusual things to other kids, collecting pop bottles — they seemed to be everywhere in those days - easy, quick cash for a child. I was a young artist also and always had offers from adults for my paintings and drawings.

Was I just lucky? Coincidence? No, I strongly believe it was because of my state of mind regarding abundance, even as a child. I simply didn’t have a belief in lack even when I knew my parents didn’t intend on giving me an allowance. I just knew I could always get money in other ways. I believe all, if not most children naturally believe in abundance until they are programmed to think and believe differently.

I watched Dr. Wayne Dyer on television when he lectured on PBS in the recent past. He shared his experiences as a child about how he would naturally attract abundance wherever he went. He was raised in foster homes surrounded by people with a poverty consciousness. In spite of that, he still “felt” prosperous and abundant and always “pictured” having money in his pocket. With this image, he then would collect pop bottles, deliver newspapers, cut lawns, etc. These money-making opportunities were coming to him all of the time as a result of his abundance or prosperity consciousness. So as a child, he always had money and abundance and that has continued throughout his life.

Here is one of many things Dr. Dyer has to say about abundance:

“It’s all about having an inner picture of abundance, thinking in unlimited ways, being open to the guidance that intention provides when you’re in a state of rapport with it — then being in a state of ecstatic gratitude and awe for how this whole thing works. Every time I see a coin on the street, I stop, pick it up, put it into my pocket, and say out loud, “Thank you, God, for this symbol of abundance that keeps flowing into my life.” Never once have I asked, “Why only a penny, God? You know I need a lot more than that.”

I agree totally about being in this state of gratitude and I too will joyfully thank God/All That Is/Universe for any amount of money I may find, even if it is a penny. What happens is that more money and abundance will continue to flow into my life, as long as that flow remains open and unblocked.

The other day, for example, I parked and as I got out of my car, I noticed a large pile of coins on the ground - pennies, quarters, dimes and nickels. It made me laugh in appreciation for this rather obvious abundance symbol! I thanked God for showing me that my prosperity consciousness was still going strong.

Try this the next time you see a penny or more in the street. Rather than step over it and keep on walking, see it for what it is, a symbol of abundance that just flowed into your life. Know that picking it up and expressing gratitude will keep that flow of energy open and flowing in your direction. Soon you will see more and more symbols of abundance and prosperity in your life. It really works!

© 2005 Chyrene Pendleton

Chyrene Pendleton, Metaphysician, Numerologist, Dowser, teaches several workshops on topics including prosperity and abundance, numerology and dowsing. Her articles have been featured in many mainstream and spiritual journals over the years and in her free, online Ezine called, The Isle of Light.

Chyrene is the owner of The Isle of Light Inc., a spiritual, metaphysical online spiritual center dedicated to assisting all to become more empowered and enlightened in a wide variety of ways. She is a certified television show producer and co-produced and hosted The Isle of Light television talk show in Denver, Colorado, which continues to air biweekly. Chyrene is also the producer and host of The Isle of Light Internet radio talk show which airs 24 hours each day at Live365.

Chyrene Pendleton’s websites can be found at: The Isle Of Light http://www.theisleoflight.com

Internet Radio Talk Show http://www.live365.com/stations/avalon22

Prosperity is a State of Mind http://theisleoflight.blogspot.com