exQUIZZme !

It happens at all hours of the day and night, people are there, and then suddenly gone. Some leave behind evidence of what happened, but most do not. Take the case of Jerry Strege for example. Jerry’s father couldn’t figure out why his son wasn’t answering the phone, so he went to his apartment. When his father arrived, the door was unlocked, the lights and the TV were on and Jerry’s belongings, wallet, keys and cell phone were still there. Even both cars were still in the garage. What his father didn’t find were any signs of foul play – no blood, no evidence of a struggle and nothing missing. That was in October of 2002 and no one has seen or heard from Jerry since. But did Jerry simply walk away from his life and start fresh somewhere else? Not likely, according to his friends. He was looking forward to an amateur golf tournament the next weekend.

In 2001, 840,279 adults and children were reported missing and entered into the FBI’s National Crime Information Center. Nearly a million people lost in the United States in one year? Where are these people and why aren’t we hearing more about this very serious problem?

Perhaps the answer lies in the overwhelming statistics … there are so many, we’ve stopped actually hearing the missing people reports. We care, but what can we do? Unless it’s someone in our area, we can’t volunteer to search, there’s no point in putting more pressure on police and in a few days the press will drop the case and let us go back to our peaceful lives anyway. But wait, there is something we can do.

The Internet has a network of sites that help the families of missing people. Usually, these sites include posters that are easy to print out and all they ask of us, is to put those posters where people will see them. It’s a small price to pay. After all, the statistics show this could happen to us too.

Having a pre-approved mortgage will give you the confidence of knowing exactly what you can spend on a home before you start looking. You will also be protected against interest rate increases while you look for your new home.

Your Mortgage Specialist will answer your questions and help you determine which financing terms and options are right for you. Your Mortgage Specialist and Real Estate Professional work as a team to help you find the right home and select the best financing.

Finalizing Your Mortgage

Once you’ve found the home you want to purchase, there are some documents you’ll probably be asked for in order to finalize your financing. They will include:

1. A copy of the real estate listing of the property. If the home is still to be built, the mortgage lender will need to see the architect’s or builder’s plans and details on lot size and location.

2. A copy of the offer to purchase or the building contract, if this document has been prepared.

3. Documents to confirm employment, income and source of pre-approval.

If you have a pre-approved mortgage, it’s a simple matter of finalizing a few details which your Mortgage Specialist will explain to you.

I was reading the local paper and came across a picture of the cleanest garage I ever saw. In addition to a picture of the garage there was a picture of a gentlemen, in his late 60′s cleaning the cobwebs with an extension pole. I thought to myself I have never seen a garage so clean in my life. The accompanying article was discussing how this individual and another had painted and put cabinets in their garages, and how you could eat off this garage floor.

Now we have all seen those storage cabinets for garages, but how many of us ever get them and if we do, don’t we fill them up and then the garage goes back to looking like it did before we got them. Imagine if someone would come to your home, condo or townhouse and clean out, paint and organize that garage for you; and you would tell them how you want it done. I am not talking about those expensive ads we’ve all seen where they can come in and re-do your garage. Not many of us have thousands of dollars to spend on our garages. Read the rest of Where Business Ideas Come From »

A vacation can do wonders for reducing stress levels, but it can derail a healthy fitness regimen. Even some of the most die-hard exercisers find it difficult to stick with a workout program when away from home. Sure, many have good intentions. They may even pack their workout attire. Unfortunately, their gear never makes it out of the suitcase until they’re back home.

But travel from home doesn’t have to result in an interruption or complete abandonment of your healthy habits. You can still fit in exercise time when away from home, regardless of whether you find yourself in a warm or a cold climate. Even if bad weather forces you into seclusion in your hotel room, there are exercises you can complete without a single piece of equipment. Read the rest of Workouts That Travel »