My neighbors' home is purple! -- The benefits of a Homeowners' Association (7 to 1)

An HOA provides people with shared neighborhood values an opportunity to enforce regulations, consistent with overriding statutory constraints, to achieve a community representative of such values. In doing so, an HOA inherently restricts the freedoms that would otherwise exist for its members based on municipal codes. For instance, a degree of conformity is often required in exterior appearance of single family homes and there are often time limits and/or restrictions to activities generating noise. There are pre-existing rules in the form of CC&Rs and bylaws that a buyer has a right and an obligation to view before entering such a community, that also prescribe methods for modification of these regulations. These bylaws are largely limited in various degrees by state laws, with some overriding federal judicial or statutory limits. For instance, based on a Supreme Court decision, no HOA can prohibit signs advocating political positions, however, such signs may be limited to private property display and may not be displayed in common areas. On the other hand, HOAs do have authority to prohibit the display of commercial signs, both on community property, private property and often on private vehicles. In every association, board members and officers are chosen by election from its property owner-members, with the ability in some states for the membership to remove board members even during term.

Many homeowners' associations include management of a community's recreational amenities, maintained for exclusive use of its members. This can allow an individual homeowner access to a maintained pool, clubhouse, gym, tennis court or walking trail that they may not be able to otherwise afford or desire to maintain on their own. Each member of a homeowners' association pays assessments that are used to cover the expenses of the community at large. Some examples are landscaping for the common areas, maintenance and upkeep of community amenities, insurance for commonly-owned structures and areas, mailing costs for newsletters and other correspondence, employment of a management company or on-site manager, security personnel and gate maintenance, and any other item delineated in the governing documents or agreed to by the Board of Directors.

While many criticisms of HOAs are made, everyone living under the jurisdiction of such a governing body has made a decision to do so, and many are happy to have the governing body in place to enforce shared values and community standards. A survey by Zogby International showed that for every one owner-member who rated the overall experience of living in a community association as negative, seven rated the experience as positive.

Coutesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeowners%27_association

Finally making the cash --- How do I become wealthy?

Nine Truths That Can Set You on the Path to Financial Freedom

#1: Change the Way You Think About Money
The general population has a love / hate relationship with wealth. They resent those who have it, but spend their entire lives attempting to get it for themselves. The reason a vast majority of people never accumulate a substantial nest egg is because they don't understand the nature of money or how it works.
Cash, like a person, is a living thing. When you wake up in the morning and go to work, you are selling a product - yourself (or more specifically, your labor). When you realize that every morning your assets wake up and have the same potential to work as you do, you unlock a powerful key in your life. Each dollar you save is like an employee. Over the course of time, the goal is to make your employees work hard, and eventually, they will make enough money to hire more workers (cash).
When you have become truly successful, you no longer have to sell your own labor, but can live off of the labor of your assets.
#2: Develop an Understanding of the Power of Small Amounts
The biggest mistake most people make is that they think they have to start with an entire Napoleon-like army. They suffer from the "not enough" mentality; namely that if they aren't making $1,000 or $5,000 investments at a time, they will never become rich. What these people don't realize is that entire armies are built one soldier at a time; so too is their financial arsenal.
A friend of mine once knew a woman who worked as a dishwasher and made her purses out of used liquid detergent bottles. This woman invested and saved everything she had despite it never being more than a few dollars at a time. Now, her portfolio is worth millions upon millions of dollars, all of which was built upon small investments. I am not suggesting you become this frugal, but the lesson is still a valuable one. Do not despise the day of small beginnings!
#3: With Each Dollar You Save, You Are Buying Yourself Freedom
When you put it in these terms, you see how spending $20 here and $40 there can make a huge difference in the long run. Since money has the ability to work in your place, the more of it you employ, the faster and larger it will grow. Along with more money comes more freedom - the freedom to stay home with your kids, the freedom to retire and travel around the world, or the freedom to quit your job. If you have any source of income, it is possible for you to start building wealth today. It may only be $5 or $10 at a time, but each of those investments is a stone in the foundation of your financial freedom.
#4: You Are Responsible for Where You Are in Your Life
Years ago, a friend told me she didn't want to invest in stocks because she "didn't want to wait ten years to be rich..." she would rather enjoy her money now. The folly with this school of thinking is that the odds are, you are going to be alive in ten years. The question is whether or not you will be better off when you arrive there. Where you are right now is the sum total of the decisions you have made in the past. Why not set the stage for your life in the future right now?
#5: Instead of Buying the Product... Buy the Stock!
Someone once asked me why they weren't wealthy. They always felt like they were putting money aside, yet never seemed to get any further ahead. The answer is simple. I told them to stop buying the products companies sell and start buying the company itself! A survey of America's affluent (those who make over $225,000 a year or own $3,000,000 in assets) revealed that 27-30% of all the income the wealthy earned went into investments and savings. That isn't a result of being rich, that is why they are rich. When the pain of getting out of the bondage of financial slavery is greater than the pain of changing your spending habits, you will become rich. Either change, or be content to live as you are.
#6: Study and Admire Success and Those Who Have Achieved It... Then Emulate It
A very wise investor once said to pick the traits you admire and dislike the most about your heroes, then do everything in your power to develop the traits you like and reject the ones you don't. Mold yourself into who you want to become. You'll find that by investing in yourself first, money will begin to flow into your life. Success and wealth beget success and wealth. You have to purchase your way into that cycle, and you do so by building your army one soldier at a time and putting your money to work for you.
#7: Realize that More Money is Not the Answer
More money is not going to solve your problem. Money is a magnifying glass; it will accelerate and bring to light your true habits.
If you are not capable of handling a job paying $18,000 a year, the worst possible thing that could happen to you is for you to earn six figures. It would destroy you. I have met too many people earning $100,000 a year who are living from paycheck to paycheck and don't understand why it is happening. The problem isn't the size of their checkbook, it is the way in which they were taught to use money.
#8: Unless Your Parents Were Wealthy, Don't Do What They Did
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. If your parents were not living the life you want to live then don't do what they did! You must break away from the mentality of past generations if you want to have a different lifestyle than they had.
To achieve the financial freedom and success that your family may or may not have had, you have to do two things. First, make a firm commitment to get out of debt. To find out which debts should be paid off before you invest and those that are acceptable, read Pay Off Your Debt or Invest?. Second, make saving and investing the highest financial priority in your life; one technique is to pay yourself first.
Purchasing equity is vital to your financial success as an individual whether you are in need of cash income or desire long-term appreciation in stock value. Nowhere else can your money do as much for you as when you use it to invest in a business that has wonderful long-term prospects.
#9: Don't Worry
The miracle of life is that it doesn't matter so much where you are, it matters where you are going. Once you have made the choice to take control back of your life by building up your net worth, don't give a second thought to the "what ifs". Every moment that goes by, you are growing closer and closer to your ultimate goal - control and freedom.
Every dollar that passes through your hands is a seed to your financial future. Rest assured, if you are diligent and responsible, financial prosperity is an inevitability. The day will come when you make your last payment on your car, your house, or whatever else it is you owe. Until then, enjoy the process.

Article Courtesy of
How to Become Wealthy
From Joshua Kennon,Your Guide to Investing for Beginners.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

So you have burned your credit -- Bad Credit Refinance

What makes a bad credit refinance different from a regular refinance loan?
A bad credit refinance will typically have a much higher interest rate (2-6% depending on the borrower's credit) than a loan for someone with excellent credit.
People typically do a bad credit refinance for one of the following reasons:
1. Bad credit refinance to consolidate bills. Someone who has high balances on several high interest rate credit cards, car loans or other forms of installment debt. A bad credit refinance loan with an interest rate of 12% is still better than paying 21% on multiple credit cards. Since the loan for a bad credit refinance is spread out over 30 years, the monthly payment for the loan (even at the higher interest rate) would still be lower than the total of all of the individual monthly debt payments.
2. Bad credit refinance to get a lower mortgage rate. A person may have decided 2 years ago to get a mortgage after filing a recent bankruptcy. The interest rate on this loan is likely to have been extremely high. After making some improvements to his/her credit, the borrower may try to get a new bad credit refinance in an effort to get a lower interest rate than they are paying on the current loan. If a person was paying 13% interest, a 10% interest rate could help lower the monthly payment and cut interest costs dramatically.

Lender fees for a bad credit refinance will also be higher. Keep in mind however, if you consistently make your payments on time for two (2) consecutive years for a bad credit refinance and take continued steps to improve your credit, you should be able to refinance into a much lower interest rate.

Bad credit refinance information brought to you by LocalLender.Info

How do you get someone else to pay your downpayment? ----to buy a home!

1. Are you tired of paying your landlord every month so that he continues to build his assets and you have nothing to show for it other than a rent bill?
2. Do you want to have a safe environment for your children to grow up in?
3. Are you looking to become part of a community where you and your family can begin to build fond memories?
4. Did you think you’d have to wait until you saved enough money to buy a home?
5. Have you always wanted to own a home?
6. Are you looking to buy a bigger home?
7. Have you maintained decent credit especially with your mortgage or rent payments?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then you probably have what it takes to own your own home.

If you are looking to buy in the city of Atlanta, this is the place to start.

(click here)
"HOME ATLANTA MORTGAGE PROGRAM"

Homeownership (...but I have little cash and not so good credit) exploring a Lease-Purchase Agreement

The lease-purchase offers homeownership opportunities to consumers with little cash and/or poor credit, who are prepared to bet on themselves. The bet is that before the option period expires, they will qualify for the mortgage they need to exercise the purchase option. During the option period, they have the opportunity to rebuild their credit and accumulate equity while living in the house.
A lease-to-own house purchase (also "rent-to-own purchase" or "lease purchase") is a lease combined with an option to purchase the property within a specified period, usually 3 years or less, at an agreed-upon price. The borrower pays an option fee, 1% to 5% of the price, which is credited to the purchase price.
To read the complete article on Lease Purchases (Click Here)

Personal Finance Resolutions for the New Year

Pst ...It's only Four

Make some personal finance promises that you can actually keep in the New Year. Lose weight. Stop smoking. Learn Jiu-Jitsu. Making a pie-in-the-sky New Year's resolution feels great for about 10 minutes. Then you figure out that these goals were a stretch too far, and you settle down on the couch with a pint of Cherry Garcia and your old friend, Joe Camel. See ya next year, Sensei!It doesn't have to be that way.

Some promises can put more money in your pocket every day, and who wouldn't feel motivated by cold, hard cash incentives like that? Here are a selection of resolutions that can put more money in your pocket.

1. Commit to a realistic budget Sit down with your family and figure out where your money is going every month. Add up the non-negotiable bills, like car payments, mortgage payments, the kids' college or kindergarten tuition, or the electric bill. Then, for the next 30 days, calculate the variable costs, like food and clothing, gasoline, video rentals, and orange mocha frappuccinos. (You get the idea.)The grand total absolutely, positively cannot exceed the family's combined paychecks. If it does, make cuts in your variable costs, or plan to increase your income. Replace the latte with home-brewed coffee. Turn the light off when you leave the room. Wash the neighbor's car for extra cash.Write the whole budget down, item-by-item-and stick to it. You can have fun discovering where your cash ends up, but it's no fun getting caught under an ever-heavier debt load.

2. Hide your credit cards Do you use plastic responsibly? If you're paying off your entire credit card balance every month and taking advantage of cash-back or reward points offers, you're good. If not, you're better off paying cash, or using a debt card, whenever possible. Those finance charges add up very quickly, not to mention late fees.

3. Save and invest This resolution puts today's money in your pocket tomorrow-with compounded interest. Set aside three to six months' worth of living expenses in a high-interest savings account or short-term CD-you just never know when that rainy day comes around. Max out your 401(k) or IRA contributions, and earn tax-free interest until the day you retire. Invest in the stock market, or buy some gold. You won't miss that money today, knowing that it's hard at work growing for tomorrow.

4. Live it up Okay, this is not a financial commitment, at all. But you deserve to enjoy life. The best finances in the world can't make you happy unless you take some time for yourself once in a while. Think about last year and the purchases that made you unhappy-then resolve not to repeat the same mistakes. Find the highlights of last year, and make more of them in the next.

Article courtesy of

http://www.mortgageloan.com/four-personal-finance-resolutions-for-the-new-year-1431

Principles of Feng Shui

Everyone appreciates the benefits of beautiful, comfortable living environments; America's billion-dollar interior decorating industry attests to this fact. However, Feng Shui takes the approach that your surroundings affect not just your level of material comfort but also your physical and mental health, your relationships, and your worldly success.

Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") examines how the placement of things and objects within it affect the energy flow in your living environment, and how these objects interact with and influence your personal energy flow. Your personal energy flow affects how you think and act, which in turn affects how well you perform and succeed in your personal and professional life. Feng Shui affects you every moment of the day — whether you're aware of it or not.
As you begin to discover more about Feng Shui, remember that you need to have an open mind and should use the methods that are most comfortable for your particular circumstances.

Demystifying Feng Shui
If you've already read a bit about Feng Shui, you may be somewhat confused by the seemingly contradictory advice you've encountered. People who are unfamiliar with this method may have some misconceptions and apprehension.

Feng Shui is not
A get-rich-quick method of Asian interior design that guarantees impossible results for mystically rearranging your furniture

A superstitious or magical belief system, or a New Age fad that disconnects you from reality or from your daily life

A simple home and garden makeover

A quick fix to be tackled in one afternoon

A luxury only the rich and famous can afford

So the million-dollar question is, what is Feng Shui?

On the surface, Feng Shui is the simple interaction of humans and their environments. Taken a step further, Feng Shui enables you to influence these interacting energies to achieve specific life improvements. This influence is achieved by positioning or designing your surroundings in harmony with principles of natural energy flow. As a result, you (and your life) can achieve harmony with your surroundings. Feng Shui is practical and grounding, and it helps you right where you live and work.

Feng Shui is often referred to as the art of placement. How you place your furniture, possessions, and yourself within your surroundings largely determines your life experience at every level. Feng Shui offers a unique way of looking at yourself and your environment, and it provides a way of bringing balance, comfort, and harmony into your environment in a manner that is difficult to achieve by any other means.

Feng Shui is the study of the relationships between the environment and human life. Discovered by the Chinese, Feng Shui has been practiced for centuries to design environments that enhance conditions for success in life.

Interesting bits of historical Feng Shui confirmation are starting to emerge. For example, recent scientific research indicates that 28,000 years ago, Neanderthal cavemen (located in present-day Croatia) chose which caves to live in based on three criteria: The caves held the high ground in the area, the surrounding area was easily seen from the entrance of the cave, and the water source was easily accessible. These findings show that even our ancestors were naturally aware of the effects of placement in their environment. Interestingly enough, all three of these criteria are in harmony with the basic principles of Feng Shui, which has evolved and become more sophisticated along with humankind. Thus, Feng Shui is as relevant and beneficial to humankind today as it was 28,000 years ago.

Feng who? The meaning of the term Feng Shui
Feng Shui is a term composed of two Chinese words: feng (wind) and shui (water). Wind and water are the two natural elements that flow, move, and circulate everywhere on Earth. They are also the most basic elements required for human survival. Wind — or air — is the breath of life; without it, we would die in moments. And water is the liquid of life; without it, we would die in days. The combined qualities of wind and water determine the climate, which historically has determined our food supply and in turn affects our lifestyle, health, energy, and mood. These two fundamental and flowing elements have always profoundly yet subtly influenced human individuals and societies.

The essence of these life-giving elements is chi, or life force. Wind and water are direct carriers of chi, as their flowing quality reflects their essential nature. All living organisms are largely composed of these two elements. Thus, Feng Shui is the art of designing environments in harmony with the flow of chi through one's living space, and this flow supports and enhances one's personal chi or life force.

The big picture view of Feng Shui
Feng Shui is rooted in a holistic worldview. It sees all things and creatures as part of a natural order, a vast environment that is alive and in flux, ever moving and changing. Each thing in this natural order is equally alive and has an energetic value or component. So everything — plants, animals, people, and things — exists in a vast landscape that swirls with vital energy. The same energy that flows through the world flows through you as well. In fact, according to this view, your essence — the part of you that makes you alive, unique, and vital — is this energy. And your body is the vehicle or environment in which this essence flows.
Feng Shui divides the vast environment or landscape that is the universe into more manageable units — like human beings and their homes, property, offices, living rooms, and bedrooms. You can't control the Feng Shui of the world at large. But Feng Shui enables you to design your personal environment according to the same universal principles of energy flow by which planets spin in their orbits and galaxies wheel through space.

Article Adapted From: Feng Shui For Dummies

Photo Courtesy of www.5elements.ch/img/feng_shui_room_350x280.jpg