Celebrate the End of the Year

The last few hours of 2006 are slipping away. Tomorrow starts a New Year, and with it new opportunity. When you are making your resolutions for 2007, here are some points to consider:

1. What are my goals for this year?
2. Did I make as much money as I wanted to in 2006?
a. If not, how do I change #2 in 2007?
b. If yes, how do I do it again?
3. Did I spend as much time with my family in 2006 as I wanted to/should have?
4. Am I taking time to enjoy life or is it just passing by like a train at a crossing?
5. Do I have life goals, if so am I closer to achieving them?
a. If I don't have life goals, or am not moving closer to achieving them, how do I get started?
6. Am I creating wealth, or just making money that goes right back out the door?

If you need help with the answers to these questions, here are a few books that could help you:

PayJr. Chore Tracking

PAYJr is a FREE online allowance and chore management system designed to allow you to assign chores and allowances and their associated rewards.

This is a great, interactive way for parents and kids to learn the hard work pays off. Parents assign chores, the kids get their assignments and complete them. Parents can get a prepaid PayJr. Mastercard that they can load money onto as kids complete their chores.

There is also a FREE DOWNLOADABLE Chore Tracking chart and allowance fee table for those not interested in the Prepaid card or for parents of younger children.

This is a highly recommended system to add organization to your family life and teach children the rewards of doing work assigned, all along giving them a tangible way to track their progress.

FICO Score

Are you making your New Years resolutions, planning for the upcoming year, or maybe with the GREAT bargains that are appearing in the real estate market you are looking for purchase a home. Whatever your reason, check out the Suze Orman Credit repair and monitoring kit from Suze Orman FICO Kit
Don't be surprised when you go to meet your lender, know what is on your credit report ahead of time. Be prepared to negotiate for the best interest rates possible, or correct the simple errors on your report.

Or, if you want to monitor your FICO score and find the national average interest rates for your credit score, try the free 30 day monitoring service at Fico Scores/Reports
.

Land Line Phone Tax Credit 2006

Telephone Tax Refund Questions and Answers

What is the telephone tax refund?

The telephone tax refund is a one-time payment available on your 2006 federal income tax return, designed to refund previously collected federal excise taxes on long-distance or bundled services. It is available to anyone who paid such taxes on landline, wireless, or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.

Why is the government refunding these taxes?

Several recent federal court decisions have held that the tax does not apply to long-distance service as it is billed today. The IRS is following these decisions and refunding the portion of the tax charged on long-distance calls. The IRS is also refunding taxes collected on telephone service under plans that do not differentiate between long distance and local calls including bundled service.

The telephone tax continues to apply to local-only service, and the IRS is not refunding taxes charged on local-only service.

The IRS will refund to you the taxes on long-distance or bundled service billed to you for the period after Feb. 28, 2003 and before Aug. 1, 2006. Taxpayers should request this refund when they file their 2006 tax returns.

Who is eligible to request the telephone tax refund?

In general, any individual, business or nonprofit organization that paid the tax for long distance or bundled service billed after Feb. 28, 2003 and before Aug. 1, 2006 is eligible to request the refund.

What is a refund eligible bundled service?

Bundled service is local and long distance service provided under a single plan that does not state the charge for the local telephone service separately from other services. Bundled service plans include, for example, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, and landline and wireless (cellular) service plans that provide both local and long distance service for either a flat monthly fee or a charge that varies only with the elapsed transmission time for which the service is used. Telecommunications companies provide bundled service for both landlines and wireless (cellular) service. If VoIP service provides both local and long distance service and the charges are not separately stated, such service is bundled service.

The method of sending or receiving a call, such as on a landline telephone, wireless (cellular), or some other method, does not affect whether a service is local-only or bundled.

How do I get the telephone tax refund?

In general, anyone who paid the telephone tax on their long-distance or bundled service may be eligible to request the refund on their 2006 federal income tax return. This includes individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations. The 2006 return is usually filed during 2007.

The IRS is making it easier for individual taxpayers by offering a standard refund amount between $30 and $60, so that these taxpayers don’t need to gather old phone bills. Taxpayers who choose the standard amount will only need to fill out one line on their tax returns. The standard amount is based on actual telephone usage data and the amount applicable to a family or other household reflects the taxes paid on long-distance or bundled phone service by similarly sized families or households. Using this amount may be the easiest way for taxpayers to get their refunds and avoid gathering 41 months of old phone records.

What is the standard amount?

Individual taxpayers can take a standard amount from $30 to $60 based on the number of exemptions claimed on their tax return. For those claiming:

one exemption, the standard refund amount is $30
two exemptions, the standard refund amount is $40
three exemptions, the standard refund amount is $50
four exemptions or more, the standard refund amount is $60
The instructions to the 2006 1040 tax forms will provide more information on how to determine the correct number of exemptions. (Because the term “exemptions” does not appear on Form 1040EZ, people who fill out this form should follow the instructions carefully.)

The standard amount is based on actual telephone usage data, and the amount applicable to a family or other household reflects taxes paid on long-distance or bundled service by similarly sized families or households. Using this amount may be the easiest way for taxpayers to get their refund and avoid gathering 41 months of old phone records.

How did the government come up with the standard amounts?

Telephone industry and IRS data were used to determine the refundable standard amounts. Telephone industry data showed that spending on long distance correlated directly with the number of persons in a household; therefore, a scaled refund structure was selected based on the number of exemptions claimed on the tax return.

What forms do I file to request the refund?

For many individual taxpayers who want to take the standard amount, there are no additional forms to file, and you only need to fill out one additional line on your regular income-tax return.

Individuals choosing the standard amount can simply fill in the amount on Form 1040, 1040A, 1040NR or 1040EZ. People who don’t need to file a return can use a new, simple form (Form 1040EZ-T) to choose the standard amount.

Taking the standard amount is optional. It is also the easiest way to get a refund. A married couple filing a joint return with two dependant children, for example, will be eligible for the maximum standard amount of $60.

Individuals who decide not to use the standard amount must figure their refund using the actual amount of tax they paid. To choose this option, taxpayers can fill out Form 8913 and attach it to their regular income-tax returns.

The standard amount is not available to businesses and nonprofits. Accordingly, businesses and nonprofits must fill out Form 8913 and base their refund requests on the actual amount of tax they paid. Businesses should attach this form to the income-tax returns they normally file — Form 1120, 1120S, 1065 or 1041. Nonprofits, including churches, charities and other tax-exempt organizations, should attach it to Form 990-T.

Alternatively, businesses and tax-exempts can review their bills for 2 months and use a special formula to figure the refund. For more information, see Telephone Tax Refunds: Questions and Answers for Businesses and Tax-Exempt Organizations.

Can I e-file to get this refund?

Yes. Virtually anyone who files an individual return qualifies for electronic filing, and the telephone tax refund is one of many tax benefits that can be reported on an e-filed return. Whether you file electronically or on paper, you can get your refund even faster by having it deposited directly into your checking or savings account.

I don’t have to file an income-tax return. How do I get the telephone tax refund?

For those people who do not otherwise have to file a tax return, there is a new simple form (1040EZ-T) that can be used to get this refund. Beginning in mid-January, this form can also be filed electronically for free via the Free File link this Web site.

If you choose the standard amount, all you need to do is fill out this simple form using the number of exemptions you are eligible to claim. For example, a married couple with two dependent children (for a total of four exemptions) will be eligible for the maximum standard amount of $60.

If you decide not to use the standard amount, you must figure your refund using the actual amount of tax paid. To choose this option, you must fill out an additional form (Form 8913) and attach it to Form 1040EZ-T.

Do Internet long-distance plans qualify for the refund?

Yes. If you paid the federal excise tax on your long-distance Internet plan, you can request the telephone tax refund. Internet long distance plans include broadband VoIP long-distance plans.

Why do I only get a refund for the past few years?

Under the applicable statute of limitations in the Internal Revenue Code, the IRS is generally not permitted to refund taxes that were paid more than three years before the date on which the refund program was announced. Accordingly, the telephone tax refund is available for long-distance taxes billed after Feb. 28, 2003, and before Aug. 1, 2006.

How do I determine how much federal excise tax I have paid on my long-distance service?

Taxpayers who choose to base their refund requests on the actual amount of tax paid should review their phone bills since Feb. 28, 2003. Taxes paid on local-only service are not eligible for the refund. In general, federal excise taxes paid on other types of service qualify. Federal access charges and state or local taxes and charges are not eligible for the refund.

The standard amount is based on actual telephone usage data, and the amount applicable to a family or other household reflects the phone tax on long-distance or bundled service paid by similarly sized families or households. Using this amount may be the easiest way for taxpayers to get their refund and avoid gathering 41 months of old phone records.

What if I don’t know whether I paid this tax?

Your phone service providers were required to include the federal excise tax on your monthly telephone bills. So if you had long distance or bundled service and received a monthly bill from your phone service provider, and you paid the bill including the tax amounts, then you should be eligible to request the refund.

Where do I go for more information?

Instructions for requesting this refund will be included with your tax forms and on this Web site. Therefore, most people will not need to call the IRS. If you decide to figure the actual amount of the refund rather than the standard refund, you will need copies of your phone bills. Telephone companies have already provided their customers with copies of their bills during the original billing periods and may charge for replacement copies of past bills, if they are available. Before contacting your telephone company, should you need to obtain replacement copies of past bills, you may want to check the company’s Web site.

What do I have to do now?

In most cases, nothing. Taxpayers will request this refund on their 2006 return. Accordingly, the IRS will begin accepting refund requests in January 2007.

The only decision you have to make is whether to use the standard amount or to request the amount of tax you actually paid. To take the standard amount, you don’t need to do anything now. You can figure it when you fill out your 2006 return.

If you are considering using the actual expense method, you may want to start gathering your phone bills since Feb. 28, 2003. As with any other line item on your return, starting early and keeping good records always makes the tax-preparation process easier.

Will the IRS pay interest on the refunded telephone tax?

Yes. The standard amount includes interest For those basing their request on the actual amount of tax paid, the instructions for Form 8913 explain how to figure the interest amount.

How do I decide if it’s better for me to use the actual or take the standard amount?

You can use whichever method gives you the larger refund. The standard amount is based on actual telephone usage data and the amount applicable to a family or other household reflects the tax on long-distance or bundled service paid by similarly sized families or households. Using this amount may be the easiest way for taxpayers to get their refund and avoid gathering 41 months of old phone records.

Example A: If a couple filing jointly had $20 in local service and $15 in long distance service each month over the 41 month period, their telephone tax refund based on their actual billing would be $15/month X 0.03 X 41 months = $18.45 (not including interest) in comparison to the standard refund amount of $40. The telephone tax paid on the local portion of their service is not eligible for the refund.

Example B: If a sole proprietor had $20 in local service, $50 in long distance per month and $150 in cellular phone charges for each month over the 41 month period, the telephone tax refund based on actual billing would be $200/month (50 +150) X 0.03 X 41 months = $246.00, in comparison to the standard refund amount of $30 (which would cover both personal and business expenses). The telephone tax paid on the local portion of their service is not eligible for the refund. The sole proprietor determines that they would benefit from requesting the actual amount of tax paid versus using the standard refund amount of $30. The taxpayer must maintain supporting documentation for their tax records.

Do I have to itemize to request this refund?

No. Because this is a refund of taxes previously paid, it does not matter whether you itemize or take the standard deduction.

Will I get a separate check?

No. The telephone tax refund will be treated as a one-time payment on your 2006 return. Accordingly, it will reduce the amount you owe on your return or increase the amount of your refund.

What is the total amount the government expects to refund?

Economists at the U.S. Department of the Treasury estimate the amount refunded to individuals will be about $10 billion.

Source: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=161506,00.html.

Blogsvertise Update

OK so I have been investigating some money making ideas on the web. Blogsvertise... Click to Blogsvertise
is a company that PAYS bloggers to review a website and write about it in their posts. I have posted a couple reviews for them in this blog.

Well in about a weeks time I have earned $25 with them, which took about a total of 15 minutes of my time. While I wish the assignments came more frequently, they really are a snap, and I have even gained a new affiliate for my http://www.huntingfanatic.blogspot.com site. It just happened that their content was a perfect fit for my site, and they have their own affiliate program. So not only did I make $5 for checking them out and reviewing their site, I signed up for their affiliate program, posted affiliate links in my review and put a banner on my site, so I can earn even more with them.

So if you have a website you want a reviewed for a broad general opinion, or if you want to get paid to review websites and maybe even make some new contacts, go to Click to Blogsvertise
now and sign up for the appropriate program. As we continue to promote this program, more and more opportunities will come for us to blog about!

Seasoned Trade Lines

Today I am reviewing http://www.seasonedtrades.com, a site referred to me by one of our sponsors. Seasoned Trade Lines claims to be able to raise your credit score by 200 points by adding established, "seasoned", aged accounts to your credit file. The website is difficult to follow, as they jump from talking about free credit repair services to charging upwards of $3000. In my experience, anyone with "aged" good standing credit lines wouldn't just "lend" their credit history with a stranger. However that is what http://www.seasonedtrades.com leads you to believe.

As I was taught long ago, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. IF you could raise your credit score 200 points in the matter of 90 days, sure it could save you big bucks in interest if you refinanced, however I am not sure if the steps used by http://www.seasonedtrades.com are even completely legal. Proceed with caution would be my suggestion!!!

If you have used this service and found it to be succesful, please leave comments for the rest of us so we know it works!!!

Advantage Processors

If you are a small business owner and you accept credit cards, or perhaps are just starting a business and looking for an affordable credit card processor, you may want to check out one of our sponsors, http://www.advantageprocessors.com/.

They offer reasonably priced processing services, including service for higher risk transactions like mail order or mail order telephone orders. Again, the link is http://www.advantageprocessors.com/.

This is a new web site, when they asked me to review it it was actually down, but rest assured their products are working just fine, so give them a chance to provide you with a quote for service, you may find some serious savings. Once again the link to Advantage Processors is http://www.advantageprocessors.com.

Super New Adsense Optimization Tool

Do you have a website or blog that uses Adsense to generate revenue, then you need to check out this new tool. It costs only $9.95, but it could help you increase the optimization of your content immediately. What's even better, you instantly become an affiliate for the product, and can make a 100% commission on any sales. Sign up for $9.95 and make it back the FIRST time someone links from your site and buys the tool. Here is some info from the author of the tool:
Here is a brand new AdSense tool that can drive your AdSense earnings through the roof…helping you discover the hidden high-paying clicks, locking in on the best traffic-pulling links, and instantly eliminating money-making errors.

The owner of the site, Matt Callen, just gave me permission to give you the link directly to the software page so you can get access to this software at the insanely low introductory price.

==> http://www.adspytracker.com/?affiliate=1689

It is no secret that there is a lot of money to be made with AdSense - but there is also a lot of money to be lost…IF you do not know which ads are generating you the most money!

I do not want to waste too much time with this message, explaining all of the awesome details about this software, but you should know that you can now drop all the guesswork and discover the exact secrets to cracking the AdSense secrets.

With AdSpyTracker, you can track every single click, where they came from, what ad was clicked…and tons more!

And the best part…the price is so low you can't afford NOT to try it out.

==> http://www.adspytracker.com/?affiliate=1689
This site will explain more of the details. Trust me, this software is great!

I really love this and cannot say enough about it. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Cashflow Games from Rich Dad

Want to start teaching your kids money management, want them to understand Rich Dad's Cashflow principles before they hit high school?? Then try this game out, it is a fantastic tool that is also fun to play!!

Thinking about trying to learn the Cashflow principles with your spouse or significant other? Then try the adult version of the game. Just as fun as the kids version, only geared for us "smarter" adults!!

Have fun and good luck, great last minute gifts for the holiday that could CHANGE YOUR LIFE! Just click on the pictures to go to the order page, still not too late for Christmas delivery!!!

Here is a great article on for First-time home buyers, stressing that patience and location make a big difference. There will be some tremendous buying opportunities in the next 6-12 months as the housing market corrects.

Buying Your First Home?
Bide Your Time
By Sonja Ryst
BusinessWeek Online

As the housing market cools, more young workers put the American dream on hold, betting relief from lofty prices is around the corner. For Rachael Selfridge, independence means waiting to buy your first home. The 30-year-old grew up in a North Dakota farmhouse with lots of land and grass surrounding it, so now she wants her own place with a back yard. But when she tried to fulfill that American dream in the San Francisco Bay Area last year, all she could find for her dollar were tiny condominiums. She saw one-bedrooms going for $400,000. Disgusted at the "ridiculous" prices, she gave up her hunt and in recent months started renting a three-bedroom in Walnut Creek, Calif., with two roommates. Owning a house "wasn't as important as being able to afford other things and save money," says the portfolio manager and certified financial planner.

Selfridge isn't the only young adult to opt out of homeownership these days. The median age for first-home buyers has been 32 since the National Association of Realtors (NAR) began to measure it in 1981. But now, as housing prices finally stop rocketing, professionals ages 25 to 35 are taking their time. More are deciding this year not to risk their long-term financial independence by chaining themselves to mortgage payments.

Even the more optimistic housing market observers acknowledge this trend. "I'm sure that there are young households saying: 'Let me wait a couple months and get a lower price,'" says David Lereah, NAR's chief economist. "All households now, whether young, middle-aged, or old, are postponing their home purchases because of the cooling market" in areas like California, parts of the Northeast, and Florida.

"BRUTALLY EXPENSIVE." It began happening in recent months. The proportion of people under 35 who lived in their own households amounted to 42.4% during the three months ended in June of this year, according to the Commerce Dept.'s Census Bureau. That's down from 42.8% in the same quarter of 2005. That rate had been mostly rising each year from 38.6% in 1995, when the economic boom and a lower lending-rate environment boosted young homeownership.

For Generations Y and X (terms often used to describe the twenty- and thirtysomethings), "homeownership is coming later than it did for the baby boomers," says Tamara Draut, director of the Economic Opportunity Program at think tank Demos. She points out that young adults today must grapple with new obstacles, such as exorbitant student-loan burdens and higher housing costs. "It takes them longer to scrape together a downpayment, and then they have to face a housing market that's become brutally expensive."

Housing is pricey indeed. The median-priced home in New York City sold for $465,000 during the third quarter of 2005, according to the National Housing Conference (NHC), which estimates that you need to make $147,000 per year to afford such a place. But young people who are struggling on entry-level salaries might have better luck elsewhere.

Unlike in New York, police officers and elementary school teachers earn enough to buy a home in Springfield, Ill., for example. There the median home only costs $122,000, which anyone who has $38,690 per year can manage. (To see NHC info on how home costs compare to average salaries in your city, click here.)

Generation X members -- the upper age range of the twenty- to thirtysomething group -- are more likely than Generation Y to have financial independence instead of a home.

BUY-IN HAS BALLOONED. "Who in the world is buying the $500,000 condos?" says James Chung, president of marketing strategy firm Reach Advisors. "It's Gen Y, but they're coming to the table with 20% downpayments given to them by their parents." He says Generation Y are more likely to have tight bonds to their families than Generation X. Meanwhile, the baby boomers who have seen the greatest income growth in the U.S., and can afford to give their children a helping hand, are those most likely to have children in the younger age group, Chung says.

Art Ford, a certified financial planner at Sullivan Bille in Tewksbury, Mass., says he'd feel uncomfortable if his 28-year-old son said he wanted to spend $500,000 on a condominium right now. In a weak housing market, some people could end up losing tens of thousands for having bought at the wrong time, he says.

And the 57-year-old Ford isn't worried about his son as a renter. "I think he's happy with his lifestyle," Ford says. While splitting with a friend the $1,300-per-month rent for a place in Somerville, his son can still go on ski vacations every winter and own a car with the income he gets from his job in human resources. "For him to consider buying in the neighborhood he's in, where he wants to live, is out of the question."

Ford remembers how he bought his first home as a married man at 26. The mortgage on the $29,000 house only cost him and his wife $165 a month. "There's no comparison" to what it's like today, Ford says.

PATIENCE, NEWBIES. While more young people are putting the American dream of homeownership on hold these days, there's a silver lining in this cloud. "The current slowdown is a much healthier environment for new home buyers. They can take their time and wait to find the right place for them," says Kevin Dorwin, a portfolio manager and certified financial planner at San Francisco Bay Area wealth management firm Bingham, Osborn & Scarborough.
With time to think before you buy, you can use a Web site such as zillow.com to find out how much homes are selling for in your neighborhood, and then analyze the mortgage your budget can handle at bankrate.com. When you're calculating the maximum monthly mortgage payments you can afford, remember to include extras like property taxes, homeowners' insurance, maintenance costs, interest, and principal.

Most financial planners warn people away from loans that get tough later. If a banker tries to sweet-talk you into promising to pay the principal back at the end of a specified term, be wary. In tried-and-true traditional mortgage financing, you would put down around 20% and borrow 80% of the home's value.

To figure out the right monthly payments, Bankrate recommends that you calculate your maximum housing expense by multiplying your annual salary by 0.28 and then divide that by 12 months.

ARMS OPPORTUNITY. "Some of these mortgage brokers will have you approved for up to 60% or 65% (of your income toward debt payments), and that's just too high," says financial planner Ford. "It doesn't leave room for vacation or dinner."
If you discover you're not ready to buy your home yet, don't worry about it. When Selfridge was doing her homework on the Bay Area housing market, she noticed that a lot of five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are coming due in 2008. Those mortgages are designed to adjust to current interest rates. Selfridge doesn't think housing prices will crash, but neither does she buy the notion that they will rise during the next couple of years, miraculously making the mortgage easier to pay.

Selfridge sees it this way: People who banked on a housing market like the 1990s will get burned when the interest rates on their mortgages suddenly adjust to a tougher environment. "I hate to take advantage of people hurting," she says. "But I think people will be hurt because of the loans they took out."

When more people have to sell those homes they could never afford, Selfridge -- and other savvy young buyers -- will be ready to jump in.

Blogging and Affiliate Marketing

The Internet is a changing medium and what was a successful way to market your business last year might not work this year. There is always a time lag between what the experts said worked for them last year and now.

It is important to know what the current trends are. A trend that is going to be around for a long time is very different to a reactive fad that will only last a month.

Blogs have been around for years. The thing that is changing is the perception of a Blog. Business people are now realising a Blog is a necessity. They are now creating them as well as a tradional static website.

Blogs are also used exclusively by more and more marketers, regardless of their niche market.

Why?

There are several reasons for this change:

1) Blogs are natural traffic generators.Search engines like original content that is updated regularly. This is exactly what Blogs are suited to do.

2) Basic Blogs are more easily created than tradional Web sites. There are different platforms that can be used, each has it's own advantages. We prefer WordPress. Obviously the more add ons you use and understand the better.

3) A Blog is a good way to create a relationship with your list of prospects. Using the more informal style of blogging is proving very successful. Prospects will come to your site for the content.

4) Blogging platforms automatically generate RSS (Real Simple Syndication). Once you submit your blog to the various RSS Directories, people who subscribe to the same directory will be sent to your blog if you are in the same niche as they are looking.

5) Once you have set up one Blog, it is easy to duplicate the process. Remember it is a good idea to have various sources of income. One blog giving you $1000.00 a month is good, 10 blogs each giving $1000.00, a total of $10000.00 is obviously better.

6)Blogs can be used with adsense and to advertise affiliate products.

Conversion rates on these sites are much higher.

Take a look at your website and do a critical analysis of it. Is it up to date or is it looking tired and dated?

You decide and take any action that is needed.

To find out the latest information about blogs and how you can seriously benefit from them visit http://www.officialbusinessbuddy.com/bloggingforsuccess.html

Why We Want You To Be Rich

So Today I am Posting about a book and a education that is near and dear to my heart. The book is Why We Want You To Be Rich by Donald Trump and Rich Dad author Robert Kiyosaki.

I cannot stress enough the importance of educating yourself to be successful, and there are no better teachers than these two fantastic businessmen. I highly suggest that any investor, advanced or beginner buy the book and read it, and read all of Rich Dad's teachings. You may notice that I have added RSS feeds from both of these individuals at the bottom of the page. These two business experts have more advice to give than any other source available. Be sure to check it out!!!

Preforeclosure Real Estate

This one is for the real estate investors, I am including an article on buying foreclosures and preforeclosures. With the press telling us everyday that the real estate bubble has burst, and that interest rates are going up, people are panicking!!

If you are looking to invest in real estate for the long-term, there are going to be plenty of deals out there. This article touches on those opportunities. If you really want proof, click the foreclosure links on the right side of this page, both sites have free trials. Look at the preforeclosure and foreclosure listings, there is a lot of information there. If you are looking for property, get excited because the time to buy is coming...here is the article:

They say that one man’s misfortune is another man’s fortune. Few people really like to take advantage of someone else’s tough times, but in the present housing market it is nearly foolish not to. What am I talking about? The surging number of home foreclosures! Yes, many homeowners have come to the rude awakening that their dream home is nothing but a nightmare for them. Rising mortgage interest rates, sharply higher property taxes, and job loss have contributed to the increase in home foreclosures. Your getting involved may actually help someone out; read on and we’ll take a look at why you just may want to take the bite.
There is no other way to say it but this: no matter what, some people will foreclose on their homes. However, better than foreclosing is a sale prior to foreclosure which helps everyone out:

1. The seller wins because he avoids ruining his credit standing. A foreclosure may be treated like a bankruptcy, disrupting the homeowner’s credit for years. By escaping home ownership which has now become bondage, this type of owner could regroup and buy a home once again sooner rather than later.

2. The mortgage company is pleased with a home sale prior to foreclosure because they avoid costly court costs and having to maintain than later dispose of property that they do not want to own.

3. They buyer – that is you – can win out by getting a home that costs less than market value. You could both make the necessary repairs or updates and keep the home or you could turn around and sell the home for a handsome profit.

Yes, in some situations a sale prior to foreclosure is a true win-win-win situation for all three parties involved. Not always, as sometimes the seller is the big one to lose or the mortgage company may end up settling for your low deal at a loss to them. Never should such a deal work against you, so take care to make certain that there is value in the foreclosure.
Experts are saying that foreclosures will only be increasing in the months ahead. If you find yourself able to swing a deal you could end up making tens of thousands of dollars off a foreclosed piece of property. So, keep your eye on your neighborhood housing market for distressed sellers; you just may be the “white knight” that everyone is hoping will come along!
Jeff Lakie is a freelance finance writer, His website The Foreclosure List Guide is a great place to find out more about free government foreclosure listings. Visit his site today and find out more.

A side note...if you are a First-Time home buyer...you should also be very excited. Yes interest rates are climbing, but as sellers become more panicked, prices are going to fall...there will be plenty of bargains out there. Remember don't be afraid to make a ridiculous offer when the market is "slow", you'll be glad you did when they accept without even countering!!

Affiliate Marketing For Beginners

As I touched on in my first post, there are MANY ways to make money, some with minimal investing. It will be my goal to post both a business suggestion for beginners and for advanced investors/entrepreneurs each day. My information comes from personal experience, other successful entrepreneurs and some extremely popular and well known business moguls too (see Trumps Blog feed below!!)

Here is my beginners suggestion for today!!

Whether you're new to affiliate marketing or you've been trying to earn money with it for awhile, you may have come to a point of discouragement. Maybe you've even wondered if there's any truth to all the claims people state, about how much money they make with affiliate programs too.
As hard as it might seem to beginners, there really are some excellent ways to make decent money with affiliate marketing. And how much you make really only depends upon how much time and effort you put into your affiliate marketing strategies.
With that said though, most of us need a place to start. We need ideas, tips, and hints. If possible, we'd really like to know what types of things other affiliates have done to successfully earn money day in and day out, right? Well, here's three of the best things you can do to start making money with your affiliate programs.
1. Write Articles - This is my personal favorite way to make money with affiliate programs. And it's ideal for beginners because all it takes is time. You invest your time in writing quality articles for other websites. Then you distribute those articles through article directories online, and other website publishers will find and publish them. The more your article is published on other websites, the more you can benefit, because your article is distributed with a link to your website. And in order for other sites to legally use it, they must publish your website link with the article.
So the more sites that do this, the more links you get pointed to your site. And the more your article will be seen by targeted buyers. If, for example, 100 websites have published your article, that's 100 links to your site. And if each of those sites generates 100 readers to your article on their site, that's 10,000 potential visitors to your site. With that many visitors, you're bound to make an affiliate sale or two!
2. Create a blog... but not just any ol' blog - Another excellent low cost way to generate traffic to your chosen affiliate program also involves writing. In this case though, you'll be writing for your own blog instead of sending the articles out to other webmasters and sites. One of the most powerful ways to make this work though, is to create a blog that is filled with affiliate product reviews, or is a step-by-step walk through of your own personal experience with the affiliate product you're promoting.
3. Start an AdWords campaign - Last but not least, you can quickly generate affiliate traffic and sales by simply advertising. Set up a Google AdWords account, create an ad or two, then let them run. You'll need to test various ads, and adjust them based on how well or poorly they may be performing, but in general this is a very low cost, low time-intensive method of generating affiliate traffic and sales.
© 2006, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Want to learn more about affiliate marketing now? Check out these excellent affiliate marketing resources at EasySideMoney.com
Article Source: http://ezinearticles/

And even more info on Adwords from Kathy...

As an affiliate marketer, you can make money without having a website of your own. You don't have to create a mailing list, newsletter, write articles and custom content, or anything else for that matter.
Making money with affiliate programs is as simple as advertising. That's it. If you can drive traffic to an affiliate product through your affiliate link, you can make money.
This is usually done using the Google AdWords system. You place ads on Google, and you pay only for clicks on those ads.
Now of course there's a lot more to it than that. Advertising on Google can be complicated, frustrating, and expensive if not done right. It takes a lot of trial and error usually too.
One of the first questions new affiliate have is "How can I advertise without a website?" Well the answer to that is simple. When you sign up for an affiliate program, you're given a special tracking URL, or website address. This URL is what the affiliate program uses to know when you've sent traffic to them, and when you've made sales and earned commissions.
The Google AdWords system allows you to use that affiliate URL in your advertisements. There are a couple of minor rules you have to follow. One of these rules says you must have some indication in your ad that you're using an affiliate link. This can be done by simply putting "aff" or "affiliate" at the end of your ad.
You don't want to use your affiliate link for the display URL though. Put the affiliate link into the destination URL of your Google advertisement, then put the main affiliate site address into the display section. This way you have a nice looking, relevant display link showing, and this helps make your ads more appealing to searchers.
Google does have certain rules about using affiliate links in your ads though. Primarily, they don't want pages stuffed full of affiliate links. So their system is designed to only show one at a time. If you're the only affiliate advertising a certain product, then your ad will be displayed as often as possible. If however, there are 5 other people advertising the same affiliate program AND using their direct affiliate link, Google will rotate your ad with theirs.
Because of this rotation rule, your ads may not be displayed as often and of course it may take longer for you to drive enough traffic to the affiliate site and make sales. This is a fine trade off when you're first starting out though, particularly if you don't have a website and don't know how to get one started.
© 2006, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Want to learn more about affiliate marketing now? Check out these excellent affiliate marketing resources at EasySideMoney.com
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Burns-Millyard

A personal note on Adwords, you can start a Google Adwords account for only $5 up front. You set the advertising budget, do the research and you are off and running. It does take some time to find what works, so start small, but even making an extra $100 a week could help with the budget!!!

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