My First Tree

My First Tree

Almost everyone’s first tree experience has some embarrassing events. Nobody can be an expert right away; we all make mistakes that sometimes haunt us for years afterwards. Some of us make worse mistakes than others, though. I think that if there was an award for being the most naïve person to ever attempt growing a tree, I would win.

When I decided to plant a tree of my own, I had the perfect spot in mind. There was a gap between my house and my fence of about 5 feet. It was probably the least traveled area of my whole lawn, and I thought it could use something to spice it up.

Maybe if I provided some lovely shade, it would become more used by my family. I envisioned a little picnic paradise in the shade, where my family could go just to be with each other and nature. Boy was I wrong.

I decided on a nice apple tree. Despite the risk of apples falling on our heads, I thought it would be a treat to sit under the shade and munch on delicious home grown apples.

Just the thought of this romantic, poignant activity was enough to make me drive my self to the nursery and purchase the first apple tree in sight. I didn’t know enough about trees to look at the roots or any of the signs that it could be an unhealthy tree. I spent the required amount of money and had the tree delivered right to my house.

I dug the hole right where I wanted the tree. This took almost the rest of the day. Holes are an easy thing to underestimate. It’s easy to say that a hole will only take an hour or two, but once you actually start digging it usually progresses a lot slower than you would have estimated.

By the time I actually got the hole big enough to fit the ball of roots, I certainly didn’t feel like digging another few feet around the perimeter as most tree planting guides suggest. I was just ready to place the tree. With the help of my morbidly obese neighbor, I lifted the tree across the yard and dropped it into my hole. Then, it was time to fill in the hole.

I couldn’t have been happier once I filled in that last shovel load of dirt. I stood back to admire my work. That was when my 3 year old daughter said something that crushed my spirits, and haunts me to this day. “Daddy, that tree stands up like grandpa!”

My father is a great man, and if she had compared any other aspect of the tree to him I would have considered it an honor. But unfortunately his back has been deteriorating lately, and he can’t stand up very straight. I noticed that my tree did indeed have a similarity to his posture.

Thinking this was a problem that the tree would naturally outgrow, I decided to leave it for a while to see what happens. Every day I went out to check on the progress of the tree; to see if it was any straighter than it was the day before. I daily had my spirits crushed when I saw that it had not improved at all.

Not wanting to put forth the effort of removing it from my yard, I decided to just forget about it. I never went over to that side of the house again and almost completely pushed the tree from my mind.

I decided that if any problem ever came about from leaving the tree there, I would pack up my furniture and flee the state. That’s how much I was humiliated by my tree experience.

After about 3 years of completely ignoring that the tree ever existed, I was sitting in my house one day and heard a loud crash. I ran outside to see what the problem was, just to see that my tree had grown to such an unmanageable size that it had taken out my gutter and part of my neighbor’s fence. I moved out of state within a week.

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Checking Mortgage Rates Online

Checking Mortgage Rates Online

Homeowners who are planning to refinance their home may find the Internet to be a very worthwhile resource. The Internet is useful because it can give the homeowner a wealth of information as well as the ability to compare different rates from different lenders at their convenience.

While these options have made refinancing a more convenient process there is more potential for danger. However, homeowners who exercise a small amount of common sense in using the Internet for refinancing often find they are not at any additional risk.

Comparison Shop at Your Convenience
One of the most popular advantages to researching refinancing online is the ability to comparison shop at the homeowner’s convenience. This is important because many homeowners work long hours and often find they are not able to meet with lenders during regular business hours because of job restraints.

The Internet, however, is open 24 hours a day and allows homeowners to research their options, make important calculations or receive online quotes at any time of the day through the use of automated systems.

Homeowners can also take their time comparing the quotes they receive from these lenders online instead of feeling pressured to provide an immediate response.

While homeowners may have some additional time available to them, these same homeowners should realize they do need to act relatively quickly to lock in estimates they receive as interest rates are often time sensitive in nature and cannot be guaranteed for long periods of time.

Use Only Reliable Resources
Homeowners who are using the Internet to research refinancing options and obtain quotes should carefully consider their sources when making important decisions regarding the subject of refinancing.

Homeowners who stick with well known lenders and established websites will not likely encounter problems but those who select a new lender may be surprised by the results of the refinancing attempt.

Homeowners who are unsure about the reliability of a particular resource or lender should do additional research on the company. One of the easiest ways to do this is to consult the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

The BBB may be able to provide the homeowner with valuable information regarding the number of previous complaints against the company. A company who has a large number of unresolved complaints should be considered an unreliable company.

However, homeowners should not assume companies without a significant number of complaints are reputable unless the company has been in existence for a number of years and is a member of the BBB.

Homeowners should also take care not to be fooled by fancy web design. A website which looks very professional is not necessarily a website which is accurate and informative. Many skilled website designers can create websites which are both attractive and professional looking.

These website designers can also optimize a website for particular mortgage related keywords so users find the page easily when searching for these terms but this does not necessarily make the website designer knowledgeable about the subject to refinancing.

Confirm Loan Terms in Person before Committing
While shopping for refinancing options online is certainly easy and convenient, homeowners should consider completing the application process either in person or over the phone instead of relying on an automated system.

While the Internet is good for research purposes, homeowners can take advantage of face to face meetings or telephone conferences to ask all of their relevant questions. Asking all of these questions will help the homeowner to ensure he fully understand the loan terms as well as all of his available options.

Completing the refinancing process in person or over the phone can also prevent the homeowner from being surprised by any elements of the mortgage refinance.

This may include additional fees which are tacked on during the processing of the application, rates which are only available in certain situations or other elements of the refinancing agreement which could significantly impact the homeowner’s decision making process.

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Is It Time to Refinance

Is It Time to Refinance

Whether or not to Refinance is a question homeowner may ask themselves many times while they are living in their home. Refinancing is essentially taking out one home loan to repay an existing home loan.

This may sound odd at first but it is important to realize when this is done properly it can result in a significant cost savings for the homeowner over the course of the loan.

When there is the potential for an overall savings it might be time to consider Refinancing. There are certain situations which make Refinancing worthwhile.

These situations may include when the credit scores of the homeowners improve, when the financial situation of the homeowners improves and when national interest rates drop.

This article will examine each of these scenarios and discuss why they may warrant a Refinance.

When Credit Scores Improve
There are currently so many home loan options available, that even those with poor credit are likely to find a lender who can assist them in realizing their dream of purchasing a home.

However, those with poor credit are likely to be offered unfavorable loan terms such as high interest rates or variable interest rates instead of fixed rates. This is because the lender considers these homeowners to be higher risk than others because of their poor credit.

Fortunately for those with poor credit, many credit mistakes can be repaired over time. Some financial blemishes such as bankruptcies simply disappear after a number of years while other blemishes such as frequent late payments can be minimized by maintaining a more favorable record of repaying debts and demonstrating an ability to repay existing debts.

When a homeowner’s credit score improves considerable, the homeowner should inquire about the possibility of Refinancing their current mortgage. All citizens are entitled to a free annual credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus.

Homeowners should take advantage of these three reports to check their credit each year and determine whether or not their credit has increased significantly. When they notice a significant increase, they should consider contacting lenders to determine the rates and terms they may be willing to offer.

When Financial Situations Change
A change in the homeowner’s financial situation can also warrant investigation into the process of Refinancing.

A homeowner may find himself making considerably more money due to a change in jobs or considerably less money due to a lay off or a change in careers. In either case the homeowner should investigate the possibility of Refinancing. The homeowner may find an increase in pay may allow them to obtain a lower interest rate.

Alternately a homeowner who loses their job or takes a pay cut as a result of a change in careers may hope to refinance and consolidate their debt.

This may result in the homeowner paying more because some debts are drawn out over a longer period of time but it can result in a lower monthly payment for the homeowner which may be advantageous at this juncture of his life.

When Interest Rates Drop
Interest rates dropping is the one signal that sends many homeowners rushing to their lenders to discuss the possibility of Refinancing their home.

Lower interest rates are certainly appealing because they can result in an overall savings over the course of the loan but homeowners should also realize that every time the interest rates drop, a Refinance of the home is not warranted.

The caveat to Refinancing to take advantage of lower interest rates is that the homeowner should carefully evaluate the situation to ensure the closing costs associated with Refinancing do not exceed the overall savings benefit gained from obtaining a lower interest rate.

This is significant because if the cost of Refinancing is higher than the savings in interest, the homeowner does not benefit from Refinancing and may actually lose money in the process.

The mathematics associated with determining whether or not there is an actual savings is not overly complicated but there is the possibility that the homeowner will make mistakes in these types of calculations.

Fortunately there are a number of calculators available on the Internet which can help homeowners to determine whether or not Refinancing is worthwhile.

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Online Refinancing

Online Refinancing

The Internet has greatly simplified the process of Refinancing a loan. Years ago homeowners had to go to a lender during regular business hours for lengthy consultations and would have to visit several different lenders to determine which one would offer the best rate.

The Internet has not only simplified the process but has also given homeowners the luxury of investigating Refinancing options at their convenience and also receiving multiple quotes form different lenders by filling out one simple online form.

Researching Refinancing Online
The Internet has not only made it easier for homeowners to Refinance but it has also greatly simplified the process of learning more about Refinancing. Again homeowners from past generations might have to rely on industry professionals and published books on the subject of Refinancing.

However, today’s homeowners can look up Refinancing and find a wealth of useful information regarding the different types of loans and Refinancing options available.

Homeowners can also use the internet to access calculators which perform the complicated equations homeowners previously had to leave up to the trained professionals.

These same calculations which may have taken a considerable amount of time to complete and correct are now solved within a fraction of a second.

Select a Reputable Lender
Homeowners who are doing the majority of their Refinancing research and searches online should carefully consider the lender they choose. This is important because whether a lender is found online or offline, care should be taken to ensure the lender is reputable.

The easiest way to do this is to stick with a well established lender who comes highly recommended by friends and family members. This does not mean new lenders and smaller lenders are not reputable but there is significantly less risk involved in selecting an established lender than there is in selecting a new lender.

LendingTree.com
Homeowners who are investigating their Refinancing options online may find the website LendingTree.com to be a very valuable resource. This website offers articles and calculators which the homeowner can use to gain the knowledge they need to make an informed decision.

The articles on the website are written in clear and concise language which is easy to understand and the calculators are extremely user friendly and allow require the homeowner to enter in a few variables to obtain the desired results.

Another great feature of this website is the inclusion of a link which provides access to obtaining a free credit report. The process is very simple although it does require the homeowner to verify their identity. This is done to protect homeowners from identity theft or other acts of fraud.

This is significant because homeowners are likely to realize the terms of their mortgage Refinance will depend largely on their credit score. Homeowners who have good credit will likely be offered favorable rates and terms while homeowners with less than perfect credit will not be offered favorable rates and terms.

However, the most significant feature of this website is the ability to obtain up to four quotes from qualified lenders by filling out one simple form. The information required is rather basic in nature and is information which most homeowners have readily available.

Once this information is submitted into the system, the responses are received from up to four lenders almost instantly. The information contained in these reports is customized for the homeowner according to the information inputted into the system.

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Refinancing with an ARM

Refinancing with an ARM

An adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is one of the most popular options available for both home mortgages and Refinancing.

Many homeowners do not fully understand the concept of an ARM and as a result may be somewhat hesitant to pursue this type of a mortgage. This is a shame because there are some situations in which an ARM or a hybrid mortgage can be the best mortgage solution for a homeowner who is in the process of Refinancing.

This article will focus on explaining the concept of an ARM, explaining situations where it is the best solution, debunking the most popular misconception regarding ARMs and explaining how those with bad credit can benefit from an ARM.

At the conclusion of this article the reader should have a better understanding of ARMs and should be inspired to investigate this Refinancing option further.

What is an ARM?
An ARM is an acronym for an adjustable rate mortgage. This means the interest rate associated with the mortgage is not fixed. Instead it is tied to an index such as the prime index and may rise and drop as the associated index rises and drops.

The fact that interest rate is variable scares away many homeowners from considering this option further. However, there are certain safety measures in place which protect the homeowner from rapid increases. This safety measure will be discussed in greater detail later in the article on the section on the biggest myth regarding an ARM.

However, for now homeowners should simply be aware that they would not be subjected to incredibly high interest jumps during a short period of time.

The Biggest ARM Myth
The variability of the interest rate in an ARM makes many homeowners feel very apprehensive. These homeowners envision interest rates going through the room during their loan term and resulting in their monthly payments skyrocketing.

However, fortunately for these homeowners, rapidly increasing interest rates may not have a significant effect on ARMs.

This is because most ARMs have a built in clause which prevents the interest rate from rising more than a certain amount during a specific time period. During this time the national interest rate may rise significantly more but there is a cap on the amount the homeowner’s interest rate will be raised.

When is an ARM Desirable?
One of the most desirable situations for an ARM is as a part of a hybrid mortgage. Hybrid mortgages typically have one component which is fixed and one component which is adjustable.

These types of mortgages may have a fixed rate for a set number of years begin to vary after this initial period. Alternately a hybrid loan may be variable for a number of years and then become fixed after this initial period.

The loan which begins with a fixed rate is usually desirable because the introductory rate is typically lower than the rate offered on traditional fixed loans for homeowners with comparable credit ratings.

Homeowners may particularly like this option if they are repaying a smaller second mortgage and may be able to repay the loan in full before the introductory period ends.

ARMs for Those with Bad Credit
ARMs can also be very helpful for assisting those with bad credit in purchasing a home for the first time. There are a variety of loan options available today which makes it possible for even homeowners with poor credit to obtain a home loan.

However, those with bad credit are usually offered these loans with unfavorable terms such as higher interest rates. Additionally, lenders may only be able to offer those with poor credit an ARM.

Lenders take a significantly greater risk when they lend money to a homeowner with bad credit. As a result the lenders usually compensate for this increased risk by shackling the homeowner with less favorable such as a mortgage with an adjustable rate as opposed to a fixed rate.

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