Posted by
Bryan
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5/15/2007
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Discussing all aspects of the housing market. With emphasis on the Orlando, Fl area. Buying, selling, flipping and foreclosure. Good Credit, Bad Credit, No Problem. Real Estate Listings. Mortagage, Equity, Loans. Make Money. Build Wealth. Retirement. Credit Cards, Apply for Credit Cards, chase credit card, small business credit card, gm credit card, student loans, finance, consolidation credit cards
Good Adware Spyware Removal Tool
I have been dealing with adware on my computer for sometime now. Seemed no matter which software I used to remove the spyware, I could never get rid it all. I finally found a program that will remove all traces of spyware. "NoAdware" removed all the spyware and adware that had infected my computer. They allow you to download a free 60 day trial. So if your having issues with slow preformance and annoying pop-ups, give them a try.
Posted by
Bryan
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5/15/2007
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Labels: Software Review
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/13/2007
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Labels: Real Estate Trends
Real Estate Trends: Always on the Change
If you know anything about the real estate industry it is that changes can happen from time to time. These changes are often times known as real estate trends. When you notice a real estate trend it is safe to say that it is not only affecting you, but is doing the same to a lot of other people as well. This is why so many people put a lot of time and effort into tracking and trying to predict real estate trends. After all, the more that you know about real estate trends the better off you will be when dealing with them.
There are two basic reasons that real estate trends can come to the forefront. First off, trends can be a result of something such as a change in mortgage rates, the economy, or something else in a business sense.
On the other side of things, a real estate trend could come about in order to meet a need in the market. For instance, the internet is changing the way that the real estate industry works. This is something that is not going to change, and as the internet continues to grow this is only going to become more evident.
If you are interested in real estate trends, you should begin to take notice of all information that is out there. You will find that nearly everyday there are plenty of articles published on real estate trends. Additionally, they are often times chronicled in the news as well. By keeping your eyes and ears open you should not have a hard time staying up to date on real estate trends. And of course, it is always fun to look at predictions for future real estate trends. This type of speculation may allow you to capitalize on the industry in one way, shape, or form.
As you can see, real estate trends are always changing. This is something that has been going on for many years, and will continue this way forever. The real estate market fluctuates too much and offers too many opportunities for it to stay steady for a long period of time. With real estate trends changing all the time, it is no wonder that so many people take time to keep a hawk eye on the market.
Posted by
Bryan
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5/13/2007
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Labels: Real Estate Trends
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/13/2007
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Labels: Real Estate Trends
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/13/2007
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Labels: Real Estate Trends
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/13/2007
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Labels: Real Estate Trends
Credit Rehab
From "http://www.uni-sol.com/cca/html/settlement.html"
A Sticky Problem with Bad Credit
Many times we have been asked, "Can I just delete the negative listing without paying the debt?" In most cases, the question comes from someone attempting to dishonestly escape a legal obligation. While it is true that negative debt listings can be deleted from the credit report - even while the debt remains unpaid - it is also true that these listings stand a good chance of reappearing on the credit file sooner or later.
There is a better alternative than attempting to escape the debt. You can create a true win-win situation by settling the debt with the creditor.
It is our experience that the average consumer will settle a debt for about 75 cents on the dollar. It is also our experience that a professional negotiator will settle an average debt for about 60 cents on the dollar including their fee. There is rarely a good reason to attempt your own debt settlement. Creditors will not take you half as seriously as they will take your attorney. Handled properly, you will save time and money by seeking a good attorney to negotiate with your creditors. However, if your debts are very small (under $75 each) it may be worth your time to perfrom your own settlement. Either way, here is how the process works:
Understanding the True Risks and Realities of Overdue Debts
Most consumers overestimate the risk involved with overdue debts. They worry about possible repercussions such as wage garnishment and property seizure by their creditors. When the debt relates to a secured property, such as an automobile or a home, the possibility of repossession is quite serious, but unsecured debts, such as credit cards and deficiencies are much less pressing.
In fact, very few creditors will push all the way to a garnishment on a relatively small unsecured debt. Garnishment and seizure are a creditor's most terrifying weapons used to collect past due debt, but they are expensive and time-consuming. Even if the creditor went all the way to recover the debt, they probably wouldn't be able to recover enough to offset their collection costs. Therefore, there is very little risk of a creditor taking an unsecured debt past simple collections.
It is important to remember, however, that the creditor would be in his rights to get a garnishment and seize property, even for a small debt. There is some risk of financial reprisals when a debt goes unpaid.
Many consumers fold under the perceived strain of unpaid debts. Hundreds of bankruptcies take place in the United States each week for amounts under $5000. These consumers are so intimidated by their creditors, that they flee to bankruptcy, even though bankruptcy can bring total financial devastation for at least the next ten years. If these same consumers had simply waited, and ignored the threatening letters and telephone calls, they would have realized that their creditors were all bark and no bite. Bankruptcy is the best option for some few consumers, but it is much overused. And, when a consumer files for bankruptcy, everyone loses - especially the creditors.
The risks of judgements, garnishments, and property seizures must be properly balanced against the likelihood that such drastic collection measures will ever happen. The risk, and the decision to take that risk, are entirely yours if you're in such a position.
Which Debts Can Be Settled?
An unsecured debt is a debt where their is no collateral. Unsecured debts include medical bills, credit cards, department store cards, personal loans, collection accounts, student loans, amounts remaining after foreclosure or repossession, and bounced checks. Most unsecured debts can be settled. But, utility companies generally wont settle for less than the full balance. There are some few creditors who will never compromise, but most will take a less-than-full payment as settlement in full to close a troublesome account.
Secured, collateralized debts, such as a home or automobile, are another story. If the creditor can simple repossess the property, why should he negotiate? You can often renegotiate a short payment relief with a secured debt, but don't attempt to settle the account while you still possess the property.
Also, the creditor must have a good reason to want to settle. If the account is paid current, and there is no recent history of late payment, it will be difficult to convince the creditor that it is in their best interest to settle. This should not be read as a recommendation that you stop paying your bills that are current. If you stop paying your current bills, you will almost certainly make your credit situation worse. Perhaps bad credit is not an issue for you at this point and you feel you must stop paying your bills in order to settle them and get back on top of your debt load. If this is the case, you make such a decision at your own risk.
Getting the Upper Hand
As time passes, the creditors will likely stop calling and the debt will be filed away for future attention. The longer the debt remains uncollected, the better your chances will be of getting a good settlement.
Eventually, the creditor will consider the bad debt a loss in order to receive a corporate tax write-off. This does not mean that you don't owe the debt. The corporation may then collect on the debt themselves, sell or assign the debt to a collection agency, press for a judgement and garnishment, or temporarily ignore the debt. The course of action chosen by the creditor will vary widely between corporations and debts.
In our experience, the consumer rarely has sufficient funds to repay a debt in full when a creditor demands payment. In many cases, much of the debt represents interest and penalties accrued while the consumer was unable to pay. It will be in the best interests of both parties if a reasonable arrangement for settlement can be reached.
However, you cannot expect to reach an affordable settlement if the creditor thinks he has the upper hand. If, for example, you tell a creditor that you really need to get this debt settled to get into your dream home, you can forget any kind of settlement. The creditor will insist on the full balance.
It will be in your best interest if the creditor believes that you have very little money and you are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. The attorney who handles your settlements should approach each creditor as though this is their last chance to compromise, and get something out of your debt, before you declare bankruptcy and they get nothing.
Also remember that time is on your side. Never look too eager to settle. Take plenty of time to reach an agreement. Don't accept the first, or even second, settlement offer. Make sure that they are the ones calling you to push the deal forward.
You have the natural advantage in debt settlement, because you have something the creditor wants. You must hold out for your terms until the creditor gives you what you want. Once you've written that settlement check, your advantage disappears. So, get your terms in writing before you even open your checkbook.
Using Settlements to Restore Your Credit
The credit reporting system gives consumers very little reason to pay their debts. If the debt were ignored, the consumer would have a good chance at never hearing from the creditor again, and, after seven years from the date the debt was written off, the negative credit listing would disappear. If the consumer were to pay the debt, then that seven year period would begin all over again. A paid collection or charge off will trigger credit denial as quickly as an unpaid collection or charge off. It's like getting time added to your sentence for good behavior.
Fortunately, creditors make their profits by collecting from their customers, not reporting negative credit information. Because creditors can see this "catch-22" situation, they will often agree to delete any negative listing upon settlement of the debt.
Collection agencies will always agree more readily to delete the negative listing than banks or credit cards. The only case where you should have a real problem with collection agencies is when they represent a larger, institutionalized creditor.
Many creditors, though, have an agreement with the credit bureaus that they will not allow a negative listing to be deleted upon settlement. Larger creditors, such as huge credit cards or banks will require more pressure before they will agree to delete a negative listing, but virtually every creditor will give in with the right amount of convincing. Every creditor who reports to the credit bureaus can also change the information they report. In most credit organizations, there are dozens of people with the authority to make changes on the credit report. Anything a creditor reports, a creditor can change.
You may take two approaches to having the negative information deleted upon settlement of a debt: pre-notification of terms and post-notification of terms.
Pre-notification of terms: you tell the creditor up-front that you will require the deletion of the entire negative listing as a part of the payoff. The agreement to delete the listing and consider the debt settled is documented in writing and signed before the payoff takes place.
Advantage: Time will be saved and you wont be disappointed at the last moment. It is also less likely that you will have to fight the creditor later to actually delete the negative listing.
Disadvantage: When the creditor discovers that your credit is important to you, he will usually ask for a larger settlement amount - sometimes full balance - to meet your terms.
Post-notification of terms: once settlement negotiations are complete, the creditor receives the agreed payment with the requirement that the negative listing be deleted attached to the check. This approach requires use of a "conditional endorsement" document (drafted by your attorney) notifying the creditor of your terms.
Advantage: You will almost always get a better settlement amount. The creditor will often be tempted by the payoff when the terms arrive and will deposit the check without blinking at the new terms.
Disadvantage: The creditor often hangs up on the new term and might send the settlement check back. The creditor might still ask for more money, or reject on the deal altogether. If the creditor simply deposits the check without intending to follow through with your new term, you will have to fight the creditor later and force him to delete the negative listing.
Never expect a creditor to meet an agreement that was made verbally. Everything must be in writing and, even then, you will probably have to fight to make the creditor live up to his end of the bargain.
You may find that some of your creditors are willing to hold out longer than you are willing to hold out before agreeing to delete the negative listing from your file. In other words, they will not agree to delete the negative listing under any circumstance. Once again, let it be said that every creditor will give you what you want if you speak to the right person long enough and you make the right offer. But if you are on a time-line, and your attorney can't get them to agree to full deletion, you have a couple of other options:
List the Account as "Paid" only. You may counter-offer that the creditor simply list the account as "Paid" rather than delete it altogether. This is a true indication of the status of the account and many creditors will concede and agree to this wording. A "Paid" status is still very negative for a collection account or an account that will show "Paid Charge-off" or "Paid repossession." You should only agree that the account show "Paid" if all other negative notations, such as "Charge-off," "Repossession," late notations, and "Collection," are deleted at the same time. A simple "Paid" notation on a regular trade line is neutral and should not hurt your credit.
List the Account as "Settled" only. You may counter-offer that the creditor simply list the account as "Settled" rather than delete it altogether. "Settled" is an inherently negative listing but not as negative as "Paid charge-off." Don't agree to a "Settled" listing until you have exhausted all other possibilities. "Settled" will still trigger a credit denial. You should only agree that the account show "Settled" if all other negative notations, such as "Charge-off," "Repossession," late notations, and "Collection," are deleted at the same time. If you agree to a "Settled" notation, you must continue to work hard to delete the notation through the credit bureau dispute process.
List the Account as "Paid Charge-off" or "Paid Collection" or "Paid was 30, 60, or 90 days late." This will be the creditor's first choice, and your last choice, of what to place on your credit report once you have paid. These notations are almost as damaging as showing the same debt unpaid. It is very common, though, for an account to be deleted (through credit bureau disputes) once it has been paid. The creditor now has no compelling reason to keep the negative listing on your report. For this reason, it is still usually a good idea to settle even if the creditor wont budge on deleting or positively modifying the negative listing.
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/10/2007
3
comments
Labels: Credit
Good Credit Sense
Here are some good ideas when it comes to consumer credit. Whether you are applying for a credit card, mortgage, or any other loan. Its good to know your credit standing. Here are some ideas, if you unfortunately find and error.
From the "http://www.uni-sol.com/cca/html/newarticle.html"
"The New Legislation
This widespread unfairness has finally, after twenty years, prompted Congress to push aside the powerful credit bureau lobby and to pass a new Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA.) The new FCRA goes into effect on September 30, 1997, and with it comes a bright era in consumer rights.
The new FCRA increases the responsibilities of credit bureaus and creditors. Furthermore, they have greater risk of lawsuit if they fail to provide every right under the FCRA. Most importantly, the new FCRA increases credit bureau responsibilities when derogatory credit is disputed.
The catch is: you must take action to gain these new credit rights. You must demand fairness before the law will help restore your good credit.
Protecting Your Credit Rights
Outline below is a brief, 3 step plan to defend your credit rights. If you need more details to get started, please feel free to download the Free Credit Restoration Package available on this site.
Examine your credit report every three months.
Before you begin the battle, you must know the battlefield. Your struggle to restore your credit will be fought between the lines of your three credit reports. These reports will generally cost $8.00 each. You must order all three credit reports (TRW, Trans Union, and Equifax) as they are all used frequently by credit companies.
When you first receive your Trans Union and Equifax credit reports, you will find them difficult to read. The information is coded in a way that is not immediately readable by the average consumer. Each credit report should arrive with a key which interprets the codes and indicators on the credit report. Sit down with the credit report and study it until you understand what each code means. You must monitor your credit report religiously to prevent the appearance of bad credit.
Dispute credit report listings which you feel are unfair or inaccurate with the credit bureau.
The dispute letter is the single most powerful weapon in your arsenal. The new FCRA requires the credit bureaus to handle your dispute with precision and reliability. However, the credit bureaus still have some loopholes to escape their responsibilities if you don't compose your dispute properly, including the determination that your dispute is technically "frivolous or irrelevant."
After you've analyzed your reports and marked every negative listing, you may begin to draft your dispute letter. Do not use "form-type" dispute letters as they will be quickly spotted and rejected by the credit bureaus as "frivolous or irrelevant." Instead, follow these general strategies:
Always indicate whether the disputed listing is being challenged as "not mine" or "not late." While you must never say that an account isn't yours or that you weren't late unless you believe that it is true, the credit bureau must know if you are disputing the existence of the listing or just the information within the listing. If you are unclear about the nature of your dispute, the credit bureau will promptly return your letter. Remember, the credit bureaus see all disputes as either "not mine" or "not late."
Tell the credit bureau of the desired outcome of the investigation. You must always state what you would like done with the listing. There are two options: delete the entire listing or erase the late pay notations within the listing.
Provide a reason for your dispute. If you don't give some kind of explanation as to why you think the credit report is wrong, then the credit bureau may return or ignore your dispute.
Never sound like an expert. The credit bureaus receive over 10,000 disputes per day. Your dispute should look like an average dispute. If you quote legal statute or if you remind the credit bureaus of your rights under law, they will probably determine that you read a book about credit repair or you are using a credit repair company. If the credit bureau believes that you are attempting to systematically restore your credit, your dispute will be tossed into the "frivolous or irrelevant" bin.
Patience and follow-through are the keys to this process. Don't bombard the credit bureaus with disputes. Sending one dispute right after another is wasteful and counterproductive. You should send no more than one dispute every ninety days. If you dispute more often, the credit bureau will simply return the dispute as "frivolous or irrelevant."
Dispute the listing with the creditor who reported it.
Under the new FCRA, the creditor is now responsible to adhere to proper procedure in verifying consumer disputes You should take your challenge to the creditor by writing letters directly to that creditor. If you still owe money on the credit item in question, you may use a powerful negotiation tactic known as "debt settlement" to reduce your payoff AND to accomplish the removal of the negative listing. Debt Settlement requires negotiation and is usually best performed by an attorney. "
Hope it helped
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/10/2007
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Labels: Credit
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/10/2007
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comments
Labels: Real Estate
Wow, I have been working my fingers off getting this website up and running. I hope it will be worth it. I am no where near done, but I think you can tell its going to be good. So check it out if you get a chance. Here is the link if you missed it.
southernresale.net
I'm looking for a new MYSPACE gif, if any of you have some ideas let me know.
The wildfires here in central florida are sure making a mess of the air quality. You can barley see 50ft in front of you. I'm glad to not be out on the roads. I have hear they are a mess. We will all look like Micheal Jackson soon if we don't get some rain. I really feel sorry for the people with homes near the fire. That has to be tramatic.
I'm going to start my rain dance. CYA
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/09/2007
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Labels: Real Estate
I have been working hard at getting our website up and going. You should stop by and see whats new. I have several step-by-step guides featured. They offer everything you need to get started in the foreclosure market. Click Southernresale.net to see whats up!
Bad Credit not an issue
No Credit no problem
Market is Booming
Build personal wealth
Well enough. Just check it out. And by the way navigating the Orlando Sentinel online is a pain. But a nessecity, so I suffer.
I am working on a new opening pitch letter. I will post a sample as soon as I have got it tweaked. Stay tuned.
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/07/2007
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Labels: Real Estate
Well I now have a myspace. I know, I know, I'm so cutting edge. I thought it may be a good way of getting in touch with old friends. That could get scary.
I got some properties today that I am heavily pursuing. Hopefully, I can snag one before it slips away. I try to keep profit margins at around 30% so finding properties is not always easy. So if I score one of these, then it will help my year greatly.
Foreclosure.com is a great resource I use to reference preforclosure property. However, I don't pay for the service. The listings give me a starting point.
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/04/2007
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Labels: Misc
As you can tell this is my first post. I was told by a friend this would be a great outlet for the rambling of my mind. I guess we will see.
My name is Bryan, I'm 35 and live in libo (Atlanta and Orlando). I am married and have a son.
The purpose of this blog is to express my view of the happenings of the world around me. I warn you it could get ugly. Please don't let that scare you off. I can be rational at times.
I need to test this all out so I will see you tomorrow. Hopefully, I will be more comfortable with the whole "Blogging" idea.
Here goes nothing.
Posted by
Bryan
at
5/03/2007
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Labels: Intro