Home Equity Loan Lowdown

10 Free Alternatives to Quicken

Sure, Quicken is a great personal financial tool; it comes packed with a whole load of features, and if you’re used to it, you may not want to give it up. Not until the bugs and advertisements get to you; or the newer features become too complicated to use; or the automatic aspects rub you the wrong way; or the cost weighs you down. Well, in that case, if you are on the lookout for an equally good alternative to manage your money, seek no further – your search begins and ends here, at this list of 10 free alternatives to Quicken.

1. Ace Money Lite: Perfect for managing individual or family finances, this freeware allows you to bank online, plan and set up payments, track your investments, and manage your accounts on eBay and other online market places, besides taking care of your normal budget and expense/income tracking needs. 

2. Accounts & Budget Free: If it’s just one account you’re looking to manage, this software should do the trick. It’s available in Italian, French, Danish, Polish, Croatian and Portuguese besides English, and provides you the tools to create a budget, and keep track of expenses and income. You can dabble in several currencies, and also import from and export data to QIF, OFX, OFC and CSV files.

3. Buxfer: This one’s web-based; just sign up to start tracking your transactions and printing out reports. Buxfer allows you to enter expenses from your mobile phone through a text message, a great way when you’re trying to keep an account of joint expenses that have to be split later. Setting up an online account means you are not tied to just one computer when you need to check the state of your finances. 

4. Clear Checkbook: Another free hosted software, Clear Checkbook lets you track your credit card purchases, set categories, spending limits and reminders, view past spending patterns, and print reports. What sets this freeware apart from the others is that you can manage any number of accounts. With the CheckBot feature, you can check your bank balance and arrange payments to or from your account using AIM, ICQ or text messages from mobiles.

5. Gnu Cash: Developed for Linux lovers, this software which runs on GNU/Linux, Solaris and Mac OS X systems, is now available for use on Windows as a self-installing file. Its list of advantages reads long – it’s a double entry accounting system, it lets you import data from both Quicken and Microsoft Money, and export data to many different formats. A cool open source tool, Gnu Cash also lets you monitor your investment portfolio (stocks, bonds and mutual funds).   

6. jGnash Personal Finance: Written in Java, this software can run on any OS that supports Java 1.4.0 or greater Runtime Environment like Linux, Mac OS X or Windows. jGnash is pretty feature-rich for a free application – it supports account and investment tracking, PDF report generation, account reconciliation using the double-entry accounting system, entry in various currencies, online updates of stock prices and currency exchange rates, and secure file encryption. You can also import files from Microsoft Money and Gnu Cash through a customizable UI.

7. Money Manager Ex: A nifty financial planning tool that works across various platforms (Linux or Windows), Money Manager Ex packs in all the features of a regular money management solution besides letting you track depreciation on your fixed assets, forecast your cash flow, set up reminders for regular bill payments, and maintain credit card accounts and investment portfolios. Also allows file imports from Money or Excel (any CSV format).

8. Money Trackin: Set tags for your transactions, print reports and access your account from any computer or mobile phone with this online money management tool.

9. Wesabe: If you’re into the social networking scene, you’ll love Wesabe. It combines the best aspects of online social life and financial planning into one great package that makes managing your money both fun and productive. Set up an account, transfer your transactions either manually or automatically, set tags for each expense or income, and view your spending patterns according to these tags. You can set targets to achieve, and compare notes and share information with others in the community with similar goals. Based on your tags, you can also see where to get the best deals or where you can shop for more and pay less.

10. Yodlee: Set up Yodlee through your bank and watch it manage your finances for you. All your transactions are imported automatically, and you can view your net worth at any given time. The software takes into account all payments due in and out of your account. Set notifiers for events that need your immediate attention, like the payment of bills or when an account is running low on money and you’re about to overdraw. Yodlee also keeps track of the reward points you’ve earned on your credit cards and the number of minutes left on your prepaid mobile phone. The best part of all this – Yodlee has a reputation for offering the highest security for your transactions.

The 10 Most (and 10 Least) Valuable Home Improvements when Preparing to Sell your Home

When you're selling a home, you want it to be attractive to prospective buyers. For many sellers, this means taking on renovations. You want these home improvements to add up to profit when it comes time to sell. Otherwise, you're just throwing money down the drain. Check out these home improvements to learn what helps attract buyers and what's a lost cause.

Helpful

1. Tidy up your kitchen: You probably don't need to renovate your entire kitchen to add value to your home; it’s enough to make strategic improvements. It makes sense to replace fixtures and appliances that are old or broken, but don't spend too much money on items that won't appeal to a broad audience.

2. Beautify your bathroom: If your home has just one bathroom, consider adding a new one when you’re planning to sell. Give your existing bathrooms a new look by replacing faded tiles and rusted faucets. If you cannot afford a complete bathroom makeover, scrub your fixtures and tiles until they shine like new. Be sure to remove personal paraphernalia when showing your bathroom to buyers and agents.

3. Perk up the paint: One surefire way to make your home look brand new is to give it a fresh coat of paint on the inside and outside. Wash the grime off before you start on the paint work and keep your choice of colors neutral so that most people will be attracted to them.
 
4. Work on your windows: Replacing your windows, whether vinyl or wood, will add more appeal to your home when you’re planning to sell it.

5. Step up the curb appeal: Potential buyers are more attracted to your house if the exterior is neat and uncluttered. Clean up your lawn, trim your shrubs, rake dead leaves away, and re-seal your driveway.

6. Add air conditioning: Most buyers take it for granted that all homes come with central air conditioning systems. Installing one makes perfect sense when you wish to raise your home’s value. If your present system is outdated, consider upgrading it; your prospective buyers will appreciate the savings on energy bills.

7. Sort out those spaces: Many homes look smaller than they are because of clutter and unnecessary furniture. When you're selling, you want your home to look as large as possible. Make it appear bigger by removing excess furniture and knick-knacks. If your rooms are too small, consider taking down a wall to make a larger space. Make sure that the wall you tear down is not a supporting structure. If your home does not have a garage, see if you can convert a part of your garden or lawn into one without incurring too much expense.

8. Build into your basement: If you have empty, open areas like a basement, attic or loft, clear out the rubbish you store in there and consider turning them into utility rooms. If your home does not have enough bedrooms, create one, or better still, leave the space clean and freshly painted so that the new owners can turn it into their own personal space.

9. Put on a patio: Add a patio or deck to the space outside your home. Any place you can relax outdoors certainly adds more appeal and value to your home.

10. Stretch those stories: If your home is too small, but you still want to expand, try going up. Consult architects to find out if adding a floor will work out for you.

Hurtful

1. Removing relics: Don't get rid of things just because they're old. Many buyers appreciate original home fixtures like fireplaces and antique bathtubs. Retain the charm of the house by keeping these relics around.

2. A face-lift for your floor: Floor replacement is not always the most sensible of ideas. Often, buyers have their own plans for flooring, so they may want to change the new hardwood you've just invested so much money on. As an alternative, you can offer a flooring allowance that will enable buyers to do what they please.

3. Building more fireplaces: Just because a fireplace looks good in one room doesn't mean you need to add one to every other room. Most buyers are not looking for a fireplace in every room, and will not be willing to pay more just because they exist.

4. A swimming pool: While pools are useful when you throw a party or need to relax, they are high maintenance and do not add value when you’re looking to sell your home, especially if you live in a neighborhood where no one else has a pool.

5. Banking on a bar: Home bars are a personal preference that not all potential buyers will appreciate. It’s a bad idea to spend money on installing a bar just to make your place more lounge-worthy.

6. A Jacuzzi: Jacuzzis and hot tubs are not for everyone. You may see that fancy built-in MP3 player, radio or aromatherapy fixture as a valuable improvement, but most others would be reluctant to pay more for such trivialities.

7. Taking on technology: Before you splurge on the latest in elevators, home theater systems and stereo systems than echo all through the house, stop and work out the costs involved. Most technology is soon outdated, and you don’t want to be left holding the bill for something that the next owners do not appreciate.

8. Forget the fancy fittings: If you want to sell fast and at a good price, don't bother with personalized fixtures. Fitting your home with fancy aquariums or customized rooms and cages for pets is not the way to raise your home’s value.

9. Replacing the roof: Roofing is expensive and not a large focus for home buyers. Unless your roof is in need of repair, replacing it will not bring in any extra money when you sell your house.

10. Go easy on your garden: All you need to do to your garden is keep it neat and well-maintained. Forget the decorative fountains, elaborate sculptures and ornamental birdhouses and let the greenery speak for itself.

10 of the Coolest Secret Passages in People’s Homes

--By Sushma Pradhan

Why or what is the purpose behind a secret? Secret could be anything, be it a way to a dream or surprise or a dungeon dark and deep. Nevertheless, secrets always create inquisitiveness. And inquisitiveness gives way to brainstorming. That’s why I believe we have so many wonderful discoveries today. However, I do not want to deviate from what I want to focus. Secrets.

Have you ever thought of secret passages in your home? Don’t you think the idea is cool, well yes it does seem to, but these secret passages are not always cool, behind them may be story of agony or a saga of horror.
But beyond doubt, these secret passages in one’s home has been a fantasy ever since the birth of humankind. How would the fiction world survive without secret passages? Could castles be ever complete without a secret passage? Let us look into some of the secret passages in the homes that have made that age so famous.

A secret passage mostly signifies a concealed route to travel sneakily. These passages are somewhere where no one can detect the entry. The doors are camouflaged so that they appear as a part of the structure such as bookshelf, fireplace, etc. At times, these entrances are ornately designed functioning with a hidden mechanism.

The castles in the medieval ages had secret passages for the inhabitant to escape during a siege. The traditional Arabic houses have secret runaway passages with the concealed doors. These doors are called the “Bab Al Sirr”. Let us travel from down the ancient time through to the present age to few of the secret passages:

1. Egyptian Pyramids (1000 AD):  The Egyptian pyramids has lots of secret passages, which are more commonly called the booby traps. These booby traps are more like an anti-personal weapon to severely harm or kill encroachers. As the name suggests this trap is to ensnare the enemy soldiers and the main purpose behind such booby traps is to ensure the safety of the burial chamber and prevent grave robbers.  There are statues that hold the mechanism to the door opening and leading to the secret chamber.

2. The Passetto (1277):  The Passetto or Passetto di Borgo is a covert operational passage that interlinks  Vatican City and Castle of Sant’ Angelo. It is 800 meter long corridor. The Passetto looks like a wall from outside but it has tunnel inside, which over the time has served as a runaway route to the Popes during emergency. When Charles VIII invaded the Vatican in 1494, Pope Alexander VI crossed himself to safety similarly, Pope Clement fled to safety in the year 1527 during the Sack of Rome.

3. Speakeasies (1920-1930): During the age of US Prohibition, Speakeasies were very common illegal bars. A legitimate business front formed the mode of concealing these infamous bars. One such infamous speakeasies happened to be housed in the Bell Jewelry Store in Decatur, Illinois. Apart from speakeasies the store had a gambling parlor and brothel too.
The customers to the speakeasies or the other illegal corner accessed the place via the stairway that was in the street and entered a shop of the sporting goods. This shop acted like a veil to the dark world behind. The customers walked across the rows of shelves crowded with dusty sports merchandise to a secret panel. This secret panel was in the wall that slid open to bare the entrance of the brothel and speakeasies.

4. Secret passages for smuggling (2000-2002):  Stanislas Gosse used the secret passages to steal more than one thousand books from the library of Mont Sainte-Odile’s monastery. Stanislas Gosse found an old map that showed the secret entrance to the library. The route was a difficult one, it involved climbing the exterior walls, a series of steep stairs and then the secret chamber. The opening to the secret chamber was a special mechanism that was hidden behind one of the five cupboards in the room.
The authorities of the library got suspicious when there was a large disappearance of precious books in a short span of time. It was the closed circuit television that ultimately solved the problem and helped nab Stanislas Gosse.

5.  Tunnel for smuggling: Between US and Mexico there ran a 720 meter long tunnel mostly used for illegal purpose. This tunnel was discovered on January 25 2006. This tunnel not only served as transportation of huge quantities of marijuana but also was used for illegal immigration.

6. Panic Rooms: These rooms are also called the ‘safe rooms’. There are only handful contractors who specialize in constructing hidden doors in the UK and US. These secure rooms are camouflaged for security of the residents mostly for the top executives and celebrities, when there is an invasion or break-in.  These fortified secret rooms are well equipped for action during emergency and the inhabitants can call for help using cellular phones and land-line phones, stay within till the help reaches or normalcy retains.

7. Fictional uses: The secret passages have always formed the plot element for many fictional stories. Bookshelves and special mechanism wonderfully disguised behind common looking object of an ordinary home, form the opening device to these secret passages.
Two such examples of fictional passages are the 'Mysterious Chamber' in the story of Mark Twain.  A young lover cannot fathom how he gets entrapped in the secret passages for years, underneath the castle.
The superhero Batman resides in a bat-cave that is made up of series of subterranean caves that was hidden beneath Wayne Manor, his residence.

8. Secret passages in detective stories: If you know Faulkner’s Folly,  you will also know of the ‘impossible crime’. Mostly a murder takes place is a upper class house and the murderers’ use the secret passageway and hidden doors to reach the victim.  Another character that uses secret passages is the Phantom in ‘The Phantom of the Opera House’. Phantom has his den beneath the opera house. James Bond, the famous character of Ian Flemming, too had hidden lairs and passages.

9. Secret Passages in hotels:  The Fairmont San Francisco that costs 10,000 dollars per night for a entire floor, is a penthouse. It has a two storey circular library, a Tiffany skylight, a 24- hours room service, tiled billiards room and four fireplaces.  In case, the resident wants to receive the guest discreetly one can push the bookcases and find the way through the suite secret passageway.

10. Secret passages in games:  How can one ever think of fun and excitement without secret trap doors and passages in the videogames. In the world of video games dungeon and traps are all around the castles and buildings.  The game Cluedo has two secret passages that the players can access to defend and make a move.
For example, computer and video games have many hidden areas that serve as an important part of the game. These secret passages mostly serve as a bonus or a reward to the player who discovers it.

Carnival of Wealth Building #9

Greetings! Welcome to the 9th edition of the Carnival of Wealth building. We have selected 18 posts for this edition. I hope you will enjoy reading these. Here are the posts in the order they were received.

Warren Wong presents How to Control Your Thoughts and Get What You Want posted at INTJ Personal Development. Find out how to control your thoughts to get what you want. Here's an effective method for controlling your thoughts.

Nenad Ristic presents 10 Reasons to Join eVo posted at Money Consciousness. eVo will provide a social site, which will allow the users to play online games against each other. As the site and the insiders report point out, the casual games market grows at an amazingly fast rate at the moment (they give a figure of it growing at four times the rate of the net as a whole. I have not taken the time to confirm or deny this figure).

Roshawn Watson presents Investing Is For You: Investment Series Part One ... posted at Watson Inc. A big barrier to investment is that many feel that it is too risky. If you are one of these people, let me help you friend. Investing is not very risky; poor investing is risky, and so is not investing. Good investing in diversified index funds has proven to be a solid wealth building tool.

George Courtney jr presents The 12 Building Blocks of Wealth Cycle Investing posted at The Authentic Bartender Blog. Wealth building is a process. Anyone who has inadvertently signed up for a wealth-building seminar — only to receive a barrage of get-rich-quick schemes — may be justifiably skeptical of anyone who claims to create millionaires. The reason I can say I create millionaires with complete confidence is that I do it by teaching them a process.

ChristianPF presents How to make more money with your emergency fund posted at ChristianPF.com. A quick how-to showing you how to use an emergency fund to save more money and increase it's growth rate.

Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents Create Your Treasure Map To Riches posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door. Visualizing what wealth means to you shapes the way your mind thinks about money and your life. Your mind then sets in motion the actions necessary to begin achieving your goals. By taking the time to establish what real wealth looks like to you, you direct your efforts in ways that will make becoming rich, in your own terms, simple.

Allen Taylor presents What Are Your Wealth-Building Goals? posted at Investing World Today. The money is out there. No matter how many people tell you that we are in the midst of a starvation economy, that the market is doing this or that, and that it’s too risky to play the game, so to speak, people are getting rich every day. That is the reality.

Tim Ramsey presents Debt Consolidation Loan To Deliver You From Debt posted at My Debt Relief Blog. High amount of debt needs a drastic solution and a debt consolidation loan is the best solution that can unburden your load of debt.

Babak presents Amateur Hour At the NYSE: Odd Lot Data Is Bullish posted at Trader's Narrative. Odd lots are transactions in the stock market which are for less than 100 shares. Since this size of transaction is characterized by retail and small traders or investors who are uninformed about the market, it is considered a constrain indicator.

Eric Stanley presents Need a Money Making Idea? posted at Personal Finance Blog Articles. There are so many money making ideas you can choose from online that anyone, no matter what skill level, can find something.

Ant presents Are you a Millionaire Yet? posted at The Beef Jerky Blog. Everyone wants to be a millionaire, and sorry to say, but if you are between the ages of 9 and 13 then this may be easier for you to achieve than you think. If you are like me in your mid 20s then this may not be so easy unless you received a headstart.

Adventures in Money Making presents Buying Pre-construction Properties In Baja Mexico posted at Adventures in Money Making. A brief primer on real estate investing in Mexico.

KCLau presents Money Lessons from Transformers movie posted at KCLau's Money Tips. Transformers is an entertaining movie. It also teaches us about personal finance.

Mmotley presents Bruce Berman posted at Digital Battlegrounds. An honest review of Bruce Berman's Wealth building program.

Moneywise presents Stocks as Income Investments posted at The Real Returns. Considering stocks as income investment makes buying and holding easy.

Raj Dash presents Bootstrapper » Bootstrapping Your Business Cash Flow posted at Bootstrapper. One way to build wealth is starting a business on minimal funds and bootstrapping your way to success. Here are some bootstrapping techniques.

Tushar presents Save big on your Mortgage posted at Life of a Resident Alien.... On average, a U.S. homeowner with a $300,000 mortgage can save upwards of $100,000 over the life of his or her mortgage just by following this simple program. And if that's not enough incentive, think about being debt-free and potentially ready to retire years sooner than you'd planned.

Steve Leung presents Tools for Protecting Yourself During a Home Purchase posted at Silicon Valley Real Estate Blog - 1SiliconValley.com. How the right contract and market analysis can keep you from making a huge mistake when buying a home.

That concludes the 9th edition of the Carnival of Wealth building. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on 27 July 2007. You can submit your posts via the blog carnival submission form.

Carnival of Wealth Building #8

Greetings! Welcome to the 8th edition of the Carnival of Wealth Building. We have received 13 posts for this edition. I hope our readers will enjoy reading these. Here are the posts in the order they were received.

The Mad Money Analyst presents Using Costs Basis as an Advantage posted at The Mad Money Analyst. Costs basis is the cost of an asset or investment for tax purposes, which includes the purchase price and expenses such as commissions paid. Essentially if you subtract expenses from the purchase price paid, you'll arrive at the cost basis for any particular investment. But how do you use this tax principal as advantage?

Edithyeung presents I Have a Dream posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act.. Motivational example for everyone who are doing something that they are passionate about.

ChristianPF presents 9 Tips from Warren Buffett posted at ChristianPF.com. Nine tips about investing, business, and life from the world’s greatest investor.

Steve Faber presents - 7 Home Flipping Mistakes to Avoid (actually, you should avoid them all) posted at Debt Free. If you listen to the late night infomercials, any dullard with an ounce of initiative can make a fortune flipping houses. If only it were so easy. First of all, in some areas of the country, this isn’t the best time to try house flipping, although opportunities exist in many markets.

Matthew Paulson presents Single Stocks or Mutual Funds? posted at Getting Green. A look at which makes better sense for your investing needs, stocks or mutual funds.

Big Cajun Man presents Free Banking? posted at Canadian Financial Stuff. One way to save money, is don't let the bank take it away from you in bank fees! How? Just read...

The Mad Money Analyst presents What You Should Know About Retirement posted at The Mad Money Analyst. When planning for the future, you must consider many variables. Some of us might have children. Some of us might want to travel around the world. Some of us might even just want to find a small, quaint, little town to ride out in a blaze of glory. But if one thing is for sure...

Adventures in Money Making presents How Capitalism Really Works posted at Adventures in Money Making. Here's an amusing anecdote on how capitalism really works.

Shadox presents New 401K Plan & Features posted at Money and Such. This article tells of some of the innovative 401K features being introduced by my company, including: ROTH 401K, self directed 401K, and employee opt out enrollment.

Craig Andrews presents Outsourcing = Freedom Of Time posted at Craig S. Andrews - "real Internet business solutions". For excellent results, one the best ways to drive a lot of traffic to your blog or Website is through effective and unique article version submissions. Using a highly effective article submission software is key to your Internet success.

Tyler presents Home Sweet Home Depot posted at Dividend Money. A look at Home Depot as a long term investment.

CA presents How would you get back from Mars? posted at Atlantic Canada's Small Business Blog. After all, the goal of an organization is money, right? Wrong!

Maureen presents All Things To All People? Hardly. | Guideye posted at Guideye.com. Every problem in business- with the possible exception of actual theft – boiled down to one thing: communication.

That concludes the 8th edition of the Carnival of Wealth Building. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on 19, July, 2007. You can submit your posts here.

Carnival of Wealth Building #7

Greetings! Welcome to the 7th edition of the Carnival of Wealth Building. Contrary to our expectations, we have received 19 posts for this edition. It's a good list and I am sure you will enjoy reading these posts. Here are the posts in the order they were received.

Edithyeung presents How To Build a Strong Real Estate Team posted at Stewart Hsu. Being able to find, interview, motivate and work with excellent people can make all the difference between incurring losses vs. achieving stellar returns. It takes time and skill to build and maintain a good team, but that time and effort you invest will undoubtedly yield you greater confidence, better decisions and therefore better results.

Wolf Stone presents 5 Ways to Gauge Market Sentiment posted at Canadian Economy, Commodities And Mining Stocks Through a Fundamental Lens - Wolf Stone. The American Association of Individual Investors Sentiment Survey measures the percentage of individual investors who consider themselves "bullish," "bearish" or "neutral" on the stock market on a weekly basis. The AAII indicator is considered a contrary indicator because individual investors like you and I are considered “last to know”.

KCLau presents How Much is Adequate for Emergency Fund posted at KCLau's Money Tips. If you are putting more money at low risk and liquid account, you are actually building an emergency fund out of that practice. In other words, if you are investing most of your money, you probably increase the risk to get better return, hence reducing the liquid part of your portfolio.

Christopher Smith presents Why I don't like Rich Dad posted at Real Estate Investing in the Real World. It’s hard to argue with the success that Robert T. Kiyoski has had with his Rich Dad series. Head over to Amazon.com and you’ll see almost fifty items on offer. But I'd argue Kiyosaki knows a lot more about selling books than he knows about strategies that will actually help people improve their financial position.

Warren Wong presents Do You Get Money? posted at Personal Development for INTJs. Do you "get" money? Did you know that if you leave your money in the bank gathering interest, you actually lose a little bit of it every year? Read this article to find out more!

Beth Anderson presents Focus = Wealth posted at InvestorCentric. “Wealth is built through concentration and maintained through diversification.”

Roshawn Watson presents Click To Play Be Your Own CFO part 2: Mind Yo... posted at Watson Inc. Many should ask themselves "is working at a job the best way to achieve my goals?" If your goal is financial independence, the answer may startle you. Did you know that business owners are 5 times more likely to become millionaires than typical employees?

Adventures in Money Making presents Is It A Good Time To Invest In Real Estate? posted at Adventures in Money Making. Is It A Good Time To Invest In Real Estate?

Wealth Building Lessons presents Is Sears the Next Berkshire Hathaway? posted at Wealth Building Lessons. Wealth Building Lessons discusses reasons why Sears may be the next Berkshire Hathaway.

Warren Wong presents Grow Your Pile Of Money posted at Personal Development for INTJs. Your Pile of Money is shrinking just by keeping it in the bank! Learn to grow your pile of money here!

The Skilled Investor presents How to lie with statistics: Investment performance charts ? A Tip from The Skilled Investor posted at THE SKILLED INVESTOR Blog. Historical investment performance charts for investment funds might be historically accurate. However, their presentation in advertising, on line, and in printed materials can amount to lies from several perspectives.

Ruby presents 7 Things About Success That You Can Learn From Steve Jobs posted at Advice and Rants. Do you really believe that successful people sit on their asses all day long?

Tim Ramsey presents Reduce Credit Card Debt Quickly posted at My Debt Relief Blog. Stop Using Your Credit Card. This is a massive way you can start to reduce credit card debt quickly, it isn’t rocket science to realize that by continuing to use your credit card is going to plunge you deeper into debt than you already are.

Eric Stanley presents Saving Money - A Top Strategy For Saving Money posted at Personal Finance Blog Articles. Do you find it difficult to save the money you work hard to earn? If so, then this article aims to help you get on top of your funds and start investing in your future.

Thomas Humes presents Wealth Creation- Don?t Start With the Wrong Concept of Wealth posted at Wealth Building World. If you think wealth creation is all about trying to save more money, trying to cut down on your spending, and budgeting then you are very wrong.

Marc and Angel presents When Buying a Car with a Credit Card Makes Cents posted at Marc and Angel. Marc and Angel just purchased a brand new car (Honda Accord Coupe EX-L) on a credit card. You think they’re crazy? Think again. They instantly saved ourselves about $500!

Mark25 presents Taking Smart risks posted at Business School. If you want to achieve anything in life, especially if you want extra income, you’re going to have to take some risks. The risk may come in different forms, whether the amount of time spent, the hard work you are going to put it or the extra money you will need to spend or sacrifice.

Babak presents Homebuilding Sector Merits Attention posted at Trader's Narrative. Although it is always most difficult, it is rewarding to step in and buy when no one else is. Right now sentiment and the technicals have reached a crescendo of pessimism that usually signals an inflection point.

The Mad Money Analyst presents Why Invest in Stocks? posted at The Mad Money Analyst. Simply put, of all the possible types of investments, stocks will provide the best opportunity for growth over time and are a great solution for long-term investing. This idea is the core approach of many investors...

That concludes the 7th edition of the Carnival of Wealth Building. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on 10 July, 2007. You can submit your posts here.

10 Things Real Estate Agents Do For You That You Never Thought Of

--By Sushma Pradhan

Today is the world of technology. You just need to press the right keys, you will be inundated with information. You may never know while you flip across the sites, you may get some added information.

Similarly, how can the real estate world be aloof from the world of the web? you can get all the information you want over the internet, be it quotes or be it the right agent. However, as a client you may feel that when you can have all the information on the press of the right keys, why to hire a real estate agent? You may be lucky if you have made the deal but...? Yes, the question does come up at times.

In case, you have been unable to buy or sell a home through regular marketing or internet and advertising without any representative or a real estate agent. Here are ten reasons that might just give you that little feeling of approaching a professional real estate agent and know what they can do, that you never thought of.

1. Education and Experience that make a difference: It is not necessary that you know everything about the real estate, about the fall and rise or the gain or loss. Hiring people who know more than you do and who can figure out right, is a smart move that you make. However, the big question here is the right person. Though the fee that you need to pay is almost same with all of them, so why not go for a person who has a good education and experience. We all look forward to precious moments in our life, and knowing the fact that we do run short of time, why not hire a pro, and save that time for something better.

2. Agents serve as defense mechanism: Have you ever imagined how much time you need to spend for all that property showings and extra visits, in hope for a better deal and results. In case, you are a buyer, your agent will keep at bay all the unnecessary intervention of a builder’s agent. On the other hand, if you are a seller, your agent will filter for you the phone calls and messages and see to it that your selling process moves in the right track. This way you will save much unnecessary and unwanted interference from people.

3. A complete knowledge of neighborhood: Your agent will possess the entire knowledge of the neighborhood. They will be aware of the industry buzz and will have a better idea of the way the market works than you will. They can handle and convert a mere enquiry into sales, and pass on to you effective results. To quote an example, you may know that a particular home was for sale at a particular price, but the agent will know the actual price, the sold price, and the difficulties behind the sale of the house.

4. Perfect price guidance: There is a common belief, which says the agents allot the price for the sellers and the buyers. However, the right agent’s duty is to guide the client to make the right choice for himself or herself. If 7% is the listing, for example, the agent has a 7% stake in the sale. On the other hand, the client has 93% interest.  The agents on the selling end will request the buyers to evaluate all the supplied data and select a price. And then, depending on the market scenario and the demand for the same, the agents will prepare strategies that will give ultimate negotiation to a deal.

5. Detail market information: Real estate agents are the ones who can gauge the nerve of the market. They can evaluate the changing market and identify the right condition to sell or buy your property.  Many factors play a key role that will lead to your decisions. These are average and median sales prices, average per sq ft cost of homes similar to your selection, and average days of market to name a few.

6. Proficient field of networking: Real estate agents are capable of maintaining a very skilled professional network. They provide you with service network that will be beneficial during the sale or purchase. Many agents may hesitate recommendation to certain company over another because of legal liability. However, they are the ones who know the efficient, competent vendors with a competitive edge. They in fact, lay a network that will help you make a wise selection.

7. Confidence level and negotiation skill: The agents who are remarkably well in their job know the art of negotiation. They easily know how to detach themselves from the emotional phase of the transaction. Their professionalism helps them present the client’s case in the best front and maintain the confidentiality of the client’s information from competing interests.

8. Paperwork blues: Today if you go through the purchase agreement, you really will feel the pressure on your eyes. One cannot help it, the purchase agreement runs right from page one to ten or more. One mistake and you had it, who knows you might just land in the court or cost you many thousands. However, in many states, there are lawyers who look after and handle the disclosures. If you have an agent, then that is really a wow factor for you.

9. Post closing queries: There may be smoothest transactions which do not carry any complication, but post sale it may come back with certain difficulties. A good example can be, the tax collecting authorities knocking your door for the assessment of property tax, transfer tax or doc tax may follow soon and mix up invoices. In such cases, one can quickly call the agent to clear all the confusion regarding the new tax web formed around your new found home.
During the closing of the deal, there may be points that one may overlook in mere excitement and these tiny issues at times pop up later. And it is the agent who stands by you ready to assist you. A good and reliable agent will never leave you half way to fend for yourself. It is during these trying times you will thank your stars for choosing an agent for yourself.

10. Agents help you to develop healthy future business: The success of an agent’s in the profession of real estate is the quality of referrals. It is very likely possible for few agents to make a good living if they can consistently pulsate up new business. There lies a chance of high incentive if they are successful in pleasing a client and writing their success story. This can also mean that in case in future you want another business you know the agent to hire. However, there are many real estate agents, who will update you with their periodic mail and keep you informed as means to be in touch.

Ten Thousand Leagues: Profiling the World’s Underwater Homes

--By Sushma Pradhan

Centuries ago, perhaps no one ever imagined that life ten thousand miles down under could be conquerable. Times changed and so did technology, impossible became ‘I m possible’, and the world started moving an inch nearer each day.

However, after conquering the air and land, it was now time to head towards the water. No doubt enough technological advancement have been made in the water world, like connecting one land to the other through the underground means of transport, from pipelines to telephone cables, the world of  technology is moving at a supersonic speed.

On the other hand, we also know that fairy tales still rule our mind to a great extent. The cascading waterfalls, the colorful water animals, the adventures of Nemo, the playtime of princess Ariel that so much capture and enthrall not just the innocent minds of children but an adult's mind too. Just imagine sipping the hot cup of coffee and enjoying the scenic blue beauty. Imagine all the glossy Walt Disney like characters swimming right over your head and below your feet.

Thanks to all the brains that work faster than the computer. Thanks to all the brainstorming, that has created a unique world for humans in the water world. Here are few such creations that have sealed the gap between the two worlds.

Ithaa: Ithaa is the name of the underwater restaurant that is brought to you by the Hilton Maldives Resort and Spa. Ithaa, according to the natives of Maldives, Dhivehi means ‘pearl’.  Indeed a pearl resting in the nacre and no wonder dining here would be a rich experience.

This restaurant undersea created and designed by the design consultants MJ Murphy Ltd, New Zealand. It costs less than 5 million dollars and is part of the project Rangalifinolhu Island. This restaurant is five meters below the Indian Ocean waves, and is amidst the vibrant coral reef and provides a 270 degrees enthralling scenic beauty of the blue sea.

The creators have used the aquarium technology. The crylic curved transparent walls and roof,  serve as the aquarium.  There are colorful coral garden, and the diners can enjoy the scrumptious meal and enjoy the view the underwater Maldives environment with the variety of sharks, rays, and other colorful fish, without getting their feet wet.

The Hydropolis Underwater Restaurant, Dubai: Dubai is a place where flamboyance thrives, be it malls, artificial islands, adding a dash of glitter makes the structures even more prized. It is here that the 500 million dollar Hydropolis Undersea Resort is promoted. This resort will cover a sprawling area of 1.1 million square foot complex, with the luxurious facility. This Resort will have lavish suites, a shopping mall for the residents to indulge in a shopping spree.  It also has a ballroom, and to let you continue to feel safe and secure as long you are at the resort, the commercial developers have planned defense systems to ward off any terrorist attacks. This ambitious vision of construction wonder and luxury placed at 60 feet underwater is a wonder worth a wait.

Further adding to the suspense, the deputy chairman of the board for Crescent Hydropolis Resorts LLC in Dubai, says that the pending completion of this marvel may be slightly delayed as of target date for 2008. But rumors tell different version of the story, it has been heard that the project is on hold due to lack of funds.

This under construction hotel includes three elements. There will be the land station, where the guest will receive a warm welcome. The second will be the connecting tunnel, which will transport the visitors to main hotel area. The third part will be the complex of submarine leisure comprising 220 suites and this will be the main attraction of the hotel.

Till the time this resort is complete, we can keep our fingers crossed and simply wish that the blueprint takes the form of the completed form.

Poseidon underwater resort, Bahamas: The Poseidon, underwater Resort of UK, will be the world’s first sea-floor luxury resort. This undersea resort off Eleuthera Island, will be for the non scuba divers, a beautiful chance to experience life underwater, without any gadgets attached to the body and additionally, without getting wet too.

The Poseidon, will be depressurized to sea level and submerged 50 feel below into the sea. Further, it will also be connected to a onshore reception circle via tunnel. This 40 US million dollar project will comprise of 22 rooms underwater prepared with transparent acrylic, so that the visitors can take full panoramic view of the blue world.

Additional to the panoramic view the guest can take back the rich memories of diverse seawater fish on artificial reefs, which will glow even more when lights are lit underwater through the switch controllable from outside. At present, the charge for the suite per night will stand at $1,500 a night, but the scenic beauty underneath out feet is worth all the money.

L. Bruce Jones, the President of US Submarines has done his brainstorming for this project. Sure Captain Nemo, the Jules Verne creation of ‘twenty thousand leagues under the sea’, must have inspired him.

Trilobis 65: This is a semi submerged lodging environment. Trilobis is 20 meters in length and can habitat six people at the sea. It makes an ideal living in bays, maritime parks, and atoll.

The main purpose of this project is to allow an individual reside in a unique environment, through non-polluting, self- sufficient environment as one with the ocean surroundings.

Trilobis was designed by Giancarlo Zerna, and has four separate levels that are connected to one another via spiral staircase. The top level stands 3.5 meters above the sea level. The immediate next is 1.4 meters above sea level and has a daylight zone and other services that facilitate outdoor access. The third level lies 0.8 meters below the sea level and is a night life zone. However, it has underwater observation bulb, which makes it a meditative and intimate place.

This circular habitat allows aggregation of creating island colonies and modular units. The maximum length of the entire vessel is 20 meter and it expands 13 meter wide. With the capacity of accommodating six beds, this vessel has a maximum speed of 7 knots.

These habitats below the sea level are no wonder a wonder to behold, a home of fantasy. But what do all the creatures under water call them I guess??

Carnival of Wealth Building #6

Greetings! Welcome to the 6th edition of the Carnival of Wealth Building. We have received 7 great posts for this edition. I hope our readers will find those useful and interesting. Without further adom here are the posts in the order they were received.

Ruby presents 25 Ways to Make Money Quickly and Easily (and Legally)! posted at Advice and Rants. How can you earn some extra money easily and quickly? You may be broke, debt, and desperate to make some money quickly, or you may be unable to work full-time (maybe because you’re a student like me?). Don’t worry, there are ways to make money quickly, easily, and without robbing a bank.

Argonautica presents Bundling Cable, Phone, and Internet Costs More posted at Golden Fleece Blog. “Consolidate your cable, phone and Internet service to get the best deal.”...I have found that bundling these services will cost you more if you are a savvy consumer because you can get better deals by a) mixing and matching services, and b) playing each company’s promotional rates off of one another.

Silicon Valley Blogger presents Curb Appeal: One Of My Best Investments Yet Or How I Turned $80 Into $5,000 With Minimal Risk posted at The Digerati Life. Tree planting pays dividends not just for the environment but also for your pocket. Here’s how.

Babak presents Inflation? What Inflation? posted at Trader's Narrative. So everyone is afraid of the big inflation boogey man thinking that interest rates will have to rise and choke off the stock market's bull run. But is inflation really around the corner? According to gold, silver and the CRB commodities index inflation fears are just a mirage.

Dough Roller presents How to Find The Hidden Cost of Mutual Funds posted at The Dough Roller. Not all mutual fund costs are included in the expense ratio. This article breaks down the costs of a mutual fund, including those hidden costs.

Edith Yeung presents How to Say Goodbye to Someday Isle posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act.. Edith says, "Taking that step, setting foot on that rocking boat leaving corporate was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Once I set foot the water was surprisingly calm. It was a lot easier than I originally thought."

Michelle Cramer presents Tips for Gaining and Impressing Potential Investors posted at GreatFX Business Cards. Tips on how to impress potential investors so they will be more willing to support your business venture.

That concludes the 6th edition of the Carnival of Wealth Building. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on 02 July, 2007. You can submit your posts here.

Carnival of Wealth Building #5

Greetings! Welcome to the 5th edition of the Carnival of Wealth Building. We have received 17 posts for this edition. I hope you will enjoy reading these posts. Here are the posts in the order they were received.

Tyler presents Attention Please! posted at Dividend Money. Do you review your portfolio more often when the markets are performing well?

Uni presents Agloco has Launched it?s toolbar! FREE money maker! posted at You Deserve More. Agloco has Launched it’s toolbar: FREE money maker! They are releasing the toolbar 50,000 members at a time, so it may be a few days before you get to download yours.

The Skilled Investor presents THE SKILLED INVESTOR Blog posted at THE SKILLED INVESTOR Blog. Sales load charges and commissions on investment purchases differ from the financial service industry’s numerous other recurring methods of charging fees to their retail consumers. Sales loads are less straightforward to analyze for investment lifetime cost-effectiveness, compared to annually recurring charges.

AJ presents Dividend Analysis - Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) posted at Dividends Matter. A look at one of Warren Buffett's holdings.

Babak presents IBES Valuation Model: Stocks Extremely Undervalued posted at Trader's Narrative. Should we heed the IBES valuation method? It is a little followed indicator that has guided profitable investors for the past 30 years. You'll be surprised to know that right now, it is telling us to buy.

Azmi M. presents How to Make Money from YouTube posted at Random Ramblings of Desi Baba. YouTube’s popularity has grown tremendously and so has its profits. Google saw great potential from that site and so it bought it out for over a billion dollars a while back. Now as a regular Internet surfer you can have a piece of that pie indirectly. If you offer YouTube videos on your blog then you can actually make a good amount of money from it.

Royan Shaw presents Secret To Your Success Online - How To Start-Up Your Mini-Empire - Part 1 posted at Ezinet Global Marketing Blogsite. This is the lead off article of the necessary approaches required to get on the road to success. This a fundamental step by step guide required of those of us serious about achieving wealth,recognition and status.

Average Joe presents Stock Analysis - Cognizant Technology Company (NASDAQ:CTSH) posted at Investment Jungle. A real value pick!

Josh presents Mutual Funds- What You Need To Know posted at The Mad Money Analyst. This series on mutual funds will explain how a mutual fund is managed, how it is organized, how shares are sold, and who the main players are.

Eric Hudin presents Living Trust Confusion posted at My Estate Planning Career Blog. A living trust is a legal entity normally created to hold assets in your lifetime and distribute them after your death. [A living trust has nothing to do with a living will. A living will is a document that states your desires regarding use of artificial means or heroic measures if you become disabled.]

Craig S. Andrews presents My Ultimate Traffic Generating Cash Cow posted at Craig S. Andrews - "real Internet business solutions". One the best ways to drive excellent traffic to your blog or Website is through effective article submissions. Using an effective article submission software is key to your success. Please visit my blog for all types of "Internet Business Solutions."

Silicon Valley Blogger presents The American Nightmare: An Illustration Of The Subprime Lending Mess and Borrowing Bust [A FlowChart] posted at The Digerati Life. How many times have you heard of those stories of woe and bankruptcy caused by the subprime lending and borrowing crisis, currently in the forefront of real estate market news?

Steve Faber presents - The SSBC Investing Strategy – the 4 Secrets to Investment Success? posted at Debt Free. The 4 things you need to successfully grow your investment portfolio are the same 4 things you need to be a successful athlete; strength, balance, speed and coordination.

Trent presents Personal Finance Success Comes More From Smart Budgeting Than Smart Investing posted at The Simple Dollar. The truth is that personal finance success comes from smart budgeting and frugality, not from chasing a couple more percentage points on an investment.

Ralph presents Enough Wealth: Get A Perpetual Income Stream for just 3% of Salary posted at Enough Wealth. What happens if you save "too much" for your retirement, as a recent MSN Money Article suggested was a possibility following conventional financial planning "rules of thumb" such as the 4% retirement withdrawal rate?

Anna Farmery presents How community is linking content to user posted at ThePodcastSisters. People trust recommendations, follow the links of people they respect - communities are a feed ground for how and what your "customers" consume as their products.

Edithyeung presents Advice from a Billionaire posted at Stewart Hsu. It may seems obvious, but so often people do things because of what others may think. To heck with anyone else’s opinion, follow your heart, and do what you know you should be doing.

That concludes the 5th edition of the Carnival of Wealth Building. Next edition of this carnival will be hosted here on 20 June, 2007. You can submit your posts via blog carnival page.