Monthly Archives: September 2011

Beach House – The Perfect Investment Home



Interested in investing in a beach house? Many people are nervous about buying beach front property because of the frequently high initial cost and the out of the way location. However, current the recent foreclosure crisis has made now the perfect time to invest in a beautiful piece of beach front property. Read on for why a beach house is one of the best investments someone can make.

A Beach House Is More Than The Structure

Buying a home on the beach is more than just buying the structure of the home. Property with beach access is frequently valued with or without a home currently occupying the location, and many times prospective buyers will be looking to build their own home anyway. This leads to a property market that rises without hinging a great deal on the value and upkeep of the specific home.

A Struggling Economy Makes Beach Homes Cheap

While times of economic prosperity make many people interested in purchasing beach homes for vacation properties and areas to get away, times of economic trouble lower the demand for beach front locations. This means that right now savvy investors can snatch up beach houses for much less than they will probably be worth as the economy continues to recover. Waterfront property is going for much less than it was just a few years ago, and it will probably be the first thing to recover as the economy starts to improve.

Renting Your Beach House

It is important to remember that owning a beach house investment means owning a beautiful getaway on the beach. You can rent out your beach home for instant profits on a seasonal, monthly, or weekly schedule to start earning money from your investment right away. With the right setup and a little bit of furniture, you can keep your beach home earning for you all year long.

Taking A Beach Home Vacation

Because you already have a place to go, you can save a huge expense when you take a vacation by simply visiting your own beach home. A beach house makes your vacations cheap and easy to plan, and since you are setting up any renters you may have you will know in advance when you can travel. By taking a vacation to your second home on the beach, you get to have a great relaxing vacation without worrying about lodging expenses in a foreign environment.

Living In Your Waterfront House

If your lifestyle allows for it, nothing is stopping you from making a beautiful beach residence your primary home. Living in a waterfront home lets you take in stunning beach views and vacation living all year round. You will be able to maintain and improve your beach front home to improve the resale value while benefiting from the scenic area and laid back lifestyle.

Many factors make now the perfect time to consider a beach home investment. There will probably never be a better opportunity for picking up a waterfront home that will increase in value quickly for an affordable price.

Home Mortgage Loan Refinance – Benefits To Refinancing Your House Online



Here are some of the benefits to doing your home loan refinance online:

Everything seems to happen faster – Online, when looking for a mortgage loan you can search around, fill out an application and a few minutes later, you can be receiving a pre-approval letter via email. There was no calling, no driving & no waiting on hold for an answer. The mortgage company will usually contact you quickly and give you all the information you need to move forward.

You will be more informed and make better decisions – People nowadays that use the internet as consumers, use it primarily to make better purchasing decisions. If you are sitting at home on the couch with your phone book calling every mortgage company listed, you are not going to know what the current interest rate is. You aren’t going to know what your contacted companies competitors are like. All you will know is what that loan officer tells you.

Online, you can view a lot of information very quickly. – After looking at a few mortgage loan websites, you will know quickly that when you refinance you have many options. Do you want to get cash out of your home? Do you want to borrow more than your homes current value? Do you want an interest only loan? And, you will know right away which mortgage companies offer these options. There are many different kinds of refinance loans, and all of these options can be learned after a few minutes of searching online.

Deal with large, reputable companies – When applying online, you should quickly be able to spot the larger, more reputable mortgage companies. I always prefer to use the companies that will submit your application to multiple lenders. That way, your credit is only pulled once, and you can receive multiple offers from up to 4 lenders. For a list of these recommended mortgage companies, see the link below.

Save money – Many online mortgage service companies can save you money by cutting out fees like origination fees and underwriting fees. You will also save money using mortgage services where more than one lender competes for your business. When you can receive multiple offers, you will know that you are choosing the loan with the lowest rate possible and the best terms you can qualify for. I usually recommend applying with about 3 different mortgage companies that will submit your application to multiple lenders and give you multiple offers. That way you can really maximize your options.

Less Commitment – You can search around online and apply to 2-3 different lenders without feeling guilty for working with more than one company. That way you make can make sure you are getting the best deal. Often when you start working with a mortgage broker in person, even if the person isn’t doing the best job for you, you start to feel obligated to continue to work with the person. This is not so online. If you aren’t getting what you want, you are free to move on with no guilt.

For a list of recommended mortgage companies to refinance with online, click on the link here: recommended
refinance mortgage lenders. The mortgage companies recommended on my website, for the most part, will submit your application to more than one lender and provide you with multiple offers.

The White House Cigars



Ah, the cigar. Emanating power and prestige, it’s kind of like a Rolls Royce, but much easier to put in your mouth. Because of this esteemed reputation, it’s not surprising that cigars have been smoked by many of our nation’s past presidents. Whether scratching at the back door or sneaking in through an open window, cigars have found their way into the White House during several presidential terms.

We all know that JFK was an avid fan of Cuban cigars, and we know that Bill Clinton also put cigars to use – albeit strange use – but use nonetheless. However, what we might not know is that 20 of the past 43 presidents have smoked cigars. From the Civil War to the Cold War, presidents have turned to cigars in times of trials and times of joy. While some smoked cigars less zealously, the following is a list of presidents who were passionate cigars smokers, stopping just short of nominating Henry Clay for their presidential cabinets.

Zachary Taylor

The twelfth president, Zachary Taylor was known as a hero of the Mexican War and elected president in 1848. A soldier who had dedicated his life to military service, Taylor was an avid cigar smoker. However, ever a “man’s man,” he would only smoke cigars in the presence of men who were also cigar smokers. Known as “Old Rough and Ready” because of his choice of clothing, Zachary Taylor died in office after eating the ever-so-tasty combination of cherries, milk, and pickled cucumbers.

Ulysses S. Grant

If ever there was a president who was a true cigar connoisseur, it was probably Ulysses S. Grant. A Civil War hero, Grant was elected as the 18th President in 1869. Never doing anything in moderation, he was rumored to have smoked 20 cigars per day. In fact, one legend states that he smoked over 10,000 cigars in a period of five years.

During his campaign for the presidency, his cigar smoking was used as a propaganda-laden ploy with the emergence of the song, “A Smokin’ His Cigar.” With lyrics that went, “The people know just what they want. Less talk and no more war. For President, Ulysses Grant A-smoking his cigar,” US Grant was portrayed as a peace-loving man, calm and collected during times of strife. Once he was elected, Grant took his love for the cigar even further and was rarely photographed without a cigar in hand, or in mouth.

Chester Arthur

The 21st President elected in 1881, Chester Arthur was society’s president, known for lavish clothing, midnight suppers, and meals filled with champagne and expensive cigars. Fired for bribery and corruption in earlier years, Arthur grew to be called “The Gentleman Boss,” showcasing politeness, social stature and the luxuries of the times. This ultimately brought him, and the cigar, to a new level of honor and caused the journalist Alexander K. McClure to write, “No man ever entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted, and no one ever retired… more generally respected.”

William McKinley

According to legend, William McKinley, the 25th President, was the inspiration for the Wizard in the movie the Wizard of Oz. The elusiveness of the Wizard is fitting for McKinley’s elusive cigar smoking. While he was never photographed with a cigar, and rarely seen in public smoking, when alone it is rumored that he was borderline obsessive about this luxury. In fact, the White House Chief Usher once stated that McKinley had a passion for cigars unlike any other president. Whenever he was in the White House, there was always one in his mouth.

Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding, the 29th President elected in 1921, was widely known as a President more concerned with playing poker and golf than running the country. However, he did have some good qualities. One of these was the fact that, prior to declining health, he personally answered all letters from US citizens. Another good quality was that he was a cigar smoker, one who was so particular about the aroma of his cigars that he hauled his cigar humidor from Ohio to the White House.

Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon, the 37th President elected in 1969, may have uttered the words, “I am not a crook,” from the highest mountain top, but he never would have been caught saying, “I am not a cigar smoker.” Although he wasn’t a habitual cigar smoker, he did indulge as a sign of camaraderie with other world leaders. In fact, Nixon’s term was the last term in which cigars were offered after dinner for men to enjoy in the Green Room.

From Presidents who fought in the Mexican War to those who oversaw the Vietnam War, our leaders’ hands have embraced cigars for centuries. While Richard Nixon was the last President to smoke cigars, we can rest assured that there will be many more. Because we live in a Democratic nation, where we have the power of the vote, we can almost guarantee it.