In light of some of the housing booms and busts that have taken place in the past several years, Texas has developed some of the most limiting equity laws in the country. As they should, real estate is basically worth what individuals are willing to pay for it; what lending institutions are willing to loan against it, and what estimated taxes on it are expected to be. All 3 of these are about as absolute as the wind. One thing you should understand is that Texas will fix equity loans to 80% of the value of the home; and that value is calculated on a few particular things. 1. The sold price of similar homes. This means houses that have really sold, not the asking prices of houses that are still for sale, but the literal price paid at closing. This price accurately reflects what buyers are inclined to pay; and what banks are prepared to lend. 2. “Similar homes” are households that are of a same era, style, and condition as the house for sale. Just because the home next door sold for $50,000 more than your asking price, doesn’t mean that your house is instantly also worth $50,000 more. Improvements, location, and style all influence if the two homes are in fact “similar”. 3. Particularly in aging neighborhoods, you will find several homes that have been remodeled, with large scale improvements that have totally altered the style of home from its original build. If a home has these types of upgrades, it will take a seasoned appraiser to determine the true value of this type of home. 4. When considering recent sales, banks will study sales inside the last 6 months because this time frame will clearly show the way the market is moving and give them a good idea of how sound their investment will be. If there is an rising course in housing prices, they will be more liable to go with the flow, and give you a liberal number against the estimated value of the home. If you can find an appraiser who has produced appraisals in your selected region before, they will have a more dependable idea of what direction this neighborhood is moving, and he may know of other places with which to liken yours to. Experience is always good for a number of reasons, particularly in getting the appraisal in the banks hands quickly to help speed things up. Flower Mound TX REALTORS® are ready to provide you with a free Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) of your home, along with all the other services he provides. But remember, if you are in the appraisal process with one bank in particular; be sure to speak with them first. Many lending institutions will only accept final drafts from someone who is on their approved list.
June 13th, 2010
Nothing President Bush said last night (5/15/06) will have any real impact on illegal immigration. I hate to criticize the President but that’s my professional opinion. I have several payroll companies that prepare payroll for businesses around the country.
Immigration, legal and illegal, is driven by the opportunities offered in this country. Those opportunities exist because we have the “Three Rules of Wealth” as I use to call them when I taught High School.
- “Rule of Law” You know the rules and they don’t fundamentally change, and you know the consequences of your behavior if you violate them.
- “Private Property” You get to own the tools of wealth creation. Tangible and intangible assets that let you create profits. “”Rule Number One” guarantees this”
- “Free Enterprise” You are not restricted to what you can do as long as you follow “Rule Number One” using “Rule Number Two.”
You are not going to keep people out when these rules apply to them even if they are illegal. If they did not apply employers would steal from illegal immigrants, banks would just seize their accounts, school districts would turn away their children, hospitals would refuse to treat them, etc.
So how do you keep illegal immigrants out of the country? Cut them off from the opportunities that the “Three Rules of Wealth” provide. How do you do that?
First you must have a perfect system of identifying citizens and legal aliens. Sorry, but it means a national identity system. Which, by the way, solves the big ongoing criminal problem of identity theft. Why not just make the illegal immigrants carry an ID card, because they won’t.
Second, penalize businesses that hire illegal immigrants severely. Make it a felony to hire an illegal. All businessmen like an edge. Some currently get the edge by hiring cheap illegal labor and taking advantage of it. No business is wrongly hurt if the playing field is leveled. If average wages go up they go up for every company and everybody raises their price to compensate. This will also appeal to the conservatives because once illegal immigrants can’t get a job many will go home.
Third cut off all benefits for illegal immigrants. No schools, no free hospitals, no food stamps, no welfare, no sanctuary, no government benefits no nothing. No prison either. Hard labor until they pay for there transportation out of country. If their country of origin wont take them hard labor till they someone does or they die.
Fourth seize their bank accounts, seize any property they own, take their cars and houses. Remember they are criminals the moment they cross the border without documents or overstay their visa. Give half to the person that identifies them as an illegal and half to the government.
My guess is in 30 days after this plan is enacted that 90% or more of all illegal immigrants will have left the country. When you take away all opportunity in this country, the opportunity however meager, in their country of origin will seem desirable.
Children of immigrants that are citizens can not be deported. That is part of the “Rule of Law”. If their parents who must leave don’t want to take them then set up orphanages until they are 18. Educate, feed, house, cloth, and care for them. They are fellow citizens after all.
Is this harsh, yes of course. Nothing else will stop people from seeking a better life. You must make what they have where they came from to appear to be better than what is available in the United States. Nothing less will do. Otherwise the strong, motivated, hard working people of the world that want a better life for themselves and their families will continue to come hear regardless of the current penalties that they know are not enforced.
Do I agree that this is what we should do. Absolutely Not.
This is no way to treat people. But nothing less will stop them from coming and coming and coming. Which is not necessarily bad. If people are going to come here we want strong, hard working, motivated people like our own ancestors that emigrated here or survived the imposed hardships of slavery and lived through it. How to integrate them into the “American Dream” is a whole different discussion.
Charles J. Read, MBA/CPA has been in the payroll, accounting and tax business for 30 years the last fifteen in private practice. Mr. Read is the author of “How to Start a New Business” and is the owner www.PayrollonaBudget.com a paperless payroll company, www.Custom Payroll.com a full service payroll service provider. He has also taught business in a public high school as a volunteer and is a former US Marine.
March 23rd, 2010
Copeland Council’s scheme, which also helps those with certain incapacities, offers a choice of 3 travel concessions : free off-peak bus travel anywhere in Cumbria and the rest of the country, travel vouchers, or a senior citizen’s railcard.
Coun Elaine Woodburn, leader of Copeland Council, asserted the scheme would start on Apr one. “It provides a selection of handy travel options for people that are eligible. We all know from all of the feedback we are getting the scheme gives a lifeline to a lot of people, so I am pleased that we’ve been able to offer 3 different options for people.”. An alternative option is a pack of £18 worth of travel vouchers which may be employed with local taxi firms, on some local buses or to buy rail tickets.
The senior citizen’s railcard permits those above the age of sixty to purchase reduced fare train tickets ( typically with a 0.33 discount ).
Around three thousand admissible Copeland residents have selected a railcard as their choice of concession. Residents can select one concession for the year, and are ready to change their concession at the beginning of each finance year. Copeland Council operates and part-funds the concessionary travel scheme with the Office for Transport.
source:http://findhotelsinthailand.com
March 18th, 2010
After weighing his options and the degree of the responsibilities at hand, Representative Rahm Emanuel has accepted President-elect Barack Obama’s offer to become his White House Chief of Staff. Obama’s selection of Rahm Emanuel was the first major decision the president-elect made in public since his victory over Republican Sen. John McCain in November 2008.
Rahm Emanuel believes that his knowledge about the White House was the main reason why Obama picked him over other potential candidates. Dubbed as “Rahm-bo” for his aggressive “take no prisoners” personality, the future White House Chief of Staff divulged that he has devoted his life to public service.
Rahm Emanuel was first thrown into the political scene when he became a member of the Illinois Public Action. In 1984, he served as part of Paul Simon’s campaign for a seat in the U.S. senate. Four years later in 1988, Rahm Emanuel became the national campaign director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). A year later, he served as Richard M. Daley’s senior advisor and chief fundraiser for the latter’s successful mayoral campaign.
Rahm Emanuel also has a flair for fundraising. One of his memorable fundraising events was the $72-million fundraiser for Bill Clinton’s presidential primary campaign. Under the Clinton Administration, Rahm Emanuel served as senior advisor to the president; a position which he held from 1993 to 1998.
After resigning from his White House office, and before he ran for a congressional seat, Rahm Emanuel worked as an investment banker for Wasserstein Perella (currently known as Dresdner Kleinwort) and as one of the Board of Directors for the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or Freddie Mac.
Jamie Gorelick was the Commissioner of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon The United States.
Jamie Gorelick published an article entitled “A New Agenda For Justice” for the Washington Post.
Jamie Gorelick is an advisor for President Barack Obama.
February 13th, 2009