Cooler Loans For You

They’re many people who don’t believe in psychic phenomena and many people who do. Who is right? I feel that they’re both right.

There are many reasons why people believe in the paranormal. They may have talked to a psychic that predicted their future correctly, had a psychic experience of their own, like déj vu; they want to believe because it gives them hope, etc.

The skeptics don’t believe in it because they had an incorrect psychic reading, they only believe what they can see, they want to see hard core evidence of psychic powers that leaves no doubt in their mind, etc.

Luckily, you can be either a believer or a skeptic, in order to use psychic selling. In order to use this skill you just need to apply some basic psychic language.

Below are four common psychic abilities and how to easily apply them to your copy writing.

1. Precognition is the ability to predict future events. It’s comparable to future telling. You would need to tell your readers what will happen in their future if they buy or don’t buy your product.

For example:

One week from now I can hear you telling your friends how much our product has improved your golf game.

2. Retrocognition is the ability of seeing past events without any real knowledge of it. Since you’re not likely psychic, you would need to tell your readers something that is common with all their pasts. They will be amazed you know this information and give you instant credibility.

For example:

Remember when you were a small child and you could wake up and do what ever you wanted?

3. Telepathy is the ability of knowing another person’s thoughts by reading their mind. You can do this by putting yourself in your readers shoes. Think about what thoughts compelled them to read this ad. Just include this information in your ad.

For example:

I know you’re thinking if you loose your job you might have to file for bankruptcy.

4. Empathy is the ability of experiencing the emotions and feelings of a person. You can do this by putting yourself in your readers shoes. Think about what feelings made them read this ad. Just include this infor- mation in your ad.

For example:

I know you’re worried and scared that someone could possibly break into your house and harm your family.

By incorporating these psychic concepts into your regular copy writing, you can dramatically increase your sales. I see it’s in your future.

Have you ever watched Robin Williams do a stand-up routine? Could so much creativity and spontaneity result from a highly organized approach? Definitely. Wild and funny thoughts don’t come from nowhere. Comedians have habits of mind, and even the most spontaneous ones get better with practice, because they’re training their brains to find the humor in situations.

You can do this too. Creativity in all areas can be improved by cultivating the right habits in your mind. You can start training your brain today, with some simple techniques.

If you want the mind of a creative inventor, start redesigning everything you see. Imagine a better light bulb, a faster way to serve food, or a better lamp. Do this for three weeks, and it will become a habit. It’s also a good way to pass time while driving or waiting for an appointment.

How about systematic creativity in poetry? Write a word on each of 40 cards; 10 verbs, 10 adjectives, 10 nouns and 10 with any words. Shuffle and deal out four cards. Write a 4-line poem using one of the words in each line. My wife has had poems published that were created with this technique. Your mind will begin to find a poetic use for any word if you use this method often.

Would you like to be the person who has something unique to say about any topic? Train your mind to look at things from other perpectives. What would Ghandi say about this? How would a martian view our habits? If a dog (or a cat) could think, would he say about humans?

The point isn’t to ask other people silly questions, but to ask yourself, just to see what new ideas they suggest. If you consciously do this for a few weeks, you will do it out of habit thereafter, and you’ll always have something interesting to add to a conversation.

You probably have heard of problem solving techniques such as “attributes listing,” “assuming the absurd,” and using “what if” word lists. If you haven’t, you can learn about them at http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com. The point isn’t to know them, however, but to use them until they become a part of your habitual thinking process.

Imagine you need a new seating design for restaurants. If you’ve trained your mind to challenge assumptions (another creative problem solving technique), you automatically begin to ask things like, “Are chair legs necessary?” If the seats were extended from the wall, table, or ceiling, it would be easier to clean under them. Are chairs necessary? Has anyone tried a stand-up cafe? Less space is required.

You won’t automaticaly have great ideas, but you’ll have enough creative ideas that it is more likely you’ll find a useful one. And this “spontaneous” creativity will be the result of your brain training exercise. So why not start developing those creative habits of mind today?

Steve Gillman has been studying brain improvement, concentration, creative problem solving, and related topics for years. Some of what he has discovered can be found on his website: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com, as well as in his free Brain Power Newsletter : http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com/Newsletter.html

A newcomer to the world of investments in the notion of “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. Everything from using the internet as an avenue to make more money in real estate to online games such as SecondLife seem to be included in the popular definition of this term.

To find out the real story, I had a conversation with Bryan Ellis of BryanEllis.com, widely considered to be one of the originators of the concept of Virtual Real Estate Investing.

When I began using the term virtual real estate investing in the late 1990s, I did so because I saw clear parallels between the strategies used for profiting from physical real estate and those that would create income in the online world, said Ellis.

One example of the parallels between virtual and physical real estate Bryan Ellis cites is the similarity between the monetization of domain names versus physical property. “There’s a huge difference between a website and a piece of real estate, but the ways you can profit from them are similar: ‘flipping’, rental/leasing, advertising sales, etc…all of these apply to both markets” he states.

The parallels really are obvious. Consider this: If you own a piece of real estate in a desirable neighborhood, your real estate has value because other people are interested in that location. Likewise, if you own a desirable domain name, others will find value in it because it serves their purposes. So it doesn’t matter if you own physical real estate or virtual real estate – you’ll likely use similar strategies to turn them into money in your pocket.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

Whew! According to Computer Gaming World, there are 80 gazillion free Flash games sites in the cyber world.

Popular sites are:

• www.games.yahoo.com — this has card games, word games, arcade games, as well as puzzles. The number of violent games is limited so the site appeals to the “old-young” -those who are young at heart.
• www.shockwave.com — a popular site with original games as well as PopCap ones. One can do a jigsaw here everyday.
• www.addictinggames.com – has free games that are updated every weekFriday. The site has action, arcade, puzzle, as well as sports games.
• www.arcadetown.com — has Flash games, java games, downloads and more.

Since Flash offers many advantages to developers as well as players, many games are designed using Macromedia Flash. It is by far the best game platform and has incredible features.

In an industry that’s evincing exponential growth, Flash has become the universal and popular choice for multimedia intensive web sites. Flash, singly crosses most barriers

• It supports complicated and wonderful graphics.
• Allows download of files via the Internet.
• And is compatible with playback devices.

In the world of Flash enabled games the hosting system is the web server itself. Flash enables web sites to host animated as well as interactive movies and games. There is no paraphernalia required. All that is needed is to download the game itself. The costs are minimal and not recurring.

To play on the web all that is required is: a web browser, a Flash player, and the Internet. Flash is the universal plug in needed to play games. It is installed on every PC with Windows XP and Mac.

Playing online can be fun and most games can now be played by many players from all round the world. Just keep in mind:

• That there are players who cheat at games. Look for PunkBuster software on the server, this detects cheats who try and gain unfair advantages.
• Play with others who have credibility and are accountable for their actions. Many online sites need verified log ins, they are actively managed gaming environments. This is a better choice for safe gaming.
• Create a select group of friends and use the broadband server to host a private gaming server.
• Do your research thoroughly. Seek safe and high quality gaming sites.

Gaming is in its golden phase and is set to reach new heights. Innovation, new business models, and unprecedented growth is expected to open new avenues in gaming.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com<www.1888FreeOnlineGames.com/>, the premier website to play thousands of free online games including arcade games, action games, card games, flash games, strategy games, puzzle games and more. He also freelances for www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com<www.1888SoftwareDownloads.com/>.

Refinancing your house’s mortgage is not the same thing as getting a second mortgage. While both allow you to cash out your home’s equity, terms and rates differ between the two types of loans. To know which financing option is best for you, learn each loan’s features and pick the one that best meets your needs.

Refinancing Your Mortgage

Traditional refinancing is basically replacing one mortgage loan with another. Typically, refinancing lowers mortgage payments through lower interest rates or longer loan terms. You can also cash out part or all of your home’s equity while refinancing.

Refinancing requires paying closing fees. To recoup these costs, you usually need to stay in the house for a couple of years. However, you will save money with better terms than if you choose a second mortgage.

Second Mortgage Option

Second mortgages, also known as home equity loan, have slightly higher rates than mortgages, but you have less or no closing costs. Second mortgages also only charge interest on the amount you borrow, not the total amount you are approved for. You can take out your equity over the course of several months or years. Terms vary widely between second mortgage lenders, so watch out for balloon payments or repayment fees.

If you want tap into your equity to make some home improvements but plan to sell soon, then a second mortgage would be better than refinancing your mortgage. Second mortgages also are a better choice when your current mortgage interest rate is lower than those being offered by refinancing lenders.

Factors To Consider

When deciding which financing option to choose, consider the purpose of the loan. If you want to reduce monthly payments, then refinance. If you simply want to tap into your home’s equity, then apply for a second mortgage.

Also, consider how long you want to stay in your house. You can lose money refinancing your mortgage if you don’t stay in your home. However, if you sell your home or refinance, you will have to pay off your second mortgage.

Remember, only you know which loan best fits your financial needs.

To view our recommended sources for refinance mortgage loans online, visit
this page: Recommended
Refi Mortgage Lenders Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner ABC Loan
Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.

At the height of the Black Plague raging during the medieval age, the one cry heard most frequently was, ‘Bring out Your Dead’. Death was so omnipresent that some cities lost ninety percent of their citizens. By the time the plague played itself out, neither church, nor government, nor the medical profession, was inclined to go out and succour the needy. They knew that exposure meant almost certain death.

It is remarkable, therefore, that throughout these times, it was unknown for the husband to abandon his wife, or the wife to abandon her husband. They stayed with each other while healthy. They stayed with each other while the healthy spouse nursed the sick one. More often than not they died together. But always the healthy spouse stayed till death parted them.

While the plague decimated the countryside, it also revitalized marriage since so many people lost their spouses.

Lovers who found each other during these trying times, looked for ways and means to keep themselves fit and healthy till they reached the alter rails.

Some had a shot of elderlberry every day, believing this to be particularly beneficial. Others wore all sorts of charms and necklaces. Spells were very much in demand. And one couple of lovers, determined to survive no matter what, went so far as to bathe themselves in urine every morning.

However, the most prevalent belief was that the disease was carried on the air, and to prevent becoming infected, the bad smells had to be counteracted by such good smells as the burning of incense or filling a house with flowers. Out of doors, people resorted to holding flowers to their noses in order not to inhale the foul air around them.

In those early medieval weddings, the bride’s bouquet often included not only flowers but herbs such as rosemary, sage and even garlic. It was many centuries later that the wedding bouquet stopped being a deterrent to bad spirits and bad air, and simply became a decoration – though often a symbolic one.

Vlady Peters is an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant authorised to perform marriages in Australia. She also perform general ceremonies such as Baby Naming, Renewal of Vows and Commitment Ceremonies. To learn more about her as a celebrant and an author visit vlady at http://www.weddings-celebrant.com

Real estate residential and commercial landlords, tenants, and rental agents in the USA, Canada, and worldwide should take ten steps to avoid mold problems and lawsuits in the rental of real estate properties, according to Phillip Fry, Certified Mold Inspector and author of the books Mold Legal Guide and Mold Health Guide.

Living or working in rental units that contain elevated levels of airborne mold spores and/or substantial mold growth infestation can cause very severe (and sometimes permanent) health problems to the tenants.

Landlords have ethical and legal obligations to tenants to provide an environmentally safe, habitable living space (residential rentals) or workplace (office and commercial rentals). Those obligations go unmet when a rental unit is mold-infested.

Landlords may have potential and substantial legal liability to tenants for such compensatory damages as: expenses for medical mold diagnostic and treatment procedures, loss of earnings, mold damage to tenants’ clothing and personal property, higher rent differential if the tenants need to move to a mold-safe place, moving expenses, any tenant-paid expenses (such as mold inspection, testing, and remediation of the rental unit and tenant possessions), and punitive damages (jury-awarded).

A Hayward, California, jury in 2004 awarded $4 million dollars in damages because of mold infestation and other substandard living conditions on behalf of 124 past and present tenants of an apartment building whose owner failed to do proper mold remediation and maintenance of the mold-infested apartments. Take these ten steps for the mutual well-being of both the landlord and the tenants—

1. A property owner or manager should not even offer the property for rent until after a thorough mold inspection and mold testing of the entire rental building or of individual rental units (prior to rental) determines that the property is mold-safe for tenants to live or work in.

2. Hire a Certified Mold Inspector (USA and Canada) for an annual property mold inspection and mold testing, or at least use a do-it-yourself mold inspection checklist and mold test kits for a thorough mold examination and evaluation of the rental building.

3. If there has been a plumbing line break or leak, roof or siding leaks, flooding, storm damage, or other water intrusion problems, the building should be thoroughly and promptly mold inspected, tested, and remediated as part of the water damage repairs and restoration.

4. If mold inspection and testing uncovers visible or hidden mold problems, the property owner or manager should immediately do safe and effective mold removal and remediation. Hire a Certified Mold Remediator (USA and Canada), or follow the recommended steps for safe and effective do-it-yourself mold remediation. Re-inspect and re-test (“clearance testing”) the building after remediation.

5. The building owner or manager should avoid hiding or camouflaging mold problems by deceptions such as painting over mold growth; concealing mold growth behind stored items, furniture, furnishings, and decorations; and masking the distinctive smell of mold growth with air fresheners and deodorizers. The smell of mold is from the digestive gases of the mold eating the building materials.

6. A prospective tenant should inspect and mold test the proposed rental unit (prior to the signing of a rental lease) with a Certified Mold Inspector, or by using a do-it-yourself mold inspection checklist, his sense of smell, a good flashlight, and mold test kits to determine the mold status of the rental unit.

7. In doing such inspection and testing, the mold inspector (or the tenant himself) should do an all-around physical examination of the building for both visible and hidden signs of water damage and mold growth. In addition, the inspector or the tenant should mold test the air and visible mold growths in all rooms, the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, plus the outward airflow from each heating/cooling duct register.

8. Mold testing requires mold laboratory analysis and mold species identification of the collected mold and air samples. In building locations with previous floods or leaks, the examination should also include fiber optics inspection to look inside water-penetrated ceilings, walls, and floors for hidden mold infestations.

9. The landlord or rental manager should disclose in writing to all prospective tenants any previous or present building water and mold problems, and what the owner or manager has done, if anything, to correct such problems. Attach these water damage and mold disclosures to the rental lease agreement so that the tenant acknowledges receipt thereof.

10. In consideration of, and based upon, the landlord’s accurate and complete mold disclosure, and the tenant’s full and unrestricted opportunity to inspect and test the rental unit thoroughly and carefully prior to signing the lease, the lease agreement may include a clause that releases the landlord, rental manager, and the rental real estate agent/broker from all mold liability to the tenant.

For more mold inspection, mold testing, and mold remediation information, please visit:

http://www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com http://www.moldinspection.com http://www.moldinspector.com/mold_removal.htm http://www.bleach-mold-myth.com

In my last article I gave a brief introduction to what tax liens are and talked about how you can earn huge returns by invest ing in tax lien certificates and tax deed sales. But it’s one thing to know that investing in tax liens can make you money, and it’s a completely other thing to actually invest in them. To help get you started I’ve put together a general guideline of tips to follow and risks to be aware of. Hopefully these help you on your road to becoming immensely wealthy through real estate investing.

Tax Lien Investing Tips

Buy liens at smaller counties. There will be less competition as most institutional bidders will not attend these. Institutional bidders are individuals who are bidding for large companies which invest their money in tax lien certificates. It is not worth it for them to attend tax lien sales at smaller counties as there will be less liens to go around, and the liens themselves will also most likely be smaller.

Buy smaller liens. You will probably get a higher interest rate due to less competition.

Stay during the off times of a sale. Lunch breaks, end of the day, and the last day of a sale are prime examples. Catch people asleep and snag the good liens right out from under their noses. Also, at the end of the day it is important to go up to the clerk and ask if there are any more liens for sale. It happens that investors will buy too many liens and not be able to afford to purchase all of them at the end of the day. The county will not re-auction these and 9 times out of 10 will sell them to you over the counter at the maximum percentage interest.

Set max bid amounts. Be loud and assertive. Don’t hesitate. Wait till the bidding has settled and bidders have dropped out, then jump in with a decent sized increase. Know your limits. Buy from obvious commercial properties, using recognizable company names. These liens will almost definitely redeem.

Tax Lien Investing Risks

There are also some negatives associated with tax lien investing. As with everything in life, tax lien investing is not without its dangers. It’s extremely important to come to a tax lien auction well prepared and aware of the pitfalls that many people succumb to.

Inaccessible Funds Your money is NOT liquid. This isn’t like a savings account or even stocks or mutual funds that you can sell at will. Your money is tied up until the tax lien is paid off. This can be a week, a month, a year, or possibly never if the owner doesn’t redeem. Do NOT use money you need to pay bills to invest in tax liens!

When a property owner doesn’t pay off their lien, this doesn’t mean you are SOL, you just may have to do a little more legwork to recoup your investment. As the lien holder it may now be your responsibility to foreclose on the lien. Or in certain states you may be lucky enough to be the new property owner!

Time and Travel Depending on where you are attending lien auctions you may have to take into account travel time, lodging, food, gas, etc…It may not seem like a lot, but it adds up. An easy way to avoid this is to only buy liens in your county or the immediate area. This will save on expenses, but will also limit the amount of liens you can purchase each year.

Losing Your Investment There are instances that can occur that may result in you losing your investment. Some can be avoided easily, and others aren’t so easy to avoid. For instance, what if the IRS has a lien on the property? What if the property owner goes bankrupt? These are both real possibilities and risks, but in all honesty, are extremely unlikely. A bigger risk in my opinion is investing in a worthless property. The property may be an odd size and can’t be built on. Or it might be a drainage ditch. Or it might be completely run down. If you invest in a property that doesn’t redeem, and then subsequently cannot be sold, you’re now stuck with a worthless property and have lost your investment.

These last examples can be avoided in two ways:

Buy more expensive liens. Expensive liens are usually nicer homes and businesses which are more likely to be redeemed.

Prepare for the auction. These scenarios can easily be avoided through due diligence. Which is basically a way of saying, “Do your homework.”

Conclusion

Investing in tax liens can be a great way to earn extremely high percentage yields from real estate investing, but you must come prepared. Do research on the properties being auctioned before the day of the sale. Become familiar with the auction process and your county’s specific bidding systems used. The more prepared you are coming in to the auction, the better able you’ll be to bid efficiently and effectively.

“Moneyball” is a book that came out recently about Billy Beane, General Manager of the Oakland A’s.

It takes a close look at Beane’s successful stewardship of the team, noting that the A’s have had one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, yet they’ve racked up an astonishing number of victories, putting them in the playoffs several times.

Beane and his staff are basically, numbers crunchers, quant nerds, if you will. They track every major league ballplayer according to certain performance categories.

But their snapshot of a hitter isn’t based only on batting average, stolen bases, home runs, and fielding percentages. They look at on-base percentage, runs scored, and other measures.

This makes a player who draws a lot of walks, in addition to hitting for average, more valuable than a guy who only hits for average. It also rewards those who get on base any way they can, through errors and fielder’s choices.

Beane’s breakthrough is in highlighting less sexy, yet very significant statistics, which he claims are more reliable indicators of a player’s value than other factors. Thus, he’s been able to buy, at a discount, players for his cash-poor team, that are undervalued, under-appreciated, but who can make an important contribution to the A’s, nonetheless.

This wisdom, knowing what statistics count, is incredibly important in sales, customer service, and other business areas. The real question is this one: are we measuring the right things, valuing our players appropriately, and putting our emphasis behind the best possible winning strategy or game plan?

Typically, we use measures and statistics that are traditionally used, that have been handed down to us. Seldom do we even take a hard look at whether they’re serving us or disserving us. And even less do we throw them out and field an entirely new set of metrics.

My father, for instance, was the top salesman wherever he worked because he knew how to leverage his assets. He handpicked his own prospecting lists, which was the marketing side of his job, and then he called them to set appointments.

But what set him apart from his peers was his canny ability to know, through rational analysis, and after the briefest contact, who NOT to pursue.

He had a great ear for B.S. and for sincere interest, he knew the difference, and he never second-guessed his instincts.

So, overall, he saw fewer people, followed-up less, but he closed a higher percentage of deals, that yielded more commissions for him and more profit for the house.

A traditional numbers-crunching manager, and he had a few, would look at his activity logs and scratch his head. It wouldn’t add up.

His approach to Dad would be to urge him to see more people; it was only logical, but wrong. Dad was seeing the best ones, ignoring the rest, but his NOT-DOING was the highest form of action.

Where is the statistic that quantifies DISQUALIFYING prospects?

We don’t ask our reps, who did you choose NOT to see, today, and not to call back, and not to leave messages with, and not to take notes about, and not to dream of closing?

In baseball, Beane and Company examine the number of pitches hitters take without swinging; how deeply they take pitchers into the count. He measures NOT-DOING, which in this case is not swinging the bat, knowing when hitters take pitchers deeper into counts:

(1) They see better pitches to hit with a 3-1 count than with a 1-1, or 2-2 count;

(2) They wear out the pitchers, forcing opponents to rely on their less capable bullpen hurlers; and

(3) These advantages mean Beane’s crew will score more runs and fatigue the other team by keeping them on the field longer, doing defense.

Dad didn’t exhaust himself. He let his peers do that, and as long as they were under performing, he looked great, and he could claim higher and higher commissions as his rightful due.

He played “Moneyball.”

Are you?

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of http://www.Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service, and the audio program, “The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable,” published by Nightingale-Conant. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC’s Annenberg School, a Loyola lawyer, and an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He holds the rank of Shodan, 1st Degree Black Belt in Kenpo Karate. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com

Real estate agents are required to be licensed before conducting any business. Online training is available in most states to complete your pre-license course.

What kind of Real Estate License School? Be cautious when picking a school. Some schools are somewhat new and have written their own online courses. Look for courses which are written by authors who are recognized. For example: Gaines, Coleman, & Crawford.

How long time does it take to get a Real Estate License? Look for online schools that allow you a full year to complete your pre license course. Some schools offer you just a few months to complete, and that can be a problem if you run into trouble during the course. You will get to learn: property basics, ownership transfer, real estate law, math, contracts and escrow.

How about support from the Real Estate License School? Look for online school that offer 24 hour 7 Day a week instructor support. Some schools offer you a 24 to 72 hour call back or email reply, and that can be a long time to wait for reply.

What happens after your course? The pre license course gives you the credit you need in order to become a professional licensed Real Estate Sales Associate (Salesperson). And after completing the pre license course online you have met the educational prerequisite to sit for the State Exam.

After you have completed training and become a licensed Real Estate Agent, there will be ongoing continuing education requirements. The usual minimum is 15 hours or so every 2 years more or less depending on your state.

A real estate career can be a wonderful and rewarding career. Training step-by-step comes first and training in the real world comes second. If you are persistent and do the work, then you are on your way to the Promised Land of great success.