Real Estate

Buying Unfinished Homes

Unfinished homes present a great way to save a lot of money and get yourself a new home in the process. If you buy an unfinished home, you can keep your monthly mortgage payment low and also lower your initial investment. You may also be able to buy a larger foundation size as well, which you can easily add on to and save money in the process.

Normally, unfinished starter homes leave the upstairs area unfinished. The question here, is just how much equity you want to put into an unfinished area. Sometimes though, an unfinished home may leave the roofing, framing, plumbing, or electrical aspects unfinished. Before you make a purchase, you should always decide how much money you have to finish what needs to be finished.

If the home you are looking at has plans for a garage, you can save thousands if you decide not to go with the garage. On the other hand, if there is another attached room that is planned to go onto the house, you can save just as much if you decide to forgo it. There are always ways that you can save money just by looking at the plans. Unfinished homes may have other planned on additions as well, in which you can save a lot of money just by leaving them out.

The is something that you should always keep in mind. When builders acquire a piece of property that they plan to build a home on, they will do everything they can do make as much money as possible on their homes. You might be able to get them to agree to some of these ideas, although they probably won’t agree to all of them. Building homes can be a very profitable business – which is why most companies like to build their homes exactly as the plans call for.

When looking at unfinished homes, you also need to look at what banks are willing to accept. If you are planning to get a mortgage, most banks will need to ensure that the home is up to local codes and in living condition. What this means, is that there will need to be a living room, bedroom, and other rooms finished. If the home is lacking quite a bit in terms of being unfinished, most banks won’t give you a mortgage.

Most banks are also known to turn down unfinished home mortgages that they feel will have trouble selling in the event that you default. Normally, the entire downstairs area will need to be finished, along with most of the landscaping. You might be able to do some of it yourself and save money, although in most cases the home builder will need to do a majority of the topsoil and grass just to satisfy the bank. Banks have strict requirements when it comes to unfinished homes, which is why you should always check with your bank before you invest in an unfinished home.

As most of us already know, buying an unfinished home provides an excellent way to get into the housing market and get your very own home. Unfinished homes also allow potential buyers the chance to grow into their home along with their family. If you are interested in saving money, you should be sure to talk to the builder. This way, you can go over the plans and decide what doesn’t need to be there. In most cases you can save a lot of money and still get a home that will provide years and years of memories for yourself and your entire family.

Career

Career Information: Flight Attendant

What Are Flight Attendants In Charge Of?

First of all, flight attendants exist because airlines are required by law to hire them. While their primary duty is to make sure that safety rules and regulations are followed, they are also in charge of making the flight more comfortable and enjoyable for passengers.

Flight attendants make sure that safety rules and regulations are followed through some procedures. First, they would educate the passengers on things that are not allowed to be done and what to do in case of emergencies such as water landing or when the plane is short of oxygen. Then, they would tell passengers if something wrong is being done and correct them.

Flight attendants are also the ones to call if ever passengers would need anything from food to anything else the airline can offer to its passengers. They are also the ones to ask if ever passengers have any questions. Because the job itself would deal with being exposed to a lot of people, excellent communication skills as well as patience is necessary in order to become effective in this profession.

Working Conditions

Since airlines operate all year round and around the clock, flight attendants may work any time of the day, on weekends and on holidays. While the minimum working hours per day would be 12 hours most of the time, some airlines would implement a minimum of 14 hours a day. Flight attendants who cater to international flights are the ones more likely to be exposed to this shift since international flight would naturally take very long hours.

While this is a lot of work, it is justly compensated through generous salaries and benefits which is sure to be enjoyed by the flight attendants.

Because this work would require a lot of travel, flight attendants should be flexible, reliant, and willing to relocate. A flight attendant would constantly be exposed to different people and different places with that, the ones mentioned above are necessary in order to become effective in this job.

Job Qualifications

Generally, a high school diploma is the main requirement in order to be qualified in this job however; more airlines have been requiring college diplomas lately. It would also be an advantage if an applicant has experience in dealing with the public. Those who speak two or more languages also have and edge as this would be desirable for airlines since they can use these types of flight attendants for international flights.

Airlines also have physical standards for flight attendants. First, they have to be tall enough to reach the cabin. Males would also need a clean haircut, would have to be clean shaven, and must have no visible tattoos and piercings. Generally, all flight attendants have to look better than average.

Job Outlook And Salary

Employment of flight attendants is seen to be increasing at a constant rate until around 2016. Competition is expected to be tighter as more and more people are getting qualified for this position.

Flight attendants are expected to earn anywhere between $23,000 and $95,000 with the average earnings being in $43,400. Generally, flight attendants are also given a generous number of benefits. When they would be required to stay in a foreign place, their hotel expenses would be shouldered by the airline. They are also given generous meal allowances.

Education

The 4 W’s in Looking for the Right College Cheerleading Scholarship

Education is a very important gift that parents can give to their children. But because of the difficult times that many families experience, sending their children to school can be quite a burden. Many families are experiencing financial problems which unable them to allow their child to pursue a degree in college.

If your problem is all about money matters, there is no reason to lose hope. You can still find a light at the tunnel’s end if only you know what options are available for you. You must be aware that colleges and universities offer scholarships to qualified students, so why not apply for one.

Some students are gifted with special talents that can be very useful when you go to college. College education is expensive, no matter course or degree you wish to take. And year after year, tuition fees are still getting higher.

During your high school days, you probably enjoyed cheerleading, gymnastics, and dancing. Did you know that now there are universities and colleges that offer cheer leading scholarships? Yes, you’ve heard it right. Cheer-leading scholarships can help you a lot in reducing the cost in going to college.

Would-be college students have a lot of options available for them. They can apply for college scholarships and grants such as athletic scholarships, academic scholarships, and most of all, cheer leading scholarships. The best thing about these scholarships is that you’ll get free money which you will use in paying for your college fees. And take note, you don’t have to repay the money that was given to you. Usually, scholarships and grants are funded by the state, federal agencies, and private entities/institutions.

The four factors that you should consider in looking for a cheer-leading scholarship are the four W’s.

1. Who

The first this that you should do is to find the adviser or coach of the cheerleading team. Ask for the name that’s in charge in the department of financial aid. Then you should contact these persons, and tell them that you want to apply for a scholarship. There are websites which can provide you with the needed information in applying for a cheer-leading scholarship. When making a correspondence, make sure that you do it in a professional way. Tell your parents what your plans are for college.

2. What

Ask the proper authority for the available financial aid for cheerleading scholarships. Take note of all the requirements, and should there be try outs, prepare yourself well. You have to prepare all your paper work and other financial records.

3. Where

The place where you are going to get your college degree is of utmost consideration. You can choose a college at a local place or you can attend abroad (if your finances allow it). The internet is a very useful tool for searching through different colleges and universities in your locality or state.

4. When

Ask and take note of the deadline of the application and requirements. Make sure that you meet all of them on time. And after submitting your papers, do some follow-ups.

Some students might be overwhelmed of the things that will come their way in college. The best way to experience all of this is through a scholarship. Aside from being able to attend college classes, you’re also enjoying what you love best, cheerleading. Your hobby now has helped you go through college.

Home and Garden

Flower Gardening

Flower gardening is becoming more and more popular every day. Flowers can brighten everyone’s day, they smell nice, and are a great hobby. Flower gardening is simple, inexpensive, and loads of fun. Flower gardening can be done for yard decoration, simply as a hobby, or even professionally.

There are some decisions that have to be made before even flower gardening can be started. You must decide if you want annuals that live for one season and must be replanted every year, or perennials that survive the winter and return again in the summer. When buying and planting, pay attention to what kind of flowers thrive in your climate as well ass the sun requirements.

When flower gardening, you must decide what type of look you want before planting. For instance, mixing different heights, colors, and varieties of flowers together in a “wild-plant style” will give your garden a meadow look and can be very charming. If short flowers are planted in the front of your garden and work up to the tallest flowers in the back you will have a “stepping stone style”.

You can order seeds for flower gardening from catalogues or buy them from a nursery. Most people will go to the nursery and buy actual flowers and then transplant them. After you have prepared your garden area and bought flowers, it is a good idea to lay the flowers out in the bed to make sure you like the arrangement and that they will be spaced properly.

One of the easiest processes in flower gardening is the planting/ if you have seeds just sprinkle them around in the flower bed. For planting transplants dig a hole just bigger than the flower, pull the container off, and set the flower in the hole right side up. Cover it with the loose soil and press down firmly, then water.

Maintaining a flower garden is even easier than planting one. Although they might make it on their own, a bag of fertilizer applied in the early spring is a good idea. Pinch back any blooms after they start to fade and keep them good and watered. To save yourself work during the next season of flower gardening, rid your garden of all debris and spread out organic nutrients like peat moss or compost. Don’t forget to turn over the soil to properly mix in the fertilizer and rake smooth when finished. If you have perennials planted be careful not to disturb their roots in this process.

Flower gardening is as easy as 1, 2, and 3: simply decide what to plant; plant it, and water, water, water! Flower gardening is undoubtedly gaining in popularity and gives anyone excellent reason to spend some outdoors and test out their green thumb.

Technology

Duh, It’s A Car Stereo!

Pretty self-explanatory isn’t it? It’s a stereo system in a car, you say. Whoa, hold your horses, it’s not that simple. Although some people like to put home stereos in their cars and vans (out of dire need for some sounds), sometimes it just doesn’t work. Yeah, maybe before it could’ve worked just fine, all you needed was radio and a cassette player (or 8 tracks, for the inner dinosaur in you) so sure, lug those big box speakers into the back seat and you’ll be blaring down the highway. But nowadays there are things like cd players and mp3 players and your popup LCD panels and all that techie stuff you’d think they’d like to build a home theater system right smack on the console of your van. If you don’t know anything about these things but would like to have some sounds in your car anyway, here are some things to know about a car stereo.

As mentioned above, at first units and speakers from home audio systems and professional markets were just simply installed into vehicles. However, they were not well suited to the extremes of temperature and vibration which are a normal part of the environment of an automobile. Car stereo enthusiasts were not satisfied with the sound quality of regular car sound systems, and with the advent of the CD player, they really had to start modifying some of these home stereos in order to work well in a car environment and voila!, now we have the modern car stereo.

If you have a new car, first hand bought, say from about 90 to present, chances are you already have a “factory” car stereo in your car. It means the car manufacturer already included a car stereo system in your car, unless specified in the car model but most often this is the case. Some car manufacturers make their own car stereos, like BMW which includes a pretty decent car stereo package head unit and speakers. It is a standard which comes with all their cars (which isn’t surprising considering that BMW is included in the league of “luxury car manufacturers”). Or like Mercedes Benz or Volkswagen, they use car stereo systems from a German audio manufacturer called Blaupunkt.

A standard car stereo (also called a head unit) usually includes an auto-reverse tape deck, a cd player and sometimes the optional changer a device which automatically changes the cd in play. On newer car models, the car stereo can also play mp3s and other digital audo file types like WMA and AAC, whether on a cd or a memory device which can be hooked up to the head unit.

The car stereo head unit is connected to several speakers. Older car models usually just had one speaker mounted underneath the dashboard, pointing through perforations towards the front windshield. The standard for car stereo nowadays is a pair of “tweeters” (used to bring out high treble) on the driver side/front passenger side dashboard, a pair of normal “mid” speakers on both doors, sometimes even the backseat passeger doors if it’s a large car and larger speakers capable of bringing out low ends at the back protion of the backseats.

Your car stereo is probably ok as it is, as car manufacturers ensure that the audio products that come with their cars can handle most dirver’s listening demands. But if you think that what you have isn’t enough, you can always CUSTOMIZE.

Finances

Long Term Investments for the Future

If you are ready to invest money for a future event, such as retirement or a child’s college education, you have several options. You do not have to invest in risky stocks or ventures. You can easily invest your money in ways that are very safe, which will show a decent return over a long period of time.

First consider bonds. There are various types of bonds that you can purchase. Bond’s are similar to Certificates of Deposit. Instead of being issued by banks, however, bonds are issued by the Government. Depending on the type of bonds that you buy, your initial investment may double over a specific period of time.

Mutual funds are also relatively safe. Mutual funds exist when a group of investors put their money together to buy stocks, bonds, or other investments. A fund manager typically decides how the money will be invested. All you need to do is find a reputable, qualified broker who handles mutual funds, and he or she will invest your money, along with other client’s money. Mutual funds are a bit riskier than bonds.

Stocks are another vehicle for long term investments. Shares of stocks are essentially shares of ownership in the company you are investing in. When the company does well financially, the value of your stock rises. However, if a company is doing poorly, your stock value drops. Stocks, of course, are even riskier than Mutual funds. Even though there is a greater amount of risk, you can still purchase stock in sound companies, such as G & E Electric, and sleep at night knowing that your money is relatively safe.

The important thing is to do your research before investing your money for long term gain. When purchasing stocks you should choose stocks that are well established. When you look for a mutual fund to invest in, choose a broker that is well established and has a proven track record. If you aren’t quite ready to take the risks involved with mutual funds or stocks, at the very least invest in bonds that are guaranteed by the Government.

Home and Garden

Feng Shui: Tips, Practices, and Meaning

Whatever the philosophical orientation of a person and no matter where he is coming from and sometimes whether that person realizes it or not, the world is interpreted by symbols. The word worm for example will be interpreted by an English oriented mind as not having four feet and that, which barks.

Similarly, Feng shui uses symbols albeit in a manner that is only more familiar to the oriental mind and those that practices its principles.

Again, speaking of principles, Feng shui is basically attracting nature’s positive forces so that the person is more oriented to it and uses its symbols in a way that will be most beneficial to his requirements.

The most powerful of these and most widely in use are symbols for wealth, health, and happiness and long life. Not much different from the desires of cultures with a different set of orientation except that in Feng shui these are augmented by the use of representations.

To attract money, Feng shui practitioners will hang three coins that are tied together and are attached to door handles especially the front doors. The ribbons that are sued must be red and are cut in increments of 9. The reason for the color red is that it is the color that brings about luck the most and the 9 is the highest number in the numeric sequence (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), hence ribbons are often cut in 9″, 18″ 27″ etc. In the practice of numerology, the number 9 is similarly believed as having the highest value which by the way did not originate in China but whose practices have similarities in this area.

It is not uncommon to find Fu dogs in many Chinese residences. Dogs are symbols of protection and guardians of residences. Hence Fu dogs are usually placed on the front steps of residences but if that were not practical, it could also be placed inside the front door.

In many European mansions and establishments, one can find fountains and waterfalls in the yard and sometimes inside of the house. In Feng shui, these are not only decorative but are means of improving the cashflow. The waterfall is especially beneficial if it is located in the left side corner of the backyard.

For the mind that is oriented in western thinking, avoiding clutter, mowing the lawn, cleaning up, burning dead flowers and leaves, are ways to healthful living and minimizing accidents aside from aesthetics. For Orientals, these are all of the above but are stretched further by the belief that these practices invite good qi (or chi). Qi is a life force where life or where life comes from.

A pond in the yard whenever possible or an aquarium near the entrance detracts bad luck when they are filled with 9 fishes eight of which are to be either gold or red (goldfish or carp are the more popular choices) and one is black. The belief is that the gold and reds attracts good fortune while the black one will absorb any misfortune that will be intended for the residents.

These are only some of the most popular and common practices. To list them all here will already be far beyond the scope of this article as Feng shui practically covers all aspects of human living and interaction. However, suffice it to say that even when sometimes, Feng shui is shunned by those who are not oriented to it as mere superstition and mambo jumbo, the practice and application of Feng shui, has similarities and counterparts that is practiced by other cultures world wide.

The difference lies in the scope, dedication, depth and understanding that its practitioners poured into it.

Travel

Golf Vacations to Get Away From It All

If you have been working too hard for too long and just need to get away and play some golf, you will want to check out golf vacation and holidays from your travel agent. These travel arrangements are often referred to as “stay and play” plans because you stay at a certain hotel and receive rights to play at a certain golf course while you are there. When making these arrangements, make sure there are not special requirements that will make playing inconvenient or impossible for you. Some of these plans require you to limit your arrival dates and departure dates or have other unacceptable limits so read the fine print.

You can take golf holidays to all sorts of locations depending on your personality and desires. For instance, you can choose to golf in a course located near or in a major city, taking in museums or theatres when not golfing. Or you might choose to visit a golf course in an area of rugged natural beauty such as the mountains. While there, you might take a day to fish instead of golf. Whatever your needs, you can find golf holidays packages to meet your needs.

Are you going to take your own golf clubs with you when you travel on golf holidays? You probably would prefer to use them rather than the clubs that can be rented at the course to which you are travelling. If you choose to take them with you, you will need to think about the arrangements a bit. For instance, do you have a really high quality golf club bag which will protect those expensive golf clubs. If not, you’d better get one. You won’t be able to carry your clubs on if you are flying, so you’ll need a bag that can take airport luggage handling and still protect your clubs. So get a good one.

When picking a destination for golf holidays, pick the course you wish to play on first, and then find out about lodging at hotels, resorts, or stay and play package plans. Make sure the tee times that are set for you when choosing a stay and play package are going to work for you. People who are staying at a golf course’s own resort generally get first serve when choosing tee times. If it’s really important to you to get the tee time you desire, it may be worth it to you to stay at the resort instead of a less expensive hotel. Either way, you are sure to find refreshment and restoration when taking golf holidays.

Spiritual

Energy Healing 101: Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki

You have probably come across exotic-sounding terms such as ‘chakra’, ‘prana’, ‘aura’, and ‘tantra’ in your course of reading books on spirituality, sex, and healing in the New Age literature section of the bookstore. But what’s the real scoop behind these exotic vocabularies?

Are All Energy Healings the Same?

Chakra or energy center is a term used in Pranic healing, an ancient Hindu system of energy healing. ‘Prana’ means life energy. ‘Aura’ is another terminology traced to Pranic healing. Aura is a non-physical body that consists of energy, which exists along with our physical body. The aura that covers our body is said to have seven layers pertaining to the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of an individual as manifested by energy. Studying the color and thickness of auras give ideas on the state of health of individuals. Six colors are associated with aura and interpreted into six personalities. These colors are all present in an individual but one or two are more pronounced.
Green – ambitious achiever
Blue – spiritual peacemaker
White – unconventional chameleon
Red – activist
Orange – creative communicator
Violet – psychic

Although Tantra is popularly associated with the peculiar practice of sex and spirituality, it is another method of energy healing. It comes from the word ‘tan’ which means to spread or expand. The concept of connectedness is a recurring theme in Tantric writings on sex and spirituality. As a method of healing, spirituality and sex figure prominently. It is presupposed that the union of man and woman can reach spiritual levels during orgasm, which removes the body and mind off collected impurities. These impurities being negative energies can in turn manifest as physical illnesses.

Unlike Pranic and Tantric healings, which have Hindu origins, Reiki originated from Japan. It is relatively younger than Pranic and Tantric healings having been rediscovered in the early 1900’s. Reiki stands for universal energy, an energy brought forth by higher intelligence. Students of Reiki are taught how to tap this energy to heal physical, emotional, and mental illnesses.

Although Pranic, Tantra, and Reiki are all systems of energy healing, they differ in the type of energy tapped for healing: life energy, sexual energy, and universal energy respectively.

The concepts of the connectedness of mind, body, and spirit; the connection of individuals to all living and nonliving things around them and to the universe; and how energy impacts physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are some of the salient similarities of these three healing methods.

Why Do People Turn to Energy Healing?

Pranic, Tantric, and Reiki are considered alternative methods of healing. In spite of the availability and relative accessibility of modern medicine, how come more and more people are being drawned to them? Here are some possible reasons:

– Energy healing worked where modern medicine failed.

For several reasons both explainable and unexplainable, modern medical treatment failed to heal ailments and conditions in several if not many persons. Research or data may not be able to support this statement. But for the families of the dying as well as for the dying patient, they would take the risk of using alternative methods ranging from herbals and organics, faith healers, witch doctors, and New Age healing techniques just to be get well.

– People perceive modern medicine to be isolating.

Medical treatments are oftentimes focused on the disease and its causative agent, which can make a patient feel isolated and treated like a mere host of the disease. Although recent developments in hospital practice are gradually promoting the holistic treatment of a patient, the perception still persists. Unlike in energy healing, since energy and spirituality are intimately linked, the patient feels that all aspects of his health are being attended to.

– Energy healing is non-obtrusive and natural thus it is safer.

Repeated surgical procedures are physically and emotionally traumatic for most patients. It is but a logical and attractive option to both patient and families to look for less stressful health interventions. Moreover, with the rising popularity of New Age religions, going natural is the way to go.

– Energy healing is a good way of relieving stress.

Meditation is part and parcel of energy healing methods and this is an added come-on for highly stressed people. Moreover, sophisticated equipment is not required thus it becomes all the more convenient for students and future students of energy healing.

The battle between alternative healing and mainstream medicine continues as both present the benefits of their approach. But in the final analysis, what matters is the restoration of good health.

Make Money

How to go about earning an Extra Income

Extra Income means an income that you can earn apart from the regular income coming in from employment or normal work. This earning can be used to payoff your outstanding debts or build up a capital account or spend it on luxuries that you could only think about before. Everyone seems to want a second income but no one wants to work a second job, so the extra income is normally seen as a windfall.

When we compare income levels in different countries, it is evident that the average income per person is less than $15,000 a year–in other words, where many people are near the breadline — Extra Income really does make people happier and improves their lifestyle. But countries which have average income above the normal subsistence level of approximately $15,000 a year, happiness seems to be income independent. For example, an average American ranks richer than an average Indian or an Austrian, but also less happy.

Why does this happen? People always look at their income relatively with some norm or the other and the norm keeps rising all the time. And this norm is what increases the spending, more or less in direct proportion to the income. Two things drive up the norm with which people compare their incomes. One is the income that they themselves have experienced — which habituates them to higher standards of living. And the other is the income that their colleagues or neighbors get, and which they try to outdo.

The extra income options available today are targeted to generate employment and are targeted specifically at people who can use their skills that are lying dormant to make some more money for themselves. To achieve a moderate success in generating an extra income one should be aware of their strengths and weaknesses. This would greatly help in selection of a most suitable way to generate extra income.

The selection process consists of logical steps. Firstly one should ask themselves of an honest opinion of their strengths, what they excel at? What do people around them keep complimenting or criticizing them on?, are they perfectionists?, For example, if you are a computer literate you could help your neighborhood in upgrades, repairs or installation of software.

The extra income can also be augmented by doing extra seasonal chores like raking leaves in the fall or clearing snow in winters. These are just a few ideas, but making an extra income augmented with self analysis will take away the need for a second job.

Today the internet and the general market have a lot of ideas for generating extra income. Network marketing in general market terms has been successful to some extent. Internet offers something similar that says affiliate marketing. The internet also offers a host of other options like writing, advertising and simple technical non-technical jobs which can highly augment your regular income. The extra income that can be earned form these opportunities depends on how good your skills in the field of your selection.