The reason you would use an agent to help you buy a home is quite simple. Obviously from the experience you received you were not using a true professional. This is the reason why Organized Real Estate has been around forever and still is the best way to buy and sell homes, The Power of MLS. A for sale by owner can only attract 10% of the buyers searching for a home. 90 % of homes are sold by using a Realtor and MLS. As for using an agent to help you buy a home it's a total no brainer. If you get a good agent here's how it works. You explain to the agent what you want and need. He/She listens and takes notes. The agent get's off his or her ass and hunts you down a house. They send you listings that they feel are what you want and arrange to see these homes driving you around in their car using their fuel. Once they find you the home of your dreams they research it's value for you, recommend excellent financing options, lawyers to facilitate the sale, arrange other ancillary services such as movers, cleaners and other trades, HOME INSPECTORS ( some Realtors often pay their fee for you ). NEGOTIATE on your behalf, execute a legal contract and assume liabilities, walk you through the closing process, visit you after the sale and buy you a nice closing gift and here is the kicker............ They do all of this for you completely FREE!!!!!!! of charge . That is why you should use a Realtor to purchase a home. Now go find a good Realtor and fire that amateur you have.
The reason you would use an agent to help you buy a home is quite simple. Obviously from the experience you received you were not using a true professional. This is the reason why Organized Real Estate has been around forever and still is the best way to buy and sell homes, The Power of MLS. A for sale by owner can only attract 10% of the buyers searching for a home. 90 % of homes are sold by using a Realtor and MLS. As for using an agent to help you buy a home it's a total no brainer. If you get a good agent here's how it works. You explain to the agent what you want and need. He/She listens and takes notes. The agent get's off his or her ass and hunts you down a house. They send you listings that they feel are what you want and arrange to see these homes driving you around in their car using their fuel. Once they find you the home of your dreams they research it's value for you, recommend excellent financing options, lawyers to facilitate the sale, arrange other ancillary services such as movers, cleaners and other trades, HOME INSPECTORS ( some Realtors often pay their fee for you ). NEGOTIATE on your behalf, execute a legal contract and assume liabilities, walk you through the closing process, visit you after the sale and buy you a nice closing gift and here is the kicker............ They do all of this for you completely FREE!!!!!!! of charge . That is why you should use a Realtor to purchase a home. Now go find a good Realtor and fire that amateur you have.
Fact 2- The cost of an alarm system is paid off by the savings on your honmeowners insurance.
I hope this was written as a joke. And for the gun owners- that only works if you are home. And for the guard dog owners- hope you have a nice plot for your dog because anyone entering knows you have a dog and can kill your dog
Josh, that is a good question, because sales taxes and value added taxes are very similar, in many respects. In both types of taxes, the consumer pays a certain percentage over and above the purchase price. Of course, the obvious difference comes in the way of the taxing entity – many states charge sales taxes, but the idea floating around for a VAT would be charged by the federal government.
Another difference between sales taxes and a value-added tax (which government representatives find significant) is that the VAT is charged in increments, by various authorized agents (as value is added), which makes it far more difficult to evade via a black market. If someone intercepts a product at some point in the production or distribution cycle, they are only evading the value-added taxes from that point in the cycle, forward. However, they are evading all sales taxes, because sales taxes are only charged on the final transaction, by the retailer, with the end-user.
Another difference between a VAT and the sales taxes charged in many states is that many states do not charge sales taxes on services, but a VAT is charged on products and services in most countries that now levy them. At this point in the discussion, it is conjecture to say that any VAT that is proposed would tax services, but most of those already implemented in other countries do.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I have not read or seen anything that indicates that the VAT presently under consideration would not be instead of other taxes – sales and income taxes – but in addition to all of the other taxes.
I was recently laid off. On thinking back, I believe I know the real reasons that I was laid off. I have reservations about the financial excuse I was given. In many organizations, what is called "interpersonal relationships" (aka politics and currying favor) is the most important performance criterion. Instead, I chose to do a good job, as thorough as I deemed proper, politely with a professional demeanor. However, I didn't brown nose the self-important managers to the degree they desired. I were laid off. The other people who were laid off at the same time, had the same work ethic and didn't brown nose either. The people who stayed, had their primary focus on pleasing that management. For those who have ethical concerns about some of the ideas above, and still have their reasons for leaving, try to simply do a good job without spending time on currying favor. Certainly being laid off this way depends on managers who are not the best. However, betting on managers who choose not to be the best is frequently a successful bet.
I love these kinds of posts with lists. I may only need one of them, but that one is always important. Thanks for reminding me to fully utilize the features on my oven, i.e. the convection feature. My goal now is to figure out how to use it and most efficiently! Thanks for the post.
Thanks a lot for the tips, Nora. Ovens are an issue with me; I like to cook but I live in a place with extremely hot summers, lasting at least five months (Texas). So many recipes call for oven use when it is just not necessary and certainly not efficient. One example is the instruction to "Pop the nuts into the oven for ten minutes to toast them." Nuts can be toasted in a dry skillet or a microwave, but why do I have to know that to cook that particular recipe? Why didn't the writer think about the waste of energy, at least during times of the year when the oven causes over-use of air conditioning?
I am for the Fair Tax, which is quite different than the Flat Tax or the VAT.
The Fair Tax, on a national level, would eliminate all federal taxes out of our paychecks and impost an embedded sales tax for NEW goods and services. The only people that would pay the tax is the final consumer of the product.
The Fair Tax would also rebate the tax, up the the poverty level, for all legal Americans, no matter their income.
I think this is the best solution. I have been investigating these issues for awhile.
I love this article. When I talk to people about money, I like to bring home the importance of spending your money on things you value and not spending it on things you don't. My husband and I really try to do this.
i have never liked this taxes( i think that most are unnecessary). i was watching a documentary yesterday and they were saying that the powers that be want to start imposing hundreds of new taxes on the masses. things like a carbon tax, travel tax, plastic tax and other completely pointless taxes all meant to siphon our wealth away. luckily however, there is something called tax avoidance and this little nifty branch of finance comes to good use in depriving the taxman of more of your wealth. needless to say, i like researching on the tax avoiding opportunities available for me
Yeah, just checked out jungle and it's cool,
but my favorite one for amazon deals is http://www.azpricewatch.com
There are couple more, like fatwallet or xpbargains, but http://www.azpricewatch.com is just all what I need :)
Uh, not everywhere. Here in Virginia we pay 2.5% on our food purchases. It used to be 4% like general purchases. Gov. Warner split the difference and lowered the food to 2.5% and upped the general merchandise to 5%. That being said I doubt Virginia is the only state who pays tax on food.
for anyone who found the article unpleasant. I can assure all of you I'm my usual chipper self! This was an interesting question that was posed to me and thought it would make for a good topic. If I was a little curt with my first response, it was uncalled for. I do get a little peeved when people attack an article without reading it first, but that's no excuse for a short temper. I have something quite fun lined up for my next post.
Many of the thing pointers on the "ethical" list as listed by the author are not so good and can damage one's good name and career reputation. This is because many of those points on the list will show the employee as not worthy of a good reference, and the absence of a good reference means gettiing the next job will be that much harder.
IMHO, if one wants to get laid off, then first determine if the severence amount is worth it, and if it is, then tell management that you'd volunteer when the need arises. To "earn" the position of being laid off through less then great work is to damage one's good name, and ability to receive a good reference.
I'd suggest the author talk to different HR people, because the people he was advised by are dead wrong.
"Do less" "surf the web". I find many of the suggestions in poor taste as well. If it is a job you want to quit, then quit. I understand the lure of paid time off, but find it abusive.
Using up vacation time or taking advantage of already offered discounts are wise moves. Honestly talking with management about ways the company could realistically improve (such as suggesting daycare) is also good.
Everything else... boo hiss. Pretty sad when people start feeling so entitled that they want to weasel out by doing less so they can get paid for nothing.
My employer has gone through 2 rounds of layoffs, leaving way too much work for the rest of us and now very low morale issues.
I have wanted to work for myself for the last five years. I recently took my first freelance writing gig and I enjoy the work so much more than my day job. Maybe because it's fresh and new, or maybe because I'm totally burned out. Not sure. What I do know is my client is happy which makes me happy.
The biggest issue is the medical benefits. Even if I'm eligible for COBRA for 18 months after leaving or gettingn laid off, of which 65% will be paid for for 9 months, I don't have reasonable options after that due to pre-existing medical conditions.
I would take a leap of faith and go out on my own today if there was a solution to the medical insurance.
The way most of us keep the "cure" on cast iron skillets is to clean them (rinse and scrub, no soap) and then heat them REALLY hot with vegetable oil. No bacteria is going to survive that.
I spent the first few years of retirement doing what I was finally able to do once away from the desk. Turns out drinking full-time was one of the things I should have passed on. Now with about 1/3 of the nest egg I started with, I'm finding that there is a lot to like in retirement, but I'm finding value in stuff I didn't see before.
I've made a few incredible friendships, read a lot of used books, watched about all the TV I need for a while. So now I'm back in school, pursuing a new career in green energy and sustainable building practices (solar, LEED, etc.) This is a field that has enthralled me for decades -- I had no idea I could actually be a part of it!
I'm still spending more than my social security, but each year I get closer to living within my anticipated means. At the same time, I am enjoying what I do a lot more. Cooking is now an all day affair -- bread and stews and such from scratch, etc.
I compete with myself now, not the co-workers or people from other corporations. I accept failure as an inevitable bump in the road, not the end of anything. I would not have envied a person in my state when I was approaching retirement, but I now pity people who feel they have to live the way I was.
Don
The reason you would use an agent to help you buy a home is quite simple. Obviously from the experience you received you were not using a true professional. This is the reason why Organized Real Estate has been around forever and still is the best way to buy and sell homes, The Power of MLS. A for sale by owner can only attract 10% of the buyers searching for a home. 90 % of homes are sold by using a Realtor and MLS. As for using an agent to help you buy a home it's a total no brainer. If you get a good agent here's how it works. You explain to the agent what you want and need. He/She listens and takes notes. The agent get's off his or her ass and hunts you down a house. They send you listings that they feel are what you want and arrange to see these homes driving you around in their car using their fuel. Once they find you the home of your dreams they research it's value for you, recommend excellent financing options, lawyers to facilitate the sale, arrange other ancillary services such as movers, cleaners and other trades, HOME INSPECTORS ( some Realtors often pay their fee for you ). NEGOTIATE on your behalf, execute a legal contract and assume liabilities, walk you through the closing process, visit you after the sale and buy you a nice closing gift and here is the kicker............ They do all of this for you completely FREE!!!!!!! of charge . That is why you should use a Realtor to purchase a home. Now go find a good Realtor and fire that amateur you have.
The reason you would use an agent to help you buy a home is quite simple. Obviously from the experience you received you were not using a true professional. This is the reason why Organized Real Estate has been around forever and still is the best way to buy and sell homes, The Power of MLS. A for sale by owner can only attract 10% of the buyers searching for a home. 90 % of homes are sold by using a Realtor and MLS. As for using an agent to help you buy a home it's a total no brainer. If you get a good agent here's how it works. You explain to the agent what you want and need. He/She listens and takes notes. The agent get's off his or her ass and hunts you down a house. They send you listings that they feel are what you want and arrange to see these homes driving you around in their car using their fuel. Once they find you the home of your dreams they research it's value for you, recommend excellent financing options, lawyers to facilitate the sale, arrange other ancillary services such as movers, cleaners and other trades, HOME INSPECTORS ( some Realtors often pay their fee for you ). NEGOTIATE on your behalf, execute a legal contract and assume liabilities, walk you through the closing process, visit you after the sale and buy you a nice closing gift and here is the kicker............ They do all of this for you completely FREE!!!!!!! of charge . That is why you should use a Realtor to purchase a home. Now go find a good Realtor and fire that amateur you have.
Fact 1- Most burglars enter when no one is home
Fact 2- The cost of an alarm system is paid off by the savings on your honmeowners insurance.
I hope this was written as a joke. And for the gun owners- that only works if you are home. And for the guard dog owners- hope you have a nice plot for your dog because anyone entering knows you have a dog and can kill your dog
Great little article. Very helpful. Terrific way to take something so commonplace and teach readers how to save money while doing it.
Josh, that is a good question, because sales taxes and value added taxes are very similar, in many respects. In both types of taxes, the consumer pays a certain percentage over and above the purchase price. Of course, the obvious difference comes in the way of the taxing entity – many states charge sales taxes, but the idea floating around for a VAT would be charged by the federal government.
Another difference between sales taxes and a value-added tax (which government representatives find significant) is that the VAT is charged in increments, by various authorized agents (as value is added), which makes it far more difficult to evade via a black market. If someone intercepts a product at some point in the production or distribution cycle, they are only evading the value-added taxes from that point in the cycle, forward. However, they are evading all sales taxes, because sales taxes are only charged on the final transaction, by the retailer, with the end-user.
Another difference between a VAT and the sales taxes charged in many states is that many states do not charge sales taxes on services, but a VAT is charged on products and services in most countries that now levy them. At this point in the discussion, it is conjecture to say that any VAT that is proposed would tax services, but most of those already implemented in other countries do.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I have not read or seen anything that indicates that the VAT presently under consideration would not be instead of other taxes – sales and income taxes – but in addition to all of the other taxes.
I was recently laid off. On thinking back, I believe I know the real reasons that I was laid off. I have reservations about the financial excuse I was given. In many organizations, what is called "interpersonal relationships" (aka politics and currying favor) is the most important performance criterion. Instead, I chose to do a good job, as thorough as I deemed proper, politely with a professional demeanor. However, I didn't brown nose the self-important managers to the degree they desired. I were laid off. The other people who were laid off at the same time, had the same work ethic and didn't brown nose either. The people who stayed, had their primary focus on pleasing that management. For those who have ethical concerns about some of the ideas above, and still have their reasons for leaving, try to simply do a good job without spending time on currying favor. Certainly being laid off this way depends on managers who are not the best. However, betting on managers who choose not to be the best is frequently a successful bet.
I love these kinds of posts with lists. I may only need one of them, but that one is always important. Thanks for reminding me to fully utilize the features on my oven, i.e. the convection feature. My goal now is to figure out how to use it and most efficiently! Thanks for the post.
Thanks a lot for the tips, Nora. Ovens are an issue with me; I like to cook but I live in a place with extremely hot summers, lasting at least five months (Texas). So many recipes call for oven use when it is just not necessary and certainly not efficient. One example is the instruction to "Pop the nuts into the oven for ten minutes to toast them." Nuts can be toasted in a dry skillet or a microwave, but why do I have to know that to cook that particular recipe? Why didn't the writer think about the waste of energy, at least during times of the year when the oven causes over-use of air conditioning?
Thanks for sharing 10 way creating money from myspace.How about other social marketing like tagged and friendster.
I am for the Fair Tax, which is quite different than the Flat Tax or the VAT.
The Fair Tax, on a national level, would eliminate all federal taxes out of our paychecks and impost an embedded sales tax for NEW goods and services. The only people that would pay the tax is the final consumer of the product.
The Fair Tax would also rebate the tax, up the the poverty level, for all legal Americans, no matter their income.
I think this is the best solution. I have been investigating these issues for awhile.
I love this article. When I talk to people about money, I like to bring home the importance of spending your money on things you value and not spending it on things you don't. My husband and I really try to do this.
i have never liked this taxes( i think that most are unnecessary). i was watching a documentary yesterday and they were saying that the powers that be want to start imposing hundreds of new taxes on the masses. things like a carbon tax, travel tax, plastic tax and other completely pointless taxes all meant to siphon our wealth away. luckily however, there is something called tax avoidance and this little nifty branch of finance comes to good use in depriving the taxman of more of your wealth. needless to say, i like researching on the tax avoiding opportunities available for me
I own a pioneer dv-386 dvd player. Can anyone help me - i need to change the region settings.
Thanks
Yeah, just checked out jungle and it's cool,
but my favorite one for amazon deals is http://www.azpricewatch.com
There are couple more, like fatwallet or xpbargains, but http://www.azpricewatch.com is just all what I need :)
Uh, not everywhere. Here in Virginia we pay 2.5% on our food purchases. It used to be 4% like general purchases. Gov. Warner split the difference and lowered the food to 2.5% and upped the general merchandise to 5%. That being said I doubt Virginia is the only state who pays tax on food.
i think that a great idea to do
for anyone who found the article unpleasant. I can assure all of you I'm my usual chipper self! This was an interesting question that was posed to me and thought it would make for a good topic. If I was a little curt with my first response, it was uncalled for. I do get a little peeved when people attack an article without reading it first, but that's no excuse for a short temper. I have something quite fun lined up for my next post.
I hope you're feeling better soon. This article just doesn't sound like you (one of my favorite WB writers).
Many of the thing pointers on the "ethical" list as listed by the author are not so good and can damage one's good name and career reputation. This is because many of those points on the list will show the employee as not worthy of a good reference, and the absence of a good reference means gettiing the next job will be that much harder.
IMHO, if one wants to get laid off, then first determine if the severence amount is worth it, and if it is, then tell management that you'd volunteer when the need arises. To "earn" the position of being laid off through less then great work is to damage one's good name, and ability to receive a good reference.
I'd suggest the author talk to different HR people, because the people he was advised by are dead wrong.
"Do less" "surf the web". I find many of the suggestions in poor taste as well. If it is a job you want to quit, then quit. I understand the lure of paid time off, but find it abusive.
Using up vacation time or taking advantage of already offered discounts are wise moves. Honestly talking with management about ways the company could realistically improve (such as suggesting daycare) is also good.
Everything else... boo hiss. Pretty sad when people start feeling so entitled that they want to weasel out by doing less so they can get paid for nothing.
I'm very disappointed in Wise Bread for posting this article.
I think my ignorance is showing on this one... but how is this different from the Sales Tax paid in most (all?) US States?
This article is very timely for me!
My employer has gone through 2 rounds of layoffs, leaving way too much work for the rest of us and now very low morale issues.
I have wanted to work for myself for the last five years. I recently took my first freelance writing gig and I enjoy the work so much more than my day job. Maybe because it's fresh and new, or maybe because I'm totally burned out. Not sure. What I do know is my client is happy which makes me happy.
The biggest issue is the medical benefits. Even if I'm eligible for COBRA for 18 months after leaving or gettingn laid off, of which 65% will be paid for for 9 months, I don't have reasonable options after that due to pre-existing medical conditions.
I would take a leap of faith and go out on my own today if there was a solution to the medical insurance.
Best,
Kim
The way most of us keep the "cure" on cast iron skillets is to clean them (rinse and scrub, no soap) and then heat them REALLY hot with vegetable oil. No bacteria is going to survive that.
I spent the first few years of retirement doing what I was finally able to do once away from the desk. Turns out drinking full-time was one of the things I should have passed on. Now with about 1/3 of the nest egg I started with, I'm finding that there is a lot to like in retirement, but I'm finding value in stuff I didn't see before.
I've made a few incredible friendships, read a lot of used books, watched about all the TV I need for a while. So now I'm back in school, pursuing a new career in green energy and sustainable building practices (solar, LEED, etc.) This is a field that has enthralled me for decades -- I had no idea I could actually be a part of it!
I'm still spending more than my social security, but each year I get closer to living within my anticipated means. At the same time, I am enjoying what I do a lot more. Cooking is now an all day affair -- bread and stews and such from scratch, etc.
I compete with myself now, not the co-workers or people from other corporations. I accept failure as an inevitable bump in the road, not the end of anything. I would not have envied a person in my state when I was approaching retirement, but I now pity people who feel they have to live the way I was.
Don