Me at the 2011 National Association of Realtors Convention in Anaheim, CA.

Anaheim, California.  I attended, and was there for a period of five days.  As part of the convention, I was able to participate in special exclusive events for Realtors called ‘knowledge sessions’.

Some of the knowledge sessions consisted of briefings on the national economy from members of the Federal Reserve, as well as a NAR economist.  Others that I attended were on marketing, social media, video making and many other special interests I had to help me improve my business and relationships with my clients.

There was also in the convention center a bookstore and a very large expo center.  In the expo, I was exposed to products and services from around the world to better help my business and relationships with my clients.

Being a Realtor from Battle Creek, Michigan, it was very benefitial to find new ideas to help me reach more people to help them become homeowners.  Having an understanding of what is happening at a national level gives me an better understanding on how my local market will be impacted.  Here is a photo of me on one of my more casual days on Sunday at the NAR convention.

As the American economy is in a state of turmoil and also at the brink of yet another financial fiasco, the people in the nation are worried about their spurring debt obligations. With the raising of the debt ceiling, the personal debt ceiling of most debtors have also been risen and this is the recent issue that is bothering most of them. Research reveals that the residents of Texas, Atlanta and San Antonio carry the highest balance on their credit cards and they’re perhaps in dire need of a financial planner to help them out. Though debt settlement usa is an option that you can choose when you want to waive off a portion of the debt amount that you owe, yet getting a financial planner by your side can help you stay on an edge. However, how will you know which planner is the best among all of them? There is a yardstick according to which you should choose the cream of the crop. Read on to know the qualities that you should look for in a Dallas financial planner.

• He should possess financial knowledge: One of the most vital qualities that you should look for in your Dallas financial planner is his knowledge. Personal finance management is a vast field with various distinctive areas and some other specialties. The Dallas financial planner should be able to describe an investment or a financial asset and also tailor an approach that is suitable for your changing financial needs. He should be aware of the recent financial regulations and laws, the market trends and everything about the contemporary financial life in the US.
• Demand experience and a proven track record: Before choosing a Dallas financial planner, you should ask for an experience certificate or a proven track record of their success in the industry. The finance industry is such an industry where the past performance can often predict the future performance and this applies to all those who navigate the market. Look for someone so that he may have your best interests in mind and also has enough expertise to help you deal with any kind of financial problems.
• They should have a strategic mindset: The best financial planners in Dallas are big picture thinkers and when they assess your personal financial situation, they’ll advise you with respect to the big picture. If you can get a planner who can advise you with the big picture in mind, you should be thankful as the ultimate debt solution should be in accordance with the economic condition of the state and the country.
• They should offer a holistic approach: Finances are multi-faceted as you should choose a planner who is a Jack of all trades, if not master of all. The best Dallas financial planners should take a holistic approach towards the financial planning and should try to improve your financial condition by improving all other parts of your life. They should help you determine where your money is coming from and where it is going as this is the most important part of budgeting.
• He should be patient: Dealing with the finances of a person and helping him eradicate debt needs a lot of patience and the best financial planner should have this quality. Patience is the cornerstone of this industry and he should have a disciplined approach towards your debt situation so that he can assist you in getting out of debt with ease.

Therefore if you have sought help of debt settlement usa services and not got much desired results, you can take help of a Dallas financial planner. However, make sure you choose him after verifying all the above mentioned points so that you get the best help from him.

For more updates please visit : http://twitter.com/debtcc

Sparked by policies created during the Clinton administration in the White House, when the sub-prime loan was introduced to loan money to the poor for housing, this type of lending was exposed in as early as 1997 and several companies engaging in these practices went bankrupt at that time.  However, the model was continued and used as an instrument that evolved into what amounts to a massive Ponzi scheme of the mortgage industry that lasted over a decade, and ultimately crashed the economy.

This book is very enlightening, and is well worth the read.  In March of 2010, when the book was released, the New York Times had this to say about it: “When the crash of the U. S. stock market became public knowledge in the fall of 2008, it was already old news.

The real crash, the silent crash, had taken place over the previous year, in bizarre feeder markets where the sun doesn’t shine, and the SEC doesn’t dare, or bother, to tread: the bond and real estate derivative markets where geeks invent impenetrable securities to profit from the misery of lower- and middle-class Americans who can’t pay their debts. The smart people who understood what was or might be happening were paralyzed by hope and fear; in any case, they weren’t talking.”

Buying a house in Battle Creek can be easy.

me with the look of utter uncertainty about how they would ever go about it.  Becoming a home owner seems to consist of so many unknowns, that they do not know where to begin. 

A recent example of a young lady that contacted me through my website at: www.michaeldelaware.com was of the same idea.  She filled out one of my information forms on the website, and forwarded it to me.  I received it and called her within a half hour of her having sent it to me.  After a short conversation with me, she soon began to believe that buying a house is easy in Battle Creek, Michigan. 

Working with an experienced Realtor can make the home buying process easy.

Here is the timeline on how I worked with her to make her see that buying a house is easy in Battle Creek.  She contacted me through the website on August 20^th, I called her.  I connected her up with a local lender, after assessing her needs.  She was pre-approved for a loan by August 23^rd, and we went looking for homes. 

We wrote a total of three separate offers, and were not successful on the first two, but the third we were successful.  We just got the home completed and under contract on September 5^th, and she will likely close on the loan and be able to move in sometime between the end of September and mid October. 

As a Realtor, I not only helped her see that buying a house is easy in Battle Creek, Michigan, but she also is realizing that it does not have to take a long time to find the perfect house for her and her family! 

So, it is true that buying a house is easy in Battle Creek, Michigan, and as a local Realtor, I would like to offer my services to you and your family too.  Just take a minute to visit my website: www.michaeldelaware.com and see for yourself.

The trails are of all types of grades, and many people go mountain biking there, as well as running in addition to hiking.  The entrance to the Fort Custer Recreation area is off of Dickman Road, just over the Kalamazoo County line before you arrive at Augusta, Michigan. 

The Fort Custer Recreation Area

Turkeyville is located near Marshall, Michigan

Getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday in Southwest Michigan should always include at least one November visit to Turkeyville just outside of Marshall, Michigan.  The Turkeyville farm is a facility perfect for families with children, as they get to experience hay rides, pumpkin picking, pet some farm animals, have ice cream and even see some real turkeys! 

As one of the local attractions in the area for family members, Turkeyville is always one I try to mention this time of the year as many people moving into the area do not know about it right away.  Turkeyville even has family theatre where they serve dinner on certain days of the week, as well as outdoor festivals on weekends during the spring, summer and fall.  There is always something happening at Turkeyville, but the autumn is one of the best time to go visit.

Turkeyville has an ice cream parlor...

If you like eating Turkey, their restaurant has a wide selection of turkey dishes and other great foods.  It is perfect for lunch, or dinner.  They even are open for turkey dinner on Thanskgiving, so you do not have to cook if you do not want to.  All in all, Turkeyville is a fun place to go for an excursion, and you will always find something fun to do there as a getaway.

Cornwell’s Turkeyville Farm and Restaurant is the official name of the facility, and it is located at the corner of N Drive and 15 ½ Mile Rd, about a mile from I-69 off Exit 42.  It has an interesting history.  Originally a farm held by the Hawkins family, established in 1836, Asahel Hawkins who had emigrated from Vermont, began with 80 acres of government land and eventually increased his holdings to 240 acres. 

After his death in 1881, his son Asahel Myron Hawkins took over the farmstead.  He grew

Hayrides are part of the fun at Turkeyville

a variety of crops, and held several Convis township civic offices including supervisor, clerk, highway commissioner and justice of the peace.  His son Schubail Hawkins ran the farm until 1933.  In 1942 the farm was converted to Turkey production and in 1968 the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Generations of Asahel Hawkins opened a restaurant.  Today, Cornwell’s Turkeyville Farm and Restaurant still raises live turkeys, and has expanded the facility to include many other attractions as you can see here.  A great place to visit!

Turkeys are a huge part of Turkeyville in Marshall, Michigan

The federal student loan wagon is not one to jump into without a long range plan for several practical reasons.

issue, particularly with the rising rate of default.  Student loans which are federal government loans do not fall off a credit report.  The debt cannot be settles in bankruptcy, and will follow you until you pay or die.  Because of this, the education system in the U.S. today has grown to become a prosperous venture for colleges.  Students can receive government loans, the school gets paid, and they do not have to deal with collections.  The students then are burdened with paying back the loan, regardless if the education they gained launched them into a career that enabled them to pay back the debt or not. 

I am somewhat critical of this system, as I have seen too many young people walk into the trap.  The old adage of ‘Go to school, earn a degree, get a better job because of that degree, etc.’ was what used to be true for our parents.  Today, so many of the college and university students obtain a degree or diploma at huge expense, and the education is meaningless to employers and offers the student no long term benefit, much less a career in the field they hoped to go into.

The sales pitch to ‘go to college’ and ‘get a degree’ starts in elementary school and high school.  Even recently the schools have been pitching people in the workforce to return to college to ‘earn a degree’ leading these prospective students to believe that the degree is going to enable them to achieve higher earnings in the outcome.  It becomes a fool’s game if you have no real direction.

According to a recent article written by a USA Today writer, the total sum of annual student loans taken out last year was $100 Billion dollars.  Outstanding student loans will cross the $1 Trillion mark later this year for the first time in history.  The amount of students in default of over 9 months on their student loans rose from 6.7% in 2007 to 8.8% in 2009 according to the most recent federal data. 

Federal student loan default can impact whether you can buy a home in the future after college.

Over 300,000 students across the country are in default according to this article, and that number is rising.  What does this say about the education system?  Are they really getting the product of an educated student that has value to the society?  Is the education they are selling these students of any value?  These are all important questions to ask, considering the government loans are provided with tax payer dollars, and there is little or no accountability for the colleges required in this program.  Nor does there appear to be any limit to what a college can charge for their programs. 

Universities and Community colleges across the country seem to have no shortage of funds to expand their buildings, and their campuses.  Not that this is a bad thing for a community, but if the student is not getting that promised career based on the education provided, it has a greater impact on the future of our country.

If I were to offer advice to a student considering going to college, here are a few common sense ideas I would suggest:

1)      Do not go to college to ‘find out what you want to do’.  That is like going to a clothing store with an open-ended credit card and buying everything in the store to see if you like it, regardless of size, color or usefulness.  You will run up a huge tab quickly with no return.  Go to college with a plan for a specific career as the outcome, or do not go until you have this plan.

2)      Choose a degree program that offers a career in a proven profession that is always in high demand in society, regardless of economic condition.  Examples of this might be a medical doctor, attorney, an engineer or an accountant.  These professions are just some examples of ones that seem to endure, as well as offer remuneration and employment which will enable you to pay back the money you borrowed for the education in the first five to seven years working in the field.

3)      If the cost of the education is going to be more than 1/3^rd of the annual income expected from the median annual salary of that profession over a 5 year period, then you will be underwater with choosing that degree program and it will not be sustainable.  I would recommend choosing another field or method to obtain the education you will need to work in that profession. 

4)      Be practical in your approach.  Is the training or degree in high demand?  Are people who have completed the training or degree finding immediate employment?  Do not ask the college who is selling you this program.  Ask people actually practicing in the profession.  You might even consider approaching a company that hires people with that training and talk to their personnel department.  Even see if you can make contacts within, giving you a place to go to once you have finished your training. 

5)      Do not buy into new things untried or unproven as of yet, especially if the training required takes four years to complete.  Example: A caller once called a radio talk show I was listening to that embarked on a four year degree program in ‘Green Energy Conservation’ because he listened to a politician that said this was the ‘wave of the future’ in 2006.  When he completed his degree, he could find no employment and is now bagging groceries trying to pay for a $50,000+ student loan.  A sad tale resulting from a poor choice of a yet unproven, untested career. 

I am writing this article because often as a Realtor I sit down with some young person who

The federal student loan system can be a trap for students using it without a practical future plan.

wants to buy a house, and when they meet with a lender they are denied because of a default on a student loan, or their income ratios are out of whack because of huge student loan debt.  Or I meet with someone who is not in default, but is struggling to make ends meet in a job that is radically different from the degree they paid for, and career they hoped to have now.  So an ambitious person seeking higher education in the modern day needs to consider a more practical approach before signing or committing to a long term student loan that will follow them for years to come. 

Colleges and universities are businesses, and they will sell you a program if you reach for it.  The government backed student loan programs make it easy for them to do this.  An approach to obtaining an education with a proven plan is the best way to avoid being an economic slave to a government loan program.

Home Inspections can reveal a lot of information about the home.

homeowner is looking to buy a home, and has an accepted offer on a home, there is usually an inspection period worked into the contract. 

This inspection period in Michigan is usually 10 days, but can vary in time range depending on what is negotiated into the contract.

Working with a Realtor that can help guide you through this process is important.  Some of the essential home inspections you might want to consider is:

1) A general overall inspection which covers structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing.  These are the services general home inspectors usually cover.

2) A pest inspecton for wood destroying insects.  This inspection will reveal if there are termites, carpenter ants, etc. infesting the home.

3) A well and septic inspection.  If the home is on a well or septic or both, you will want to have the systems inspected to verify they are in working order and the well water is free of contaminates.

4) A radon inspection.  Radon gas is an invisible gas that long term exposure can cause severe health problems.

5) Other specialty inspections for individual items in the home, such as the roof, mechanicals, swimming pool, etc.

Home inspections are an important part of the process of homebuying, and can reveal a great deal of information about the home.  Usually a home inspection offers a thorough orientation to the condition of the home for a buyer, but in some cases can reveal hidden defects which might need to be resolved in the contract negotiations before closing.  So it is always a good idea to arrange for these to be done.