Pay for Article

Many people are looking for a new career where they can work at home and still make money. Search the Internet for work at home jobs, and you will be overwhelmed with the number of websites. However, there are several work at home scams floating around on the Internet that you need to watch out for. Here are few things to avoid as you look for a legitimate work at home job.

First, beware of jobs that promise you can get rich quickly. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Beware of ads that ask you to send money to receive information about the job or ask you to buy something to begin the program. Most legitimate job advertisements do not require an investment. Watch out for exaggerated claims of product effectiveness. These advertisements ask you to invest in a new miracle product, which you either don’t receive or is much harder to sell than advertised. You might also be liable if you are asked to sell a fraudulent program to others.

Common work at home schemes including stuffing envelopes, work at home assembly, chain letters and processing medial insurance claims. These scams usually involve money upfront for training or for products which never materialize. The work at home assembly programs often leave people with products they assemble and don’t get paid for.

Work at home scams will never offer you a regular salary for a specific job. They might use personal testimonials about the success of their program without identifying specific names. Work at home schemes usually require no experience, yet guarantee that you will make huge profits. Avoid work at home job advertisements with typing errors or advertisements typed in all capital letters. This is a good indication that the organization is not very professional. Look for contact information in the job advertisement. No contact information usually means it is not a legitimate ad. Vague job descriptions are also indicative of a scam.

If you become a victim to a work at home scam, ask the company for a refund. Notify law enforcement officials, your local Better Business Bureau and your state’s Attorney General office if they refuse to send you a refund. Document all your involvement with the company such as phone calls and keep all your paperwork.

There are many genuine work at home jobs available. Protect yourself by avoiding the common pitfalls of work at home scams.

Harrold Swalve is a published author and successful online entrepreneur. For great work at home offers go to his awarded Work at Home Resource Center. To find answers on all your work at home questions visit his Work from Home Job Forum.

If you’ve been busy recently trying to apply for a car loan or purchase a house then you already know how vital your credit rating is and the impact it has on your ability to obtain financial credit from a lending institution. What you may not have been aware of is how easy it is obtaining a free credit report. The detailed information on your credit report should be periodically reviewed at least once a year in order to verify your current information and to correct any mistakes that may be evident during your credit report review. Naturally, this can be easily accomplished by obtaining a free credit report.

Previously it used to be rather expensive to constantly send off for and receive your credit report in order to make sure your personal credit history and information was correct and up to date. However, recent legislation has now made it possible to receive two free credit reports each year from the three major credit reporting agencies. This includes
Equifax, who can be reached 800-378-2732, 888-397-3742, Experian and Trans Union, both of which can be contacted at 800-888-4213 in order to request a free credit report over the phone. In case you’re adverse to ordering stuff of a personal nature, especially when dealing with your financial records and credit history, there is an option available to request a free credit report from the credit reporting agencies through the regular postal system or mail

In order to make sure that there are no errors on any portion of your credit you will want to request a credit report from each of the three individual credit reporting companies. The reality is one report won’t tell you everything and none of the agencies issue a free credit report that contains the information as compiled by all three agencies. When obtaining a free credit report it may be possible to also find out what your credit score currently is but sometimes this isn’t always the case so be prepared to not receive that important number. Also make sure that before you actually start to order your credit report you have all of the necessary information such as your social security number, mailing address and of course your name, either memorized or written down. Failure to do so could result in a slow response time from the credit-reporting agency that you are working with to obtain your free credit report.

If you search online for the ability to order your credit history then prior to obtaining your free credit report make sure that the website you will be downloading the report from is a secured website and a legitimate company. The typical turn around or delivery time after requesting a free credit report online or by phone is about four weeks with the wait increased to at least six weeks when obtaining a free credit report by mail.

Save yourself some financial grief by visiting http://www.free-online-instant-credit-report.info in order to verify that your credit information is correct by quickly and easily obtaining a free credit report at least 2 times a year.

An untrained dog is a direct reflection on you, the pet owner, and how much you care about the dog. In fact a dog that is not trained becomes a nuisance to the owner and the environment. You can probably give to your dog basic obedience training, i.e. teaching it to respond to simple commands. Whether it’s a puppy or a fully-grown dog you can teach them with a little effort on your part.

Dogs are intelligent animals. They have been trained to do specific tasks like sniffing out drugs and explosives and performing search and rescue missions. All these are possible by the efforts of the dog owner. But how can you train your dog to obey you?

First, you need to know about the genetic make up of your dog. Like wolves, dogs are hierarchy conscious. They instinctively gravitate toward living in pack under a leader. Your family is your dog’s pack and it needs to understand that you are the leader.

Even as a puppy, your dog can learn that it is subordinate to you. How? Try holding its gaze with your eyes until it looks away. Also, rubbing the dog’s belly while on its back is a good exercise, as this puts it in a submissive position. If your dog is being a nuisance and does not stop when you say ‘No’, try ignoring it or leaving the room.

When your dog responds to your commands, it is acknowledging that you are in charge. If you, as the owner, do not establish your position of leadership, your pet may conclude that it is equal or superior to you and this might affect its behavior.

To teach your dog basic commands, you will need a collar, a leash and plenty of patience. For successful training, you will have to follow the steps below:

a. Give a simple, one-word command, b. demonstrate the desired action and c. immediately give praise when the action is done. Your tone of voice is more important than the word you use. A command should be given in an affirmative tone and praise be given in a happy, affectionate tone.

Physical punishment, such as hitting or kicking, is not necessary. Simply say ‘No’ in a sharp tone, prolonging the vowel, so that the dog will know that you are displeased with its performance. A dog is intelligent enough to know when you are rewarding or reprimanding.

If anything more drastic is needed, you might grasp the dog by the scruff of its neck and shake it lightly while saying ‘No’. Reprimands should be given during or immediately following the undesirable behavior. Remember, a dog cannot discern why it is being scolded if scolding occurs minutes or hours after the act. Neither does it understand why a certain action is acceptable on one occasion but not on another, so be consistent.

Training of a dog is a continuous process, but the nucleus for all obedience is the command ‘Sit!’ if your dog understands this basic command it becomes quite easy to train your dog in the other basic commands. For example, you can tell your dog to sit when it begins to jump on visitors. To teach your dog to sit, put the leash on it and give the command while pushing down on its hindquarters and gently pulling its head up with the leash. Give praise immediately. Repeat these steps until the dog obeys the command on its own.

To teach your dog to remain in the position, use the command ‘Stay!’ while standing in front and putting your hand out with the palm facing flat toward the dog. If the dog moves, say ‘No’ and place it back into position. Repeat the command and praise the dog when it stays sitting for a short period. Gradually increase the time it sit and then the distance between you and the dog as it responds to the command.

The best way to teach your dog to come to you is to use a long leash and give a gentle tug while calling your dog’s name and giving the command ‘Come!’. Back up as the dog moves towards you and continue to praise. Soon it will respond to your call without being prompted by the leash. Never use the word ‘Come’ for a negative reason, such as to reprimand. Your dog must learn that responding to ‘come’ will bring pleasurable results, whether praise or a food treat. If you lose your patience while teaching this command, your dog will learn that coming is unpleasant and will be avoided.

You can teach your dog to walk by your side without pushing ahead or lagging behind. To do this without stress, use a link-chain training collar and a short leash. With the dog on your left, give the command ‘Heel!’ and step out with the left foot. If your dog attempts to push ahead or lag back, give a quick, sharp jerk on the leash and repeat the command. Give praise for compliance.

Remember, a dog is a social and intelligent animal. Long period of confinement can lead to excessive barking, hyperactivity and destructive behavior. But with training, your dog can become a delightful, loyal companion instead of a nuisance.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Dog Training

The “devil depression” hits now and then and makes our lives miserable. We feel blue and gradually it becomes a habit. Blame it on life and the unfortunate incidents in life that was beyond our control. But only few incidents of life where we proved ourselves to be unlucky do not have enough reasons to lead a life of frustration and depression. This life is a gift of God and we deserve to be happy and healthy through out our life.

Trust me, it is not that easy to challenge the depression within you, but it is not tough either. You just need to love yourself and realize that you deserve to be happy! Just follow the simple tips mentioned below;

1. Set small goals on daily basis. When you get up in the morning, decide what you are going to do for the day. If you are to submit a work assignment, make it your goal for the day. Put serious efforts to accomplish that job and take it to a level of your personal satisfaction. If there is no assignment pending for the day, make it a point that you do not leave anything pending for the next day, you finish your days work within the 8 and ½ hours, of course without having to stay back. This will make your everyday a special day! And believe me! These small efforts will boost your self confidence. Practice this for a week.
2. Try to remember what you enjoyed doing the most, I mean a long forgotten hobby, anything you like under the sun! Fishing? Doing the garden? Reading, playing guitar, listening to music? Playing foot ball? Swimming? Think of an activity you enjoy doing most and devote an hour to that. Make it a point to do that everyday, and do not let anything upset your daily routine. This is the way to love yourself and this activity will relax your inner self and you will start enjoying your daily life.
3. Engage yourself in physical exercise everyday at least for 15/20 minutes. This will increase the blood flow and fill you with energy and activate the hormone secretion in the body that is required to keep the body and mind healthy and happy. Remember, there is a very close connection between body and mind; a healthy mind can live in a health body and vice versa. So, take care of your health, if required go to a doctor for regular check up and make sure that you are physically alright.
4. Do not sit idle, when depression hits, you may feel lethargic; you will not feel like leaving the bed and may sleep all day during your weekends. Avoid doing so. Make plans, go out and meet people, go for a picnic or anything you enjoy doing, but not alone, with a person or a group of persons you like to be with. But, NEVER SIT IDLE.
5. At last, find out someone trustworthy and speak your heart out. You will be able to vent out your inner frustration and if you feel like crying, do that. There is no shame in crying in front of a person, whom you know to care for you. Crying is a way of expressing pain that is given by God. So do cry sometimes, you will feel better. If you are not comfortable talking to someone, keep a journal or diary, and pour down your thought on that. Writing down what you feel will give you relief from your inner frustration and suppressed anger, may be that was a hidden reason behind your depression. Talking heart to heart or writing down sometimes can bring some unknown facts about your own self to light. So do that!

Follow the simple ways so that you can help yourself in the mission of leading a happy life, so that you do not have to opt for depression and anxiety medications like Xanax. Life is worth living till you love yourself, trust me, every man and woman have something special which no other person has. You are worth being loved and you worth the happiness knocking at your door. Just open the door to happiness and start living.

The author, Monalisa Hyden, addresses psychological issues. If you wish to help yourself and your loved ones to fight emotional problems, you can log on to http://www.buy-xanax-online-now.com for more information and advice.

Consider the following (depending on which country you are from you may miss the point in one or two):

‘If you see someone doing the impossible, don’t interrupt them’
Amar Bose (Bose Corporation)

‘Space is not remote, you can get there in an hour if you can make your car travel vertically’
Fred Hoyle (Astronomer)

‘A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree’
Spike Milligan (Comedian)

‘I took a speed reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. Its about Russia’
Woody Allen (Comedian)

‘Those who say it can’t be done are being passed by those who are doing it’
Anonymous

‘I said ‘nearest the bull starts’. He said ‘baa’, I said ‘moo’. He said ‘you start”
Peter Kaye (Comedian)

”Hallo Rabbit’, he said, ‘Is that you?’. ‘Lets pretend it isn’t’ said Rabbit, ‘and see what happens”
Winnie-the-pooh (bear, philosopher and explorer)

Now you may chuckle at one or more of the above, but did you wonder why? It is the juxtaposition of (strange) ideas that does it. It is exactly this mode of thinking that we need in the business world to be able to see things from a new perspective, generate ideas and spot new opportunities. The stranger two things are, the greater the potential for laughter. Similarly, when we have two (or more) odd ideas they create what some call ‘creative friction’ and these can often lead directly to other ideas.

I once met an author who had just created a children’s book and jokingly mentioned something about smell - now he has a scratch and sniff childrens’ book.

Derek Cheshire is an expert, speaker, consultant and facilitator in the areas of Business Creativity, Innovation and Idea Generation. He is creator of the Innovation Toolkit, and co creator of workshops such as Creating The Difference, Creativity as a Business Tool, Sticky Strategy and The Idea Factory.

You can receive regular ideas and updates on Business Creativity and Innovation by visiting http://www.creative4business.co.uk and filling out the simple sign up form.

Cats have been domesticated for a long time. Domesticated cats originated in Africa and the Middle East between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago. There are many different breeds of cats but most popular cats are the non-pedigree or ‘mutt’ cats. You should always investigate the cost before getting any kind of pet. There is an average of $150 dollars of veterinary care. The cost of food is about $170 dollars a year. The litter can be expensive as well, running about $175 dollars a year. Don’t forget the initial cost of getting your cat. The best place to get a cat is at your local shelter. Some of the costs of adopting a pet at a shelter cover your cat’s shots, worming and ’sterilization’. You will still need to get a litter box and other supplies before you bring a cat home, such as cat food, food and water dish. You will also need a brush, toys, safety collar with ID tag, scratching post or pad, cat carrier and a cat bed. Again some shelters offer some of these items with your cat. It is best to call ahead of time and see what is included in your adoption cost.

Feeding your new cat depends on the age. If you have an older cat feed them one large meal a day or two smaller ones. Kittens need to be fed several times a day until they are about 12 weeks old. If your cat is three to six months old then they need to be feed three times a day. You can give your cat canned food, but be sure to throw away any leftover food after 30 minutes. Keep in mind that canned cat food can be expensive and you may have to throw away some. It does not do anything for your cat’s dental health like dry food can.

The other alternative is to keep a supply of dry food out constantly. You must make sure your cat has plenty of water when offering dry food. Dry food is less expensive and helps prevent tartar build up on your cat’s teeth and help promote healthy gums. Avoid buying generic cat food. They may not have the same guidelines as the brand-name food for your cat’s health. If your cat is a kitten, make sure you give them food specified for a kitten. You will need to wash and refill their water dish daily. Do not give your cat cows’ milk. They may seem to enjoy it but it can cause diarrhoea. An occasional cat treat for your cat is fine, but do not give them too much because they are fattening. If you find your kitten refusing food, try soaking it in warm water first. Kittens can be fed human baby food for a short time. Buy baby food that is designed for older babies and get chicken or beef. Then you will have to start gradually mixing it into their cat food.

Cats will stay pretty clean so they rarely need a bath. You should brush you cat daily though. It helps keep their coat clean and reduces hairballs and there is less hair for shedding.

Indoor cats will need a litter box. It should be kept in the same place all the time, like your bathroom. You will need to scoop out your litter box on a daily basis and dump and clean it every week. Cats will not use a dirty box. Try to avoid using deodorant and scents, especially lemon, when cleaning the litter box.

You will need to provide a scratching post and or pad. Cats love to scratch and they need to. Cutting your cat’s claws every few weeks will allow them to be blunt enough so they will not do serious damage to your furniture. The post will need to be sturdy and at least three feet tall so your cat can stretch when she scratches. It should be made of tree bark, burlap or sisal. You can also get a scratching pad. Sprinkle it with cat nip every couple of weeks to keep her interested.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Cats

You can improve your credit score. You can hire one of the credit repair companies to help you or you can do it yourself. There are legal techniques and there are illegal techniques. A reputable credit repair specialist will only offer to help you do what you could do on your own if you had the time, patience and knowledge.

Just because someone calls himself a credit repair specialist does not necessarily guarantee that he has a long list of qualifications. If he is not very good at what he does, then he probably will not stay in business very long, but you may not want to be one of his few customers. If you are thinking of hiring one of the many credit repair companies to help you improve or monitor your credit scores, check the company out first. Find out how long they have been in business and if they can provide you with the names of satisfied customers.

Credit repair companies which make unbelievable claims about how quickly they can improve your credit score may be suggesting something illegal or they may simply be exaggerating. Any reputable credit repair specialist knows that it takes time to improve credit scores. If there is inaccurate information on your credit report, correcting this information will improve your credit score, but this is not usually a “quick” process. The Federal Trade Commission advises that consumers should beware of credit repair companies which claim to be able to improve your credit score in a very short period of time. A couple of months is a reasonable amount of time to expect to see any results.

Some credit repair companies suggest that you dispute every negative item on your credit report. A reputable credit repair specialist will tell you that you should only dispute negative information that is questionable, outdated, unverifiable or inaccurate in some other way. The credit bureaus have the right to simply ignore disputes which they believe are frivolous. If you send them a letter disputing a large number of negative items and you have not been a victim of credit fraud, then they may simply ignore your letter.

At least one credit repair specialist has been known to say that the credit bureaus will probably not bother to investigate disputes. The major credit bureaus have systems in place to investigate disputes and it is highly unlikely that they will remove negative items without investigating. It is more likely that they would classify the dispute as frivolous. If they do happen to remove negative which are accurate, the company which originally supplied the information may simply report it again. So, even if you are successful in the short term, you may not be in the long run. Credit repair companies which claim otherwise are not being completely honest.

Negotiating with creditors is a legal technique to remove negative comments from your credit report. You can do this on your own or you can get help from a credit repair specialist. Sometimes a plan of action is all that you need. Reputable credit repair companies can provide you with a plan and many offer other valuable services. Identity theft insurance and credit monitoring services may not improve your credit score, but they could protect you from fraud.

Some credit repair companies are associated with law firms and while this inspires confidence in the legalities of the services offered, it is still a good idea to pick one that has been in business for a while, has a list of satisfied clients and does not make outrageous claims. Choosing a credit repair specialist which is a lawyer, a paralegal or has other qualifications is a better idea than picking one at random. For more information about credit repair companies, visit http://creditfixnow.blogspot.com

The writers and editors of the credit fix now blog are dedicated to providing accurate information about credit repair. Visit us at http://creditfixnow.blogspot.com

I was recently looking around the internet for a funeral poem that had not already been massively overused. As I was unable to find one that expressed what I wanted to say, I decided to try and write one of my own and this is the result. I hope maybe that others may find it of some use in these difficult times.

Don’t cry for me in sadness, don’t weep for me in sorrow,
For I will live on beside you, as sure as comes tomorrow.
My body has gone but my spirit lives on, as does my love for you,
Just as in life, I’ll watch over you, I always will be true.
My blood lives on in my children, how I’ve watched them grow with pride,
I’ll live on within them, always by their side.
I know my jokes weren’t always funny and jobs weren’t always done,
Just try and remember the good times, the days when we had fun.
Reach out if you need me, for I always will be near,
Just talk to me, as if I am there, I promise I will hear.
For I’ll live on, within your mind, we’ll never be apart,
As long as you keep, my memory, deep within your heart.
So lift up your hearts, don’t be sad, my spirit hasn’t gone,
While you’re still there, so am I, I really will live on.

John Roberts is a Freelance Training Consultant /Trainer in the UK. Always open to discussion regarding training and training techniques, contact John by email.
John is a prolific writer and publisher of Training and associated technical articles, as well as poetry and childrens stories.John can be contacted through his websites at http://www.jayrconsulting.co.uk

A gentleman from South Carolina has sent an e-mail last week. He has been reading my Articles on Real Estate Economics, and wants to know how I can possibly take the position that there is no real estate bubble bursting out there. This gentleman believes not only that there is a burst in full progress but that, in fact, it looks more and more like a ‘market crash’ – at least in the area where he is located. He corroborates the e-mail with an impressive set of figures taken from local sources.

While I am grateful to this individual for taking the time to send his otherwise lengthy message privately, I thought I’d present my response also to the public at large, in hopes to shed some light on this subject matter. Following, therefore, is a FAQ on bubbles formulated in accordance with the points and concerns raised in the e-mail. I have, furthermore, notified this person that this Article represents my response and have invited him to come and read it in this forum.

So here we go.

Q. What is a real estate bubble?

An economic bubble is a particular market condition, wherein prices of commodities or assets increase to levels so high as to no longer reflect the utility of usage of the commodities or assets being exchanged. The main cause of an economic bubble is speculation. Speculation is one of the many forces that act on capital at any given time. In theoretical Economics, speculation is defined as ‘the acquisition of financial or capital assets made solely to quickly profit from fluctuations in their prices, or of goods or commodities with no real intent to consume or otherwise use them for production’.

Contrast this with investment, which is defined as ‘the acquisition and use of financial or capital assets with a view to generate income, or of goods and commodities for the purposes of consumption or production’.

Clearly, pursuant to the foregoing definitions, the real domains of speculators are the stocks, bonds, treasuries, futures and debentures markets, cumulatively referred to as the Stock Exchange. Many ‘investors’ in the Stock Exchange actually speculate, since they bet on a quick gain dependent upon the volatility shifts of the market they operate into, and since they do not intend to consume the products they buy. A purchaser of one-hundred shares of IBM does not intend to actually go work for IBM, nor does he necessarily intend to start consuming outputs produced by IBM. He merely intends to buy IBM shares at a lower price and resell them with a mark-up.

Speculators do operate in the real estate markets, but to a far lesser extent, mainly because real estate typically moves in slow, very slow motion – even when real estate markets are ’fast’. The fluctuations in prices that occur in the Stock Exchange in a few hours typically take days, or even weeks, to happen in real estate. Additionally, fluctuations expressed as a percentage change of their nominal market value are far greater and substantial in the Stock Exchange than in real estate. For instance, it is not unusual for stocks to gain or lose 30-, 40- or 50-percent of their value in the round of a week, sometimes even in a single day, but no such dramatic variations exist in real estate. One never hears of a rancher abutting a golf course that on Monday morning is offered for sale for $500,000, and which by Friday afternoon has been reduced down to $250,000. Because of this, speculators tend to shy away from real estate markets.

The few speculators that do operate in real estate are those who engage in the ’flipping’ of real property assets. Many investors think of themselves as masters of flipping, but truth of the matter is that they do not flip at all. They resell for profit. True flipping, in real estate, consists in the purchase and selling of an interest in land without paying for it with one’s own money. Thus, a speculator flips real estate buy putting in an offer to purchase an asset, and then ‘flips’ the same asset (which the speculator does not own as of yet) to a second purchaser for a higher price, who will complete the transaction on the same day as the speculator’s original transaction. The speculator will then take the money from the second purchaser, retain his profit margin, and transfer the balance to the Seller. The speculator, in other words, will pay the Seller with the money of the second purchaser, not with his own money. This is a practice known in the United States and some Canadian Provinces as ‘double escrow’.

Needless to say, all those who purchase fixer-ups, refurbish, remodel and then resell them, and think of themselves as great speculators, are not speculators at all. They are also no masters of flipping. They are just merely ordinary investors, with a super ego.

Here is the classic comparative economic breakdown, by category, of market participants operating in both the Stock Exchange and Real Estate:

Stock Exchange … Real Estate

Speculators 65% ……………. 5%

Investors (short term) 25% ……………. 35%

Investors (long term) 10% ……………. 60%

I have seen some sources last year pegging the percentage of real estate speculators to double the one of the forgoing table, and am further aware of some economists and market analysts who cite a 15 percent figure. But even if, by hypothesis, speculators represented a 20 percent of real estate market participants, 4/5 of all participants would still be made up of regular short and long-term investors. Therefore, as the primary cause of economic bubbles (speculation) is almost entirely absent from real estate, or has otherwise minimal or reduced impact, it is ludicrous to speak of ‘real estate bubbles’.

Thus my position.

Q. Still, prices are tumbling down. If it’s not a bubble, what is it?

Price deflation. Plain, ordinary, old-fashioned, lemon-flavoured price deflation.

Deflation is a decrease in the general pricing levels of assets or goods, which occurs when the equilibrium between supply and demand is altered, resulting in a higher or lower purchasing power of money within the market (in the present case, the purchasing power is higher since prices are coming down).

There are two, and only two variables capable of altering the equilibrium of supply and demand: 1) a tightening or expansion of the money stock which, in turn, alters the cost of borrowing, i.e. a shift in interest rates, or 2) an increase in inventory supplies. Alfred Marshall (1842 – 1924) was the first to attempt to explain price behaviour within the context of the equilibrium between supply and demand in competitive markets. Marshall discovered that consumers attempt to equate prices to their marginal utility, defined as the measure of happiness or satisfaction gained by consuming goods and services. Given this measure, one may speak meaningfully of increasing or decreasing utility, and thereby explain consumer behaviour in function of shifts in pricing.

The propensity to invest in real estate is partly dictated by the expectations of future profitability and by the present perception of market risk. The table above shows that a good 40 percent of real estate market participants is composed of speculators and short-term investors. These folks are in the market solely to increase their level of wealth, in the short and very short run. When the perception of market risk on the part of 40 percent of market participants increases sharply - which is exactly what has been happening these past few months - capital will exit more and more from the sphere of real estate and will find its way elsewhere (typically the stock market). There occurs, in other words, a shift in volatility risk.

The turnover in real estate markets drops when the pool of buyers ready, willing and able to consume real estate products abates. This, in turn, discourages consumer spending on real estate products, demand lowers and markets cool off.

Q. Bubble, deflation … call it any which way you want, the result is all the same for me.

But not for me.

The difference consists in the repercussions and effects that bubble bursts and deflation have on market wealth, defined as the combination of materials, labour, land, services and technology in such a way as to capture a profit (Adam Smith). The aftershocks of a bubble that bursts are usually terminal and irreversible: market wealth disappears, it vanishes entirely. And it takes forever to re-build it, right from scratch. The greatest example in recent times is the infamous Black Monday – October 19, 1987 – when the Dow Jones collapsed 22.6 percent in value in a single day! It took nine years for Wall Street to lure investors back.

The burst was so powerful that even today, nineteen years after the fact, there are people out there still hurting. Lives were changed forever, companies were wiped out, families were ripped and broken apart and a few people committed suicide. And not only in the United States, but all over the world. Markets fell 41.8 percent in Australia, 22.5 percent in Canada, 45.8 percent in Hong Kong, and the 26.4 percent in the United Kingdom.

Now, that’s a bubble burst!

With deflation, on the other hand, wealth can be recovered. It is still there, though it cannot be tapped.

Finally, a few words about the soundness of real estate as a wealth-generating vehicle, even during times of deflation. Homes have appreciated consistently to the tune of 7.5 percent per year over the past thirty years, notwithstanding the numerous ups and downs the industry has been going through. Unfortunately, 40 percent of Americans and 35 percent of Canadians are renters and that is too bad, since the fastest way to riches is buying real estate, as opposed to buying just about anything else, including stocks and bonds. The average Canadian renter has a net worth (assets minus liabilities) of CAD $6,000. The average Canadian homeowner has a net worth of CAD $225,000 (source: Canadian Real Estate Association). Figures in the States are comparatively similar.

One of the best wealth-generating source is mortgages. Even the so-deprecated ARMs are good, since they are used to buy homes and build up value. We do everything with our homes in addition, of course, to live and sleep inside them: we use them as collateral for personal lines of credit, we use them to increase our net worth, we use them to establish our hierarchy within society, we use them to improve our own self-esteem and, last but not least, we also use them as the parachute of last resort to save us from dire financial straits. Ownership of our homes is everything to us.

My concluding remark is that a slow-down in real estate has actually a positive influence on the economy by allowing salaries and wages to catch up and thus to regenerate the pool of buyers, especially first-time Buyers, entitled to take their first steps into the world of real estate. The ratio between wages and real estate market values is too skewed to values. Whereas market values in metropolitan areas have appreciated an average of fifteen percent per year for the past five years - or a total of seventy-five percent, salaries have increased an average four percent per annum – or twenty percent total. There is, therefore, a fifty-five percent gap, which accounts for the problem buyers are facing today when it comes to go to the bank and qualifying for a loan.

Thank you for the e-mail.

Luigi Frascati

Luigi Frascati is a Real Estate Agent based in Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and maintains a weblog entitled the Real Estate Chronicle at http://wwwrealestatechronicle.blogspot.com where you can find the full collection of his articles. Luigi is associated with the Sutton Group, the largest real estate organization in Canada, and is based with Sutton-Centre Realty in Burnaby, BC.

Luigi is very proud to be an EzineArticles Platinum Expert Author. Your rating at the footer of this Article is very much appreciated. Thank you.

When it’s time to shop for auto insurance, make sure you take time to compare. There are vast differences between auto insurance companies. Taking time to compare before you buy will ultimately save you time and money.

These days it’s a lot easier to compare auto insurance companies. Using the internet you will be able to do research on a number of companies and discover for yourself the best auto insurance company for you. Just remember that you will need to compare more than just the rates.

One of the things you should be looking at is the risk rating of the insurance company. This will affect their ability to pay your claim. Paying low premiums to a company that won’t be able to settle claims against you won’t do you any good.

So, what if you happen to be paying premiums right now to one of these low-rated auto insurance companies? Shop, compare and then make the switch to an auto insurance company that is right for you.

In addition to having a poor risk rating, there are other reasons for switching auto insurance companies. Obviously, you will want to find an one that charges premiums that fit your budget. Make sure you are comparing identical coverage levels when comparing premiums. The default coverage levels might vary between companies. Make sure you have enough coverage for your unique situation.

Premiums are often based on that auto insurance company’s claims experiences with different policyholders in your same coverage group. The coverage group is determined by the type of vehicle, age group, number of claims filed, etc. For example, if owners of a specific vehicle file a large number of claims in a given year, premiums of auto insurance companies will rise for that vehicle. The same is true if drivers who are under the age of 21 file a large number of claims. This will affect you, if you happen to be in that group.

These experiences are often unique to each specific auto insurance company. That’s why premiums might be higher with one company than another for each coverage group. That’s why it’s smart to shop around.

While you are shopping for another auto insurance company, don’t be tempted to stop paying premiums with your current company. Any gap in coverage can cause you big problems. Many companies will ask to see proof of current coverage before canceling an active policy. Be safe and keep your current coverage active until after you switch to the new auto insurance company.

Once you have switched to a new insurance company, you can cancel coverage with your current one, simply, by putting your request in writing and specifying the date of cancellation. It’s probably easiest to switch when your old policy is close to renewal. Most auto insurance companies will send a renewal notice about one month before a new policy period starts. Use this time to research your options and choose your new insurance company. Make sure you have your new policy all lined up before your current policy renews. Then notify your current company that you will not be renewing coverage. Although it’s easier to cancel your policy at the time of renewal, you may cancel at any time. As long as you give proper notice, auto insurance policies contain a provision that gives you the right to cancel your policy at any time. You do not have to wait until renewal to switch to another auto insurance company.

It’s not difficult to switch auto insurance companies, but it takes a little time and research to find the one that’s best for your situation. The time you spend researching will be well rewarded with the money you will save on premiums and the comfort you will get knowing that the one you choose will be able to handle any claims you make.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Insurance