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4 Tips To Help You Buy A Property ASAP

February 21st, 2017 Posted in Money Tips, Property Investment
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Buying a new property can be, well it can be difficult. It isn’t making a bid or having it accepted that is the hard part; the hard part is doing all the admin. Let’s just say it can take months before you are cleared to move into a property. A quick sale can take five weeks but many last so much longer. You clearly don’t want to wait this long before you get the keys so it is time to speed up the process.

Forget The Realtor

The days of using a realtor are over. There is no need for them because they only speed up the process. You need to find a property as quickly as possible but they will take weeks to help. Sure they want to sell you a property, but they want to sell the one that is right for them. Does commission ring any bells? With the help of an online letting agent like Heather Tibbetts you can cut out the middleman and find a property in no time. Plus you can call the seller and ask them for a private viewing. This is a much quicker way to get the deal over the line.

Go Easy On The Price

Before a seller accepts the price they have to agree to it which isn’t easy. Obviously you want to drive a hard bargain but you don’t have the time. The harder the bargain the more time you waste. So it is a good idea to not haggle over pennies especially if they are inconsequential. Offer them a fair price that you are willing to pay and negotiate. If they don’t play ball tell them that you offer is final and wait for their response. There is plenty more properties on the market with owners that will accept a fair price.

Find A Kindred Spirit

It is simple – the quickest way to finalise a deal is to find a seller who also wants a quick deal. If both of your interests are aligned you will sign on the dotted line as soon as possible because it suits both parties. So, all you have to do is find someone who needs the money which isn’t too hard. Those that desperately need the money will tell you from the beginning which is clue number one. Or you can pass on the information that you would like a quick sale and gauge their reaction. It is imperative to cut a deal as soon as you find someone with the same agenda.

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Pay Cash

Possibly the quickest way to get the deal done is to pay by cash. The reason property sales take so long is because of the banks. They have to finalise the mortgage and do background checks before they sign off. The result is that you have to wait months before everything is finalised. Paying cash means you don’t have to deal with the banks, and that in turn means you can cut a big chunk off of the timeline.

Follow these tips and you’ll have a new property in no time.

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Supporting Your Children When They Move Out

February 17th, 2017 Posted in Money Tips, student debt
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Moving out of your parent’s home seems like a hip thing to do now for young adults, but there are also some good reasons for doing so besides having independence. Learning to live on your own and be self-sufficient is one of life’s great trials. Most people don’t want to be forever dependent on others and throwing yourself into the deep end by getting a home or moving out is a great way to learn how to take care of yourself.

Many children get used to their homes and, as a result, they don’t always feel like moving out until they start to demand privacy. There might also be other factors, such as schooling or job opportunities that are further away from your home. Whatever the reason your child decides to move out, you can help them pick out the right home and also give advice on how to take care of themselves. Here are a couple of tips to help them settle in and ways to support them in their move.

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Discuss Their Options

When your child expresses interest in moving out, you have to discuss their options with them. A young adult probably doesn’t have the money to get a mortgage or the income to sustain renting a place for a long period of time, and unless you have the money to pay the rent for them, you probably won’t be able to assist financially. There are plenty of benefits and welfare money that you can collect depending on your location, but they might not be enough. The first hurdle is finding a property on real estate websites. Take a note of how much a home costs or how much rent is needed, and teach them about how to calculate mortgage repayments and what it means to have a job.

The alternative option is when they move out for university or college. Student loans should be able to help pay for things such as rent and food while your child studies away from you. However, remind your child that student loans need to be paid off, and any additional money they get will most likely have to be paid back.

Supporting Their Move

There are many ways to help your child settle into their new location once they have moved in. If it’s not too far away from you, then consider making regular visits, such as once every few days and then dialling it back to once a week, and then once every two weeks and so on. If you feel like you’re intruding on your child’s privacy, then don’t worry too much about visiting. Instead, send them messages and ask them how they’re doing.

If you are used to cooking for your child, then consider cooking up some meals and storing them in tupperware boxes to give to your child. Don’t make them rely on your home cooking, however. Help them sort out their grocery shopping and teach them a few cooking basics so that they don’t always rely on fast food and takeout deliveries. You want to teach them the value of good cooking and you can ideally do this before they move out so you can share a kitchen together and teach them how to make their own meals and how to do the shopping.

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Golden Rules Of Repairing A Poor Credit Score

February 17th, 2017 Posted in Money Tips
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Via – pixabay

A bad credit score can have a terrible impact on your overall finances – and your lifestyle. But it’s  important to understand it is not the end of the world. With the right mindset and prudent financial planning, it is possible to repair your score and start getting your household’s money and borrowing ability back into shape. Let’s take a closer look at some of the golden rules of repairing bad credit.

Understand the importance of a good credit rating

The first golden rule is to know what you are dealing with. Good credit scores make your life easier, cheaper, and more manageable – it’s that simple. A poor credit score, however, can have a significant impact on your life. Your borrowing options will be limited. You might open yourself up to the harsh realities of bankruptcy. And you might find that you can’t get a job, rent a property, or even get a contract for a cell phone. It’s that serious – and it should spur you on to make amends.

Check your rating

The next golden rule is to understand your current credit position. You’ll need to check with the major credit reference bureaus such as Experian, Equifax, and the TransUnion. Once you sign up, you should be able to see a breakdown of all your borrowing history, as well as records of your bank accounts and any court judgements you might have against your name. At this point, it’s important to look for any records that you are not responsible for. Sadly, fraud and mistakes are all too common, and it’s not a rare occurrence for credit records to be incorrect.

Tackle your debts

The next step is to highlight all the debts that are causing you problems. Contact them and set up reasonable repayment schedules that you can afford, making sure that you have money left over for general household spending.

Start improving your credit rating

Now you are in a position where you can start repairing your score. And the way to do this is to prove that you are a responsible borrower. Unfortunately, many of the credit avenues you had before maybe closed off to you now, so working out how to get a loan with bad credit will usually result in applying to particular services and lenders. But the point is, as soon as you start paying back your debts promptly, your score will improve, bit by bit. Just borrow and spend small, affordable amounts and keep clearing your balances for a minimum of six months.

Don’t fall off the wagon again

Finally, once you have done all the hard work to repair your credit rating, don’t ruin things by making the same mistakes as before. See this as an opportunity to change the way you deal with your finances, and you should – with a little bit of luck and a lot of dedication – never find yourself in a similar position again. Keep checking your rating, and always update your current budget to ensure you are on the right track.

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Running Your Business The Right Way For Your Staff

February 16th, 2017 Posted in Entrepreneurship
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Our businesses can be treacherous areas, full of individuals with their own little lives, hopes and dreams and when these meet – there can be a lot of issues. Humans have complicated lives and can bring issues to work, what’s more they can take them home with them from the place of work.

It can be issue, after issue, after issue. That’s not good. Not good at all.

It might be easy to compare your employees to your family. They are the kids and you’re the adult. You’ll find that this approach doesn’t work – you can’t act like the mom or dad at work and you’ll find this out the hard way.

Communication is the best way of fighting problems in the workplace. The way you talk to employees can have a huge effect on how they not only perceive you, but how they will respond to you and your actions.

An open-door policy is the best way forward, truly. There’s nothing wrong at all with allowing your employees to speak to you on an ‘as and when’ basis. Your employees will value this and while you may think that it doesn’t give you the respect, authority and exclusivity that you as a boss probably deserve, it’s key. Your employees deserve to speak to you about their issues and about anything that is troubling them. If you lock yourself away, your personal office could very well develop into a metaphorical ivory tower – separating you from your workforce and putting your needs above theirs. Bad idea.

As stated earlier, our workplaces are packed full with unique individuals working in an environment which could stress them out. This is the perfect place for friction and conflict to develop in. Problems will arise in a workplace and if they are not dealt with, your team will suffer for it. If problems do linger, they can only evolve into more threatening beasts and this can cause serious issues. Problems that linger are bad for business. What’s more – your employees will see your refusal to deal with problems and could lose a lot of respect for you, especially so when it is an issue that affects them personally.

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Meetings are a great way to address workplace policies and practices and a good idea for your team to help foster good communication habits. If your team feel comfortable speaking up and leaving nothing unsaid – keeping it professional of course – then you’ll be saving a lot of time. If they do have issues and queries with practices and policies instituted by yourself, then this is the best place to bring them up.

Everyone in the workplace will require time off work – from sickness, to parental leave. It’s important that you clue yourself up on the legal aspects of leave from work and don’t come down unduly harsh on employees when it is not necessary. If strict action needs to be taken, make sure you are doing it to what the law says. Legal advice should be taken on anything and everything – especially if there are areas you don’t understand, like adoptive leave – this post explains it in more detail. Make sure you do your research.

It’s your job to foster an environment where your employees are happy and productive and almost every issue can be solved with basic communication and it is better that this information is known to you before you start out, before it’s too late.

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Following the Money and Moving to the City

February 13th, 2017 Posted in Money Tips
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You might long to be in the great outdoors, living surrounded by nature, but unless you’re able to find a profitable location independent job, you probably won’t reach the level of financial independence that you really want. To make the big money, you need to up sticks and go to the place where money flows like water – the city. While it might not have been the first place you’d choose to live, you’ll soon find that it offers plenty of benefits beyond just riches. First, though, you need to get there and get set up. Here’s some advice on how you do it well.

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Source: Pexels.com

Be Patient with the Job

If you’re moving to a new city with the sole intention of benefitting from a new job, then it’s crucial that you take the time to really consider the job you’re going to take. Jobs can be hard to come by in some fields, but that doesn’t mean you should settle for anything that comes your way. If you need to take a job initially just to bring in an income, then that’s fair – but don’t settle for anything. In big cities, like London or New York, your job will be your life, at least for a while – so make sure it’s a job that feels right.

Finding Where to Live

After the job, the next big consideration will be where you live. Remember, each city has good and bad areas, and you’ll have to research to find out where these spaces are. If you’ve already got a job prior to the move, your new company will be able to help you up to a point. Competition for the best flats can be fierce, so you need to pounce on any good opportunities that arise. If you’re looking for a place before you’ve been paid, short term loans can help with the deposit required for the place (they can be a high start up cost). Also, while you may like your own space, bear in mind that living with others can be a great way to meet people.

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Source: Pexels.com

Succeeding in New Job

In between everything else that has to be taken care of during a move to a new city, remember that you’re here for a job- and it’s up to you to make it a success. Of course, you won’t know everything on day one, so give yourself time to sink into the role. That being said, you’ve been hired for a reason – and it isn’t for others to walk you through your job. Apply yourself, show initiative, and you’ll make it a success.

Give Yourself Time

A move anywhere at any time can be difficult, moving to a new city for a new job and life can be overwhelming. Give yourself time to adjust to your new surroundings. You will be tempted to run back to wherever you came from, but this is a normal response. In a few months you’ll have settled in, and a few months after that you’ll have fallen in love with the city!

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