When The Time Has Come For Luxury Real Estate

By Albert Northerly

You accumulated some financing and been successful in investments and other activities, and know that when the time has come for luxury properties you'll be standing there ready to scoop it up. There are different types of real estate in the world, including commercial and industrial and even run-of-the-mill residential properties, this much is true.

However, luxury houses stands in a class all by itself. If curious about what such real estate is, think in terms of at least a cool million dollars and imagining your mind a scene from a movie about a superrich billionaire industrialist who lives on a cliff front home in Malibu, California, for instance. These are the kinds of homes that made up the show "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous."

What can come as a bit of a surprise is that -- these days -- such homes may not cost as much as they once did. This is partly the fault of the global decline in real estate, though a home that once cost $15 million will certainly not be able to be purchased for anything remotely resembling a so-called "bargain basement" price. Also, there is still the matter of maintenance and overhead.

And that's where many people who are unfamiliar with real estate go wrong when it comes to thinking about buying such properties. Along with big-ticket homes comes big-ticket maintenance and upkeep, and it is still a fact that if you have to ask how much it costs to heat the place you probably really can't afford it and shouldn't be trying to get it.

At any rate, it's a time to delve into the luxury houses market and your hot to find a property that would get you on a new version of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, " there are certainly more than a few websites and online brokerages that can assist in finding homes that cost at least 1 million bucks. Keep in mind, that $1 million is basically the equivalent of a small envelope outside of Cleveland when it comes to homes in the a luxury home markets.

As an illustration of what the bottom end of the market in luxury houses usually hovers at, consider that the home depicted in the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and in which a Ferrari crashed through the sunroom's window is on the market for $2.3 million at present. What is amazing about this property is that the prospective buyers wish to demolish the home and erect an even bigger structure on it.

What that says is that land is always a far more value than a home that might be sitting on top of it. In downtown Tokyo, a square foot of this stuff sells for around $10,000 in good years. Homes are located in cities like Honolulu or in Marin County, for example, cost a lot but the land underneath costs much more.

For most, the idea of a luxury property will be nothing more than an idle time fantasy. However, for those who want to jump into it and buy a home that might put something owned by Donald Trump to shame, this is most likely the best time in the last several decades to find and then owned a piece of property that really stands out. - 23218

About the Author:

The real estate market continues to devalue, with even luxury real estate falling in price, and perhaps making some luxury homes more affordable than was previously the case.

Beware Of Debt Consolidation Companies

By Layla Vanderbilt

Educating yourself on the debt consolidation process is one of the best ways to keep from being scammed by dishonest debt consolidation companies. There are warning signs that can help keep you from falling prey to one of these companies.

Quote Unusually Low Monthly Payments: A debt consolidation company works with the creditors with the intention of lowering your rate of interests. The creditors would have already predetermined how much could be reduced from the rate of interest. It means that all consolidation programs would get you the same rate of interest. But from 2004 the creditors have declined to accept the reduced minimum monthly payments. Companies who promise you less monthly payments may give you low figure. But eventually they will increase the amount once you are pulled in to the program. Therefore instead of comparing the monthly payments, you are advised to request the company for fees on their service.

Insist On All Debts Being Included - When companies insist that all of your debt's be included in a program, it isn't because they are about your financial situation. Some debts, credit union loans for example, are ineligible for lower monthly rates, while other debts, such as student loans, may already be at a low interest rate. The truth is these companies stand to gain more in fees for handling more accounts, and try to do so by insisting you include all of your debts in their program. Consider your debts first, and chose which of these debts you feel have a better chance of being eliminated before you enter a program.

Charge High Upfront Fees: The prevalent scam is to charge high upfront fees, that is, up to thousands of dollars in the name services. There are companies who promise to pay back fees on completion of the program. But very few really complete the program. Their sole motive is to grab money from the weak. Let us not fall prey on them.

Flat monthly rates are charged by non profit debt consolidation companies, as these companies are often subsidized by financing companies. Companies taking a profit from debt consolidation services will usually charge a competitive fee along with their flat monthly charge.

Offering Additional Services - Watch out for companies offering additional services. These services, often scams, can include credit repair, debt settlement, and even debt forgiveness. Know what your goal is, and find out how you can realistically achieve it.

You can settle debt on your own, and credit repair is far from instant. Consider your current situation and assess your debts both individually and as a whole. Find out what your alternatives are. Financially, you may find that filing for bankruptcy is in your best interest. Asking For Account Numbers First - Cautiously guard your personal information such as account number, social security number, or unrelated personal information before quoting a monthly payment. Identity theft can occur if you divulge such information to someone, especially over the phone. All thats needed to receive an accurate quote is your creditors name, interest rates, and balances. - 23218

About the Author:

Layla Vanderbilt is the content coordinator for a leading website that offers for bad debt consolidation advice and guidance.

Begin Trading With Cheap Online Stock Trading Picks

By Zachary Riff

Anyone can invest through online stock trading. As a beginner on the trade, you can simply start with small and cheap online stock trading picks.

With online stock investing, you have hands-on involvement in your investments. There are many brokerage firms that offer start-up accounts, as well as cheap online stock trading for beginners. You essentially become your own stock broker, directly connected to the goings-on on the stock market floor. Try checking out the varied online stock trading firms and pick one that gives you the best leeway in terms of your experience.

If you want a hands-on training on stock investing, there are several online brokerage firms that can guide you. For these beginners, many online stock experts say that starting with small and cheap online stock trading picks is the best.

Another advantage for starting small online is that online brokerage firms guide stock trading beginners with what to do concerning their online investments. A lot of brokerages offer cheap online stock trading for beginner-investors, before allowing you to move to bigger and riskier stock picks.

You may probably start off investing in cheap online stock trading picks, for as low as five or three, or even one dollar per share! Once you get the hang of doing cheap online stock trading investments, then you can move on to bigger shares.

A third advantage is that you may be able to get updates on the current stock market trends. Many online brokerage sites offer real-time quotes as part of their service and so you do get informed of the current trends and shifts in the stock you're interested in (buying or selling). Other financial and market online news sites may also offer information about the stock market, and specifics stocks and options you may be looking to buy. However, what they don't tell you is that making stock trades online is not instantaneous as it is on the floor.

From the time you make out a buy offer, till you get the stock that you want, twelve, or even twenty-four hours may have elapsed. This is where things can get sticky, if the market moves quickly on the stock of your choice, then the trading price that you might be seeing on your PC screen could may not what be the same as the real-time price. Apart from starting a cheap online stock trading account. One thing that the Internet can't duplicate is the market hours. So, be sure to keep a pulse on what's happening in your market so you can make adjustments to you online buying and selling.

Of course, the best obvious advantage with starting small and cheap online stock trading is that you can get a feel for online trading, while still learning the ropes. It's a little like online poker: You start with nickels and dimes before you head to the Big Game. Starting with small and cheap online stock trading as opposed to starting with bigger valued stocks is that even if it is, just five, ten or even twenty dollars of your money, you learn and begin forming your own stock trading strategy. This way, your online stock trading experience begins to grow and making the transition to bigger accounts would be easier. Heck, you could probably do it fulltime, in no time. - 23218

About the Author:

Discover where you can find cheap online stock trading picks. Check out links to online stock trading guide.

I Lost Nearly My Whole Account In One Day

By Morris Puma

Today, I had an interesting conversation with an option trader who is still searching for the magic formula to making consistent returns with option trading. He said many things which were so familiar to me.

The topic that really hit home for me was when he mentioned "Non-directional option investing doesn't mean we should generate return on investment in each and every direction. It means that we generate a profit if the asset doesn't move in any direction. In a few words, it's actually a directional strategy, sideways." This is absolutely the truth, and most investing programs say that it's easy to manufacture a profit with options simply because we can generate money for each and every direction. This is true in some viewpoints and false in others.

Those of you trading Iron Condors know what I am talking about; especially if you are trading the Condors that most courses and books teach. If you are trading this strategy in 2009, you probably aren't making anything. The reason being that the Iron Condor is just as directional as most option trades only that its direction is sideways. For some, it's just as hard to predict a sideways move as it is up or down.

I have had many calls over the years from people losing huge chunks of their accounts trading credit spreads and condors. They all say the same thing... "I was doing great for several months, and then all the sudden I lost nearly my whole account in one day." I have heard this story over and over again.

This is exactly why I don't teach traditional Condors and Credit Spreads. If you are a few days from expiration, and the RUT is right at your short strike, then you are trading the way most people trade this strategy, and soon you'll be telling the same story to your best friend, and you'll be hiding the truth from your wife! You laugh now, but you won't be when it happens to you. Another problem with this style of trading is that the stress level is so high that it really ruins your life.

Well, we've addressed this aggressive trading style at San Jose Options Mentoring. We've redesigned Condors and Credit Spreads. Our technique gives the underlying more room for the price fluctuation, giving us breathing room in our trading as well as in our lives. We find the less adjustments we have to make, then the more we bring home at the end of the month.

Constructing safe trades to begin with is a priority and will improve anyone's trading skills and returns, but another strategy that we've been working hard on lately is locking in profits. We have techniques to lock in profits on nearly all the trades that we do. It's one of the best things you can possibly learn as an investor.

Also, when we do have a trade go against us, well, we have ways to get a free trade from it. This is another important technique that we teach to our students. While many traders exit with a loss or never exit and sustain a huge loss, we exit and get a free bonus trade that can always lead to returns at a later date.

So, finally I'd like to say that whether we have a winner or a loser, we have some excellent adjustment tricks that will be sure to greatly improve your personal trading skills. - 23218

About the Author:

Want to learn how to lock in your profits?? Better your Option Trading Skills today by visiting San Jose Options Mentoring online at www.sjoptions.com. Visit today and get a Free Video on Option Greeks, a $200 value absolutely free!

Signals In Forex

By Larry Thomas

The forex market provides traders with the ability to make astounding amounts of money in a short period of time. You can go from rags to riches. You can work from any location you choose during any hours that you choose. It can provide freedom from the rat race and bring you the life that you've always wanted.

Success is possible for the average guy provided you know when to get in and out of the market. Now coming up with this profitable trading system is of course the challenge as the forex market is extremely volatile. For the experience forex veteran, trading becomes second nature.

Now traders with experience know when to enter a trade, which direction, and then when to get out. It takes years of studying the market to get good at this which can be a turn off to the newbie internet trader. However using forex signals can help you beat the learning curve or at least help you start making a profit more quickly.

Imagine that you're a forex trader and you're all set up and ready to start trading. You have your trading platform pulled up and your account is funded. You wait patiently for the perfect time to get in. All of a sudden you receive an email that says to buy the EUR/CHF pair. You place the trade in your platform according to your level of risk tolerance and account balance. You let the trade run its course and then before long, you get another email that says to close out your position. You do so and immediately notice that you've got a pretty good win on your hands. The trade was a winner and you've profited handsomely for the day. This is the basic idea behind forex signals.

They allow you to take advantage of other people's skill and experience to help you become successful, quicker. You don't need to take a class on this but it is definitely recommended if you are new to forex. The best part is not paying someone to manage your cash or wonder who is trading for you.

Forex Signals allows you to handle all of the trades yourself. Someone who is more experienced with trading forex than you emails you an alert letting you know when to make a trade. I'm sure you can see the beauty in all of this. It allows you to profit even if you are new and let's you make money while you learn the forex market yourself.

Now that being said, finding someone experienced and successful will be the key to your own success. Taking forex signals from someone who doesn't have a clue themselves will pretty much leave you broke and not much better off. Make sure you do some research and make sure the signals are actually profitable.

Your best bet is to try your signals on a demo account. This will allow you to see if the majority of them are profitable. Remember nothing is 100%. Once you get a good idea of the source and start feeling confident with the forex signals go ahead and sign up. Now its time to start trading and start making money! - 23218

About the Author:

If you interested in learning more about forex signals or automated forex trading check out the Trading Forex Blog by Jim Sullivan.