Gregory Yates lawyer

Believe me, I've read more than a few excellent books on real estate investing and real estate law, But I am a better Gregory Yates lawyer and dirt guy than I was ten years ago because of practice, practice and more practice. There is just no substitute for experience. Period. If there was a quick and easy solution to how to do this, we'd all be doing it. You live, you learn, you move on to the next deal and you (hopefully) get better each time.

How to win an election

If the choices in the neighborhood, unaware that you know move coconut shell. The streets are lined with flags and improvised mini political party offices, although the Parliament is not dissolved. Ang pow packets, free food, gifts, money, and keep, distributed almost daily. You have a cell phone has a few questions WINS, votes, or I receive a text message (SMS). Not only a local politician (which I don't know) has a generic to me, I have even a birthday greetings for mother's day, though I do not come into consideration. In any case, this tactic similarities in ancient Roman letters to advise "How to win an election"? 

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The Best Time to Inspect Your Home!

Home inspections conducted prior to a home being placed on the market is one of the wisest moves a seller can make. The initial response from sellers when approached with the idea of an inspection done as the home is about to be put up for sale is most always the same - "What?!"

Let's review a few of the most common concerns about Pre-Listing Home Inspections.

1. "The buyer will not accept an inspection done for the seller."

That is correct! The inspection done for the seller is not intended to replace the inspection done for the buyer. The purpose of the pre-listing inspection is to put the seller in control!

Given that no good surprise can come to the seller during the home inspection, regardless of when it is done or whom it is done for, it makes perfect sense to get every strand of information as soon as it can be gotten. Bad news doesn't get better with time.

If there is some bad news, or more correctly, some items that needs attention or might have an impact on the home's value, who better to receive that information than the seller? And when is a better time to receive that information than before the home is placed on the market?

The simple fact is this - a home inspection at the time of listing will put the seller in the best possible position. With the complete and clear view of the home's strengths and weaknesses, the home can be marketed to the best benefit of the seller.

2. "I don't want to pay for the inspection."

This is certainly understandable. The seller generally perceives that the inspection is intended for the buyer, hence, should be a buyer's responsibility. But to have the benefit of the information it must be paid for. Never have we had a complaint from a seller about the value of the inspection! In every case at the conclusion of a pre-listing inspection, the seller felt they had made a good choice in spending the money to get the inspection done.

In most cases, the seller's feel good getting the peace of mind of knowing that no major event or expense will be uncovered by the buyer's inspector. And on the rare occasion when it is discovered by the pre-listing inspector that the roof is completely shot or there is some other big expense or danger, the sellers, while not happy to have the problem, are glad to have discovered it on their own terms. The small expense of the inspection is always less then the cost and aggravation of a hurried hunt to get something repaired or replaced after the home is under contract.

Save the pain, spend the money. Get every home inspected prior to putting it on the market!

3. "The home is selling 'as is'."

This may be the best reason of all to inspect at listing! If the home is being sold "as is", reduce your risk and liability as the seller by getting a pre-listing inspection. In order for the home to sell quickly and at the highest price, disclose every condition of the home. The inspection gives both the buyer and the seller the comfort of knowing that the home "is as it is". With a pre-listing inspection, there is a high likelihood that the home is as represented.

Even in an "as is" contract, the buyer may still have their own inspection performed. If these two inspections are similar in content, it is rare the buyer will walk or counter offer. That, in fact, is the goal of the "as is" sale.

Another concern of sellers is that they will have to repair every item that is discovered to be discrepant on the inspection report. This is simply not true. It would be true that every discrepant item needs to be disclosed, and those disclosures may impact value and hence asking price, but nothing need necessarily be corrected.

Amazing as it may seem, homes inspected prior to going on the market have two very significant attributes:

1. They sell faster than homes not inspected until the buyer has made an offer.

2. They sell closer to the asking price than homes not inspected until the buyer has made an offer.

Why the heck does that happen?

Log Home Basics

By Mercedes Hayes

As we start to research log homes, it quickly becomes apparent that there is much more variety than one would ever think. Not only do log homes come in all shapes and sizes, but the logs themselves come in as many variations as you can imagine. Once you decide on the look you want, you can start eliminating manufacturers that don't provide your system.

There are two categories of log homes: handcrafted and milled log homes. Initially, you may not realize what you are looking at, but there are some basic guidelines that will clarify the differences. A handcrafted log home is just that; the logs are peeled by hand, notched by hand, and in many cases, each log is scribed to fit exactly on top of another log. In many handcrafted homes, the logs are stacked alternately, so the large end of a log is stacked on top of the tapered end of the log beneath. A milled log home will feature logs that are uniform in shape, and the logs will be cut to fit together, such as with a tongue-and-groove or Swedish cope, so that they stack easily and evenly. There is a big price difference between a handcrafted and a milled log home. This is mostly because of the intense labor required to construct a handcrafted home, and because of the larger diameter logs that are normally used. The vast majority of homes built today are milled log homes.

If you see a log home with round logs and chinking, that is a first indication that this is could be a handcrafted log home. Chinking was historically a mortar-like material that filled the gaps between the logs. Modern science has created an acrylic compound that expands and contracts with the wood; it is applied as a wide white stripe. If a handcrafted log is not scribed, then chinking is a must because the logs leave gaps along their length. Some people do use chinking as a design feature even when it's not necessary, though for the most part milled log homes are not chinked.

The characteristic corner of your log home will speak volumes to the person who knows how to read it. The profile and joinery system of the log will usually be reflected on the ends. For instance, on a handcrafted log home you'll see the different diameters of the stacked logs. To stack them, these corners will be notched so that each log sits directly on the log below it (like a Lincoln Logs(TM) toy). A milled log that is saddle-notched will stack the same way (of course, every log will look exactly the same). Because saddle-notched logs are staggered, course to course, the log ends will be visible on the interior corners of the house as well as the exterior. This gives a very rustic look. A butt-and-pass corner gives you an end where there is a space between every other log. This is because one log butts up against the intersecting log, which runs past it. These logs are all laid on the same course, so that with the interior corners of your home, the logs will come to a squared edge.

On milled logs, there are many joinery systems to choose from. Today, the most popular joinery is called a "Swedish cope". This is where each log is scooped out to fit snugly on the curve of the log beneath. It gives a very smooth and natural look. Another joinery system is the tongue-and-groove, or double tongue-and-groove depending on the manufacturer. The tongues are cut into the top of the log and corresponding grooves at the bottom. These create a tight fit and stack easily. A more traditional, early American notch is called the dove-tail, which is a mortise and tenon notch usually cut into squared timbers. There are many other corner systems available, but these are the most commonly used.

The shape, or profile of your log is another feature which will help you decide what kind of package to purchase. Many people prefer a "D" log, which is round on the outside and flat on the inside. This gives you a horizontal wood-paneling look, and is easy to hang pictures on. Others prefer a round log, which is a little more rustic and presents many challenges - such as how to join the logs to the sheetrock. Squared timbers, which give a more Appalachian look to the home, tend to be tall and fairly narrow, and are often grooved for the application of chinking.
The average milled log home will use pine logs in 6" and 8" diameters. You can also find them in 10" and 12" diameters. Anything larger than 15" will probably roll you over to a handcrafted home. Cedar logs are an upgrade, and can be found in 6", 8" and occasionally 10" diameters. Some manufacturers more rarely use oak, cypress, fir, hemlock, larch, poplar, spruce, and walnut. These rarer woods will be a price upgrade. Because of the superior log care products on the market today that protect all the logs effectively, the wood species largely becomes a matter of personal taste. The best rule of thumb when choosing log species is to stay with a wood that is native to your area. The logs will adapt to the environment more comfortably.

Newcomers are continually amazed to discover that the logs are their own insulation. To compare a stick-frame wall to a log wall by using the "R-value" is not comparing "apples to apples". Logs have a lower "R-value" than insulated 2x4 walls. However, they work on the principal of thermal mass. Because of the cellular structure of logs, they tend to absorb the heat and hold it longer than traditional walls. The logs will actually absorb the heat from the interior of the house (or from the sun, if facing south), and when the temperature drops at night, the walls will generate that heat back into the house until the temperatures equalize. They take longer to warm up, and stay warm much longer. Conversely, they stay cooler in the summertime.

Some producers feature a half-log system, where the logs are attached outside-and-inside to 2x4 or 2x6 stick-frame walls. This adds the extra R-value of an insulated wall, along with the beauty of the log, and also makes it easier to install electrical wiring. Ultimately, these systems are a bit more expensive than full-log, because of the additional cost of the lumber. But they do give the added ability to vary the interior of your house, so that some interior walls could be sheetrock, stone, or tongue-and-groove. In any case, many modern manufacturers use the half-log system on their second floor, to compensate for the huge windows, which may displace so many logs that the wall's integrity could be compromised. Also, because the large windows settle at a different rate than logs, the stick-framed second floor equalizes the overall settling. With the best manufacturers, you won't be able to tell on the outside where the full logs end and the half logs begin.

So you want to work at home

By Gary Hughes

There are several ways to work from home. Some of the more popular ways are affiliate programs, direct marketing and
starting your own business. However it is also possible to find employers who hire people to work at home in various postions
such as telemarketing, sales, teaching, freelance writing, etc. I have spent countless hours online searching for
work at home jobs and even started a community to list the job leads I have found. (http://www.real-home-employment.com)

You may wish you could start tomorrow, but honestly it could take six months to a year until you open for business or find
a job. I wish I could offer you some time kind of timeline to success but it just isn't possible. I know we all see a lot of
ads that offer overnight success or thousands of dollars per hour earned, but the honest truth is most home businesses take
5 years of hard work before you may even see these types of returns and the higher percentage of work at home jobs you find are
on a per need basis or start out part time.

So,as you can see, actually finding the work at home opportunity or position that is right for you can be
1) Confusing
2) Time consuming
3) Not an overnight or immediate success
4) Takes lots of planning, research, time, and patience

The most important thing you should know before you start to look for a position or business is just that.....
Are you looking for a work at home job or are you looking for a home based business. Knowing what it is your looking for
before you start will help you find the perfect work at home match easier, faster, and may even help you from being
or feeling scammed.

You may be asking yourself what are the differences between a work at home job and a home based business?

The major differences between a work at home job and a work at home opportunity (home businesses) are:
1) Work at home jobs are just that "jobs", where you have an employer, requirements, and maybe even schedules.
2) Most work at home opportunities (home businesses) require a fee or a set amount of money upfront to get you started.

By knowing these differences, you can significantly reduce your chances of being scammed and narrow down your
search terms (keywords), thus making your time better spent.

Now I know that maybe I am making this sound like finding work from home is overwhelming, and it can be, but it really
doesn't have to be. Once you have figured out whether you are looking for a job or business the rest just takes time,
patience, and knowing where to go.

Here are a few steps I used.......

1) Have A Goal....

Even if you haven't decided whether to pursue a job or business, you should still go ahead and set a plan for how

you intend to get there. Besides being a great source of motivation, knowing where it is you want to be lets you

create a plan for reaching it.

2) Find Support....

Enthusiasm is contagious. Avoid those who say you can't. Try to find others who are doing what you want to do.

Message boards and online communities are a great way to meet with others to find ideas, information, and to help

you stay on track. (Real-Home-Employment.com)

3) Be Informed....

When you have either inadequate or inaccurate information your chances for failure are much higher. Talk to people

who have started similar businesses or are working from home. Subscribe to ezines. Ask questions. Visit discussion boards.

The more informed you are, the less the risk becomes.

4) Get started.....

To keep from feeling overwhelmed, make your larger goal into a few manageable steps. Plan to take at least one action a

day. As you start to do the smaller steps, phone calls, jotting down ideas, contacting employers, sending out resumes,

you may actually feel like something is being finished, and it may be hard to stop after you get going.

If you're already in the workforce find out if your position can be performed from home. If not you'll need
to search for a position that can. Narrow your search down by your skills and experience, for example, data entry,
telemarketing, customer service, transcription, etc.