Category Archives: Home Mortgage

Credit Counseling vs. Debt Consolidation – Which is right for me?

Debt consolidation and credit counseling are similar services that assist individuals in getting out of debt.

Debt consolidation agencies help to minimize interest rates and therefore the monthly payments. The replacement of several monthly loans by a single loan at a lower interest rate and sometimes with an extended repayment period can be of significant assistance to a person in debt. A single secure loan can lead to the interest rates dropping by as much as half. The debt consolidation company interacts with the collection agencies and credit card companies on behalf of their client and along with a reduced rate, they can also negotiate for elimination of late fees and a reduced balance. Debt consolidation is not applicable to secure loans such as mortgage loans and car loans but is very useful for unsecured credit card loans.

Debt consolidation is received well by the creditors who prefer it over bankruptcy. Debtors can get out of debt by using debt consolidation and maintain a good credit record, something which would not be possible if they filed for bankruptcy. Debt consolidators may charge a fee upfront or charge service fees; given that most debt consolidation companies are non-profit, these fees are usually quite affordable. Debt consolidation is ideal forsome people who wish to get out of a debt as quickly as possible without juggling their finances in a major way.

Credit counseling organizations also assist consumers in clearing their debts. Credit counseling organizations were first started by the credit card industry that was looking for a way to ensure that their debtors not file for bankruptcy. Consumers who participate in a credit counseling program normally have a certain amount of debt with reference to the monthly income. One may not qualify for a credit counseling program if in the creditor’s opinion the debtor has the income to make the payments.

Credit counselors interact with the creditors on behalf of their clients to secure a revised monthly repayment schedule, a reduction in the interest rate, or a waiver of the interest charges, if possible. Credit counseling services assist with unsecured debit like credit cards, auto loans, medical bills, attorney bills, etc. Well-established credit counseling companies can even negotiate with creditors on behalf of those who have defaulted on secured debt repayment and help them to pay the arrears as per an agreeable plan, thereby avoiding foreclosure and repossession. Credit counseling is recommended for those who wish for a complete alteration in their finance management and require assistance from a third party to assess their financial options. It is not uncommon for creditors to pay the credit counseling fees on behalf of the debtors in order to encourage them to repay the debts. Unlike debt consolidation services, credit counselors provide useful advice for not only getting out of debt but also staying out of it

The Importance Of Adding To Your Real Estate Investment Group (Page 1 of 2)

But teacher, the computer gremlins ate my homework!!!!! Unfortunately, that is what happened to my well crafted article for last week, right before I left to teach classes at the Learning Annex in New York.

The good news is that after being in NYC, I can now give a really strong example about today’s topic which covers what to do once you have found ( or created) a great real estate investment group. What MOST people do from human is exactly opposite of what it takes to be a part of a real estate investment group that yields outstanding investments time after time.

It is human nature to believe that if you have something good, you don’t share it with others for fear of not having enough to go around. Psychologists call this a “SCARCITY” model were people believe that there is only a finite supply of anything worthwhile. Coming from a very conservative background, where I grew up the son of a college professor, I was cursed with this scarcity belief.

As I started to gain more and more success, the more I realized that many successful people believed exactly the opposite of me: that is, they believed that by working together and sharing, you could produce an INFINITE supply of whatever was wanted. This is what experts refer to as an ABUNDANCE model.

So how does that apply to us? Let me give you the example from the Learning Annex. During our last night, we had a person in attendance that has been with our group for some time and has participated in multiple projects. This person is a full time real estate investor, is very savvy in her choices, and it’s a big believer in the power of real estate investment groups.

Afterwards, we got talking about how she might be interested in purchasing multiple units in our N. Tampa project and probably would also know others that were interested. To her credit, she did not want to “hog” too many units for either herself or others outside of the GetPreconstructionDeals.com real estate investment group.

In my opinion, this person could SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE the ability of others in our real estate investment group by telling others now. Yes, we may run out on “this project” but now let’s look complete the chain of events:

1. Some people cannot get into the project because it is sold out;

2. Because it is sold out, several developers take notice and want to offer special incentives to the real estate investment group;

3. Another good project is offered and because of more people are around, a substantial number of properties are consumed, some of them by people who could not get in last time.

4. In turn, this continued activity attracts even better opportunities by developers

5. Because the opportunities are continuing to flow, more and more people are attracted to the real estate investment group;

6. The process simply continues providing an ABUNDANCE of opportunities for all.

Now, suppose you do the opposite and individuals decide that it is a bad idea to grow the real estate investment group. Now what happens?