Havenbasin Road

Something else to go along with what we’ve been talking about all week is the green stuff. No, not money but things like solar panels and water tanks. Things to make you and your place self sufficient. It would be great to be able to not be dependent upon the power grid or the local water plant. Being self sufficient would be much better in my mind, that way you could utilize their stuff but be fine when it wasn’t available, like during storms or severe winters. If you can take care of your own power requirements you could even, depending on where you were, sell your excess back and that would be hard to beat. Having a green place is pretty much just common sense anymore.

With a good place and along with all the other stuff I have been talking about you would also want a dog, maybe a big dog. Just for security and friendliness. A dog makes the place seem less empty and more warm, I think. Cats too, but only one. Alright, maybe two. They would need to be indoor cats as I wouldn’t want them wandering all over outside, if they did that then they wouldn’t really be my cats. Those kind of cats seem to belong to the neighborhood more than any one person or place.

Went for a very long drive this weekend, early today actually. Just got back and was thinking to keep to the general trend of thought for the week. I was thinking about what kind of house I would like and even more importantly,  where I would like. Remember that realtors credo, location, location, location. I would like a very nice place, secured but unobtrusively so. A place with a great view and of course privacy. I do not want my neighbor right next to me, need space.

There are a lot of different places you could go or check for mortgage information but probably one of the best places to go for mortgage news is your local bank. Talk to you bankers representative, whoever does the home loans there. They should be willing to talk to you and go over your options, maybe even give you some ideas or other places to check and find mortgage deals. They could lead you to people who might be able to help, and you should be a bit better off trusting their sources. That way you don’t have to worry as much about being taken, although you will of course still have to be fairly careful about things. Just check into what you have been told and verify anything you think is a bit off. The easiest way to verify is to check things out online and see how many sources agree with what you are being told. Even now you should be able to find some mortgage deals if you look around. The biggest problem is making sure those deals are authentic and not some sort of scam. You don’t want to start off with some sort of bad credit mortgage, and if you get taken then you might end up having to.

Earlier posts about loans naturally lead back into talking about mortgages. It is a fairly important subject when you are talking about houses, unless of course you can just buy the thing outright. Otherwise it is one of the major things you will be worrying about. There are different types of mortgages but honestly there is only one type that you should even be thinking about, especially after all that has happened in the housing market. The fixed rate really should be the only consideration, unless you really know what you are doing and are in a very good financial position already.  Of course if you are in a very good position you could just talk cash for home instead of looking into mortgages.

The biggest problem I know of with insurance is choosing what and who. Choosing what to insure and choosing who to insure with. You hear stories on the news about companies not paying, weaseling out by using small print or lawyers to twist what was written to mean something else. It is sometimes difficult to know who to go with, at least it is a problem I am having.

A building and contents home insurance quote is really only necessary if you have a lot of stuff you need protected. To be honest, that kind of stuff you probably already have individually insured. It makes the most sense to have the important items individually insured and then maybe do a homeowners type of insurance; general thing that just covers everything else.  Home insurance would be important though, even if you forego homeowners insurance. The home insurance will help you keep a bit of sanity and hopefully help in case you need it. That kind of insurance is something I would really want to check on, look into and verify with other customers of whoever I was thinking about going with.

The other thing you want to be thinking about is insurance, as I have said before. It is probably one of the more important things, although it really comes more after you have bought the house than while you are considering purchasing. But, thinking about it, it is probably good to at least think about it, take it into consideration while you are thinking about whichever house you have fallen in love with.  Something that really comes later, as you are moving in perhaps, is to consider contents insurance. Think about what you have and how you want to insure it. If you don’t have all that much, then you probably don’t need to worry much about the extra insurance costs.

I am curious about land and property for sale in Brazil, because it looks like it would be a nice place to live for a year or two. Anybody else thought about moving to Brazil? Rio? Places like that? I have a couple friends who were recently down there visiting and are seriously considering going back and staying, they really loved it while they were there. Many places, though, are great for vacation and not so much so for living. Not that you really get tired of the beauty there but you grow to miss the things that paradise often doesn’t have. Things like seasons and choices in the grocery store. When you are out there on vacation it is great because you are only there for a bit then you go back to what you are used to, but living there and you have to get used to a whole new bunch of things. That is not bad and many people have done it, but after awhile you tend to miss all the other stuff. At least I did. I know, should be satisfied with what you have and in general I am but I guess I have just moved around to much to be used to a place that doesn’t include a lot of different choices for multiple things.

Vacations are great though, because all you have to worry about are certain things, maybe travel insurance or immunizations, customs and immigration. Things like that, but they normally don’t take much and once you are done with that stuff you just get to enjoy your vacation. The immunizations are really important if you are going to Africa or South America, places that often have more undeveloped areas. Visas are important to check as well, but only so you can get back out of the country after enjoying your vacation.

I talked to my bank’s loan broker quite a while ago and probably need to go back to see how things stand now. I spoke to them before the bank failures occurred and the other bank stuff hit the fan. I don’t know what has changed exactly in my case, might be nothing because as far as the bank is concerned I am probably in about the same position as when I spoke to them a while ago. Which is not a bad place to be with all that has happened since then.

There are a lot of options for you when you are looking into loans, places to find more information and stuff. I have used the loan calculator a couple of times on my bank’s site; the loan calculator is definitely something you are going to want to play with when you are thinking about a loan. I don’t mean the specific one I am using, your bank most likely has the same thing and if you look online you will be able to find a whole lot of others offering the same type of calculator, some even have more stuff you can play with.

Something a person would be concerned with if they are planning or thinking about buying a house is, of course, loans. A house loan, specifically. Although, maybe you are one of those who would not have to worry about a loan, and would be able to just purchase a house outright. If you can do that, more power to you! I want to be doing that soon myself! However, at the moment I have to think about different options for loans, if I am serious about picking up a house. I am certainly getting closer to that point. Although, may have a month or two more, who knows.

If you are in a good apartment or condo there are several things that might make you hold off on buying a house. Mainly the convenience of everything. The yard work is taken care of, garbage and sewage are taken care of. And if something breaks you don’t have to buy a replacement or repair things yourself you just call the manager and they normally take care of it. Being in an apartment is not bad, but there is something about a house.

I have been thinking about the different aspects of housing because buying the first new house is a bit nerve wracking. There are so many things to consider. I have talked about a few already in previous posts, and to be honest I will probably be talking about some of them again until it sticks, and I get it. Once I get it then I can start considering the other stuff about after you have a new house. Like the regular upkeep costs and other things I will have to cover, instead of not worrying about it with an apartment or condo.

This week is going to be about housing, buying and what you need to think about. Some I have already pointed out, but as I have also pointed out (I am sure I have), I often need repetition myself to get things. It’s not that I have a hard head, although some would claim that, but I do have a lot going on so some things get passed over if I haven’t thought about them in a while. The less important things at the time get dropped off the edge of my mind into a temporary storage area. This is great and the only problem with it is that after a certain time I tend to dump everything in there whether I wanted to or not.

A person could create their own blog and dedicate it specifically to stupid drivers or what they do to term insurance and life cover cost. They would probably be able to fill it just from their own experiences, especially if they have a daily commute. Driving just once or twice a week would provide enough material for at least a full week. Although I would be quite happy if it were not that way. Push for drivers’ awareness, there should be a day about that. You drive? Be aware! You gotta keep the body in shape if you are going to drive at all. It is almost its own work out anymore. I am already doing neck exercises in an effort to prevent whiplash.  A few stretches before driving, just in case and some light strength training to make sure your own frame is in good shape to handle whatever some idiot in another car may decide to do. Stupid drivers are most likely one of the leading causes of constant increases in life insurance policies. And they can be so creative in their stupidity. I bet everybody even non drivers can think of a few stories of their own, examples of perfect idiocy in driving. Heck, there are websites and posts galore talking about it.

I was driving again and started worrying about whiplash, mainly because of idiot drivers. They kind of bring up those kind of thoughts when I have to swerve to avoid them or slam on the brakes because they don’t know how to drive. You may be wondering about my driving abilities if I am having to slam on the brakes, but I can vouch for myself. Truly, trust me.  Some of these drivers out there are almost guaranteed to cause injury to somebody just from the moment of their sliding into the driver’s seat.  Watching the news or having a daily commute is the best advertising there is for life insurance.

You know what really irks me? I really hate those that drive slow and then get mad about being tailgated. Heck, get out of the way! That famous saying says it all, “LEAD, FOLLOW or GET OUT OF THE WAY!” Road rage is often understandable, one of the few things I completely understand cause it is so easy to catch. I know we should all be very calm and forgiving but it is quite hard to do that sometimes. I try to be courteous when I can but to be honest and to see both sides of a story I am sure I have been the cause of other people’s road rage on more than one occasion. Probably right after I cut them off or sat on their butt until they got out of the way or I could get around them. Even if that meant having using an open shoulder as a lane.

I realized I swear way too much when driving. I don’t really get pissed off much, so I am not really a road rager, but I do get irritated quite often. I have had a few passengers mention my vocabulary choice, between their screams of fear.  (That was a joke! My passengers don’t usually scream in fear at my driving). I don’t swear much otherwise, I try not too anyway, but get me in a car and my language drops a level or two. It took me a bit to realize it myself but after the thirtieth swear word in five minutes I realized I might have an issue. Which is one of the reasons I am working at calm driving. Zen, right. Be the car, be the road. Forgive the idiot.

I am thinking that a financial advisor is always a good thing, but sometimes they cost a bit. Luckily you can find all sorts of free financial information and advice online, even stuff on SIPP Investments. Just take it all with a grain of salt and make sure to verify any news or information you come across with several different sources. Otherwise you could end up taking the wrong person or site’s advice and seriously regret it. Looking into finances a person probably has checked on savings news, although I am not really sure all that much about what kind of news you could find, other than changes in rates. If you are really interested in it checking on the different kinds of accounts is definitely something a person needs to be doing. You could also check on online expatriate savings if think like me, out of your place.

One reason for looking into financial matters other than for your own is of course to protect and provide for your family. Things like a child trust fund or savings accounts set up for a child’s college adventure are always of importance to many people. Especially parents and grandparents.  It all kind of ties together actually, taking care of your family also entails looking into or at least thinking about life insurance, just in case. And of course providing a house. Hey! I guess my posts have mostly been family oriented! Not going to buy it huh? Well I thought it sounded good.  

Yep, Back to finances, talking about them is a good way to keep them in the forefront of our minds. It helps us to keep focused, at least that is the excuse I am using to keep posting about them. I am hoping to help myself, kind of selfish of me I know but hey, we all have to start somewhere. Right. It’s why you can probably see a few recurring themes in what I post every week.

Consequences happen, you can’t hide a kid from them, damnit! Why don’t they teach a child to deal with them, to be aware of them and to act in a way that takes consequences for their own actions into consideration? It is not a consequence free universe and protecting the children too much will just make it so much harder for them later in life when they have to face up to what they have done. They need to learn first that what they do will have an effect, be it good or bad. In the states, the President recently did his speech for the school children. Nothing new really, most every President does one. Some have been fairly controversial, like this one. Which, to clear the air quickly, is stupid. I was watching some news clips and there was this lady with her husband on, she was in tears cause her kid would have to listen to the President talk about being responsible for yourself and how the future of the country is in their hands. I could have slapped her, I definitely felt very sad for any kids she raises. All sorts of descriptions came to mind, white trash being the nicest. I couldn’t believe the fuss people were making about it. Made me proud that I wasn’t a parent to be honest. Which is also sad in a way. I wouldn’t want any kid I had raised alongside kids whose parents behaved like that. Don’t they get it?

The reactions of parents to the recent speech by President Obama was a sad commentary on the current condition of parenting in the states, and probably all over. Raising children who are ignorant of the concept of consequences is a sure way to failure as a society, and to be honest there is only so much of that people will put up with.  If you do something you are responsible for it. No blaming your actions on somebody else. The stations did have interviews with children after the speech and most kids said it was motivating and just telling them to be responsible for themselves. That gave me hope for the kids, I just hope their parents don’t screw them up.