Real Estate Loan Underwriting - Managing Increasing Loan Risk

Real Estate Loan Underwriting – Managing Increasing Loan Risk

In today’s economic environment managing risks in Real Estate lending is increasingly more difficult. Establishing the value of the realty collateralizing the loan is more akin of shooting at a moving target. The continual decline in property values is only one factor that increases the risk for lenders, another factor in these trying times in the financial soundness of the borrower. The financial stability of individuals is under continual pressure for borrowers due to the economic crisis as unemployment rates rise and credit scores drop. Like a house of cards and individual’s ability to meet his/her credit obligations can tumble overnight.  

The decline in real estate prices is not only affecting lenders and borrowers but also state and local governments whose property tax base is quickly loosing value. All across the country local and state governments are looking for ways to crimp their budgetary shortfalls. Departments are being asked to look for ways of increasing their revenue sources. Of particular interest to risk managers is the step-up of code enforcement activities seen in most major municipalities. With the decline in new construction nationwide many building and zoning departments are expanding staff duties to include code enforcement.  Instead of laying them off to cut expenses government maintains personnel by increasing revenue streams from fees for services and fines. In some places violation fees can quickly escalate if not addressed to the tens of thousands of dollars.  

Code violations ride with the property and become the responsibility of the new property owners whether they created the violation or not. For the borrower making an investment in a home regardless of it being a market rate, short-sale, or foreclosed property, a major code violation or the cost of legalizing an illegal addition can be prohibitive thus seriously decreasing the value of the property and increasing the risk of the real estate loan. Many borrowers simply do not have the necessary financial resources to address serious violations or repairs unseen at the time of purchase resulting in default.  

Banks have relied on a property appraisal by state licensed companies that they trusted as the way of establishing the value of the asset. The typical residential appraisal relies on one of two methods for determining value, the cost approach and the direct sales comparison approach.  

1. Cost Approach – In this approach, the replacement cost of the building and improvements is estimated, estimated depreciation is deducted, and the value of the site is added.

2.   Market Data or Direct Sales Comparison Approach – The essence of this approach is to determine the price that similar properties have sold for recently on the local market and, through an appropriate adjustment process, to estimate the fair market value of the subject property based on these comparable sales.

Both have serious flaws in the current market. Current real estate prices in many parts of the country are lower than what it would cost to build the structure without considering the cost of land or depreciation leaving appraisers to give land negative values or use other adjustments to meet values arrived at by the sales comparison approach. Additionally these appraisals do not consider unseen code violations or illegal additions not disclosed by the seller and that appear to be legal at first glance leaving open a tremendous hidden risk potential for the lender. Appraisers are not always schooled in architecture or engineering or construction and are unable to determine the value of a structure based on undisclosed structural inadequacy, zoning code violations, encroachments, or illegal additions that might appear to be legal.

The lack of a comprehensive assessment of physical needs that includes not only the condition or expected life of the structure but also deficiencies and above all zoning violations leaves the buyer and equally important the lender at risk of buying into a property that will lose its value if found to be in violation with local laws.

 Governments are stepping up in places like Miami Dade County, Florida. A recent law effective April 1, 2009 requires that a “Disclosure of Findings” report must be prepared by a Registered Architect and recorded in with the “Clerk of the Courts” for bank owned properties (REO) prior to offering the property for sale. When the report is approved and filed the county issues a “Certificate of Use” for the property.  

The “Disclosure of Findings” report is prepared upon completion of an inspection by the architect. The inspection determines if there are any code violations, inadequacies or other illegal or life threatening conditions not usually spotted during a conventional home inspection or appraisal of the property. The report includes an estimate by the architect of what costs are to be expected to correct deficiencies. When the service is properly performed, an architect will search historical zoning records and codes to determine what requirements were applicable to the property when it was built. It is not sufficient to judge the legality of a structure based on current codes and ordinances since codes have changed over time.  

The spirit of the law is “consumer protection” but clearly it offers the county an additional income stream not only from filing fees but also from violation fees and new permit fees. Banks lending on properties with a Disclosure of Findings report have found an added level of security. More lending institutions are implementing similar inspection requirements on properties they are lending on and passing the cost of the inspection to the buyer much like the conventional inspection paid by the buyer. These inspections in Florida can also be used to satisfy the required insurance inspections commonly required by providers. The net result to the consumer is minimal considering the added security of the investment received and potential savings in insurance premiums.   

Armando M. Montero is a Florida Architect and Co-Founder of Property Assessment Group, LLC a firm providing due diligence services and Loan Risk Mitigation to Banks, Lenders and Asset Managers.

Real Estate Loan Underwriting - Managing Increasing Loan Risk

Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course: CD for Lesson Book

A beginning course for adults who prefer a chord approach. It teaches chords for both hands so that the student can play more than single note melodies. It contains outstanding songs such as “The Entertainer,” “Scarborough Fair,” “Greensleeves” and “Amazing Grace.”

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Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course: CD for Lesson Book

Home Collected Loans

Home Collected Loans

 

Whenever you is an unexpected economic crisis, have many difficulties to contend. We always have a way to escape from the problematic situation. But mere escape by compromise with the needs may not be a perfect solution. So we help our customers in all issues collected by home loans to tackle. Dues never end until you have enough money to pay, they have. But for an average salaried person it is hard to pay all taxes, if they are planned. There is a special service for people like you, have a lot of needs but not required amount of money that may be sufficient to meet these needs.

 

It is approved within the same day so that people do not have to wait for a longer period of time to make their preparations. You do not need more stress for the production of the agreements on finance, because it was very easy to get these loans. May cause your search for a trusted source of money that will help you, your life in a much better way, comes to us. Unlike other finance you can get the money transferred into your account within the same day, this is the highlighting of it.

 

These loans can be from any person who will take interest in this type of finance and the fulfillment of some basic criteria to be used. The funding is to a person who is the country’s citizens and should be granted from the age of 18 years. He was also a source of regular income with a solid employment. And above all, an active bank account for the production of successful payments should have. We make it easy for you to get outYour hard days so easily through our services. It is no longer a tedious slow process, the funds that you received previously required.

 

You need to follow simple procedures for filling up the form. Whenever you need to collect home loan, you must fill out application, please visit our website. The application can easily be filled by you, since it includes information such as name, address, etc. You can very much on the financing safely with us as your information about you that will be kept confidential. Your application is immediately approved to meet your urgent cash needs. All you need to be entitled to use the fund. Every need is just as important and therefore does not prolong the process by unnecessary formalities.

 

 

 

Applying for a vancouver payday loan is quick and simple!

Related Metlife Home Loans Sign In Articles

Home Collected Loans

Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Newborn Feeding Set

HELPS COLICKY BABIES SETTLE DOWN OR SLEEP REDUCES COLIC, SPIT UP, BURPING AND GAS HELPS PREVENT FLUID IN THE EAR OR NO VACUUM EASY TO CLEAN, DISHWASHER SAFE IT IS BPA FREEColic. The word strikes fear in the heart of any parent. This mysterious ailment seems to have its roots in the belly of the baby, although no one has determined for sure what causes these uncontrollable bouts of crying in newborns. However, it is certain that a baby with gas is an unhappy baby, and anything that alleviates that pain can only be a good thing. Enter Dr. Brown’s Natural Flow Newborn Feeding Set. For parents who bottle-feed, for whatever reason, these specialized bottles may make the difference between a howling, gassy baby and one who is content and well-fed. What’s the secret?

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Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Newborn Feeding Set

IMPROVE YOUR LIFE: Centrelink Loans and Centrelink Payments

IMPROVE YOUR LIFE: Centrelink Loans and Centrelink Payments

Pensioners which include mainly senior people have to live only on their pension schemes. However the amount is so meager that they cannot even dream to afford themselves some luxuries for their day to day life. So if suddenly some emergency conditions come up they find themselves in a huge crisis to get the required money. This is the case for almost all the pension holders all over the world. So to relieve them off these tensions and worries the government of Australia has taken a few effective measures. They have developed a payment scheme called Centrelink which is also known as the CSDA or the Commonwealth Service Delivery Agency.

Any senior individual living in Australia and who wants to procure a loan for personal reasons should opt for the services that are provided by this agency. These services can be availed both online or offline according to the choice of the borrower.  However it is desirable to opt for the online services for varieties. This scheme is made available to all the folks who are living on their pension amounts depending on the real estate property one owns or the amount of pension he gets. Generally this scheme is for low pension holders or the ones who are jobless.

The Centrelink Loans can be availed easily, but there are certain rules and regulations that govern this and hence should be kept in mind. Like the age limit for women must be of 60 years if her birthday is before the 1st of July, 1935. In case of men the age must be 65 years if his birth day is before the 1st of July, 1935.

Generally it is seen that the pension holders are shunted from the mainstream and are denied the advantages of acquiring a loan. So the individuals who are solely dependent on their pensions for livelihood must inquire about the procedure and should possess a thorough knowledge of Centrelink Payments before opting for it and also to obtain the best quality services that the agency can provide. Direct dollar services provide the loans quickly and effectively to the customers of Centrelink. This is a government scheme and can be availed by all. But the borrowers should furnish exact details about their financial conditions and the cause for taking the loan. Since its inauguration the Centrelink agency has helped many Australians to fulfill their dreams and is continuing to do so.

 

Neepa Diwan works and writings can be consulted to get a deep knowledge about the Centrelink Payments. For more details visit the website http://discounttalk.com.au/

 

IMPROVE YOUR LIFE: Centrelink Loans and Centrelink Payments

Simply Yoga

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Funding College Education

Funding College Education

Over the past ten years, the cost of a college education has climbed by nearly 90 percent. This is a staggering expense for both students hoping to complete their higher education and their families. But, the good news is that there is no need to bear this cost by yourself. Paying for college is now a partnership that includes your college or school of choice, the government, your family and even a number of private businesses and organizations. Another belief is that student financial aid is only available for those with an annual income of less than $ 70,000. But, this is not true anymore. There are several schools that offer aid to talented and deserving students.

Where Do You Begin?

The majority of grants and loans available are courtesy of the federal government. There are a number of guidelines and eligibility criteria that determines whether a student will receive college financial aid. Researching on the internet could help you come up with some preliminary calculations that will make you understand what could be expected. You could also speak to your school guidance counselor to explore all your options and visit ed.gov/index.jhtml to find out more about college student financial aid.

Federal Aid:

If you want to apply for federal or state aid, you will need to supply all the information required by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form. You can complete the form online or download it from fafsa.org. Most public colleges and universities use this information to determine whether aid is applicable or not and many private schools also factor it into their offers. Alternatively, schools and organizations that offer scholarships also use a second form – the College Scholarship Service Profile. These forms need to be filled up for every year that you apply for aid so plan in advance and keep all your financial information such as tax forms, pay stubs and bank account statements readily accessible.

Once the college or school of your choice receives your FAFSA, it considers your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) with reference to the cost of your college degree program. The EFC is determined by a number of factors like family income, assets, the number of children in the family attending college and the number of years until your parent’s retirement.

If you feel that your family has special financial circumstances that is not reflected in these scores but are still affecting your ability to pay for college, it is worth sending a letter and speaking to the college’s financial aid office after you submit all the necessary paperwork.

Grants:

Grants are categorized on the basis of needs and merits and can be federal, state or institutional. Grants are normally tax-free and don’t have to be repaid. The Pell Grant (a maximum of $ 3,300 annually) and the federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (from $ 100 to $ 4,000 annually) are the largest federal grants available. These are non-negotiable and based on needs. Pell Grants are specifically awarded to students from low-income families.

Loans:

Nearly 60 percent of student aid is in the form of loans. These include subsidized loans that carry low interest rates and don’t have to be repaid until after graduation. The federal Perkins Loan allows students to borrow up to $ 4,000 a year for five years at a very low interest rate. The Stafford Loan also carries a low interest rate. Repayments begin and interest starts accruing only six months after graduation. Unsubsidized Stafford loans on the other hand accrue interest immediately but the student can defer this interest payment until after he or she begins to repay the principal amount (normally after graduation). When students accept a federally subsidized loan, they will be expected to work at on-campus jobs for 10 to 15 hours a week as part of the federal Work-Study program. Parents can also borrow up to the total cost of four years of college as per the Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). However, the repayment structure on this type of loan is extremely stringent.

Eligibility:

It’s best to speak to your financial aids officer at the college or school of your choice to determine your eligibility. On the whole, eligibility for loans and grants depends upon-

- Financial need

- Qualification for postsecondary education. Proof of the same includes a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) Certificate or passing scores on an Ability-to-Benefit (ATB) test.

- Proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizenship

- Social Security Number information

- Maintenance of academic progress once in school

Even if you aren’t eligible for college Student Financial Aid, it is still recommended that you complete the FAFSA as you may be eligible for non-federal aid from other private organizations or states.

Financial aid applications are filed in January each year so be sure to have all the information you require before then. In case you receive aid from a number of schools apart from the college of your choice, do not forget to decline the other offers so that they can distribute the aid to other students. In the end, a practical, methodical approach to funding and your education is the only way to enjoy all the benefits on offer and secure your future in the long run.

California College San Diego (CCSD) has trained graduates for new careers in high demand jobs since 1978. It offers associate, bachelor and graduate degrees in healthcare, business management, accounting, business administration, computer networking, computer programming and computer science.

Funding College Education

Random Variable

Random Variable

A prescription for the probability model of an experiment contains two basic ingredients: the sample space and the assignment of probability to each elementary outcome. We encountered several examples where the elementary outcomes had only qualitative descriptions rather than numerical values. For instance, with two tosses of a coin, the outcomes HH, HT, TH, and TT are pairs of letters that identify the occurrences of heads or tails. If a new vaccine is studied for the possible side effects of nausea, the response of each subject may be severe, moderate, or no feeling of nausea. These are qualitative outcomes rather than measurements on a numerical scale. Often, the outcomes of an experiment are numerical values: for example, the daily number of burglaries in a city, the hourly wages of students on summer jobs and scores on a college placement examination. Even in the former situation where the elementary outcomes are only qualitatively described, interest frequently centers on some related numerical aspects.

If a new vaccine is tested on 100 individuals, the information relevant for an evaluation of the vaccine may be the numbers of responses in the categories—severe, moderate, or no nausea. The detailed record of 100 responses can be dispensed with once we have extracted this summary. Likewise, for an opinion poll conducted on 500 residents to determine support for a proposed city ordinance, the information of particular interest is how many residents are in favor of the ordinance, and how many are opposed. In these examples, the individual observations are not numerical, yet a numerical summary of a collection of observations forms the natural basis for drawing inferences.

Focusing our attention on the numerical features of the outcomes, we introduce the idea of a random variable. Corresponding to every elementary outcome of an experiment, a random variable assumes a numerical value, determined from some characteristic pertaining to the outcome. (In mathematical language, we say that a random variable X is a real-valued function defined on a sample space.) The word “random” serves as a reminder of the fact that, beforehand, we do not know the outcome of an experiment or its associated value of X.

A random variable X associates a numerical value with each outcome of an experiment. Random variable is said to be discrete if it has either a finite number of values or infinitely many values that can be arranged in a sequence. All the preceding examples are of this type. On the other hand, if a random variable represents some measurement on a continuous scale and is therefore capable of assuming all values in an interval, it is called a continuous random variable. Of course, any measuring device has a limited accuracy and, therefore, a continuous scale must be interpreted as an abstraction. Some examples of continuous random variables are the height of an adult male, the daily milk yield of a Holstein, and the survival time of a patient following a heart attack.

For assistance with your Statistics Assignment Help you can visit classof1.com

Classof1.com is open 24/7. You can call us at 1-877-252-7763 or drop an email to learning@classof1.com

The Book of the Dead--Collector's and Library Edition

Collector’s and Library Edition titles are packaged in durable vinyl binding that will ensure lasting value and protection for your audiobook. So whether you use it once or loan it out to a friend, you need not worry about rips, tears, or accidental drops. ;; The New York Museum of Natural History receives their pilfered gem collection back…ground down to dust. Diogenes, the psychotic killer who stole them in Dance of Death, is throwing down the gauntlet to both the city and to this brother, FBI Agent Pendergast, who is currently incarcerated in a maximum security prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

To quell the PR nightmare of the gem fiasco, the museum decides to reopen the Tomb of Senef. An astounding Egyptian temple, it was a popular museum exhibit until the 1930s, when it was quietly closed. But when the tomb is unsealed in preparation for its gala reopening, the killings-and whispers of an ancient curse-begin again. And the catastrophic opening itself set the stage for the final battle between the two brothers: an epic clash from which only one will emerge alive.

The Book of the Dead--Collector's and Library Edition

Car Refinancing - Is It the Right Choice For Me?

Car Refinancing – Is It the Right Choice For Me?

Car refinance loans will save you lots of money monthly. But they are not the best move for everyone. The ideal candidate needs to fit into a narrow slot of qualifications. Some of the restrictions are mileage, amount still due on loan, form of vehicle, and who the main lender is. In case you qualify, a refinance on your car may mean supplemental income every month which you can use for various other pieces. All time low interest offer you more flexibility and greater freedom.

Everyone wants to save money, but car refinance loans won’t work for everyone. Lenders only refinance if you’re coming to them from elsewhere. Your current car loan must be with a different lender compared to one that you wish to refinance. Ensure you know who your lenders’ affiliates are as well. Refinancing lenders want start up business. Lenders may also require that you don’t have a commercial vehicle a treadmill that is used for business. Sometimes only some kinds of vehicles are refinanced. Browse around at different lenders all of them have differing restrictions. You have to be able to find a lender that will work with your circumstances.

Most car refinance loans need a low mileage. Less than 75,000 miles is perfect.  Lenders also want your vehicle to be under six or seven years. Auto refinancing is dependant on the amount you still owe not the value of the car. Learning the value of the auto is always helpful, but you will not need to get your car appraised to acheive a refinance. The amount you own on your car is really what determines if you will save money. Lenders require that you’ve at least $ 7500 still due. Some put a set limit on what you borrowed from as well. Owing $ 7500-$ 10,000 is the better range for refinance.

You could consider using an online car refinancing calculator. These assist you to know perhaps the numbers add up the way you desire them to. For those who have less than a year to take your repayment it always is not definitely worth the refinance. You could actually spend more money getting a refinance than spending less in some situations. So consider carefully. You don’t need to bother about equity inside your car, therefore it doesn’t really matter the amount you have already paid. It only matters the amount you still have to pay for and how long you will be lead to pay it.

OpenRoad Lending is an online lender with a consumer friendly website providing car loan solutions to consumers in the process of purchasing a vehicle or looking for a refinance car loan. Visit the website at for more information about how easy it is to get an car financing.

Find More Refinancing Texas Articles

Car Refinancing - Is It the Right Choice For Me?

Personal Signature Loans With Bad Credit - No Hassles Involved

Personal Signature Loans With Bad Credit – No Hassles Involved

If you are having poor financial status you think that you cannot avail an advance. This can be because your credit score is showing late payments, insolvency, late payments, and so on. If such difficulties are an obstacle for you to avail an advance, then you can avail personal signature loans with bad credit. They are given to you without any hassles.

They are finances in which you have to sign the papers which are given by the lender. They prove to be a security for the lender. People having poor financial status can avail this facility without any hassles. The rate of interest charged for personal signature loans with bad credit is low. People having poor financial status are eligible to avail this facility. They help you to reconstruct your financial status. You can compare the various quotes in the online method.

You should keep in mind to repay the amount on time. If there is delay, you will have to pay high fees. These finances are secured in nature. Hence, the amount you can avail in this monetary facility ranges from 500 to 100000 which has to be repaid within 1 to 25 years.

This finance can be availed by you if you fulfill the basic eligibility conditions. The conditions are that you should be a UK citizen above 18 having a valid bank account and permanent source of income. These finances can be used for any of the wants you want to utilize them. The wants can be for purchasing a house or car, going on a vacation, and many more.

You can get more information if you surf through the various websites. There are also financial experts who help you fill in the form and complete all the required formalities. You are only required to fill in the form with the prescribed details and after approval the amount is transferred into your account.

Michael Oliver is working as financial consultant for Loans for People with Bad Credit and providing its valuable advice to its customers. To find personal signature loans with bad credit, unsecured signature loans for bad credit, bad credit personal signature loans and signature loans for people with bad credit. Visit at http://www.loansforpeoplewithbadcredit.net/

Usp For Lawyers

Usp For Lawyers

What Makes You Unique? What Makes Your Product or Service Special? What’s Your Unique Selling Proposition or USP?

Interested in cranking things up a notch or two (or ten!) and taking things to the next income level? Want to make a huge difference in the lives of others?

Do you need generate more business or sales to help reach these goals?

If your answer is yes to the above questions, then I strongly suggest you focus a great deal of your time and attention to the following…

Aggressively share with the world your unique selling proposition or USP!

Several examples of rather well known USP’s include:

Domino’s Pizza: “You get fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less — or it’s free”

FedEx: “When your package absolutely, positively has to get there overnight”

M&M’s: “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand”

Every day you’re exposed to USPs. Some are good and immediately get you to start thinking about a particular company or service. Other USPs are so bad that you’ve forgotten all about them after 5-10 minutes.

So what exactly is a good USP? Well, an effective USP explains and satisfies the following criteria…

1. What the benefit is

2. What the specific message is (clear, concise and to the point)

3. Is easy to understand, is realistic, and easy to remember

The idea is to create a USP that can and will be the marketing foundation to your business. It is a persuasive and memorable message that everything else will be built around.

In fact, a well crafted USPs can be based on price, product or type of service. You can also focus an effective USP on color, size, location, business hours or almost anything else you can think of.

Because of this, you need to be able to clearly state your USP. It needs to be easy to for consumers to identify with. Your long-term marketing plan will be to develop and promote your USP so that it will bring YOUR company, product or service to the center of attention when it is mentioned or heard.

It’s important to keep in mind that USPs can and will change over time. Market conditions, technology and consumer perception can and will require you to make changes over the lifetime of your product or service.

OK. Now that we’re clear about what a USP is, the next logical questions for most of us is…

“How do I create a good USP?”

Before I answer this question, it’s important for you to first figure out what is truly unique about you or your business. What do you do better than anyone else? What makes you better or different that anyone else who does what you do or who sells a product or service similar to you?

Think hard and think outside the box. We’re all different and we all bring our own uniqueness in to this crazy and exciting world. What’s yours?

Now, keeping in mind what makes you different, review the following 8 steps. It make take an hour, a day, or even a week to complete the following task. Just make sure you focus and get it done. Your success may depend on it.

1. Realistic and Doable: First, keep in mind that you need to be able to fulfill the promise placed in any USP you develop and use. Remember this simple but important detail. This single fact is critical to your long term success. After all, if you can’t walk the talk, your chance of long-term success is zero.

Ask yourself, “Can I really do this?”

2. Understand Your Target Audience: Before you can develop and use your USP, you first need to understand, with crystal clarity, who you will be marketing to.

Who are your clients? Who would you like to have as clients or customers?

3. What’s the Problem You Can Solve?: How can you help a client or customer with their problem or needs? How can your business help benefit someone experiencing this particular problem?

What are my clients’ problems and how can I solve them?

4. Distinctive Benefits: Make a list of 3-5 benefits that only you can offer your customer or client. These five benefits should be specific and describe what sets you apart from your competition. Your USP must be focused on the benefits your product or service provides to your customers. A feature might be a new state-of-the-art medical device your practice is using to treat patients. A benefit is that your patients will no longer experience lower back pain. Benefits are the ONLY thing clients and customers are truly interested in for the long haul.

What benefits are my clients looking for? What benefits can I offer that my clients may not even be aware of?

5. Describe and Write Down Your Promise: A good USP makes an implied or express pledge to your customers or clients. What is it? Make sure you can write it down in a single sentence.

6. Write a Paragraph: Take steps 1-5 and combine the info. Write it all down in a nice long paragraph. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar. Just start writing and creating your USP based upon the indicated steps.

7. Rewrite: Review and rewrite your paragraph 2-3 times eliminating duplicate thoughts and merging similar statements. Your final paragraph should an easy to read paragraph.

8. Single Sentence: Now rewrite your paragraph in to a single sentence. Be specific and remember to prominently include the benefit to your customer shared in a specific message that is realistic and easy to understand and also easy to remember.

Keep working on this last step for at least a couple of days. Use your early morning creative mind to give you clarity and good perspective. Continue to fine tune your USP sentence until it is perfect in your mind and looks good on paper. Share your work with others and get constructive feedback.

__________________________________________

Summary: The fact of the matter is that this process isn’t easy but it is essential to the success of your business. Businesses lacking a good USP simply get by and rarely achieve great success. In fact, most have a high failure rate and are doomed for a lifetime of mediocrity.

Use your USP in every marketing message that leaves your office. Incorporate your USP in to your answer to the question, “So, what do you do for a living?” Teach everyone at your office to do the same.

Successful companies prominently display their USP on their marketing material and on their web sites, blogs, and social media networks. They put energy and time in to educating potential clients and customers with the answers to these questions.

Generate more business and increase profits by using an effective USP. Make it easy for others to share your business by educating them about the benefits you offer. Use a clear, concise and easy to remember USP to take things to the next level.

When you’re finished, I’d love to see your USP. Email it over. Need help, feel free to bounce ideas off of me. I’m standing by to hear from you!

So, what’s your USP?

_______________________________________

“Remember to make today your masterpiece and to remind your family and friends to do the same!”

Jon Mitchell “Mitch” Jackson, Esq.

___________________________________________

New World Lawyer- “A Better Way to Practice Law”

2009 Orange County California Trial Lawyer of the Year (Wrongful Death Case) enjoys sharing more than 25 years of successful insider tips, tools, and approaches about how to use relationships, the internet, and social media to build your practice and enjoy your life!

Orange County personal injury lawyer, Jon Mitchell Jackson, was named an Orange County Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association. Mitch is the founding partner and Senior Litigation Partner of Jackson and Wilson, Inc., a top AV rated firm by Martindale-Hubbell. The firm is also listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, an exclusive listing reserved for the best law firms in the United States. This recent award follows several earlier recognitions this year naming Mitch as a Southern California Super Lawyer and, a rating of 10.0 or Superb by the national AVVO lawyer rating system. Mitch also serves as a Judge Pro Tem with the Orange County Superior Court and in his spare time, enjoys Rotary Internat

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Usp For Lawyers

Pot edibles burgeoning into an industry

July 10, 2014: A student examines a sample of the cannabis strain "granddaddy purple" during a cooking class at the New England Grass Roots Institute in Quincy, Mass.AP

MONTPELIER, Vt. –  Move over, pot brownies.

The proliferation of marijuana edibles for both medical and recreational purposes is giving rise to a cottage industry of baked goods, candies, infused oils, cookbooks and classes that promises a slow burn as more states legalize the practice and awareness spreads about the best ways to deliver the drug.

Edibles and infused products such as snack bars, olive oils and tinctures popular with medical marijuana users have flourished into a gourmet market of chocolate truffles, whoopie pies and hard candies as Colorado and Washington legalized the recreational use of marijuana in the past year.

"You're seeing a lot of these types of products like cannabis cookbooks," said Erik Altieri, spokesman for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "They've always been popular among a subset of marijuana, but with the fact that more and more people from the mainstream are able to consume, there's a lot more interest."

Many pot users turn to edibles because they don't like to inhale or smell the smoke or just want variety. For many people who are sick or in pain, controlled doses of edibles or tinctures can deliver a longer-lasting therapeutic dose that doesn't give them the high.

And there's money to be made.

BlueKudu, in Denver, started producing marijuana chocolate bars for medicinal purposes three years ago. Since recreational use became legal this year in Colorado, owner Andrew Schrot said, the wholesale business has more than doubled its sales from several hundred chocolate bars sold a day through dispensaries to more than 1,000, at $9 to $17 a piece.

"There seems to be quite a bit of intrigue about the infused products from the general public and consumer, especially tourists," Schrot said.

Cooking classes have sprung up. One in Denver -- led by a chef who has turned out chocolate-covered bacon and Swedish meatballs with a marijuana-infused glaze -- has grown so popular that it will be offered every week in August. It's also part of a vacation package that provides pot tourists with a stay at a cannabis-friendly hotel (vaporizer and private smoke deck included), a visit to dispensaries and growing operations, and the cooking class.

Students are advised not to smoke before they come to class because there's a lot to learn about the dosing and they will be sampling foods along the way.

"By the end of the class, everybody's pretty stoned," said founder J.J. Walker.

Mountain High Suckers in Denver sells lollipops and lozenges for medical marijuana users and plans to release treats for recreational users at the end of August. The company hopes they will take off.

"People are turning the corner and making lots of money in the rec department, and we expect to almost double the business in a year," said Chad Tribble, co-owner of Mountain High Suckers in Denver.

High Times, a 40-year-old monthly magazine based in New York, has always featured a cooking column with a recipe. At least 40,000 people attended its Cannabis Cup in Denver in April, a sort of trade show that includes judging of marijuana edibles, said editor-in-chief Chris Simunek.

"Like everything else in marijuana at the moment, it's sort of experiencing a renaissance where the more people get interested, the more experiments they do with it," Simunek said.

The magazine said its "Official High Times Cannabis Cookbook" is the top-selling title of the five it offers.

It's not just a hobby or business; there's a science involved.

THC, marijuana's psychoactive chemical, must be smoked or heated -- as in cooked -- to be activated. When ingested rather than inhaled, it provides a longer-lasting and often more intense feeling.

Users of pot edibles, such as cookies, are often advised to eat only a portion so they don't get too high. Education about proper dosing has become a priority after at least one death and a handful of hospital visits were linked to consuming too much of an edible.

The Washington state Liquor Control Board adopted rules to require recreational marijuana products to be labeled clearly as such; to be scored so a serving size is easy to distinguish; and to be approved by the board before sale.

In Vermont -- one of 22 states that allow the use of medical marijuana, along with the District of Columbia -- the Legislature this year passed a bill that allows more people to get medical marijuana and called for a study of financial effects if the state were to allow recreational use.

Bridget Conry, general manager of Champlain Valley Dispensary in Burlington, Vermont, and of Southern Vermont Wellness, another medical marijuana dispensary in Brattleboro, is already creating infused olive oils, tinctures and a gluten-free cracker. She expects soon to be making pestos and other infused foods, in manageable amounts that allow people to control dosing.

"We've always come from the perspective of like, who eats a quarter of a cookie?" Conry said. "We're trying to make our things portion-specific, because you know you want to eat the whole cookie."

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Why TV reporter shouldn’t have been demoted for racially charged rant on cop-killer

I’m a big proponent of journalists playing by the rules.

Reporters, in particular, need to be fair to all sides, provide the facts, and not spew personal opinions.

So why am I defending Sean Bergin, the New Jersey reporter who admits he flouted those common-sense rules?

Because he wound up losing his job, and I don’t believe the punishment fit the crime.

Since this was a racially charged matter, it quickly went viral. Fifteen years ago, it would have been a local Jersey controversy. Now it’s all over the web and on cable news.

The backstory is that Bergin was covering a cop-killing case, the brutal murder of officer Melvin Santiago, who was responding to a robbery call. He hesitated when the station asked him to interview the widow of the shooter, Lawrence Campbell. She said her husband should have killed more police officers if they were planning to kill him, sparking a furious reaction.

It was in the course of explaining this to viewers that Bergin went on a bit of a rant:

“It is worth noting that we were besieged, flooded with calls from police officers furious that we would give media coverage to the wife of a cop killer. We decided to air it because it is important to shine a light on the anti-cop mentality that has so contaminated America’s inner cities. This same, sick, perverse line of thinking is evident from Jersey City to Newark and Patterson to Trenton. It has made the police officer’s job impossible and it has got to stop. The underlying cause for all of this, of course: Young black men growing up without fathers. Unfortunately, no one in the news media has the courage to touch that subject.”

Now Bergin went too far. He was overgeneralizing without providing facts. By saying “the underlying cause for all of this” is young black men from fatherless families, he cast each one as a potential criminal.

But it also took courage to say what Sean Bergin did. He spoke with great emotion about the death of a policeman.

So how did the station react? First, News 12 suspended Bergin. Then it demoted him to a $300-a-week post in which he’d be given on light feature assignment each week. “It is News 12's policy that reporters must be objective and not state personal opinions on-air,” a spokesman said before adding the usual claptrap about not discussing personnel issues. (Isn’t it amazing how news organizations report on everyone else’s personnel problems but their own?)

Bergin quit, as the station must have known he would. Perhaps News 12 didn’t want to take the heat for firing him; instead, executives left him with little choice but to leave.

To his credit, Bergin admits he broke the rules. He told Megyn Kelly that “I was trying to add context and balance. And, yes, and then, look there's no doubt I went off the reservation, I made a couple rogue remarks at the end. I knew what I was doing.” He thought he would get a reprimand, perhaps a temporary suspension.

Bergin says he spoke out “because this has got to stop. Somebody has to have the guts to stand up and point at this and say, hey, man, we got -- you know, we got to start talking about this. I know it's a touchy subject. I know it's a sensitive issue.”

Again, the debate over this touchy subject is better carried out by analysts and commentators, not reporters popping off. But I doubt News 12 would have dumped Bergin if he’d “editorialized” on some less controversial subject.

But as I told Bill O’Reilly, imagine if the station had suspended him for a couple of days for breaking the rules, then seized the moment by assigning him a three-part series on the roots of urban crime, fatherless families and racial animosity toward the police.

Instead, the station looks like it is fleeing controversy—and Sean Bergin is looking for a job.

Click for more from Media Buzz.

Howard Kurtz is a Fox News analyst and the host of "MediaBuzz" (Sundays 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET). He is the author of five books and is based in Washington. Follow him at @HowardKurtz. Click here for more information on Howard Kurtz. 

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Moving Estimate Basics You Have To Know

Moving Estimate Basics You Have To Know

Do you have to get a moving estimate so you can find the best company for you to hire to get your move made easier? Before you get any estimate, it is a good idea to understand that basics of it.

First, when you are looking for a moving company to hire, always look for a free estimate. If you don’t locate one that is offered or if they try and charge you for it, then stay away from that company.

The free estimate lets you know that you have located a legitimate company. Now, the first basic you need to be aware of is that there are two basic types that you can get from different companies.

There is the non binding estimate, which is exactly what it sounds like. It is a quote of the cost, but this can change if there are factors involved in the move that influence the change.

For example, if you add services in the middle of a move when you have already gotten the free estimate, then this will definitely influence a change. You want to make sure you know exactly what you want from the moving company, so you get an accurate quote and it doesn’t change much at the end.

Then there is the binding estimate and this type will provide you with a cost that you will end up paying once the move is done, but no changes can be made during the move.

You want to carefully do your research on both of these types of estimates so you can decide on the one that is the best choice for you.

Another basic that you have to know is that most of the moving companies will offer insurance in their quote, but that is not always true. You want to always be looking for this because having insurance is vital during any move.

You never know what or if something will happen during the transport of your belongings and it is smart to be covered by insurance, just in case there is a problem.

One last basic thing to know is that not all companies will charge the same price. By getting free estimates, you will be able to compare the costs that each company is going to charge.

This will allow you to save money and let you learn essential information about each company from the estimate.

With these basics in your mind, you need to know why a moving estimate is an imperative tool to help you make the best decision. Don’t hire any company without getting a free quote since this can lead to hiring the wrong company and problems that you don’t need, which can be avoided when you get an estimate.

Maureen Romensya invites you to visit her moving website to receive moving quotes and moving estimates from reliable moving companies. Compare free online moving quotes and pick the best national moving companies based on services & price. When moving companies compete you save money.

Moving Estimate Basics You Have To Know

‘Duck Dynasty’ recap: Jase faces his nemesis while cleaning the duck blinds

The Robertson family dressed in their duck-huntin' best.

(A&E)

When it comes to hunting, the Robertsons are the first to volunteer. However, when it comes to their favorite pastime, the Louisiana natives dread one aspect of duck hunting: the annual cleaning of the duck blinds.

“Being a hunter isn't just about whacking ducks,” said Jase. “There are truly someone mundane and tedious tasks involved. The annual debugging of the blinds is one of those tasks.”

Tedious, but dangerous. Duck Commander employee Godwin was the first to stick his head in a blind and he quickly ran away crying alligator.

“He’s Godzilla big!” whined a scared Godwin after Jase pulled out a baby alligator from the blind.

“One of the positives of debugging the blinds is you never know what you're going to find,” said Jase. “The water rises and leaves behind all of these surprises when it [falls] back down. Over the years we've come across things you can't even imagine.”

But it wasn’t long before Jase and the rest of the blind-cleaning crew were distracted from their duties.

“All outdoorsmen have their nemesis,” explained Jase. “With Phil, it's the beaver, with Si it's the mystical blank panther [and] with me, it is the dreaded fire ant.”

All hope of cleaning out the blinds were abandoned and Jase quickly turned their attention to killing as many fire ants as possible.

“When I was about 12, I was swimming in the river,” he recalled. “I just barely brushed up against an ant pile and they immediately just engulfed me. I went to stripping clothes. I [ran] back to the house and I open the door [and] I was unaware that my mom was having a muffin group brunch and there I am in my birthday suit covered in ant bites. I’ve never forgiven the ants.”

But even he knew that if they ignored the blinds, Phil would be upset. “There’s a pretty good chance that my dad isn't going to be happy about that but if there's a choice between pleasing Phil and killing fire ants, I’m going to kill me some fire ants.”

One Robertson who accomplished what he set out to do was Uncle Si whose marketing plan to help attract people to the charity car wash the rest of the Robertson clan were hosting to raise money for their church was starting to work. While Si brought in customers easily with a big yellow arrow to draw them in, his nephew Jase still needed some convincing.

“Car washes, they're not for me,” said Jase. “If you wash your vehicle, it just gets dirty again.”

“Just like you wash your body when it gets, dirty,” explained his wife Missy.

“That’s optional,” said Jase who ended up giving in. “Well, I'll support my family.”

“In business, hiring the right person for the job is crucial because the people you hire represent you, but family though, you don’t get to pick and choose,” Willie said over the family’s dinner. “Sometimes you get lucky, like Si's crazy marketing plan actually working, other times the guy you asked to help on a cleaning job ends up cutting down half the forest in a fit of blind rage.

“In the end, you have to take the good and the bad because you can't fire family even if there's times when you really might want to.”

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'Straight Outta Compton': Universal distances itself from offensive casting announcement

FILE: This photo released by Universal Pictures shows the cast and filmmakers of "Straight Outta Compton, " clockwise, from top left, producer Ice Cube, director F. Gary Gray, producer Dr. Dre, Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre), Jason Mitchell (Eazy-E) and O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube).AP/Universal Pictures

LOS ANGELES –  Universal Pictures and the filmmakers behind the planned N.W.A. biopic are distancing themselves from an offensive casting announcement for the film.

The company said in a statement late Thursday that "the filmmakers ... did not approve and do not condone the information in this casting notice. We regret and sincerely apologize for being in any way associated with the offensive descriptions it contained."

Sande Alessi Casting posted an open call earlier this week that sought women in four categories. "A girls" were described as "the hottest of the hottest" and could be of any ethnicity. "B girls" were to be "light-skinned," whereas "D girls" were "African-American... Poor, not in good shape. Medium to dark skin tone."

Gawker.com quoted the casting call in an article Thursday. The casting company has since removed the announcement from its Facebook page.

A woman who answered the phone at Sande Alessi Casting on Thursday declined comment and would not identify herself.

Universal has not said if it is still working with the casting company. The Sande Alessi Casting website shows it is still inviting African-American men and women to audition as extras for "Straight Outta Compton" at an open call later this month.

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After Gaza invasion: Obama White House needs to get its head in the game

Thursday was a head-swiveling day for all of Washington. When not transfixed by the horror of a commercial airliner spread all over the Ukrainian countryside, their eyes are glued to the sight of watching Israeli tanks roll into Gaza.

Unfortunately, that's typical inside-the-Beltway behavior: flitting from one crisis to another, intent on what’s just happened. It would do better to start thinking about what’s going to happen next, and what the U.S. can do to assure the best outcome.

It would do Washington better to start thinking about what’s going to happen next, and what the U.S. can do to assure the best outcome.

What’s next? In Gaza, Hamas will be worse off for picking a fight with the Israeli military. The Arab world isn't rushing to defend the militant Islamist organization.  Indeed, Cairo has sent plenty of signals that it doesn't have much use for Hamas. 

The situation now? Hamas is running short of money. It's been clobbered by the Israeli military. And the latest Israeli land incursion will likely demolish its tunnels and military caches in the south and east along the border with Egypt. This will further degrade the group’s military power.

So the real issue for Washington is how to capitalize on the reduction in Hamas capability and stature.

For starters, the administration should realize that Cairo has just sent a big, fat message that it wants to be a force for good—a partner in on-going efforts to restore stability to the region. President Obama should act to take them up on the offer.

Hamas is a stooge of Iran. A bad day for the militants is a bad day for Tehran. It's time for the White House to forget about making nice with Iran and put their stooges and the regime on the endangered species list.

The White House has supported Israel's right to defend itself. The president should maximize our strategic relationship with the Middle East’s only functioning democracy, rather than marginalize the alliance.

To that end, the US should stop wasting time on the fruitless Palestinian-Israeli peace process. As long as Hamas—an organization sworn to destroy Israeli—holds sway among the Palestinian Authority, any peace “process” is doomed. The administration would do far better to focus its attention and considerable diplomatic resources on equally vital, and far more amenable, problems—such as keeping Iraq from spiraling into utter chaos.

The humbling of Hamas, now underway, opens new options for the U.S. The White House needs to get its head in the game and take advantage of the opportunity.

James Jay Carafano is vice president of foreign and defense policy studies  The Heritage Foundation. Follow him on Twitter @JJCarafano.

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Things you didn’t know about French fries

Is there anyone who doesn’t like French fries?

There are few things better in life than the wafting smell, the golden color, the crunchy first bite, and the light fluffiness of a French fry. And believe it or not, this simple fried potato has quite an interesting history.

Skinny, chunky, crinkly, cut into wedges or steaming hot from the local fast-food joint, everyone has a favorite type of French fry. America’s ongoing love affair with French fries means we just can’t get enough of the finger-licking potato delight. We devour nearly 2 million tons every year — a demonstration of their versatility, tastiness and great value.

While French fries are eaten all over the world, every culture has its own preferred condiment. Americans dunk them in ketchup, Brits eat their chips with salt and malt vinegar, mayonnaise is a popular accompaniment in Belgium, and in Vietnam they serve their fries with soft butter and a sprinkling of sugar. And fries are so versatile, they can be topped with everything from chili and cheese to foie gras, and they can even be a vessel for s’mores (check out this recipe for s’more fries).

No matter where you live, you most likely love fries. "The French fry should be the global symbol of peace,” Paul Abraham, co-owner of New York’s popular Sticky’s Finger Joint, told us. “Like fried chicken, it is found, consumed, and loved all over the world. Salt them, season them, top them, or dip them. Have them anyway you want.”

When a food product is eaten and loved all over the world, there are bound to be some interesting facts and figures that crop up that can boggle the mind, like which famous company is responsible for a full third of American French fry sales, or the fact that there is a museum in Belgium entirely devoted to the classic fast-food snack. Read on to learn a few things that you didn’t know about French fries.

Should they even be called ”French” fries? Belgians claim to have invented ”Frites” and there is an ongoing disagreement between the Belgium and France over its true origin. Some also believe that the fry may have first been introduced in Spain via Colombia.

Around seven per cent of the potatoes grown in the U.S. end up being sold by McDonald’s. They sell more than ? of all the French fries sold in restaurants in the U.S. each year.

The average American eats 30 pounds of French fries per year. You’re going to need a lot of ketchup.

The earliest known reference to French fries in English literature is in A Tale of Two Cities. Charles Dickens refers to “Husky chips of potato, fried with some reluctant drops of oil”.

Thomas Jefferson gets the credit for introducing French fries to America when he served them at a White House dinner in 1802 after reportedly requesting, "potatoes, fried in the French manner.

Check out more fun fry facts.

More from The Daily Meal

America’s 30 Best French Fries

Unhealthiest Fast-Food Fries in America

11 Burger Stats That Will Blow Your Mind

11 Things You Didn’t Know About McDonald’s

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2015 Ford Mustang power secrets revealed

The 2015 Ford Mustang is still a couple of months away from showrooms, but Ford today answered the biggest question surrounding it: How much power does it have?

There are actually three answers, one for each engine.

The big dog 5.0-liter Coyote V8 in the Mustang GT is rated at 435 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, up 15 hp and 10 lb-ft, while the base car’s 3.7-liter V6 loses 5 hp, for a 300 hp/290 lb-ft rating.

But it’s the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, Mustang’s first since 1986, that’s been the most tantalizing, and it doesn’t disappoint with 310 ponies and 320 lb-ft on tap.

Just as important to pony car fans, while there were rumors that the all-new Mustang was going to weigh hundreds of pounds more than the current car, the gains are much more modest across the board, ranging from 12-87 pounds, depending on the model.

All three motors can be ordered with either a six-speed manual, or six-speed automatic transmission, while turbo and V8 cars will be available with optional performance packages featuring suspension and brake upgrades.

No word yet on what day the Mustang deliveries are set to begin, but the order books are already open.

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Kendra Wilkinson considering divorce after husband's alleged affair, report says

Having trouble forgiving her husband after his alleged affair with Ava Sabrina London, Kendra Wilkinson, 29, is thinking about divorcing her Hank Baskett, 31, according to US Weekly. 

The couple have been living apart after Kendra kicked Hank out of their home on June 20, after which she was left to take care of their two young children by herself. Their living situation could become permanent as Kendra considers a divorce.

Although Hank has insisted to Kendra that he didn’t cheat on her with transgender YouTube model Ava Sabrina, Kendra was photographed not wearing her wedding ring, and one report alleges that she flushed it down the toilet in anger.

The couple, who are parents to Hank IV, 4, and Alijah, 2 months, have been in therapy trying to work on their issues. Despite this, Hank and Kendra are now headed for a divorce, according to a new report from Us Weekly. 

“She’s hurt by Hank and doesn’t think their marriage can recover,” a source told the mag. Kendra is “humiliated” in the aftermath of the affair and “doesn’t know how therapy will change that.”

Kendra isn’t rushing to make the decision to end their five-year marriage, however. “She’s focused on her kids now. She’ll decide after the summer,” adds Us Weekly's source.

Hank and Ava’s affair allegedly occurred in April 2014, when Kendra was 8 months pregnant with Alijah. 

WATCH: TV to become all naked, all the time?

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Now African American Women Get Jumbo Loan Easily

Now African American Women Get Jumbo Loan Easily


African American women play a very important role in the American economy nowadays, getting more and more involved in the industrial and overall business world. Some of them are successful and influential entrepreneurs, venturing into several sectors such administration, management, PR and engineering. This fact has increased their capability to ask and take loans of all kinds, either for business or personal purposes such as jumbo loans.

African American women who wish to acquire a capital for a house purchase or financing for their business can now turn to several places where the best jumbo loan is available.

First of all there are many organizations, both local and international, that foster the personal and business development of African American women, granting loans with normal jumbo rate or longer payoff time. It is relatively easy to find these organizations in the US, mostly because they are all available online and because there are valuable pieces of information in local authorities and public offices.

The Government and the public sector run many projects and programs that aim to the financial help of African American women, providing grants and jumbo loans to women who have either been born in the US or immigrated there and have been legally settled for some years. The disadvantage of these loans and projects though is that they are relatively limited which means that whoever is interested needs to apply early, as soon as the target date and period start running.

Financial Institutions also give great numbers of loans to African American women, appreciating their growing participation and presence to the local economy. It is known that women become excellent professionals and have usually better credit scores than men, a fact that permits the banks to close larger amounts of loans to them.

This is the bright side though of loans given to African American women, because recent studies run by the Consumer Federation of America as well as the National Community Reinvestment Coalition prove that African American women get their loans with highly unfavorable terms from the banks and the financial institutions.

Numbers dont lie and what they say is that women of African American descent take mortgages and all kinds of loans with higher interest in a 32%, while most of them have bigger incomes than men . 50% of men who ask for the same loans have either worst credit scores or lower income but get the loans with lower interests. Women pay averagely 7-9% of interest rate in mortgages while men 5-6%. This is a drain that stigmatizes the black women, raising questions on the real reasons for this discrimination.

The current crisis in the financial institutions has affected African American women more than any other category, even though most of them meet effectively the requirements set by the banks. The subprime crisis in loans is significantly and disproportionally damaging black women, forcing many Consumer Federations in the US as well as advocacy groups to protest and defend the right of African American women to enjoy equal terms as men and white people, especially when are more qualified .

Here author just try to give the best information about
Jumbo Loan Terms for African American Women, either been born in the US or immigrated there and have been legally settled for some years. For more detail about Jumbo loan terms visit at http://www.jumbohomefinance.com/

Related California Jumbo Loans Articles

Now African American Women Get Jumbo Loan Easily

FOX411's pic of the day

Amanda Bynes was spotted with her parents, walking thier dogs, in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

She donned a Twerk Team hat and a baby blue Captain America sweatshirt, on Dec. 7, 2013.

For more pics of Amanda, go to x17online.com.

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Israel clashes with Hamas in Gaza Strip

July 17, 2014: The mother, left, of Fullah Tariq Shahebar, 8, one of three children who were killed in an Israeli missile strike earlier, is comforted by a woman after she identified her daughter at the hospital's morgue in Gaza City.

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Warning: Graphic Content: Wreckage from Malaysia jetliner crash site in Ukraine

Warning: Graphic Content: Wreckage from Malaysia jetliner crash site in Ukraine

A Malaysian Airlines passenger plane with 295 aboard was shot down by a surface-to-air missile in Ukraine near the Russian border a day after a Ukrainian military jet was downed, Fox News confirms.

July 17, 2014: An Emergencies Ministry member works at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region. The Malaysian airliner was shot down over eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian militants on Thursday, killing all 295 people aboard, a Ukrainian interior ministry official said.

July 17, 2014: An armed pro-Russian separatist stands at a site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region. Dozens of bodies were scattered around the smouldering wreckage of a passenger jet that crashed in a field in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, a Reuters reporter said.

July 17, 2014: The site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash is seen at the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region.

July 17, 2014: A man works at putting out a fire at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region.

July 17, 2014: A general view shows the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region.

July 17, 2014: A part of the wreckage of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane is seen after it crashed near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region.

July 17, 2014: The site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash is seen near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region.

July 17, 2014: In this photo taken with a mobile phone provided by Andrei Kashtanov, smoke rises from where a Malaysia Airlines commercial plane crashed in eastern Ukraine.

July 17, 2014: The site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash is seen in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region.

July 17, 2014: People stand near part of the wreckage of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane after it crashed near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region.

July 17, 2014: Fires at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash are pictured near the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region.

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Some very bad things happened in the world today

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Children's Kid's Scooter Three Wheeled Outdoor Scooter with Lights and Music

Invite your little ones to tag along with this scooter. Outfitted with a three-wheel design for added stability and an impact-resistant plastic body, the scooter makes riding fun for kids 6 and under.

Product Features

• Handlebar Bag and basket with Screened Graphics.


• Super fun matching streamers, PVC plastic wheels.


• Four running red light on both sides of the board with music.


• Requires 3AA batteries for lights and music (not supplied).


• Dimensions 23 x 9 x 30 Inches.

Children's Kid's Scooter Three Wheeled Outdoor Scooter with Lights and Music

Champion Sports Plastic Water Bottle Set

The Champion Sports Plastic Water Bottle Set has everything you need to conveniently keep you team healthy and hydrated. Each set includes 6 plastic quart size bottles and a collapsible plastic carrier. The quart size bottles feature a wide mouth, push/pull tip that are easy to use on the go. The carrier is made of durable plastic and folds flat for easy storage.

Product Features

• Carrier is made of durable plastic and folds flat for easy storage


• Plastic bottles are quart size and feature a wide mouth, push/pull tip


• Set includes 6 plastic quart size water bottles and 1 collapsible plastic carrier

Champion Sports Plastic Water Bottle Set

Netanyahu orders Israeli military to prepare for 'significant expansion' of Gaza ground offensive

July 17, 2014: Smoke from flares rises in the sky in Gaza City, in the northern area of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military Friday to prepare for a "significant expansion" of its ground operation against Gaza militants.

Netanyahu said the military's primary goal would be to destroy underground tunnels used by Hamas to attack the Jewish State. The announcement came hours after Israeli ground troops and tanks struck more than 100 terror targets in Israel's first major ground offensive in Gaza in just over five years.

The offensive follows an Egyptian effort earlier this week to halt hostilities. Israel accepted the terms, but Hamas refused, demanding that Israel and Egypt first give guarantees to ease the blockade on Gaza.

“Since there is no way to deal with the tunnels only from the air, our soldiers are doing it now from the ground," Netanyahu said at the opening of an emergency cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv, the Jerusalem Post reported. “We decided to launch the action after we tried all the other ways, and with an understanding that without this operation the price we will have to pay later would be much higher."

Tanks, infantry and engineering forces were operating inside the coastal strip. In a statement, the military said it targeted rocket launchers, tunnels and more than 100 other targets. Throughout the night, the thud of tank shells echoed across Gaza, often just a few seconds apart. Several explosions from Israeli missile strikes shook high-rise buildings in central Gaza City. Pillars of smoke could be seen from the Israeli side of the border.

At Gaza's main Shifa Hospital, casualties quickly began arriving, including several members of the same family wounded by shrapnel from tank shells. Among those hurt were a toddler and a boy of elementary school age, their bodies pocked by small bloody wounds.

At least 20 Palestinians have been killed in the early stage of the ground operation, including three teenage siblings and a 3-month-old boy who died after a shell hit his family's Bedouin tent in southern Gaza, The Associated Press reported, citing Gaza health officials.

The Israeli military said a number of soldiers were wounded throughout the night, and one soldier, Staff Sgt. Eitan Barak, 20, was killed in the fighting. The circumstances behind his death were not immediately clear. Hamas' military wing said it ambushed Israeli units in the northern town of Beit Lahiya and caused casualties but Israeli media said it was likely a case of friendly fire between Israeli troops.

"The ground offensive does not scare us and we pledge to drown the occupation army in Gaza mud," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said in a statement.

Israeli officials have said the goal is to weaken Hamas militarily and have not addressed the possibility of driving the Islamic militants from power.

However, Hamas has survived Israeli offensives in the past, including a major ground operation in January 2009 from which it emerged militarily weaker, but then recovered. Hamas has since assembled thousands of rockets and built a system of underground bunkers.

Israel had been reticent about launching a ground offensive for fear of endangering its own soldiers and drawing international condemnation over Palestinian civilian deaths.

Since the July 8 start of the air campaign, more than 260 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,000 wounded, Palestinian health officials said. In Israel, one civilian died and several were wounded.

Israeli public opinion appears to strongly support the offensive after days of unrelenting rocket fire from Gaza and years of southern Israeli residents living under the threat. Gaza militants have fired more than 1,500 rockets at Israel over the past 11 days.

Israel said it launched an open-ended assault on several fronts, with the primary aim being to destroy underground tunnels into Israel built by Hamas that could be used to carry out attacks.

On Thursday, 13 heavily armed Hamas militants tried to sneak in through such a tunnel, but were stopped by an airstrike after they emerged some 820 feet inside Israel.

Israeli defense officials said soldiers faced little resistance during the first night of the ground operation, but the longer troops remain in Gaza, the greater the risk for heavy casualties on both sides.

Forces are expected to spend a day or two staking out positions and are working in the north, east and south of the Gaza Strip. Then, they are expected to move to the second phase, which is to destroy tunnels, an operation that could take up to two weeks.

Once Hamas is able to study the military's positions and movements, it may push back more forcefully, the officials said.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the military's strategy.

"The mission is progressing well," said Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, Israel's military chief. "There were a number of incidents overnight that we overcame and moved forward."

Prior to the Israeli Cabinet meeting, several ministers said they expected a prolonged offensive.

"This operation must be completed to its end and that includes a significant incursion into Gaza," said Uri Ariel, a Cabinet minister from the hardline Jewish Home party.

"We need to go in and finish the job. We need to eliminate every terrorist. They have no immunity."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click here to read more from the Jerusalem Post.

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Lawmakers say there will be 'hell to pay' if Russia is behind Malaysia Airlines crash

July 17, 2014: An Emergencies Ministry member works at the site of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in the settlement of Grabovo in the Donetsk region. The Malaysian airliner was shot down over eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian militants on Thursday, killing all 295 people aboard, a Ukrainian interior ministry official said.Reuters

WASHINGTON –  The White House confirmed Thursday that President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin briefly discussed a Malaysian passenger plane crash that killed 295 people on board during a telephone call the two leaders had earlier in the day.

The plane crashed in Ukraine near the border with Russia. It was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Pieces of the Boeing 777 along with bodies were found burning on the ground in Ukraine.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest confirmed the call took place but suggested that Putin did not pass on a lot of details to Obama. What Putin passed on – or did not pass on - to the president may be significant as more information comes out on possible Russian involvement.

“I can confirm that President Putin near the end of this morning's phone call with President Obama noted the early reports of a downed passenger jet near the Russia-Ukraine border,” Earnest said.

At a political event in Delaware early Thursday afternoon, Obama spoke briefly about the downed airliner, saying it “looks like it may be a terrible tragedy” and the administration is working to determine whether American citizens were on board. He also noted the national security team is in close contact with the Ukrainian government.

Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., told Fox News the weaponry used to down the plane was consistent with Russian technology although he could not tell for sure “which jerk” in the region shot it down.

Kirk added if the reports are confirmed, the international community should suspend flights over Ukrainian airspace.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., took a similar tone. He said there would be “hell to pay” if the plane was shot down by the Russian military – but added, “to leap to conclusions could be very embarrassing and really inappropriate until we have more information.”

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a senior member of the Intelligence Committee, said if the crash was caused by pro-Russian separatists, it “represents a tragic and dramatic escalation in this conflict.”

He added, “It’s been clear from the beginning that notwithstanding Putin’s duplicitous statements to the contrary, Russia has continued tostoke theconflictand allow violent separatists in eastern Ukraine access to an array of Russian armaments.”

Schiff also urged European countries to “quickly follow" America's lead by implementing broader sanctions.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said U.S. officials had “been in touch” with Ukrainian officials but couldn’t confirm any other details, including whether any Americans were on board the plane traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

For its part, the Kremlin website published a statement that says “the Russian leader informed the U.S. president of the report from air traffic controllers that the Malaysian plane had crashed on Ukrainian territory, which had arrived immediately before the phone call.”

Ukrainian PresidentPetroPoroshenkoconfirmed the crash and fueled speculation that the plane was shot down by separatists, but State Department spokesman Jen Psaki in a message on Twitter said the U.S. government cannot confirm any cause.

"We do not exclude that this plane was shot down," Poroshenko said, "and we stress that the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not take action against any airborne targets."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Malaysia Airlines crash: Ukraine, Russia point fingers after missile downs plane

As pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian government traded charges about who was behind the surface-to-air missile that downed a Malaysia Airlines jet with 298 aboard Thursday, Ukraine's separatist rebels on Friday said they have found "most" of the plane's recording devices.

The Boeing 777 bound for Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam was shot down Thursday afternoon at cruising altitude about 35 miles from the border, according to Anton Gerashenko, an adviser to Ukraine's Interior Minister.

Malaysia Airlines originally said there were 280 passengers and a crew of 15 aboard the flight, though it later upped the number of passengers to 283 to account for three infants.

The flight manifest reportedly included the names of 23 Americans, though U.S. officials were unable to confirm Thursday whether any Americans were onboard the plane.

The incident touched off immediate finger-pointing between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian government. Eastern Ukraine separatist leader Alexander Borodai told Reuters that Ukrainian military forces shot the jet down, but Kiev denied involvement and labeled the incident a "terrorist act."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine bore responsibility for the crash, but he did not address the question of who might have shot it down and didn't accuse Ukraine of doing so.

"This tragedy would not have happened if there were peace on this land, if the military actions had not been renewed in southeast Ukraine," Putin said, according to a Kremlin statement issued early Friday. "And, certainly, the state over whose territory this occurred bears responsibility for this awful tragedy."

Ukraine's security services produced what they said were two intercepted telephone conversations that showed rebels were responsible. In the first call, the security services said, rebel commander Igor Bezler tells a Russian military intelligence officer that rebel forces shot down a plane. In the second, two rebel fighters — one at the crash scene — say the rocket attack was carried out by insurgents about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the site.

Neither recording could be independently verified.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted Donetsk rebel spokesman Sergey Kavtaradze as denying that the intercepted phone conversations were genuine.

But separatist leader Igor Girkin boasted on Facebook at about the same time the plane went down claiming to have downed a transport plane, though the post was quickly deleted after it became clear the plane was a passenger aircraft.

“In Torez An-26 was shot down, its crashes are lying somewhere near the coal mine “Progress,” read the tweet, obtained by FoxNews.com and translated into English. "We have warned everyone: do not fly in our skies.”

The self-titled "Self-defence forces of the Donetsk People's Republic" boasted in a June 29 press release of having taken control of Buk missile defense systems. The Buk, or SA-11 missile launchers, have a range of up to 72,000 feet.

Separatist groups reportedly blocked Ukrainian officials from the scene following the crash, and later said the "black box," or flight data recorder, had been sent to Moscow. An assistant to Girkin said Friday on condition of anonymity that eight out of the plane's 12 recording devices had been located. He did not elaborate.

He said Girkin was still considering whether to give international crash investigators access to the sprawling crash site. Any investigators would need specific permission from the rebel leadership before they could safely film or take photos at the scene.

The White House issued a statement late Thursday, pressing for a "full, credible, and unimpeded international investigation," adding that it was "vital" that no evidence be tampered with at the crash scene.

"The United States is shocked by the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, and we offer our deep condolences to all those who lost loved ones on board," the statement said.

The White House said President Obama spoke with Ukrainian President Poroshenko Thursday afternoon to discuss the crash and “emphasized that all evidence from the crash site must remain in place on the territory of Ukraine until international investigators are able to examine all aspects of the tragedy.”

Meanwhile, a U.S. intelligence source told Fox News that the intelligence community was ruling out the possibility the missile was fired by the Ukraine military but could not rule out that it was fired from Russian territory.

The missile was believed to have been fired from a Russian Buk launcher, and the Malaysia Airlines plane appeared to be at least the third aircraft downed in the area since Monday, when a Ukrainian An-26 cargo plane was shot down. Late Wednesday, a Ukrainian Su-25 fighter jet crashed, though it could not be confirmed if it was shot down.

KT McFarland, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense under President Ronald Reagan and a Fox News national security analyst, said the attack was most likely the work of Russian separatists, not the Russian or Ukrainian armies.

"I think it’s far more likely it was rebel forces in eastern Ukraine trying to get the Russian back involved," McFarland said.

But retired Army Lt. Col Ralph Peters, also a Fox News contributor, said it is unlikely the Russian military would have put missile batteries capable of knocking a plane out of the sky at such an altitude in the hands of rebels.

"It wasn't the separatists, although Russia will try to blame them, or blame the Ukrainians," Peters said. "The Russians have not given the separatists complex, high-altitude air-defense systems.If this airliner was flying at 34,000 feet or any altitude close to that, it was shot down by Russian military air-defense systems perched on the Ukrainian border."

Peters said the Russian military has been shooting down Ukrainian military aircraft in recent weeks, and most likely mistook the airliner for a Ukrainian military aircraft.

"Russia has a small number of elite forces, but most of the Russian military is ill-trained, sloppy and marginally disciplined.," he said. "With no Western response to them shooting down Ukrainian aircraft, they just got trigger happy."

A Reuters correspondent near the scene reported seeing burning wreckage and bodies strewn across a nine-mile debris field. A Ukrainian Emergency official told the news agency body parts and at least 100 bodies were seen in the area.

Early Friday, The International AIDS Society (IAS) issued a statement saying “a number of colleagues and friends” were aboard the plane en route to the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia.

The flight manifest reportedly included the names of 23 Americans, though State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a briefing Thursday afternoon, "we don't have any additional details at this point on American citizens" aboard the plane.

"Obviously, we're seeking that information as we speak," Psaki said.

Other passengers reportedly were from the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, the Philippines and Canada.

An AFP journalist at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport –- where the plane had taken off –- said distraught family members were in tears, according to The Telegraph.

Late Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice prohibiting U.S. flight operations in the airspace over eastern Ukraine “due to recent events and the potential for continued hazardous activities.” However, it also noted no scheduled U.S. airlines were currently flying routes through the airspace.

Malaysia Prime Minister Mohd Najib Tun Razak wrote in a post on his Twitter page that, "I am shocked by reports that an MH plane crashed."

"We are launching an immediate investigation," he said.

The Donetsk region government said Thursday's plane crashed near a village called Grabovo, which it said is currently under the control of armed pro-Russian separatists. The area has been a flashpoint to the larger dispute between Ukraine and ethnic Russian separatists. Fighting has intensified in recent months in the region.

President Obama said the incident appeared to "be a terrible tragedy" and that the administration is working to determine whether American citizens were on board. He noted the national security team is in close contact with the Ukrainian government.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said whether it was intentional or accidental it is an "international incident" when a passenger jet is shot down. McCaul said he believed only a military grade weapon could have downed the plane.

The Boeing jets are equipped with twin Rolls-Royce Trent engines, typically cruising at 35,000 feet and at speeds up to 639 miles per hour.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those on board the Malaysia Airlines airplane lost over Ukrainian airspace, as well as their families and loved ones," Boeing said in a statement. "Boeing stands ready to provide whatever assistance is requested by authorities."

On March 8, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, also a Boeing 777 and carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew on a route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, disappeared somewhere over the ocean. It has not been found despite expansive searches over land and water.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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