It comes as no surprise that many of the most beautiful and famous people go to great lengths to maintain their youthful appearance. They work out with personal trainers. They go to the best hair salons and rejuvenating spas. They use exotic skin care products. And they go to the best cosmetic surgeons.

Cosmetic or plastic surgery can be as simple as a “lunchtime peel” or as involved as a complete face-lift. Botox injections can eliminate “frown lines.” Liposuction can reduce excess fat. You can reduce or enlarge just about anything! But there is one beauty secret that is not well known. It beautifies the most looked-at part of the body. It provides dramatic transformations in one visit. It doesn’t require surgery. In fact, you can stay awake through the entire procedure. What is it? Cosmetic Dentistry.

While plastic surgery certainly has its place, cosmetic dentistry has its own distinct advantages. It doesn’t matter how beautiful the rest of the features are, if the teeth are ugly, no one’s going to pay much attention to the rest. Beautifying a smile provides instant gratification. The changes to one’s appearance can be incredible! A “smile lift” immediately improves confidence and self-esteem. The recovery time is insignificant. You can eat with it, smile with it, talk with it and kiss with it!

Beyond appearances, cosmetic dentistry has the unique advantage of being able to improve one’s health. So many people are walking around with historical dental work that is compromising their oral health. Many others have worn their teeth to the point that their bite is causing symptoms of “TMJ,” such as headaches, muscle pain, and even dizziness. Top cosmetic dentists address these problems. The frosting on the cake is that patients leave looking their very best.

About the Author

Dr. Bernstein is a longtime Piedmont resident in private practice 2 blocks from Cal Piedmont. He is a clinical instructor at the world renowned Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies and his practice focuses on Cosmetic Dentistry and 5 star guest services. Dr. Bernstein can be reached at 848-SMILE (848-7645) and at www.allnewsmiles.com.

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Many success coaches and speakers are out there charging
thousands of dollars and giving valuable information about using
your potential, making money and becoming successful. The fact
is, the underlying theme is to take action. You can start now
and create an online business (most of you already have) and
then improve your site over time. You can go ahead and create a
web page about your product, add some testimonials, add a
payment gateway, create an autoresponder and pay for your
pay-per-click adds and you’re in the game. Better to start now
then improve as you go along. The effort you put in for a day or
two (for me it’s much longer, I have to be honest) will bring in
repeated profits and it’s the best way to leverage your time.
Sorry to bore you if you’re more experienced and have heard all
the pep talk before.

The principle I want to talk about is the Kaizen principle. It’s
the Japanese term for continuous improvement of something,
beginning with one aspect, then another and another so that bit
by bit the system improves and in time becomes far superior than
when it started. It began in the late 80’s and early nineties
when a Japanese business wanted to dominate their market and
applied the principle to existing automobile and technology
products. Pretty soon many Japanese businesses that adopted the
principle had dominated their industries in a competitive
foreign market.

If you put up a website and continued to make changes and
implements the new tricks you learn and were able to improve it
by 5% a week, within a year, it would be 13 times as good.
Remarkable isn’t it? If your changes didn’t have any affect or
had a poor affect you could undo them and with continued effort,
you can build yourself a massive empire in a short period of time

To find out more about continually improve a website and for
more powerful concepts, visit
http://www.internetprofitmentor.com. Here I found a wealth of
useful and free information with over 12 hours of video and a
120 page e-book.

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When shopping for a treadmill, it is important to know the facts
in advance. Sales and advertised specials will not always assure
that you get the best price on a high quality treadmill. There
are many different brands and types of treadmill and finding the
one that will best suit your needs can be frustrating,
especially when you consider how many different features and
functions are available. People often pay a premium price for a
treadmill only to find they do not use or require most of the
extra equipment and accessories that are included.

If you are purchasing a treadmill to simply give yourself a
convenient way to exercise in your home and are not a serious
athlete or runner, a basic motorized treadmill with standard
features will suit your needs perfectly. It would not be a wise
investment to spend extra money on numerous accessories and
features that you rarely use, if ever. A good quality, basic
treadmill will cost a minimum of $600 and the price goes up from
there. There are less expensive models available, but if the
brand and style you choose will not last for a long period of
time, then you will have to replace it and you will spend more
money in the long run.

Runners and frequent users can expect to pay $1500 dollars or
more for a professional quality treadmill. A more powerful motor
and extra features such as a steeper incline and a highly rated
cushioning system will be well worth the additional cost if you
train extensively on your treadmill. No matter which type of
treadmill you choose you should make certain the belt is a
minimum of 18 inches wide and at least 50 inches long. The
control panel should be within easy reach and have a prominent
display. A treadmill is a major purchase. Make certain you
choose the model that suits your needs and has an excellent
warranty.

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“I think I can feel my baby move,” Whitney said, her dewy blue eyes wide with anticipation. Her voice rose at the end, turning her sentence into a query. She was a few weeks shy of the second trimester of her second successful pregnancy. Exuberantly curious, she sought validation for her awareness. Whitney was more confident with this baby than her first, but on the issue of whether or not she in fact could detect her baby’s movement, she was uncertain.

The delivery of Whitney’s first child was by caesarean section. At the time, and now in retrospect, she questioned the procedure. It had evoked a prolonged and recurring experience of loss. She knew that she wanted to deliver her second child vaginally, and that her doctor would object.

These were the thoughts dancing in Whitney’s mind when she inquired about feeling movement. She pushed them aside to be attentive for her doctor’s response.

“No, that’s not possible. It’s probably just gas,” Dr. Carlson said, with a sweet, preoccupied smile.

Whitney genuinely liked her doctor. She knew that Dr. Carlson was a good physician, and that she too was a mom. Dr. Carlson had returned to her career after the birth (by caesarean) of her own daughter. Whitney, on the other hand, had gone from being a successful businesswoman with a top salary to being a full-time mom. She loved it! It was not Dr. Carlson’s professionalism or commitment that troubled Whitney; it was what she suspected Dr. Carlson did not know about a mother’s capacity to feel her connection to prenatal life and development.

Whitney had learned how to be sensitive to her body and to her own feelings since becoming a mother. She had also made it her job to learn about the latest discoveries in embryology. Ironically, her baby’s caesarean delivery was the impetus for her increased awareness. It had catapulted her into a passionate quest for the truth about early life, her own as well as her children’s. She was disturbed by the air of secrecy blowing around the cloak of authority that she encountered in the medical world.

Whitney had also learned the essential parenting practice of sorting her feelings and sensations until she understood their frequently hidden meanings. This was the route to self-empowerment. She was reclaiming what she felt she had lost during the delivery of her first child.

She knew she was looking for supportive mirroring from Dr. Carlson about her baby’s movement, but when she did not get it, she reflected on this instead of reacting to it.

Moments later Whitney determined that only she could address her uncertainty about her baby’s movement. When she inquired inside, the answer was definitely, yes, she could feel her baby move. In her first pregnancy, she would have accepted her doctor’s response. Having traversed the painful territory of post-partum depression that she now correlated specifically with the unnecessary caesarean, Whitney had become much more confident in her feminine wisdom. She could honor her hormonally endowed attunement to herself and her child. She was alert to her own tendency to collude in an institutionalized disempowerment of mothers.

As she reflected further on Dr. Carlson’s response, Whitney wondered what kind of relationship she could have with a doctor who did not trust a mother’s experience. Whitney dialogued with her unborn child. Silently, but with passion, she said to her baby, “I recognize your movement and I love it! I’m sorry I was not more confident earlier.” Her baby moved, subtly but clearly, spreading out, stretching with relief in utero.

“Movements of the embryo and fetus are a fundamental expression of early neural activity,” says embryologist Jan Nijhuis in his groundbreaking book Fetal Behavior. “The fetus of 8-10 weeks post-menstrual age moves spontaneously in utero under normal circumstances.”

Prenatal movement in the first trimester, and then the patterns of movement that form in the second trimester, are the expression of the developing baby’s nervous system. This primary neurological unfolding is nourished and enhanced by parental awareness, dialogue and subtle touch on the mother’s body that communicates to the baby. The entire family can participate in this encouragement. The knowledge of how to do this is inherent in each of us. It is part of the magnificent design of the human being. Excellent education is now available to stimulate and sustain this natural wisdom. Awakening to, trusting and acting upon our innate human connection is the joy of parenthood.

Prenatal movement is preparation for neonatal activity. It is also warm-up for the marathon of labor and delivery. It is designed to result in the baby’s thrilling victory of entry into the arms of a world already sensed and perceived.

Movement patterns in prenates are replicated in neonates, demonstrating the continuity of neural behavior. The human fetus sleeps, breathes moves, eliminates, and feels, sees, cries, initiates and responds. He or she is acutely sensitive, as a result of constantly expanding neurological capacities, to the surrounding environment and its vicissitudes.

The prenate communicates its experiences the only way it can: through motility. Eye movement, heart-rate, respiration, gestures, and elimination patterns speak volumes about the individual prenatal world.

Regularity of movement can be a sign of health whereas deceleration or lack of movement can signal distress or concern. Certain fetal movements may convey discomfort. By noticing movements or their absence, the family can come to know its new arrival and begin, well before birth, to integrate the baby into the family. Prenatal consciousness is neurologically organized to be present, alert and receptive. The unborn baby delights in recognition.

The question of whom and what the baby in utero actually is and what he or she is capable of doing can best be answered by a respectful collaboration between scientists, parents and people who remember their own prenatal lives. Optimally, these three categories can be combined. Scientists, like me, who are passionate about the role and function of very early life in holistic healthcare, are building the case to demonstrate that prenatal life is, in fact, the basis of all health.

Immune function, structural development, spiritual wellbeing, relational health, confidence, and the capacity to respond to change and threat in a balanced way are all formed by what transpires in utero. Embryology bears this out. Of all the populations that will make the best use of this information, parents, I believe, are the most significant..

The personality of the unborn baby is present and engaged with its family from virtually the moment of conception, and some believe even before. The baby is not only interacting, he or she is a full time student, constantly learning and creating the blueprint for a lifetime of physical health, relationships and motivation.

All relationships flourish with authentic and frequent communication. This is as true for prenates as it is for husband and wife, and for parents and children of all ages.

I am reminded of a story reported to me by a young friend who attended a conference where insights into prenatal health were discussed. He was inspired by what he heard. Soon after, he discovered that friends of his had been told that their baby was breach and that a caesarean was scheduled. This young man immediately went to their home, sat in front of the mother’s pregnant belly, and begged and pleaded with the baby to turn. He spoke with full commitment, faith and insistence. The baby turned and was delivered vaginally.

What does embryology say about the prenate’s ability to hear and respond to auditory communication?

Neonates as well as prenates, until relatively recently, were regarded as being deaf as well as mute. Beginning in 1977, however, research demonstrated that the fetus responds to sound from at least 12 weeks in utero and perhaps sooner. Certain sounds, like the mother’s heartbeat, elicit strong responses. The mother’s voice is decidedly heard, as well as the voices of others in the environment. This is supported by the discovery that neonates prefer the sound of their mother’s voice to other sounds.

Auditory sensory mechanisms begin developing during the fourth and fifth week in utero and continue to completion by about the 25th week. At the early stages, however, the baby can hear. A study involving invasive sound at less than 24 weeks of gestation revealed that after hearing a loud and shrill noise that evoked initial dramatic fetal movement, the fetus stopped responding completely. The overwhelming invasion resulted in fatigue and collapse. The fetus learned it was powerless to stop the invasion. The method of the study disturbs me but I hope we will learn from this and stop such painful experiments. However, we can take this knowledge and use it to protect our own prenates from auditory assault!

How do babies reveal their memories post-natally? Long term studies conducted by Italian psychologist Alessandra Piontelli and published in her book From Fetus to Child show that babies who are frightened and insecure in utero and who demonstrate this through their behavioral states, do the same thing at five years of age and older.

Whitney’s experience of her first son’s memories of his caesarean birth supports this theory. In the midst of storytelling, Timmy said “Will our new baby have to wait to come out instead of pushing, the way I did, Mommy?” At first Whitney stared at her son in amazement, and then she acknowledged his wisdom, just as she had learned to acknowledge her own.

“Was waiting hard for you?” she asked her son. “It was very hard,” Timmy replied. “I don’t want my baby to have to wait.” “OK,” Whitney said, “I’ll do my best so there will be no waiting this time.”

Whitney learned how her child’s embryological behavioral states continued into the birthing process when she went into labor. The process slowed just when it should have intensified, causing even her midwife to consider going to the hospital. It was deja vu for Whitney and her family.

“It’s OK,” Whitney told her family and midwife, turning the tables on her team. Weren’t they supposed to be reassuring her?

“My baby is just concerned,” she declared, smiling. “We need to have a conversation.” Her body provided Whitney with the truth she trusted. Her baby could and would decide the time of birth.

Whitney closed her eyes and commenced an internal dialogue in which she encouraged her child to continue to journey forward and inquired about what the difficulty might be. Her communion was a show stopper for everyone.

“What’s he saying?” Timmy blurted out, unable to control himself. He had always known he had a brother in there!

“He says that he doesn’t know if we will have time for him because we are all so busy. He’s not sure we really want him,” Whitney said softly, looking directly at her husband.

“Is that just you talking?” Blake asked, dumfounded.

“He’s been listening, watching and learning,” Whitney answered, her face radiant in the greatest certainty she had ever known.

“OK,” Blake said, tears streaming down his face. “I’ll spend more time at home. I really want to.” By this time he was sobbing.

The baby’s response was the biggest contraction Whitney had ever felt. Within thirty minutes their baby was born. They named him Micah, the merciful messenger.

Dr. Mines is a psychologist dedicated to the healing of shock and trauma, and the reduction of trauma before and during birth, both for the mother and child. The healing system she has developed - the TARA Approach - is an effective system for healing shock and trauma from all sources. See more at her site: www.tara-approach.org.

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The most effective way to use the subconscious for pain relief seems to be to encourage it to attack the pain process from three different directions. Here’s a recap that you may be able to use to help build an effective strategy for easing your pain.

The following approach may give you the greatest chance of alleviating your pain:

1. Use the subconscious to try to reduce the pain signals that you’re already feeling.

2. Use it to try to prevent certain body systems from producing those signals in the first place.

3. Do the same with certain lifestyle factors.

This approach may be helpful in addressing back pain or pain in other extremities, arthritis pain, fibromyalgia pain or neuropathic pain (nerve pain).

The Role of Visualization Statements

Visualization statements represent the specific language that your subconscious wants you to read back to it to help ease your pain. They’re simple and are targeted directly at the main factors in each of the above three areas that could bring you relief.

You can obtain these statements by learning how to communicate directly with your own subconscious mind. The process is straightforward and can be done at home by working with a facilitator over the telephone. You you need no special skills and no previous experience in working with the subconscious.

1 Reducing the Pain Signal

The most urgent need is to reduce the pain impulses that are currently reaching your cortex.

The process by which a pain signal is transmitted from the periphery of your body to the brain is highly complex and is not fully understood. But we know enough to identify the key places, or pain leverage points, where the subconscious could possibly interrupt these signals.

You can try to do so at only one or two leverage points and it may work. But you have a higher chance of success if you use your subconscious to attack the signal pathway at many leverage points. Via visualization statements the subconscious may be able to address most or even all of them, while drugs may be currently available for only a few of them.

2 Reducing Body System Triggers of the Pain Signal

While working to reduce the pain signals that you perceive, it’s possible at the same time attempt to focus the subconscious on body systems that may be triggering those signals to occur in the first place.

The musculoskeletal system, the immune system, and the endocrine system can all be sources of pain. In addition, in chronic pain the central nervous system itself can cause pain that is independent of external stimulation.

• The Musculoskeletal System. Your muscles, joints, tissues, ligaments, tendons and a number of other structures can be a source of back pain, arthritis pain, or other conditions. When you give your subconscious specific visualizations about these structures, it may be able to provide relief.

• The Immune System. When your immune system is malfunctioning it could be implicated in arthritis pain, fibromyalgia pain, or other conditions that cause pain. By using visualizations you may be able to address the malfunction effectively enough to ease your pain.

• The Endocrine System. A hormonal imbalance could be contributing to your pain. The organs that produce hormones may be weak, or the levels of hormones that they produce may be out of balance with one another. Through your subconscious you may be able to relieve the imbalance enough to ease pain.

• The Central Nervous System. Chemical reactions move pain signals along a pathway from your body to your brain. As mentioned above, by focusing your subconscious on potential weak points on the pathway, you may be able to reduce the signal enough to get relief.

3 Reducing Lifestyle Triggers of the Pain Signal

Emotions, food and sleep can be sources of pain:

• Emotions. By visualizing a weakening of the connections between fear, anger and other emotions to your pain, you may be able to reduce the number of pain signals that are triggered. In addition, you may be able to weaken the strength of those signals once they are generated.

• Food. Certain foods may be contributing to your pain. You can use the subconscious to expose what may be the most prominent offenders–the nightshade vegetables, dairy products, wheat, or others. You can then try avoiding them to see if that eases your pain.

• Sleep. If you’re in pain you probably can’t get enough sleep. This causes a vicious cycle–sleep deprivation makes the perception of pain worse, which further prevents sleep. Visualizations about a comfortable position to sleep in, and about other factors, may help you to break this cycle.

Using Your Subconscious to Gain Leverage

If you can learn to engage your subconscious, you most likely will be able to address leverage points on the pathway of the pain signal, and in addition identify which of these seven trigger factors apply to you. You can then use visualization statements to give your subconscious the daily reinforcement it needs to possibly take the edge off your pain.

Ben Plumb is CEO and President of The Visualization Group, Inc. The company’s service is delivered by people like himself who personally suffered from years of chronic pain, and used the visualization method described in this article to obtain relief when nothing else worked. For more information, please visit http://www.thevisualizationgroup.com.

(c) 2005 The Visualization Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The methodology and program disclosed in this article are Patent Pending.

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The decision to purchase an extended service contract or
mechanical break down policy as they are sometimes called is a
decision that has many variables. Depending on the age of the
vehicle, the usage, how long do you plan on keeping the vehicle
for are just a few questions that need to be considered.

If you look online, some of these so called guru’s who write
scam pieces will tell you–Don’t Buy–it’s a scam. I whole
heartily disagree with their opinions, I question if they have
real world knowledge and experience to begin with. If they did,
then I firmly believe their opinion would be other wise.

The scam comes when you are charged outrageous and inflated
prices for an extended service contract, they are not cheap to
begin with, but those who exasperate the cost are the ones who
are taking advantage of unsuspecting consumers. Or perhaps even
requiring you to purchase as a condition of buying the vehicle,
you should never be forced to buy under any circumstances.

With automotive repair labor rates ranging easily up to $100.00
per hour or more, it doesn’t take a huge repair to cost you
major bucks, and with the electronics and technologies of
today’s automobiles, parts prices are equally as expensive.

During my 26 years in the automotive service industry, I can
recall countless and numerous times where customers wished that
they had purchased, and those that did were glad they made such
a sound financial decision.

Consider the following examples of repair cost:

Air Conditioner Repairs can easily cost $1500.00 for compressor
replacements. Transmission Overhaul or Replacements–$3000.00
Water Pump replacements–$600.00 Power Steering Pumps and
Steering Gears–$600-$2000.00

However, don’t be mislead into believing a mechanical break down
policy covers every nut and bolt on the vehicle, there are
variables and different kinds of policies as well. Some cover
seals and gaskets, wear and tear items, consequential damages
etc and others don’t. Be aware of what it does and does not
cover before buying, this will save you a lot of grief in the
event you have a mechanical failure.

It is a major decision, and one that requires weighing the
advantages and disadvantages. My personal and professional
opinion is that if you are going to use the vehicle on a daily
basis, you plan on keeping for 2 years or more after the
original factory warranty has expired, then you should purchase
the extra protection.

It is after all, like an insurance policy, you hope that you
don’t have to use it, but it will give you some peace of mind in
the event that you have to have an expensive repair.

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I just finished a Venti Latte at Starbucks, my fifth this week.
As I enjoyed my coffee and thought about my next “save money
grow rich” article, it hit me like a ton of bricks that my
coffee could be the subject of my article. I started doing the
math on the latte in my hand; Three dollars and forty cents
multiplied by five times a week multiplied by fifty two weeks.
That’s eight hundred and forty dollars I’m spending a year on
fancy coffee! If I saved that money each year and invested with
five percent interest, which is pretty easy to get, I could have
sixty thousand dollars in thirty years. I’m spending sixty
thousand dollars on a cup of coffee. I’m not even accounting for
inflation which is going to make that latte cost over eight
dollars in the last eight to ten years of that thirty year
period. At eight percent interest it would be one hundred and
ten thousand dollars. Yikes!

What little things are you spending your money on? You might not
drink fancy coffee, but I’ll assure you that there are other
things you’re spending your money on that can be cut from your
budget. That money can be saved, grown, and used to become rich
or at least retire comfortably. How much do you spend on bottled
water, cigarettes, beer, and lottery tickets? You don’t have to
give up all of your favorite vices…, I mean luxury items. Life
is pretty boring if all you do is save every penny, but it is a
good idea to take an inventory of what you are spending, what
you can give up, and what it is worth to you in future dollars.

Track your daily expenses for a week. Make a list of each of the
expenses and separate them into the items that are absolutely
necessary, like gas, and the items that are not necessary, like
the coffee.

Here are some other areas that you can cut back and save:

- Eating out. Only eat out occasionally and take your lunch to
work. - The mid afternoon candy bar. Hey, it’s good for your
health too. - Pre-packed convenience foods. - Carry over credit
card interest. Pay your credit card bill off monthly. - Extra
cable channels.

You’ll be amazing how fast you can come up with two hundred and
fifty dollars a month that can be saved. Using the savings
calculator at HREF="http://www.rich.fqte.com/savings-estimator.htm" rel="nofollow">www.rich.fq
te.com/savings-estimator.htm you can see that two hundred
and fifty dollars saved monthly for thirty years adds up to a
lot of money. Time to ditch the latte, save money, and get rich
faster.

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Traveling with kids is always an adventure, but for anyone who has ever been on a long car trip with children, help has finally arrived in the form of America’s Best Value Inn’s link called, ‘Are We There Yet?’

1. “Are We There Yet”, which you can find at http://sev.prnewswire.com/travel/20060308/CLW00508032006-1.html, includes advice for parents on how to make a family vacation an adventure for the kids too, without demolishing your budget. It has everything from packing a suitcase and pre-vacation car safety, to creative ways to reward good behavior and prevent carsickness. The site also features activities, card game rules, sing-along songs, trivia, memory games, and educational activities that parents can print in advance to keep their children entertained while on the road.

   “The printable games and activities on this site promote family interaction,” said Peter Frantz, Marketing Director. “Being stuck in a car for an extended period is the perfect time to ask kids to put down the electronic devices and interact with the rest of the family. The time spent traveling together is what they’ll remember when they are adults.”

2. A second great site is at travelsense.org, which gives advice like items the smart parent should stock for a roadtrip with kids. It also suggests involving the kids in saving items along the way for a scrapbook they can assemble later. You can visit this site at: http://www.travelsense.org/tips/children.asp.

3. Sally at sallys-place.com has been through it all, and has some great ideas to share with other traveling parents. Her mantra is new toys and books. She says that newness counts for a lot and she always packs a bag of small new toys so she can pull them out whenever the long car or airplane ride seems to be getting to the kids. Read Sally’s top ten list of advice for traveling with children at: http://www.sallys-place.com/travel/with-kids/topten/

4. Then there is momsminivan.com. This gal is really organized! She has included over 101 ideas for fun things for kids to do in the car. At her site you will find printable car games and activities as well as a plethora (I just love using the word, “plethora”) of ideas organized by age group.

5. At keepkidshealthy.com, the advice is generally related to air travel with kids. One thing I learned here that I hadn’t ever considered before was the benefits of having layovers or flying into small regional airports when traveling with kids. The layovers, she says, give kids a chance to get the “wigglies” out, while the smaller airports have smaller crowds and friendlier employees. Check out this site at: http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/parenting_tips/flying_with_kids.html

6. Finally, I was surprised at how good a resource Southwest Airlines has on their website. The section called “Taking The Kids” is full of informative articles on things like traveling as a single parent, getting a sitter away from home, making a museum excursion fun and even tips for grandparents flying alone with the kids. Surprisingly, these articles are not all about air travel but also include some good advice for when you travel by car.
   http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/taking_the_kids_index.html

COPYRIGHT © 2006, Charles Brown. All rights reserved

Think budget travel equals boring travel? Think again! Learn the Guerrilla Traveler’s insider secrets to budget adventure travel to the world’s most exciting places and experience the coolest travel adventures without spending a bundle. Charles Brown is a former attorney who now spends his time indulging his passion
for travel and shares the unique travel destinations and adventure travel bargains he uncovers on his blog, Guerrilla Traveler - Adventure on a Budget, http://www.guerrillatraveler.blogspot.com

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The combination of rising interest rates (although still historically low) and rising home prices has caused the robust mortgage market to slow from its record pace. This has motivated lenders to either introduce creative new loan products or to more aggressively market existing products. If you have not shopped for a second mortgage in a while, you will find numerous new products from which to choose. Following is a brief review of some of the new and popular products available today.

Interest Only - With this loan program you are paying only the interest on your mortgage and are not paying any principal. This reduces your monthly payments and can allow you to afford a larger home or save more money on a mortgage refinancing or home purchase loan. If used carefully, you can also free up cash flow that can be used for investment purposes or to pay down high interest rate debt.

Negative Amortization - These are often marketed using the phrase “option arm” or “choice mortgage”. With this loan type, your payment does not cover all of the monthly interest. Often, your mortgage balance is increasing and the underlying interest rate is usually a monthly variable rate. These loans are used to dramatically reduce your monthly payment and can be used for a mortgage refinancing or home purchase. This program should be reserved for the more sophisticated borrower and it is important that you understand the terms of the loan.

40 Year Amortization - Rather than paying off in 30 years, this loan pays off in 40 years. As with the Negative Amortization and Interest Only, this program is used to reduce your monthly payment.

Stated Income / Reduced Income Documentation Loans - There are a variety of these loan products available, but they are primarily used to for individuals with difficult to verify income. These can be used for mortgage refinancing, second mortgages and home purchase loans. As lenders have become more comfortable with credit scoring, these products have become very popular. Essentially the lender is relying on the credit score for their loan decision. They realize that borrowers with higher credit scores will pay their mortgage and they do not need to fully verify their income.

ALT A Programs - The “ALT” is short for Alternative and the “A” refers to the borrower category. These are categories of mortgages that fall outside the more stringent guidelines of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Generally these mortgage refinancing programs allow for more flexibility with regards to loan to values and income documentation requirements and can be used for home purchase, mortgage refinancing and second mortgages.

Hybrid Second Mortgages - Traditionally, your options for a second mortgage were either a fixed rate, fixed term loan or a variable rate, open ended line of credit. Now, you can have the benefit of both. You can start your second mortgage as a variable rate home equity line of credit and then lock in all or a portion of it to a fixed rate for a fixed number of years.

Bob Peckenpaugh is a professional mortgage planner with over 15 years lending and banking experience. His programs assist clients with increasing cash flow, reducing liabilities and building equity by integrating a client’s mortgage decision with their overall financial plan. He is a manager with CFIC Home Mortgage providing both purchase and refinance transactions. Bob holds a B.S. in Marketing and Management and is Fair Credit Reporting Act certified. For additional questions or comments about Mortgage Refinancing or Second Mortgage Solutions, please contact Bob Peckenpaugh at American Mortgage Funding Corp or robert.peckenpaugh@branch.cfic.com or 1-800-943-9472.

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What better on a cold winter’s night, than to come home to a supper of crisp-skinned baked potato, piping hot, a knob of butter soaking into the fluffy centre. Perfect for days when you get home in good time but have a million things to do and cooking supper is last on the list. All you have to do is get the oven hot (200C), fling them in, (with a cross scored on the top, so they don’t burst and coat your oven with an irremovable patina of flaked potato) and leave them there for at least an hour, better an hour and a half. You can get on with everything else, secure in the knowledge that supper is cooking without you and then put together a few fillings at the last minute.

One of my favourite toppings is tuna. Just open the tin, drain, season with salt and pepper and some lemon juice (feel free to add mayonnaise if you like it but we don’t). Other hassle-free accompaniments are baked beans, grated cheese, left-over juices from last night’s stew. Any of these makes a tasty, nutritious meal with no fuss and best of all, one that most kids will eat…an enormous plus point for mothers everywhere.

A microwave hastens the process but leaves you with thin skinned potatoes that might do as an accompaniment to something else but lose the crisp appeal of the true oven baked article. If you are in a hurry, cook pasta instead and save your jacket or baked potatoes for a day when you remember to switch the oven on in time.

A variation to try with smaller potatoes: after washing, drying and scoring the potatoes, rub the skins with a little butter, then season with salt and pepper before baking to give you extra crispy, tasty skins that everyone will eat.

Another thing to try if you want to get fancy: once the potatoes are cooked, halve them, scoop out the insides, mix with a beaten egg, grated cheese, salt and pepper, heap the mixture back into the skins and return to the oven for another 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown. A meal in itself!

Cheap, filling, nutritious with the right toppings and needing the minimum investment of labour, the baked potato is every busy mother’s ideal supper!

Copyright 2006 Kit Heathcock

About Kit Heathcock - sometime flower photographer, keen observer of the resonances of life and fulltime mother. Born in the UK but now living on a farm in the southern hemisphere. Contributor to the creation of A Flower Gallery home of original flower pictures, and Food and Family

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