Working With a Seller's Agent - What First Time Home Buyers Need to Know

By Alexandria P. Anderson

Many first time home buyers end up working with a subagent, otherwise known as a seller's agent and it's important to understand that these agents are working on behalf of the seller, not the home buyer. Seller's agents are hired to represent the seller and bring the buyer to the deal, but they do work on a commission and have certain rights and responsibilities towards the buyer.

Different states have varying regulations on the practice of seller's agents, but they have common responsibilities and restrictions as defined by national laws. According to Ilyce Glink, author of the book '100 Questions Every Home Buyer Should Ask', homebuyers should thoroughly review the agent disclosure form before signing under the services of an agent to understand the scope and limitations of the agent's work. Generally, a seller's agents' responsibilities and restrictions include:

A seller's agent can give you information regarding similar homes in the area. This information is called comparables or 'comps' and is a listing of homes that have similar price, size and area, and age. Comps can include homes that were recently sold or are currently in the market. This information allows a homebuyer to have a basis of comparison to ascertain the value of a home.

The seller's agent cannot tell you which home to choose when you are still deciding. Even though it's the seller's agent's job to sell you the home they are commissioned to sell, they do not have a right to 'push' their home over another in question. If you like two homes and the broker is working with both sellers, they cannot persuade you to purchase one over the other; the decision is ultimately yours to make.

A seller's agent cannot reveal the flaws of the home, except for imperceptible material imperfections. They are not allowed to disclose information that can influence you not to buy a property. Homebuyers must conduct their own inspection to assess the condition of a home.

The seller's agent cannot make suggestions on the best offer for the home. It may be tempting to ask the seller what price you should pay for the property, but they cannot legally offer this information at any time during your communications. The seller broker has certain obligations to the seller, so this information may impede on that relationship.

A seller's agent has the right to ask you for referrals. Most sellers' agents run their own businesses and are likely to ask you for referrals. It is up to you to decide if a seller's agent is worth referring to your fiends and relatives.

When you are working with a seller's agent as a first time home buyer, it's important to remember that they are in the business to make the home buying process as easy as possible. This doesn't always mean that they have your best interests in mind, so it's important to do your own research about the property and work with a professional real estate agent in addition to the seller's agent. - 23199

About the Author:

Alexandria P. Anderson is a Minnesota Real Estate Investing specialist. If you are a MN First Time Homebuyer she can help you to find real estate that's perfect for your needs. Get a free copy of "The Investors' Rental Guide" at GreatInvestmentProperty dot com.

About American Platinum Eagle Collector Coins

By Gerald Hampton

Made available to the public in 1997, by the U. S. Mint was the American Platinum Eagles, the official coin of the United States. The coin contains. 9995 platinum. The sizes for sale include 1/10, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 troy ounce. Backed the by U. S. Mint, Congress also sanctioned the coin.

Coin collectors can buy uncirculated coins called proof coins. The proof coins have graphics that change each year.

From 1907 to 1933 the graphic created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens was selected for use on the $20 gold piece. 1986 saw the resurrection of the graphic for the coins. Available in bullion and proof, these coins can be purchased by anyone. Also shown on some coins is Walking Liberty design by Adolph A. Weinman. Created originally in 1916, the graphic was used on the half dollar.

Vistas of Liberty graphics were available for purchase from 1998 through 2002 on the proofs of the American Platinum Eagle. Regardless of what was changed about the coin the bald eagle has always appeared on one side with differing areas of the U. S. Each year. In 2006, the graphic changed to the three branches of government. Each year through 2008 a different branch was represented. The graphics were called the The Foundations of Democracy. All denominations have the yearly design. These coins are the only ones with changing graphics every year.

The United States Mint offers proof styles of the coins for collectors. These coins go through a special process when being minted that starts with feeding empty coins into presses that contain special stains. The coin is then struck several times so the glazed, featured images appear to hover over a mirror-like area. Inspectors then seal these coins in a protective covering and mount them in special presentation cases with their own official Certificate of Authenticity. Because all these coins are manufactured by the U. S. Mint all of them are guaranteed to be the same.

The United States Mint decided to add another American Eagle family to the coin collection in 2006. These are the uncirculated coins.

Available only in a 1 ounce size is the only difference between the two. Any of the other American Eagle Uncirculated Coins can be purchased in varying sizes.

These coins are put through the exact same process as proof coins are but, they are stamped with a W. The W shows that the coin was minted at the West Point location.

These coins have their good and bad sides to them. They can be placed in IRA accounts because they are considered commodities due to their metal content. Rare coins are not normally allowed to be placed in investment accounts, but because they are valued on the metal content, collector coins themselves are not expected to increase in value. - 23199

About the Author:

Gerald Hampton provides readers with articles that help collectors in finding information on quality graded Platinum Eagles, including NGC American Platinum Eagles along with PCGS American Platinum Eagles.

The Facts About Bad Debt Consolidation Loans

By Graham McKenzie

Many people think there is nothing worse than being in debt, but there is. Being in debt and falling behind on the monthly payments is much worse, because your credit score begins to fall. When you reach that spot, be careful. A bad debt consolidation loan will be waiting just around the corner to lure you into a trap.

Many people will tell you that you won't be able to get a consolidation loan if you have bad credit. That is not true. There are places on the internet that will guarantee you a consolidation loan for your bad debt. There is always a consolidator that will be ready and willing to entice you with an easy to get bad debt loan that will lump all of your debt together. What they don't tell you is that your interest will be as high as 20 to 22 percent because you'll be considered a high risk.

It's true that your monthly payments will be considerably lower, because you will only be paying one monthly payment instead of a number of individual payments. The minimum repayment time is ten years, and you can choose to make it even longer. What they don't tell you is that you will end up paying a whole lot more because of the high risk interest rate.

You, also, need to know that when they promise to take care of everything for you, they really will. They will add a fee for their services for approximately ten percent of your monthly payment. For example, if you pay $400 a month, it will include a $40 fee that will be taken out for them negotiating your consolidation loan with the creditor. This is another reason you will end up paying more.

The truth of the matter is that this is something you can do for yourself, and it will only cost you the time it takes to get it worked out and set up. Get a hold of your creditors, and talk with someone who knows what they are doing. Ask them to reduce your interest rate, and lower your monthly minimum payment by lengthening your repayment plan.

Although, you will be assured that by making your one monthly loan payment on time, your credit will begin to rise, beware! The consolidation companies don. 't report your payments to the credit companies, and they have been known to pay your creditors late, making your credit score fall even more.

What can you do? Instead of turning to bad debt consolidation, turn to your creditors first. Tell them your situation, and see if you can work out a solution. You will still have the many monthly payments, but you'll save yourself a lot of money in the long run. - 23199

About the Author:

Can Debt Consolidation be the answer for you money problems? Find ways that you can use Bad Debt Consolidation to help with those problems. Get out from under the pressure of all those payments now!

Trade In, Trade Out - Staying on Top of the Forex Market

By Tom K Kearns

Trade- Noun: The business of buying or selling commodities; commerce

Verb: To engage in buying or selling for profit.

Adjective: Of or relating to trade or commerce.

The American Heritage Dictionary made it clear enough. Trading and traders, the word alone gives me the chills even though it is spelled differently.

"I'm a trader."

For whoever made that name up shouldn't be held accountable, no matter how convenient it may be. Living and thriving in the productions is something that trade corporations have done. Some horribly fail while others succeed. Trailing along this forte is a passion, and the drive seems to derive from an implanted thought of thinking that you only have one day to live so prevail, in the beginning stages. You can slither into other facets, once established, that can propel you into new realms. Finding your niche is where it's at. The key to success is communication, and sitting on the shoulders like the good and bad angel is determination, aiding or debilitation in the victory.

Basic types of trading styles

The ideal phrase in browsing through trading websites is "Developing a trading plan", giving you the breakdowns of how great their system is or which would be best for an individual or the mass. Sectioned off into categories and then those categories are sprouted out to mini categories are the trading styles which there are a lot of. Let's keep it simple and knowledgeable.

1) Automated Trade: Basically, a computer that does everything for you. Monitoring markets, carrying out multiple entries and exits, finding profitable targets, finding profitable targets, and completing the details of the order without any need for manual, a person' fingers, to type it in.

2) A system that is based on currency of the foreign exchange, Carry Trade. Low or high yielding currencies that investors borrow; when the global currency is on the short, retracting. The investors may have to pay up which is not so great about this section, by this I am referring to the foreign exchange rates inconsistency. The investor may have to pay back with less valuable money on a more expensive bill since the exchange rate varies.

3) Day Trade: The buying and selling of various financial instruments such as stock, options and futures. Making a profit off the difference between the buying and selling price of the item is the goal when day traders branch off into diverse specialties. Not working overnight shifts or when the market is closed is the significant fad that stands out about day traders. - 23199

About the Author:

To learn more about Forex Trading Systems visit Automated Forex Trading Systems.

Understand How To Trade Options In Our Lifetime Options Course

By Johnny M Junior

Learn how to use a potent tool for investing, such as with an option. Learn how to trade options in our lifetime options course. Every investor should know about options and their benefits and risks.

Before you start, forget about anything that you have heard regarding the concern over risks when trading options. Options were created to manage and limit potential risks. In fact, there are some option trades that can be done with no risk at all.

Two option strategies are normally used for several reasons, speculation and hedging. Most people know what the word speculating means when it comes to investing. When you purchase stock, you are contemplating the way it will go. Saying investing is a lot less scary than saying speculating. There is never an assurance when purchasing stock. You might convince yourself that AAPL stock will increase, but if it was a guaranteed investment, you would spend every last dime you have. It is necessary to know that investing means taking chances. When you obtain options you are contemplating on what the price will be in the future, the chance you are taking in losing money is controlled, but the opportunity to make money is limitless.

Investors can choose to hedge their portfolios. Basically, the investor is purchasing insurance that will protect their investment from potential disaster. It is very similar to buying homeowners insurance. The chance of something bad happening is slim; however, having someone else bear the brunt of the disaster is more appealing than dealing with it yourself. When you hedge your portfolio, you are insuring your investment.

The prices of options are based on the price of an underlying stock as well as many other factors.

Deciding whether to hedge or contemplate using your options is only the first step needed. You will find an option chain listing and then see what is available for you to select. Simply choosing to hedge or contemplate is not nearly enough. It is also wise to establish an investment strategy and whether you are trading a call option or a put. Decide what price you want to trade and how long you want the expiration date to last. Finally, what option strategy to use based on volatility in the markets.

The cost of options is determined by using an intricate differential equation.

Option pricing is based on a very complex equation, but we can look at them in a more simple term. Let's just say they are Time Premium + Intrinsic Value.

Each ingredient plays a role in establishing the value of an option. As an investor, you can only manage two of the ingredients: strike price and expiration. Take into account what your needs are and choose the one that will give you the desired results. Advice to help you on your way:

Hedging: a simple strategy to protect the downside of the market is something like a longer expiration and using puts on out of money options.

Speculating: in the money options, short expiration and use calls. Again, this is a very simple strategy, but not one that I would ever do. This is something basic that beginners start with.

A variety of strategies are part of the out or in the money options that every investor should learn. An in the money option is going to cost more money to purchase but, the chance that it will retain value upon expiration is higher. An out of the money option is less expensive but there is a greater risk of it being worth nothing upon expiration. - 23199

About the Author:

Learn how to trade options with our lifetime options course. Options are a super instrument and something which every investor should get the inside skinny on options learning .