Stewart Milne Homes Offers Range Of Incentives For Buying New Homes In Scotland
Stewart Milne Homes has a host of generous packages available to suit all house buyers and make moving into a dream new-build home in Scotland not only hassle free but also financially viable. Spring is definitely in the air and with it lots of people’s minds turn to moving home. While some potential buyers are hesitant to look for a new property in the current housing climate, those in the north east of Scotland have no excuse for stalling.
The company’s Deferred Payment Plan shared equity scheme is perfect for those who find their ideal home is just too much of a stretch. A deposit of only five per cent is required and an 85% mortgage reduces monthly outgoings, meaning that a four-bedroom home worth £439,995 can be bought with a mortgage of less than £373,995. Stewart Milne Homes holds the remaining percentage as an investment but the buyer owns 100% of the property. The balance is repaid either when the house is sold or after an agreed period of time.
The plan is available at the Kepplestone development in Aberdeen’s West End, where the last remaining townhouses are available in a choice of four styles. These family homes offer bright contemporary designs with an open plan kitchen/family dining area, a large living room with double French doors and a Juliette balcony and four bedrooms, with fitted wardrobes and en-suite shower room to the master.
For those looking to get their foot on the first rung of the property ladder, Stewart Milne Homes’ First Time Buyer Plan is definitely worth checking out. As well as a 90% mortgage, no Stamp Duty on selected properties and mortgage protection insurance, the plan also includes carpets, curtains, a home cinema system and a choice of furniture.
Silver Birches in Alford is one development offering this scheme and homes here begin from £185,000. The development comprises a collection of new homes ranging in size from two to five bedrooms. Stunning scenic views, the proximity of the River Don, sports facilities including a dry ski slope, skate park and swimming pool and an array of restaurants and shops make the market town of Alford a desirable place to live.
Available for a limited time, a collection of four-bedroom homes at Broadshade in Westhill is on the market minus the usual Stamp Duty costs, saving buyers up to £13,950. The selected properties come with carpets throughout and fully landscaped gardens. Comprising a range of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes, the development is only nine miles from Aberdeen city centre yet enjoys a tranquil, relaxed setting.
Finally, those with an existing property to sell can rest assured with the Sell Your Home in Five Days purchase plan. The fast track service includes two independent valuations before Stewart Milne Homes provides a guaranteed offer for the customer’s old home. Not only does this scheme remove any uncertainty about selling a home, the housebuilder also deals with the sale, so there are no fees or marketing costs to be paid by the customer.
The plan is ideal for growing families and is available at the Leathan Mews development in Portlethan, where spacious living areas, rear garden access via French doors, open-plan dining area and ample storage space, not to mention the easy commuter links to Aberdeen, make family life easy. Prices at Leathan Mews start from £249,995 for a three-bedroom home.
Businesses Get Fast Cash Via Invoice Factoring
Today’s small business owners have discovered a new source of funding called invoice factoring. Although this financial strategy has been around for centuries, it seems more people are discovering it today.
Once the factoring company has done their due diligence to make sure the work by their client was satisfactorily completed, accounts receivables factoring takes very little time for the factor to set up. And the good thing is that unlike a loan, you can be paid by the factoring company in 24 to 48 hours. You can get the cash they need without a lengthy and time consuming lending process for a loan at a bank. Small businesses can factor one or two invoices at a time, or all of their accounts receivables.But first you need to find a factor and begin doing accounts receivable factoring.
Most small businesses who cannot grow to the next level are dealing with consistent cash demands in their business. Knowing that the paychecks of future employees will be covered can help support the rapid growth of any business. Most businesses have monthly minimums in terms of bills. Factoring offers an alternative cash flow source to small and medium-sized businesses. Invoice factoring has always supported fast growth for businesses.
Loans for a small business can be really hard to come by for a startup, while factoring is not difficult at all. Many new businesses try to qualify for a bank loan, however, what they may not realize is that they have to be in business long enough to establish good credit and show all the documents and business revenue that prove you can pay the loan out of company revenues.
One of the most frequently asked questions includes the following: What collateral are the funds for invoice factoring? Funds available via a factoring company are usually based on current collateral, and this is primarily based on the amounts due for the invoices you generate for products or services you have already provided, and those that you have invoiced for. The amount of money you receive one month depends on the amount of work you completed the previous month, as accounts receivables can vary from month to month.
Look at it this way, taking on more clients is now a viable option. If your business is being held back by consistent cash flow problems, you need to learn more about invoice factoring.
The Interface Financial, a
factoring company
, provides short-term financial resources serving clients in more than 30 industries in the United States, Canada, the UK, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. IFG offers expertise in
invoice factoring,
accounting, finance, law, marketing and banking.
Tips on How to Organize Taxes
Tax season can be very stressful when it comes to organizing and staying up to date with your financial matters. It is important to stay organized in order to pay the correct amount of tax when it comes to it. Having the correct documentation to prove your income and expenditure will help you just in case you get audited.
You are probably in one of three places regarding your taxes: 1) You have a system set up that you use and that works for you. Great! Keep reading and see if there are any tips that you can use to tweak your system and make it even more efficient and easy. 2) You have a “sort-of” system that still engenders a level of panic as tax day draws near. Stay calm, help is at hand. 3) You have the “ostrich head in the sand” approach and haven’t filed taxes for a number of years. It could take some time to organize your records, but once you have a system set up, it will be easy to sort your records and make tax time a breeze next year.
Preparing for your taxes is a large job. And the best approach with large jobs is to break them down into manageable components and work steadily on them. Fortunately, with taxes, that’s easy to do.
There are three easy steps to organizing your taxes.
The first step is to decide which categories you need to track. This will depend on your situation and an accountant is the best person to advise you on your exact categories. Having said that, for individual taxes, it is usually not very complicated. Set up a place for your income related tax information – W2′s and so on. If you only have a single stream on income and you claim the standard deduction at the end of the year, that’s all you need. If your income has multiple streams, create different categories for income, e.g. W2′s, rental income, dividends, etc. If you claim an itemized deduction, you may want to separate the deductions into different categories, e.g. charitable donations, home mortgage interest, medical, etc. Check IRS for categories that are likely to apply to you. The IRS has all of its forms and publications online so a little research yourself can produce the likely categories for you.
Businesses are treated slightly differently depending on their size. For regular business, publication 535 applies. For small businesses, publication 334 has relevant information. Check the deductions that the IRS likes to see itemized and there are your categories. If you know that you have only a small number of items each year in several categories, it’s okay to combine the categories. Remember, the point to having the categories is so that it’s easier at the end of the year to collate them and, so that if you or the IRS has a question about a particular transaction or set of transactions, it’s easy for you to retrieve the documentation. ( For Information on Publication 535-334 you can visit IRS.gov website)
The second step is to create a structure for your tax related items. In the simplest case, this would be a folder, an envelope, a box, any container that can hold all your tax information for the year in one place. In the most complicated case, the container would have separate compartments for each type of income and expense category you could possibly use in your tax return.
I recommend having a container that is easy for you to use and that you like, since then, you are more likely to use it. Here are some options:
Three-ring binder – have dividing tabs for different categories. Either staple smaller pieces of paper, e.g. receipts, to letter size paper, use binder pockets or sheet protectors to collect all the relevant items.
Accordian file – these come with a variety of number of compartments. Choose one that has a sufficient number of compartments.
Check file – essentially a small accordian file.
File box – comes in either cardboard or a more permanent material, such as plastic. You create places for different categories using hanging files and file folders.
Filing cabinet – again use hanging folders and file folders to create homes for categories.
Electronically – be rid of the paper altogether. There are several receipt scanners available on the market that allow you to copy and store your receipts electronically. Either tag the files with the category and put all the receipt files in one folder, or create folders for each category – just as you would in your paper filing system. Neat Desk, Fujistu, and Canon all make receipt scanners that can meet your needs.
The third step is to create a structure for recording your tax related items. Maintaining organization throughout the year will help you when it comes down to doing your taxes instead of waiting until the last minute. The trick is to deal with the recording frequently enough that each session is easy and doesn’t take long. If you have a large number of transactions to monitor, then you need to record your tax items more frequently than someone who only has relatively few items to record.
There are a number of different ways to record your tax items. Here are some options.
Paper: As a summary on a separate piece of paper with your receipts, income statements, etc.
In a ledger/journal system.
Electronically: Using spreadsheet software. It is possible to set up your spreadsheet to automatically calculate category totals and other useful things.
Using accounting software. Wikipedia has a comparison of a good range of accounting software packages. Which software you use will depend on your usage, some are designed for home accounting, some for small businesses, and some for fully fledged businesses. Check that your times are categorized correctly ant it will flag your taxable deductions in various categories.
There is a learning curve associated with any electronic software, but once you have it mastered, it can take less time to accomplish any particular task and you can typically do other financial tasks easily, such as set up budgets based on past expenditure and such like.
After you’ve done your taxes for the year, retain a copy of your tax return with necessary supporting documentation and archive together.
It is no mystery being organized in your taxes. It does take a little preparation, and frequently doing small amounts keeps the task manageable.
The content of this article is meant for informational purposes but does not constitute tax, financial or legal advice. Consult a tax professional regarding declaration of income categories and deductions applicable to your personal situation and the length of time to retain documentation that would be applicable to a specific case.
New Build Homes For Sale In Leicester – April 2011 Update
Located in almost the centre of the country, Leicester is very well connected in terms of transport links, with its proximity to the M1 motorway. It’s also an important stop for trains going to and from London on the Midland Main Line, running straight into London St Pancras station, giving residents easier access to the continent via Eurostar services. Boasting two universities, both Leicester and De Montfort, and a range of good schools and shops, it’s an ideal commuter spot for families to find a property to settle in.
New property for sale in Leicester is very affordable, and a wide choice is available. In the west end area of Leicester’s city centre, Barratt East Midlands is selling two-bedroom flats at Freemens Meadow, which is within walking distance of the trendy Narborough Road and Braunstone Gate areas of the town. Prices start from £158,995, and Barratt Homes’ Head Start shared equity scheme is available for buyers looking to put down a 5% deposit, to gain 85% equity. The remaining 15% is funded by a deferred loan from Barratt, which is payable in ten years, or when the buyer sells the property.
A more rural option for buyers is another development from Barratt East Midlands, Kibworth Green. Located in the village of Kibworth, just a few miles away from Leicester’s centre and also within easy reach of neighbouring Market Harborough, with good access links to the A6, Barratt is selling two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes here starting from £159,995, going up to £249,995. For buyers in a hurry to move but with a home to sell, Barratt is offering a part exchange deal where they can make an offer for the existing home within just 24 hours. Kibworth itself features a range of independent shops and restaurants, so is a more relaxed option for those wanting a break from busy city life.
David Wilson East Midlands’ Scholars Grange scheme in Scraptoft is a similarly pretty rural development featuring family homes, with prices starting from £194,995 for three-bedroom homes. Recorded in the Domesday Book as Scrapentot, Scraptoft features a range of attractive listed buildings as well as a good selection of shops, with easy access to Leicester city centre. Stamp duty for buyers will be covered under a deal offered by David Wilson Homes.
Redrow is selling homes at the small development of Rossendale Gardens in Earl Shilton, five miles from Hinckley and ten miles from Leicester, starting from £154,995 for three-bedroom homes. Based close to Earl Shilton town centre, a 85%/15% equity share is available on some plots. A busy industrial town in the 19th and 20th centuries, with a rich local history, Earl Shilton is now a relatively small and bustling town, with around 9,000 inhabitants.
Coalville is another option worth considering for buyers looking for affordable new homes in Leicester and the surrounding area. Stamford Homes is selling three-bedroom homes at Ashby Heights starting from under £105,000 with the housebuilder’s EasyStart shared equity 75%/25% scheme. Stamford Homes will pay 25% of a home’s price for buyers with an interest-free loan of up to three years. Buyers can take out this loan for up to ten years, ensuring they manage to complete on the home’s purchase within the time period set by Stamford Homes. Buyers who reserve through this scheme will receive free fitted carpets.
Paydex Scores: Will An 80 Paydex Score Open the Credit Floodgates?
Get an 80 paydex score and your business will be able to qualify for all the credit it needs.
Have you ever heard that statement before?
It’s by far the most misleading and misguided advice circulating the industry and unfortunately too many small business owners are buying into this misinformation.
In this post let’s shed some light on this very issue so you can gain a much better understanding of what to expect during the credit granting process.
First, in order to get a Paydex score your company needs at least four payment experiences reporting on your company’s Dun and Bradstreet credit file.
Now if you’re not familiar with Paydex scores it’s basically a unique dollar-weighted numerical indicator of how your business pays its financial obligations with scores ranging from 1-100.
Similar to how lenders use personal credit scores to determine a consumer’s creditworthiness a company or lender uses a business credit scoring system like Paydex to determine a company’s creditworthiness.
Keep in mind that the Paydex score is Dun and Bradstreet’s own scoring system while Experian has its own Intelliscore and Equifax uses the Small Business Credit Risk Score.
When it comes to Paydex a score of 80+ is considered a good score and some compare it to be like having a 720 personal credit score.
While many suppliers and creditors use Paydex Scores in the credit granting process there are many other factors that are looked at that fail to ever get mentioned.
These other factors include:
*Highest Available Credit Limits
*Payment History
*Types of Accounts
*Age of Accounts
*Debt to Credit Limit Ratios
*DNB’s Credit Limit Recommendation
For example, you can have four positive trade references reporting on your DNB file with $500 being the highest credit limit on all four accounts and still score an 80 Paydex.
This is because DNB’s rating system requires a minimum of four positive trade references but if the four you have are small limits then this hardly qualifies your business to get approved for thousands of dollars of cash credit, lease credit, business loans and business lines of credit.
In addition, having your business only listed with Dun and Bradstreet is like having only one personal credit file with one credit reporting agency.
Let’s say all you have is a personal credit file listed with Equifax but have no file with Transunion or Experian. You would never be able to get approved for a mortgage because lenders do not have enough information to determine your overall creditworthiness.
This holds true for your business as well. In order to show your company’s complete credit picture you will need to have a profile established with all three major business credit reporting agencies.
So simply having an 80 Paydex score does not open the credit floodgates unless you have other positive factors listed above which ultimately play a key role in the size of the credit limits and payment terms that lenders are willing to extend to your business.
However, achieving a positive score of 80 does have its benefits and will enable your business to qualify for many net 30 and net 60 accounts with suppliers but don’t expect large credit limits until your company has proven itself with a solid payment track record as well.
How To Save Money In College
We all know how important it is to go off to college and get a good job. If you want a good job, it is easier to go to college first, but college is not for everyone and some people who do not go to college are very successful. College is not an easy thing to do and it is certainly not cheap, so there are ways to make the most out of college and spend less money. Each year you have to fill out a FAFSA and then the school that you attend tells you how many loans you will have to take out and how much money you are awarded in free money. Students loans can be a little tricky at some times, so make sure you check with someone to make sure you know which loans have the most interest before you commit to them. A federal direct student loan is typically a loan that the student has to pay off after they graduate. Some loans accumulate interest while you are in school and others do not begin accumulating until after your graduate.
The first step towards making the best financial choices in college is making sure that you can afford the school you are going to. By looking over how the FAFSA results, you can see grants and an expected family contribution. Depending on whether or not you are living on campus, you do not have to take all of the money that is given to you. If you have the option to take only a part of it, you should take all the free money you can get and then choose the loans that do not start accumulating interest right away.
After you have determined how much money you will have to pay to go to school, you can determine whether or not you want to live on campus. Living on campus is a great thing to do for the first year, but after that it could be nice to move out on your own which could actually be cheaper than staying at school.
Once you are in college, it is nice to have a part time job so that you can save up for books or buy a coffee every once in a while. The most important thing to know while at school is that you are there to learn and you will most likely not have a whole lot of money that you can spend. You can make a little budget for yourself and just buy what you need as you go on but always make sure you have a little extra cash for books or emergencies.
If you live on your own in college or off campus with friends, you will need to be much more frugal. It is very important to make a budget for yourself while in college and stick to it. There are ways to save your money, you just need to spend as little as possible and that starts with paying for your tuition. It is crucial to know what each loan means so that you make the right choices.
Stewart Wrighter recently spent time researchingstudent loans. His son is going to apply for afederal direct student loan.
Let’s Stop This Rumor
There is a nasty rumor in the business world. Coaches, healers, helpers, “well, ‘those people’ just aren’t serious about business.” I hear it all the time and there are some facts to back it up. Typically, helping professions earn less, focus less on numbers, and carry more debt.
According to Forbes.com: The salary of a life coach is six figures for only 10 to 20 percent of coaches. Since the median salary for life coaches in the United States is only $30,000 to $40,000 per year, it means that there are a lot of coaches who are making much less than $30,000.
I want to be the rumor crusher — which means we have to get real, be willing to watch numbers, and be serious business owners, not hobbyists. Here are the GET REAL Rules of Business. Follow these and you will make a fortune and make a difference!
There are no refunds for being lazy
Just because I am a coach it doesn’t mean I am responsible for you to show up, work hard, or succeed. We actually have people ask us to refund them for a program if they did not use it. This is not Wal-Mart. I want every one of you to have a refund policy and stick by it and stick to it. All businesses have policies and because we “help” people does not mean it is our responsibility to have someone show up for a call or open a notebook. I did my part. I created the product and delivered the program — clients have to do theirs. There are no refunds for being lazy.
If you have to say you are conscious — you may not be
There is a lot of conscious entrepreneur talk going around. It’s never a good idea to fly your “conscious” flag. How about work hard, make lots, give back, and let others call you conscious? Focus on the goal: to have a profitable business. Conscious is a title you get — not one you give yourself. If you use your money to make a difference in your life and others, you will be more than conscious.
Know the definition of business
The definition of business is: Economic system in which goods and services are exchanged for one another or money, on the basis of their perceived worth. Every business requires some form of investment and a sufficient number of customers to whom its output can be sold at profit on a consistent basis.
Business is profit. Business is not to make you feel good, others feel good, build community, or otherwise — it is great when it does those things. That is a side effect and a beautiful one, but when you put those above profit you will struggle. You will make this hard and you will go broke. Profit first — then all the other missions.
You can only save so much
You have to invest to make a business work. From day one I spent money in and on my business. I worked two jobs to do it. You can decide where it comes from, but you better have a financial foundation for your business. 1) day job; 2) loan; 3) credit; 4) spouse support; 5)current revenue; and 6) savings. Have a plan to SPEND money in your business. It takes investment.
Don’t throw like a girl
There is a lot of feminine energy talk these days. I am all for feminine energy and masculine energy and all energies, but don’t let it be your primary message. People want results. They want a plan. They need to pay their bills, lose weight, get clients, or be happy. Talk results; not concepts.
Be pissed off regularly
If you are still reading this you may not hate me — yet. But I get pissed off a lot and in a good way. I use that to teach, to share, and to stop people from making the same mistakes I did. Use your opinions — don’t hide them. People need more truth in business.
Get real or go home
This is business. This is entrepreneurship and it’s not for the faint of heart. It is not for everybody and frankly, many people I meet should not go into business. They can have a big impact on the world in multiple ways, but being a business owner is not their best path. Be serious. Be ready. Be willing. Be committed. Business is one of the most beautiful (and scary) journeys you will ever take. Get real or go home.
Suzanne Evans is best known as the ‘action expert’ and has coached hundreds of solopreneurs to model her multiple six figure business. Learn how you can help more people, make more money and have more fun doing what you love by signing up for your free copy of the 5-Part Mini-Course ‘Awakening Your Authentic Entrepreneur’ at http://www.helpmorepeople.com
What You Should Know Before Filing For Bankruptcy
If your finances are in danger, do not panic. Before you go off in search of a bankruptcy attorney, there are a few things you should come to understand about this particular problem. While the following information is in no way meant to stand in for legal advice, it is a good idea to get a general idea of the basics before seriously considering the assistance of a bankruptcy attorney.
Bankruptcy is a federal court proceeding — one which seeks to liquidate a debtor’s assets and relieve the debtor of further liability. There are two types of proceedings, Chapter 7 deals with liquefying assets and Chapter 13 deals with debt reorganization.
With Chapter 13, a debtor may see their debt consolidated into a single monthly payment which can continue over a period between 36 and 60 months. A payment plan would not extend longer than five years, and debtors pay as much as they can afford to pay. Monthly payments are likely to reflect all of the assets a debtor plans to keep, and any debt leftover after the last payment is made is voided.
Chapter 7 is the slightly more appealing option, but recent changes to the laws have made filing for it more difficult. After filing, a court-appointed trustee will liquidate some of a debtor’s assets in order to pay creditors. After these items are sold, debt is cancelled. It is important to note that the debtor is generally allowed to keep a car or home in which a creditor has a lien.
Before filing, seriously consider the disadvantages of being officially labeled bankrupt. First, being declared bankrupt may affect your future, as it will appear on your credit score for 7-10 years after the fact. This means that you may not be able to obtain a mortgage loan or a car loan for quite a while. Secondly, not all of the debt accumulated will disappear. Child support, alimony, relevant student loans, divorce settlements and some income taxes fall into this category.
On the other hand, there are advantages to filing, especially if bankruptcy offers the only shining light at the end of the tunnel. Besides a fresh financial start, Chapter 7 allows debtors to be forgiven most unsecured debts (secured debts are usually met by selling a debtor’s assets). A debtor may be entitled to keep many of their assets, depending on what is dictated by state law. Debtors cannot be fired from their jobs due to bankruptcy status, and attempts to make collections must stop when a debtor files for either Chapter 7 or 13.
Keep in mind that filing for bankruptcy does not necessarily guarantee the complete forgiveness of all debt. Filing may not be the best option for everyone, and it is essential that debtors obtain advice from an attorney if they are hoping to hang on to a car or home after declaring bankruptcy. Anyone wishing to file for Chapter 7 is required to seek credit counseling which ultimately may not be such a bad idea, even for a debtor who does not end up filing.
Stewart Wrighter recently spent time researching bankruptcy with the help of aBankruptcy Dallas specialist. He searched the termFrisco bankruptcy attorney to find a law practice in the area.
Florida Mortgage Rates Have To Be Seen To Be Believed
There are those who will hear the news and shrug and those who will leap at the chance to take advantage of it. After the harsh conditions Florida went through during the peak of the recession, it is now a land of opportunity. If you want to look, you will see that the current Florida mortgage rates are lower than they have been in decades. This means that people who are taking out a mortgage here right now are saving a ton of money over the years to come. If you have ever wanted your own Florida home now is the time to check out your options.
Current Florida Mortgage Rates Save You Huge Money
Choosing your fate is definitely what you can do in the Florida market for houses right now. Things went so far down that they are now on the rebound in a huge way so if you have been waiting to buy do not wait another minute. The fact is, the current Florida mortgage rates are so low that you would really be missing a huge chance to get an amazing deal that may not even be possible 6 months from now. If you want to make the most of the moment you are going to need to act very quickly.