« Older Entries

New Real Estate Laws and Same Sex Couples

It’s no secret that same sex couples are not created equal. Not only with general discrimination that exists, but being allowed to legally wed (in most states), adding your significant other to your health care plan, or even buying a home together proves to be a challenge. With the new real estate laws and same sex couples, they may now have one up on this jaded system we call “constitutional.”

The Supreme Court has dismissed the existing law that identifies marriage as a joining of a man and a woman. This might be a small step to the general population, but it is huge to gay couples. And while it does not remove all of the other obstacles that they still face, it is a step in the right direction.

So what does this have to do with real estate? Well, the Supreme Court has recently ruled that a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unlawful. For gay and married couples, this means changes that will affect the mortgage interest tax deduction and VA Home loans.

Married gay couples, who until now have not been unable to claim this tax deduction, will now be able to file tax returns jointly. In the past, these couples living in states that allowed gay marriage would not allow couples to file joint tax returns. Since this ruling, DOMA must recognize same sex marriage just as a marriage between a man and a woman, and as such, they will now have the same rights when it comes to the mortgage interest tax deduction.

When it comes to VA loans there is still plenty of work to be done. Currently, a married gay veteran who would like to obtain a VA loan cannot include his/her partner as a spouse on the application. This is because the federal rules require the spouse to be of the opposite sex. While a joint loan is possible, if both are veterans, the VA only allows a portion of the loan to married gay applicants. What a way to treat those who service our country, wouldn’t you say?

While we as a country, are nowhere near treating gay couples equally when it comes to the laws and how they are applied to same sex couples and what we call “traditional marriage,” continued small strides and wins are definitely helping.

Perhaps one day we will all be treated equally. While that is too far down the road for any of us see, maybe one day it will happen. Until then, rulings such as this will help ensure that any gay couple who wishes to buy a home is not discriminated against because of their sexual preference.

My Internet Home Based Business Sucks – Is This Your Internal Dialogue?

There have certainly been a large number of internet home based businesses started and promoted in the last few years. Even as you’re reading this, the industry continues to grow. The home based business industry is the fastest growing on the planet and the majority of them are online businesses from home. If you’ve been in touch with anyone who’s looked into this industry, you may have heard them say “my internet home based business sucks”. Why? Because so many of these business take your money up front, and leave you to fend for yourself in a highly competitive environment. The good news is, you can learn how to avoid ever getting involved with these companies, and how to find the right internet home based business for you and your future. There are 3 simple steps that can mean the difference between you saying “My internet home based business sucks” or saying “My internet home based business was my ticket to freedom”. Learn and apply these 3 simple steps, and you can take control of your future.The advantages of online businesses from home are talked about all the time – the time freedom, the financial abundance, replacing or creating 6-figure incomes or even multiple 6-figure incomes from home, working from anywhere any time you choose, etc. These are all very real possibilities, but only for a select few. What sets these select few apart from the rest? They understand the following 3 principles, and they live and breathe them. You can to, the minute you make the decision to go after what you know you deserve.Principle 1 – Work With the Right PeopleModern success philosophy tells us that we are the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with. This applies in all different areas of our lives, including business. In choosing the company and the people that you’re going to be working with, it is critically important that you like, trust, and respect them. If you find yourself saying “my internet home base business sucks” it’s likely because the people you partnered with suck. That’s the truth. Find people who inspire you, who can show you the pathway to success, and who have a vested interest in your long term success.Principle 2 – Do The Right ThingsIt’s sad to see that some companies just aren’t providing the kind of support, training, and mentoring that their people need. There are definitely some lofty promises out there. Some are true, but so many of these companies that are offering online businesses from home are just blowing smoke. They over promise and then under deliver, leaving their people to fend for themselves in a highly competitive market place, lamenting about how “my internet home based business sucks”. However, there are some companies that have established a pathway to success that can be shared and replicated in quite a short time frame. What stops most people from experiencing success online is that they don’t do the things they’re told to do. This can happen for a number of reasons, but they all boil down to fear. Trying new things can be scary, period. But again, this is where the power of mentoring comes in. If you truly trust your mentor, you know that you can do what they tell you to do, and that if you do you will succeed. End of story. When you’re partnered with the right people, they will help you do the right things. Success leaves clues. No need to reinvent the wheel folks. No need to sing the “my internet home based business sucks” song. Get out of your own way, and you can be radically successful in a very short time frame.Principle 3 – Make the Decision to SucceedIn reality, there is no such thing as failure. There is only feedback. People say “I tried, but my internet home based business sucks” or “it’s not working” or “it was just a scam”. These are the dialogues of quitters. That may sound harsh, but it is the truth. To illustrate this point, consider this example. If I asked you to pick your keys up off the counter, you would quickly realize that there is no such thing as “trying”. You either pick them up, or you don’t. If you don’t pick them up, you have simply found a perfect strategy for NOT picking up your keys. You didn’t fail. You just got feedback.If you want to know the one way to guarantee your success at anything you do it is this – make the decision to succeed. Decide, once and for all, that you will never, ever, give up, no matter what. When you make this decision for yourself, and when you’re partnered with the right company, there is no way to NOT succeed. You will do whatever it takes. Every time you don’t get the result you want, you have simply figured out another strategy for how NOT to get that result. You must have the flexibility to try a new one, and you will find the one that creates the success outcome you desire.Once again, the benefit of a mentor relationship takes away the guess work. Rather than listening to your whining about “my internet home based business sucks” or “this isn’t working for me” they can simply say “This works. Do this.” Connect with a great mentor, make the decision to succeed, and your dream life will unfold before your eyes.

Tags:

Start a Home Based Business Online – The Advantages of Owning a Online Business

At one point of another in our employed lives, we have all dreamed of walking up to the boss’ office and giving them a Donald Trump-like “You’re fired!” and thereafter turn around and leave triumphantly. Chances are you thought twice about it because you had nothing to fall back on before. The good news is that today you can set up your own internet business and say goodbye to your boss for good.It is easy to start your own internet business as this type of venture does not come with very high start up costs. An online business is therefore a much cheaper business to begin than a business in the brick and mortar world. For one – you will not have to pay office rent – because you will not need office space. You can easily work from your living room, bedroom or even your kitchen, so long as you have your laptop and internet connectivity. What’s more, you do not need a lot of expensive office furniture to impress your clients, nor will you have to worry about paying salaries each month as you will not need any staff.To start a home based business online is simple once you know what you are doing. The low direct costs of sales that you will make with your internet business will also translate into higher profit margins for your business. For instance, if you are selling eBooks online, you will pay close to nothing in terms of stocking and delivery costs. On the other hand, if you were stocking encyclopedias for sale in the brick and mortar world… you do the math. As for your other costs such as web hosting, you will incur anywhere between $20 – 30 per month which is minimal in comparison to your profits.If you have ever had to serve a client who is having a bad day, then you will appreciate the benefits that come with not having to deal with your clients face to face through your internet business. You will find that by providing some clear and detailed information, you can avoid most of the conflicts that all business owners tend to experience with their clients. Ensure that your site has a comprehensive FAQs section for client use, and be sure to also send out emails for further clarification on any issues. By not having the customer raging in your face, you are allowed the time to calculate your response and ensure that the problem is solved without your losing a client in the process.If you want to start a home based business online, don’t wait until tomorrow, take action now.