Saturday, June 28, 2008

Creative Leasing Ideas to Find Housing After Foreclosure

Author: Brian Higdon

If you’re going through foreclosure, or have recently lost your home to foreclosure, your primary concern is probably finding a place to live. As you know, it can be difficult to get your first new housing after your foreclosure. Even people who are sympathetic with your situation may not feel able to rent to you with a very fresh foreclosure on your credit report.

A good first idea is to talk to small, independent landlords. They may have small apartment buildings or own duplexes or town homes. If you explain your situation, are honest about the foreclosure, and can present a plan showing how you’re going to meet your rent obligation, many of them will be willing to listen.

It is not worth your time to talk to large apartment complexes. They have very strict credit rules. Even a manager who likes you and believes you will pay the rent may not have the authority to rent to you. Just about the only thing you can get from these complexes is discouragement. But smaller landlords may be willing to work with you.

If you cannot get a lease, look for subleases in your area. Quite often you won’t have to go through a credit check with the landlord, and if you can make the deposit with the person who leases the apartment, you can move in. When the sublease is up, you will have proven that you can and will meet your rent obligation, and you can use your landlord as a reference.

If you cannot lease or sublet an apartment, you may feel a little (or a lot) desperate. You cannot afford to live in a hotel, obviously, and living on the street is not an option if you can avoid it. You may feel you’re out of alternatives, but one creative idea may save you from being completely homeless while you look for an apartment or house you can lease.

This idea may sound a little odd, and it’s not something you would do by choice, but it can be a good short-term option while you shop for other opportunities.

You can rent a camping space for only a few dollars a night, and most cities have campgrounds nearby. In reasonably temperate areas, at least part of the year, you can purchase a tent for a few tens of dollars. You may not like the idea of living in a tent, but you’ll have access to showers and a place to sleep at night.

Many people do actually live in campgrounds, and like it. You may be able to find an older camper trailer for a very affordable price, and actually have a small home while you work your way up to affording an apartment. Either of these campground options can work if you have no other choices.

Your goal, in finding somewhere (anywhere) to stay after your foreclosure is to have some sort of choice. You may not be able to live as you’ve been accustomed, but as long as you have somewhere to stay in the weeks after you lose your home, you have options. You’re not homeless if you live somewhere, and just not being homeless lets you continue working, or look for a new job, or find other ways of qualifying for a rental. And you keep your self-respect, which is the most valuable thing you own.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/creative-leasing-ideas-to-find-housing-after-foreclosure-465709.html

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Read the blog http://www.homemortgage911.com for the latest news and information on how to stop foreclosure .

Homeowners Insurance - Don't Get Bitten by Homeowners Insurance Liability

By Bradley Steffens

Man and woman's best friend is everywhere. Nearly 40 percent of American households include at least one dog. The dog population of the United States has now stands at 74.8 million, an average of 1.7 dogs for each of the 43 million dog-owning households. Like all domesticated animals, dogs are the descendants of wild creatures, and from time to time that wildness shows its teeth. Each year, dogs bite 4.7 million people-about 1.5 percent of the population-according to the Center for Disease Control.

Some of these bites are warning nips, letting the humans know they crossed a line, getting too close to the dog's food, puppies, or owner. About a sixth of these bites (800,000) are severe enough to require medical attention. Almost half of these (386,000) end up in emergency rooms, making dog bites the second leading cause of emergency room visits. (Softball/baseball injuries are the number one cause of emergency room visits.)

About half the dog bite victims requiring emergency room treatment are children, with the median age of dog bite victims being 15. The highest concentration of dog bite victims are boys 5 to 9 years old. Because children are not as tall as adults, they often are bitten above the shoulders. Fully 73 percent of children treated for dog bites in emergency rooms have been bitten in the neck or face. Only 30 percent of adults are bitten above the shoulders. About 30 people die from dog bites each year, or about 0.0002 percent of the total number of dog bite victims.

The owner of the biting dog can be held liable for damages, although the laws governing dog bite liability vary from state to state. Most liability claims arise from negligence that causes injury. For example person who slips and falls in a home due to their own carelessness or clumsiness do not have grounds to sue. However, if an injury occurred because the homeowner failed to maintain a safe property, then a claim of liability often will succeed. Negligence can be shown regarding a dog bite if the dog has a history of aggressive behavior. Some states have passed laws that remove the negligence requirement and make the dog owner liable for all dog bites. California has such a "one-bite" law. It reads, in part:

The owner of any dog is liable for the damages suffered by any person who is bitten by the dog while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, including the property of the owner of the dog, regardless of the former viciousness of the dog or the owner's knowledge of such viciousness.

Dog owners typically are not liable when dogs bite individuals who attack them or are bitten during the commission of a crime against the owner. Bites to professionals who handle dogs, such dog groomers and veterinarians are also excluded from liability claims. [http://www.homeownerswiz.com/]Homeowners insurance used to offer coverage for claims arising from dog bites. In recent years, however, insurance companies have moved to limit their coverage. Some exclude all liability from dog bites. Others cover most dogs, but exclude certain breeds from coverage, including Rottweiler, American Pit Bull Terrier, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Saint Bernard, and others. The CDC disagrees with this approach, stating "A CDC study on fatal dog bites lists the breeds involved in fatal attacks over 20 years. It does not identify specific breeds that are most likely to bite or kill, and thus is not appropriate for policy-making decisions related to the topic."

It is always essential to read your homeowner insurance policy thorough, especially regarding exclusions. If you own a dog, make sure dog bite liability is covered. If it is, make sure that your breed of dog is covered. If dog bite coverage is not included in your coverage, ask your agent if you can add a liability rider. A dog bite can occur in milliseconds. You do not want to find out too late that you have been bitten by a lack of homeowners insurance coverage.

Bradley Steffens is the author of twenty-one books, coauthor of seven, and editor of the 2004 anthology, The Free Speech Movement. His Censorship was included in the 1997edition of Best Books for Young Adult Readers and his Giants won the 2005 San Diego Book Award for Best Young Adult & Children's Nonfiction. His latest book is Ibn al-Haytham: First Scientist, the world's first biography of the eleventh-century Arab scholar known in the West as [http://www.ibnalhaytham.net/]Alhazen.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bradley_Steffens http://EzineArticles.com/?Homeowners-Insurance---Dont-Get-Bitten-by-Homeowners-Insurance-Liability&id=1266569

Affordable Arizona Homeowners Insurance

By Gary Brown

You buy a home in Arizona and now you need Arizona Homeowner Insurance.

Before you get a quote or buy a policy, here are a couple of tips.

1) Ask for a $1000 deductible.

A higher deductible saves you money, first of all. Secondly, most people are aware that you do not want to file small claims on your homeowner policy. Filing small claims is silly. In the event you have a large claim you will then have multiple claims on your record. Most Arizona Homeowner Insurance claims stay on your record for 5 years. Try shopping for low cost Arizona Homeowner Insurance with two or more claims in the past five years. It is very hard to do.

2) Consider items like Jewelry, Art, Collectibles, Guns.

Those items can be covered under a special listing on your policy. Jewelry, for example, has very limited coverage - usually $1500. That does not cover much. Make a list of the unusual items you own. For most of these items you will need to obtain an appraisal and supply this to your agent.

3) Do you have a sewer, basement or sump pump? If yes, buy the extra coverage for "water backup".

You may be surprised to learn that water that backs up into your home is typically not covered. That is different than a water pipe breaking and causing damage. Buy the extra coverage, if needed.

4) Liability Limits and Medical Coverage

If someone were hurt on your property they could sue you. I would not recommend anything less than $500,000 liability if you own a home. Medical coverage limits vary from company to company. Buy the max they offer. It is a fairly cheap coverage but nice to have.

If you live in Arizona, get a quote from the Low Cost leader in Affordable Arizona Homeowner Insurance - Arizona Homeowner Insurance

Gary Brown is principal owner of Choice Insurance of Arizona. He has been serving Arizona residents for Arizona Auto Insurance, Arizona Homeowner Insurance, Phoenix Life Insurance, and Arizona Long Term Care Insurance for nearly 14 years. Find his website at [http://www.choicearizona.com/]Arizona Auto Insurance and [http://choicearizona.com]Choice Insurance of Arizona

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Brown http://EzineArticles.com/?Affordable-Arizona-Homeowners-Insurance&id=1276510

Does Your Insurance Exclude You? Part 3

Author: J Tillotson

Another little-known fact of travel insurance is that the majority of policies which cover lost or delayed baggage will only apply on the way out. If you arrive back in the airport after a holiday, and your luggage fails to make an appearance on the carousel, there may be little you can do. Your insurer might not include inbound luggage loss as part of their standard policy, but you should be able to obtain cover if you inquire about it, and pay extra.

Payment protection insurance is perhaps the most exclusion-riddled insurance of all. Commonly offered at the time of taking out a loan, mortgage or a catalogue order, PP insurance is usually optional, but can be a good idea if you have dependents and/or several financial commitments. The premiums are typically high, so if you decide to take out PP, read the TOS very carefully to make sure you could claim if necessary; otherwise you could waste your money.

Not many people know unless they've had a claim refused, but if you have to take time off work due to common condition like stress or backache, you won't receive a payout from your PP. Even if the condition didn't exist at the time you took out the policy, a claim won't be accepted by the majority of insurers for loss of income due to the most common complaints. Your PP may also be invalid if you are self-employed or have been at a place of employment for less than 12 months on a permanent contract.

No matter what type of insurance you take out, it's important to read through all the paperwork carefully to make sure you could make a claim if necessary. Check all the terms and conditions, all the exclusions, and ask your insurer if there's anything you're not sure of. You generally have a week or two in which to check all the documents before you're tied into a policy, so make use of this time to familiarise yourself with the small print and make sure the policy is right for you.

If you use the internet to compare life insurance , you may get a better deal. When purchasing any type of insurance , read the small print and familiarise yourself with the ins and outs. Life insurance is complicated so make sure you have the right cover.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/does-your-insurance-exclude-you-part-3-464444.html

Does Your Insurance Exclude You? Part 2

Author: J Tillotson

The length of a holiday can factor in another exclusion. Many travel insurance policies expire after 28 consecutive days per trip unless you pay extra. Don't make the mistake of assuming that your annual travel insurance will cover you for an unlimited length of time; inform your insurer if you intend to be away longer than 28 days so they can arrange extra cover. The same goes for home insurance; if you are planning on leaving your property unattended for more than 30 consecutive days you must inform your insurer. Many policies include a clause which states you can't leave your home empty for longer than this. Arrange for a friend or neighbour to stay in your house if you need to take an extended trip.

If you're an adrenaline junkie, check your insurance policies carefully. If you have travel insurance you may find you can't claim if you're injured while on an adventure holiday involving any type of extreme sport; this can include sky-diving, off-piste skiing and bungee jumping among others. Your life insurance could be compromised if you regularly take part in extreme sports on a professional or semi-professional level; activities such as wrestling, boxing and competition martial arts are commonly excluded from cover.

The majority of car insurance providers will not pay up in the event of an accident if you were found not to be wearing your seatbelt. This falls under the category of negligence and can apply if you allowed an uninsured or unlicensed driver behind the wheel of your vehicle. Negligence can also take the form of having your car stolen after leaving the keys in the ignition, or failing to lock up your bike outside a shop and having it stolen. If you lose something due to your own negligence your insurer could refuse to pay, citing you didn't take 'reasonable care' of your belongings.

You may also be refused a payout if you were under the influence of alcohol at the time of an incident. This not only applies to car insurance – drink driving is not just illegal, but can invalidate a claim – but can also mean that if you injure yourself on holiday after an exotic drinking binge you can't claim for any medical expenses incurred as a result. Home insurance is also affected by alcohol; If you hold an alcohol-fuelled party in your house and anything is damaged or stolen, your insurer may not pay out.

If you use the internet to compare car insurance , you may get a better deal. When purchasing any type of insurance , read the small print and familiarise yourself with the ins and outs. Car insurance is usually straight-forward but there are traps.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/does-your-insurance-exclude-you-part-2-464440.html

Does Your Insurance Exclude You? Part 1

Author: J Tillotson

Very little about insurance is straight-forward. There are so many clauses, sub-clauses and exclusions to consider it's a wonder anyone gets the coverage they need. So before applying for any kind of insurance, it's best to read the terms and conditions thoroughly to find out if any of the exclusions would apply to you.

The main types of insurance are car, travel, life and home insurance. Payment protection (PP) insurance and boiler insurance, also called heating cover, are becoming more commonplace too. Each insurance type will have different exclusions which may apply, and just to make things more confusing, not all exclusions will apply on each policy. Only by reading the T&C carefully or asking the insurer will you know for sure.

Perhaps the number one exclusion which affects travel, life and PP insurance is pre-existing conditions. When taking out one of these policies, your insurer should ask you a number of health-related questions. If they don't, it's your duty to inform them of any past or current health issues. Anything from diabetes to the fact you quit smoking 3 years ago should be declared otherwise a subsequent claim could be rendered invalid. Even though the insurer may not probe deeply into your medical history at the time of application you can rest assured they will go through it with a fine-toothed comb if you try to make a claim. Omitting any details at the start could cost you more than a possible increase in premium.

A little known fact of travel insurance is that if you travel to a country which is currently classified as a 'war zone' – such as Iraq or Afghanistan, you won't be covered. Checking the Foreign Office website will inform you of countries which they advise against visiting, and would therefore invalidate your insurance should you do so. A number of travel insurance policies actually exclude any terrorism-related problems; if your luggage is destroyed or your hotel is bombed in a terrorist attack you may not be able to claim.

If you use the internet to find your holiday insurance , you may get a better deal. When purchasing any type of insurance , read the small print and familiarise yourself with the ins and outs. Travel insurance especially can be confusing.


Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/does-your-insurance-exclude-you-part-1-464437.html