Addressing the Canny Investor

6 REALLY COOL THINGS About Becoming the King of your Castle!

If you want to be a millionaire, if you want to be smart with your money, if you want to get ahead in life, build security, establish equity, and retire in confidence, then you must, simply MUST become the King of your Castle!

You need to buy your first home if you haven’t taken this important step yet. If you have bought your first home already, then read on. I know you already are nodding your head in full agreement, but let’s briefly review some of the really cool things that happens when you own your own home:

Thing 1 : All interest paid on your mortgage is a tax write-off at the end of the year.

Thing 2: You are building equity, and FAST!

Thing 3: No more landlords, No more thin walls!

Thing 4, the tax break, gives you breathing room financially.

Thing 5, Equity. Huge deal here.

Thing 6: The King of your Castle!

Thing 1 : All interest paid on your mortgage is a tax write-off at the end of the year.

That’s HUGE. If you pay $1000 a month on your mortgage, the vast majority of this is interest.

You’re write-off at the end of the year, will be around $12,000 as a scheduled deduction on your 1040 to the tax-man. See the massive benefit this has, come April 15th?

Watch your savings account thrive, or go on an awesome vacation to Jamaica, or buy a new car, or invest in a mutual fund. We’re talking thousands of dollars here, for most Americans, in realized tax savings!

If this isn’t enough to get you salivating, then I don’t even think a bag of money falling from the sky will elicit any kind of reaction from you. Come on! Thousands of dollars in tax savings! That IS, in fact, a big, bag of money! Huge, huge, huge.

Thing 2: You are building equity, and FAST!

Last year, mid-2003 to mid-2004, the average American home appreciated around 9.5%. Think that’s good? In 74 housing markets, the appreciation was in the double-digits.

Generally, a low appreciation is considered to be around 4%. So, with that kind of amazing track-record, you need to sit down with your trusty calculator and start getting your hands around the reality that this could be YOU!

There’s nothing that prevents you from buying your home. All objections can be overcome, and all obstacles can be reckoned with.

First, though, get to the point where you fully understand the power of leverage, as many homeowners have come to realize, with owning your own home.

Thing 3: No more landlords, No more thin walls!

No more neighbors behind sheetrock, no more carports, no more smelly garbage bins, no more gross washer/dryers, no more rude, late-night out of control parties, no more leaky faucets ignored, no more intrusive and neglected bugs and vermin! That was your old life. This is your new life.

This is your home. You own it. You run it. You are the master of your domain!

You maintain it, improve it, and take pride in it.

It is the American dream, of course, to own a piece of land that you can call your own. I know you feel it in your bones. I know, that you know, that this is true.

So, how does owning your own home, get you to be a millionaire? Well, that’s incredibly simple:

Thing 4, the tax break, gives you breathing room financially.

Your tax return can be substantial, and this means more money in your pocket, less stress in your bank account.

This will give you a little more freedom, should you choose to act wisely with your money, and fit comfortably into a piece of property that might be slightly more than you thought you could afford.

In addition, often times, the breathing room from the tax savings, is just enough to get you out of survival-mode. It happens to many of us. We start thinking about saving, rather than spending, and we start thinking about the future, rather than just getting through today.

Thing 5, Equity. Huge deal here.

You have to understand that the money you are already spending on rent, can be re-routed towards a home mortage.

So, if you spend $1,000 a month on rent, and then restructure your lifestyle so that you own a home, and spend $1,000 a month on a piece of property worth, let’s say, $250,000, for example, and that piece of property appreciates 10% a year…How long will it take you to become a millionaire?

Get your trusty calculator out and learn how to crunch this number, because you are much closer then you realize. I come up with $1,263,617.57 in 17 years. Now, that’s over One Million Dollars Equity in 17 years, just by re-routing the rent money that you already spend! It is effortless.

It requires no additional activity on your part. Just keep going to work, bringing home your income, and paying your mortgage. In 17 years, you will be a millionaire.

Furthermore, there are variables in this equation that can make this happen even sooner. For example, you could live in a metropolitan area with a much higher appreciation rate.

Last year, our homes in the Sacramento area appreciated at 15.5%. Now, there’s no reason you couldn’t live here, or maybe you already live in a high appreciation metropolitan area. Maybe you don’t want to. You don’t have to.

The point is, that if you wanted to speed up this process of getting to a million dollars through the passive investment of your residential home equity…You could….

Or, like I said, you don’t have to. Just buy a home, and you’ll get there in 17 years or less.

Thing 6, the King of your Castle:

Now, thing 6 doesn’t necessarily award you a faster route to a million dollars, but what it does do is ensure that you have peace of mind, happiness, and balance in your life.

With the joy of home ownership comes it’s own reward, and that will ensure that you won’t just want to get up and bail out on your investment because you’re miserable.

You won’t be miserable if you buy the home of your dreams, and if you live in a place you love, the place you call yours, the place that is steadily growing equity, and tax benefits, and wealth.

This is the place where you are in total control of your life. This is the place where you are the king of your castle.

We’ve enjoyed providing this information to you, and we wish you the best of luck in your pursuits. Remember to always seek out good advice from those you trust, and never turn your back on your own common sense.

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Disclaimer: Statements and opinions expressed in the articles, reviews and other materials herein are those of the authors. While every care has been taken in the compilation of this information and every attempt made to present up-to-date and accurate information, we cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will not occur. The author will not be held responsible for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any information within these pages or any information accessed through this site.

About the author:

Tom Levine provides a solid, common sense approach to solving problems and answering questions relating to consumer loan products. His website seeks to provide free online resources for the consumer, including rate-watch, tips and articles, financial communication, news, and links to products and services. Visit Tom at: http://www.ExpertLoan.Org/. This article is available in full format at: http://www.expertloan.org/article-king.htm. Copyright 2004, by www.ExpertLoan.Org.

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This article is designed for gardeners living near Quakertown Pa.

Planting Red Oak Trees Red Oak Trees. Whenever I think of Red
Oak Trees, I remember hunting when I was a kid and standing near
trees that were giants. Now every Red Oak tree I plant, I can
invision those days in the deep woods and those grand trees and
hope someone else will have that same enjoyment. These trees
will help you too in establish a desired vision to your
landscape.

Beyond their size, Red Oak Trees also fill important ecological
niches. They grow across broad ranges of forest and urban
conditions, finding much of North America to their liking.

Red Oak Trees need protection from deer, disease, insects, and
competing weeds and shrubs. The better your weed control the
better your trees will grow. When seedlings are planted, it best
to plant them with large spacings to allow more light to the
plant. If these trees are planted in shade, they tend to be more
open. Red Oak Trees are used around new construction because
they perform in a wide range of soil conditions. Threse trees
can take wetter soils than most trees and are many time found in
native areas near creek or river banks.If you have compacted
soil from new construction, we suggest smaller trees of 3-5′
height.

All people handling seedlings and small trees need to help with
the life support of your plants. Seedlings are like fish out of
water and need care which is often overlooked between the time
the seedlings are lifted and transplanted. Improper care means
higher mortality. Do not try and reinvent the wheel. You must
protect seedling from moisture and temperature extremes, as well
as physical damage. Seedlings are living and should be handled
carefully. For a higher survival rate, treat trees carefully and
plant them immediately. I like to have a backup plan for
planting if the weather turns bad. I will sometimes switch from
lining out the seedlings to potting them up if I realize that
the soil conditions will not be right for an extended lenght of
time. If planting must be delayed a few days, keep the plants in
a cold, protected place with air circulation between the trees.
Keep the trees out of the rain and wind. To check if the trees
need water, feel the media at the roots.. If it isn’t damp,
water the trees and allow the excess water to drain. In cool,
damp weather, the biggest threat to these trees is from mold.
Try to keep out of soil seedlings moist by either restricting
water loss with a water vapor barrier or by wetting the roots at
regular intervals. While handling or planting try to reduce
temperature and air movement around the seedlings. Windy days
can dry out seedlings so consider waiting for calmer weather.
Once your soil conditions are correct OUR FREE USE PLANTERS will
make planting a snap so its will be worth waiting for good
planting conditions.

HOW TO PLANT

Ideal planting days are cool and cloudy with little or no wind.
If possible, avoid planting on warm, windy days. The soil should
be moist not wet. Care in planting is more important than speed.
Make sure the roots are never allowed to become dry. Bare root
seedlings should be carried in a waterproof bag or bucket with
plenty of moist material packed around the roots to keep them
damp. Ideally, bare root boxes should be kept refrigerated or
packed in ice or snow. Don’t freeze the trees. Competition from
weeds, grass, brush or other trees is very detrimental to
survival and growth of seedlings. Choose areas free from this
competition or clear at least a three-foot square bare spot
before planting. Seedlings should not be planted under the crown
of existing trees, or closer than 6 feet to existing brush.
Avoid areas near walnut trees. Brush aside loose organic
material such as leaves, grass, etc., from the planting spot to
expose mineral soil. If organic matter gets into the planting
hole, it can decompose and leave air spaces. Roots will dry out
when they grow into these spaces. Open up the hole, making sure
the hole is deep enough for the roots to be fully extended. If
roots are curled or bunched up, the tree will not be able to
take up water correctly, will often weaken and die, or may blow
down later due to poor root structure. Take a tree out of your
planting bag or bucket only after a hole is ready. When exposed,
the fine roots can dry out in as little as 30 seconds. Seedling
shoots and roots lose water to air, roots require more
protecting.Unlike leaves ,they do not have stomata (closeable
openings on the surface of the leaves) or any waxy coatings to
help reduce water loss. If the roots apear dry they are probably
dead. Now I know you are thinking,”I will place them in a
buckect of water and store them there until planting”. This will
not work. Submerge plants for no longer that a couple of
minutes. Placing them in water cuts them off from oxygen.
Remember to remove the container before planting a containerized
tree. A helpful hint to all those new gardeners just starting is
to remember to always plant green side up. Hold the seedling in
place in the hole, making sure the roots are straight, fully
extended and that the tree is neither too shallow or too deep in
the hole. Fill hole, allowing soil to fall in around the roots.
Tamp with hands or with your heel. Don’t crush the roots by
jumping up and down around the seedling like there is a snake
curled up around the seedling. It is delicate. Fill with more
soil, if necessary, and tamp. Tamping is important. If soil is
not firmly packed around the roots, there will be air pockets
that can dry out the roots, and the seedlings may be weakly
anchored. It is far easier to plant the tree strait up then have
the tree leaning and have to adjust the tree later. (Addition of
fertilizer and plant vitamins at the time of planting is not
generally necessary.) Take your time in planting. Proper spacing
will help you grow a more valuable crop. I have tried to get
more production from a limited area by over planting and then
thinning, but I always have had trouble in harvesting ….
digging is slower and poor quality usually results for a portion
of the crop. Avoid these tree planting errors:

Tangled roots Planting too shallow Planting too deep Air pockets
Turned up roots (this is called J rooting) Planting trees that
are not tolerant of wet soils in poorly drained areas Planting
over rocks, septic tanks and leach fields, on sand mounds

CARE OF TREES FOLLOWING PLANTING Check periodically to be sure
that brush, grass and other vegetation is kept under control by
mowing, mulching, spraying or a combination of these treatments.
Always obtain advice from a licensed pest control advisor before
using chemicals. You ag extension agency may offer courses in
application of chemicals. Monitoring the appearance of your
trees will help you to detect signs of insects, diseases or
other problems. Apperances also help sell your product. Look for
foliage turning yellow, new foliage drooping or other signs of
poor health. It is easier to take successful corrective action
if the problem is detected early.

Over watering is a common problem in irrigated plantations. You
probably won’t need to water more frequently than every 7-10
days. Give your trees a thorough, deep soak and then let the
soil dry out before the next watering. This encourages the roots
to grow down in search of water. Frequent, shallow watering
encourages root growth near the surface and the trees are more
dependent on irrigation and are less windfirm. Animals can be a
major cause of damage to young trees. Porcupines, gophers, mice,
rabbits, deer and cattle are the most frequent source of damage.
In many states you may have to call your game commission and get
their recomendations on legal methods to protect your crop. In
our state, you can get help from the Pa. Game Commission to kill
deer that are a threat to your seedlings or obtain a free fence
to keep deer away from your seedlings. Over the years we have
lost more trees to mice than any other animal. Put rat baits out
on a regular basis. Over the years we have lost more seedlings
and plants to mice than any other culprit including deer and
rabbits combined. You an see more articles about the care of
trees plants and nursery stock at our web site
http://www.seedlingsrus.com other links are:

http://seedlingsrus.com/DeerDamageControl
http://seedlingsrus.com/Soils
http://seedlingsrus.com/PlantingTips.html
http://www.zone5trees.com/GrowingGrasses.html

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Anyone who has put a lot of hard work and effort into making their yard look nice wants to be able to enjoy it. Maybe you just want to get outdoors and get a little air or a little sun. There is nothing like lounging outside feeling the cool breeze blow through your hair. Times like these are probably the most peaceful times in life. Whether you want to lounge out in the breeze or catch some rays you are not going to want to lie in the grass. The best solution to fix that problem is to buy some outdoor furniture. There are a number of different types of outdoor furniture each with different usages and different prices.

When I think about outdoor furniture the first think that comes to mind is the good old swing. No, I am not talking about a swing set, although those are fun, I am talking about a porch swing. There are actually two types of swings a stand alone swing and the porch swing. Obviously a porch swings are swings that can be enjoyed right on your porch. Porch swings are attached to the overhead ceiling of your porch. A stand alone swing is different it doesn’t need a porch at all. In fact, if doesn’t if need to be anywhere near a porch. A stand alone swing has four legs that supports it and keeps it steady. Swings cost different amounts depending on durability and decorative factors.

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Japanese gardening is much different from the Western style
garden. Most would say that a Japanese garden is far more soul
soothing and inspires meditation. Japanese gardening is a
cultural form of gardening that is meant to produce a scene that
mimics nature as much as possible. Using trees, shrubs, rocks,
sand, artificial hills, ponds, and flowing water the garden
becomes an art form. The Zen and Shinto traditions are both a
large part of Japanese gardening and, because of this; the
gardens have a contemplative and reflective state of mind.

The basic methods of scenery are a reduced scale, symbolization,
and borrowed views. The reduced scale is the art of taking an
actual scene from nature, mountains, rivers, trees, and
reproducing it on a smaller scale. Symbolization involves
generalization and abstraction. An example of this would be
using white sand to suggest the ocean. Borrowed views refer to
artists that would use something like an ocean or a forest as a
background, but it would end up becoming an important part of
the scene.

There are two types of Japanese gardening. The tsukiyami garden
is a hill garden and mainly composed of hills and ponds. The
hiraniwa, which is the exact opposite of the tsukiyami garden,
is a flat without any hills or ponds.

The basic elements used in Japanese gardening include rocks,
gravel, water, moss, stones, fences, and hedges. Rocks are used
as centerpieces and bring a presence of spirituality to the
garden. According to the Shinto tradition, rocks embody the
spirits of nature. Gravel defines surface and is used to imitate
the flow of water when arranged properly. Stones create a
boundary and are sculpted into the form of lanterns. Water;
whether it is in the form of a pond, stream, or waterfall, is an
essential part of a Japanese garden. It can be in the actual
form of water or portrayed by gravel, but no matter what, it is
crucial to a Japanese gardens balance.

There are several forms and types of plants that are signature
of Japanese gardening, the main one being Bonsai. Bonsai is the
art of training everyday, average plants, such as Pine, Cypress,
Holly, Cedar, Cherry, Maple, and Beech, to look like large, old
trees just in miniature form. These trees range from five
centimeters to one meter and are kept small by pruning,
re-potting, pinching of growth, and wiring the branches.

A garden is a wonderful place to relax and meditate. Whether it
is a Japanese garden or Western world garden, designing,
building, and planting is a great family event.

For more information about Japanese gardening, visit
http://www.japanesegardenguide.com For resources about general
gardening, visit http://www.gardeninfocenter.com

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