Thursday, December 15, 2011

Credit Score Needed to Buy a House - FICO Score Requirements to Get Approved on a Home Loan

To begin with let us state some thing very happy. Those who have a bad credit score, who have filed a bankruptcy or are going through a foreclosure, can certainly buy a home. You need not get depressed that you shall never have your dream house. All that you need to be aware of is that it would cost you more than the usual borrowers.

What is the credit score needed to buy a house?

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There is no exact definition of the credit score needed to buy a house. This actually depends on the lender. The specific lender that you consider would have his or her pre-defined eligibility criteria. Another deciding factor is the amount of down payment you are willing to make.

Credit Score Needed to Buy a House - FICO Score Requirements to Get Approved on a Home Loan

An average credit score in US is around 690. Above this number you are sure to get a cheap loan with out any issues. Below this range, the things might get a bit tough for you but certainly they are not impossible. First of all you should work hard to improve on your fico score.

Can you buy a home without credit check?

That might be a tricky one! Usually this is a just not possible with the secured loans. And unsecured loans are indeed not advisable enough. Being honest & candor perhaps in the best policy is such deals. In stead of praying that no one should check your credit score, you can try to getting a loan at a bit higher rate of interest by being honest and disclosing all about your bad FICO score.

Yet, it you wish to check out a means to buy a home without credit check probably declaring a bankruptcy under Chapter 7 would help you. Remember, filing a bankruptcy is not an easy gamble. You must check with your lawyer and know all the pros & cons of this step. One thing is sure - Chapter 7 Bankruptcy provides you a platform to start a fresh in life. At the same time it does reflect on your credit report for years together. So you must be very sure before taking this step.

Credit Score Needed to Buy a House - FICO Score Requirements to Get Approved on a Home Loan

Sunday, December 11, 2011

How To Find A Warrant For Arrest Before The Police Come For You

Discover warrants for arrest and get treated favourably by the courts

If the police come looking for you with an arrest warrant then they will arrest you and take you in. It doesn't matter whether you committed the offence or not, if you have a warrant for arrest then the police are obliged to arrest you. When this happens you will gain a police record that states you were taken in involuntarily. The courts will often be more sympathetic towards people who give themselves up voluntarily but to do this you have to know that there is a warrant on you before the police come after you.

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You could get an arrest warrant anywhere and at any time

How To Find A Warrant For Arrest Before The Police Come For You

You can get an arrest warrant if you skip bail or fail to turn up in court. You can get a warrant for a traffic offence without you knowing it. You might have had your identity stolen and someone else has committed a crime for you. You might not find out about this for a long time and it could have been done a long way away so checking with your local courthouse isn't going to do you much good.

What's the easiest way to find out if you have arrest warrants?

The easiest and quickest way to find out whether you have any warrants for arrest is to use a website like the one at Court Records Read about it in the article How Do I Check For Arrest Warrants at http://www.howdo-i.com/backgroundcheck/howdoicheckforarrestwarrants.php. For a small one off payment you can instantly search multiple databases to find out practically anything about anyone including yourself.

The beauty of this type of site is that you can do the same search on as many people as you like as many times as you like for the same one off membership fee so it's easy to do a regular check to make sure that you don't have any warrants out on you.

Check to find a warrant for arrest now and rest easy tonight

Don't put this off. Do a check now; it could save you money and even a jail sentence.

How To Find A Warrant For Arrest Before The Police Come For You

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Out Of State Drunk Driving

Hundreds of thousands of people each year spend their vacation through interstate travel. And for some reasons, many of them tend to live it up a little bit more than they used to at home. A lot of these non-resident drivers do not realize that out of state drunk driving arrest have consequences in both the state of conviction and their home state. The home state will be notified about the arrest by way of Interstate Diver License Compact.

Interstate Driver License Compact

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The interstate agreement that is used to trade information regarding driving violations and license suspensions within the United States of America is the Driver License Compact(DLC). Violations committed by non-residents are forwarded to their home state, the state in which they got their driver's license. DLC has its own theme, which is "One driver, One license, One record". Even if the violation is committed out-of-state, home state laws will still be applied like it happened in the home state.

Out Of State Drunk Driving

According to the interstate compact, the home state of the arrested person should be notified by the state where the arrest happened. In this case, the out-of-state convict will be penalized in his licensed state. Violence under the DLC includes minor offense like over speeding and major offense such as DUI or drunk driving. Tinted windows, parking tickets, and other violations that are non-moving are not included.

For example, if a non-resident went to California for a vacation decides to drive after having a number of drinks at a bar, he will be arrested. This non-resident will be charged with out of state DUI under the traffic law of California. However, California could only suspend his license or limit his privilege to drive within California only. But they cannot do anything about his driving privileges in his home state.

History of DLC

The idea started when the Governors along with some organizations in Western States decided to have a meeting regarding traffic safety. Then in the late 1950's, it was stated within the Beemer Resolution that states were permitted to form an agreement concerning laws about traffic safety. In 1960, the interstate Driver License Compact became a reality when Nevada became its first member. As of now, only the states of Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Georgia, Michigan, and Tennessee are not members of the DLC.

Because of the ease of interstate driving, it is now common to get arrested due to traffic violations such as out of state drunk driving. The convicted person will face punishments and penalties in the state of conviction and in his licensed state. It is important to know that he has primary rights in order to challenge these convictions. In this kind of situation, the best idea is to immediately hire a very experienced DUI lawyer in the particular state where the violation occurred in order to protect their licenses and privileges in driving from being revoked.

Out Of State Drunk Driving

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Removal of a 2nd Mortgage Through Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy offers an important, and often unknown, option to consumers who have residential real estate mortgages. Namely, removing a junior lien holder or "2nd" from your debt. Since the value of real estate has decreased, a common complaint I hear is, "I cannot believe I am paying more than my house is actually worth."

If you purchased a home in the past three to four years and financed with 80/20 mortgages, or if you refinanced your home and took out a second mortgage, chances are you can completely remove that second mortgage and other junior liens from your home.

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Imagine...file a chapter 13 Bankruptcy to eliminate all your credit card debt, reduce your car payments, cure the back payments on your first mortgage and now, entirely remove your second mortgage.

Removal of a 2nd Mortgage Through Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

In addition, if your house value bounces back, that equity is yours to keep.

It is important to realize that the removal of a 2nd mortgage is available in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy only. The ideal candidate for this process has a 2nd mortgage on a home that is no longer appraised at or above the amount of the 1st mortgage. It is necessary to obtain comps for the property and an appraisal to establish your the fair market value of the home.

If the fair market value works, a motion to get court approval will need to be filed. The mortgage company may oppose this motion. This will then require an evidentiary hearing and perhaps an adversary complaint. If the court decides that the fair market value of the home is below what is owed on the first mortgage, the second mortgage is "stripped" from the home and the debt associated with the second mortgage is made an unsecured debt (essentially being treated like credit card debt). Typically, in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, a small percentage of the unsecured debt is paid, if at all.

Once the motion is approved, you will need to make all plan payments (over a 3 to 5 year period) and obtain your discharge. Once the debts are discharged, the second mortgage is completely gone.

Under existing Bankruptcy laws, debtors are not able to force a first mortgage to modify the terms of the mortgage on loans for their primary residence. Many lenders who realize the alarming state of the economy are willing to negotiate a modification of their mortgage, allowing a debtor to lower their monthly payments. This is a relatively recent change for many lenders who had previously refused to accommodate such requests. Such a modification may drastically help a homeowner who wants to keep their home but who is suffering from a reduction in income and home value. This benefit is even more evident when used in conjunction with the removal of a second mortgage for debtors who have both a first and second mortgage.

Further, recent legislation was introduced in Congress in the first week of 2009 that would now allow Bankruptcy judges in Chapter 13 cases to modify first mortgages by:

-reducing the amount of the secured claim (i.e. lowering the balance on the mortgage/deed of trust that is secured by the home);
-changing the interest rate of the loan or modifying the adjustable feature of certain loans; and/or
-changing the term of the loan.

This bill, if enacted, would finally provide some relief to homeowners. In the past, the mortgage lenders have vehemently opposed such a change. However, this time may be different. News reports indicate Citigroup has already suggested that it would support this legislation with some minor revisions, one of which is to require that a homeowner first attempt to modify the loan directly with the lender(s) before the loan can be modified by a Bankruptcy judge.

Removal of a 2nd Mortgage Through Chapter 13 Bankruptcy

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Protection From P*rn Online

With the prevalence of p*rn sites and advertisements on the Internet that seem to just pop up out of nowhere, people are wondering if they are inadvertently breaking the law every time they open one of these sites.

In general, the answer is 'yes' since local community laws regard the possession of material that is offensive as illegal almost anywhere in the USA, except in certain communities such as Tahoe or Las Vegas, Nevada and New York City. But if you live elsewhere, you may have a problem say, if local authorities confiscate your computer and find p*rn in your files. Technically, you can be charged with a violation of decency laws, especially in a conservative community. However, there are rarely any prosecutions in these cases.

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In cases where you are viewing p*rn online or getting it through your cable or satellite TV, your lawyer can argue that you were not in possession of the offensive material. The exception is if minor children are involved viewing p*rnography with you, in which chase, you can be prosecuted and, frankly, you should be.

Protection From P*rn Online

One way to safeguard against legal entanglements is to avoid downloading p*rn on a shared computer even if you're at home. Another way is to purchase a browser cleaner, which can delete cookies, cache files and your browser's history log as well as block ad pop-ups

You can also clean your browser manually on Microsoft's Internet Explorer, in a few simple steps. First, go to the top menu and click on Tools, open the menu and click Internet Options to open a new pop-up screen. Find and click the General tab to open a new section on Temporary Internet files. Click on two buttons here: 'Delete Cookies' and 'Delete Files'. The first one erases cookies that were placed onto your computer by adult web sites while the second erases temporary or cached files from the web sites you have been browsing.

Finally, near the bottom of the General tab, under the History section, click on the 'Clear History' tab to erase all your browser's records of the websites you have visited.

Now, you can rest assured that nosy friends, neighbors and relatives, including those who are computer savvy, will not be able to track your footsteps online. And if some of them decide to view p*rn on your computer, then you know how to clean their tracks.

Protection From P*rn Online

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Quick Tax Tips For 2011

Are you the type of person who waits until the 2nd week of April every year to even look at your taxes? Millions are. Or are you the kind of person that sends their information to a tax professional at the last minute and hope for the best? I've been there, too. Well, if you are looking to be better prepared this year, here are some tips for you to make filing your taxes a little less, well, taxing. (Sorry about that pun)

Commonly Missed Deductions:

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State-tax refunds for AMT taxpayers

Quick Tax Tips For 2011

- As long as the amount of your refund is less than the amount of income tax disallowed under Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), state tax refunds aren't taxable.

Environment Friendly Home Credit

- If you install energy friendly windows, solar hot water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, wind turbines, and roofing that have been approved for low-energy you may qualify for a 30% credit (maximum of 0 for 2011). Helping the environment can be helpful to your wallet.

Car Insurance

- You can include your car insurance as a deduction on your federal return. If you use your car for work you can deduct for oil, tires, licenses, and the insurance premium itself. If you choose not to deduct any of the previously listed items, you can deduct mileage, but you can't do both.

Health Insurance

- Deduct your health-care insurance premiums on your federal return. If you are self-employed it is possible for you to deduct 100% of your health-care costs, as well as those of your spouse and dependents. However, if you have a health insurance, you will not be able to deduct it.

The American Opportunity Credit

- This is a tax credit for people paying college tuition. It is good for up to 00. Extended through 2012, this credit is available for individuals whose modified adjusted gross income is equal to or less than ,000.

Common Audit Triggers:

Large Mortgage Interest Deductions

- Typically anything over ,000 will get the IRS's attention. Taxpayers are allowed to deduct mortgage interest on a loan of up to million, which usually comes out to ,000 (5%). Deducting the maximum amount allowed is a common audit trigger for the IRS.

Rental Real Estate Losses

- This is a common red flag for taxpayers who claim to be professionals in real estate because the losses are then deductible against ordinary income. Filing as a real estate professional, which often requires 750 hours of work to qualify for, can be something the IRS is suspicious of. Given the current housing market, many taxpayers are losing money on rental properties, but do not qualify as real estate professionals and therefore do not qualify for the tax break associated with it.

Homebuyer tax credit

- Beginning in 2008, Congress has passed three different versions of this stimulus bill. Through the research of official watchdogs, it was found that the initial bill prompted quite a bit of fraud. In the current form, Congress requires a more stringent documentation as proof of qualification.

Common Human Errors:

Overstating Charitable Work

- If you attend a charity dinner with 0 plates, you can only deduct a portion of that plate. This is the case with all charitable activity. Any foundation is required to inform you of this rule. So check those letters you get from them.

Omitting Payments On interest

- Many people forget about the small amounts of interest they pay throughout the year. This is largely attributed to the fact that banks and other institutions aren't required to provide a 1099 form for amounts less than . These small amounts are still taxable income and must be reported. Any unreported income may be noticed by the IRS computer and may lead to further investigation.

Mortgage Deductions

- Often, taxpayers miscalculate the mortgage "points" they deduct. For the first mortgage on a home, the mortgage fees are deductible. When refinancing the points must be amortized and then can be deducted over the life of the loan.

When filing your taxes, first, I recommend hiring a tax professional. Short of that, it's important to remain organized with your receipts and possible deductions throughout the year-not just in April.

Quick Tax Tips For 2011

Friday, November 18, 2011

Dog Bite Rules and Dangers

In general, dogs are amiable animals that make great pets for individuals and families alike. Because of their friendly and loyal personalities, it is no wonder that dogs have often been referred to as "man's best friend." 

We must remember, however, that dogs are still instinctual animals that have the potential to attack if they feel defensive or territorial. Even family pets that have shown no previous signs of hostility can inexplicably attack another human. Because of this, many states have established laws that determine responsibility for domestic dog attacks.

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Nevada Dog Bite Law

Dog Bite Rules and Dangers

The state of Nevada does not uphold statutory liability for dog bite owners. This means that the owner will not be held responsible for the dog's attack unless he or she was already aware that the animal possessed such dangerous tendencies. Therefore, the dog is granted "one free bite" before action is taken against it and its owner.

Dogs that make two attacks within an 18 month period are considered to be dangerous. Those that attack a human and cause serious bodily harm are considered to be vicious. Those that possess dogs who are known to have vicious tendencies are guilty of a misdemeanor.

Dog Bite Injuries

Dog bites can be quite dangerous, especially if the victims suffer serious harm or if the dog was ill with a disease, such as rabies. Bites can cause any of the following injuries, several of which may be disabling or even life-threatening:

·         Puncture wounds

·         Cuts and lacerations

·         Damaged tissue

·         Bone fractures, crushes, sprains and strains

·         Dangerous infections such as rabies

·         Nerve damage

If you have suffered a dog bit wound, then you may or may not need outside medical attention. If you have any bleeding, apply pressure and try to stop further blood loss. Make sure you also clean out all wounds, as the risk of infection is present. Call your doctor and explain to him or her what happened. If necessary, go in for treatment. If the injuries are obviously severe, then immediate medical attention should be sought.

Contact Us

If you have suffered a dangerous dog bite because the pet's owner failed to adequately secure or restrain the animal, then you may have the right to claim damages. The Las Vegas personal injury lawyers of Palmer & Associates, P.C. can help you assess your situation and assert your right to compensation. To learn more, please visit http://wpalmerandassociates.com/.

Dog Bite Rules and Dangers