3 FHA Mortgage Niches To Help You Survive The Mortgage Crisis

The advice I'm about to give goes against the grain in the mortgage business where everyone likes to advertise that they offer 1200 different loan programs for borrowers with all types of credit. I'm going to give it anyway.

The very best way to make your mortgage marketing successful is to concentrate it on a very tightly defined niche and position yourself as the expert in that niche. Borrowers aren't attracted to those one size fits all ads and you are throwing away your money.

Here are three niches that an FHA mortgage specialist can use to close more loans in less time with more profit and, most importantly, happier customers that are anxious to refer their friends and relatives.

1. First Time Home Buyers.

This is the most obvious FHA niche market. After all, this was the reason the FHA program was created in the first place. In spite of what you hear in the news, a housing downturn presents the best time for smart and well advised first time home buyers to enter the market.

The key to marketing to first time buyers is to understand that they need a lot of information and guidance before they trust. Study their needs in today's market. Those needs are a little different than they were during the boom times.

Create a free report that shows how FHA mortgages can help meet those needs and put that home buyer in a position to profit when real estate values start rising again - as they always do. Create a series of follow-up letters and reports that you can send out over time. Get their email addresses and set up an automatic series of emails that can be sent out to them over a long period of time. Educate them and they will trust you.

2. Manufactured Home Refinances and Purchases

This is actually 2 niches in one and each category has slightly different needs. They are both high on the list of the most lucrative FHA markets that exist. This is because potential borrowers in these 2 areas have problems that the FHA loan program provides a better solution for than they are getting elsewhere.

Get set up with some of the lenders still offering FHA financing on manufactured homes and become a master at knowing what loan characteristics those lenders prefer. In spite of tightening guidelines, this market is still huge. Locate reputable local structural engineers and foundation contractors to help you quickly determine whether a manufactured home qualifies for FHA financing or what it will take to get it there.

Then, if you want to enter the manufactured home purchase market, get in contact with manufactured home dealers and offer them a solution to help get their homes sold. Use the same free report techniques to market your services directly to buyers. Use those buyers to help establish a relationship with some of those dealers.

You can enter the manufactured home market and have fewer parties to keep happy by locating owner financed manufactured homes in your area. In some parts of the country, many investors bought renovated and owner financed or lease purchased FHA qualified manufactured homes during the housing boom of the last few years. These loans often included very high interest rates and balloon notes which the buyer must pay off soon. You can often locate these situations through the local tax records. Keep in mind that if locating them was easy, this technique wouldn't be as profitable. A mortgage originator who has mastered the process of getting manufactured home loans approved can really help these people out of a tough situation and get paid well doing it.

3. Cash Out Debt Consolidations - With A Twist

I know every subprime call center on earth has been pounding these prospects with solicitations, and taking advantage of them, for years. Yet there is a growing group of consumers who are now realizing that they need to get rid of the debt in their lives if they ever want to make it through tough economic times. These people are very wary of mortgage brokers calling them to try to lower their payments using some sort of subprime teaser rate mortgage that traps them in a bad situation later on.

In fact, if they watch the news much, potential borrowers think every mortgage broker they meet is skillfully hiding his or her horns, tail and pitchfork long enough to get that borrower's signature on the contract selling their soul. Here is a strategy that might help get around that predisposition.

This subset of home owners who wish to get rid of debt as quickly as possible is already prepared to cut back their lifestyle in order to pay off debt. Unfortunately, a lot of their debt has crazy high interest rates. How much better might their situation be if all that debt was refinanced into one 15 year fixed rate mortgage. Yes, you did read that correctly. I'm talking about probably raising their payment. However, if they qualify I'm also talking about lowering the interest rate on that debt so they can get it paid off without the interest eating up all the payments they are making.

Financial Education and Building Wealth Strategies

Wow, are we getting some one-two punches to our economy or what? Daily in the papers and news are stories of the housing collapse, subprime problems, the stock market dropping, and the shrinking dollar -whew! Yet, we are supposed to remain optimistic and not get sweaty palms.... Right.
Quoted by Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki from their new book, "We are losing our middle class, and a shrinking middle class is a threat to the stability of America and to world democracy itself." Think about that a minute....
The lack of financial education has now come to a head. How did you learn to manage your finances and investments? From your parents, friends, or were you self taught? Unless you went on to college and specifically pursued those areas for career or interest purposes you probably never had a "formal" training or education about the subject. You were never taught about building wealth .
It's disturbing to hear statistics such as:
o More people will file bankruptcy this year than will graduate from college
o The number 1 resolution this year is to get out of debt - overtaking losing weight for the first time
o Last year there were over 80 million unpaid credit cards in the U.S.
The list goes on, and every American will feel the effects of the global change taking place right now. So, what can we do about it? There are ways to begin solving the problems and it starts with financial education and a mindset to get out of debt.
You can be taught the Six Steps to Freedom, then teach others, who will then teach others, and who knows - maybe it will finally become a part of our school's curriculum!
o Take an objective assessment of your finances (There are professionals who can assist in developing a plan to restructure your debt, with an objective to get out of debt)
o Minimize your taxes and increase your cash flow
o Create savings and emergency funds
o Ensure proper protection (such as insurances and trusts to name a couple)
o Building wealth for the long term (Fund college accounts and retirement)
o Freedom for life - make your dreams a reality!

The Environment Is Big News

Thanks to decades of dedication by teachers who have brought environmental topics into the classroom, today's students are more educated about ecology and the natural world than ever before. And now, thanks to Hurricane Katrina, the hurricane and resulting flood that devastated a large part of the Gulf Coast in the summer of 2005, environmental issues have hit the front pages of newspapers and prime time TV newscasts. The environment is big news. And for a lot of kids, it's scary news.
Global warming; polar bears facing extinction; colonies of bees dying all over the U.S.: these and other stories on TV have the potential of upsetting school-aged children. For teachers, this can be a big problem, or it can be an opportunity to engage children, to inform them of the problems and their possible solutions, and to excite children about scientific topics and procedures.
Luckily, written and video material abounds that teaches children about science and the natural world. Books, magazines, and DVDs are available that cover every conceivable topic. Teacher's guides are available for many of the periodicals, offering suggestions for incorporating the material into the class curriculum. Much of this material is geared toward current environmental concerns.
Yes, the environment is a big, scary news story right now. But with the right material and a creative approach, teachers can redirect their students' fears to learning, to scientific knowledge and to developing an activist approach to the world that may send some of these young people into the direction of solving many of these serious worldwide problems.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics.

Equity Loan News Guide

Home equity loan is best-suited option for those who do not want to take large amount of loan and pay heavy interest on that. To a person having his own house, a home equity loan allows the opportunity to borrow money by leveraging their equity. This equity is the amount of money he has invested into owning their home. A home equity loan can be a fixed mortgage or an adjustable mortgage. Home equity loan can be used for debt consolidation, home repairs, medical expenses and children's education fee.
The money can be taken as a lump sum amount or used for revolving the credit. A fixed rate mortgage is ideal for those who wish to plan a monthly budget, work out their expenses accordingly and want to keep their home for several years. On the other hand with adjustable rate mortgages that usually offer lower initial interest rates than fixed rate mortgages, people end up saving a good amount of money in case the interest rates do not fluctuate a lot.
The interest on a home equity loan is usually tax deductible which is not in case of other consumer credit loans such as auto loans, credit cards etc. Moreover in home equity loan you have the freedom to use your mortgage in multiple ways.
The low interest charges and the tax advantages can actually be benefited from. The three basic uses of home equity loan are- development, consolidating bills and making big purchases. Home equity loan is best for the homeowners who want to renovate their old houses by spending a considerable amount of money on it.
Home equity option can also be explored by combining all your high-interest bills into one using home equity. Instead of paying high interest amount on outstanding balances, it is advisable to go with lower home equity loan. The home equity loan is particularly of great use for people who plan to buy big items such as cars, property etc. and want to invest their money in some big ventures. Home equity loan can also assist you financially in case you want to pay medical bills and other educational expenses.
But prior to choosing the home equity refinance option there are several things that you must bear in mind. A house is the biggest asset, in fact lifetime asset of an individual. It is very difficult to loose one house and shift to the other. With a home equity loan, you are putting your one of the most cherished and valuable asset at risk. Though a home equity loan is beneficial and preferable way to debt and expense management, some lenders can exploit the borrowers badly.
Therefore to avoid any snags later an individual should carefully go through all the terms and conditions. If you lack requisite money to pay the monthly installments, you must not overestimate your income and take a home equity loan on those grounds. At no pint of time should you forget that in case you do not make payments on time, the money-lending organization or person could give you a tough time. So think and discuss before you make a move in the direction of home equity.

High School Sports is Good News for Students

Sports programs have been an integral part of most high schools in America. They support the academic goals of schools, foster success in life. Moreover, these programs are educational and help produce productive citizenship. Typically costing less than two percent of a school's overall budget, athletics are likely the best investment of any department of education. Students are the big winners because they learn valuable lessons that last a lifetime, including lessons involving character building, teamwork, self-discipline, and competitive attitudes.
Do you have a son or daughter participating in their school's athletic program? If so, he or she is probably an above average student in the classroom. It's a proven fact that participation in high school sports encourages better grades, self esteem, and a higher level of academic achievement. Granted, there have been hundreds of studies demonstrating successes from the student-athlete combination. This article reveals three of those studies.
In 1996, the Carnegie Corporation of New York discovered that students benefited from participating in high school sports. An improvement in grades, confidence, and personal health and welfare were appreciably noted in students involved in sports. In the class room, these students maintained greater discipline and a stronger work ethic in comparison to those who were not student athletes. The study, called "The Role of Sports in Youth Development", also found that student athletes had higher-than-average social bonds with institutions and individuals.
Another study, this time by the Minnesota State High School League, found that 9 out of 10 students believe role models and leaders come from those participating in sports. A similar number of the almost 5,000 students polled felt that athletics encourages self-discipline. Clearly, such attributes must come from intensive guidance and are a derivity from physical activity training, teamwork, and a stronger desire to excel.
In 1991, the Hardiness Research (Casper, Wyoming) uncovered several interesting facts. Namely, male student athletes excel in school, don't drop out, and have greater opportunities for graduating college. In fact, they are 100 percent more likely to see such results when compared to their non-athletic peers. Girls who participate in sports are three times as likely to achieve the same. The study, undertaken by Skip Dane, also showed that 92 percent don't use drugs, have a higher degree of self-assuredness, take more difficult or honors classes, make better grades, are aware of college acceptance financial aid, and are more focused on life goals.
Got your attention? Ready to get out that set of gloves and play catch with your teen-ager? Great! Before you go, I'll leave you with a few more encouraging facts. A professor at the University of Colorado produced probably one of the most widespread studies when he polled more than 20,000 students in 1999. He found that students who participate in an extra-curricular activity have "significantly higher" GPA than those who do not.
Perhaps it has always been obvious to you that high-school sports programs seem to produce leaders both on the field and off. You may have even noticed how a lot of the successful students at your school are also athletes. Well, now you're armed with the facts.
If you want to know more about these and other studies, I encourage you to visit your state's high school athletic association and become involved with your child's future.

Success Isn't Fair

This post I want to take the chance to talk about one of my very favorite topics.

You see, I want to talk about the fact that "Success" isn't a "fair" game...

and what to do about it...

First off, I need to be clear that you understand that LIFE itself isn't fair. In case you were born on the moon, almost NOTHING on EARTH is fair. "Fairness" in effect is an idea, an intangible concept that man has created. I think we probably created the whole idea of what is "fair" to torture ourselves psychologically, in fact.

Why would I say that? That's a good question and we'll get to that, but for now let's put it up on the shelf.

Here are a few ways that life isn't "fair", as the whole theory relates to money and success:

1) Some people are smarter and more creative, and some are decidedly less so. While the world will reward ANYONE with enough belief in themselves and enough "gumption" to make it happen- the truth is clear that in the world of success, being born with an innate creativity is a huge advantage to an entrepreneur. How unfair.

2) A ridiculously small percentage of the population that is born and lives out their lives on this planet live the lives they CHOOSE to live without worry over finances, spending their time doing the things they ENJOY with the people they LOVE. Most are BORN that way. How unfair.

3) Many men and women go their ENTIRE lives without ever reaching that pivotal place of choice, power, and PURPOSE we call "financial freedom". How unfair.

4) Some individuals have hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars, so much so that the MERE interest on their accumulated fortunes can provide a lifestyle of luxury while the PRINCIPAL remains intact and untouched. How unfair.

5) Some men and women know the secrets of harnessing principles of wealth that are taught to them by parents or mentors, secrets whose use consistently allow them the FREEDOM of creating an ideal life for themselves and their families. How unfair.

The point I'm trying to make is that...

LIFE

ISN'T

FAIR!

And in case you haven't noticed it yet...

The world of money isn't fair, either.

Sometimes an entrepreneur will have a GREAT idea and then external circumstances will stifle a deal.

Sometimes a specific real estate investing technique will work for you, and sometimes it won't.

Sometimes you'll feel powerful and confident in your abilities and future prospects, and sometimes you won't.

Now, to be honest here I know I may be alienating a few people here. It's true that most people don't like the idea that life (and success) isn't fair. These people often get extremely upset when things don't go their way. They frequently place too much negative meaning on things that happen to them. Too often, they respond REActively to responses they get from the world and generally act like life should be different.

Of course, this is CRAZY.

The more that I realized this fact... that life just isn't fair... the more that I realized another PROFOUND truth:

IT'S GREAT NEWS!

If life were "fair", then you wouldn't be able to do anything to change your personal success. You'd get what everyone else was getting.

So what does this have to do with investing in real estate?

Well, the fact is that you CAN change your personal success in ANY area you want (including success with money and investing).

Truly, the best part of this realization is that you can not only get better and better results in a society where many feel the house is playing with a stacked deck, but you can actually turn the tables around in YOUR FAVOR.

You can improve so much your understanding of investing and your skill with making good investment decisions that you are actually at an ADVANTAGE when it comes to money and investing.

What is this advantage? I know, I know...some of our advanced investor readers, I know you are nodding your head here as you're reading this. You understand already. But give me a moment to break it down 1-2-3 style for those who haven't figured it out yet!

It all goes back to where we were earlier...let's take that idea from before down off the shelf, that idea that:

We created the whole idea of what is "fair"

to torture ourselves psychologically

Granted, in this light (whether you print these newsletters out or you're reading on your computer screen, as you sit there pondering what it is I'm saying...the idea that "life isn't fair!", a popular worldview, is based on self-sabotage might sound a TAD harsh.

In fact, if you know you've caught yourself saying these exact words at some time in the past, you might not LIKE ME RIGHT NOW.

But, think of it this way- what exactly do people give as the reasons for not investing in Real Estate?

Same old answers, right?

Not enough MONEY Not enough CREDIT Not enough TIME.

I know...how unfair.

The truth is, if you believe as I do then you'll realize that each of these "reasons" is in all actuality an EXCUSE.

Now, if the idea that "life isn't fair" is such great news, then why aren't more people thinking of it this way? Why aren't more people turning this belief upside down and inside out and shaking the loose change out of its pockets?

I personally think that many people have a FEAR of SUCCESS, and if you were BORN with MONEY you might think I'm full of it. If you weren't and you're just beginning to make your crack at it and strive for your rightful place in the world of success, think with me for a moment.

Isn't it EASIER just to throw up your hands and say "life isn't fair". Isn't it less painful to say "I'll never be rich". Isn't it more COMFORTING to convince yourself that dreams are for "those" people, those other people with more X, better Y, and the best Z?

Sure it is! I know. I've been there.

It's called taking the path of least resistance and this unfortunate mindset is the culprit that steals countless dreams and spoils many, many splendid plans and ideas.

And for someone who has dreams, big dreams, like you, dear reader, this mindset is a HUGE obstacle to your successful lifestyle as a real estate investor.

If you're worried that you might have this "Life isn't fair" mindset, take a few minutes then and quietly reflect...isn't it time to STOP torturing yourself by saying "Life isn't fair", realize the truth and harness the power of flipping it around!

Success isn't fair... and that's great news.

Here's where the more advanced readers can come back ;). When you take the time to really LEARN something, when you COMMIT to really mastering something, you will reach a place where you now have the confidence and freedom to do it consistently.

But, there will always be people out there who will never "get" it.

I don't think it's that people aren't WILLING to get up off of their couch, put the remote down, and actually INVEST the time and effort required to become GREAT at something.

It's just that FEAR holds us back. The "not knowing" can paralyze someone trying to make the leap from what you have and do today to what you want to have and do tomorrow.

So, I'd like you to do something right now.

Take a moment, and make the decision and commitment to yourself that you're going to TAKE ACTION in the areas of your life that you want to improve, and you're going to do what it takes to stay on track until you get the results that you're looking for.

If you want to get more involved in investing with real estate, you want to learn how to get better returns on your existing money, and you want to "plug in" to a way to make more money with real estate than many people's fear of success allows them to believe possible...

...then you're in the right place!

Another problem with real estate investing is that a lot of people don't know where to START.

They REALIZE the power of leverage and they get excited about double digit returns and five-figure checks... but the "not knowing" and uncertainty about risk creeps into their subconscious mind and suffocates their desires.

They get frustrated that they don't know how to get on the right track and where to learn the "how to" of things that actually work.

When I first decided that I had to learn how to create my own income and become an entrepreneur, I spent probably a year or two "wandering around" trying to find out what worked.

Honestly, I ran around in a lot of circles trying things that sounded like good ideas... but wound up being complete B.S.

After trying a number of off-the-wall things (because when you're determined to STOP being an employee and TAKE CHARGE of your life, the desire to become an entrepreneur and reach financial freedom can become a blazing-hot fire driving from within that can lead you literally ANYWHERE) and these things I tried FAILED...after that,

I decided to stop and take a look around.

And what did I see? When you strip away all the glitter and all the dross, when you peel back all the illusions of media and society and education, and you look down at the EARTH ITSELF, what do you SEE?

Real Estate.

There was my answer.

So I committed to learning how to become a real entrepreneur, someone who understood the secrets involved in real estate investing. I pushed myself to "get it".

Then, once I finally figured out some of the ideas, techniques and skills it was going to take to really become great at this, it took awhile to really learn the skills and practice them to the point where I could use them and have predictable success with them.

Why am I telling you this?

Because I'd like to save you some of the time, effort, expense and hassle that I put into figuring out all of this stuff... and I'd like to help you swing the odds in your favor when it comes to real estate success.

I'd like you to take advantage of the fact that I've spent literally thousands of hours learning as much as I possibly could about this stuff, and I've spent hundreds more organizing this information and putting it together in a way that you can pick up and use IMMEDIATELY to get better results investing in real estate.