Learn to Build an Ideal, Secure Lifestyle

Do you already enjoy an ideal, secure lifestyle

Here are a few questions to help you check on whether you do:

Think back to 6:30 p.m. on your last day of work. Were you at home If not, why werent you at home with your loved ones What could possibly have been so important at work that it took you away from your family

How do the hours you spend commuting each week compare to the number of hours you spend in loving conversations

What things frighten you Why are you frightened

Will your children and grandchildren have more loving childhoods while they live at home than you did

Will you be able to retire when you want Why would you ever need to retire if your work is enjoyable and an ideal complement to your family life

How is your relationship with God Do you always have the freedom to follow His ways

How much energy and enthusiasm do you have when you awake each morning

If you were to die tonight, how would you assess the quality of your life in the last year

Those are the kinds of questions that people with careers sometimes ask themselves. While its good to ask the questions, its far more important to answer the questions and then act on what your answers tell you should be done.

For as far back as anthropologists can describe daily human life, most people have had to work hard and for long hours. However, unless someone was a slave, work usually involved being close to family and friends.

It has only been since the factory system arose in the last few centuries that long hours meant long periods of separation from family for most people. During the post-industrial age in economically advanced countries, most work continues to involve separation from family.

Fighting against that separation, many people are finding that there are rewarding careers that can be engaged in at home or in a business where the whole family can be either present or nearby. Examples include creating art, farming, online sales and services, psychiatry, software development, tutoring, and writing.

In fact, many creative jobs can be better performed in friendlier environments. The extra nurturing such environments bring can improve emotional stability and encourage creative risk-taking.

However, most people fall into a way of earning a living, rather than choosing a lifestyle to live. Thats a mistake.

If you realize youve made that mistake, how can you adjust Let me share an example with you of someone who has designed and is creating an ideal, secure lifestyle that many people would enjoy.

Leon Holtzhausen holds an MBA degree from Rushmore University where he is now a Ph.D. candidate. He became interested in academic studies late in life. As a youngster, Mr. Holtzhausen was far more interested in sports and exploring the world. For instance, he hitchhiked through 16,000 miles of the United States after graduating from college.

Mentors played a big role in his life by suggesting what kind of jobs he should seek, what experiences he should gain, and what kind of career he should aim for. We should all be so lucky to have such good mentors.

But the biggest and most positive change in his life came when he married a woman with a deep passion for horses and a well-grounded sense of right and wrong. His wifes character became a bed rock on which Mr. Holtzhausen built his life choices. After their children were born, the Holtzhausens moved from South Africa to Germany, believing there were opportunities there for a solid career and an ideal family life. After the move, Mr. Holtzhausen found corporate life to be a bit disappointing in terms of his colleagues ethics. He therefore switched to management consulting where he was more frequently able to act with personal integrity. Unfortunately, his consulting assignments were hard work and frequently took him far away from home. He recently returned to corporate life, leading a large change management initiative for a major company.

When hes home, life is wonderful for everyone in the family. The Holtzhausens own a farm near the Baltic coast where they are exploring Mrs. Holtzhausens interest in breeding Trakehner horses large, intelligent, well-tempered, and sturdy horses developed from the original breeding stock at an eighteenth century East Prussian farm that perform well in dressage competitions. Their horse farm is in a rural setting that permits their children to grow up away from the tensions and traumas of an urban neighborhood. In fact, Mr. Holtzhausen likes to dream about what it would be like to retire there:

"I picture myself on a Sunday afternoon, sailing down the Peene River with a basket of goodies, a good book, and a fishing rod with no hook, never wanting to catch anything, but simply enjoying the occasion."

Mr. Holtzhausen enjoys some aspects of business and doesnt want to quit altogether after he retires from the corporate world. Instead, he imagines making the breeding farm pay and supplementing that income with a small business operated from home.

We all have dreams, and this is a nice one. Why might Mr. Holtzhausen be able to grasp this dream at a young enough age to enjoy it with his wife and children

First, the ideal home is owned and at-home occupations have already begun through buying the farm and starting to breed horses. The home, farm, and horses are enjoyed by his family while he is at work and by him whenever he is home.

Second, by earning an MBA degree, Mr. Holtzhausen built the knowledge and credibility base that has profitably boosted his current career through gaining a solid business understanding and becoming a more informed supporter of his wifes breeding activities. In the future, he intends to use this knowledge to start a new business. The degree was also a personal milestone in light of his earlier academic limitations. He is excited about the new learning that his Ph.D. studies are bringing, and he looks forward to the recognition and respect that a doctorate will bring him.

Third, he has set specific goals and dates for gaining this ideal life . . . dates that are not too far in the future.

Let me ask you these questions to help you gauge how well you are doing:

1. What is an ideal, secure lifestyle for you

2. What plans do you have to gain that lifestyle

3. Do you have goals and dates set for accomplishing this lifestyle

4. Are you accumulating the knowledge and resources that can speed fulfillment of the plans

5. Are you ahead of or behind schedule in meeting your targets

If you arent satisfied with your progress, step back now and develop the necessary plans, knowledge, and resources to accomplish what you want in the near future. You and your family wont be getting any younger.
About the Author

Donald W. Mitchell is a professor at Rushmore University, an online school. For more information about

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Refinancing - When Its A Mistake To Refinance

Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking re-financing is always a viable option. However, this is not true and homeowners can actually make a significant financial mistake by re-financing at an inopportune time. There a couple of classic example of when re-financing is a mistake.

This occurs when the homeowner does not stay in the property long enough to recoup the cost of re-financing and when the homeowner has had a credit score which has dropped since the original mortgage loan. Other examples are when the interest rate has not dropped enough to offset the closing costs associated with re-financing.

Recouping the Closing Costs
In determining whether or not re-financing is worthwhile the homeowner should determine how long they would have to retain the property to recoup the closing costs.

This is significant especially in the case where the homeowner intends to sell the property in the near future. There are re-financing calculators readily available which will provide homeowners with the amount of time they will have to retain the property to make re-financing worthwhile.

These calculators require the user to enter input such as the balance of the existing mortgage, the existing interest rate and the new interest rate and the calculator return results comparing the monthly payments on the old mortgage and the new mortgage and also supplies information about the amount of time required for the homeowner to recoup the closing costs.

When Credit Scores Drop
Most homeowners believe a drop in interest rates should immediately signal that it is time to re-finance the home. However, when these interest rates are combined with a drop in the credit score for the homeowner, the resulting re-financed mortgage may not be favorable to the homeowner.

Therefore homeowners should carefully consider their credit score at the present time in comparison to the credit score at the time of the original mortgage. Depending on the amount interest rates have dropped, the homeowner may still benefit from re-financing even with a lower credit score but it is not likely.

Homeowners may take advantage of free re-financing quotes to get an approximate understanding of whether or not they will benefit from re-financing.

Have the Interest Rates Dropped Enough
Another common mistake homeowners often make in regard to re-financing is re-financing whenever there is a significant drop in interest rates. This can be a mistake because the homeowner must first carefully evaluate whether or not the interest rate has dropped enough to result in an overall cost savings for the homeowners.

Homeowners often make this mistake because they neglect to consider the closing costs associated with re-financing the home. These costs may include application fees, origination fees, appraisal fees and a variety of other closing costs.

These costs can add up quite quickly and may eat into the savings generated by the lower interest rate. In some cases the closing costs may even exceed the savings resulting from lower interest rates.

Re-Financing Can Be Beneficial Even When It is a Mistake
In reality re-financing is not always the ideal solution, but some homeowners may still opt for re-financing even when it is technically a mistake to do so. This classic example of this type of situation is when a homeowner re-finances to gain the benefit of lower interest rates even though the homeowner winds up paying more in the long run for this re-financing option.

This may occur when either the interest rates drop slightly but not enough to result in an overall savings or when a homeowner consolidates a considerable amount of short term debt into a long term mortgage re-finance.

Although most financial advisors may warn against this type of financial approach to re-financing, homeowners sometimes go against conventional wisdom to make a change which may increase their monthly cash flow by reducing their mortgage payments. In this situation the homeowner is making the best possible decision for his personal needs.


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1000s of Finance,Financing,Financial and Funding Services -

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As Dubai Property Boom Slows Down, Investors Look Northwards

The current state of Dubai, following the recent introduction of an escrow law, where developers in Dubai are now not allowed to make use of use purchasers deposits on other projects, coupled with the ever increasing costs of raw materials for construction, has now resulted in many developers deciding to launch their new off-plan projects in northern and regional emirates instead, this move is also believed to be able to ensure far better returns for all.

The past six months has seen the costs of raw material imported from China sky rocket. The price of cement alone has increased by an astronomical 40 more than what it cost this time last year. There has also been some impact made by the removal of certain tax incentives for Chinese businesses.

All aspects considered, including the current credit crisis, which is beginning to make itself known across the emirate, is an indication of a change in momentum for Dubai.

Although it is far too dramatic to say that Dubai is on the brink of certain meltdown, it is most defiantly a deciding factor now that the global monetary crunch is starting to take its toll in Dubai.

According to a property analyst, Project finance has become more expensive and harder to raise courtesy of the global credit crunch and almost every local developer will be looking to gear their local project to achieve a higher rate of return on equity employed. If finance costs more, then the viability of a proposed project may shift significantly,

As international investors are already picking up on the current shift in momentum in Dubai, there are reports of an increasing number of new projects and developments, as well as rumours flying around about the fact that the governments investment has been given to the northern emirates of Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and the regional city of Al Ain, has left the international investors community riveted by the fact that investment is still possible and probable.

Judging by the move made recently by The U.A.Es government, to invest rather heavily in the emirate of Ajman the smallest U.A.E state, whilst announcing the construction of a new airport for the region, is more evidence that Dubais time as the property sector of choice in the emirates is coming to a slow close.

The recent news that a mixed-use airport, due for completion in 2011, led to many a developer snapping up whatever land they could get their hands on, in an attempt to capitalize on the newly available and soon to be readily accessible northern regions of the U.A.E

According to real estate news of late, the fourth largest city in the emirates, Al Ain, is currently experiencing its very own pseudo-property boom. The reason being: many investors are now spreading out on the search for higher profit returns.

According to a reputable and well respected property service firm, Asteco, rental prices of villas in the city have increased by 30 to 40 as it receives an influx of ex-pat and foreign buyers.

It is of the opinion of many property experts that Several new companies have recently opened offices in Al Ain, particularly those with interests in consultation and construction,

The need to house new employees has inevitably increased the demand for property. In addition, expatriates working in Abu Dhabi and Dubai are taking advantage of the more affordable accommodation in Al Ain, despite the longer commute. The cost of renting in Al Ain may be rising, but it is still much cheaper than in Dubai and Abu Dhabi,

All in all one can genuinely see that although Dubai is still a wonderfully lucrative area and destination of choice for investors, there is also a tangible change in momentum, largely due to the fact that Dubai is also now experiencing the ripple effect that the current global credit crunch has on all economies and currencies the world over.


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