Home insurance rates can vary greatly from one insurance company to another. A quick research will find that there are almost 1800 providers in which you could choose from, but now you can find low cost home insurance online more easily then making a hundred different phone calls. Insurance companies are based upon a sharing program in which the money or premiums are placed in a pool then distributed and used when that insurance company has losses and claims by its customers. Back in the 1970s and before, several insurance companies would send salesmen into areas and neighborhoods to knock on doors then signing up large numbers of new customers located in these areas.However, one year brought a string of tornadoes that devastated entire subdivisions and small towns where these insurance providers had signed up so many new customers. Because of such devastation in a concentrated area several of the smaller companies had to go out of business before fulfilling their obligations and responsibilities to their customers who had paid their premiums. Larger companies were simply overwhelmed by the amount of claims that had to be filled out and completed. Not only was it a loss to the customers when those companies went out of business, but it was also a long period of time before many of the others were able and capable of processing their claims and rebuilding their homes.In evaluating of this unfortunate incident Congress enacted new laws that limited the amount of customers that an insurance company could sign up in any given area. This helps to keep all our rates low and protect the insurance company as well as the customers. Getting a quote by getting a home comparison in this age of technology should be an easy chore for the person searching for home insurance companies.A Quote can be accomplished simply by providing a few basic details and allowing your computer to search hundreds of different insurance companies that fit your needs. If you’re one of those who owns a home which is your most prized asset then there is no doubt that you need from a quality company that will provide you with a decent home owners insurance policy. A good home policy not only covers the house itself, but also other buildings on the property and the contents of the home for replacement.Many insurance companies will also check your credit rating when getting insurance so you yourself need to know what your credit rating status is. You also should have a very good ideal of how much it would cost to replace all the contents in your home including furniture, appliances, clothing, and a place to stay while your home is being repaired. Don’t forget most insurance companies only offer flood insurance as an additional. So make sure you ask the company just what all they cover in their insurance quotes. Remember, getting an online home insurance quote can save you hundreds of dollars from one insurance company to another insurance company.Well known names are not always the cheapest and best.
Real Estate Housing Market – Oh, It Is Just Back to Normal – Yea, Right!
“It’s just back to normal’, “Just a seasonal slow-down’, “A normal minor adjustment’, “A great time to buy, with a much wider selection’, “A cooling market’”, “A soft landing”, “A slight tapering off” etc. Yes, these P.C. phrases are now replacing the “We should have a strong market for the foreseeable future” industry line prevalent just a few short months ago.The sad fact is people are still in self-denial here. We’re “special” because of our weather. We are known as America’s Finest City after all. It’s still common to hear someone say, “If you don’t buy now, you’re going to get priced out of the market!”Talk about your irrational exuberance in the Southern California real estate market. In a 2004 summer poll in the LA area, residents believed prices would continue to go up by more than 20% a year for another decade!What will be the industry P.C. phrases we’ll be hearing in about six to nine months? “It may well go as: “This home is a great buy, why just nine months ago you would have paid $25,000+ more…what a great savings.” Naturally, you would be talking to a buyer. For a seller (who has owned for some years) you might say: “Well, you are still making a profit. Who could have even known that the market would have turned down so fast?” For the downtown high-rise buyer who though they got a real deal on the final phase of their Gas Lamp digs, a real estate agent may be saying: “Well, because the resale value is actually below your 100% interest only trust deed, you really should consult a real estate attorney and/or meet with your lender to propose they accept your deed in lieu of foreclosure”.Are you reading this and thinking I’m way off base? Here are a few recent headlines:National Association of Realtors reports, in part: Total existing-home sales – including single-family, town homes, condominiums and co-ops – were down 5.7 percent in December from November.Time Magazine reports that ‘Vegas Condos Go Cold.”The Washington Post reports “Real estate groups in the Washington area have also reported declines to varying degrees.”"The bloom is definitely off the housing rose. Housing peaked last summer and has been weakening ever since,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com.New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently said the real estate market was slowing “dramatically” and only a “miracle” could stop soaring mortgage rates from eating into housing prices. “The real estate market is slowing down dramatically and we’re going to have a problem down the road,” Bloomberg said.”If people who want to sell their houses have to wait a longer time before someone comes along and buys it, it would be a miracle if prices didn’t start to go down,” he said.”‘The market has definitely peaked,’ said Jack Kyser, chief economist with the L.A. County Economic Development Corp. ‘The fever has broken and now the question people are asking themselves is if there is a crash ahead.’”This is my own opinion on a realistic view of what lies ahead as far as the San Diego real estate market: A multi-year depreciation that could easily take 30% off the highs which reached this market’s peak during the summer of 2005! Plus, I foresee headlines, maybe even national, announcing how the San Diego high-rise downtown boom has turned into a foreclosure city!As a realistic San Diego Realtor, I provide these facts to my sellers. If their property is not generating meaningful activity within the first month of being listed, it would be prudent to consider a revised marketing plan similar to what many San Diego real estate developers are doing. This would be a combination of value-range reduction as well as agent and buyer incentives to position the property as the best total value for the area.I think as Realtors we must adapt and not deny. To otherwise will have a dramatic impact on your financial health and community reputationCopyright 2006 – http://www.websitetrafficbuilders.com All rights reserved. any additions/modifications/hyperlinks added to this article will be considered a copyright violation & subject to immediate legal action without further notice.
Macro Photography
Exploring the world of miniature objects with a macro lens is a special and exciting area of photography, and once you start, you will quickly become addicted. The world of macro photography holds many delights and is an area that cannot be appreciated with the human eye.Macro photography is the name given to close-up photography, and is best explained as images that are taken at reproduction ratios of life-size and above. Ratios of between 1:7 and 1:1 fall into the macro photography category.Understanding Ratios: This is a term used to express the magnification of a macro lens or other macro equipment that relates the real life-size object to the reproduction size on a slide or negative. If you shoot an object that is 3cm in length and it measures 1.5cm on a 35mm slide or negative – the ratio is 1:2. When both are equal length the ratio is 1:1Choosing the right lens is the most important factor with macro photography. While a telephoto lens may be acceptable with some types of close-up photography, the macro lens is invaluable to get really close and really accurate focusing.There is an endless range of subjects that fall under the range of macro photography. The most common subject for macro photography is the natural world – all types of flowers, plants, and insects. For the more creative photographer, macro photography is used in abstract imagery.With many forms of macro photography, especially with insects, a lens with a long focal lens – minimum 200 mm is required for some nature subjects. You need to keep a working distance from the subject to get a successful image – you don’t want to frighten your subject away.When shooting close-ups you are limited with depth-of-field – to get an attractive image you must focus on the most important part of the subject. This will be achieved easier if you place your camera on a tripod or monopod.By using your tripod you will reduce the risk of camera shake. Subject movement is also an important factor to consider. Macro photography magnifies the subject, leaving more room for blur. A strobe unit can be used to freeze movement – even on the brightest of days you should consider using your strobe unit. Try bouncing light from your strobe unit off a reflector. This will give your image a softer illumination.Many amateur photographers stay away from macro photography because they feel that their technical ability is too inept – your personal ability should not turn you away from this exciting part of photography – macro photography is like all types of photography – practice makes perfect.