Live Real, Now

The no-pants guide to spending, saving, and thriving in the real world.

Search Results for: three-alternatives-to-a-budget/budget-lesson-part-5/subscribe-by-email/debt-burnout/slow-carb-diet-how-to-avoid-going-bat-crazy/first-3-things-to-do-in-the-new-year/brown-bagging-your-way-to-savings/5-steps-to-save/garage-sale-manual/medical-costs-and-choices/3-things-you-need-to-know-about-homeowners-insurance

So You’re Getting Evicted…

Business

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit eviction court, though not for anything having to do with my properties.

It was an interesting experience.  Eviction court is a day when nobody is at their best.  Landlords are fighting to remove bad tenants, sometimes questioning their desire to be a landlord, while tenants are fighting to keep their homes, often with no backup plan.  Occasionally, you get someone who just wants to get out of their lease because the landlord is a creepy peeper who digs through the dirty laundry.

Nobody goes to eviction court in a good mood.

If you ever find yourself in eviction court, here are some things to remember:

Everyone

  • If you don’t show up, you lose.  Period. Landlord or tenant, judges don’t like waiting around.  You will get the worst possible outcome if you stay home.
  • The first day is a hearing.  The judge will either accept a settlement between the two parties, or he’ll check if there is a valid reason for a full trial.  The trial will be schedule for another day.  In Minnesota, that happens within 6 days of the hearing.
  • Don’t make faces at the other side while they are talking to the judge.  Do you want to go to jail for being a smartass?  It’s called contempt of court.

Landlords

  • Fix the mold, rot, and other habitability issues.  You’ll have a hard time getting your rent back if you are a slumlord forcing your tenants to live in a biohazard.
  • If you’ve got an automatically renewing lease, don’t file the eviction notice with the renewed lease for violations that happened under the old lease.    If you do, you’ll be handing a win to your tenant.
  • Make sure you lease has an eviction clause.  If it doesn’t, you may not have the right to kick out your tenant for any reason.
  • Your tenant’s dirty underwear is not a toy for you to play with.  Creep.

Tenants

  • Pay your rent.  If you are withholding rent to get something fixed, you’ll be expected to put that in escrow the day of the hearing, so don’t spend it on vodka or a new stereo.
  • Read your lease and the filing.   It may have a backdoor that lets you escape the eviction.
  • Try not to get evicted.  An unlawful detainer can make it hard to rent again for a couple of years.
  • Dress nice.  I’m amazed by how many people showed up in ratty jeans and uncombed hair.  Look professional.  The judge will appreciate the effort.

All in all, it’s best if landlords and tenants try to keep each other happy.  The whole business relationship will go much smoother if you do.

 

Enhanced by Zemanta

Top 7 Reasons To Trade Forex Over Other Financial Instruments

Finance

This is a guest post provided by ForexTraders.com

The foreign exchange market has literally exploded over the last 10 years.  Before the 1990’s, the only players allowed to speculate in the forex market were banks, large hedge funds, and very wealthy individuals.  The reason was simple.  The minimum contract size was usually $100,000 and it ranged up to $1,000,000; therefore, most traders simply could not afford to trade in the market.  The advance of technology and internet changed that.  Today, traders can open an account with as little as $100 and begin trading in the spot fx market.  This change has caused traders around the world to rush into the market and the Bank of International Settlements now estimates that average daily turnover in the fx market is around $4 trillion!  Let’s examine a few of the top reasons why the fx market is drawing so many traders.

Leverage

In the United States, traders that engage in fx trading can leverage 50:1.  Leverage was much higher in recent years, but government regulations have now capped leverage at 50:1 effective late October.  This means that a forex trader can control a position of $50,000 with only $1,000 on deposit with his broker.  Leverage is definitely a two-edged sword that can help a trader garner very quick and substantial profits, but it can also lead to debilitating losses and should therefore be used with caution.

Liquidity

The huge amount of volume that is present in the forex market each day makes it basically impossible for any single financial institution or even group of market participants to manipulate price movements.  It also makes it much easier for large traders to enter and exit the market without trading against themselves, which is a common problem in the stock and commodity markets.

24 Hour Market

The forex market is a loosely connected network of international banks; therefore, the market never closes from Sunday evening until Friday afternoon.  Liquidity simply flows from financial center to financial center as time zones open and close business operations for the day.  This is a huge advantage for small, retail traders because those who still have full-time jobs can trade at night.

Small Initial Account Size

Traders can open accounts with as little as $1 at some brokers, and then trade positions where each 1 point movement is equivalent to $0.01 (in the U.S. this would be lower since the leverages are capped at 1:50).  This will obviously never get a trader rich, but it does allow traders a very low risk entrance into the market.  Traders generally need $20,000 in order to day trade the stock market.  This very low account size at an online forex broker is a big draw for many traders.

Long Trends

The currency market tends to develop very clear, long trends.  It is not uncommon for specific currencies to head in the same direction for 5+ years.  Of course, there are many dramatic price swings that make real-time trading difficult and challenging, but a quick look at longer-term currency price charts makes it clear that currencies develop strong trends.

Macro Economics

The currency market is very big picture-based.  This means there are not a million and one little things that a trader has to track as is common in other financial markets.  Currencies react to major macroeconomic developments around the world.  Seasoned fx professionals argue that this makes the job of economic analysis much different in the currency market.

Continued Growth and Volatility

The foreign exchange market is expected to continue to grow in coming years, and volatility is expected to remain quite strong as the world continues to move toward a more globalized economy.  As globalization continues to change the world economy, investor interest in currencies will most likely continue to grow steadily.

Jason’s commentary:  I’ve never looked into forex trading, mostly because I’m not in the “invest & grow rich” stage of my financial life.  Have you invested in the forex market?

Link Roundup

Misc

What has happened to this week?  It’s already Friday afternoon, and I’m short a post today.    Since I skipped the link roundup last week while I was off with family, I’ll do it early this week and cheat you out of a real post today.

Finance links:

I enjoy trying new foods and eating out.  Christian PF provides tips on doing that frugally.

Trent talks about “Family Dinner Night”.  Invite a bunch of friends over to help prep and eat a buffet-style meal.  Good time for everyone on the cheap.

Free Money Finance shares his 14 Money Principles.

MoneyNing shares how to buy school supplies for less.

Miscellaneous links:

Netflix just volunteered to shaft its customers again.  There’s a 28 day wait to get most new releases, now.  If I didn’t have almost 500 movies in my queue, I’d be royally ticked.

Mother Earth News has plans for a smoker/grill/stove/oven.   I’d love to build a brick oven with a grill and smoker.  A complete, wood-fired cooking center would be perfect for my house.

Major kitchen cleaning on Lifehacker.   We’re doing this tomorrow, as part of our April Declutter.

That’s the highlight of my trip around the internet this week.

Selena Gomez: Can Child Stars Make It As Adults?

Celebrities, Gossip

Selena Gomez is no longer the innocent yet rebellious Alex from Disney’s hit show Wizards of Waverly Place. In fact, the quirky and wholesome child star who was beloved by so many young women has now become a scantily

Season four main cast (L-R): María Canals Barr...
Season four main cast (L-R): María Canals Barrera as Theresa Russo, David DeLuise as Jerry Russo, Jake T. Austin as Max Russo, Selena Gomez as Alex Russo, David Henrie as Justin Russo, and Jennifer Stone as Harper Finkle. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

clad pop star that is singing risque lyrics to her on again off again pop star boyfriend Justin Beiber. Her transition to adult stardom has not been an easy one, and many believe that her role in “Spring Breakers” is a sign that she has officially entered adulthood and kissed her teen-friendly role preference in the past. But unlike other famous Disney child stars like Lindsey Lohan and Britney Spears, Gomez has had a relatively smooth path to adult stardom with only minor bumps in the road. But many people are asking themselves whether or not child stars can actually make it as adults, or whether their career is over once their cute phase stages.

Child Stars Have to Find Themselves After Their Cuteness is Gone

Child stars are aware of the fact that they are always being watched. They become the idols of their young fans, and these young idols rely a lot on their cuteness to become a celebrity. But transitioning from a cute kid to a talented adult actor can be a difficult feat. Not only does the star have to earn a new fan base, they also must find a new identity and decide which types of roles they are willing to take now that they are a mature adult able to make their own decisions. Sometimes, even children who do not fall into the drug and alcohol trap, find it difficult when they are given control of their own careers without their guardian’s rules.

The Public is Less Receptive to a Child Star Turned Adult Star 

Die hard Wizards of Waverly Place will always see Selena Gomez as the lovable yet comedic Alex Russo. While this was her most popular role, it is the role that will makes her transition into more mature roles difficult. The public is less receptive to an adult Selena Gomez, clad in bra tops and short shorts, because they do not realize that she has matured. When the public shuns a child star for taking on more adult roles, the star simply is not sought after for movies and sitcoms. Young female child stars tend to be judged much more than their male counterparts. In fact, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling are both very successful in the acting scene, and they were both Mouseketeers.

It is possible for a child star to make it as a adult, but the person must have thick skin and be prepared for a publicly criticized transition. Many child stars simply choose to retire once they have outgrown the ability to take on youthful roles, and others are not mentally prepared for the scrutiny they will face. Ultimately, a child star can have a successful career in stardom as an adult if the public is ready for the transition.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy for LiveRealNow.net

The privacy of our visitors to LiveRealNow.net is important to us.

At LiveRealNow.net, we recognize that privacy of your personal information is important. Here is information on what types of personal information we receive and collect when you use and visit LiveRealNow.net, and how we safeguard your information. We never sell your personal information to third parties.

Spam
No spam, ever!

Log Files
As with most other websites, we collect and use the data contained in log files. The information in the log files include your IP (internet protocol) address, your ISP (internet service provider, such as AOL or Shaw Cable), the browser you used to visit our site (such as Internet Explorer or Firefox), the time you visited our site and which pages you visited throughout our site.

Cookies and Web Beacons
We do use cookies to store information, such as your personal preferences when you visit our site. This could include only showing you a popup once in your visit, or the ability to login to some of our features, such as forums.

We also use third party advertisements on LiveRealNow.net to support our site. Some of these advertisers may use technology such as cookies and web beacons when they advertise on our site, which will also send these advertisers (such as Google through the Google AdSense program) information including your IP address, your ISP , the browser you used to visit our site, and in some cases, whether you have Flash installed. This is generally used for geotargeting purposes (showing New York real estate ads to someone in New York, for example) or showing certain ads based on specific sites visited (such as showing cooking ads to someone who frequents cooking sites).

You can chose to disable or selectively turn off our cookies or third-party cookies in your browser settings, or by managing preferences in programs such as Norton Internet Security. However, this can affect how you are able to interact with our site as well as other websites. This could include the inability to login to services or programs, such as logging into forums or accounts.