New Homebuyers: Have You Considered the Hidden Costs of Owning A Home?

There?s no better feeling than pulling into your driveway ? cutting your lawn ? cooking in your kitchen ? swimming in your pool. After all, owning a home is the ?American dream?.

But the cost of maintaining your home can quickly turn into a nightmare, if you are not prepared.

When you go through the home buying process, you?ll learn all about the mortgage, closing costs, homeowners insurance, down payments, inspection. These are all standard expenses when buying a home.

But what happens after you move in?

Here are 5 ?hidden costs? all first time homebuyers need to consider when planning your budget for your home purchase ? so you don?t end up in a pile of credit card debt:

1) Furnishing your home ? if you?re buying a home that?s bigger than your current residence, make sure to have some money set aside for new furniture. Having lots of rooms is nice. But having empty rooms can get frustrating very quickly.

2) Tools and equipment ? if you?re renting, most (if not all) of the maintenance is done by the landlord. Stocking up on new hardware, lawn equipment, power tools all cost money. And while your first trip to your local home improvement center can be exciting, it can also be very expensive, so be prepared!

3) Replacing broken items ? one of the most unpleasant aspects of owning a home is maintenance. No matter how old or new the house is, things break. And they often break at the wrong times (when money is tightest, right after a big expense, etc)! Fixing a broken lock is relatively simple and inexpensive. Replacing a furnace or roof usually requires an expert, and a big savings account.

4) Fees for services ? if you are hooked up to city water and sewer, there is usually a fee that is not covered by your local property taxes. If you have a well and/or septic tank, these require periodic cleaning and maintenance. You may also have to pay for garbage pickup, recycling, lawn maintenance, snow removal, etc. While most of these are not that expensive, they can add up quickly!

5) Making the house ?yours? ? even if you move into a house that is in great shape, chances are you will want to add your own personal touch. If you move into a house that needs some work, you may have to add lots of personal touches (and lots of paint and accessories). Even if you like ?do-it-yourself? projects, materials cost money.

And don?t underestimate how much time you?ll spending getting ? and keeping ? your house the way you want it.

Don?t be discouraged by all the ?hidden costs? of home ownership. Just make sure you have a budget, and a plan, for making your house your own!

Kris Bickell is the owner of http://www.HouseBuying-Tips.com, a site that helps first time home buyers avoid the costly mistakes that many new homebuyers make. For more tips on buying a house, getting a mortgage, finding a realtor, and getting out of debt, sign up for the free ?How To Avoid These 10 Costly Mistakes When Buying Your First Home? email course at: http://www.HouseBuying-Tips.com/

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Gambling Interesting Facts

Gambling Interesting Facts

 by: Winder Liao

Soccerbetting

Is there such thing as kangtao or surewin tips?

I have seen alot of people debating over the issues of this kangtao or surewin tips. In actual fact thereIS however very few. But why does it fails us when it is surewin. It is because some of these so called kangtao are false information released by the smaller bookmakers themselves to balance their balance sheet. For instance EPL match Arsenal vs Chelsea alot of people taking arsenal resulting in imbalance on the amount wagered on chelsea and these smaller bookmakers with nowhere to dump their excessive bets they will released the so called kangtao to entice ignorant punters to bet on chelsea to balance up their balance sheets.

Why are there so many kangtao or surewin tips for sales ?

I was bewildered why would any one give away a surewin tips at such low rate where they could earn 10 of thousands with it themselves? put youself in his shoes would you??? i must admit there are opportunites in soccerbetting and i would call that an edge with a higher chances of winning but to call them a surewin tips is an overated statement unless you are one of the bribed key players or bribed key officials there is still a certainty of losing.

Live matches

Live matches are often 2 strong team faces each other and they are most likely to be telecast throughout the world. Why? It is because a lot of people likes to bet on sports that they are able to view live especially those recreation punters who gets real kick watching their favourites team play and also big-time soccer punters who bet 30K-50K per match. There is the jalan bet or live betting bet and the half-time bet which make it more interesting and more variety for punters to bet. These live matches are matches where the bookmakers makes lots of money through the vigourish and fixed match. My advise to fresh punters is to bet small betting on live matches and focus more on those non-telecast match. Why? since the non-telecast matches recieved little publicity the bookmakers doesn't mind feeding those new fresh punterse as they knew eventually the money would go back to them as time goes by due to human nature GREED.

How could you tell whether you Bookmaker/runner is trustworthy or dubious?

It is hard to differentiate as it is only by betting over a period of time before you could tell. But common signs includes setting a high minimum bet for instance minimum $5k. Unless the person is really someone whom you known for a very long time and you feel you could trust him chances are when you win he is no-where to be found. Common flimsy excuses given includes bookie run away or bookie got arrested. Another common sign is they only open a few matches for punters to bet. Come to think about it if he is really a bookmaker why should he restrict the no. of matches available for bets chances are those are the games he is confident of and would accept all those bets which is opossing him.

Does the bookmaker lose money?

ANS :yes there are times but seldom. Bookmakers lose money when the strong team win throughout the tournamnet eg euro2000 but that is short-term loss. They will continues to win the soccer punters money as long as there are soccer matches. Why? Cause there will be different opionions from different soccer punters just the vigourish/water money alone is able to cover their losses and that is excluding fixed match where they win even more. Another useful tool they are armed with is they understands that all gamblers have a common weakness. They bet bigger and bigger when winning and bets even bigger to chase their loss when losing. In either case it is to the bookmakers edge.

Contary to the belief of many where they think they are winning the bookmakers money , it is the other soccer punters ie, their friend's money whom they are winning. The only way to bust the bookmaker/bookies is not to bet or share part of the pie the bookmaker is having.

Does soccer betting involves luck?

This depends on the time frame you set for betting. For instance if you got $5k and you want to turn it in $35k in a short time frame of 2 weeks , then i say you requires luck. As asianhandicap is a 50/50 chances of winning it is possible for someone who is new to soccerbetting and is extremly daring and lucky to achieve that. It tooks about 3 bets to win $35k. But on the long run it definitely requires skills and patience as we all knows what goes up will eventually comes down morever lady luck couldn't be smiling on you all days.

Is it important to know all about the soccer team , soccer players statistic n does that makes me a better soccer better?

the answer is No cause soccer betting arena is a place where the booksmakers earns their money if by knowing every details could make you rich then all the soccer writers, soccer magazines editors are the ones who are driving big cars and living in big houses.

Casino

Common tricks and techniques employed by the casinos

Casino are designed in a way that the moment you steps in it makes you feel at home with free food and free drinks some even offer complimentary free rooms to stay. Presently they are aiming those who are in the late 50s or 60s as these people usually are loaded with cash from pension. Their main motive is to entice you to stay longer in casino and bet more thus increasing their chances of winning your money.

what are the games the casinos use to earn big bucks?

(1) jackpot / progressive jackpot

(2) carribbean stud

(3) roullete

(4) sic bo or big/small

Can we beat jackpot ?

Yes. The trick is simple once in a jackpot room do not straight away proceed to play instead walk around the jackpot room and oberserve those machines that are loose machines. Definition of loose machines-are machines that are rigged to pay more often. Where are they located?they are often found at places near the entrance or where there is lots of human traffic where people gets to see other people winning $$. Eg next to the stairs or elevator. Clever move by the casiono management. If you plan to go there often, take note of those machines that pays more often by jotting down the serial no. located on the tip of each machine then walk away and procceeds to next machine. When its your turn to play NOTE LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THE SOUND OF COINS WHEN YOU SLOT IT IN. There are typically 3 scenarios

1st scenario

you slot it in and hear a thud or the coins fipping at the bottom meaning the previous player has won the money and have cash in with the jackpot

required action - leave the machine alone

2nd scenario

you slot it in and hear a faint clink,you slot in the next coin and hear a faint clink again to confirm. The sound will comes to you almost instantaneous as the coins are stacked to the brimmed. This machine is fed almost full its about time the machine vomit the coins in the machine

required action - max bet

3rd scenario

you slot it in and hear a clink sound but not so instantaneous. The longer it takes before you hear the clink sound is the guage you judge to see how full the machine is. The machine is half-fed

required action - you bet small

NOTE: WHEN YOU WON 2-3 JACKPOTS LEAVE THE MACHINES AND WALK AWAY WITH YOUR WINNINGS.

Carribean studd is it for me?

It is a game designed with the intention of winning gamblers money why? you were dealt with 5 cards after viewing your cards you decide whether to increase your stake. When finished viewing your cards you with no pairs will most likely to fold as you got to double your stake if you don't. Note even if you have a good hand like 4 of a kind the banker with no pairs or AKings combination they just pay you the initial stake. That is again to the casinos edge. My overall conclusion for this game is to bet the minimum of the table and enjoys it with other gamblers,this is a definite recreation game if you want to make this game as a game to bring you income i advice you to skip.

Can we make a living by living off on casino?

Ans:Yes you can but it can be very tiring as time is wasted travelling to and fro the casino. Contary to the belief of many whom they believe proffesional gamblers usually bet big to earn big bucks. what pros do is they bet relatively small. Consistency is the key and the most important thing is self discipline so that there is no impulsive bets. They bring a small amount of their original bankroll to bet and if that day turns out not so fine they will go home and to come back another day,they do not bet all in 1 day. It works in the same principal as soccerbetting.

Can blackjack be beaten by the proffessional?

Ans: yes it could , provided that you got a team of members betting at the same table. The most crcucial person are the ones sitting at the last seats. He determines what card the banker is recieving. It is a highly publicised game that by arming with card counting skills you could make a living however now casino has counter that by repeats shuffling and removing the high cards which are the 10,J,Q,K,A from the deck before putting them in the shoes. Another most igenious method currently adopted by the casinos are employing staff which acts as normal gamblers siting at the last seat. By doing so it had made task more difficult for those card counters.

Can we made money on online casino games?

Ans: yes ,you could but not much. What the online casino games does is they usually let you win in the initial stage then as u bet bigger they starts winning all in a streats. Some even starts winning the moment you placed your bets. They usually offers high deposit cash bonus to entice you like depositing $100 give u $300 cash bonus. My personal advice is avoid at all cost.

Can we make money playing online poker games?

Nowdays it is very common to see online poker games on the net offering interactivity between gamblers. It seems fair but be very careful when betting with real money especially those that have high minimum bets ranging from $5-$10. There are hustlers looming round the corner. What they do is they kept increasing the stakes where you have little choice but to follow to see thae next card, unless you got an j pairs or anything higher than that , high chance are you will lose,cause their odds of winning against you is high as you are alone. These apply to games like majong, big 2s.

Tips on playing TaiDi's or Big 2s

These games usually begins with 4 people playing cards with each person dealt with 13 cards. What people normally do is once that they are dealt the cards they start arranging their cards in pairs or in sequence 5 cards. The tips is when dealt with don't arrange your cards 1st instead observe your oppenents and what tactics they are playing in 5 cards or in pairs. Once finished observing then you trained yourself to be able to retrieve cards in your hand and throw when its your turn. This confuse your opponents as they have no idea as whta you are playing in pairs or in 5 cards.

About The Author

Best regards

Winder, Winder sports

http://www.geocities.com/winder21/winderexpertsoccerpicks.htm winder expert picks -Asian handicap specialist to european soccer fixtures.

http://www.windersports.com

winder sports portal -Your guide to winder's interest on sports : provides tips and techniques to improve your game.

winder21@yahoo.com

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Meaning of Different Color Roses

Roses come in many varieties of color but the main ones are yellow, Orange/Peach, Lavender/Purple, Pink, Red and White.

Yellow Roses - The sun has always been a symbol of warmth and life giving power. And yellow roses are no different. We give yellow roses to those people we wish to share our joy, delight or happiness with. Yellow roses are a sign of true friendship, of Congratulations or Welcome Back.


Orange (Peach) Roses - Orange has long been a color of vibrant energy. A gift of orange roses means passion, desire or a personal fascination or longing. Peach roses with their more muted colors are a sign of sincerity, gratitude or sympathy.

Lavender (Purple) Roses - The lavender rose symbolizes love at first sight. They are a sign of enchantment and mean, I adore you. Purple roses are also symbols of instant enchantment but also of elegance and grandeur. Is also a modern sign of alternative relationships.

Pink Roses - Grace, gentility and refinement are the meaning of pink roses. This rose is gentle emotions, sweet and innocent thoughts. Pink roses are often given as gift of admiration or simple joy and happiness.

Red Roses - This color rose has long been the ancient symbol of love and beauty. The lover's rose, red roses means steadfast and enduring love. Red is also the symbol of great courage and respect. Its simplest meaning is, I love you'.

White Roses - White is an ancient symbol of purity and innocence in the West. As such white roses are often part of bridal bouquets as a sign of honor, loyalty and for new beginnings. White roses are also a sign of respect or remembrance.

The Number of Roses

How many flowers you order along with the meaning of different color roses is also important.

1 rose = love at first sight or you are the one - Lavender for the first and red for the second.

2 roses = Mutual love or attraction - Red or white. Red and white together mean unity.

3 roses = I love you - Red

4 roses = No particular meaning but is considered unlucky in some Asian cultures.

6 roses = I want to be yours - Red, Orange, Lavender, etc.

7 roses = Infatuated - Orange, lavender, red, etc.

10 roses = You are perfect!

12 roses = Be Mine - red, white, orange, lavender, etc.

Now that you understand what the meaning of different color roses are all about you can plan your gifts accordingly


By Adam Carter

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How to Measure Body Fat in 3 Easy Ways

1. Underwater Weighing: This is the most accurate method basing on the premise that fat floats - think of how oil rises to the top in a bottle of salad dressing. Therefore, by submerging a body in a tub of water, you can determine how much of it is lean and how much is not However impracticability outweighs efficiency since Underwater Weighing is only done with sophisticated equipment at university research facilities.

How it works: You sit in a large tank or tub full of water in a special chair with a weight belt around your waist. A trained technician then submerges you beneath the surface of the water as you force all the air out of your lungs. You must remain underwater for about 10 seconds so that the technician can record your weight. The technician repeats this procedure eight to ten times in order to determine an average.

The technician measures your body's volume by computing the difference between your body's weight measured in air and its weight underwater. The technician then calculates your body density by dividing your body mass by the volume of the water that it displaces, minus any air left in your lungs. After computing density, the technician uses another formula to determine your percent body fat.

2. Skin fold thickness: Measuring skin-fold thickness (the amount of fat just under the skin) is a simpler method for determining percent body fat. When done by an experienced person, it is a very accurate predictor of total body fat. However, this method can yield inaccurate results if not done by a skilled practitioner or if performed on an older person or on someone who is severely overweight. Given that the results can vary greatly depending on the practitioner, you should view the results skeptically.

A person trained in skin-fold measuring, such as a doctor, dietitian, or health club staffer, measures your skin-fold thickness by using skin-fold calipers at the upper arm, upper back, lower back, stomach, and upper thigh. The technician takes two sets of measurements and obtains an average at each site. Then he or she converts the millimeters that the calipers measure and places those numbers in a formula to arrive at the percent body fat of your entire body.

3. Bioelectrical impedance: Bioelectrical impedance is another relatively simple method for determining percent body fat, but it can produce inaccurate results if a person is dehydrated, overhydrated, severely overweight, or older with little muscle mass.

A trained technician takes readings from a machine that delivers a harmless amount of electrical current through your body to estimate total body water, which reflects the amount of muscle or lean tissue you have. (Muscle contains water, and fat contains very little water.) The technician then determines the amount of body fat you have between your body weight and your lean tissue.


Callie Armstrong is a writer for http://www.AllergyHero.com. Her insights on dieting, exercise and health can be read at http://www.body4beach.com

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Predators in Cyberland

Most people would agree the internet is a fun and convenient resource to make new friends and learn new things. As technology advances so does the accessibility of the internet. People can now surf the internet via cell phones, laptop computers, and palm pilots. The internet is everywhere from Libraries, internet cafes, and school campuses across America.

While the internet has made it easier to shop, communicate, and research it has also made the world much more complex from a technical viewpoint. Software companies spend millions of dollars trying to protect users against hackers, predators, and scammers. Sadly, these companies seem to be one step behind the cyber criminals who are very intelligent and skilled at exploitation. These criminals do not lurk in alleys or bars; instead they roam the information super highway and prey upon the vulnerable. Internet predators come from various types of social, economic and ethnic backgrounds. Internet predators are very hard to detect because the majority of them look non-threatening and some even hold very prestigious occupations. A great example of this is Senator Mark Foley, who used the internet to prey upon teenage boys working in the White House.

Many adults know very little about the online world. Most kids end up teaching their parents how to use the internet. The internet is being taught to kids in middle school which is overall a good idea, but it can create some problems such as kids having more technical expertise than their parents and teachers. The average teenager knows more about configuring, downloading, and installing programs than their guardians. Parents often feel they can not learn computer skills so their children are often left to manage the computer. Parents and kids are both in a bad situation because parents do not know how to use the computer and kids lack the experience and maturity to make sound decisions about online safety. Parents often under estimate the dangers that lurk online and sadly our children are paying the price for it. At any given moment there are 50,000 child predators online looking for their next victim. These criminals use websites such as Myspace, AOL and Yahoo to facilitate communications with unsuspecting kids The best way to keep children safe is by education, supervision, and installation of software for protection against online predators. When most people think of the word ?predator? they think of a lion or bear, because these animals hunt prey weaker and smaller than them. According to the American Heritage Dictionary a predator is defined as: ?One that victimizes, plunders, or destroys, especially for one's own gain.? Internet predators behave in this manner because they target children who are weaker emotionally, intellectually and physically and then exploit them for their own sexual gratification. Pedophiles no longer have to stalk playgrounds or toy stores; instead they can access the internet and within seconds locate an unassuming child. Parents have a difficult time protecting their kids from threats they themselves can not see. Internet Predators pose a much bigger challenge to parents and children because the internet is everywhere.

It is a well known fact, many children know more about how to operate a computer than their parents. Kids typically start learning basic computer literacy starting in elementary school. The first step to keeping children safe is for parents to get educated themselves about the dangers online. Parents can do this by watching television, reading newspapers, or talking to their local police department. Parents also need to have basic computer skills such as learning how to operate the computer, use the internet, download and install programs. Many colleges and vocational institutions offer inexpensive computer classes. Parents also can get help from neighbors or friends who are computer proficient. Parents then need to educate their children about the dangers online because

according to the FBI, one out of five kids will be solicited by an online pedophile When children understand the dangers that exist online they are less likely to become victims. Most parents spend time telling their kids about the dangers of talking to strangers and this same principal should also apply online.

Learning how to use the computer is an essential step in keeping children safe, but parents should equally understand who they are protecting their kids from and how they operate. Most online predators establish contact with kids via internet chat rooms, forums, and instant messages. Online predators typically visit local chat rooms. These predators keep up with local trends such as popular music, television, and hobbies. Online predators often spend a great deal of time, energy, and even income getting to know their victim. Some predators try and earn the victims trust by sympathizing with their problems and then gradually introduce sexually explicit material to their targets. This process if often referred to as ?grooming?.

Now that we understand how the predator works we need to understand which type of young people are more susceptible to becoming victims. According to bewebaware.com, ?teenagers who are new to online activity, actively seeking affection or attention, curious about their sexuality or attracted by sub-culture apart from their parents world are most likely to become victims .? This makes sense because this is the time where teenagers are figuring out who they are and where they belong. This makes them even more of an attractive target to pedophiles, because teenagers are opens to suggestion. Parents can counteract this by talking to their kids about online threats and keeping communication lines open. Education is the most important tool because like the internet it can be accessed anywhere.

Most parents would never consider allowing a stranger to come into their home and spend time with their kids unsupervised. The internet should not be treated any different. Supervision in this context includes monitoring the pc when kids are online and setting rules for computer usage. Parents should try to accompany their kids online and observe the websites they visit. This is especially true for kids who are new to the internet. If a parent feels comfortable with their kid being online they can make sure the computer is placed in a common area of the home. Computers with internet access should never be placed in a child?s bedroom. It is much more difficult for a predator to form a relationship when the monitor is visible to the parent at all times. Parents also need to set up some guidelines for their kid?s internet usage. Most guidelines are common sense such as telling kids not to open emails or instant messages from people they do not know. Parents also need to instruct their kids on what chat rooms are okay for them to visit and with whom they communicate with in these rooms. I advise parents to go into the chat room and monitor the traffic on several different occasions before letting a child chat unsupervised. Daniel Armagh suggests, is also a good idea for young kids to share an email account with their parents, because parents will know exactly what is going on via email. Parents may want to give older kids their own email address which is okay only if the parent knows the password and monitor all incoming and outgoing communications Parents should also have rules regarding meeting people from the internet. These rules should be strictly enforced. One such rule is if a meeting does take place a parent needs to be in attendance. According to Andi Atwater, ?households who have a rule about meeting online acquaintances (which 74 per cent of households have) reduces the likelihood of this happening by one-half. There are other things parents can do such as choosing a gender-neutral screen name that does not contain sexually suggestive words or reveal personal information. Good examples of gender neutral screen names are Scorpio343, Gametime747 or logic372. Avoid screen names that have words like girl, boy, princess, prince, Barbie, flower, or numbers that may indicate age, zip code or area code. Also avoid screen names that have school mascot or logos in it. Children should never have their photo on a chat room profile. Since the internet can be accessed from virtually anywhere it is unreasonable to expect parents to be able to monitor their kids surfing while their kids are at school or at friends houses.. Parents can however find out what type of safeguards these places have to keep children safe. The internet is a great place for kids to explore and a great resource for children to learn new things, play games, and communicate with their friends and parents should journey the internet with their children.

The third and final safety measure parents can take is to install software such as parental control software. Parental control software is a type of program that can be installed on a pc that limits where a child can visit online. Some parental control software can even monitor all outgoing and incoming communications. This means that it keeps track of every email, instant message, and website your child sends or receives. This software is typically easy to install and utilize. Taking these measures will ensure the safety of children on the internet.

Pamela Arsena
Stay at home parents now can earn huge amounts of cash?
http://www.getpaidtositathome.com

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