Assets vs. Liabilities
Aug 26 at 3:03pm by ObverseView
A reprise of Rich Dad Poor Dad.
There has been much discussion of the authenticity of RDPD’s and the background of the author. You can read about that at other blogs: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Liar Dad, Thief. However, one criticism of the book is below along with my own interpretation of RDPD’s theories. Read the rest of this entry »
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Interesting Taiwan Property Website
Feb 19 at 11:11pm by ObverseView
Go to http://www.taipei-city-guide.com/taiwan-property.html to read this story!
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Taiwan Property Market: Advertising Banners
Dec 17 at 11:11pm by ObverseView
This banner is typical of local property advertising. If you wander around you’ll see lots of local signs similar to this. It’s claiming: ‘private sale, three floors for sale for store type property’ and a contact number. It’s quite an old picture taken in Kaohsiung. Interesting, eh? Translation is entirely my responsibility. oh, and don’t call! It’s likely sold!
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Home Loans: How do companies find responsible borrowers?
Nov 2 at 11:11am by ObverseView
A lot of homeowners have found themselves in really bad trouble by taking out excessive home loans in the United States. And this is part of the problem which led up to the financial crisis. Why? Because lenders forgot the basic principals of lending when they could write off risky loans by passing them off as investment grade materials on the market.
However, the one aspect of this story that has been overlooked is that the homeowners themselves were the ones who shared in the party. They were the ones who signed the papers in the first place, then took out excessive loans based on the premise that the party would continue for the ‘foreseeable future’.
As we are all aware, that did not happen. So let’s suppose that you are a responsible lender. What can you do to educate, inform and manage homeowners who want to borrow home loans sensibly? I’ve got three practical ways that GetSmart helps to homeowners and future homeowners.
Get out your calculators!
First, prospective clients need calculators that can help them work out the details of the loans they are talking about. And, clients need two different kinds of calculators: Type 1 that is a simple calculator; Type 2 offers additional options, including variable APR, insurance, taxes, etc.
It’s difficult to imagine a financial site without at least Type 1 calculators, these days. But type 2 calculators help customers make much clearer calculations that include more variables than the back of the envelope type calculators you’d typically find.
Credit Report
While US customers are entitled to a free credit check, providing potential customers with a credit checking and monitoring service should be a good move because customers can first check if they have any outstanding credit issues that might affect the pricing of their loan or mortgage.
Though this is a monthly subscription of $14.95, it might offer some peace of mind to customers who are worried about their credit history, those who are victims of ID theft, and those looking to improve their credit scores. Be aware, though they offer a free report, it’s free because it’s an introductory offer, and the subsequent months will generate a charge of $14.95.
Resources Center
Educating your customers in your products is absolutely essential. Why? Because better informed customers will be able to take advantage of the products and services you offer. This means not only will you generate more money as a business, but your customers will be better placed to evaluate your selling points, and to discover why they should do business with you.
In GetSmart’s case, there is a plethora of articles on the site, all neatly organised. The articles are well laid out, and they examine a range of issues from Piggyback Loans, Lock-ins, ARMs, Discounting, etc. In addition, the articles seem to be unique and well-written. They do not appear to be articles taken from every day article sites.
What is most interesting though, most pages on the site offer a reasonable number of links to other articles, a few additional resources and links, and a call to action. In fact, they try four different ways to hook potential customers. Let’s hope that they plan to work their mailing lists effectively with all the traffic they are likely to get.
Data Feeds
The only downside is that you don’t get any ‘real’ information to play with, as you almost certainly need to submit an application to get any hard statistics on your loan. It’s also difficult to find a list of actual rate offers anywhere on the site, unlike some financial sites. That would be my one suggestion: get a data feed that can pull actual data to give visitors some feel of what is available.
Nicely Done
Overall, this site is nicely laid out, has the feel of an authentic loan retailer, and the server is responsive to page requests. In addition, I haven’t been able to bring up a link that doesn’t work; unlike some other financial sites I’ve reviewed. They do offer other credit repair services, identity protection, insurance products, and much more. So it’s certainly worth checking out.
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Do you use candles?
Sep 10 at 8:08pm by ObverseView
My wife loves candles. Last night, she drew a bath, turned off the lights, and lit some candles. She said that it really helped her to relax. For me, though, I am always a bit suspicious that candles are safe: they are easily knocked over, get very hot and emit smoke when you extinguish them.
But I would consider wall candle sconces as a safer alternative to dishes or bowls: because they simply can’t be knocked over! I would also be inclined to choose sconces that are enclosed to prevent wax dripping or fire accidents. There isn’t much you can do to prevent smoke from candles, but if it’s outside or in a large open hallway, there should be less pollution.
And, they would certainly meet my wife’s approval: with romantic designs, nice effects, and good prices. The only problem: where would we put them in our apartment?
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Noisy neighbors: What you going to do?
Sep 7 at 7:07pm by ObverseView
We’re living in a rather large building in a rather large community in Taipei County. I’m not sure exactly how many people live in the building… but it’s 22 floors times 4-6 apartments per floor. So there could be over 300 people living in our building. Unfortunately, noise in such a large building is inevitable so you develop a ‘tolerance’ for noise. The most usual source for noise comes from those who live above you, as their floor is your ceiling.
To survive, you need to learn to ignore certain types of noise: dropping things (due to gravity!), footsteps, and moving furniture are the three most common sounds you will hear. But one of our neighbors upstairs has decided to take up some sort of exercise (the wife thinks it’s dancing) that includes the sound of stamping your feet regularly for thirty minutes: boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom.
We don’t have the ability to hear the music she plays so all we hear is the seven booms and a few seconds interval. Who knows what it could be? Neighbors who are considerate would understand that they are making a noise, and they would refrain themselves to exercising at more sociable hours or go outside (yes, it’s warm here most of the year) to exercise.
Our neighbor seems to be either stupid or callous. I can’t decide which but she persists in dancing early in the morning despite our protestations and complaints to the building guards. So what are we going to do? Would that buildings like these were better designed to absorb sound rather than transmit the energy around?
Locksmiths: Call them if you’re stuck or get stuck in the rain!
Jun 22 at 12:12am by ObverseView
Ever been locked out of your house? I haven’t but I’m always worried that I will lose my set of house keys and can’t find any way to get in!
So I always have the phone number of an emergency locksmith to hand on my mobile phone and a card in my wallet. Fortunately, where I live there are a number of convenient locksmiths available at short notice. But if you’re new to an area, or there isn’t anyone obvious, it might be worth doing a little research in case you find yourself ‘locked out’ of your house or car!
For those living in the catchment area of 911 Locksmith, this company could be a lifesaver if you’re needing a locksmith for your house at short notice. Of course, the other dread I have is dropping my car keys down a drainhole or similar when it is pelting down on a cold November evening (after all, disasters – like London buses – usually come in threes). I would even keep their phone number in my wallet, just in case. You just NEVER know when you’re going to need an auto locksmith after all.
However, the most disconcerting thing is watching your locksmith expert open your door typically in a few minutes. Ever wonder why you need locks when they can be opened this easily? Of course, you need ‘em… the alternative would be FAR worse!
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Travel to the Bahamas: Variety, Sun, and Decent Hotels
Jun 2 at 12:12pm by ObverseView
Have you ever wanted to travel to the Bahamas!? I know I have. Working with kids as I do everyday, I really need to take adult vacations from time to time to escape the perpetual childhood I seem to have entered. However, there is no fun visiting Disneyland or amusement parks unless you have young guests. But many holidays cater largely for keeping them young ‘uns occupied, but fail to find any suitable options for adults who get tired of sunning themselves on beach, watching cable TV movies, or playing endless rounds of golf.
So the question is: could a vacation to the Bahamas possibly qualify as an adult vacation? What elements does such a vacation need? Excitement, Adventure, Knowledge, People, Culture and a decent Hotel!
One of the most important features for me is the hotel! Over the years, I’ve stayed in some of the best hotels in Asia, and some of the worst. The Caribbean hotels look like they can equal the standards of the best any day. Of course, the biggest advantage is that they are located right next to the beach.
That’s pretty close. And they’d have to come with a whole bunch of facilities and features to keep me interested: Cable, Internet (but not too much), pools, great restaurants, etc. But once you leave the hotel, you also need the opportunity to find a new and exciting culture, way of life, even language. Since English is one of the official languages in the islands, it shouldn’t be difficult to get out of the hotel, and enjoy all the local area has to offer: clear blue seas, shopping, dining, scuba diving, great golfing, dolphin encounters, undersea adventures, even the Bacardi Distillery with its daily tours, and even the Versailles Gardens with its relics and statuary from Europe.
So I reckon a great break could be had if only for five or seven days. With such variety, all inclusive Bahamas trips would be just enough to rejuvenate my energy levels and inspiration. Are you coming?
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Vacation Homes Affordable alternative to staying in a hotel?
Apr 19 at 11:11pm by ObverseView
We travel to the UK every few years, though it is particularly expensive to get good accommodation in the UK. In fact, most guest houses and hotels are substandard, expensive, and variously unpleasant.
For example, one guest house I stayed in had an entrance way that smelled of urine. Another hotel looked great from the outside, but as soon as you entered it, you realized it had been extended grossly at the back to accommodate even more guests. Others don’t even offer breakfast. And the minimum price for all of these ‘quality’ rooms: US$70.00. By contrast, when you travel in Asia, you can stay in top class hotels for less than that in many countries, Asia wide. And the service standard is just far superior. British hotels are just terrible. Oh, and some hotels try to have their cake and eat it, by charging per person, not per room!
One serious alternative is to rent a house for a week, and stay in one place. It’s very attractive as an alternative: it cuts down your travel expenses. And the cost would be quite affordable for a family or group of people traveling together.
A good example would be Outer Banks. The rates vary throughout the year and can go up and down quite dramatically; but if you are shrewd, you can visit in the off-season and get the best deals. There are issues though, as you are expected to reserve and pay the booking fee well in advance. So if plans change, you may lose part or all of your deposit. But the advantages are tremendous: you have your own space, kitchen, luxury accommodation, …
Have you ever used holiday accommodation? Was it good value? What problems did you experience?
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Would you redo your bathroom? I would…
Mar 5 at 11:11am by ObverseView
We’ve been watching several house redecoration programs on Travel & Living Channel here in Taiwan. Some of the shows seem a few years old, though. One of the tips that we will follow next time we redesign some room in our house is to follow the three steps: Creating a plan for the room, Making a Mood Board, and Design the Finishing Touches.
One of the projects we are now looking at is redoing our smallish bathroom, but with space at a premium, we’re restricted on what we can do. For instance, we could likely rip out the bathtub, replace it with a high quality shower unit, move the sink and create some storage. It’s difficult to think of the finishing touches: I’d quite like some marble, glass, but Hansgrohe fittings, especially for the shower would be a nice way to offset the loss of a bathtub. I’ll take some photos if we decide to go ahead.
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