Author Archive: Ruth Collins

What You Need To Know About Benefits.Gov

The United States Federal Government launched the Benefits.gov Website in 2002 in the hopes of providing every American with easy and convenient online access to government benefits and programs.

This post is part of a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

For more information on small business grant and home ownership programs visit TopGovernmentGrants.com.

Small Business – Doing Business with HUD

This Outreach session will provide guidance on how to do business with HUD, best ways for marketing your business to HUD, and the type of services and products HUD buys.

This post is aligned with a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

For more information on small business grant and home ownership programs visit TopGovernmentGrants.com.

SCORE Services to Small Business – An Introduction

In an excerpt from a 2010 interview the SCORE CEO discusses its counseling and workshops offerings to small businesses.

This post is part of a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

Find additional information and resources on small business grants and loans, home buyer programs and Community Foundation programs from around the world.

Pell Grants – Help Financing Your Education

The Federal Pell Grant Program is overseen by the Department of Education and falls under the Federal Student Aid Information Center. In order to be eligible students must be enrolled in eligible schools that may be public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education.

This post is aligned with a network of sites interested with the intersection of small business, the philanthropic sector and government in creating healthy and sustainable communities.

For more information on small business grant and home ownership programs visit TopGovernmentGrants.com.

Grants From The Department of Justice

The DOJ was initially established to ensure the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, which is equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries all over the world.

Ever since it’s establishment, the Department of Justice has been running programs and activities that could potentially improve the law enforcement system in the United States.

Find additional information and resources on small business grants and loans, home buyer programs and impact investment programs from around the world.

Helpful Advice For Growing A Better Organic Garden

Many people have enjoyed the hobby of gardening for many years. You can do this for enjoyment or to feed your family. Read on for ways to find your own joy in horticulture adventures.

Higher Yield

Choose higher yield plant varieties. Many times, a cold-tolerant or disease-resistant hybrid can have a higher yield versus traditional ones.

Don’t cut your grass too short! Cutting your grass at a taller height allows grass roots to grow deeper and stronger, which helps lessen the chance of your lawn drying out easily. If the grass is too short that will lead to shallow roots, which will cause a brown and dried-out lawn.

If growing vegetables, make sure they are in a location in your garden where they will be exposed daily to at least six hours of the sun. Many veggies require this amount to properly grow at a faster pace. The same can be said for some flowers.

Coffee Grounds

If the soil in your garden has a high concentration of alkaline, try mixing some coffee grounds into your garden’s soil. Using coffee grounds is a less expensive way to make your soil more acidic than trying to replace your topsoil. This solution will make the vegetables you grow healthier and more flavorful.

Make sure you protect any tender deciduous shrubs. If the temperature drops below 50 degrees, you should consider protecting them, especially if they do best in warm environments. Tie these canes at the top, and place a blanket over it. People sometimes use plastic to wrap their plants, but plastic can cause the plants to rot because it impedes air circulation.

If your garden contains lots of short plants, purchase some gardening knee pads. The amount of time that you spend horticulture on your knees can make your knees hurt by the time you are done. Purchase a great pair of knee pads; they will provide a cushion for your knees while making horticulture more comfortable.

As previously discussed, gardening has been enjoyed by civilizations for centuries. At one time, most people saw horticulture as the sole means of providing food for their family. Now, people do it for pleasure, need and even profit. The information in this article can increase the joys of your gardening for any reason! Enjoy the pluses that go with a garden!

Find Some Home Improvement Help Through Information

Have you tried and succeeded at home improvement before? Can you fix common household problems? Use the advice below to expand your knowledge.

Don’t try and fix that leak underneath the sink yourself. Simply place a large container under the leak and contact a plumber.

Don’t forget to cover your floors when you paint. In this way, you can avoid damaging your carpeting and flooring. When painting, use newspapers on your floor to reduce staining. This can be also be done with a plastic sheet or paint cloth.

You should not get rid of your old doors. Take the door down and then sand it. You want to reveal the bare wood. Next, use a roller to paint the door with an oil-based paint. Change to more modern doorknobs, too.

Turn off the plumbing if any home improvement projects will take place in the bathroom or kitchen. Whenever your project involves the water supply or pipes, it’s important to find the shutoff valve and turn the water off before starting work. Taking this step can help prevent a flood.

If your next project involves lighting or other electrical components, you must cut power to that area before you begin. Failing to do this may kill you.

Motion Detectors

Think about installing motion detectors near the door that you use as the entrance. By turning the light on only when it is needed, they will save you money on your electricity bill. A lighting system that uses motion detectors to illuminate the exterior of your home can be a useful theft-deterrent.

Building supplies are valuable and are prone to theft most of the time. Take the time to secure all building supplies while work is halted. If your home has lockable doors and windows, keeping them inside is fine. If the home has no lock, then a storage bin with a lock will help.

These days, there is a little known danger of which you must be aware when performing home improvement tasks. Stay away from drywall that was manufactured in China. Almost 8 years after their products first started wreaking havoc (2005), some Chinese drywall is still sub-par. A lot of it is exposed to unacceptable quality control. Also, this drywall can give off harmful gases, which may affect the health of your family.

Home improvement can be tricky, and you may know quite a bit, but is it enough? You should know that you are never done learning about it or what you can do to better your skills in it. Use the tips that you read in the above article to become a great handyman or woman.

Give Your Home A Fresh New Look With New Landscaping

When it comes to your home, keeping up with all the myriad of ways to improve your landscape can be daunting. Even though it has an immediate impact and makes an impression on everyone who sees a home, many home owners do little or nothing to preserve and enhance their landscaping. Read this article to see what you can do for your landscape.

Use local plants for your yard. It’s easier to take care of native plants because they are adapted to the climate and soil type in your yard. This means that they are low-maintenance. You can research native plants in your area by going to your local home and garden store.

A watering system that is drip style should be the choice for your plants. This type of irrigation is very easy to put in, and it lets you moderate the water flow to your plants for continuous or off-and-on watering. The water is also more efficient, because it is a drip rather than a stream, as would be the case with a hose or sprinkler system.

Have your soil tested before you begin your garden or landscaping project. Making sure the soil is tested helps you know what it needs so you can make changes before you start planting. This will ensure a successful and thriving garden.

It is very had to do landscaping for your entire yard at one time. Dividing your project into several parts will be easier on your wallet. If you run into a problem or realize you need to make changes, it will be a lot easier for you to tweak your plans.

When selecting plants for your landscaping, ensure that the needs of each plant are properly addressed. Don’t plant things in shady areas if they require much sunlight. Don’t plant trees if there is not enough room for growth. Take time to be sure your plants are going to thrive.

Most people don’t think about buying landscaping products online. Not only is it simpler and more convenient to purchase supplies online, but you may have access to a wider variety of plants for your landscaping project that you could never find in a nearby retail store or nursery.

Landscaping is both practical and fun. So get out there and make landscaping your home a project the whole family can enjoy. You will get to spend more time with your family while making your home a more beautiful place to live.

Home Mortgages 101: What You Need To Know

Prepare yourself for your mortgage application early. If you plan to buy a house, you have to get your finances ready as soon as possible. That will include reducing your debt and saving up. Delays can cause you to lose your chance at mortgage approval.

TIP! Start early in preparing yourself for a home loan application. Get your budget completed and your financial documents in hand.

Have you ever taken out a home loan? Whether this is your first time, or if you’re in need of refinancing, then you may want to know that the mortgage market changes often. Stay up to date on these changes to make sure you don’t get ripped off. Continue on and learn about all the ins and outs of those changes.

Before applying for your mortgage, study your credit report for accuracy. Credit standards are becoming even more strict, so work on your credit as soon as possible.

TIP! Quite a while before applying for your loan, look at your credit report. The ringing in of 2013 meant even stricter credit standards than in the past, so you need to clean up your credit rating as much as possible in order to qualify for the best mortgage terms.

Don’t be tempted to borrow the maximum amount for which you qualify. You are the decider. The bank may be willing to give you more than you can comfortably afford. You want to enjoy your home. Think of how you spend money and what payment amount feel comfortable.

Avoid spending lots of money before closing on the mortgage. Lenders tend to run another credit check before closing, and they may issue a denial if extra activity is noticed. Wait until after the mortgage is a sure thing to make any major purchases.

TIP! When you are waiting to close on your mortgage, don’t decide you want to take a shopping trip. Credit is often rechecked near the final approval, and if you’re spending too much, you may be denied.

Get your documents together before approaching a lender. The appointment won’t last long if you aren’t prepared with prior year tax returns, payment stubs, and other financial documentation. The lender wants to see all this material, so keep it nearby.

Make a budget to define exactly how much you are willing to pay each month towards your mortgage. This means setting a limit for monthly payments, based on what you can afford and not just what type of house you want. No matter how wonderful your new home is, trouble will follow if the payments are too high.

TIP! Before you attempt to get a mortgage, it is wise to have a budget in mind. This way you aren’t stuck agreeing to something that you cannot handle in the future.

New laws might make it possible for you to refinance your home, even if it is not worth what you owe. A lot of people that own homes have tried but failed to refinance them; that changed when the program we’re speaking of was reintroduced. Check into it to see if it benefits your situation through bettering your credit position and lowering your mortgage payments.

You should plan to pay no more than thirty percent of your monthly income toward a home loan. If your mortgage payment is too big, you will end up with problems when money is tight. When you can manage your payments, you can manage your budget better.

TIP! You shouldn’t pay more than 30 percent of the total of your monthly income on a mortgage. If you accept a loan for more for that and you find yourself in a tight spot in the future, you can bring about a financial catastrophe.

When waiting to get word of approval, try not to incur additional debt. Many times, lenders will check your credit before closing on the loan. Any furniture buying, as well as any other expensive item or project, needs to wait until your mortgage contract is signed and a done deal.

There are several good government programs designed to assist first time homebuyers. There may be government programs to help you find lenders when you have a poor credit history or to help you secure a mortgage with a lower interest rate.

TIP! If you are buying a home for the first time, there are many government programs available to you. Many of these can lower closing costs, find lower-interest mortgage, or lenders that can help you even if you’re credit history and score isn’t so great.

Before starting the loan process, get all your documents together. Most lenders require a standard set of documents pertaining to income and employment. W2 forms, bank statements and the last two years income tax returns will all be required. If these documents are ready, your process will be smoother and faster.

Put all of your paperwork together before visiting a lender. Lenders want to see bank statements, income documentation and proof of any other existing assets. Having these things on hand and organized before you go to get a loan will make everything go a little faster as your loan is processed.

TIP! Before you see a mortgage lender, gather up all of your financial papers. All banks and lenders will require that you show them some proof of income.

Determine your terms before you apply for your mortgage, not only to demonstrate to the lender you are responsible, but also to maintain a reasonable monthly budget. Set a monthly payment ceiling based on your existing obligations. Regardless of how great it is to live in a new home, you’re going to hate it if you wind up not being able to afford it.

Have a few low balances on credit cards instead of huge balances on two or one. Avoid maxing out your credit cards. If it’s possible, shoot for below 30%.

TIP! A mortgage broker will look favorably on small balances extended over two or three credit cards, but they may look unfavorably at one card that is maxed out. Try to keep balances down below half of the credit limit.

When you understand the process, you can find a better mortgage. A mortgage is often the biggest financial commitment you make in your life. You want to enjoy your home and not see it as a financial burden. You need to get a great mortgage from a solid, respectable lending institution.

Minimize your debts before you decide to buy a home. A home mortgage will take a chunk of your money, and you should be able to comfortably afford it. Less debt will make your process easier.