Factors to Consider When Deciding the Location for Your New Home
A house is just a shelter, but a home is what you make of that house. Buying a house is the most significant investment you’ll make. You have so many factors to consider when you’re looking for the perfect home. One of the most important things to consider is the location for your new home. Choosing the right location for your new home is important because it affects many aspects of your everyday life and the value of your home in the future.
Here are the factors to consider when deciding the location for your new home:
1. Affordability
Affordability is a decisive factor when it comes to buying a new home. You should keep in mind that not every community will be in your budget. So have you determined what your budget is? It’s very important to determine what you can afford.
Your main concern when buying a house is being able to live comfortably and within your means. You would need to consider everything from closing costs, upfront fees, housing expenses, and the price of gasoline and consumable goods.
2. Commute
Maybe you own a business that has ATVs for sale, sell custom t-shirts, or provide drain cleaning services, so you have the luxury of working from home. But, if you don’t then you would definitely want to consider your commute to work. The amount of time it takes you to get to work or an office space and back home can be a determining factor in your decision when deciding the location of your new home.
Your commute to work can have a significant impact on the amount of time you can spend with your family. In addition, even if you own a car, you should also be considering if the location of your new home is nearby a reliable network of public transportation. This could help you save the time and stress of driving to work and back home, as well as save you money on car maintenance and gasoline consumption.
3. Healthcare Facilities & Services
Do you have young children or a family member in the family that fall sick often and require recurring medical attention? Even if you don’t, it’s better to be within a reasonable driving distance to an emergency room in case something happens to one of your family members. Access to nearby healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, and drug stores and pharmacies, as well as healthcare services such as a dentists, optometrists, and pharmacists should be an important factor to consider when deciding the location of your home.
4. Schools
If you have young children in the family, you’ll want to consider if the location of your new home has access to good schools. You should be asking yourself questions such are there public or private schools nearby and are my kid(s) able to walk to school? Even if you don’t have kids, school districts are important features for a community. Living in popular school districts will increase your home’s resale value if you plan to sell your house in the future.
5. Convenience & Amenities
What do you want to have close access to? Do you want to have close access to a gym, park, mall, banquet hall, or grocery store? Or maybe you want to live in an area that’s near the best shawarma or the best Italian restaurant in the city? You should consider if it’s a necessity to be close to shopping and restaurants because some people don’t mind driving 15 or 30 minutes to get to a grocery store or their favorite restaurant.
6. Proximity to Family & Friends
Is being close to your family and friends important to you? Maybe you have a large extended family and you love spending the holidays with your family and friends. If this is the case, you should buy a house that is within driving distance to your family and friends.
7. Crime & Safety
It’s important to feel comfortable where you live because no one wants to live in an area that’s known for criminal activity. Do your digging before you decide one the location of your new home by asking the previous homeowner or your real estate agent.
Essential Health Tips for Retirees
Old age is an unavoidable stage of life. Our body goes through major changes as we age. New complications may arise with each passing year. However, these complications can be managed and controlled so you can enjoy retirement.
Here are the essential health tips for retirees:
1. Eat well
Eating nutritious foods in the right amounts can help you healthy. So it’s important to eat well to help control or prevent many illnesses such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more.
2. Keep Active
Aside from eating well, you should keep active. Find something you enjoy to help you maintain strength, balance, flexibility, and promotes cardiovascular health. Keeping active will also help you to sleep better, stay at a healthy weight, prevent or control illness, and more.
3. Regular Checkups
You should get regular vision, dental, and hearing checkups. Some people by the age of 50 notice changes to their vision. For example, a gradual decline in the ability to see small print or focus on close objects. You should book an appointment with your optometrist because it’s important to receive regular eye exams to ensure that your eyes are healthy. In addition, you also want to take care of your teeth and gums in order to last you a lifetime by brushing, flossing, and getting regular checkups.
4. Quit Smoking
Smoking kills because it can cause cancer, strokes, and heart failure. Did you know it also leads to erectile dysfunction because of atherosclerosis and to excessive wrinkling by attacking skin elasticity? You should take this important step of quitting smoking in order to improve your health and fight aging.
5. Manage Stress
You should manage stress by exercising or using relaxation techniques. You can also make time for friends to help you manage your stress. Successfully managing your stress will have a positive effect on your health and how you feel.
What Is An Investment Loan?
We use money to spend on items that we want now such as clothes, electronics, and automobiles. But, what about if you use that money to invest for the future and build wealth instead?
Imagine using your borrowing power to invest. You’re probably doing it with a mortgage or a Registered Savings Plan (RSP). These types of investments have the potential to increase in value over time.
It’s considered a good type of debt because you’re not spending on things that depreciate quickly like clothes, electronics, and automobiles. Therefore, if you’re borrowing to invest, you’ll be investing in your future.
What Is An Investment Loan?
An investment loan is a type of loan that is used to purchase mutual or segregated funds. The purchased funds are held as a collateral which secures the loan; the same way a house is used as a security for a mortgage loan. In addition, the lender holds the funds on behalf of the borrow until the loan is repaid in full.
What are compound returns?
Compound returns on an investment means that returns are calculated on the initial investment and accumulated growth from year to year. Having a larger initial investment growing is essential for compounding success.
For example, say your initial investment is $100K, if you make 10% per year then every 7 years your money doubles. So hypothetically in 7 years you could have $200K, then in 14 years you could have $400K, then in 21 years you could have $800K, and in 28 years you could have $2.8 million.
What are the risk of borrowing to invest?
Borrowing to invest involves a greater degree of risk than a similar purchase using cash. If the value of the investment falls, the borrower would suffer a loss of value beyond what they may have experienced if they invested with only their own money.
You are also responsible for loan payments irrespective of the performance of your investments. So if your investment drops in value, you’ll lose on the investment and still be required to repay the loan in full.
Is an investment loan right for me?
Investors who are looking to benefit from an investment loan will have available cash flow, a high risk tolerance, and a long investment horizon. You should speak to your financial advisor to help you determine if borrowing to invest is right for you.
Tips for Travelling
Are you planning on travelling out of the country? Looking to visit your family or flying south for a vacation?
Vacations are for reducing stress. It should be fun and relaxing. Things can happen to make it a stressful experience.You’re not able to control weather or flight delays. However, you can make your trip a lot more memorable and most importantly stress-free.
Here are 5 tips before travelling:
1. Passport
You should make sure your passport is up to date. Many countries require that your passport is valid for 6 months after your return date. It’s recommended that you renew your passport no less than 9 months before it’s set to expire. Click here for more information on how to renew your passport.
You should bring copies of your passport when you’re travelling out of the country. You’ll want to be sure you can prove your citizenship just in case your passport gets lost or stolen. In addition, you should also leave a copy of your passport at home with someone you trust.
2. Money
You should call your bank to make sure your credit card will work in the country you’re travelling to. Not every place takes credit cards you should always have local cash too. Keep in mind that some countries require travellers to pay in order to enter or leave the country.
3. Luggage
Sometimes, things happen. The airline may lose your luggage. So you should always pack a set of clothes in your carry-on. Don’t forget to bring small snacks because eating in a foreign country can become a task. You should also check what your airline’s rules are to avoid any fees.
4. Research
You should do some local research before you travel out of the country. Research events like festivals and ceremonies, as well as a couple of national dishes to try.
5. Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is very, very important. This will ensure you’re protected on your next vacation, just in case you become sick or get injured. There are also other benefits such as coverage illness, lost luggage, trip cancellation, accidental death, and medical evacuation.