Reasons to Visit Missouri

Missouri is a fun and exciting place to visit. It offers fine dining, live performances and great shopping for everyone. Branson is another good reason to visit Missouri. This city offers great weather with many exciting things to see and do. It has beautiful scenery that you will not see anywhere else in the country.

With the weather being so mild and comfortable you could spend most of the year in Branson doing outdoor activities. If you are planning a trip in the spring to Branson, Missouri, get ready for some great outdoor weather. Temperatures range anywhere from the fifties up to eighty degrees.

You should pack spring clothing to take with you that is suitable for outdoor activities. Having moderate temperatures can make everything look beautiful during this time of the year. These reasons to visit Missouri are just some of the things that you can enjoy on your trip.

When visiting Missouri you will want to pack a raincoat with the springtime being one of the rainiest times of the year. The rainfall is not too excessive, so it should not take away from all the fun activities. Summer in Branson, Missouri warms things up a bit. The temperatures get a lot warmer and the humidity is higher but is still bearable.

Many people choose this time of year to visit Missouri with all the fun outdoor activities going on. Summer activities such as golf, fishing, hiking, boating and other outdoor activities draws in many people from all over to this location each year. Fall in Branson, Missouri brings back the springtime temperatures.

This makes vacationing here in the fall very comfortable. The colors of red, orange, and yellow makes the leaves look beautiful this time of the year. People that enjoy nature like to visit Branson, Missouri during the fall of the year.

In the wintertime, Branson Missouri sometimes can accumulate a lot of snowfall. This does not happen every winter and should not affect your traveling plans. Most people do not let the weather stop them from coming here with it being such a popular place to visit. During the winter months, temperatures can reach into the sixties.

Coming to Branson Missouri can help people to escape from the cold winter air. These are just some more important reasons to visit Missouri during the year. It does not matter what season you choose to visit Branson, Missouri you will find many things to see and do anytime of the year.

Reasons to Visit Missouri

Gold - To Buy and Sell Ingots Or Coins?

Once I decided to invest in gold I faced the next question, should I buy and sell ingots or coins? A bullion coin is a coin struck from precious metal and retained as an investment, rather than used in day-to-day commerce. Bullion coins are usually available in gold and silver, with the exception of the South African Krugerrand and Switzerland’s Vreneli which are gold only. The American Eagle series is minted in gold, silver and platinum, and the Canadian Maple Leaf series is struck in gold, silver, platinum and also palladium.

Bullion coins are also typically available in various weights. These are usually multiples or fractions of 1 troy ounce, with a very few bullion coins minted, in extremely limited quantities, in kilograms (approx 2.2 pounds) and even heavier as special commemoratives.

Gold and silver are often seen as hedges or safe havens against inflation, political upheaval, social unrest, currency-based issues and economic downturn. Silver coins have become popular with collectors due to their relative low price compared to gold, and unlike most gold and platinum issues which are valued based upon the markets, silver coins are more often valued as collectables, sometimes far higher than their actual bullion value. Investors may also buy gold, silver, platinum, etc. during times of economic expansion for investment capital appreciation or to avoid inflationary impacts experienced with other investments.

Of all the precious metals, gold is the most popular as an investment.

Gold or silver, which were known to ancient civilizations, have a much longer history in financial markets than platinum. Platinum is relatively scarce even among the precious metals. As such, it tends to trade at higher per-unit prices than gold. Platinum is traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and the London Platinum and Palladium Market. Generally this trade is in ingots and not coins.

The price of platinum closely follows its perceived supply and demand. During periods of sustained economic stability and growth, the price of platinum tends to be as much as twice the price of gold. Since platinum has numerous commercial uses, such as with catalysts, during periods of economic decline, the price of platinum tends to decrease due to reduced commercial consumption and overall demand. Platinum’s price peaked at almost $2,300 (USD) per troy ounce ($74/g) in March 2008 driven by production concerns (arising partly from problems in South African mines). It later fell to $780 (USD) per troy ounce ($25/g) in November 2008.

For this reason, I primarily consider gold and silver in both ingots and coins. I strongly prefer gold due to its global demand, but occasionally purchase silver, very occasionally. My ingot/coin “mix” of gold is approximately 25%:75% since I consider gold to be a long-term asset. I appreciate the “collectability spread” inherent in gold coins, and also want some ability to sell gold if the situation warrants. Ingots would be the first to go, so I have diversified my precious metals holdings past simply “gold”.

I have generally stayed away from mining stocks simply because they are a more complex issue than ingots or coins. To delve into gold and/or silver mining equities should require some research into energy requirements, environmental considerations and the political environment. I stick to the basic metal and bullion coins.

A very difficult decision is whether to take actual physical possession of a gold investment or not. Without going into the details of why, I’ll simply say that I do NOT take possession of ingots. Now with coins, I usually do not take possession although I do have a few in a lock deposit box. Why? First these are usually physically the smaller issues and the ones I think are prettier. Sometimes I use these as gifts at graduations and weddings. In the last 20 years, only one (1) time has my gold coin gift ever been duplicated by a coin gift from someone else.

Generally, I have seen gold; my silver holdings just are not very significant, be a minor percentage but an important diversification of my long term assets. I have generally placed at least 10% and rarely over 20% of the total investment value into precious metals. Note that I have SOLD (ingots) to maintain the not-over-20% which has consistently resulted in realizing a marked profit from peaking gold prices. A simple strategy that totally removes “timing” from the investment buy-sell consideration.

Source by Peter R

Gold - To Buy and Sell Ingots Or Coins?

Why The Real Estate Market May Turn Around Next Year

Without a doubt, 2007 was one of the worst real estate years many had seen in quite some time. In fact, many people have begun to compare the current real estate market crash to the crash of the 1980s. While it does not appear that prices will improve this year, there are indications that the market may begin to experience some recovery next year. This could mean an improvement in prices which have appeared to be in free fall for the last few months. One of the reasons that it is anticipated that prices will begin to improve in 2009 is the fact that many experts have anticipated the market will bottom out in 2008. At first glance, this can certainly seem to be frightening news; however, it is important to keep in mind that the market really cannot begin to recover until it does bottom out.

In understanding the recovery of the market it is important to look at the factors that resulted in the current real estate market slump. There are actually several factors that led to the current slump. One of the most important factors is the fact that prices in several areas throughout the country doubled between 2000 and 2005. In some cases, those prices even tripled. As a result, there were a record number of people who were unable to afford homes, especially first-time home buyers. As the number of buyers able to purchase real estate began to dwindle, resulting in price and sales declines throughout the country.

As headlines have proclaimed recently, subprime loans also contributed to the recent debacle. During the last few years, a large percentage of the number of loans that were made were issued to buyers with credit scores that were below average. Additionally, a large number of loans were made to buyers with minimal down payments. Approximately two years ago real estate prices stopped rising. At this time, a number of buyers who had snapped up houses in red hot markets suddenly discovered that the balance of their mortgage exceeded their home’s values.

The rate of defaults began to escalate at this point. Before long, foreclosures also began to increase as a direct result. As more and more foreclosures hit the market, the inventory in many markets began to spiral out of control. As more homes hit the market, prices began to drop even more. To make matters even worse, economic growth began to stall and massive layoffs in many areas further fueled defaults and foreclosures.

While it has taken some time, assistance is now being provided to homeowners; which is anticipated will help to stave off the increasing rate of foreclosures. Overall, this is anticipated to help stabilize the rapidly rising inventory of homes for sale throughout the nation.

It is important to keep in mind that while headlines appear to be constantly blasting news about the softening real estate market, there are actually some markets in the country where prices have continued to rise rather than decline. On average, real estate prices nationwide are approximately 5% less than they were last year; however, many of the metro areas in the nation are still experiencing price increases. This is largely due to first-time home buyers who can still afford to purchase properties and retiring homeowners who are selling their home sand then either moving into a retirement community or purchasing smaller properties. These markets include Salt Lake City, Utah; Charlotte, North Carolina; Beaumont, Texas and Bismarck, North Dakota.

Why The Real Estate Market May Turn Around Next Year

Identity Theft on the Rise in Real Estate

Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the nation, says Congresswoman Melissa Bean. The FTC receives over 250,000 reports of identity theft every year and USA Today reported that in 2007 an estimated 260 million records were stolen – that amounts to 8 records stolen every second of every day.

Realtor® Associations, MLS Boards, Brokers and Agents are going to have to work together to halt this looming threat in the real estate industry that is the central focal point of trend #6 in my 2008 TRENDS Report.

In 2007 the real estate industry experienced a significant number of breaches and violations involving identity theft and data security such as:

• A hacker took advantage of a programming error on a MLS public website and took over the entire network – both at the data center and MLS office – taking down the public site and gaining access to membership systems, the MLS store – everything.
  


• A man walks into an association, past the busy receptionist and plugs his laptop into a network jack – minutes later he had taken the membership database and all the software he needed to decrypt and use it for malevolent purposes.
  


• An employee of a subsidiary of Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. stole 2.3 million consumer records with bank account and credit card information, which he later sold to a data broker.

This is not good news for an industry already tarnished in the media as being one comprised of the least trusted professionals. So what are you doing Mr. Realtor® to prevent this from happening to you?

The 2008 Swanepoel TRENDS Report (www.ReTrends.com) recommends a seven point plan for agents and brokers to take to minimize possible lawsuits and even jail time. You have been warned.

Identity Theft on the Rise in Real Estate

How Can I Buy A Home At The Foreclosure Auction?

Buying a house at a foreclosure auction can sometimes be an overwhelming process. These auctions conducted in convention centers and on courthouse steps around the country can be a little intimidating, but the real trick is to avoid any pitfalls and do your background research.

How does the entire process work?

Most buyers are not aware of how these auctions function. If you are considering purchasing a home from an auction, it’s a wise idea to go for a few auctions only to observe and learn.

• Watch others – you can learn a lot about the social and business atmosphere present at these auctions if you visit just to observe and take it all in. You may also take notice of buyers are dressed in formals trying hard to convince the lender. Their overpowering mannerisms, technical terms and method of approaching may give them an upper hand in winning the bidding war. You will be surprised how much you can take away from simply observing investors, or those with prior auction experience, in action on the auction floor.

• Research as much as possible – sometimes you get notices about any upcoming auction in the legal segment of your local newspaper. Please note that it’s common for these auctions to postpone their dates from time to time, so make sure that you confirm all the specifics before attending one.

• Narrow your options – Start the process by first choosing a neighborhood that you would like to potentially purchase a home in. Research the listed auction properties located in that particular neighborhood. Make sure that the neighborhood has enough foreclosed properties, which means that the prices are continuing to drop.

• What to bid on – Begin by asking yourself, “Why do I want to purchase a property from the auction? Are you planning to keep it for yourself?” Do you want to remodel and flip it?

Do you want to rent it? Before placing your highest bid is by knowing the following details:

a) What was the selling price of similar properties in and around the neighborhood in the past few months?

b) Use the help of professionals to know what the house is likely to sell for in future

c) Estimate necessary fixing and improvements that need to be done in the worst circumstances.

Requirements – you could get in touch with attorneys or the auctioneer to know if you need to bring any money with you. Most ask bidders to come with a $5000 check payable to the auction agency. This requirement is only to show that your bidding is legitimate. The winning party will sign the check to the auction company, while others will redeposit their checks. You should also take note that big auction firms charge a flat fee or percent of the sales price of their services.

Remember, the bid amount that you submit at the foreclosure auction is final and you can’t take it back. You will not get any waiver on home inspection as well. If you think the repairs on the house will cost you $10,000, you do not want to pay $100,000 at the auction, especially when you know that a ready to move in house listed next door is just $120,000.

Always be on time for such auctions because even if you are five minutes late, you may miss out on a few crucial items. The first few properties at the auction usually sell for less because experienced bidders are in the process of trying to identify the pricing pattern. Make sure that you are “all ears” to any pricing that is reasonable. This is exactly where your research helps you to respond quickly and effectively, ultimately winning you that home that is priced affordably.

How Can I Buy A Home At The Foreclosure Auction?

Do You Need Real Estate Agents in Ohio?

It’s questionable whether real estate agents in Ohio bring buyers better prices. The trade group says real estate agents in Ohio bring prices that are 15.4% higher than sellers who don’t use one. But experts note that when real estate agents in Ohio put their own homes on the market, they leave them on for 10 more days and sell them for 3% more than the homes of their clients. The book also purports that real estate agents in Ohio use vague words like “fantastic” and “charming” to describe their clients’ houses, rather than stronger, more specific adjectives, because their primary goal is to persuade homeowners to sell for less than they’d like, and alert buyers that the house can be had for less than the price.

Some experts disputes the notion that real estate agents in Ohio are just out for a quick commission. “Their business relies on their reputation for getting the highest price for their clients,” he says. Experts say that real estate agents in Ohio add value in handling tricky people problems and details that may trip up inexperienced sellers. “A FSBO doesn’t have someone to handle negotiations or find a middle ground when emotions run high,” they say. “The real estate agent in Ohio doesn’t have someone who will tell him what disclosures he needs for his house in his state, or who will keep his house secure by prescreening buyers.”

Although the trade association doesn’t keep track of commission levels, experts say that commission percentages seem to be dropping. In Ohio, where price growth has been positive but not overwhelming, commissions have been running around 6%; in the hot Northeast, they’re running around 4%. “It’s driven by the marketplace,” they say.

Part of what’s pushing down costs is the popularity of flat-fee Ohio brokers and Ohio discount brokers. These give general bare-bones help, rebates, or menu-based options at reduced cost. Most important, many real estate agents in Ohio do what owners can’t do for themselves, which is get the house listed on local multiple listing services. But after that, sellers get a break depending on what aspect of their home’s marketing and sale they want to assume on their own, such as advertising, holding open houses, negotiating, or handling the paperwork.

At least one national broker, Zip Realty, which started in 1999, is relying on a Web-based business model that treats real estate agents in Ohio as employees rather than independent contractors, to help hold down costs. Marketing is somewhat bare-bones, but covers the basics: home advertisements in local newspapers and on real estate Web sites with virtual tours, one open house, one for-sale sign on the lawn, flyers, an e-mail blast to buyers, and coordination of showings. Its rates, however, are typically 1% less than the going rate in an area-for the $690,000 house we talked about earlier, Zip Realty’s commission would be $34,500, 17% less than what an Ohio broker charging a 6% commission would receive. Other discount or flat-fee Ohio brokers include Help-U-Sell and Assist-2-Sell.

But full-service Ohio brokers are doing all they can to keep tight control over the money machine. The National Association of Realtors once proposed a rule that would allow real estate agents to prevent their listings from being displayed on the Web sites of any brokers they chose (meaning discount brokers). But pressure from federal regulators and discount broker members convinced them to withdraw it.

Meanwhile, government antitrust legislators have been looking into industry-backed initiatives that would limit lower-cost options for consumers when dealing with real estate agents in Ohio. Within the last year, a number of those initiatives for dealing with real estate agents in Ohio have passed.

Do You Need Real Estate Agents in Ohio?

Oklahoma Real Estate - Cowboys and Indians

Oklahoma is a state that conjures up images of cowboys, indians, college football and dirt track racing. If these subjects appeal to you, you’ll be happy to learn Oklahoma real estate prices are very low.

Oklahoma

Once known as the Indian Territory, Native Americans and their culture heavily influence Oklahoma. This give the state a unique relaxed atmosphere with even Oklahoma City feeling less hectic than most cities. As to the geography, plains make up much of the state, but rolling hills can be found around the northern areas of Tulsa. Lakes can be found throughout the state, which provide plenty of opportunities for fishing, hiking and outdoor activities. All and all, Oklahoma offers a relaxed, inexpensive relocation option for potential homebuyers.

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City is the largest city in the state and is typical of a Midwestern city. The city has seen a revitalization effort, but still maintains a certain relaxed atmosphere that is unique to the state. Unfortunately, Oklahoma City was also the location of the terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995. Museums and memorials have been set up in remembrance for the loss of life.

Tulsa

Tulsa is an odd city because of two contrasting influences. On one hand, Tulsa has a pretty impressive art movement involving building architecture, museums and art galleries. On the other hand, Tulsa is an extremely conservative Christian town and is often considered to be the heart of the Bible belt. Despite these apparent contrasts, everything meshes incredibly well.

Oklahoma Real Estate

Oklahoma real estate prices are universally on the low end of national prices. A single-family home in Oklahoma City and the suburbs will cost $185,000 on average. The same home will set you back roughly $145,000 in Tulsa.

With such low prices, one can’t expect to see a soaring appreciation rate for Oklahoma real estate. In 2005, property appreciated at a little over five percent.

Oklahoma Real Estate - Cowboys and Indians