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Sample Hardship Letters Helping to Save Your Home

A foreclosure for anyone can be devastating financially, emotionally and psychologically. Your family is forced to physically move away from friends, family and neighbors that they have come to love and lean on. As if that is not enough, you have to face incessant calls from bill collectors and explain to them that you are still unable to pay your bills.

The foreclosure process is not only lengthy it can be humiliating. As soon as a homeowner realizes that they are in over their heads, a financial hardship letter becomes a way out, or light at the end of a very dark tunnel. Written properly, a financial hardship letter can result in a positive outcome for all parties involved.

Contrary to popular opinion, lenders do not relish the idea of losing money in a soft market due to foreclosures. They have to look at the loss of income due to an empty property and the expensive legal fees that it costs them to actually precede with a foreclosure.

Lenders are also not realtors. It is not their job to try to sell your home and as a result, they are inadequate at it. They must now finance the maintenance, insurance, security and marketing of a home that they know very little about. They may have the black and white facts about it, but they know nothing about details of selling your home. The simple writing of a financial hardship letter can help to avert this fate for both you and the lender. Federal funds have been put in place that will help the lender, through the loss mitigator, give the homeowner options to avoid a foreclosure.

Loan modification is dependent solely on the initial submission of a financial hardship letter. This gives the lender a written decree of reasons that the homeowner has fallen behind on payments. This letter gives the loss mitigator a glimpse into the financial and personal reasons of the homeowner’s hardship. It also gives the lender personal reasons to help the homeowner try to salvage the mortgage with either a short sale or loan modification.

The lender will want to know as much information as possible about why the homeowner has fallen behind. The financial hardship letter gives the lender this information in a clear and concise manner. They need this information to be able to refinance or offer a short sale.

The lender will need to know the following details in your financial hardship letter:

1. Is this an ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage)?

2. Has the borrower been convicted of a crime that may cause prison time?

3. What is the current state of the borrower’s income?

4. Has there been some catastrophic illness in the family?

5. Has their been a layoff or job loss?

6. Is the borrower having to commute a long distance to survive?

7. Has their been a business failure?

8. Has their been a death in the family effecting contributions to the mortgage?

9. Is the primary borrower divorcing?

10. Is the borrower out for a military post?

11. Has their been significant damage to the home due to weather or fire?

A financial hardship sample letter is the key to a homeowner getting a timely answer to their request for loan modification. This sample letter will make sure that you have all the necessary information that a loss mitigator will need to help you as soon as possible to avoid foreclosure on your home.

Energy Saving Posters Will Encourage Employees to Save Energy in the Workplace

Energy Saving Posters in the Workplace

Often even the most environmentally conscious people forget to conserve resources in the workplace. But earth friendly habits are important to foster in the workplace, and it is important that managers and business owners put the right tools in place to make green habits easy to adopt at work. Besides being good for the earth, green habits improve a business’ bottom line.

When employees consistently turn off lights and unplug appliances, less energy is required to operate the office. When there are policies in place that require them to turn off screensavers or use sleep modes on their computers, a huge amount of money is saved on electricity bills.

Energy saving slogans are a fun way of gently teaching “old dogs new tricks”. Often people operate on autopilot with bad habits that could easily be replaced by earth friendly practices. This is especially true if the managers or owners of the business do not set eco-friendly systems in place. For example, if no recycling bin is provided, everyone will more than likely throw their recyclables into the trash rather than taking them with them to a recycle bin off site. Almost every breakroom could benefit from a recycling bin and appropriate recycle sign. Another great suggestion to post in breakrooms is the use of reusable utensils and travel mugs.

Almost every office uses paper, but not every office has a tree friendly policies like recycling paper, copying on both sides, and only print what you need. Simply posting these suggestions on the wall with a green sign will cause people to think twice about wasteful practices.

Energy saving posters are large enough to describe several ecofriendly practices, and are designed to cater to the needs of a certain area. There are posters that target breakrooms, copy rooms, lobbies, warehouses, and other common workplace areas. These posters often feature animated illustrations to demonstrate how to green the workplace. Green signs and posters can go a long way to help employees tread a little lighter on the earth.

Employees may feel it is the responsibility of the company to enforce environmental policies. These policies can be established by simply posting appropriate signage in the workplace. This simple step can be effective without even holding meetings or verbal reinforcement. Often employees are happy to participate in green programs, and just need these practices to be first suggested and encouraged by the supervisor. Greening the workplace doesn’t have to be more work. It is more about changing mindsets. The best way to remind people is to place signs in appropriate areas.

One of the most effective energy saving poster shouldn’t even be called a poster at all, because it measures just 5″ x 7″. It is a small sign that is placed beside a light switch that simply says “Turn Off Lights When Not In Use”. This message should be placed beside every single light switch in the workplace.

Don’t let greening the workplace overwhelm you. Start small and do what you can. Make it simple and others will follow. Order some energy saving posters today and you won’t even need to hold a meeting!

How to Save Money When Planning a Bachelor Party

Back in the 70s and 80s, planning a bachelor was a simple task; bestowed upon friends, relatives or the best man. An empty basement, a keg of beer, a dart board and some wild movies sufficed. Today, bachelor party planning is a multi-million dollar industry, with every restaurant, night club, and adult entertainment venue in the nation getting into the act. In fact, there are multiple companies on the internet which are more than willing to take your money and plan the event. Some offer discounts on limos, free admission to bars, entertainment, and discounted bar packages at various venues. The price for these services can be steep, but if you’re willing to spend a little time doing research and making a few phone calls, you can significantly reduce the price of the bachelor party.

Saving Money on Transportation

Limo services can often be terribly expensive and charge unreasonable hourly rates. Depending on the type of vehicle chosen, prices can increase greatly. For example, full blown hummer limo can cost a few hundred dollars more than a stretch sedan. Larger limousine companies will often tack on extra fees for including alcohol, snacks, and for stops along the way. You can cut the cost in half by finding a small company in your area, which allows you to bring your own drinks. My best advice is to ask if the limo service has a party van or small bus, and charges a flat fee. Because the limo industry is so competitive, smaller, private companies can be more personable, and much more likely to cut a deal. Additionally, smaller limousine services are not as likely to rush your group through the night and ruin the bachelor’s experience. If you are staying at a hotel, utilize the hotel’s consigner and van drivers to save money on planning bachelor party transportation. Remember, the staff at your hotel is all about customer service, and is there to make sure you have a good time. Simply go to the bellhop stand and let them know you have a bachelor party and want to go to a hot spot. Most upscale hotels offer this service for free, and only a modest tip is expected for the service.

Saving money on Strippers and Strip Clubs

Hiring a stripper or visiting a strip club has become tradition when it comes to making plans for the groom. Adult entertainment has made bachelor party planning a cottage industry and can seriously drain funds for the evening if you’re not careful. To begin with, hiring a private stripper almost always requires an hourly rate. Private agencies will offer a stripper, but then tack on more money, depending on if the private show is topless, or nude. Prices can skyrocket to nearly $300.00 for an exotic dancer to strip at your location. Worse yet, private strippers are often in a hurry because they have other bachelor parties to schedule-especially on weekends! To save money, call an agency and ask exactly what’s included in their fantasy show. Ask for a flat fee, and make sure to let the agency know that you expect the clock to start ticking, once the girl begins dancing. Many strippers will show up at the bachelor party, hang out with the guys and only perform at the very end. This can be a complete downer for the evening and leave the groom bored, disappointed and with nothing else to do. A better option is combining a private stripper and a strip club in the same evening. Strip clubs are hungry for bachelor party business. Most, if not all offer some sort of discount or price reduction for large parties. In many instances, strip clubs will allow the entire party to come in for free. Strip clubs also offer fantastic bar packages, VIP seating and discounts on bottle service. If responsible for planning the bachelor party, look online for strip clubs or adult entertainment in your area. Ask the club what sort of deals and specials they offer for a bachelor party. A plethora of gentlemen’s clubs are willing to match or beat the price of their competitors, so make sure to tell the club what other places are offering. Strip clubs are also willing to throw in extra perks if you’re party has dinner. Yes, many adult clubs today have restaurants or cater in food. The newest, craze is having the bachelor brought on stage and having a few girls give a wild dance. Some clubs offer this service at a very affordable and reasonable price. Strip clubs are also a less expensive alternative because the groom has a large selection of strippers to choose from. He can have table dances or private dances, depending on his preferences. Table dances at many clubs only cost $10.00 to $20.00 and can be a lot of fun. In my opinion, the best bet is to have a private stripper during the first part of the evening, and then head to a strip club. Done correctly, the groom will have a great time and your party will defiantly save money.

Save Money on Bars

One of the best ways to save money for a bachelor party is to find a pub crawl. In many cities, bars come together and offer unbelievable specials during weekends for bachelor parties. Typically, each person in the party pays a small fee (Prices range from $10-$30) for the evening. Pub crawls are wonderful because they include food, beer, wine and mixed drinks at each location. For example, the party starts off drinking and eating at the first location, and then moves on to other places through out the night. The initial price paid covers most of the costs at each spot. One of the most attractive aspects of pub crawling is it eliminates the need for hiring transportation. In larger cities, the bars and taverns are usually strewn across the same area, so you’re party can easily walk from place to place. To find a good pub crawl, just go on the web and look for companies near the bachelor party location.

Planning a bachelor party can be difficult, expensive and a hassle. By doing a little homework, you can save money and make sure the groom and your friends have a memorable evening!