Making Your College Income Last Longer Than A Puff (business website templates) Of Smoke

October 7th, 2008 admin Posted in finance |

By Aydan Corkern

For the majority of young people heading off to college they will have to also go to work at least part time in order to be able to attend. Some students will have it easier when they have mom and dad to help foot the bill, but many just are not that lucky. It can be a strain between attending classes, homework, studying, and work. It does not seem it would give these students very much time at all for a social life.

It might not appear they have much opportunity for socializing, but most kids will find a way to get out and about at least a little even though they might not really have the budget to do so. It can be really rough when they spend their money loosely and end up broke before they get in their next supply of cash. Many students have to provide their own transportation and food even when their housing might be covered by tuition, grants, or loans.

There are several ways that a less than rich college student can keep their expenses down if they try. The first thing that must be given serious consideration is how much going out they can do. A trip to the movies occasionally might be alright, but it is something that should be kept to a minimum. Renting a few videos and splitting the cost between roommates is a better idea. Make sure they are returned on time to avoid the late charges that some video stores will charge.

Food is another big expense and college kids with busy schedules are often tempted to eat at burger joints and make fast foods a steady diet. This is not only very unhealthy, but can be more expensive in the long run than a trip to the grocery store. If you have a hard time cooking for lack of time or experience, try things like salads or one dish meals everyone can share. Instead of buying expensive bottles of water, buy it by the gallon or use tap water in a refillable container.

Last but not least you should try to carpool as much as possible. This will save wear and tear on vehicles if everyone shares a ride and fuel. This especially important if you live off campus and have to travel any significant distance to work or classes. Set aside a certain amount of money for each week and do not spend what you can not afford too and you will not be left wondering what fire you threw your money into.

Aydan Corkern is a writer of many topics, visit some of her sites, like

Water Damage Restoration and Chicago Water Damage Restoration.

How to Analyze Commercial Properties
By Lorenzo Hills

Financing commercial properties or income-producing real estate is not an exact science. It requires subjective analysis, experience, and an ability to be innovative and creative. It is especially important to know the fundamentals lenders will be looking closely at in order to fund a specific type of commercial property.

But one thing is certain. Across all commercial property types, some fundamentals do not change. Virtually every commercial project is analyzed by location, physical property and borrower strength.

Generally, the location must be suitable for the project. The location elements that commercial lenders typically consider are:

- Compatibility with environment

- Functionality of entrances and exits

- Transportation options

- Workforce potential

- Utilities and zoning in the area

- Other characteristics of the location and market

Proper financing can greatly enhance a commercial location, while poor financing can squander an otherwise excellent location. Many commercial projects in good locations have been ruined by poor financing, and it is not at all uncommon to find commercial projects in marginal locations that have been successful because of strong financing.

When looking at the physical property itself, commercial lenders usually analyze:

- The size of the facility

- The parking situation

- Drive-by appeal

- On-site amenities

- Physical and mechanical components of the building

- Functional and economic utility

- Physically and economically obsolete aspects

In assessing most of these elements, common sense may be the most important tool. To illustrate this point, consider an apartment with no bathroom or a “full-service” hotel without adequate parking. Commercial lenders must be able to judge the project for its current and future market appeal, and function plays a large role.

It goes without saying that components that go into the physical property must be technically sound. These include the foundations, heating and air conditioning, lighting, ceilings and windows.

Commercial lenders also often require further explanation when it comes to general-purpose, limited-purpose or single-purpose properties. General-purpose properties are those for which there is a competitive rental demand with generally accepted physical characteristics that appeal to many general users. Examples are warehouses and retail stores. A limited-purpose property would be a facility like a service station or department store capable of conversion to another use. A single-purpose property would be a facility such as an oil refinery that is difficult to convert.

When looking at borrower strength, lenders will want to analyze the property’s developer and manager. Although an individual partnership or corporation may develop the real estate, it may not manage the property, collect the rent and pay the debt.

Commercial lenders also want to look at what other properties the developer has produced - particularly, those similar to the subject property. Developing includes finding the land, arranging for physical development, arranging for financing and bringing the concept to fruition. A commercial lender should know the amount of real estate actually managed by the sponsorship group and be fully aware of its payment record.

Overall, to be successful when evaluating a commercial financing project, it is important to understand these three basic characteristics of a given project - location, physical property and borrower strength.

Article Source : Article King Pro - Free Reprints and Distribution

Lorenzo Hills, managing director of East Coast Commercial Finance

Lorenzo is located in Charlotte, N.C., and can be reached at 980-226-6746.

Develop A Website For Your Business To Make You Rich