Lexington SC Real Estate Professionals

Chapin Real Estate and Chapin Homes of Lexington, SC. Serving buyers and sellers. Online property search services available.

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Prepping for College with Cappex

It's hard to believe that my oldest child will be graduating high school in May.

We have spent a great deal of time discussing what his career choices, colleges and universities, tuition, scholarships, and other important decisions that must be made soon.

Before finding the cappex college search tool at EDUInReview.com, we wasted an extraordinary amount of time searching individual sites.



Cappex is a FREE tool available to students, parents, guidance counselors, or anyone seeking information on the best colleges for a chosen major as well as scholarships available.

One of the most useful aspects that I found about this program is the effort to match personality with school. This wasn't something that my 17-year-old son had considered; how a school must fit the person for the best chance of success.

Unfortunately, this is still a growing database of information so everything is not readily available; however, it should be remembered that it is a FREE tool and one more way to save time.

I recommend any parent with a recent or upcoming graduate that plans to attend a college, university, or technical college following high school check out this handy tool. The information in one central location is just a click away!

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Make Saving Money A New Years Resolution

As difficult as it has been for so many this past year, I think everyone has realized that it's important to save for a rainy day.

One of the best ways to get on a fast track to savings is with budgeting - especially using an envelope system.

Neobudget is an online envelope budgeting software that helps you keep track of your spending. At only $2.50 month, you'll find it extremely affordable compared to similar programs.

Try it free for 7 days with no strings attached!

What have you got to lose? Absolutely nothing, but so much to gain!

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Need Help With Your Mortgage Payments?

As the United States' economy continues to struggle against a recession and highest unemployment rate since the 1980s, there many homeowners out there facing foreclosure.

That's where Fair Home Loan Bureau can help.

If you secured your mortgage before January 1, 2009 and have a primary mortgage of less than $729,500, the FHLB may be able to help.

Enacted following the signing of the stimulus package. FHLB can help homeowners who can show proof of income and are experiencing a financial hardship to modify their existing mortgage.

FHLB is a free service provided to American homeowners. Visit today to see if you qualify!

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Fearless by Max Lucado Book Review

Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear.

They're talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word terror. Fear, it seems, has taken up a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversized and rude, fear herds us into a prison of unlocked doors. Wouldn't it be great to walk out?

Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, or doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, where you could trust more and fear less.

Can you imagine your life without fear?

Being asked to review Max Lucado's book Fearless couldn't have come at a better time for me.

Lately it seems that I have been consumed by the very fears expressed in the above blurb.

Between a global economic crisis, numerous deaths (especially those of celebrities so highly publicized), and, in my opinion, a President that seems intent on destroying all the things for which American stands; and my mind has been filled with worry, frustration, and fear.

Max Lucado takes each of these fears, chapter by chapter, and teaches you how to understand your fear - the root of your emotion - and then how to relieve those fears by turning to faith.

There is not a (grown) soul out there today that hasn't experienced these emotions, whether past or present, and will benefit greatly from the lesson taught within Fearless.

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All The Conveniences Without The Hassle

Despite difficult economic times, bank and credit card fees are rapidly increasing leaving their customers to find better alternatives for their financial needs.

NetSpend, America's most trusted provider of Prepaid debit cards, is the perfect choice.

Just like credit cards, your Prepaid Visa Card from NetSpend can be used to make reservations, at ATMs nationwide, pay-at-the-pump gas stations, or anywhere you see the Visa/Mastercard logo.

Unlike credit cards, however, there are no over-the-limit fees, interest, or credit checks!

As the mother of a teen almost ready to depart for college, NetSpend will be our only means to make sure he has cash available while away from home but also help him keep track of his spending.

If you are one of the 84 million Americans who chooses not to use traditional banking methods or have been declined an account due to bad credit, check out NetSpend!

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Affiliate Marketing Becoming An Endangered Species

Affiliate marketing is a major backbone of Mom bloggers.

Through affiliate marketing, Mom bloggers are able to make their blogs profitable; thus compensating them for their hard work and time.

With the current economic crisis that is affecting our nation, more and more shoppers are looking to online resources as a means to finding better deals. In turn, states are seeing a rapid decrease in sales tax collections and are eager to recoup those losses.

"The trouble began in 2008, when New York passed a law requiring Amazon (and other retailers) to collect sales taxes if they had 'affiliates' in the state," writes Chris Null of Yahoo! Tech. Null continues, "New York claimed that having these local affiliates meant Amazon was operating a physical 'nexus' in that state, thus subjecting any sales there to New York state sales tax. Amazon sued the state, and lost."

Other sites with affiliate marketers, such as Overstock.com, decided to instead "fire" their affiliates; thereby eliminating any claim by states of a nexus.

As a results of New York's victory, four other states - California, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and North Carolina - have successfully or plan to institute a plan to collect sales tax on internet sales.

Amazon, one of the internet's largest affiliates, is already responding. Rather than continue their efforts to abolish internet sales tax with the judicial system, Amazon instead opted to terminate their affiliate ties with participants in those states.

Anyone who currently participates in affiliate marketing needs to be keeping an eye on their state's stance pertaining to this issue. And in the meantime, you should contact your Representatives to let them know you do not agree with such measures.

It should be taken into consideration that, as these states continue to create more havoc with their frivolous taxation, they will be creating an even greater number of those suffering income loss; which, in turn, will reduce the number of goods and services sold thereby slowing down even more an almost idle economy.

And I can assure you, just as we have seen throughout history, government won't be able to manage the money made from internet sales no better than they properly allocated funds previously collected. So what will be their next target for taxation and the excuse for doing so?

I agree with Lynn Terry as she states on her ClickNewz blog, "Personally, I applaud the merchants for taking a stand, and the affiliates who have written to their state Representatives regarding the new internet sales tax laws."

Will you take a stand? Or will you set idly by as government once again taxes us for their inability to manage a budget?

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Victim of Foreclosure? How To Apply For Section 8 Housing

After reading an emotion-wrenching article in the July 2009 issue of Parenting magazine about families that are living in shelters across America following job losses and/or foreclosure, I felt inspired to create a post that could be helpful to others in or facing a similar situation.

While it seems that most of America is focused on bailing out the car companies, little is being done in the meantime to help families who have a bigger issue at hand: homelessness.

Until we can someone convince good deeds groups (as I call them) to stop building homes in Honduras, and other like places, and take care of their neighbors first, hopefully this information on how to apply for Section 8 housing will be useful in getting shelter for those in need.

Section 8 is also known as Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is Federal housing program which provides housing assistance to low-income renters and homeowners in the form of rental subsidies; which reduces the amount (often significantly) rent paid by assistance recipient.

Applying for Section 8 subsidies is easy. Just visit your local housing authority or other designated program administrators for an application.

I encourage you can visit the Affordable Housing Online website for information on how to find your local housing authority/HUD program administration and answers to the most commonly asked questions about the Section 8 program.

• Interested persons may also wish to check with their local Habitat for Humanity program for information about their housing program.
  
  
• Those not meeting HUD eligibility requirements may also wish to visit the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development website for information on their housing loan programs.
  
  
• Veterans are eligible for special financing through the U.S. government. How to Apply for a VA Home Loan from About.com offers detailed information on this program and the application process.

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Regain Life's Balance With The Momnificent! Life (A Book Review)

I became a stay-at-home mom in 1996; and ever since the term - "stay" - has bothered me.

Webster's Dictionary defines the word as "to stop or halt," "remain behind, " and "continue in a place, position, or situation."

As far as I'm concerned, none of those definitions apply. Rarely do I have time to stop; nor do I feel left behind or as though I'm staying in the same place. (The latter could only be defined, in relation to my life, as wishful thinking!)

I am a work-at-home mom. Not to be confused with the work-from-home mother.

I am a Manager; a manager of my household consisting of four children and a husband. My physical place of employment is at home.

Therefore, I am a work-at-home mom.

To define myself in a manner that brings me a sense of satisfaction - of accomplishment - was the very first of many important life-changing steps I learned from The Momnificent! Life by Lori Radun.

And then I was hooked!

For three days, I delved into learning how to grow and prosper in my job and my personal life; which, for me, happens to be in one the same.

Don't misunderstand. The Momnificent! Life isn't just for the full time mother. This book is for any mother looking to gain a sense of balance in her life.

Readers are encouraged to evaluate several aspects of their life, including:

• Personal Development
• Spirituality
• Fun and Enjoyment
• Relationships
• Health and Aging
• Personal Finance
• Career and Profession
• Home and Family

At the end of each segment, readers are invited to engage in assignments that help to exercise the principals learned.

I personally found that practicing such assignments immediately following a "lesson" helped me to more greatly absorb it and set it in motion now versus later - which procrastinators, such as myself, tend to [never] do.

As an avid reader, I've read numerous self-help books on a wide variety of subjects. However, I found The Momnificent! Life to be the first to offer a complete manual on all the issues important to me - as a mother, wife, and a woman.

The Momnificent! Life is a book that I will keep nearby as a handy reference tool; as a means to finding a balance in an all too frequently unbalanced lifestyle.

Thank you to author Lori Radun for bringing such a wonderfully written blessing into my life!

The Momnificent! Life is available at for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Walmart.

I also strongly encourage you to visit Lori's website at http://www.momnificent.com/ for additional resources such as coaching programs and products, a Mini eCourse, and monthly eZine; or find out how you can have this gifted author speak at your next retreat.

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How To Create A Household Budget That You Can Live With

This post has been moved to The Babbling Brunette

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Tuesday Tribute:

The more I listen to and watch the news, the more disgusted I become. So for this week's Tuesday Tribute, I'd like to give a shout out to the United States Congress:

Dear Congress,

As a taxpaying, property owning, voting and law-abiding citizen of the United States of America, I want to thank you for all of your recent hard work as it relates to the finances of our country.

I want to give you this heartfelt thank you for passing out bailouts like it's dime store candy. Bailouts that are sure to indebt not only our children and grandchildren, but our great-great-great grandchild. That's assuming that America is still its own country.

I want to thank you and Miss Hilary Clinton personally for recently promising the Palestinians $900 million dollars. After all, they should be rewarded for burning our flag and dancing in their streets immediately following the events of September 11, 2001.

I want to thank you for handing out billions of dollars to the CEOs of huge corporations that flew in with their hands out in big corporate jets. I may have given you the benefit of the doubt if these executives had flew coach; a lot more credit if they had gone "green" (as you and our new president like to tout so loudly) and pedaled in on a bike.

There just aren't enough appropriate words to express my heartfelt appreciate to you for essentially placing our country in what will result in bankruptcy.

I hear through the grapevine that Washington is being bombarded with tea bags these days. If you're as dense as I believe you are, you may not be getting the message: your approving taxation without representative (it's not what your constituents want you to do) and come next election...YOU'RE FIRED!

Yet Another Jay and Deb Production.

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