Filed under: Estates

Today’s home has me pondering the problems associated with older homes. Here we have Up Holland, a nice nearly 20-acre spread near St. Michaels, Maryland. The historic home is believed to date from the late 1700s and is part of a land grant patented ca. 1667 . The six-bedroom home has been added to and modified over the years and now has a Greek Revival facade with a two story porch. The home has a formal living room and library with fireplaces and nine foot ceilings. The dining room is believed to be the oldest part of the house and has wood floors, wood-burning fireplace, old doors and a back stairway. The country kitchen has a brick fireplace and a table. The home is in need of a major overhaul, I just wonder how much can be done to bring it into the modern age. In its current state the home seems to be a patchwork of its various additions and renovations. I might direct potential new owners to Tusculum, a former estate of the day that is an older home that has been elegantly recreated. The home also has a carriage house that has two garage bays, a greenhouse/potting shed and a second floor studio. The land includes a swimming pool and pool house and a wide pier on Broad Creek provides anchorage for several boats. The home is listed at $3.485 million.

Continue reading Up Holland, Estate of the Day

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I’ve been around long enough to hear just about everything, and I’m often surprised by the stuff that small business people believe about starting and running a small business. Much of this stuff is negative and causes people to believe that they can’t start or run their businesses effectively. So, I’ve decided to take on some of these myths. Over the next few weeks or so, I’ll present some small business myths and the facts to disprove them.

My husband is a big fan of those “myth buster” guys on the Discovery Channel who go after cherished myths on such subject as dinosaurs, global warming, and how to survive if you’re lost in the jungle, which I guess is kind of what this series is about.

Myth 1: You need great credit to get a small business loan.

Myth Buster: You certainly don’t need a stellar credit rating to get a small business loan. Just as you don’t need great credit to get a loan for anything. A small business startup loan really is a personal loan, since there is little or no actual collateral, either in the form of physical assets (like equipment) or business cash flow. So the bank is lending primarily on your personal characteristics, including your credit rating. If you don’t have great credit, it doesn’t mean you will be certain to get the loan, and if you have bad credit, it doesn’t mean you will certainly be turned down.

But, having good credit certainly helps get you that business loan. It helps because the higher your credit rating, the lower the interest rate on your startup loan. If your credit rating is low enough, it might possibly be denied credit by major banks and credit unions. You can still find money for your small business startup from other lending institutions, at higher interest rates, or you might need to go to other more creative financing sources.

When you go to the bank to ask for a small business startup loan, the first thing the bank do is pull your credit score, to see what kind of financial track record you have. Don’t let the bank do this; instead, present them with your credit report that you have already thoughtfully brought with you, including FICO score.  This keeps you from having lots of hits on your credit rating.  You can get a free credit score before you go to the bank by going to Annual Credit Report. Pay the additional money to get your FICO score. If your credit is bad, work hard to repair your credit rating. Check the dispute resolution process of one of the credit reporting bureaus to learn how to do this.

So the myth that you have to have great credit to get a small business startup loan is busted.  If you have poor credit, you can still find funding; you will just have to work harder and pay more in interest to get it.

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Filed under: Estates

Real estate in the States may be having tough times but in Canada things seem to be booming and we are seeing more amazing estates all over the country. This one in Metchosin in Greater Victoria, British Columbia is one of the most expensive. The home was finished in 2006 and sits on 67 acres. The design received a National Canadian Architect Award. The design is a mix on interior and outdoor design that includes pools of water which are part of a geothermal heating and air conditioning system that pulls water from the ocean and runs through the house. The water also divides the living and bedroom areas. The home is quite striking, if perhaps a bit chilly looking. I love the giant red sofas in the living room area. The estate includes a guest house, boat house, covered pool, and a tennis court. It is listed at $24 million Canadian.

Continue reading Swanwick Ranch, Estate of the Day

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Are you still in the process of thinking about your goals for 2008?

(Mine is simple - make money and have fun doing it. When I was about 10 and being punished for who-knows-what, my mother said, “Do what you like and like what you do.” I didn’t understand then what she was talking about, but I do now. If it’s not fun, don’t do it. )

Anne Wayman, over at another b5media blog, The Golden Pencil, writes often about the business of writing, and I wanted to share her recent blog on Goal Setting, to help you think about goal setting. If your small business is writing, consider subscribing to Anne’s blog, where she lists writing jobs several times a week.

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I have a virtual assistant (Cindy Gaffen at Virtuallyfantastic.com) and she really is fantastic. Last month, I was working on a writing assignment and I was getting behind with collecting permissions and sending them to my publisher. She did this so efficiently I didn’t have to worry about it, and I could concentrate on getting the writing done.

As part of the New Year Elance is sponsoring a contest that will award $5,000 to a winner to enable them to hire their own virtual assistant. Virtual Assistants are one of the fastest growing jobs on the web and they can do a variety of tasks– personal and business– that make your life easier, save you time and reduce stress. If you have read Tim Ferris’ bestseller “The Four Hour Work Week” you’ll know that the virtual assistant is an area he spends quite a bit of time writing about. Here is the link for the contest: http://www.elance.com/p/promo/win-virtual-assistant.html

If you win the contest, let me know. Even if you don’t win, consider getting a virtual assistant this year. You can thank me later.

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This cartoon is by Dave Walker 

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