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Find Your Home Value, House Values and Prices on Yahoo! Real Estate Find Your Home Value, House Values and Prices Choose Location Home Homes for Sale Apartments for Rent Home Loans Moving & Insurance Tools My Real Estate Real Estate > Resources & Tools > Home Values and Prices Features Classifieds • Sell Your Home • Rent Your Apartment Home Search • Find Homes for Sale • Find Properties for Rent REALTORS • Find & Compare REALTORS Mortgages & Financing • Find a Lender • Today's Mortgage Rates • Loan Calculators • Credit Reports • Refinance Loans Resources • Moving Services • Foreclosure Center Neighborhood Research • What's My Home Worth? • School Profiles • Neighborhood Profiles Specialty Property • Foreclosures • New Homes • Commercial Real Estate • List Commercial Real Estate Home Improvement & Services • Home Services • Home Improvement Library • House Facts Get Home Values and Prices Sponsored by Get Home Values and Prices Access millions of public real estate records instantly! This comparable sales data helps you analyze the value of your home or other homes in seconds. Results include price, square footage, bedrooms, and year built (where available). You can also get a custom home valuation from a top-performing local REALTOR! Street Address: City & State or Zip: Sponsored Links Capital One Mortgages Lower payments an avg. of $400/mo*. A personal home loan consultant will work with you to find a loan that fits your needs. Apply online and receive a call back within 30 minutes. www.capitalone.com Mortgage Rate Lock in today's rate on a mortgage loan at Home Finance of America - your source for great rates, with quality customer support. See what you qualify for and what your payments will be. www.homefinanceofamerica.com Mortgage Rates - LendingTree.com Find out how much you can borrow for a mortgage and how much your mortgage payments will be. Receive up to four real loan offers within minutes. When banks compete, you win. www.lendingtree.com Great Mortgage Rates Shopping for a great mortgage rate? We make it easy, complete one quick form, receive multiple offers from the nations top brokers and lenders. It's free and easy. www.shopforloan.com (Become a Sponsor) Homes For Sale - Apartments For Rent - Current Mortgage Rates - Real Estate Agents - Local - Yellow Pages
BUY PROPERTY IN TURKEY
British Embassy, Turkey Settle, Work or Buying Property in Turkey Short cut.. Contact Us Doing Business with the UK Events Foreign & Commomwealth Office HM Ambassador Passports Services for UK Companies Travel Advice Visas What the consul can and cannot do for you Using mobile phones Consular Registration Form Online Consular Registration Britons applying for residence in Turkey Consular Fees Notarial Acts Marrying in Turkey Settle, Work or Buying Property in Turkey Birth Registration English speaking lawyers Hospitals in Turkey Complaints Overseas voter registration REQUIREMENTS FOR BRITISH NATIONALS WISHING TO SETTLE, WORK OR BUY PROPERTY IN TURKEY UK Nationals who wish to visit Turkey for less then 90 days may obtain a tourist visa by presenting a valid UK passport at any of Turkey's ports of entry. A £10 visa fee, payable in cash only, is the only requirement. All other UK nationals who plan to stay in Turkey for more than 90 days must first obtain the appropriate visa from a Turkish Embassy or Consulate prior to arrival. Please access the Turkish Embassy website: www.turkconsulate-london.com for more information. RESIDENCE IN TURKEY (a) Residency Permits are obtained AFTER arrival in Turkey. Formal application must be made to the police authorities of the province in which you reside, or to the Aliens department of the Police in Ankara, if no fixed abode in Turkey is intended. HOWEVER, well BEFORE your departure from the UK, you should contact the Turkish Embassy in London for information on requirements for residency and for information about importation of your household goods or car. Please access the website www.turkey.org/consularservices/forms/. for further details. (b) A RESIDENCE PERMIT IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY BEFORE YOU CAN CLEAR ANY PERSONAL GOODS/CAR FROM TURKISH CUSTOMS. THEREFORE AN APPLICATION FOR A RESIDENCE PERMIT MUST BE MADE in Turkey within one month from the date of your arrival to Turkey. (c) On first application, residence permits may be issued for a two-year period, thereafter for a maximum of five years at any one time. (d) Please note that recent changes in Turkish legislation relating to the calculation of residence permit fees for foreigners living in Turkey, has resulted in huge increases, based on 50 million TL for the first month and 30 million for each subsequent month. For example, a 2 year, permit currently costs 740.000.000 TL plus a booklet fee of 65.000.000 TL, and a five year permit 1.820.000.000 TL, roughly equivalent to £335 and £785 respectively. The Embassy has written to the Turkish authorities asking for a review, with a view to reducing these fees. EMPLOYMENT IN TURKEY A Work Permit is required for employment in Turkey. These permits are issued by the Ministry of the Interior in Ankara. We again strongly advise those wishing to take up employment in Turkey to contact, before travelling, the Turkish Embassy in London and/or their prospective employer in Turkey about the procedures for obtaining a Work Permit or access the Turkish work permit website www.csgb.gov.tr REQUIREMENTS FOR TURKISH WORK VISAS Companies seeking to employ UK nationals in Turkey must first obtain approval from the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security to hire foreign citizen employees. Prospective employers may obtain application forms for work permits at www.csgb.gov.tr. Completed applications should be returned to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security at Inonu Boulevard No 42, Eskisehir Yolu, Emek, Ankara, Tel: (0312) 296 60 00. Upon approval from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the UK national, employment candidate must next apply for a Turkish work visa. Work visa requirements, instructions and application forms are available through the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey website at: www.turkishconsulate.org.uk PURCHASE OF PROPERTY IN TURKEY "FLASH MESSAGE" Current legislation applicable for foreigners, who wish to purchase land or property in Turkey, has been ruled to be unconstitutional by the Turkish Constitutional Court. The amended law, which was presented before the court, has unfortunately been rejected. Therefore, until the law is ratified and approved by the Parliament any applications made by the foreigners to the land registry office will NOT be processed. (as announced by the General Directorate of Land Registry Office on or about 26 July 2005) Unfortunately, we have not been given a time scale when the matter may be resolved. If you have any further enquires the time scale, please contact the local land registry office for updated information. PREVIOUS RULES FOR PURCHASE OF PROPERTY FOR GUIDANCE: DO NOT PURCHASE PROPERTY WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING AN ENGLISH SPEAKING TURKISH LAWYER FOR BEST ADVICE. The Embassy website: www.britishembassy.org.tr has details or access the Turkish Attorney's Paralegal online www.tapo.co.uk. British citizens may purchase property in Turkey, subject to the following conditions: (a) The property can be paid for in either Turkish lira or foreign currency. There are also no restrictions about the transfer of foreign currency or Turkish Lira from a Turkish or foreign bank. (b) Applications should be made to the District Land Registry office (Tapu ve Kadastro Mudurlugu), when a suitable property for purchase is found. A recent change in Turkish legislation (i.e. on 19 July 2003) now permits foreigners to buy a property outside the boundaries of a municipality, i.e. council district (Belediye) and within a village or rural area. However, it is still necessary to obtain permission from the Military, prior to purchase. Note: Turkey and the UK have a bilateral agreement to avoid double taxation. Tax of the property in Turkey is payable to the Turkish tax authorities as the relevant law requires. INVESTMENT IN TURKEY 5. Prospective Investors, requiring information about the Manufacturing and Service Sectors may contact British Trade International, Turkey Trade Unit, Kingsgate House, 66-74 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6SW, Tel: +44 (0) 207 215 5000, email: mick.essex@dti.gsi.gov.uk or www.tradepartners.gov.uk. You may also contact The Turkish Authority responsible for foreign investment in Turkey, the General Directorate of Foreign Investment (GDFI): Hazine Mustesarligi, Yabanci Sermaye Genel Mudurlugu, Inonu Bulvari, 06510 Emek - Ankara, Tel: +90 (312) 204 60 00, Fax: 90 (312) 212 8916 email: ybsweb@pm.treasury.gov.tr or www.hazine.gov.tr/english/ybsweb/index.htm. Other web sites you may find useful; - The British Embassy, Ankara, Turkey www.britishembassy.org.tr - Prime Ministry, Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade www.foreigntrade.gov.tr - Prime Ministry, State Planning Organisation www.dpt.gov.tr - Foreign Economic Relations Board www.deik.org.tr - Association for Foreign Capital Coordination www.yased.org.tr - Privatisation Administration www.oib.gov.tr - Turkish Attorneys Paralegals Online www.tapo.co.uk/real estate law/default.asp Those wishing to establish a business in Turkey should consult a Turkish lawyer. Details of English speaking lawyers for Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir are available at the Embassy web site. THIS LEAFLET HAS BEEN PREPARED BY HM CONSUL IN ANKARA FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF ENQUIRERS. ALTHOUGH ALL CARE HAS BEEN TAKEN IN ITS PRODUCTION, NEITHER HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT NOR ANY CONSULAR OFFICIAL IN THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN ANKARA TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS PRECISE ACCURACY OR FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY ACTION TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS CONTENTS. Consular Section British Embassy Ankara – August 2005
Investment Property for a
How to Sell an Investment Property for a Loss - eHow.com Clear Instructions on How To Do (just about) Everything Web eHow.com Home Finance & Business Center Real Estate How to Sell an Investment Property for a Loss Selling an investment property for a loss will give you a tax write-off directly against your income. Steps: 1. Calculate your "basis;" this is the base variable used to calculate the gain or loss on the sale of a property. Your original basis is comprised of the property's purchase price plus the buying expenses (non-recurring escrow costs such as title insurance, escrow fees, recording fees, transfer taxes, commission, tax service, deed preparation, credit report, appraisal fee and termite inspection) upon acquisition. 2. Calculate your adjusted basis. The adjusted basis is the original basis plus improvements made to the property while you've owned it. 3. Sell the property. With an all-cash transaction the tax event occurs in the year the property is sold. 4. Calculate depreciation. (According to the I.R.S., every asset has a useable life, and the amount of depreciation is calculated according to the life of a certain asset. Consult with the I.R.S. or an accountant/C.P.A. to determine the correct amount of depreciation you should use.) Use the total amount of depreciation taken on tax returns for the total time the property has been held. 5. Calculate the expenses of the sale. Expenses include real estate agent commission (if any) and any other expenses directly associated with the sale of the property. 6. Add the expenses of the sale to the adjusted cost basis. This is your new adjusted basis. 7. Add the total depreciation to the sales price, and subtract from the new adjusted basis. This is the amount of your loss. 8. Assure yourself of a loss by calculating that the adjusted cost basis of the property plus the expense of sale will be greater than the gross sales price plus all depreciation. 9. File I.R.S. form 4797, Sale of Business Property. Tips: Points are not deducted as a buying expense, but are amortized over the life of the loan. Properties held for investment must have been used for personal use less than 14 days throughout the year. There are other ways to sell investment property, such as through an installment sale or an exchange. Consult a C.P.A or exchange facilitator for assistance. These selling options are complicated and require the assistance of a trained professional. Sometimes a seller will agree to pay a certain number of the borrower's points for obtaining a loan. When a seller pays points for a loan, they are considered to be selling expenses (just like a commission) and can be added to the adjusted cost basis. Warnings: In order to include certain selling costs, such as repairs required to sell the property, these costs have to occur within a specific period of time before the sale to qualify. Check with your accountant or C.P.A. Please Share Your Tips with Us More Resources: Contribute to eHow: Write an eHow Article Suggest a Topic Give Us Feedback on This Article Related eHows: Choose a Real Estate Agent to Sell a House Pay Taxes on Your Rental Home Get Tax-Free Profit From Your Rental Home Sell Mineral Rights Do a Tax-Deferred Exchange on Investment Property Things You'll Need: calculators tax consultants Project Details: Skill Advisory: Moderately Easy New! -- Related eHows: Choose a Real Estate Agent to Sell a House Pay Taxes on Your Rental Home Get Tax-Free Profit From Your Rental Home Sell Mineral Rights Do a Tax-Deferred Exchange on Investment Property Check out Thousands of How-To Solutions in eHow's Centers Automotive Careers & Education Computers & Home Electronics Family & Relationships Finance & Business Food & Entertaining Health Hobbies & Games Holidays & Traditions Home & Garden Personal Care & Style Pets Sports & Fitness Travel How to: --? Web eHow.com Home | Site Map | About Us | How To Books | Link to eHow Subscribe to the eHow of the Day Mailing List : Have the eHow of the Day appear on your My Yahoo! Page: Add the eHow of the Day to your RSS reader: © 1999-2005 eHow, Inc. How things get done. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy .
land loan? Typically, it
How We Work: Frequently Asked Questions Overview Agros Development Process Organizational Foundations Where We Work Our Impact People and Progress Sustainability FAQs Overview Organizational Profile Vision and Mission History and Future News Room Board of Directors Careers Contact Us Overview Give Online How to Get Involved Volunteer Overview Service Team Experiences Donor Stories Noemí Fund Central America in Transition Recommended Reading Frequently Asked Questions Background Information Why is land ownership important to the rural poor? Land is a precious asset around the world. It is a primary source of income, security and stability. Families who have the opportunity to own their own parcel of land can farm it to ensure a stable income for their families and preserve it for their children. They will invest in their land, improving the soil while conserving the environment. Through land ownership, rural poor families acquire a viable way of supporting themselves and overcoming their poverty while simultaneously creating a sustainable community. However, for most rural poor families owning land is an unattainable dream. They don't have access to the cash or credit they need to buy land. Their inability to purchase land guarantees many poor people in third-world countries a life of desperate poverty, working for low wages as farmhands or migrant laborers. Rural poor families become trapped in a cycle of poverty. They are left unable to purchase their own land, paying exorbitant rents for basic survival on poor quality land, and working for desperately low wages as farmhands and migrant laborers. Agros helps families in Central America purchase their own land. In doing so, we help rural poor families create viable, healthy, and sustainable communities today, and for generations to come. How Agros Helps Does Agros give families free land, or do they work to purchase their own land? Agros offers rural poor families a hand-up, not a handout. We help families purchase land through low-interest loans. Loan payments fund the purchase of land for new Agros communities. Agros owns the land and provides each family in the new community with a promissory note. The land title is held by Agros until each family repays the cost of their parcel of land. How long does it typically take families to pay off their land loan? Typically, it takes a family seven to 10 years to pay for their land. Once the loan is repaid, the land title is written in the name of both husband and wife, or the name of the one parent in a single parent family. There is a two-year grace period is allowed. The title is then passed on to the family in a land title transfer ceremony. This is an important and joyous event in the community. Is the land legally available? Establishing a legally secure title to the land is an important element of Agros' work. Before land is even considered for purchase, it must be legally available and clear of competing claims. This contributes to the long-range security of the families. What happens if a family can't pay? Occasionally, a family is unable or unwilling to repay the cost of the land. In such cases, the community leadership committee will work within existing community bi-laws to resolve the issue. The Agros Approach How is the Agros approach unique? Agros' approach of working with the rural poor in long-term asset building makes its work unique. With the exception of some government efforts at land distribution, there are few organizations that have been willing to provide long-term land loans to the poor. Agros is also unique in its approach of avoiding dependency and paternalism in its relationship with participants. By working with each community to develop local leadership, governing bodies, and decision-making processes, individuals gain self-esteem and confidence in their own ability to make sound decisions about their future. This is "breaking free from the cycle of poverty" in the most profound way. Agros has discovered that lending to the poor can be a viable credit risk. A small loan can provide a poor family with just enough capital to help them break free from poverty. Families who understand that they will become self-sufficient owners of their own land at the end of their repayment period have great incentive to fulfill their loan obligations. In addition, by focusing its projects on specific geographical areas, Agros is able to maximize the efficiency of its work in rural areas and generate more possibilities for further economic development and impact. What is an Agros Village? An Agros village is a community comprised of a group of selected families (between 25 and 75) in need who are striving together to make a better future for themselves and their children. Each family is lent a parcel of land, materials to build a house and access to an integrated irrigation system. Through additional small business loans, education and accountability, economic sustainability is the goal to enable them to effectively repay the cost of their loans. Each village has community governance with elected positions that decide the goals and priorities based on input from other villagers. Villages have co-ops, community banks and other economically based programs all based on sustainability. How do new projects get started? First, a group of families interested in becoming an Agros village approaches Agros staff in Central America to nominate a village. Agros must then determine the village's degree of need and prioritize accordingly. We have a fixed number of communities that we can start each year according to funding. The Agros offices in each country work with the Seattle office to determine this number. Since the need for land is always greater than the financial resources available to start new communities, tough decisions have to be made. If resources are available to start a new community, Agros field staff will begin to work with potential villagers. Agros field staff work with the community leaders to learn about parcels available for sale, discuss sale price, and to develop negotiating strategies. Field staff survey the land, assess its quality, and determine land titles and water availability. If everything meets our standards and funds are available for land purchase, field staff give community leaders the go-ahead to begin negotiations. Land purchases are typically timed around the agricultural calendar. A parcel will be purchased in time to prepare the land for the first harvest. Simultaneously, Agros field staff get to know the members of the community, while community members learn about Agros' work. Typically, the most important issue for communities to understand is that Agros provides loans and assistance to help farming families build assets, but that we do not provide charity and free handouts. During the initial development phase, Agros provides services such as agricultural credit and training to create a relationship with the group. At this time the community is introduced to Agros and Agros observes the community's ability to cooperate and sees whether it responds well to the challenges of the Agros model. If community members agree to Agros' repayment policy, and if Agros believes there is a good fit, field staff will typically start with a small project, such as providing small 6-month loans for seeds and agricultural supplies. There is always a tremendous need for short-term credit in rural areas. These small projects provide a perfect testing ground for community members to experience the assistance Agros provides, while Agros field staff learn which community members are bona fide farmers who have a willingness to repay their loans and a desire to work hard to overcome their poverty. During this process, entire communities may choose not to continue to work with Agros, or larger groups of participating families may be whittled down to smaller groups. Typically this is due to Agros' repayment policy, which families may not take seriously until their small loan comes due. At this stage, Agros field staff may choose to go through another 6-month loan cycle with a community. This phase may also include agricultural training to help farming families learn appropriate techniques that will increase crop yields, or other training related to health and nutrition, depending on the needs of the community. Building Long-Term Change How does Agros's approach address long-term poverty issues such as rural-urban migration, education, and health? In our experience, land ownership brings tremendous change in the lives of the rural poor. This change cannot help but positively affect large, long-term poverty issues in the following ways: Improved land quality With the prospect of land ownership, families invest in the quality of their soil and new agricultural techniques which boost crop production, stimulate rural economies and bring greater prosperity to rural areas. Through Agros's agricultural training and support for income-generating activities, families can build lasting economic security for themselves and their children. Improved quality of life As income security is established, the quality of life increases and the potential for social unrest and civil conflict is reduced. Agros supports the unfolding of this "virtuous circle" through the elements of its model. By helping poor families purchase land, the development cycle begins. A stronger community Agros's training in leadership and community organization helps develop local leaders who can work together to resolve community problems and plan for an improved future using foresight gained through prior experiences. Improved health A diversified diet leads to better nutrition and better health. As a result, infant death and malnutrition are reduced, providing an incentive to have smaller families. Better educational opportunities Greater economic stability allows parents to part with child labor and enroll their children in school. Agros also helps communities in projects such as school building. Reduced rural-urban migration As economic prospects and quality of life improve, rural families have no reason to migrate. This leads to greater stability and prosperity as urban areas are not flooded with rural migrants looking for a better life. How does Agros's model affect the problem of illegal immigration into the United States? There are many reasons why immigrants leave the rural countryside and come to the United States. Among them are the conditions of extreme poverty in which people live and the lack of opportunities that enable families to overcome their poverty. Many of the people coming to the U.S. illegally are "economic migrants" - people who come in search of work. Poverty conditions and lack of work opportunities at home mean that these economic migrants are willing to leave their families, risk their lives, and find work in some of the least desirable conditions - often as menial laborers and minimum wage workers. Steady work is better than no work, and minimum wage in the U.S. is often more than they can earn in an entire day in their native country. Throughout Central America, political and economic conditions are such that no matter how hard people work, 60 percent are earning less than $1 per day and 40 percent are living below the poverty line. Unemployment and underemployment are rampant in the rural areas. There are simply not enough jobs to go around and no hope that circumstances will change any time soon. By helping rural families purchase land and build thriving communities, Agros provides an alternative for people who believe their only option is to migrate into the city or into another country, such as the U.S. Agros enables families to stay together and to generate income within their own countries and communities. Agros helps families create a livelihood for themselves that can be passed on to their children. As conditions improve, the motivation for becoming an economic migrant disappears. Families stay together, communities are strengthened, and lives are transformed. How do Agros projects help women? Women in developing countries and across Central America face grave challenges. As the primary caretakers of families and children, they are on the front lines of hunger, malnutrition and death in their families. Agros' programs cannot be successful or have a lasting impact if the health of women is in jeopardy. Many women in rural Central America: Lack access to prenatal care and are isolated from modern health facilities Get married as adolescents, start families at a young age, and don't know how to plan the size of their families Have a difficult time keeping their children healthy and well-nourished because they don't know how, or don't have the resources to prepare a well-balanced meal and lack knowledge of basic sanitation Are of poor health themselves because they sacrifice food and other resources for their children and are continuously breast feeding due to multiple consecutive births Agros' programs address the needs of women and children by creating a positive cycle of change. We help women achieve: Education : For young girls who would otherwise marry young and start families when they are little older than children themselves, Agros provides opportunities for them to go to school. Educated girls tend to marry later and their children tend to be healthier. Literacy training : Agros offers literacy training to adults, giving both men and women who were not able to go to school the opportunity to learn how to read and write. Financial independence : Agros trains women to manage a savings account and family finances because women tend to invest in their families. Business expertise : Through microenterprise development, Agros teaches women skills they can use to start their own businesses. Agros also teaches women (and their children) how to raise small animals close to home to generate income. Family planning and health care : Many women have had more than 5 children and have never received a gynecological exam or had access to prenatal care. Through the women's health initiative: Women learn about their bodies in a way that promotes self-esteem. Women with greater self-esteem become active in community organization. They get involved in village decision-making and develop leadership skills. Women receive regular physical exams, many for the first time in their lives. Agros works within the local culture to provide education about birth spacing and birth control so that women and their husbands can make informed decisions about family planning. People talk a lot about the importance of "sustainable development." How are Agros' methods sustainable? Sustainable development is an important element of Agros' work. Agros works to create sustainability in three primary areas: in the environment, in family economics, and in community organizations. Environmental sustainability begins by providing families with land. People take better care of and are more concerned about a resource over which they have ownership. Agros then provides training and technical assistance regarding the use and stewardship of this land. This includes the construction of composting latrines, improved wood burning stoves, and education on soil conservation, organic composting, and agro-forestry techniques. Economic sustainability begins with improved production of basic grains. When a family produces more food on less land, they become more confident in their ability to feed themselves. With food security established, they begin to try things they've never done before, for instance, growing foods that they can sell in the market and use to generate income. Once families begin to generate a stable income, they can begin to pay back their land loans. And once their loans have been repaid (typically within 10 years), they become self-sustaining owners of their own land. From this land, they are able to generate an on-going, stable income and provide an environment in which their children can thrive. Community sustainability is attained in two ways. First, we help give rural families the training to create a local community government that looks to the entire community for participation and decision-making. This becomes the backbone for civic responsibility and participation. It also becomes the primary way communities continue to thrive long after Agros has departed. The second way is through the Noemí Fund. What is the Noemí Fund? The Noemí Fund is a loan fund that provides the capital needed to buy land and develop village infrastructure, including the resources needed to administer and manage this fund. When a new community is started, the loan fund is used to match every dollar raised for the development costs of a new community, including field support and training. As communities begin to repay their loans, the payments are returned to the loan fund. As the loan fund is replenished, new communities can be started. What happens if Agros is not there? If Agros is not there to provide access to land ownership, opportunity and hope for a sustainable life is slowly choked out. Families will continue to face malnutrition. Lack of education will persist. Migration to urban centers will increase as the rural poor seek a viable life. As a result, dysfunctional structures will remain intact without being held accountable. Cities will become overcrowded and the families moving into them unable to find work or hope in their new location. Communities will become even more broken than before, and despair will overwhelm souls. Planning for the Future What are Agros's goals and plans for the future? Through 2006, our primary focus is to consolidate and strengthen existing projects in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Chiapas, Mexico. At the same time, Agros is ramping up organizational and financial capacity to ensure on-going growth past 2006. At the same time, the need for Agros's work is considerable in countries throughout the developing world. There are many opportunities beyond our current geographic focus that will be considered as part of a long-term expansion plan. We have received requests for assistance from communities in Brazil, India, Kenya, the Middle East, Romania and South Africa. Post-2006 expansion will be determined through a process of (1) documenting need amongst the rural poor; (2) engaging in prayer and discernment, (3) identifying local interest and leadership, (4) receiving an invitation to participate, and (5) raising the requisite funds. When these criteria are met, expansion into new geographies will be considered. Our Christian Commitment Is Agros a Christian organization? Agros is comprised of Christians who desire to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ by serving the rural poor regardless of their faith. We agree that spiritual transformation is key to holistic transformation. It is God who ultimately transforms the individual. Agros plays a role in encouraging the spiritual transformation of individuals in Agros communities. Faith plays a crucial role in the holistic development of the Agros communities. International development organizations worldwide recognize the overall importance of faith in development. The church is the community institution that will survive. It also provides the moral compass for the development of the community and its values for the present and future generations. How does religious faith impact the work you do in the field? We try to model and communicate biblical principles to assist in the transformation of lives. Our role in spiritual transformation is expressed by: Sharing and teaching biblical principles underlying our social and physical services: Land purchase and use Land ownership and repayment Work ethic and responsibility Community organization Leadership development Infrastructure development and maintenance Agriculture & enterprise training Health and education Agros personnel being prepared to respond to and answer the "Why" questions. Why is Agros doing this? Why are you doing this personally? Whom does Agros serve? Agros works with landless, rural families of all faiths who have demonstrated their agricultural vocation and a willingness to cooperate with Agros program goals and expectations. In most cases, Agros assists groups that have already been organized and who demonstrate a need and the values of community and concern for each other. We look for a history of working together and an understanding of the importance of hard work. We work with groups of people who have: Initiated a relationship with local Agros staff Committed to abide by the Agros program and principles Demonstrated active leadership that holds values consistent with those of Agros Shown characteristics that lead Agros staff to believe the group has a strong chance of succeeding as a community. In determining the potential for success of a community, one of the factors necessary is a group of believers in the local area (i.e. a church). We may work with groups that have no professing Christians. Our Funding How is Agros Funded? The funding for Agros comes from three primary resources: Individuals, churches and foundations. Individuals and churches support Agros in the following ways: General Giving Walk with a Family Special Projects and Appeals Journey with a Village Country offices also seek out resources from local and international organizations. There are in-kind donations such as trees, seeds and other supplies. Heifer Project International contributes support for training and small animal husbandry. Most recently the Noemí Fund was developed to provide capital needed to jumpstart development and match donations from other sources. This fund was started to make available rotating credit that is repaid, and to supply future capital. How You Can Help How can churches, community organizations, and businesses get involved with Agros? Agros welcomes opportunities to partner with churches, organizations and businesses through its "Journey with a Village" program. This program partners individuals, families, churches, foundations, businesses or community groups with rural landless families in developing countries where Agros works. The purpose of the partnership is to enable these families to purchase their own agricultural land, build a livelihood, restore self-dignity, and overcome poverty. As a JWAV partner, you have the opportunity to help change these families' lives forever by coming alongside them in a financial and relational commitment of up to 5 years. Our typical process is: Meet : Get to know you, introduce you to the work of Agros and explain the JWAV program. Match : Determine if your goals and the community's goals would benefit through partnership. Champion : Help you select a Village Champion to organize a committee and if desired, delegate responsibilities and provide prayer support. Visit : Put together a trip so that you and other potential supporters can meet the families involved in your new potential partnership. Partner : Formalize the partnership through a signed agreement and celebration with the community. How can I make a donation to Agros? Simply on click on Give Now to make and individual donation, or call us at 206-528-1066. Home | Give Now | How We Work | Inside Agros | Get Involved | Learn More | Contact © 2005 Agros International. 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home equity loanmay be
Home Equity Loans Home Equity Loans:When Banks Compete, You Win Home Equity Loans Ifyou need to remodel or repair your home, for debt consolidation or for educational expenses a home equity loanmay be the best option available to you. Not only are you able to "tap" the equity in your home, theinterest charges are, in most cases, tax deductable (there are limits to your deductability if the total amountof loans is in excess of 100% of its value). There are a couple of options available to you. You can choose either a HomeEquity Loan , which is a fixed amount of money that is repaidover a fixed number of years, or a Home Equity Line of Credit , where you will be approved for a set amount of money which you will access asyou need it--whether for home improvements or some other use. Accessing your line of credit is as easy as writinga check. Likeall other loans, there are variances in terms, interest rates and the like. A good of comparison for home equityloans is LendingTree , where you submit an easy application and get offers from lenders competing foryour business--all within a few days (a process that used to take weeks!) Here is where you can take advantageof the ability of the Internet to make quick comparisons, saving both time and money. You can find both home equityloans and home equity lines of credit. More information . With interest rates falling considerably this year, this can be an excellent opportunity to restructure your payments,get a better rate than most credit cards and personal loans and work on the process of eliminating your debt load. Home | Your Checklist | Remodel | Refinance | Repair | Maintain Safe & Secure | Organize | Resources | More Links