Texas Land Title Association

Advanced Solutions International | Texas Land Title Association Advanced Solutions International | Texas Land Title Association Membership Associations Unions Clubs YMCA Museums Association Management General Membership Fundraising Event Management Media Commercial Government Products > Industry Solutions > Membership Ten Years Later, the Texas Land Title Association Continues to Benefit and Grow With Its iMIS System “ iMIS has continued to be a useful software tool for us over the last 10 years because ASI has focused on understanding the specific needs of associations,” stated Leslie Midgley, Executive Vice President at the Texas Land Title Association (TLTA), ASI’s first iMIS customer. TLTA feels that the needs of associations have changed and as technology has advanced, ASI has responded to those changes and advancements with enhancements and new products. “They (ASI) have made it their business to respond to user feedback by updating the software to better serve the needs of their users,” added Midgely. In fact, TLTA has received more than 12 upgrades of iMIS and have upgraded from iMIS LAN to the Microsoft SQL version in the last decade. The TLTA is a non-profit state trade association that represents over 600 Texas title insurance companies, abstract companies and title insurance agents that are engaged in the transference of title to real property. “With iMIS , they have been able to capture an overwhelming majority of the market share for Title companies in Texas through education, advocacy, and other valued services,” stated Mark Jones, President of enSYNC Corporation, the TLTA authorized iMIS Solution Provider. The Flexibility to Handle Growing and Changing Needs iMIS has been particularly useful to the TLTA in managing their meetings and educational programs. “ iMIS allows us to plan a meeting from start to finish without using a lot of different software programs,” stated Midgley. In the area of membership, iMIS has allowed them to keep better track of information about their members. “Over the years, we have determined that we need to store more and more data, and iMIS has allowed us the flexibility to expand and change.” Authorized iMIS Solution Provider, enSYNC Corporation, provides support to TLTA for their iMIS system. They have been an integral part of TLTA’s satisfaction and success with the product. “Both Mark Jones and Clark Jones are great to work with and are always there to help us solve a problem or overcome a challenge. Currently, they are working with us to increase our skills with report writing using Access and Crystal and to help us utilize more of the features that iMIS offers,” commented Midgley. “ iMIS is still meeting the business needs of the organization after 10 years, that really says something about the greatness of the product,” summed up Jones. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy © 2005 ASI, Inc. Site designed and developed by ASI Web Services Group , managed by iMIS Content Manager.

home equity lines of

What You Should Know About Home Equity Lines of Credit ESPAÑOL More and more lenders are offering home equity lines of credit. By using the equity in your home, you may qualify for a sizable amount of credit, available for use when and how you please, at an interest rate that is relatively low. Furthermore, under the tax lawdepending on your specific situationyou may be allowed to deduct the interest because the debt is secured by your home. If you are in the market for credit, a home equity plan may be right for you. Or perhaps another form of credit would be better. Before making a decision, you should weigh carefully the costs of a home equity line against the benefits. Shop for the credit terms that best meet your borrowing needs without posing undue financial risk. And remember, failure to repay the amounts youve borrowed, plus interest, could mean the loss of your home. What is a home equity line of credit? What should you look for when shopping for a plan? Costs of establishing and maintaining a home equity line How will you repay your home equity plan? Lines of credit vs. traditional second morgage loans What is a home equity line of credit? A home equity line of credit is a form of revolving credit in which your home serves as collateral. Because the home is likely to be a consumers largest asset, many homeowners use their credit lines only for major items such as education, home improvements, or medical bills and not for day-to-day expenses. With a home equity line, you will be approved for a specific amount of credityour credit limit , the maximum amount you may borrow at any one time under the plan. Many lenders set the credit limit on a home equity line by taking a percentage (say, 75 percent) of the homes appraised value and subtracting from that the balance owed on the existing mortgage. For example: Appraised value of home $100,000 Percentage x 75% Percentage of appraised value = $ 75,000 Less balance owed on mortgage - $ 40,000 Potential credit $ 35,000 In determining your actual credit limit, the lender will also consider your ability to repay, by looking at your income, debts, and other financial obligations as well as your credit history. Many home equity plans set a fixed period during which you can borrow money, such as 10 years. At the end of this draw period, you may be allowed to renew the credit line. If your plan does not allow renewals, you will not be able to borrow additional money once the period has ended. Some plans may call for payment in full of any outstanding balance at the end of the period. Others may allow repayment over a fixed period (the repayment period), for example, 10 years. Once approved for a home equity line of credit, you will most likely be able to borrow up to your credit limit whenever you want. Typically, you will use special checks to draw on your line. Under some plans, borrowers can use a credit card or other means to draw on the line. There may be limitations on how you use the line. Some plans may require you to borrow a minimum amount each time you draw on the line (for example, $300) and to keep a minimum amount outstanding. Some plans may also require that you take an initial advance when the line is set up. What should you look for when shopping for a plan? If you decide to apply for a home equity line of credit, look for the plan that best meets your particular needs. Read the credit agreement carefully, and examine the terms and conditions of various plans, including the annual percentage rate (APR) and the costs of establishing the plan. The APR for a home equity line is based on the interest rate alone and will not reflect the closing costs and other fees and charges, so youll need to compare these costs, as well as the APRs, among lenders. Interest rate charges and related plan features Home equity lines of credit typically involve variable rather than fixed interest rates. The variable rate must be based on a publicly available index (such as the prime rate published in some major daily newspapers or a U.S. Treasury bill rate); the interest rate for borrowing under the home equity line changes, mirroring fluctuations in the value of the index. Most lenders cite the interest rate you will pay as the value of the index at a particular time plus a margin, such as 2 percentage points. Because the cost of borrowing is tied directly to the value of the index, it is important to find out which index is used, how often the value of the index changes, and how high it has risen in the past as well as the amount of the margin. Lenders sometimes offer a temporarily discounted interest rate for home equity linesa rate that is unusually low and may last for only an introductory period, such as 6 months. Variable-rate plans secured by a dwelling must, by law, have a ceiling (or cap ) on how much your interest rate may increase over the life of the plan. Some variable-rate plans limit how much your payment may increase and how low your interest rate may fall if interest rates drop. Some lenders allow you to convert from a variable interest rate to a fixed rate during the life of the plan, or to convert all or a portion of your line to a fixed-term installment loan. Plans generally permit the lender to freeze or reduce your credit line under certain circumstances. For example, some variable-rate plans may not allow you to draw additional funds during a period in which the interest rate reaches the cap. Costs of establishing and maintaining a home equity line Many of the costs of setting up a home equity line of credit are similar to those you paywhen you buy a home. For example: A fee for a property appraisal to estimate the value of your home An application fee , which may not be refunded if you are turned down for credit Up-front charges, such as one or more points (one point equals 1 percent of the credit limit) Closing costs, including fees for attorneys, title search, and mortgage preparation and filing; property and title insurance; and taxes. In addition, you may be subject to certain fees during the plan period, such as annual membership or maintenance fees and a transaction fee every time you draw on the credit line. You could find yourself paying hundreds of dollars to establish the plan. If you were to draw only a small amount against your credit line, those initial charges would substantially increase the cost of the funds borrowed. On the other hand, because the lenders risk is lower than for other forms of credit, as your home serves as collateral, annual percentage rates for home equity lines are generally lower than rates for other types of credit. The interest you save could offset the costs of establishing and maintaining the line. Moreover, some lenders waive some or all of the closing costs. How will you repay your home equity plan? Before entering into a plan, consider how you will pay back the money you borrow. Some plans set minimum payments that cover a portion of the principal (the amount you borrow) plus accrued interest. But (unlike with the typical installment loan) the portion that goes toward principal may not be enough to repay the principal by the end of the term. Other plans may allow payment of interest alone during the life of the plan, which means that you pay nothing toward the principal. If you borrow $10,000, you will owe that amount when the plan ends. Regardless of the minimum required payment, you may choose to pay more, and many lenders offer a choice of payment options. Many consumers choose to pay down the principal regularly as they do with other loans. For example, if you use your line to buy a boat, you may want to pay it off as you would a typical boat loan. Whatever your payment arrangements during the life of the planwhether you pay some, a little, or none of the principal amount of the loanwhen the plan ends you may have to pay the entire balance owed, all at once. You must be prepared to make this balloon payment by refinancing it with the lender, by obtaining a loan from another lender, or by some other means. If you are unable to make the balloon payment, you could lose your home. If your plan has a variable interest rate, your monthly payments may change. Assume, for example, that you borrow $10,000 under a plan that calls for interest-only payments. At a 10 percent interest rate, your monthly payments would be $83. If the rate rises over time to 15 percent, your monthly payments will increase to $125. Similarly, if you are making payments that cover interest plus some portion of the principal, your monthly payments may increase, unless your agreement calls for keeping payments the same throughout the plan period. If you sell your home, you will probably be required to pay off your home equity line in full immediately. If you are likely to sell your home in the near future, consider whether it makes sense to pay the up-front costs of setting up a line of credit. Also keep in mind that renting your home may be prohibited under the terms of your agreement. Lines of credit vs. traditional second morgage loans If you are thinking about a home equity line of credit, you might also want to consider a traditional second mortgage loan. A second mortgage provides you with a fixed amount of money repayable over a fixed period. In most cases the payment schedule calls for equal payments that will pay off the entire loan within the loan period. You might consider a second mortgage instead of a home equity line if, for example, you need a set amount for a specific purpose, such as an addition to your home. In deciding which type of loan best suits your needs, consider the costs under the two alternatives. Look at both the APR and other charges. Do not, however, simply compare the APRs, because the APRs on the two types of loans are figured differently: The APR for a traditional second mortgage loan takes into account the interest rate charged plus points and other finance charges. The APR for a home equity line of credit is based on the periodic interest rate alone. It does not include points or other charges. Disclosures from lenders The federal Truth in Lending Act requires lenders to disclose the important terms and costs of their home equity plans, including the APR, miscellaneous charges, the payment terms, and information about any variable-rate feature. And in general, neither the lender nor anyone else may charge a fee until after you have received this information. You usually get these disclosures when you receive an application form, and you will get additional disclosures before the plan is opened. If any term (other than a variable-rate feature) changes before the plan is opened, the lender must return all fees if you decide not to enter into the plan because of the change. When you open a home equity line, the transaction puts your home at risk. If the home involved is your principal dwelling, the Truth in Lending Act gives you 3 days from the day the account was opened to cancel the credit line. This right allows you to change your mind for any reason. You simply inform the lender in writing within the 3-day period. The lender must then cancel its security interest in your home and return all feesincluding any application and appraisal feespaid to open the account. The information on this site is adapted from the brochure "What You Should Know about Home Equity Lines of Credit." Single or multiple copies of the brochure are available without charge. Order the brochure by telephone, mail, or fax . Order online . Glossary | Where to go for help | Checklist Home | Consumer information | Publications | Brochures Accessibility | Contact us Last update: March 1, 2004

Buy Property

Which? bookshop | Buying Property Abroad Skip main navigation | | Sitemap | Help | Contact us Home News About us Campaigns Press Magazines Bookshop Which? Online search box Book categories Food & drink Home & garden Legal advice Personal finance Property Magazines Subscriptions Gift subscriptions Placing an order Ordering online Ordering offline Delivery Safe shopping Bookshop Bookshop Bookshop Buying Property Abroad Jeremy Davies 10.99 (free postage & packaging) For recreation,retirement or investment, buying property abroad has never been morepopular, and over a million Britons now have homes in another country.Unfortunately, buying abroad is fraught with difficulties. Differentcultures, languages, currencies and laws make expert advice essential. BuyingProperty Abroad takes an in-depth look at France, Spain, Portugal,Italy and Florida, as well as considering emerging markets in theMediterranean, the Balkan States and Eastern Europe. The book: outlines the sort of property you are likely to encounter looks at local taxes and how much you'll have to pay examines local law and how this relates to matters such as inheritance, insurance, liability and land searches considers the true cost of holiday homes - including maintenance charges, utility bills and management fees looksat the financial and legal implications of long-term residency, withparticular reference to retirement, taxation and health care. BuyingProperty Abroad can help you realise the dream of owning somewhere inthe sun, while making sure it doesn't turn into a nightmare. Paperback 256pp | Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Privacy | © Which 2005 Gift subscriptions Buy any Which? magazine subscription as a gift: - Which? magazine | - Computing Which? | - Gardening Which? | - Holiday Which? | Which? magazines Buy Which? magazine subscriptions and binders: Subscriptions | Gift subscriptions | Binders | | Try Which? Online free for 30 days and save £££s. Which? campaigns Our food is killing us. Read how our food campaign is changing things.

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NASA - Home The nasa.gov site requires that JavaScripts be enabled in your browser. For instructions, click here + Text Only Site + en Español + Contact NASA 12.22.05 NASA Satellites Pinpoint 'White Christmas' Areas + Read More 12.13.05 Seeing Into the Past + NASA Spinoffs 12.13.05 CloudSat Scientist Paints Picture of the Sky + Read More + CloudSat Site 12.29.05 NASA to Honor Katrina Heroes With Bravery Medal + Read More 12.28.05 2005 Year in Review + Read More + Flash Feature 12.23.05 Cargo Ship Docks With Station + Read more + Space Station Section 12.23.05 Lucky Lunar Strike + Read More + View Animation 12.22.05 Hubble Finds More Moons, Rings at Uranus + Read More + Hubble Page 12.22.05 Titan: Then and Now + Cassini Section World Book @ NASA Discover and Learn with content brought to you by World Book Encyclopedia + View Articles World Book @ NASA Feature Topic Relativity: One of two theories of physics developed by Albert Einstein. + View Article Michael Griffin + Dec. 17 Georgia Tech. Commencement Speech + Dec. 6 Speech to the American Geophysical Union + Biography + Speeches Image Feature Chimborazo and Tungurahua + View Image + More images... Video Feature Stardust: How Do We Bring a Comet Home? + View Video + More videos... Interactive Feature 2005: Realizing the Vision + View feature + More features... NASA TV NASA TV is streamed 24/7 over the Internet. + Watch NASA TV Now + Find out more + Register now Login to MyNASA Username: Password: Daily 11 a.m. EST: Live ISS mission coverage + Watch NASA TV + NASA TV Schedule + NASA's New Spaceship + Vision Main Page + Vision Videos + The Vision (1.9 MB PDF) + Why We Explore + Current Missions + Want to Work at NASA? + Hurricane Resource Page + NASA Spinoffs + NASA Family Assistance Fund + NASA Missions in History + nasa.gov RSS Feeds Ciencia@NASA Earth Observatory Greatest Images of NASA Human Spaceflight Web Mars Exploration NASA Education Program NASA History NASA Image Exchange NASA Technology Planetary Photojournal Science@NASA Aeronautics Education Exploration Systems Science Missions Space Operations Headquarters Ames Research Center Dryden Flight Research Center Glenn Research Center Goddard Space Flight Center Jet Propulsion Laboratory Johnson Space Center Kennedy Space Center Langley Research Center Marshall Space Flight Center Stennis Space Center NASA IV&V Facility Goddard Inst. for Space Studies Wallops Flight Facility White Sands Test Facility + Freedom of Information Act + Budgets, Strategic Plans and Accountability Reports + The President's Management Agenda + NASA Privacy Statement, Disclaimer, and Accessibility Certification + Inspector General Hotline + Equal Employment Opportunity Data Posted Pursuant to the No Fear Act + Information-Dissemination Priorities and Inventories Editor: Jim Wilson NASA Official: Brian Dunbar Last Updated: December 29, 2005 + Contact NASA

Land Loan

Construction Loan Disbursement - Land Title Guarantee Company: Serving Colorado and its people since 1967 Home Lenders Construction Loan Disbursement Service Construction Loan Disbursing Service for Lenders For information about the Construction Disbursing process or pricing, please contact us via email or by calling the Construction Disbursement Department at 303-636-2760. The Benefits: Land Title's Construction Loan Disbursing Department is staffed by professionals with a total of over 51 years experience. Land Title keeps an accurate accounting of funds disbursed from the loan. Land Title employs its own professional inspectors to provide the highest quality inspections at no additional cost to you. Land Title collects Mechanic's Lien waivers throughout the project from each subcontractor, freeing up your time for other priorities. Land Title charges one flat fee for residential properties, which includes the inspection report, the Mechanic's Lien Endorsement, disbursement processing, and all delivery fees. A single fee means you can accurately budget for all your upcoming projects. Borrowers are included in the disbursement agreement, so no one is left out of the loop. Land Title maintains your escrow instructions. Land Title disburses on commercial projects and single family residences. Loans disbursed generally range from $200,000 to $50,000,000. However, we can disburse on loans of any amount. The Process: The construction Loan Disbursement process begins when the general contractor submits a Draw Request to Land Title. Land Title can provide a form upon request. However, your form, a computerized form, or an AIA form are all generally acceptable. The Draw Request includes the names and addresses of payees and the amounts to be paid. All invoices to be paid should be attached. The contractor presents the Draw Request to the owner and obtains the owner's approval and signature. Land Title conducts the Inspections and prepares a Construction Progress Report affirming that the work and materials are in place and estimates the overall percentage of completion. Land Title conducts a title search for Mechanic's Liens. Land Title forwards to the lender the Draw Request, together with the title search for Mechanic's Liens. While the draw is pending lender approval, Land Title cuts all checks, obtains W-9 tax identification numbers, prepares the check register, and is ready to disburse as soon as the lender's funds are deposited into Land Title's account. Items of construction interest, overhead and profit, and soft costs can be paid if they are in accord with the lender's policy. The lender and the borrower must both approve these payments in writing. When the lender approves the draw and funds are received, Land Title mails the already-prepared checks directly to the contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and vendors as directed. Land Title's disbursement checks have a lien waiver imprinted on the face of the check. The lien waiver states the amount, the ownership, and the address, and the check stub gives the description of invoices or work being paid. The lien waiver must be signed separately and apart from the check endorsement. If the payee fails to sign the lien waiver, the check will not clear the bank. After Land Title has prepared and disbursed checks directly to all subcontractors and suppliers, Land Title will furnish a check register--listing all checks by check numbers, person(s) paid, and the amounts paid--to the contractor after each draw, and to the borrower and lender upon request. Land Title can furnish a check register from day one to any point in the construction. Land Title can also furnish a register for all payments to any individual payee at any time during or at the end of construction. The Pricing Land Title's Construction Disbursement pricing is based on the size of the loan and type of protection being provided. Please contact the Construction Disbursement Department by email or phone (303-636-2760) for a quote. Generally, the price for single family residences is $750 for loans up to $500,000, then 75 cents for each $1,000 thereafter.