Texas Land Trusts Top

TPWD: News Release — Nov. 24, 2003/Texas Land Trusts Top 1-Million Mark in Acres Conserved Maincontent Local Navigation print friendly search Regulations Publications Outdoor Learning Kids Game Warden Grants Get Involved Shop FAQ Calendar Español Experience Texas Fishing & Boating State Parks & Destinations Hunting & Wildlife Land & Water Doing Business Home Land & Water Land Private Tltc News Articles Links: What's a Lone Star Land Steward? Preserving Texas's Cultural Heritage Turning Brownfields Green Private Landowners Wildlife/Agricultural Tax Exemption Nov. 24, 2003 Texas Land Trusts Top 1-Million Mark in Acres Conserved AUSTIN, Texas -- Private landowners working with Texas land trusts have now conserved more than 1,307,681 acres of land, according to new statistics from the Texas Land Trust Council. The new acreage total sets another record, an increase from last year’s record total of 995,122 acres, a figure roughly comparable to the size of the entire Texas State Parks system. There are 39 land trusts in Texas. Some are national organizations with active Texas chapters, such as The Nature Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land. But most are regional groups unique to Texas, such as the Katy Prairie Conservancy and the Valley Land Fund. “Land trusts have sometimes been behind-the-scenes players, working quietly but effectively to protect open space and wildlife habitat,” said Robert L. Cook, TPWD executive director. “But today the visibility and conservation role of land trusts in our state is growing. These organizations are increasingly important to private landowners who are looking for help to address our biggest threat to wildlife, which is loss of habitat.” According to the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s 1997 National Resources Inventory, Texas led the nation during the 1990s in converting rural prairies, forests and coastline into shopping centers and houses, farms and factories. Texas loses about 283 square miles of rural open space to development each year. Land trusts join ranchers and other landowners together to combat these threats, and they represent the fastest growing conservation movement today, according to Carolyn Vogel, who works with the Texas Land Trust Council at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “With Texans searching for ways to address conservation at the local level, the number of land trusts has multiplied with 22 new land trusts established in Texas in the past 12 years,” she said. The Protected Lands Inventory Survey asked Texas land trust members about acres conserved in their operating area, conservation methods used, and conservation purposes such as providing wildlife habitat or protecting water quality. Lands conserved include cactus-studded deserts, mile-high mountains, sunny coasts and dense forests. “Today Texas has close to 21 million people,” said John Hamilton, Texas Land Trust Council board president. “In 25 years, the population is expected to grow by 50 percent to more than 30 million people. Our open spaces are under tremendous stress that is only going to multiply.” For a directory of Texas land trusts, plus information about tools such as conservation easements and links to other resources, see the Texas Land Trust Council Web pages ( http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/private/tltc/ ). TH 11/24/2003 Contact Us | Help | Accessibility | Media | Site Policies | Complaints | Intranet | State of Texas | TRAILS Search | TexasOnline | Compact with Texans Texas Parks and Wildlife Department , 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744 Toll Free: (800) 792-1112, Austin: (512) 389-4800 Content of this site © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unless otherwise noted. Last modified: October 12, 2005, 12:46 pm

home equity credit lines

Home Equity Credit Lines Home Equity Credit Lines U sing a credit line to borrow against the equity in your home has become a popular source of consumer credit. And lenders are offering these home equity credit lines in a variety of ways. You will find most loans come with variable interest rates, some come with attractive low introductory rates, and a few come with fixed rates. You also may find most loans have large one-time upfront fees, others have closing costs, and some have continuing costs, such as annual fees. You can find loans with large balloon payments at the end of the loan, and others with no balloons but with higher monthly payments. No one loan is right for every homeowner. The challenge, then, is to contact different lenders, compare options, and select the home equity credit line best tailored to your needs. Be sure to review the home equity contract carefully before you sign it. Do not hesitate to ask questions about the terms and conditions of your financing. To help you do this, you may want to consider the following questions and to use the checklist at the end of this brochure. (We apologize that the checklist is not available on-line. To obtain a copy of the checklist, please request a free copy of the brochure by contacting: Public Reference, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C. 20580; (202) 326-2222. TDD call (202) 326-2502.) Is a home equity credit line for you? If you need to borrow money, home equity lines may be one useful source of credit. Initially at least, they may provide you with large amounts of cash at relatively low interest rates. And they may provide you with certain tax advantages unavailable with other kinds of loans. (Check with your tax adviser for details.) At the same time, home equity lines of credit require you to use your home as collateral for the loan. This may put your home at risk if you are late or cannot make your monthly payments. Those loans with a large final (balloon) payment may lead you to borrow more money to pay off this debt, or they may put your home in jeopardy if you cannot qualify for refinancing. And, if you sell your home, most plans require you to pay off your credit line at that time. In addition, because home equity loans give you relatively easy access to cash, you might find you borrow money more freely. Remember too, there are other ways to borrow money from a lending institution. For example, you may want to explore second mortgage installment loans. Although these plans also place an additional mortgage on your home, second mortgage money usually is loaned in a lump sum, rather than in a series of advances made available by writing checks on an account. Also, second mortgages usually have fixed interest rates and fixed payment amounts. You also may want to explore borrowing from credit lines that do not use your home as collateral. These are available with your credit cards or with unsecured credit lines that let you write checks as you need the money. In addition, you may want to ask about loans for specific items, such as cars or tuition. How much money can you borrow on a home equity credit line? Depending on your creditworthiness (your income, credit rating, etc.) and the amount of your outstanding debt, home equity lenders may let you borrow up to 85% of the appraised value of your home minus the amount you still owe on your first mortgage. Ask the lender about the length of the home equity loan, whether there is a minimum withdrawal requirement when you open your account, and whether there are minimum or maximum withdrawal requirements after your account is opened. Inquire how you gain access to your credit line -- with checks, credit cards, or both. Also, find out if your home equity plan sets a fixed time -- a draw period -- when you can make withdrawals from your account. Once the draw period expires, you may be able to renew your credit line. If you cannot, you will not be permitted to borrow additional funds. Also, in some plans, you may have to pay your full outstanding balance. In others, you may be able to repay the balance over a fixed time. What is the interest rate on the home equity loan? Interest rates for loans differ, so it pays to check with several lenders for the lowest rate. Compare the annual percentage rate (APR), which indicates the cost of credit on a yearly basis. Be aware that the advertised APR for home equity credit lines is based on interest alone. For a true comparison of credit costs, compare other charges, such as points and closing costs, which will add to the cost of your home equity loan. This is especially important if you are comparing a home equity credit line with a traditional installment (or second) mortgage, where the APR includes the total credit costs for the loan. In addition, ask about the type of interest rates available for the home equity plan. Most home equity credit lines have variable interest rates. These variable rates may offer lower monthly payments at first, but during the rest of the repayment period the payments may change and may be higher. Fixed interest rates, if available, may be slightly higher initially than variable rates, but fixed rates offer stable monthly payments over the life of the credit line. If you are considering a variable rate, check and compare the terms. Check the periodic cap, which is the limit on interest rate changes at one time. Also, check the lifetime cap, which is the limit on interest rate changes throughout the loan term. Ask the lender which index is used and how much and how often it can change. An index (such as the prime rate) is used by lenders to determine how much to raise or lower interest rates. Also, check the margin, which is an amount added to the index that determines the interest you are charged. In addition, inquire whether you can convert your variable rate loan to a fixed rate at some future time. Sometimes, lenders offer a temporarily discounted interest rate -- a rate that is unusually low and lasts only for an introductory period, such as six months. During this time, your monthly payments are lower too. After the introductory period ends, however, your rate (and payments) increase to the true market level (the index plus the margin). So, ask if the rate you are offered is "discounted," and if so, find out how the rate will be determined at the end of the discount period and how much larger your payments could be at that time. What are the upfront closing costs? When you take out a home equity line of credit, you pay for many of the same expenses as when you financed your original mortgage. These include items such as an application fee, title search, appraisal, attorneys' fees, and points (a percentage of the amount you borrow). These expenses can add substantially to the cost of your loan, especially if you ultimately borrow little from your credit line. You may want to negotiate with lenders to see if they will pay for some of these expenses. What are the continuing costs? In addition to upfront closing costs, some lenders require you to pay continuing fees throughout the life of the loan. These may include an annual membership or participation fee, which is due whether or not you use the account, and/or a transaction fee, which is charged each time you borrow money. These fees add to the overall cost of the loan. What are the repayment terms during the loan? As you pay back the loan, your payments may change if your credit line has a variable interest rate, even if you do not borrow more money from your account. Find out how often and how much your payments can change. You also will want to know whether you are paying back both principal and interest, or interest only. Even if you are paying back some principal, ask whether your monthly payments will cover the full amount borrowed or whether you will owe an additional payment of principal at the end of the loan. In addition, you may want to ask about penalties for late payments and under what conditions the lender can consider you in default and demand immediate full payment. What are the repayment terms at the end of the loan? Ask whether you might owe a large payment at the end of your loan term. If so, and you are not sure you will be able to afford the balloon payment, you may want to renegotiate your repayment terms. When you take out the loan, ask about the conditions for renewal of the plan or for refinancing the unpaid balance. Consider asking the lender to agree ahead of time and in writing to refinance any end-of-loan balance or extend your repayment time, if necessary. What safeguards are built into the loan? One of the best protections you have is the Federal Truth in Lending Act, which requires lenders to inform you about the terms and costs of the plan at the time you are given an application. Lenders must disclose the APR and payment terms and must inform you of charges to open or use the account, such as an appraisal, a credit report, or attorneys' fees. Lenders also must tell you about any variable-rate feature and give you a brochure describing the general features of home equity plans. The Truth in Lending Act also protects you from changes in the terms of the account (other than a variable-rate feature) before the plan is opened. If you decide not to enter into the plan because of a change in terms, all fees you paid earlier must be returned to you. Because your home is at risk when you open a home equity credit account, you have three days to cancel the transaction, for any reason. To cancel, you must inform the lender in writing. Following that, your credit line must be cancelled and all fees you have paid must be returned. Once your home equity plan is opened, if you pay as agreed, the lender, in most cases, may not terminate your plan, accelerate payment of your outstanding balance, or change the terms of your account. The lender may halt credit advances on your account during any period in which interest rates exceed the maximum rate cap in your agreement, if your contract permits this practice. For More Information The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues , visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel , a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION FOR THE CONSUMER 1-877-FTC-HELP www.ftc.gov June 1992

Denver Real Estate

Denver Real Estate and Relocation, Littleton Real Estate, Denver Metro Area County Real Estate, Tim Pfannenstiel " Denver Homes, Real Estate & Relocation Access all listings! Have you ever wanted to see all of the listings your Realtor sees? Now, with a HomeCard, you can finally have the 'INSIDE SCOOP'. Area Market Stats. Need to know what home prices are doing in your community? What did the neighbors really get for their home? Make an informed buying or selling decision with your HomeCard. Auto Email Alerts. In a 'HOT' Real Estate market, do other home buyers learn about new listings before you do? Sign up for a HomeCard and stop worrying now. You will automatically receive an email alert whenever a property matching your Profile becomes available. Store Documents. Your HomeCard gives you a convenient place to store all house related documents on-line. Shop For Loans. Worried about getting the best possible deal on your loan? Let us help you get funded. Home Services. 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Florida Real Estate

4Brevard Relocation Brevard Florida Real Estate - SpaceCoast Homes for Sale - Coldwell Banker SpaceCoast Home Finder Team Richard & Ana Webb and 127 Professional Realtors (321) 480-5514 9am to 10pm eastern eMail: Webb@4Brevard.com Let our team help YOUrelocate to Orlando's Seaside Suburbs 40 minutes due east SELLERS Thisbuyer-oriented website can sell your home. Go where BUYERS go - 4Brevard.com Click towns within our Brevard Real Estate eMagazine Cape Canaveral Cocoa Village Merritt Island Viera Palm Bay Satellite Beach Cocoa Beach Melbourne Titusville Rockledge Suntree Indialantic In 2002 Brevard ranked 6th hottestmarket in the U.S. We've gotten hotter (see MarketTrends ). Instantlysee ALL Brevard homes(not just ours) with PICTURES! Explore Central Florida living, excitinglifestyles in the SpaceCoast complete database of ALL Brevard property: Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, CocoaBeach, Melbourne. (Click underlined links for moreinformation) VIP Program Search for Homes Now Click for Instant eMail Updates Customized Search Click for Brevard MLS Instant Home Finder with Pictures Bookmark 4Brevard.com for help with your move. Click for Wow! Homes Click topic for details: Besides help findinga home, this buyer's agent helps you get adjusted to a new place. The links onthis homepage are your first step; just click the underlined words. Thanks forstopping by! Use our great resources to make your move easier. School Selector Job Finder Rentals Vacant Land Mortgages Surf Report Fishing Guide What's to Do? Explore Brevard County in Pictures & Video Market Trends Brevard County Parks & Recreation Property Tax Exemptions Avoid Buyer/ Seller Mistakes Brevard Neighborhoods eMagazine Orlando Flights (40 minutes due West) Tourist Development Council showsyou why people come here to play and stay. Beaches, surfing, wildlife, fishing, golf, attractions, shuttle launchschedule, calendar of events, where to stay, travel deals.How about nightlife ? Discover Brevard . Waterfront Experts Brevard enjoys 230 miles of coastline. My team specializes in oceanfront, Indian Riverfront, and Banana Riverfront homes andcondos, some with tricky navigation. We're Realtors and boaters who know the waters. Buyer's Agent We are relocation specialists, investors, and Buyer's Agents.Fees are totally paid by home sellers, but by Florida law, a buyer's agent worksexclusively for YOU! Listing agents work for the SELLER! Every call answered by a licensed Realtor. Call now. Send us eMai l This site won The Real Estate Library "Pure Gold" award for design, accessibility, content, and relevance. and --

House Rent

Renting a House RENTING A HOUSE If you rent a house, rather than an apartment, you'll have some additionalconcerns: Lawn care and snow removal will probably be your responsibility. City codes require that lawns be mowed. If you think the landlord is providing either of these services, make sure your lease says so. Garbage hauling is not a municipal service in Champaign-Urbana. Unless your lease says that the landlord provides and pays for hauling, you'll have to call a private hauler and arrange service. Look in the yellow pages under "garbage." (Note: references in your lease to sanitary fees are for the sewer system, not for garbage hauling). Don't assume the garage comes with the house; make sure the lease says you are renting the "house and garage." If the house has no garage but you plan to park in the driveway, make sure the lease says Lessee may park in the driveway at no extra cost. Be sure the lease states the number of bedrooms in the house, especially if any bedrooms are in the basement or attic. If any area containing bedrooms becomes unfit for habitation while the rest of the house is still habitable, you'll be in a better bargaining position with your landlord if you can prove that the uninhabitable space was leased to you for living and sleeping purposes. Zoning laws prohibit more than four unrelated adults from living together in a single family home. The tenants, as well as the landlords, can be held liable by the city for violating the law. Enforcement is complaint-driven. If you live in Urbana near the U of I campus, or if you live anywhere and annoy your neighbors with noise or illegally parking cars on the lawn, you are a likely target for enforcement. See section of this handbook on " Zoning ." Be especially careful about including in your lease a list of all appliances that the landlord will "provide and maintain." Don't assume the washer and dryer in the basement will be repaired by the landlord if one breaks down. They may have just been left in the house by previous tenants. Protecting your deposit is a bigger job with a house. Many tenants report being charged at the end of the lease for leaving trash in the yard, damage to a porch, lawn care, cleaning out the basement, etc. Both when you move in and when you move out, you should take photographs of the basement, attic, front and back yards and the porch , in addition to photographs of walls, floors, insides of oven, fridge and cabinets and all fixtures. Damage deposit refund law does not cover houses (except in the City of Urbana). If the house is in Champaign, Savoy or anyplace other than Urbana, be sure your lease states the time period for refund of the deposit and requires the landlord to provide you with an itemized statement of damages within a certain time period. A sample clause appears in the section of this handbook on signing a lease. Return to Home Page Return to Table of Contents