Among my favorite automotive commercials are those where a shopper purchases a vehicle and presents it to a loved one for Christmas. A car key for a late model Lexus IS is hidden inside of a tiny gift wrapped box, a new Audi A4 is found hiding in the garage, or a Cadillac CTS with a big red bow and ribbon is driven up to the front of a house to the shock and delight of the gift recipient. Maybe this Christmas you’ll be driving a new set of wheels thanks to the generosity of your husband or wife?

A new car for Christmas isn’t something that only Hollywood celebrities or Wall Street honchos give to their significant others. Thanks to some very attractive year end financing options, you can afford a new or slightly used car and make it a present that will always be remembered come Christmas morn. Are you interested in playing Santa Claus this year? Although Christmas is just days away, it isn’t too late to buy a car and have the Jolly Old Elf himself deliver it to your recipient!

When shopping for a car this December, there is an important thing for you to keep in mind: mostly every single automaker is trying to increase sales before the year ends. If possible, automakers want to show a year to year increase or, at the very least, stem their losses by moving out inventory before January 1st. For the wise consumer this means that December is a buyer’s market, particularly for slower selling or older models. Even deals on popular cars can be had with a little work on your part.

Just in time for Christmas you will notice the following special offers on select vehicles:

Zero percent financing for as long six years. In some cases you won’t have to put any money down other than taxes, tag and title. Why pay cash for a car when you can have the automaker finance it for you? Let your money earn 5% interest with a bank certificate of deposit and get a vehicle with interest free financing.

Thousands of dollars off of the sticker price. That pick up truck your husband has his eye on has been reduced by $6000 or more. Dodge, GMC/Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan and Toyota are scrambling to move slow selling full sized trucks and are offering incentives to boost their sales numbers. Let their price war work to your advantage!

Extraordinary seasonal lease deals. Perhaps you really don’t want to buy a new car as the thought of keeping a vehicle for more than a few years has little appeal for you. Leasing allows you to get a new car and drive it for two or three years and then turn it in for a new model at lease end. Lease terms are especially favorable this time of year as automakers offer incentives to move bloated inventory. Leases are counted as “sales” therefore, in the game of selling the most vehicles before the new year ball drops, you can make a deal that works to your advantage.

Save money on a used car too. Maybe your son or daughter is going away to college next fall and your student will need a car. Perhaps buying a new car is a budget buster but a used car is not. If you have the funds to pay cash for your purchase, then strike the best deal possible. If you need to take out an auto loan, then run the numbers to find the best financing available. Keep this in mind — some lending institutions are eager to provide financing as the year draws to a close too. Financing rates for a used vehicle vary as it will depend on the age, make/model, mileage, your credit, and amount borrowed. Shopping around for a loan can knock several points off of your loan rate, saving your hundreds of dollars.

Giving the gift of wheels this Christmas can be within your reach. Use seasonal incentives and discounts to your advantage and you just may come away with the year’s best deal!

Tags: auto leasing, auto lending, auto loan calculators, Auto Loans

Our county just went through a lengthy property revaluation process which took nearly two years to complete. Every home in Wake County, North Carolina was reassessed which was the first full revaluation of property values of its kind in eight years. As was to be expected, there were some people who were pleased with the latest figures as their home’s value was put closer to a hoped for selling price while others felt that the work was done sloppily and unevenly. One neighbor plans to appeal, a right that every taxpayer has and one that they should exercise if they believe that their revaluation was done incorrectly.Do you know what your home is really worth? Chances are that it has gone up in value since you purchased it and, if it has, there are some compelling reasons why you should seek an independent home valuation. Let’s explore what a home valuation report does and why it may be a good idea for you to order one.

Local Governments, Periodic Revaluations

Your local government (county, town or city) will reassess property values from time to time. State law requires that this be done with each state setting the timeframe in which revaluations must be completed (e.g., once every eight years). When the revaluations have been completed, homeowners are notified usually through a notice received in the mail.

Revaluations And Taxes

What sends a shudder through many a homeowner is finding that their home’s value has increased dramatically since the last revaluation. Although a home that is worth much more can command a higher selling price, it can also mean that the homeowner will pay significantly higher taxes.

Before panicking, homeowners should realize that as a home’s value has gone up, the tax rate should go down (the amount paid per each $100 of the home’s value). This means that if your home was worth $200,000 and your tax rate was .074 per $100, then your taxes are $1480 annually. If your home is revalued to $320,000 and the tax rate stays the same, then your new tax bill would be $2368. However, your local governing body would likely drop the rate per $100 in order to lessen the blow, but we all know that with any type of property revaluation it can be an “excuse” for politicians to raise taxes.

What Should You Do?

If you believe that the new value of your home is too high, then order an independent valuation and use the findings from that report to appeal your increase. In some jurisdictions, the revaluation will come first and then the new tax bill will arrive many months later. Why wait to learn if your taxes have jumped up significantly later on when appealing now makes the most sense? Anyway, in many cases you have a certain timeframe in which a revaluation can be appealed — you need to take action as soon as possible or risk finding that your appeal was filed too late.

You Can Cancel Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)

If you have a mortgage on your home and you’re also paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) then a home revaluation can work for you. Don’t wait for the town to do their periodic update — you can order a report and see if your home’s valuation has increased to the point where you can cancel PMI. It isn’t uncommon for homeowners to still pay PMI well after their house’s value went up. Still, the burden of proof is on you and you’ll need to submit a copy of the valuation report to your mortgage company.

Lastly, a home valuation report can help you get the best price for your home in the event you plan on selling it. Local property values and recent sales (plus improvements) will all be considered to determine your home’s value. Ultimately, a home valuation report will protect your interests, something every homeowner should consider ordering independently.

Tags: home valuations, home values, market valuations, market values

Campus Talk Has Just Gotten A Whole Lot Better!

nBuy Associates, the owner of this blog, is proudly announcing the introduction of its newest blog, SayCampusLife. This blog covers just about everything related to college life from admission, to living, education, sports and more.

SayCampusLife is geared toward university students, alumni, friends and family members as well as to fans of collegiate sports. Krayton M Davis and Matt Keegan, the two bloggers associated with SayEducate, will be the bloggers for the new blog too.

SayEducate will no longer include topics related to college, instead from this point forward those topics will appear on SayCampusLife. All of the college-related articles currently featured on SayEducate will remain in place.

We will be covering a variety of topics on SayCampusLife including:

• NCAA football — the 2007 -2008 bowl season just now getting underway.
• College admission tips and advice.
• Surviving dorm life.
• Paying for college without paying for it forever.
• Conference chat — which college basketball conference is the best and why.
• Preparing your first resume.
• And more!

Like SayEducate, SayCampusLife will be updated on daily basis, so please check back in often, feel free to register with both blogs, and leave related comments where applicable.

We hope to see you there!

Tags: , college basketball, college football, college life, College Planning, nBuy Associates, NCAA sports, SayCampusLife, SayEducate